About those scare quotes October 16, 2008 Jill Planned Parenthood Action Fund director Cecile Richards and McCain supporter Barbara Comstock respond:
Barbara managed to work herself into a lather about something that wasn’t even part of the question. She obviously didn’t want to come out and say, “Women can die rather than terminate their pregnancy,” but she made it pretty clear that was her belief. It’s sickening coming from a woman. I was quite impressed by the way Cecile didn’t let Barbara talk over her, remained calm and clearly expressed her viewpoint supported by facts instead of making things up.
Goddamn, Barbara Comstock is just as angry and incoherent as John McCain. She wouldn’t answer the question, kept talking about a different topic, and tried McCain’s same tactic of accusing Obama of denying funding for babies born of failed abortions, even though Obama pointed out last night that there was already a law on the books providing for care for this exact situation. I hate these forced birth assholes who think women are nothing but vessels. I’m sorry to say it, but I really wish Barbara or some woman close to her would TALK to women who have BEEN in situations where they did have to terminate due to an imminent risk to their own health. Goddamn.
I am constantly flabbergasted that people so seriously misinformed can end up on TV. It’s another example of this whole faux-balance notion– that you have to present both sides of an issue even if one side is complete and total hogwash. Comstock needs to brush up on some of the basic facts here: the law she mentioned already exists; “partial-birth abortions” do not; Barach Obama is pretty solidly moderate. Cecile Richards came out of this smelling like roses…although, I can’t help but wish she had been a little more forceful about communicating how appallingly disrespectful McCain’s air quotes were. Rachel Maddow summarized the moment pretty perfectly in the recap last night when she referred to the moment that “Senator McCain ridiculed the idea that the life of the mother should be a concern in the abortion debate.” Because that’s exactly what he did–ridicule the importance of women’s lives. It was disgusting when he did it, and Comstock takes it to an entirely new level of hideousness here.
WTF Cecile Richards PRESIDENT of PP VS a “McCain Supporter”. I just read who she is and i still don’t think she’s a valid opponent for Richards. It’s kind of telling the way they choose opponents in these things.
It’s always awesome when a one hundred and nine year old white dude plays expert on what constitutes valid “health” concerns with a woman’s pregnancy.
“Most radical position” my ass. Obama is a centrist, at best. Mai radikul pozishun. Let mi sho u it. (Okay, I”m not anywhere near articulate yet. Way too mad. But I will be back, when I can speak in phrases that don’t start with an non-fictionalized version of Frack You.) Aw hell, I’ll give it a shot anyway. Barbara Comstock seems to be conflating “late term abortion” with “partial birth abortion” (a procedure that doesn’t actually exist, the guidelines for which are amazingly unspecified in the laws declaring it a Big Bad No No). Her opinion of “late term” seems to be “once labor has started”. The entire third trimester appears to be missing from her position. She is also denying that anything could possibly threaten a pregnant woman’s long-term health (which I believe the so-called exception applies to) at the end of a pregnancy without some sort of warning. I’m no medical expert, but it seems to me that most things are possible, and that, I don’t know, shit can go wrong, and (especially with the health care system we have now) for many women, especially the non-privileged, problems can go undiagnosed for a long time, so something “popping up” when it can no longer be ignored is a very real possibility for women with less than adequate health care (which is, I”m sorry to say, probably most of us). So her position is basically ignoring reality in favor of conservative dogma. It makes me want to curse, hearing anyone say that. I wish we could add commentary or grades to the ballots when we vote. Having heard Obama express support for “partial birth abortion”, I’m having a hard time considering enthusiastically voting for him. It would be more voting against McCain, for b.s. like those scare quotes. Some day, some time, there will be a candidate that we can really be exited about who has a fighting chance. I hate voting just for damage control.
Actually, Peter, I find it absolutely charming when legislators presume to know what’s better for every individual woman in this nation than those self-same individual women and their chosen medical professionals. Absolutely. Charming.
Agreed nightgigjo. Its a great idea to let a few dozne, predominantly middle aged white male state legislators, play medical expert and decide women’s health issues. (sarcasm alert)
Is the health of a woman such a JOKE to McCain that he had to throw in those air-quotes? Conservatives are still calling Pro-choicers the “Pro-Abortion movement,” as if we’re going around promoting and encouraging abortions for all! McCain, for the last time: Pro-choice is exactly as it’s called. The right to choose.
I think it’s really telling the way Barbara says “mother” but never “woman”. Also, it sickens me the way they call pro-choice a “pro-abortion” position, which only serves to strengthen the opinion of the right wing that liberals want to terminate every single pregnancy ever, and that a woman who has an abortion is a murderer. The word “execute” has no business in this discussion. I really don’t understand the right wing. At all.
