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Pro-Life Group Says Palin 'Misleading And Unreliable' On Abortion
Sarah Palin
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On a day where most critics are attacking Sarah Palin for being too conservative, one group of anti-choice activists is slamming former Alaska governor for not being conservative enough when it comes to the issue of abortion.
American Right To Life, the self-proclaimed "personhood wing of the right-to-life movement" attacked Palin today for using "liberal, pro-choice, socialist terminology" in her political rhetoric on abortion and for distinguishing "between her 'personal' and public pro-life views" ("personally pro-life means officially pro-choice," the group says.
ARL on Palin, from the website the group launched today:
As a candidate whom many pro-lifers want to support, her actual abortion record and rhetoric is shocking to the conscience.
The "personhood movement" as ARL describes it, advocates full legal rights "from the moment of sexual or asexual human reproduction, which includes from fertilization." The group opposes all forms of abortion as well as contraception like the Plan B pill and "any birth control pill or intrauterine device that works to prevent implantation."
And though moderate and progressive groups often hail Palin's beliefs on the issue of family planning (she favors abstinence-only education and is strongly pro-life), the ARL says she does not go far enough. On their new website, "Prolife Profiles," ARL targets Palin and other GOP politicians the group accuses of hypocrisy on the issue of abortion rights.
From the long list of offenses ARL finds in Palin's rhetoric:
- allows her name to be used in ads promoting grisly government-funded embryonic stem cell "research" - undermines the God-given right to life by promoting evolution while officially opposing creation - harms personhood by claiming that "equal protection" should not apply to unborn children
Other Palin level hypocrites when it comes to abortion, according to ARL: Mitt Romney, George W. Bush and, "coming soon," Antonin Scalia.
ARL claims it "derailed" Romney's presidential bid last year by helping to defeat him in Iowa and South Carolina. As Palin considers her own run for the GOP presidential nomination, the group is hoping its threats will guide her to embrace its "personhood" platform.
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Powkat
November 16, 2009 1:40 PM
Always fun when the prominent nut job wingers are not crazy enough for the SERIOUS nut job wingers. This year seems to be shaping up as 'Who can go the most medieval on women?" with the 'moderate' wing of the Democratic Party making a serious bid.
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CT Voter
November 16, 2009 1:41 PM
Well, duh. What took them so long? She's been saying for some time that she "chose" to continue the pregnancy, so, hello?
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TheraP
November 16, 2009 2:36 PM in reply to CT Voter
Given the way she discussed that "choice" (that if she went far away and had an abortion, people would never know), one wonders if (possibly during her college-hopping) she made previous, undisclosed "choices" - ones, which were quite different than this one!
I'm glad some on the far, far right also see her for the liar she has proven to be.
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matyra
November 16, 2009 2:48 PM in reply to TheraP
You know, that's a really good point.
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CT Voter
November 16, 2009 3:26 PM in reply to matyra
I'll say. If one were profoundly anti-choice, as Palin appears to claim to be, why on earth would going away and having an abortion that no one would ever hear about be something on her mind?
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Powkat
November 16, 2009 4:31 PM in reply to CT Voter
Because when a woman finds herself in that position, no matter how religious she is and no matter what she ultimately decides, not telling anyone and going away to have an abortion are things she thinks about.
Can't tell you the number of times protesters brought their teenage daughters to the clinic to solve the problem.
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CT Voter
November 16, 2009 4:55 PM in reply to Powkat
I appreciate your experience, but I still think that someone who wouldn't ever consider an abortion wouldn't ever consider an abortion. If abortion is an evil procedure, never to be used, then it wouldn't be in the options one considers.
This is, of course, resting on the assumption that such beliefs about abortion are sincere.
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jenesq
November 16, 2009 10:51 PM in reply to CT Voter
I agree. I give Palin ZERO "pro life" credit for giving birth to a special-needs baby, and I think it's monstrous that she says she "chose" to do this when all she did was abide by the minimum required of her according to the belief system she wants to force on everyone else.
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jenesq
November 16, 2009 10:52 PM in reply to jenesq
Just to be clear, I would have made the same "choice" that Palin did, but I wouldn't expect a medal for it like she seems to.
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jjdjjd
November 16, 2009 6:24 PM in reply to TheraP
i've known many college women who had abortions and later in life were pro-life. one can change one's mind. by the way, i never met a women who had an abortion that wasn't disturbed by it. maybe not at first, but at some point in their life. now you, without any proof, speculate that palin had one. i don'y know, maybe you're right. but i'm sorry your mother didn't.
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jenesq
November 16, 2009 10:43 PM in reply to jjdjjd
Someone who was really pro-life would never say something like "too bad your mother didn't." Actually, no decent person would say something like that. Ever.
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jjdjjd
November 17, 2009 3:50 AM in reply to jenesq
actually, i'm neither, [pro-life or pro choice]i just don't care what anyone else does as long as it doesn't hurt me or mine.
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CT Voter
November 17, 2009 11:16 AM in reply to jjdjjd
Actually, what you are is a despicable asshole.
