Nov 13 CSPAN video of Heritage Foundation Discussion with Erik Baptist (ADF), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Sarah Perry with Heritage & Dr. Christina Francis CEO of Am Assoc of Pro-Life Obstetricians/GYNs
Warning - this 58:33 minute video is “loaded”
Bob Good says among other comments, “VA leaders position on abortion. We are OK with 94% of abortions because we want a 15 week ban.” “The other side wants 100% abortions, so we are going to rally red areas & the conservatives & the red base to fight for 6% of abortions and I submit that’s the reason we had low red turn out [because they didn’t use that messaging]...” There was more on DeSantis, FL votes, etc.
Serious Question: all these women who have gone public with their horrific miscarriages ... what week did those occur? Anyone keeping a spreadsheet? (Side note: one is running for office in TX) Many ridiculing him on X, but it’s the messaging that I picked up on. Yes, I think that they are so lost in their self-righteousness that they STILL refuse to see how these laws affect the suffering of women who have 2nd trimester problem pregnancies AND are literally “willing to fight to prevent” these women getting the healthcare they often need or at least deserve the option of attaining. Many VA seats were won with a close margin, so we must stay vigilant.
Another side note: Rep. Spanberger (VA-07 D) announced today she is running for VA Governor. She receives an F from sbaprolife.org
I hope someone runs against Good. A great VA D candidate oppo ad can be made from his comments today. We will see more of this “fighting for 6%” in short order. They are seriously scrambling after the votes last Tues.
This Heritage discussion is titled that it’s about the abortion pill, but there’s more, including 3 questions asked at the end & responses by Francis and Baptist.
I haven’t listened to all of it. I saw Good’s comments posted by someone on X & went to investigate.
I was just watched State of The Nation with Dana Bash. She was interviewing Ronna McDaniel. Ronna said there is a consensus around 15 weeks because that is when a fetus feels pain and Dana Bash didn’t refute that, just kept on pushing for ronnas opinion. If the journalists don’t challenge stuff that isn’t scientifically proven, then everyone will think that is true. They also never point out that most people don’t know about fetal anomalies until after 15 weeks.
Just want to convey my deep gratitude to you, Jessica, for sifting through all the noise and nonsense and bringing clarity to the continuing fight to keep the GOP's hands out of our bedrooms and bodies.
I don’t know who said it but “Conservatism can never fail, it can only be failed” is front and center in their inability to face reality. This is why you continually hear the excuses that amount to “we didn’t try hard enough”...the problem is always wrong messenger, weak message, lack of funding. The reality that they t be actually wrong never occurs to these self righteous weirdos
News media in Ohio on Thursday reported the $1.7 million spent. Years ago I was president of the archdiocesan council and lay male representative to Ohio Bishops Advisory Council. This spending would never have been allowed since it violates IRS norms for charitable 501(c)(3) organizations.
These people are never going to stop until they drop dead. And that means we on the left must get better at not only beating them, but at proactively blocking their next steps where we can.
I already said they’d double down on this before they did. They will use the courts. They will ignore laws. They will arrest and harass people absent laws. And of course, they will continue to projectile vomit lies out of every orifice.
So can parishioners in this Catholic diocese, as an example, sue their diocese for political misuse of funds? (I’m not a lawyer, but I am a lapsed CPA. I know how little money the IRS has right now. But still yes, report them to the IRS.) Are there laws or mechanisms to challenge these OH legislators for putting out such a statement? I don’t have answers, but I know we must be a lot more proactive on multiple fronts, anticipating all the bullshit before it drops and deploying countermeasures to frustrate and stymie them.
Whether it's abortion or their other issues, we need to stop being surprised when they go as far as they do (kidnapping children at the border, January 6th, etc.) That would mean admitting we're at war though, and too many people don't want to do that.
This set of polling is the most troubling thing I’ve read recently.
I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but I know I can’t force my mom to accept gay people. She believes her Bible says it is a sin, and our constitution gives her the right to that sincerely held religious belief. Does that make her an asshole? Yes. Has she hurt people? Absolutely. The more she feels forced to accept this, the more forcefully she reacts. So I don’t introduce her to my gay friends. I care about my gay friends too much to put them through her crap. But plenty of people on the left want to force people like my mother to accept it because they believe it is right to stamp out this kind of discrimination and bigotry. I think a significant portion on both sides have lost the plot on what democracy is, and this polling backs that up.
But more important for this discussion, being outraged about anti-democratic behavior won’t resonate with those who already believe in limiting democracy if it means they are right.