Wait–I must admit I’m not up on my conservative politicos, so I’d never heard of this charming Barbara Comstock character until this video, but does she bear any relation to Anthony Comstock of the anti-contraception Comstock Act in the 1900s?? Because if not, that’s hella ironic…
I’m tired of the anti-choice wingnuts spouting off like abortion is always women who are 9-months pregnant asking for viable fetuses to be punctured in the head, because, gosh, they just don’t feel like being a parent anymore. The “partial birth abortion” law was nothing more than pandering to the right, as though *suddenly now* late term abortion is illegal! The procedure they banned was rarely used, but when it was used, was certainly preferable to the alternatives. I remember this story from Glamour years ago: http://www.barryyeoman.com/articles/gina.html
Is the health of a woman such a JOKE to McCain that he had to throw in those air-quotes? Yes it is. Just like Aerdrie said, these people measure a woman’s health by the progress of her pregnancy; anything else is immaterial.
Yes, how dare they execute those poor babies. Has your fetus got a fatal abnormality? Better to deliver it and let it die of suffocation because its lungs aren’t fully developed! OBVIOUSLY.
I love how Ms. Comstock spouts Obama’s “extreme position” though that’s hardly the case. (Didn’t Obama refute the use of “pro-abortion” by Mccain?) Then she agrees with McCain in that states should make their own laws on abortion. Hell no they shouldn’t!
If the following story is true, McCain doesn’t even care much for the health and life of his own wife: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Whistleblower_breaks_15year_silence_to_allege_0911.html
I shook my head in disbelief at some of the things that were described as “extreme” by Barbara Comstock. For instance, the idea that maybe it’s a good idea if teens didn’t have to bring their parents along as well (e.g. if the parents might treat her violently for being a “slut”!) That’s “extreme pro-abortion”? I think it’s common-sense pro-humanity! Comstock also seems to have been very carefully briefed by the McCain campaign team on what to say, and I would guess she’s probably somebody who’s been involved in running the campaign being presented as an “ordinary woman”. One thing about the debate that interested (and impressed) me, was that Barack Obama when he used a term to describe John McCain’s position, said something like this: “That’s my pro-choice position. The anti-… abortion position…” He paused as though he was going to say “anti-choice” but changed his mind at the last minute. It certainly allowed the viewers to fill in the blank in their own ways.
@SnowdropExplodes Personally I think that wasn’t the wisest phrasing to use… Perhaps I reacted a little differently, but for me, to compare his “pro-choice position” to an “anti-abortion” position basically reinforced McCain’s equation of pro-choice = pro-abortion… I doubt Sen. Obama meant it to come out that way, but it was still an unfortunate parallel to use.
I was really impressed with Cecile Richards, she came off shining in this–though I agree, I wish she focused more on what McCain communicated with his air quotes. I have to say: Chris Matthews was hilarious and awesome with his look of bewilderment at Barbara’s argument. He even made a dismissive gesture with his hand at one point! I like that he didn’t let her get away with speaking nonsense.
For instance, the idea that maybe itâs a good idea if teens didnât have to bring their parents along as well (e.g. if the parents might treat her violently for being a âslutâ!) Thatâs âextreme pro-abortionâ? I think itâs common-sense pro-humanity! It may be common sense, but that idea is seen as a great threat to what parents perceive as their “right” to control their children until they are 18 years of age. Especially considering the trend of increasing infantilization of young adolescents and young adults I’ve noticed from the late ’90s onwards among many upper-middle class families. In addition to the sexism and the need to control women is Comstock’s appealing to parents who feel the need to micromanage their children’s lives right into adulthood…and possibly beyond. Have heard far too many horror stories from friends who TA and teach undergrads about such overentitled control-freak parents who are irate their darling child is not receiving the A s(he) “deserves”…..even after turning in crappy work more deserving of a C, D, or F.
If dilation and evacuation is never necessary, why go to the trouble of banning it? It’s not even necessary when you’ve got a dead fetus with a giant, hydrocephalic head? Crystal Dragon Jesus, why are your followers so willfully uninformed?
WTF? Did she say there’s never a reason to perform a late-term abortion for the health of the mother? I admit to yelling things at my monitor that I would be ashamed to admit to on a feminist blog. Those procedures have SAVED THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND MOTHERS. I am so disgusted with the vile, hateful lies of the antichoice movement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doe_v._Bolton#Broad_definition_of_health “medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age – relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.” ~Doe v. Bolton, Roe’s sister case This is what he’s talking about.