Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Is there a Republican war on women? Paul Ryan, the GOP candidate for vice president, mocked the idea of any such thing when he made the following comment at a private fundraiser in Florida last week: “Now it’s a war on women; tomorrow it’s going to be a war on left-handed Irishmen or something like that.”
Ryan may think his party’s “war” on women is a topic of humor…something to be derided. He may perceive things like a woman’s right to determine what is best for her own health and well being differently from the way many of us of women do. After all, Ryan did cosponsor personhood, ultrasound, and “Let Women Die” legislation. He also supported the Blunt Amendment.
Ryan is not the only Republican politician who has brought his party’s comments and positions on women’s issues under scrutiny. Not long ago, Todd Akin, a senate candidate from Missouri, was skewered by the media when he made a claim that women who are victims of “legitimate” rape can’t get pregnant. And just last week, a comment made by Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois about abortion brought the whole issue of the Republicans’ anti-woman attitude into the limelight once again. After Walsh’s debate with Democrat Tammy Duckworth the other night, he claimed that there is never any reason for a woman to have an abortion—even to protect her health or save her life.
Walsh said—and I quote: “There is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing, with advances in science and technology. Health of the mother has become a tool for abortions any time, under any reason.”
There you have it…straight from the mouth of Rep. Joe Walsh: Women today can never suffer any adverse effects of a pregnancy or die from complications of pregnancy because of “advances in science and technology.” Unfortunately, Walsh never mentioned what those scientific and technological advances might be.
It appears that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists may not be aware of all the newest scientific and technological advances that Rep. Walsh spoke of. That’s probably why the organization said that remarks like his are one of the reasons why it feels politicians need to “get out of our exam rooms.”
The organization said:
“Contrary to the inaccurate statements made yesterday by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), abortions are necessary in a number of circumstances to save the life of a woman or to preserve her health. Unfortunately, pregnancy is not a risk-free life event, particularly for many women with chronic medical conditions. Despite all of our medical advances, more than 600 women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth-related reasons right here in the US. In fact, many more women would die each year if they did not have access to abortion to protect their health or to save their lives.”
It seems there are others in the medical community who are also unaware of those scientific advances. Mark I. Evans, president of the Fetal Medicine Foundation of America and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said that Walsh’s claim was “absolute nonsense. This is scientific and political malpractice.” Lawrence Pratt, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and the director of the Center for Fetal Medicine and Women’s Ultrasound, said that abortions can save the lives of pregnant women who suffer from different medical conditions—including an ectopic pregnancy, “in which a fetus develops outside of the normal location in the womb and can cause the uterus or tube to rupture, leading women to bleed to death.” He added that pregnancy can also “worsen the conditions of women suffering from heart, lung and kidney diseases, among others, that can lead to death.”
Dr. Carrie Terrell, an ob-gyn and chief of staff at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, said that there “are innumerable potential instances wherein a termination of pregnancy would be indicated to save a woman’s life.” She added that some of those “instances” included such serious conditions as the following:
• chorioamnionitis in pre-viable pre-term premature rupture of membranes (a bacteria-related inflammation of the fetal membranes),
• severe pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive (high blood pressure) disorders,
• certain forms of cardiomyopathy (a disease that weakens and enlarges the heart),
• various maternal cardiac and pulmonary anomalies,
• severe nephrosis,
• severe cancers,
• infections with sepsis, and
• multi-organ failure.
Terrell also said that “she sees pregnant women with these kinds of conditions several times a year”—and that in some cases the women who choose not to terminate their pregnancies “die as a result.”
I’ve been trying to figure out if politicians like Todd Akin and Joe Walsh really believe the things that they say about women, rape, pregnancy, and abortion—or if they are just attempting to tell their constituents what they think they want to hear. What do you think?
NOTE
From CBS News–Walsh backtracks: Abortion to save a mother’s life is up to her
SOURCES
Joe Walsh On Abortion: No Exception For ‘Life Of The Mother’ Thanks To ‘Advances In Science And Technology’ (Huffington Post)
Walsh, Duckworth clash on Medicare, abortion (WGN Radio)
Paul Ryan Mocks ‘War On Women’ At Private Fundraiser (Huffington Post)
Rep. Joe Walsh: “Not one instance” where abortion necessary to save woman’s life (CBS News)
Rep. Walsh Says No Need for Abortion to Save Mother’s Life (ABC News)
Congressman Walsh Says Abortion Not Needed to Save Lives (Business Week)
Rep. Joe Walsh’s abortion comment is stunning in its ignorance (MinnPost)
‘Medical Expert,’ Tea-Bagger Rep. Joe Walsh: No Abortion Exceptions For The Life of The Mother
Good article Elaine…..
