No exceptions... ever!
Nothing was more clear during Thursday night's GOP debate than the fact that the Republican War on Women is alive and well, even and especially with supposed frontrunners Jeb! Bush, Scott Walker, and Marco Rubio.
Jeb! bragged about defunding Planned Parenthood as Florida's governor, following on his pledge this week to defund the organization as president.
But two of the more startling moments came when Marco Rubio (the candidate of the future) and Scott Walker (the Midwestern "mainstreamer") made clear they opposed rape, incest, and life endangerment exceptions for abortion—positions that are absolute general election killers.
Megyn Kelly asked Scott Walker: "With 83 percent of the American public in favor of a life exception, are you too out of the mainstream on this issue to win the general election?"
Short answer: Yes, he's too extreme.
But here's Walker:
"Well I'm pro-life. I've always been pro-life. And I've got a position that's consistent with many Americans out there in that I believe that that is an unborn child that's in need of protection out there. And I've said many a time that that unborn child can be protected and there are many alternatives that would protect the life of the mother. That’s been consistently proven. Unlike Hillary Clinton who has a radical position in terms of support for Planned Parenthood, I defunded Planned Parenthood more than four years ago long before any of these videos came out. I've got a position that's in line with everyday America."
Walker's got "proven" methods for saving women's lives. That's magical. Do tell, Scotty, we're all ears. The medical community is on pins and needles for your cure-all, no-exceptions, Scotty-knows-best alternative.
Not to be outdone, Rubio rejected Kelly's assertion that he supports exceptions in cases of rape of incest.
Rubio: Well Megyn, first of all, I'm not sure that's a correct assessment of my record. I would go on to add that I believe that all human life—
Kelly: You don't favor a rape and incest exemption?
Rubio: I have never said that. And I have never advocated that. What I have advocated is that we pass a law that says all human life at every stage of its development is worthy of protection. In fact I think that law exists. It is called the Constitution of the United States. And let me go further. I believe that every single human being is in entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can speak or not. Whether they can hire a lawyer or not. Whether they have a birth certificate or not.
The crowd ate that up! It was a lie—
Rubio has backed bills with rape/incest exceptions—but far be it from us to save him from general election irrelevancy.