Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sunday Globe Special: GOP Aborts 2014 Election

I suppose that will make Democrats happy.

"Abortion battles loom in upcoming elections" by Bill Barrow |  Associated Press, July 15, 2013

ATLANTA — With no immediate hope of overturning the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion, Republicans around the country are increasingly pushing legislation to restrict the procedure, and Democrats say they’ll make the GOP pay in coming elections....

Of course, when gay rights activists take it to the states it is a good thing. 

God, I'm so sick of the divisive, agenda-pushing wedge issues being pushed at us with the false left-right paradigm constantly being presented by the AmeriKan media.

Some Republicans say more moderate voters will support their agenda in the wake of the murder conviction against Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortion doctor who jurors determined killed babies who had survived the procedure.

See: Globe Offers Excuses For Gosnell

But Democrats and abortion-rights advocates say Republicans have overreached....

‘‘Defense workers are being furloughed, student loan interest rates have doubled, and these Republicans insist on a relentless pursuit of more restrictions on women’s freedoms,’’ said Representative Steve Israel, chair of the Democrats’ national congressional campaign for 2014. ‘‘Swing voters are by their very nature moderate; they want solutions, not ideological warfare.’’

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North Carolina’s newfound legislative supermajority wants to regulate clinics more heavily....

RelatedSunday Globe Special: Carving Up North Carolina

Also seeThe Birth of the Perry Presidency 

Abort! Abort!

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"In fiery abortion debate, GOP sees an opening; Senators hope to get vote on ban after 20 weeks" by Jeremy W. Peters |  New York Times, July 28, 2013

WASHINGTON — It reads like a who’s who of the next generation of Republican Party leaders: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rob Portman. All talking about how to advance a bill in the Senate to ban abortion at 20 weeks after fertilization.

Portman is for lesbians but against women? 

"Israeli film officials say Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman will direct her first feature film, based on the autobiographical novel ‘‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’’ by Israeli writer Amos Oz. Yoram Honig of the Jerusalem Film Fund and a publicist for the film said Wednesday that Portman wrote the screenplay and will also star in the movie as Oz’s troubled mother. The movie will be filmed in Jerusalem in early 2014."

Ah, Amidala! 

I wonder if there us a connection with Rob.

A similar ban passed the House last month, and Senate Democrats quickly pronounced it dead on arrival in their chamber.

Aborted it.

It is almost certain to be defeated there, and even if it were not, President Obama would veto it.

Yeah, why not make him perform it?

But backers of the ban are eager to bring to the floor of the Senate the same impassioned debate over abortion that has been taking place in state legislatures around the country....

Social issues are the only thing they can talk about because every state capital is owned by corporations.

The success of new limits on when, how, and where abortions can be performed has helped invigorate the Republican base like few other issues this year.

It's turned me off even more. 

Because of such intensity, antiabortion groups say they have found considerable interest among the newer generation of Republican senators, especially those seeking to build up — or, in some cases, repair — their standing with conservative voters.

Some see even broader appeal. Even though the issue of reproductive rights has been problematic for Republicans — who have been repeatedly embarrassed by comments from politicians who come off as sexist or ignorant of science — those who support 20-week bans say the dynamics of this debate are different.

And some conservatives see this as the only winning social issue they have left in their political arsenal.

And they are losing ground on that one, too.

Unlike same-sex marriage, which has steadily gained support, recent polls have shown that the public believes that abortions later in pregnancy should be restricted....

Not only is the issue a narrow one to decide an election upon, it is a narrow slice of that issue. Talk about diverting division. 

You know, no matter what your position on abortion the economy is still f***ing you!

Drafting a bill, however, will require conservatives to resolve a fundamental disagreement: how to find constitutional justification for a nationwide ban despite their reservations about giving the government broad regulatory powers.

Translation: they will be exposed as hypocrites.

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At least the American people are with 'em:

"In poll, most favor 20-week abortion limit; But majority not for restrictions against clinics" by Juliet Eilperin and Scott Clement |  Washington Post, July 26, 2013

WASHINGTON — By a 2-to-1 ratio, Americans say they would prefer to impose limits on abortions after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy rather than the 24-week mark established under current law, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The difference was stark, with 56 percent opting for the earlier threshold and 27 percent backing the standard. Another 10 percent volunteered they would prefer to outlaw abortion in the United States altogether....

At the same time, 54 percent say they oppose state laws that make it more difficult for abortion clinics to operate; 45 percent support such legislation.

The findings come as lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in states across the country are pushing to ban abortions earlier and impose new requirements that make it harder for abortion clinics to operate....

More broadly, overall support for legal abortion remains stable, with 55 percent saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 41 percent say it should be illegal in most or all cases. That finding is similar to a 2012 Post-ABC poll and surveys in recent years....

Translation: there is NOTHING NEW HERE!

By more than a 2-to 1 margin — 66 to 30 percent — Americans say they prefer that abortion laws be decided for all states on the basis of the US Constitution, rather than a state-by-state approach.

The Constitution stipulates that it SHOULD be decided by the states!

This applies to both hard-core abortion rights supporters and opponents....

Finally, something they agree on!

But on a practical level, the ground rules for abortion are being rewritten on the state level, where 50 new restrictions have been adopted since January, according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute....

The Post-ABC survey reveals deep religious divisions....

I'm tired of being divided.

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You know, a fetus's future is robbed just as easily by a bank.

NEXT DAY UPDATE: Young Republicans seek key changes with party