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Dizzy Izzy
November 17, 2009 1:50 AM in reply to jjdjjd
Now you've met one. I wasn't disturbed by it. I was relieved there was an alternative. It was a clump of cells and I have no regrets. But I don't talk about it because zealots like you make irrational assumptions.
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jjdjjd
November 17, 2009 3:47 AM in reply to Dizzy Izzy
you will, now you got something to look forward to.
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jenzinoh
November 17, 2009 9:03 AM in reply to jjdjjd
you are one arrogant a$$hole. There, I said it.
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jjdjjd
November 17, 2009 10:33 AM in reply to jenzinoh
i can decide not be one, you will always be just like you are. what a shame.
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kenga
November 20, 2009 5:06 PM in reply to jjdjjd
And I've known some high school and college women that regret NOT having abortions. They don't regret having children, but having them so young and forcing their children to live with their lowered expectations and ability to care for them.
And I've got a friend who found out a couple years after his 18th birthday that his single mom only had him because it was before Roe v Wade.
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freaktown
November 16, 2009 1:46 PM
so in order to be considered "pro-life" nowadays, you have to be anti evolution as well?
that doesn't make sense.
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matyra
November 16, 2009 2:24 PM in reply to freaktown
Heh, yeah, if that is true, the Catholic Church is set to implode any time now, as they condone evolution but are fervent anti-choice.
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mjshep
November 16, 2009 2:40 PM in reply to freaktown
Who said these people have to make sense?
And since when is research on microscopic cells "grisly?"
Oh, that's right, I remember high school biology class and the grisly stuff we did to paramecia. Brutal and chilling. to say the least.
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An Outhouse
November 16, 2009 3:58 PM in reply to freaktown
Anyone who utters the word 'abortion' is is a pro-choice socialist. We here at Real Americans United to Eliminate the Word cannot support any candidate who even thinks about you know what. The use of the Latin equivalent can be tolerated in some instances if a reference to you know what is required.
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Michael A
November 16, 2009 1:46 PM
Huh? Very bizarre.
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TBender
November 16, 2009 1:49 PM
Now Palin isn't right-wing enough?
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mans_best_friend
November 16, 2009 5:04 PM in reply to TBender
I'm eager awaiting the day when there will be only two "real
Republicans left...and one will be accusing the other of being too liberal.
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kindness
November 16, 2009 2:05 PM
Why is TPM calling these people 'pro-life'?
They aren't pro life. They won't support someone once they are born. These people are against people being able to make up their own minds.
Call them anti-choice because calling them pro-life is a victory for them.
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Michael A
November 16, 2009 2:09 PM in reply to kindness
Cosign. They are definitely not pro-life, by any stretch. The whole abortion issue should not even be a driving force in politics. There are a thousand other issues that are getting ignored due to this one issue overriding political discourse. It is the law, let it be for pete's sake and move on. Use religion or counseling to address the issue, not the ballot box.
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George C
November 16, 2009 4:32 PM in reply to kindness
pro-birth, maybe?
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AJM
November 16, 2009 5:05 PM in reply to George C
They don't care about making sure that the pregnancy produces healthy child so it's not fair to call them pro birth. They are pro-cell.
"from the moment of sexual or asexual human reproduction, which includes from fertilization." So my snark about being prosecuted for mass murder if I clip a hangnail with living cells because those cells if provided with an artificial womb could be cloned thus proving that they have the potential for human life has more truth than most believed!
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slb
November 16, 2009 6:20 PM in reply to George C
I'd go for "pro-pregnant".
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jjdjjd
November 16, 2009 6:27 PM in reply to kindness
no, they are against killing babies. idiot
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jenesq
November 16, 2009 10:44 PM in reply to jjdjjd
Unless the babies are already born and live in countries they think we need to bomb. Etc.
Being anti-abortion doesn't make someone pro-life. It just makes them anti-abortion.
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jenzinoh
November 17, 2009 9:08 AM in reply to jjdjjd
No they are not.
I hear nothing from them regarding the infant mortality rate in this country being too high. I hear nothing about them regarding the need for expansions in pre-natal care for lower income women. I hear nothing from them regarding the need to expand access to healthcare so that women and children do not fall through the cracks of the system.
They are a typical, one-trick pony anti-abortion group. Granted even more to the right than most, but calling them anything other than an anti-abortion group is giving them too much credit for having more than one motive.
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kirenos
November 17, 2009 10:37 AM in reply to jenzinoh
again, only "anti-choice" is appropriate.
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Orlando
November 16, 2009 2:14 PM
What I cannot understand is how we can't mess with the sanctity of life and god's plan and all that for the people who get pregnant naturally, but it's perfectly well and good to mess with god's plan if you can't get pregnant naturally and want to use science to get knocked up.
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kenga
November 16, 2009 2:56 PM in reply to Orlando
And what about all the babies that God aborts - the trillions of zygotes every week that are flushed or spilled upon the cold ground?
What of the uncounted millions of embryos which He callously denies implantation, with no regard for their humanity or right to be born?
And those He prevents from surviving gestation?
Will no one think of the babies aborted by God?
