LIFE BEGINS AT RAPE

Colbert To Mourdock & Rape Apologist GOPers: 'Stab Yourself In Your Eye' (VIDEO) 25OKT12

COLBERT on the Team Rape, and check out my earlier post GOP Rape Advisory Chart 24OKT12 
and Richard Mourdock One Of At Least A Dozen GOP Senate Candidates Who Oppose Abortion For Rape Victims [UPDATE] & Tina Fey Slams Todd Akin At Center For Reproductive Rights Gala (VIDEO) 25OKT12
.....

http://www.hulu.com/watch/417036

Don't Republican politicians running for office, like Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, know how much it pains Stephen Colbert when they spew ignorant claptrap about rape while running for office?
For some reason, giving rapists the benefit of the doubt has been totally en vogue this election season, most recently with Mourdock's comments during a debate in which he said he believes that "even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."
Sadly, that meant that Stephen Colbert had to reset his "Days Without A GOP Rape Mention" counter back to zero.
But Stephen has advice for his fellow conservatives who think it might be a good idea to approach the subject of rape in a public forum: Just, don't. Ever. At all. And if you're tempted, just ram a pencil in your eye until you rid yourself of the idea that caveman ideas about sexual assault have any place in the public discourse.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/colbert-to-mourdock-rape-apologist-gopers_n_2017482.html?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%20Brief&utm_campaign=daily_brief

Richard Mourdock One Of At Least A Dozen GOP Senate Candidates Who Oppose Abortion For Rape Victims [UPDATE] & Tina Fey Slams Todd Akin At Center For Reproductive Rights Gala (VIDEO) 25OKT12

RAPE WALL OF SHAME (well, it should be but the repiglicans and tea-baggers don't understand that) and Tina Fey on the ignorance of these politicians. And check out my earlier post GOP Rape Advisory Chart 24OKT12
....

Indiana GOP Senate candidate Richard Mourdock is facing criticism for saying that pregnancies resulting from rape are "something God intended." (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

WASHINGTON -- GOP Senate candidates Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin have faced outrage and derision from both Democrats and Republicans for their controversial comments about whether rape victims should have access to abortion.
Akin famously said that women who have been victims of a "legitimate rape" are physically unable to become pregnant. Mourdock, more recently, said he believes that pregnancies resulting from these horrific assaults are "something God intended."
At the heart of these comments is their belief that rape victims who become pregnant should not be able to have access to abortion. While Akin and Mourdock perhaps stumbled in explaining why they hold this view, it's a position that is actually not that uncommon in their party: At least 11 other GOP Senate nominees this cycle, as well as dozens of House candidates and incumbents, agree.
The political action committee Republican National Coalition for Life submits questionnaires to GOP candidates about their positions on choice issues and then endorses candidates who advocate a strict anti-abortion platform. Selected candidates must be "unconditionally pro-life" and "recognize the inherent right to life of every innocent human being, from conception until natural death, without discrimination."
So far, the group has endorsed 10 such Republican Senate candidates: Akin and Mourdock, as well as George Allen (Va.), Rep. Rick Berg (N.D.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.), Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), Josh Mandel (R-Ohio) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.).
However, Allen and Rehberg have said that they are not opposed to abortion in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.
As Slate's William Saletan notes, there are also five other Senate candidates who hold this position: Michael Baumgartner (Wash.), Wendy Long (N.Y.), John MacGovern (Vt.), John Raese (W.Va.) and Tom Smith (Pa.).
Smith and Heller -- as well as a number of other GOP Senate candidates -- distanced themselves from Mourdock when contacted by The Huffington Post on Wednesday. But in the end, they all share the underlying view that rape victims should not have access to abortion.
And while Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) canceled her fundraising appearance for Mourdock on Wednesday, she still went to campaign with Berg the following day. Ayotte's office did not return a request for comment.
According to a CNN/ORC poll taken in August, the belief that victims of rape and incest should not be allowed to get an abortion is not held by mainstream Republicans.
Seventy-six percent of Republicans believe that abortion should be legal in cases of rape and incest, along with 90 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of independents.
Democrats have quickly tried to tie Mourdock's remark to Mitt Romney and other Republican candidates. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee came out with a new ad on Thursday afternoon using Mourdock's comments. It's part of a new $1.1 million ad buy in Indiana and will be running until Election Day.
Romney has endorsed Mourdock, and his campaign cut an ad on Mourdock's behalf that also began running in Indiana on Tuesday. Romney's campaign has said the former Massachusetts governor disagrees with Mourdock's comments, but has not withdrawn the endorsement or asked that the ad stop running. On Thursday morning, the GOP presidential nominee refused to answer reporters' questions on the matter.
CORRECTION: This article originally stated that Richard Mourdock is one of at least 15 GOP Senate candidates who oppose abortion for rape victims, but the correct number is 13. Although the Republican National Coalition for Life has endorsed Senate candidate George Allen and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), they have both said that they're not opposed to abortion in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/richard-mourdock-abortion_n_2018934.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=102612&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FeatureTitle&utm_term=Daily%20Brief 

Wednesday night, Tina Fey spoke at the Center for Reproductive Rights Inaugural Gala in New York City, and she had some choice words for Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri.

