In a post yesterday I posed a question about how Ryan is going to respond to the differences between his position on abortion and Romney’s. We now have the answer, or an answer. Here is an excerpt from a current NY Times article, “Ryan Pressed to Explain Position on Rape and Abortion.”
. . . Mr. Ryan made his first visit with the traveling press corps at the back of his campaign plane Wednesday, where he was asked about his previous support of anti-abortion laws that did not include an exception in an instance of rape. Mitt Romney supports such exceptions, as well as for incest and to save a pregnant woman’s life.
“I’m proud of my record,’’ Mr. Ryan said. “Mitt Romney is going to be the president. The president sets policy. His policy is ‘except for rape, incest and the life of the mother.’ I’m comfortable with it because it’s a step in the right direction. I’m going to leave it at that.’’
So, here is where we are with the Republican ticket. We have a candidate at the top of the ticket who “in 2002, as a candidate for governor … claimed to support “the substance” of Roe v. Wade,” but who now holds to a very restrictive position on abortion, outlawing it except in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother. (To be clear: this position would mean that one’s 17 year old daughter, who made a mistake and became pregnant, must by law give birth to a child, even if she finds out about the pregnancy early in the first trimester.) And a VP candidate who thinks that Romney’s position is “a step in the right direction.”
As noted yesterday, although I am pro choice, I do not dismiss the views of those who are anti-abortion. There are understandable religious and moral reasons to oppose abortion. But I certainly cannot agree with people who want to legislate in this fashion.
UP@NIGHT 