Weekend Review: Republicans’ Commonsense Abortion Limits vs. Democrats’ Extremism
Here are the lowlights of pro-abortion Democrats’ extremism and the highlights of pro-life Republicans going on offense that you may have missed over the weekend:
Arizona: Kari Lake Busts Abortion Lobby’s False Feminism
Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake has provided one of the fiercest examples of going on offense for life this cycle, relentlessly and unflinchingly exposing her opponent Katie Hobbs. On CBS’ Face the Nation, she dismantled the lie that the abortion industry provides “women’s health care”:
I'm a woman. I'm a mother. I'm all for women's health care. I come from a large family, seven sisters. Of course I want women's health care. This has moved beyond health care. We're not giving women choices. I'm for giving women true choices. When they walk into an abortion center, they're only given one choice. They're not told that you have the choice to keep your baby and we can help and here's how, or we can help you find a loving family who will adopt your baby. I want to give women true choices. I will uphold the law, Whatever that law is, and I want to see to it that we save more lives. Right now the Democrats have started pushing so far from that ‘rare but safe,’ to ‘anything goes, up to nine months of pregnancy, after birth.’ Katie Hobbs, my opponent, has actually voted for – you look at her voting record, allowing a baby who survives an abortion that the hospital would refuse medical care and allow the baby to die on a cold, metal tray.”
Lake was referring to Hobbs’ vote against S.B. 1367, which requires life-saving medical care if a baby shows signs of life after an attempted abortion, signed by Gov. Ducey in 2017.
CBS’ interview with Katie Hobbs followed, and the contrast couldn’t be starker. Asked several times what limit on abortion – if any – she would support, Hobbs pointedly refused to answer:
Major Garrett: What would the Hobbs administration’s week limit be for abortion access? If it's not 15 weeks, what is it?
Katie Hobbs: Look, abortion is a very personal decision that belongs between a woman and her doctor. The government and politicians don't belong in that decision. We need to let doctors perform the care that they are trained and take an oath to perform.
Garrett: If an Arizona voter were to conclude from your previous answer that you do not favor any specific week limit on abortion, would they be correct?
Hobbs: I support leaving the decision between a woman and her doctor and leaving politicians entirely out of it.
It doesn’t get any clearer than that.
Virginia Governor Youngkin: Deliver a 15-Week Limit to My Desk
On CNN’s State of the Union, Governor Glenn Youngkin contrasted his support for limits on abortion when unborn children can feel pain with the extremism of the Northam administration that voters rejected last November:
So, Virginians elected a pro-life governor, and I have been very clear. I'm pro-life. I do believe in exceptions, in the case of rape and incest and when the life of the mother is at risk. And, in this case, where Virginia was just 22 months ago was debating on our General Assembly floor that, in fact, abortion should be extended all the way up through and including childbirth, and paid for with taxpayer money.
And I have said all along that I disagree with this. And that is extreme. That is really extreme. And so…when the Supreme Court issued their final ruling, we felt that a good place for Virginia to land, which was saving lives – because that's what Virginians have said: ‘we would like fewer abortions, as opposed to more’ – is getting our leading legislators together and coming up with a compromise bill.
As governor, this is progress…I would hope that they can deliver a bill on my desk in January that I can sign that would, in fact, recognize a 15-week limit, where a child can feel pain.
Georgia: Stacey Abrams Doubles Down on Misinformation
Not content to deny the existence of fetal heartbeats, Stacey Abrams on Fox News Sunday refused to answer a direct question about abortion limits, instead launching into this bizarre, unscientific deflection:
Shannon Bream: Were you to become governor, where would you draw the line? 15 weeks? Viability? 36 weeks? What's the limit?
Abrams: What I’ve always said is that abortion is a medical decision that should be made by a doctor and the woman, and that the point of viability as determined by a doctor should always take into consideration the life and health of a woman. That should be the standard. But the arbitrary standards of timelines ignore the medical reality that it is a fallacy we know exactly when a pregnancy starts, that we know exactly where we are in the term…
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser and renowned surgeon Dr. Ben Carson hit back on the abortion lobby’s science denial in an op-ed today at Washington Examiner:
“The facts about life before birth, revealed by science, speak for themselves and make the most compelling argument for the humanity of the unborn child.”
A note about “the point of viability as determined by a doctor” from our memo to the U.S. Senate on the so-called “Women’s Health Protection Act”:
The abortion industry’s view of viability was demonstrated by the testimony of Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood for the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, during her testimony before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in November 2019. Asked when she considered an unborn child to be viable, she said, “There is no particular gestational age. There are some pregnancies in which the fetus will never be viable…” Later she affirmed, “My practice includes abortion care through the point of viability and as we previously discussed that could be at any point.”
Baby Boy A, whose photo was shown to the grand jury in the trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell for murdering babies born alive, was estimated to be “at least 32 weeks, if not more, in gestational age.” A witness testified Gosnell joked, “This baby is big enough to walk around with me or walk me to the bus stop.” For reference, this is a 4-D ultrasound image of an unborn baby at about 32-36 weeks gestation, reacting to taste:
“The fetuses exposed to the carrot appeared to be smiling while those exposed to kale looked to be grimacing. The control group did not have the same responses.”
Wisconsin: Mandela Barnes Uses Unwitting Little Girl to Promote Extreme Abortion Agenda
U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes took pro-abortion Democrats’ extremism to a new low – tweeting out a video of a child who appears to be no older than six, with the caption, “It’s our job to make sure that Chase – and every single little girl – grows up in a world where they ALWAYS get to make decisions about their own health.” (An adult standing behind the girl holds a sign with a vulgar message.)
Ronald Reagan’s famous observation holds true:
“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
Local news outlets questioned Barnes as well as his opponent, Senator Ron Johnson, about their stances – here’s veteran reporter Jason Calvi:
Another pressed Barnes on whether he supports allowing abortion up until birth:
Barnes: Well, I tell you, that’s a decision that should be made between a woman and her doctor. I don’t have the medical credentials to make that decision.
Reporter: I mean, is that a yes or no, though?
Pro-life Senator Johnson turned the tables in his debate with Barnes:
More to come as we get closer to Election Day.