Yes, I saw that one; center for politics crystal ball is one of the sites I tend to check. What really gave me pause - and yes it's only one poll; I'd rather see a lot more data - is that there's not really that much difference between Democratic voters and Republican voters on things like rights, democracy and, especially, violence. I might argue that Republican -politicians- are more extreme than Democratic politicians on these, but if the voter bases are similar, how long does that last? ('And then you'll notice / How the waster and the wasted / Get to look like one another / In the end, in the end.....' [John Cale, "Guts"]) This is... not good. I think it's always important to be open to new information, and while my view of Republicans hasn't changed one iota, I'm increasingly wary of dismissing concerns about Democrats. The one thing I keep going back to is that there are, somehow, still voters in the middle, who dislike both candidates and both parties. I think we need a detailed profile of who is in this group and what they think. I'm assuming because they're not partisans, they're less likely to support violence at least? I'd rather set aside sacred cows and get the support of these voters, than be morally superior and watch the country fall to fascists. One of the reasons abortion is my top issue, besides it being the most fundamental human right to control one's own body, is that it's a really easy issue. There's not really any nuance when you look at the facts, and it's obvious where the middle and the majority are. Most issues aren't like that. So it may not be a good idea to treat them as if they are. If Democrats lose the middle to -these- Republicans, the whole world is in trouble.
So they want federal courts to rule that state constitutions violate the federal constitution. Got it. And if the U.S. supreme court were to agree, what would be the reaction to that?
She also recognizes women are not stupid about their bodies or language or criminalization. A 15 week “limit” is a 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22 week ban, which is when some of the worst miscarriages and amniocentesis reports occur. She would still pass a 100% ban if she could, just like Youngkin would. I don’t understand why no one is reminding these fanatics the “compromise” happened years ago when so many states put in 3rd trimester limits.
I wish msm and politicians and pro-choice organizations would mention this. SCOTUS majority & authoritarians wanted to send it to the states thinking the red legislatures could ban it with their trigger laws. They are so high on their power & gerrymandered seats I guess it never occurred to them that voters would find a way to exercise their vote on the issue.
Jessica, I really want to thank you for this work you’re doing. It can’t be easy, either logistically or emotionally. I get upset just reading your articles and listening to your podcasts. I can only imagine what it must be like to be immersed in this stuff every day. A lot of us wonder how we can make a difference. You are using your considerable talents to really make a difference, and I know many people are grateful to you.
We Ohio Catholics have supported the great work of our church on poverty, health care and aiding the poor. The outcome on Issue 1 was a stunning defeat for Archbishop Dennis Schurr but the next day was worse: We learned that $1,700,000 of our church donations were spent to fight the will of the voters! So I have asked the Ohio Auditor's Office to audit the absence of public notice about this spending--why not tell us where our donations actually were going? In other states, watch your archbishops' decision to divert cash to anti-choice politics! -- Prof. Jim O'Reilly
That’s a very good point and a good research project for a college class. I’m not a lawyer, but provided links to the IRS code & complaint process below. Do you mind sharing how you learned this information?
After looking at Open Secrets last night it seems many religious organizations make contributions which get listed under “individuals,” but listed as the organization, similar to how unions contribute.
Republicans are used to winning "message wars", so it does not surprise me that they think they can message their way out of their reproductive-rights-shaped-hole.
The problem is that their message war wins have been about issue where people were either undecided or uninformed: most people didn't know about the estate tax, so calling it a "death tax" moved opinion. Most people didn't know what was in the Affordable Care Act, so talking about "death panels" instead of "affordable health care" won them that message.
But people are now very clear about abortion bans; you can't message yourself into a win on an issue where people have decided, by a wide margin, that you are just plain wrong.
Nov 13 CSPAN video of Heritage Foundation Discussion with Erik Baptist (ADF), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Sarah Perry with Heritage & Dr. Christina Francis CEO of Am Assoc of Pro-Life Obstetricians/GYNs
Warning - this 58:33 minute video is “loaded”
Bob Good says among other comments, “VA leaders position on abortion. We are OK with 94% of abortions because we want a 15 week ban.” “The other side wants 100% abortions, so we are going to rally red areas & the conservatives & the red base to fight for 6% of abortions and I submit that’s the reason we had low red turn out [because they didn’t use that messaging]...” There was more on DeSantis, FL votes, etc.
