Romney fails on women's rights

Mitt Romney taped a video endorsement ad for only one Senate candidate in this election. It was for Richard Mourdock, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Indiana who made the news this week when he declared he firmly believes women who become pregnant as a result of rape should be forced to carry the baby to term because it’s God’s will.

In 31 states in America that same woman would be forced to also give her rapist visitation rights. Apparently the emotional damage this would cause a rape victim doesn’t factor into Mr. Mourdock’s thinking at all.

Mitt Romney doesn’t find this to be a problem. He was careful to say he doesn’t agree with Mourdock’s exact view, (at least this week), but Romney still fully supports Mr. Mourdock’s candidacy and will not ask him to take down the endorsement ad. Mr. Romney also refuses to answer any questions from the press about his support for Mr. Mourdock. He’s ignored their repeated questions since the story broke.

It’s useful to remember Mr. Mourdock is not alone in this thinking. His position is incorporated as part of the official Republican party platform. Mr. Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, has taken an equally hard line on a woman’s right to decide what happens to her own body. Congressman Ryan referred to rape as a “method of conception” and co-sponsored a bill to redefine rape with Todd Akin. Their bill only allowed a “forcible” rape exception. As if there is a non-forcible rape.

You’ll recall Congressman Akin was also the Republican who informed us that women’s bodies have some secret weapon in their lady parts which doesn’t allow them to become pregnant by “forcible” rape.

Then there’s Steve King, who Mr. Romney called a “partner in Washington,” who said he’s never heard of anyone getting pregnant from statutory rape. I’m sure that will be news to the thousands of women who became pregnant by rapists. And Mr. Mourdock is only one of many Republican men who believe health plans should not cover contraceptive birth control care either.

While some Republicans have distanced themselves from Mr. Mourdock since he made his addled-brained pronouncement, Paul Ryan’s Leadership PAC donated thousands to Mourdock’s re-election campaign and several sitting Republican Senators have donated thousands more. I’m not aware that anyone is asking for their money back. And let’s not forget Mitt Romney cheerfully assured the voters he would be thrilled to sign a bill banning all abortions if one came to him as president back when Republicans were still subjecting their candidates to the conservative GOP purity test.

Yes, I know he added we weren’t there as a country yet, but the position of making it illegal for a woman to have control over the personal choice of what happens to her own body forms the core of the conservative Republican orthodoxy. Their clear goal is overturn Roe v. Wade. Many of them believe birth control pills are just as bad as an abortion. They don’t want teenagers to be taught the scientific facts about safe sexual practices. These are the people who Mitt Romney will be beholden to if he wins this race.

Mitt Romney has flip-flopped on every position on every single issue, including women’s rights, throughout his political career. Who knows what he really believes?. I not sure he has any core beliefs. The only thing that is clear about Mitt Romney is he will do whatever is necessary to advance his personal ambitions. He will say whatever you want to hear at the moment to get what he wants. That may have served him well in the world of vulture capitalism, but it would not serve the American people at all in a world leader. [graphic via]