Specifically, Fey took issue with the Congressman's remarks during his August Senatorial race asserting that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely became pregnant from the ordeal. According to Fey, the now-famous Akin quote is an indicator of the greater political attitude toward reproductive rights in general.
"I wish we could have an honest and respectful dialogue about these complicated issues," Fey said. "But it seems like we can't right now. And if I have to listen to one more gray-faced man with a two-dollar haircut explain to me what rape is, I'm gonna lose my mind."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/tina-fey-slams-todd-akin-reproductive-rights-gala-video_n_2018035.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=102612&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NewsEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

 

GOP Rape Advisory Chart 24OKT12

CONFUSED by all the different kinds of rape endorsed by the repiglicans and tea-baggers? Maybe this chart from Daily Kos will help...
Republicans have introduced so many new types of rape recently—legitimate rape, honest rape, emergency rape, forcible rape, gift-from-God rape—that it's getting difficult to keep track of them all.

Fortunately, Daily Kos community member Brainwrap put together a handy chart that helps sort out all of the confusion.

GOP Rape Advisory Chart

by BrainwrapFollow

A week or so ago, connecticutie posted her version of the GOP Rape Advisory Chart to help sort out all of the confusion about the wide variety of rape "flavors" that today's Republican Party seems so hell-bent on bringing to light.
I thought she did a fantastic job, but, given the latest entries into the "rainbow of rape flavors" yesterday and today by Richard Mourdock and John Cornyn, I decided to create a revised version that plays it straight--I'm just including the actual quotes themselves. Feel free to repost on FB, TW or wherever you wish.
So, without further ado, I present the updated Republican Party Rape Advisory Chart:

Wow. I'm beyond flattered (if "flattered" is the appropriate term...seems a bit inappropriate in this case).
Anyway, just to reiterate, since I've had at least one person contact me directly about it, please feel free to repost the graphic anywhere you wish, and don't worry about "credit" or "attribution"...the color-code chart was connecticuties, as noted above, and I certainly don't want "credit" for the disgusting statements by the GOP jackasses in the chart.
Also, if you want to attach a link to the chart, I'd recommend either a) ANY of the Democrats running against the scumbags who made the quotes (there's too many to list again) or, alternately, RAINN or Jamie Leigh Foundation, both of which seem appropriate.
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
The Jamie Leigh Foundation
In case the name Jamie Leigh Jones doesn't ring any bells, here's a reminder...it's the 10 most riveting minutes of video you'll watch today, believe me:


I should probably also note that the chart above is far from all-inclusive. Several additional quotes are listed in the comments, and there's many (far, far too many) more that haven't been yet.
Unfortunately, I don't think Photoshop could handle that large of an image file if I tried to include them all, and I'd quickly run out of background colors to use.

Update x2: To fight back against the Republican war on women, please contribute to the Daily Kos-endorsed women who are running for House and Senate.

Update x3: Be sure to check out Volume II of the chart, posted today in a new diary.

Update x4: Extra props to connecticutie, who came up with the "terror/rape chart" idea in the first place...give her blog some love, willya?

Originally posted to Brainwrap on Wed Oct 24, 2012 at 08:50 AM PDT.

Also republished by Daily Kos.

Keep fighting,
Rachel Colyer
Associate Campaign Director, Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/24/1149395/-GOP-Rape-Advisory-Chart-h-t-to-connecticutie?detail=email 

Todd Akin In 2008: Doctors Give Abortions To Women Who Aren't Pregnant & Todd Akin On Abortion: 'Legitimate Rape' Victims Have 'Ways To Try To Shut That Whole Thing Down' (VIDEO) 2OKT12&19AUG12

more surfaces about the weird science of women and their bodies from rep todd akin R MO. It is amazing he still has a chance of beating Sen Claire McCaskill D MO in her bid to remain one of Missouri's Senators. One has to wonder what kind of people can continue to support akin after he has made so many ignorant statements about women and their bodies. Certainly nobody with any sort of education, nobody who respects women, nobody who is concerned about the future of women in Missouri and the country and nobody who has any concern about the health of their mother, grandmothers, daughters, aunts, and their other female relatives, friends and coworkers. The support of rep akin by repiglican and tea-bagger politicians and so many of the voters in Missouri is disgusting to many of us around the country and it is a warning to all of us because the agenda of rep akin and his supporters is to return women to their subservient roll not of the 1950's but of the 1850's. Just like the extremist in the Islamic world, these extremist right wing social engineers want to impose sharia (in this case "christian" sharia) on women. Once that is accomplished they will start on every other part of American society they don't like. From HuffPost...

Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin sparked national outrage in August when he justified his opposition to abortion by claiming that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant because "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." However, the Republican congressman's now-infamous remarks are not the first time he's made a scientifically questionable statement on abortion.
As Slate's Amanda Marcotte reported Tuesday, Akin gave a speech on the House floor in 2008 denouncing abortion providers as "terrorists," claiming that they sometimes perform abortions on women who "are not actually pregnant":

"It is no big surprise that we fight the terrorists because they are fundamentally un-American, and yet we have terrorists in our own culture called abortionists. One of the good pieces of news why we are winning this war is because there are not enough heartless doctors being graduated from medical schools. There is a real shortage of abortionists. Who wants to be at the very bottom of the food chain of medical profession? And what sort of places do these bottom-of-the-food-chain doctors work in? Places that are really a pit. You find that along with the culture of death go all kinds of other law-breaking: not following good sanitary procedure, giving abortions to women who are not actually pregnant, cheating on taxes, all these kinds of things, misuse of anesthetics so that people die or almost die."

Akin's allegation of doctors performing abortions on non-pregnant women is particularly puzzling, since, by definition, an abortion cannot be performed if there is no pregnancy to terminate.
Akin, a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, also gave a speech in 2005 on stem cell research, expressing his concern that a science-fiction story his daughter wrote about humans being harvested for body parts could become reality.
"Oppose public funding that destroys little yous and mes, and oppose this harvest of destruction," he urged his congressional colleagues considering a stem cell research bill.
Despite the overwhelming backlash to Akin's "legitimate rape" claim, the Republican has a good chance of beating incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in next month's election. The latest polling shows Akin with a lead of one percentage point over McCaskill, and a number of Republicans, including Rick Santorum, Jim DeMint and Newt Gingrich, have come out in support of Akin in recent weeks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/todd-akin-abortion-providers_n_1934305.html?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%20Brief&utm_campaign=daily_brief

Todd Akin On Abortion: 'Legitimate Rape' Victims Have 'Ways To Try To Shut That Whole Thing Down' (VIDEO) 19AUG12

Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) justified his extreme opposition to abortion by claiming that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant.
In an interview with KTVI-TV on Sunday, the GOP Senate nominee was asked if he supported abortion in the case of rape.
"From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," said Akin said of pregnancy caused by rape. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist."
Akin won a three-way primary on Aug. 7 for the rights to a November battle against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). McCaskill was "stunned" by Akin's Sunday comments.

@clairecmc
Claire McCaskill

As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases,I'm stunned by Rep Akin's comments about victims this AM http://t.co/n9SVOukJ

August 19, 2012 7:28 pm via Twitter for iPad Reply Retweet Favorite

"It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape," McCaskill added in a statement. "The ideas that Todd Akin has expressed about the serious crime of rape and the impact on its victims are offensive."
After Akin's primary win, McCaskill wasted little time in pouncing on his conservative record, calling the congressman "out of touch."
"We're going to prove to Missourians that Todd Akin is out of touch with their problems, out of touch with the pain that they feel, and out of touch with the views that they hold dear," she said back on Aug. 8.
Akin's comments on abortion and rape come less than two weeks after he suggested banning the morning-after pill.
“As far as I’m concerned, the morning-after pill is a form of abortion, and I think we just shouldn’t have abortion in this country,” he said in an Aug.8 interview with KCMO radio.
UPDATE (5:25 p.m. ET): Akin's campaign released a statement Sunday on the issue, where the congressman admitted that he "misspoke" in the KTVI interview.

"As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve. "I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action. I also recognize that there are those who, like my opponent, support abortion and I understand I may not have their support in this election.
"But I also believe that this election is about a wide range of very important issues, starting with the economy and the type of country we will be leaving our children and grandchildren. We've had 42 straight months of unacceptably high unemployment, trillion-dollar deficits, and Democratic leaders in Washington who are focused on growing government, instead of jobs. That is my primary focus in this campaign and while there are those who want to distract from that, knowing they cannot defend the Democrats' failed economic record of the last four years, that will continue to be my focus in the months ahead."