Serious Question: all these women who have gone public with their horrific miscarriages ... what week did those occur? Anyone keeping a spreadsheet? (Side note: one is running for office in TX) Many ridiculing him on X, but it’s the messaging that I picked up on. Yes, I think that they are so lost in their self-righteousness that they STILL refuse to see how these laws affect the suffering of women who have 2nd trimester problem pregnancies AND are literally “willing to fight to prevent” these women getting the healthcare they often need or at least deserve the option of attaining. Many VA seats were won with a close margin, so we must stay vigilant.
Another side note: Rep. Spanberger (VA-07 D) announced today she is running for VA Governor. She receives an F from sbaprolife.org
I hope someone runs against Good. A great VA D candidate oppo ad can be made from his comments today. We will see more of this “fighting for 6%” in short order. They are seriously scrambling after the votes last Tues.
This Heritage discussion is titled that it’s about the abortion pill, but there’s more, including 3 questions asked at the end & responses by Francis and Baptist.
I haven’t listened to all of it. I saw Good’s comments posted by someone on X & went to investigate.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?531812-1/heritage-foundation-discussion-abortion-pills
I was just watched State of The Nation with Dana Bash. She was interviewing Ronna McDaniel. Ronna said there is a consensus around 15 weeks because that is when a fetus feels pain and Dana Bash didn’t refute that, just kept on pushing for ronnas opinion. If the journalists don’t challenge stuff that isn’t scientifically proven, then everyone will think that is true. They also never point out that most people don’t know about fetal anomalies until after 15 weeks.
I saw that too. Another reason CNN is failing.
State of the Union.....sorry
Trump only cares about getting re-elected, i hope the forced birthers protest against him non-stop until Election Day
Just want to convey my deep gratitude to you, Jessica, for sifting through all the noise and nonsense and bringing clarity to the continuing fight to keep the GOP's hands out of our bedrooms and bodies.
I don’t know who said it but “Conservatism can never fail, it can only be failed” is front and center in their inability to face reality. This is why you continually hear the excuses that amount to “we didn’t try hard enough”...the problem is always wrong messenger, weak message, lack of funding. The reality that they t be actually wrong never occurs to these self righteous weirdos
News media in Ohio on Thursday reported the $1.7 million spent. Years ago I was president of the archdiocesan council and lay male representative to Ohio Bishops Advisory Council. This spending would never have been allowed since it violates IRS norms for charitable 501(c)(3) organizations.
The best Republican answer on abortion would be, “That’s a decision you should make with your doctor - it’s none of my business!”
These people are never going to stop until they drop dead. And that means we on the left must get better at not only beating them, but at proactively blocking their next steps where we can.
I already said they’d double down on this before they did. They will use the courts. They will ignore laws. They will arrest and harass people absent laws. And of course, they will continue to projectile vomit lies out of every orifice.
So can parishioners in this Catholic diocese, as an example, sue their diocese for political misuse of funds? (I’m not a lawyer, but I am a lapsed CPA. I know how little money the IRS has right now. But still yes, report them to the IRS.) Are there laws or mechanisms to challenge these OH legislators for putting out such a statement? I don’t have answers, but I know we must be a lot more proactive on multiple fronts, anticipating all the bullshit before it drops and deploying countermeasures to frustrate and stymie them.
Whether it's abortion or their other issues, we need to stop being surprised when they go as far as they do (kidnapping children at the border, January 6th, etc.) That would mean admitting we're at war though, and too many people don't want to do that.
We are in a tough spot, yes. It’s why I hammered the Bible-believing fascist stuff so hard in my comment yesterday. Responding to that with, “Look how anti-democratic they are in an effort to control women’s bodies” misses the fact that a portion of right and left in the US believe in limiting democracy in order to achieve their sense of rightness. From a UVA poll here: https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/center-for-politics-study-indicates-many-americans-favor-actions-that-challenge-constitutional-bounds-to-serve-partisan-aims/
This set of polling is the most troubling thing I’ve read recently.
I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but I know I can’t force my mom to accept gay people. She believes her Bible says it is a sin, and our constitution gives her the right to that sincerely held religious belief. Does that make her an asshole? Yes. Has she hurt people? Absolutely. The more she feels forced to accept this, the more forcefully she reacts. So I don’t introduce her to my gay friends. I care about my gay friends too much to put them through her crap. But plenty of people on the left want to force people like my mother to accept it because they believe it is right to stamp out this kind of discrimination and bigotry. I think a significant portion on both sides have lost the plot on what democracy is, and this polling backs that up.