/sarc
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jjdjjd
November 16, 2009 6:29 PM in reply to kenga
ask HIM
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kenga
November 20, 2009 4:57 PM in reply to jjdjjd
Coyote told me that I'll get different answers from him depending on the phase of the moon.
And that my Onan jokes need work.
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jenesq
November 16, 2009 10:49 PM in reply to Orlando
Actually, I know that at least the Catholic Church (if not other anti-abortion groups) is opposed to assisted reproduction...a fact most people conveniently overlook. Funny how a whole lot of these folks conveniently overlook the things that would interfere with their own life plans (at least 90% of the people in my parish use artificial birth control methods...I couldn't stand this one woman in particular, who was Ms. Self-Righteous Pro Life Catholic but then went on a rant about how worried she was that her IUD had failed...hello, hypocrite!), but have no problem telling other people what to do and how to live.
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Michael A
November 16, 2009 2:28 PM
On another note, when will this loons 15 minutes of fame be over. I am tired of listening to her insanity.
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jjdjjd
November 16, 2009 6:32 PM in reply to Michael A
its over, she made her millions. however the libtards keep it going so we don't watch what they are doing. its called a deversion.
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Dorn76
November 16, 2009 2:57 PM
Now the far Right doesn't even trust her!
That strikes me as exceedingly funny.
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Matt Jones
November 16, 2009 3:13 PM
People like this make me long for one of the Southern states to secede and become a Jesusfascist theme park. Their position is so far to the right that even the Taliban would think they were too conservative...
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jeffgee
November 16, 2009 3:33 PM
How many of them are over 60 years old? It seems that the anti abortion rallies consist mostly of people beyond their fertile years. The same people screaming about getting government out of their Medicare.
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eric the red
November 16, 2009 3:40 PM
"liberal, pro-choice, socialist terminology"
That's classic.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
November 16, 2009 4:12 PM
Yeah, they're "fringe is too mainstream for us" nutballs, but the very embodiment of reductio ad absurdium, they illustrate the fundemental problem with the abortion "debate" in this country: the obsessive fixation on whether "correct" terminology is used. I mean, come on, it starts with the crucification of anyone who deviates from the use of the terms "pro-choice" and "pro-life" and degenerates from there.
Each side in the debate has a catachism. Politicians are mostly judged based upon their adherence to that catachism and any public statement by a politician that deviates from the approved wording provokes an instant avalanche of condemnation, regardless of whether there is any substantive change how the politician votes or the policies he or she advocates. And woe unto the politician slip up and accidentally use words from the other side's catachism; the most prompt and abeject abasement may not suffice to abate the ensuing orgy of condemnation.
I hate to be sympathetic to either of them, but kind of dogmatic parsing by rhetorical zealots is naturally going to be harder on the Sarah Palins and George W. Bushes of the world.
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mans_best_friend
November 16, 2009 4:33 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Don't be so dismissive of controlling the terminology of the debate. When you control the terminology, you control the framing, and the R's have been running rings around the Dems for years at this.
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cinesimon
November 16, 2009 4:57 PM
Unfortunately, this will probably help her politically.
These people make her seem centrist - which is of course an extremely sad indictment on the current state of right wing American politics - yet again, again, again...
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Michael A
November 16, 2009 5:04 PM in reply to cinesimon
I actually was thinking the same thing. Do you think it's a set-up? Talk about being extremely anti-abortion. She is a radical concerning the issue and then there is this? Doesn't make sanse.
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Michael A
November 16, 2009 5:05 PM in reply to Michael A
Sense, not sanse. Too quick on the submit.
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mans_best_friend
November 16, 2009 5:39 PM in reply to Michael A
Nah. Her problem isn't that she's too centrist, or not centrist enough. Her problem is that she's not remotely qualified and it's as plain as day.
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slb
November 16, 2009 6:15 PM
I'm still snickering about the reference to "asexual human reproduction." I think I know what they meant (artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization), but they used the wrong term. Asexual reproduction is what bacteria and yeast and parthenogenic organisms engage in. Anything that involves sperm and egg, no matter how they are brought together, is sexual reproduction.
OK, I suppose they might have been referring to human cloning, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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Xantar
November 16, 2009 7:16 PM in reply to slb
I guess immaculate conception would count, too.
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TBender
November 16, 2009 8:08 PM in reply to Xantar
I knew there was something special about Franco Harris.
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Kuyleh
November 17, 2009 1:15 AM
You're not a decent enough person to shine Thera's shoes. But keep making yourself feel better by making hypocritical insults like that. I'm sure your ego needs the boost.
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Kuyleh
November 17, 2009 1:17 AM in reply to Kuyleh
Wow. That was supposed to be to the manly man up there insulting her. I fail at clicking "Reply." >.>
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jjdjjd
November 18, 2009 3:48 PM in reply to Kuyleh
i'm betting you have fail alot.
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Kuyleh
November 18, 2009 4:05 PM in reply to jjdjjd
At least I know English.
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jjdjjd
November 19, 2009 11:27 AM in reply to Kuyleh
whoops, a typo on my part. i meant to say i'm betting you have failed alot. the grammar police are out nd making attacks.
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