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/19/todd-akin-abortion-legitimate-rape_n_1807381.html?utm_hp_ref=todd-akin

 

In Akin's Wake, Ryan Defends Anti-Abortion Record 24AUG12

rep paul ryan r WI, gop / tea-bagger vp running mate of mitt romney, is against abortion, period. He and the gop / tea-bagger propaganda machine will rant and rave about the sanctity of life while hiding their plans to slash funding for critical programs for children and families. They are only pro-life till birth and then turn their backs on the very children they were so concerned about protecting in the womb. The hypocrisy is so blatant I just don't understand why this isn't a major issue of contention for the Christians who are supporting the romney-ryan ticket? PRO-LIFE DOESN'T END A BIRTH! I would expect the Christian community to challenge and change the romney-ryan, gop / tea-bagger platform position on this issue at their convention this week, but I know it won't happen. They should be ashamed. This from NPR...

All Things Considered

[4 min 32 sec]

 

Enlarge Sara D. Davis/AP Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan speaks at a campaign event in Fayetteville, N.C., on Thursday.

Since Republican Rep. Todd Akin first said the words "legitimate rape" Sunday, just about everyone in the Republican Party has condemned those comments.
The Missouri Senate candidate later apologized, but his remarks continue to drive the political debate. They've also raised questions about the anti-abortion record of the Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
Akin opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and so does Ryan, who has a score of 100 percent from the National Right to Life Committee, the highest possible rating. The group's president has praised Ryan for his work on anti-abortion bills since 1999.
"I'm proud of my pro-life record and I stand by my pro-life record in Congress," Ryan said in an interview Tuesday with CBS Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA. "It's something I'm proud of."
That record includes support for dozens of bills that place restrictions on abortion. Last year, Ryan co-sponsored a bill with dozens of other House members to ban federal funding for abortion. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act originally allowed exceptions only for "forcible rape," the same language Akin used.
When the KDKA reporter pressed Ryan about the phrase, which was later removed, Ryan said: "Rape is rape. Period. End of story."
"So that 'forcible rape' language meant nothing to you at the time?," the reporter asked.
Ryan replied: "Rape is rape, and there's no splitting hairs over rape."
Ryan has been an outspoken opponent of abortion for his entire political career. He backed a measure that makes it a separate crime for a fetus that's killed in connection with another violent crime, and a bill to ban abortion at 20 weeks in the District of Columbia, based on the theory that fetuses can feel pain.
Ryan co-sponsored a measure to ban a specific medical procedure, intact dilation and extraction. Abortion opponents call it "partial birth abortion." In a speech on the House floor in 2000, he attacked the health exception that was included in that bill.
"Let me just say this to all of my colleagues who are about to vote on this issue, on the motion to recommit, the health exception is a loophole wide enough to drive a Mack truck through it," Ryan said. "The health exception would render this ban virtually meaningless."

Enlarge J. Scott Applewhite/AP As congressional colleagues, Rep. Todd Akin (right) and Rep. Paul Ryan have co-sponsored anti-abortion legislation. They're seen here before a press conference on Ryan's budget proposal on Apr. 5, 2011.

But perhaps the most far-reaching measure Ryan co-sponsored with Todd Akin and many other GOP congressmen is the Sanctity of Human Life Act, which would give legal rights to fertilized eggs from the moment of conception.
The bill is similar to personhood initiatives that have been rejected in Colorado and Mississippi. Abortion-rights activists say this legislation would ban some forms of birth control and fertility treatments.
This week, Ryan acknowledged that his views did not align perfectly with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on abortion. But speaking on his campaign plane, he said Romney is at the top of the ticket and he will defer to him.
"Mitt Romney is going to be the president," Ryan said, responding to reporters questions. "The president sets policy. His policy is exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother. I'm comfortable with it because it's a good step in the right direction. I'll leave it at that."
Meanwhile, Democrats are taking full advantage of the controversy. President Obama condemned Akin's rape comments and went further with this appeal to female voters.
"I think the underlying notion that we should be making decisions on behalf of women for their health care decisions — or qualifying forcible rape versus nonforcible rape — I think those are broader issues, and that is a significant difference in approach between ... me and the other party," Obama said Monday.
The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, said in an email following Akin's comments that Republicans continue to support legislation that will take "women back to the dark ages." The president's re-election campaign just released a new Web video highlighting "Republican women for Obama."
"If you're a conservative woman and you believe in small government, then Barack Obama is your candidate because he's keeping the government out of the decisions that should remain between you and God and you and your own conscience," says a woman in the ad.
Democrats will try to extend the debate about women's rights as long as they can. Republicans hope to get back on their campaign message about fixing the economy.
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/24/160003430/in-akins-wake-ryan-defends-anti-abortion-record?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20120825