OS, I think most of them are tools……
I first heard about Joe Walsh in the nineties. He went to my sister’s church before he abandoned his family. Back then he was ran against Sidney Yates and lost badly. He moved and became a tea bagger and won. He is probably the worst of a very bad republican freshman group in congress. The polls show him to be losing but it is not a sure thing.
Now what the hell was wrong with eugenics?
Post-partum selection Nazi-style.
Well, they are doing it to us, so why not reverse the trend?
As to the question of “stupid v. demagog” I think we have reached a tipping point in the last few years and the wingnuts like Joey here are speaking less and less to inflame the base & more and more out of a deep seated ignorance.
Take Willard’s hot mess from the last debate. Since only FAUX news and the wingnut rabble on radio have been pushing the lie that President Obama never used the word “terrorist” in conjunction with the attack in Benghazi he thought he was on safe ground & was actually stunned to be told he was wrong (look at his stupid face when told). Had he just been feeding the idiots he never would have gone down that road in that way. But, because he lives in a world separated from reality he BELIEVED the lie.
Saw the same thing when 60 minutes interviewed Eric Can’tor. When questioned about St. Ronald raising taxes the Congressman’s CoS can be heard screaming off screen “HE NEVER DID!” When told by the reporter he had his only reply was “HE NEVER DID!”.
Those people have passed simply being evil into being stupid with evil results. It does not make them better or worse, just a lot more difficult to deal with.
Zara,
Can’t always agree with you, but now I do!
Just shows what cross-breeding leads to. I mean, she was a human!
Sorry Joe, I couldn’t disagree with you more…. Your own mother was in desperate need of an abortion, after that dog knocked her up with you!
And regardless of your politics, if the shoe fits; wear it.
Youse have said it all, and well too……but let me add:
Wearing camouflage? To escape being shot by stupid men—here and in Afghan costumes? Good idea.
Cheap shots can be expected in politics….from creepy cheapies. Fortunately, Duckworth is obviously a true veteran.
Can’t see why any woman who has or will bear children can vote for ANY Republican. They should be banned in the church/synagogue/mosque/woman gathering all over America.
“Women”, say they, “they are those who do the messy things like pregnancies, birthings, have mens, change diapers, wipe noses; AND do such nice ones we men like—you know, them thar. And they do it so cheaply too.”
OS,
you are right about the comment about her buying a dress. It is amazing that in this day and age, a tea party nutjob can try to make buying a dress a political statement. Especially from a guy who was over $100,000 past due on his child support and his ex-wife had to sue him to collect. He is not only a prime example of how low the Republican Party has sunk. He is also a prime example of how low a human being can sink.
raff, I thought the highlight was his attack on Major Duckworth about her picking out a dress to wear for her presentation at the Democratic National Convention.
Her retort to the effect she had the right to pick out a dress, because most of her adult life she had worn camouflage, was priceless.
I always liked this photo taken on Veteran’s Day 2008.
http://jtmoger.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/obama-veterans-day-20081.jpg
OS,
Another example hy we should leave now.
This seems to be a good thread to post this news item. Should fit right in with the worldview of folks like Walsh and Akin. In Afghanistan, that bastion of women’s rights, where our service members are fighting and dying to protect their “way of life,” comes this news item:
Mah Gul, a young Afghan woman, was beheaded because she refused to become a prostitute, but not before being tortured and mutilated. That’ll show her!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/20/young-afghan-woman-mah-gul-beheaded-by-mother-in-law-refusing-to-become-prostitute_n_1993675.html
I don’t think the bulk of Republicans of the Akin or Walsh type see women as people. Just like they don’t see the old, the poor, or the other-than-white folks as real people.
They can’t really be tools, tho’….tools are USEFUL.
Elaine,
One might not see it because it lacks the pundits focus, but the attack on the rights of women, 50% of the population, is this elections biggest issue.
Elaine,
Luckily he was gerrymandered into a new district and is running against Tammy Duckworth.
rafflaw,
I didn’t know that Walsh was your Congressman. You have my sympathy.
Would that make him simply toolish?
Walsh sez: “Health of the mother has become a tool for abortions…”
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Seems to me that Walsh is the ‘tool.’
Actually he is a wedge. Everyone knows what a wedge is. A wedge is the simplest tool.
Elaine,
Our old friend and my current Congressman has a problem with th truth and with running against a female veteran in his new district. Great job!