August 27, 2023

During the Republican debate last week, debate moderator Martha MacCallum framed a question about Democrats' position on abortion as being supportive of abortions "until the date of birth," which is a blatant lie and effort to inflame the base.

Jen Psaki sent out a one-line tweet, which lit up wingers so hard on the platform formerly known as Twitter that you might have been blinded by their hot fury.

Here's her tweet:

I posted something similar over on Mastodon, but was less polite about it. In fact, I'd say I was downright rude.

That tweet of Psaki's has had over 27,000 replies, most of them hateful. So today, she took a few minutes of her show to explain why Republicans are doing what they're doing and why they're okay lying about it in order to hijack facts for feelings.

After reviewing the statistics where she proves only a very small number of late-term abortions are performed, and in those cases those abortions are tragic events involving a child the mother wanted desperately, she explained what the strategy is and why Republicans are trying to establish this lie as fact.

"Are most Democrats in favor of a legislation that allows for [late term abortions]? Yes. For all the reasons I just outlined. At the end of the day, the point here is that no one is rooting for late term abortions. No one is running on the platform of aborting viable babies. No one is selling late term abortions as Ron DeSantis claims. No one. Not Joe Biden, not Kamala Harris, not Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, or any other politician demonized by the right wing roots for more late term abortions. None of them do." she emphasized.

Well then, why say so when it's provably wrong? Once again, Psaki explains.

"What is happening here is an attempt by Republican presidential candidates and other leaders who know their views on women's health care are out of touch with the public. They are trying to change the parameters of the debate," Psaki continued. "They are doing that by inaccurately describing the positions of leaders on the other side."

She added, "As you just heard, as I just outlined, abortions in later stages of pregnancy are extremely rare and they are almost always the result of a devastating choice to save the life of the mother, or because a baby that a couple desperately wanted could not survive outside the womb. It is not a preference, it is a personal tragedy for these couples."

All of what she said is important, but there are questions these Republicans need to answer, instead of just tossing out the lie to inflame people and get them angry enough to vote Republican.

"Are Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott in favor of a mother dying as a result of her pregnancy? If a doctor determines a baby cannot survive outside of the womb, should a mother be required to carry that baby to term?" Psaki asks. "Those choices should not be made by any politician or legislator, they should be made by the woman carrying the baby and by her doctor."

The bottom line: "That is what Democrats are trying to protect, that is what they are for. This is not politics. This is health care."

Couldn't have said it better (or as politely) myself.

Discussion

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