The Republican Party is all over the place on abortion after a concerted effort to stay focused on the 'outrageous' Supreme Court leak fell flat. But that plan imploded within a week for two reasons: 1) voters don't care about process, they care about outcomes; 2) the GOP is a radicalized party bent on banning abortions nationwide.
Now the party is splintering on whether to immediately press their maximalist endgame of passing a federal abortion ban or feign moderation for now by letting the states decide.
Here's Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of the GOP's nuttiest right-wingers who's up for reelection this year, trying to sound semi-reasonable.
“I’m definitely advocating: Let the states handle this,” Johnson told Politico. “Maybe once that process has played itself out, yeah. Maybe there’s a point for federal legislation … a restriction that we probably ought to recognize nationally.”
Christine Pelosi talks about the Supreme Court's leaked decision on Roe v. Wade, and what Democrats are doing now, on Daily Kos’ The Brief podcast
Johnson's approval ratings are abysmal in the state, hovering around all-time lows at some 35% among Badger State voters. He simply cannot afford to go maximalist on abortion this year when it would put him at odds with roughly two-thirds of voters.
Senate Republicans are legit scared that the obvious endgame of their extremist party will turn off voters and are working overtime to conceal it.
A memo from the Senate GOP campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, advised, "Be the compassionate, consensus builder on abortion policy."
Even someone like Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who voiced support for a 20-week federal abortion ban in the past, is trying to tamp down the excesses.
“I don’t think it’s really an appropriate topic for Congress,” offered Cornyn, a McConnell confidant.
But the reality is, that the GOP's radicalized base, sensing victory on a 50-year push, will never stop at letting states work it out for themselves.
“There will be a lot of different approaches, a lot of different ideas," said Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, attempting to obfuscate. But on this point, Ernst was crystal clear: “I am adamantly pro-life. I will always want to do what is right for the pro-life movement.”
But it was Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina who really gave away the game.
"Call me in 2025," Graham said, envisioning a time when the GOP hopes to have reclaimed control of the House, the Senate, and the White House.