"Go F--k Yourself" - Anti Abortion GOP Candidate

Over 500 women each and every single day are raped in the United States. That is an astounding number. Imagine for a minute what that means. Each and everyone of these women were assaulted in the most denigrating way possible. They are our sisters, daughters, nieces, mothers, friends and even grandmothers.

" Josh, this is Pat Feeks, a Navy SEAL killed last week in Afghanistan. Take a good look and then go fuck yourself."  Those are the words of the Republican Senatorial Candidate in Washington State. 

State Sen. Michael Baumgartner typed those words into an email to a reporter.  Baumgartner was upset over an interview he gave to reporter Josh Feit. It seems the GOP candidate for Senate does not want to spend time talking about his party's position on abortion and his colleague who is running in the "Show Me State", Todd Akin's talk of Legitimate Rape. 

Todd Akin said that women who are raped have natural defences that prevent them from getting pregnant when they are raped.  That of course is ludicrous. So much so that Akin was called on to resign from the election by almost every single major republican mouth piece.  

Baumgartner doesn't want to talk about abortion, his views are basically the same as those of Todd Akin. He told the reporter this though he felt Akin went over the top with the Legitimate Rape stuff.  We know that the Republicans at the time the story broke, were approving their election promise to ban abortion, even in the case of rape or incest. Baumgartner is 100% behind that position.  

Instead, Baumgartner wants to discuss Afghanistan.  He feels the US should not be fighting there and the media should be talking about that and not abortion. Well Mr Buamgartner, with all due respect, the news of the day was your fellow candidate for US Senate saying something awfully damned ignorant, disrespectful and hurtful, especially to those 500 women raped every single day.  

The bigger point here is that you are being just as disrespectful to these women. Your party should be planning to do something to reduce the number of women raped in your country. If you could actually reduce that number significantly, the women not raped, would not need an abortion, right? 

As is too common, the republicans are bent on punishing the victims.  All too often women who are raped are the ones on trial, not the guy who attacked, demanded, assaulted them.  Its a vicious crime. If people like Akin and Baumgartner are elected, women who become pregnant due to rape will have to go  through with the pregnancy, and then raise a rapists child. The rapist will then have access to courts to demand visitation rights, perhaps even custody. If that isn't a nightmare, I don't know what else could be.

Yes Mr Baumgartner, the war in Afghanistan must end, too many have died. The war in Iraq is winding down, that's a good thing too.  You should however recall that it was your party that started both wars.  

Abortion is a pretty intense issue in the USA. There remain a few points most Americans can agree on. 500 rapes everyday is a national disgrace. Abortion should be available to women due to rape or incest. Anything less and you may as well pass a law stating only god fearing 'straight men' know best.

see also:  

Akin should have stuck to the code - Forcible Rape