Up North Progressive

Of course it’s shocking when an ignorant anti-choicer – or someone pretending to be one on TV comes out and says what all anti-choicers wish could happen. Donald Trump today said – then dialed it back – that women should be punished if they exercise their constitutional right to elect a legal medical procedure. As appalled as people appear to be at the statement today, it’s not like Trump is a vanguard of anti choice rhetoric. He’s parroting what he’s heard others say.

You may be thinking, “But presidents, or presidential candidates don’t say things like that, not in an election year.”

Oh yes they do. Just shy of 30 years ago Vice President George H.W. Bush during a presidential debate with Governor Michael Dukakis had this to say when asked about his stand on abortion and what he thought should happen to people who have them:

I haven’t sorted out the penalties. But I do know, I do know that I oppose abortion. And I favor adoption. And if we can get this law changed, everybody should make the extraordinary effort to take these kids that are unwanted and sometimes aborted, take the – let them come to birth, and then put them in a family where they will be loved. And you see, yes, my position has evolved. And it’s continuing to evolve, and it’s evolving in favor of life. And I have had a couple of exceptions that I support – rape, incest and the life of the mother. Sometimes people feel a little uncomfortable talking about this, but it’s much clearer for me now. As I’ve seen abortions sometimes used as a birth control device, for heavens sakes. See the millions of these killings accumulate, and this is one where you can have an honest difference of opinion. We certainly do. But no, I’m for the sanctity of life, and once that illegality is established, then we can come to grips with the penalty side, and of course there’s got to be some penalties to enforce the law, whatever they may be.

Is it entirely possible that Donald Trump may recall Vice President Bush making this statement in the 1988 presidential debate? Probably not. It’s obvious Trump doesn’t prepare a speech, just parrots the same few statements he blurts out at all of his rallies. This is the same guy who thought back in 1986 hot dog vendors were the ones trashing up Manhattan.

Nothing new. Same horrible things being said about women by horrible people.