Although it took a while, as anticipated, Wednesday night’s debate between ten pro-abortion Democrats running to be their party’s presidential candidate pivoted after a commercial break to talk about abortion. The question, from MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, followed one of former Vice President Joe Biden’s many awful faux pas that were so dreadful it made your skin crawl.
Four candidates were given a chance to respond—to the abortion question itself and to whether there is room for pro-lifers in the Democrat Party.
Maddow asked Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Many states, including right here where we are tonight in Georgia, have passed laws that severely limit or outright ban abortion. Right now, Roe v. Wade protects a woman’s right to abortion nationwide. But if Roe gets overturned and abortion access disappears in some states, would you intervene as president to try to bring that access back?
Klobuchar answered, “Well, of course. We should codify Roe v. Wade into law. That’s what we should do,” before taking the mandatory jab at President Trump. And then she added
And what we have to remember is that the people are with us. And I predict this will be a big issue in the general election. And I just can’t wait to stand across from Donald Trump and say this to him: “You know what? The people are with us.” Over 70 percent of the people support Roe v. Wade. Over 90 percent of the people support funding for Planned Parenthood and making sure that women can get the health care they need. He is off the track on this, and he will hear from the women of America, and this is how we’re going to win this election.
Of course, this is pro-abortion hooey which we have debunked a hundred times. Support for “health care” and support for Planned Parenthood are two separate issues. When asked a generic question about Planned Parenthood, people will respond to the PR-image PPFA has spent countless tens of millions honing. But when asked how they feel about the nation’s largest abortion provider—when told PPFA performs abortion—support drops significantly.
Support would plummet if the citizenry knew that Planned Parenthood has made serious cutbacks in providing genuine health care.
But Sen. Klobuchar is right about one thing. Abortion “will be a big issue in the [2020] general election.”
To her credit, Maddow immediately pivoted to the issue of abortion litmus tests. Although she did not mention it, as we reported yesterday (quoting the New York Times), “An association of Democratic state attorneys general will become the first national party committee to impose an explicit abortion litmus test on its candidates, announcing on Monday that it will refuse to endorse anyone who does not support reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion services.”
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What Maddow did ask of Sen. Warren was the following:
Just this weekend, Louisiana re-elected a Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards. He has signed one of the country’s toughest laws restricting abortion. Is there room in the Democratic Party for someone like him, someone who can win in a deep red state but who does not support abortion rights?
Sen. Warren filibustered: “I believe that abortion rights are human rights. I believe that they are also economic rights” and then offered an all-purpose “it’s-up-to-the-woman-and-anyone-else-she-wishes-to draw-in- but-not-the-government.”
Maddow took another shot:
Senator Warren, I’m going to push you on this a little bit for a specific answer to the question. Gov. John Bel Edwards in Louisiana is an anti-abortion governor who has signed abortion restrictions in Louisiana. Is there room for him in the Democratic Party with these politics?
And Warren dodged again:
I have made clear what I think the Democratic Party stands for. I’m not here to try to drive anyone out of this party. I’m not here to try to build fences. But I am here to say, this is what I will fight for as president of the United States. The women of America can count on that.
Sen. Bernie Sanders offered an inane “me-too” answer and Sen. Cory Booker, who wanted to get heard, simply talked about something else altogether.
Wouldn’t it have been interesting if one of the four panelists last night (or any night) asked the candidates, “What specific anti-abortion legislation, if any, would you support?”
That would allow the public to learn the answer: none.
But I wouldn’t hold my breath.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in at National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues
