The GOP’s draft language — which just this morning was approved by committee — will call for a constitutional ban on all abortions, even in the case of rape or incest. The plank will be voted on by Republican National Committee (RNC) members at the convention, August 27-30.
The Huffington Post offered this image (right) as their front page, in comment. It’s being circulated widely via social media.
CNN Radio reporter Lisa Desjardins just stated via Twitter:
Slate political reporter and MSNBC contributor Dave Weigel noted, “Typically, the RNC can add a ‘ban all abortions’ platform plank and nobody notices. Oh, Todd Akin…”
Yesterday, both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan stated they support abortion in the case of rape.
“The Republican Party is once again set to enshrine into its official platform support for ‘a human life amendment’ to the Constitution that would outlaw abortion without making explicit exemptions for rape or incest, according to draft language of the platform obtained exclusively by CNN late Monday,” CNN reported late last night:
“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” the draft platform declares. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”
The party will reaffirm its opposition to federally-funded embryonic stem cell research and demand that the government “not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage.”
Republicans have also inserted a “salute” to states pushing “informed consent” laws – an apparent reference to ultrasound bills that have moved through some state legislatures – “mandatory waiting periods prior to an abortion, and health-protective clinic regulation.”
The document, crafted Monday in a subcommittee meeting of the Republican Party’s official platform committee in Tampa, is being closely guarded by party officials but was provided to CNN by a Republican source here.
The source cautioned that the statement of principle is still in draft form and must be approved by the full platform committee on Tuesday and by delegates to the Republican National Convention next week.