But more important for this discussion, being outraged about anti-democratic behavior won’t resonate with those who already believe in limiting democracy if it means they are right.
Yes, I saw that one; center for politics crystal ball is one of the sites I tend to check. What really gave me pause - and yes it's only one poll; I'd rather see a lot more data - is that there's not really that much difference between Democratic voters and Republican voters on things like rights, democracy and, especially, violence. I might argue that Republican -politicians- are more extreme than Democratic politicians on these, but if the voter bases are similar, how long does that last? ('And then you'll notice / How the waster and the wasted / Get to look like one another / In the end, in the end.....' [John Cale, "Guts"]) This is... not good. I think it's always important to be open to new information, and while my view of Republicans hasn't changed one iota, I'm increasingly wary of dismissing concerns about Democrats. The one thing I keep going back to is that there are, somehow, still voters in the middle, who dislike both candidates and both parties. I think we need a detailed profile of who is in this group and what they think. I'm assuming because they're not partisans, they're less likely to support violence at least? I'd rather set aside sacred cows and get the support of these voters, than be morally superior and watch the country fall to fascists. One of the reasons abortion is my top issue, besides it being the most fundamental human right to control one's own body, is that it's a really easy issue. There's not really any nuance when you look at the facts, and it's obvious where the middle and the majority are. Most issues aren't like that. So it may not be a good idea to treat them as if they are. If Democrats lose the middle to -these- Republicans, the whole world is in trouble.
Yes, Republicans, by all means, please be clearer on where you stand. Tell the voters exactly which of the women deserved her horror story.
So they want federal courts to rule that state constitutions violate the federal constitution. Got it. And if the U.S. supreme court were to agree, what would be the reaction to that?
Glad Nebraska is trying for a referendum. Not sure about that acronym though?
The ONLY thing different about Nikki Haley is that she has a uterus. For some number of people that's enough.
She also recognizes women are not stupid about their bodies or language or criminalization. A 15 week “limit” is a 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22 week ban, which is when some of the worst miscarriages and amniocentesis reports occur. She would still pass a 100% ban if she could, just like Youngkin would. I don’t understand why no one is reminding these fanatics the “compromise” happened years ago when so many states put in 3rd trimester limits.
Yeah. Roe WAS the compromise.
I wish msm and politicians and pro-choice organizations would mention this. SCOTUS majority & authoritarians wanted to send it to the states thinking the red legislatures could ban it with their trigger laws. They are so high on their power & gerrymandered seats I guess it never occurred to them that voters would find a way to exercise their vote on the issue.
Jessica, I really want to thank you for this work you’re doing. It can’t be easy, either logistically or emotionally. I get upset just reading your articles and listening to your podcasts. I can only imagine what it must be like to be immersed in this stuff every day. A lot of us wonder how we can make a difference. You are using your considerable talents to really make a difference, and I know many people are grateful to you.
creates an unconstitutional “super-right” to abortion.
Does Superman know about this super copyright infringement???💪🦸♀️
We Ohio Catholics have supported the great work of our church on poverty, health care and aiding the poor. The outcome on Issue 1 was a stunning defeat for Archbishop Dennis Schurr but the next day was worse: We learned that $1,700,000 of our church donations were spent to fight the will of the voters! So I have asked the Ohio Auditor's Office to audit the absence of public notice about this spending--why not tell us where our donations actually were going? In other states, watch your archbishops' decision to divert cash to anti-choice politics! -- Prof. Jim O'Reilly
Make. Churches. Pay. Taxes.
That’s a very good point and a good research project for a college class. I’m not a lawyer, but provided links to the IRS code & complaint process below. Do you mind sharing how you learned this information?
After looking at Open Secrets last night it seems many religious organizations make contributions which get listed under “individuals,” but listed as the organization, similar to how unions contribute.
Seems like a loophole that should be closed.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/fs-08-13.pdf
I'm not a lawyer, but shouldn't making political donations with parishioners money make the archdiocese lose it's tax free status?
Republicans are used to winning "message wars", so it does not surprise me that they think they can message their way out of their reproductive-rights-shaped-hole.
The problem is that their message war wins have been about issue where people were either undecided or uninformed: most people didn't know about the estate tax, so calling it a "death tax" moved opinion. Most people didn't know what was in the Affordable Care Act, so talking about "death panels" instead of "affordable health care" won them that message.
But people are now very clear about abortion bans; you can't message yourself into a win on an issue where people have decided, by a wide margin, that you are just plain wrong.