Meet the New Ass, Same as the Old Ass

Today's column for the Daily Banter expands on the topic of Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith and his unfathomable comparison of pregnancy from rape to pregnancy out of wedlock. It not only pulls back the curtain on the pre-Enlightenment mindset the Republicans gleefully wallow in these days -- it also gives up quite a bit on what they think the subject of rape is really all about.

Here's the opening shot:

"When it comes to presenting a unified, impenetrable messaging front, there's nothing more fearsome or impressive than the GOP talking points machine; the Republicans simply know how to stay on point and move as one when they're dishing out their own branding. With that in mind, they really have to sit down with Lucifer, Mammon & Rove or whatever the hell their PR firm is named and come up with a stock answer they can give, without question or deviation, whenever some smart-alec reporter brings up the subject of rape and pregnancy. They desperately need an alternative to what they're doing right now -- mostly because telling the truth is getting them killed."

Read the Rest Here

Quote of the Day

"Put yourself in a father's position. Yes, it is similar."

-- Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith of Pennsylvania

So, what's he comparing? Having a child out of wedlock with having a child produced by rape. Really.

See, Smith was speaking to the Pennsylvania Press Club and said that while he disagrees with Todd Akin's recent comment about "legitimate rape" and the fact that a woman's body can shut down pregnancy in instances of rape -- the latter being especially amusing seeing how there's nothing to agree or disagree with since it's science -- he still doesn't believe that abortion should be legal in cases of rape or incest. When a reporter then asked him how he'd personally respond to a daughter or granddaughter having to carry a child created by rape to term, Smith said he'd already gone through something similar within his own family and that the person in question made the right decision by "choosing life." When pressed, Smith explained in detail: His daughter had gotten pregnant even though she wasn't married. To Smith, that's very close to having his daughter be raped.

You don't have to put yourself in a father's position to understand the comparison.

You have to put yourself in the position of a sociopath with Down Syndrome.

I wonder how Tom Smith's daughter feels about her child's grandfather implying that he or she may as well have been the product of rape. And I'll bet Smith's daughter would absolutely know the difference between her specific pregnancy and one caused by rape -- just a hunch.