Rick Santorum’s Anti-Abortion Politics Would Have Killed His Own Wife [Updated]

[Tunkamerica]

http://jezebel.com/5873158/rick-santorums-anti+abortion-stance-would-have-killed-his-own-wife

Let's get down to brass tacks: Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Personhood Pledge-signing, Griswold vs. Connecticut-opposing, Mr. Ban Abortion in All Circumstances With No Exception for the Life of the Mother, believes that the actions of his own wife should be treated as criminal. Why? Because, back in 1996, his wife had a procedure that resulted in the deliberate death of her fetus, even though it was a matter of saving her own life.

Karen Santorum's difficult pregnancy and resultant life-saving, induced early delivery is no secret; in a 2004 interview with NPR's Terry Gross, her husband characterized the 1996 procedure as a harrowing but necessary. Karen, in her 19th week of pregnancy, received a risky surgery to save a pregnancy that doctors thought had little chance of survival. After the surgery, she came down with an infection, and doctors told Rick that unless the source of the infection — the fetus — was removed, his wife would die and his already-born children would be motherless. The doctor also told Santorum that his wife's fetus would not survive outside of the womb. According to Santorum, Karen went into labor as a result of the antibiotics, and then doctors gave her a drug that further induced labor. She delivered, and unfortunately the doctors were right.

[CTyankee]

1. I'm beginning to think that this is a bad bet for us in the campaign.

For one thing, it brings up a painful situation in the Santorum's life. We don't want to be seen as against the family in this situation. Of course, we aren't but you know how the RW twists things.

Let it go. Let's just concentrate of the other stuff and there is plenty of that...

[baldguy]

3. And doesn't *everyone* who goes through an abortion have to deal with that same "painful situation"?

Why should we let anti-choice terrorists like Mr Frothy get away with their hypocrisy while they cast negative aspersions on real people dealing with real pain in their lives?

Bringing this up in relation to Santorum drives home the idea that abortions - like any other medical procedure should be between the patient and her doctor. If the patient wishes to bring anyone else in that should be up to the patient and nobody else. It doesn't matter if you're the wife of a sitting United States Senator, or a frightened, homeless, abused 16-yr old.

[CTyankee]

6. because in this case, it gets all tangled up with their "personal private tragedy."

I could make an argument using that, but I'm not sure most of the public would get past the tragic part of the dead fetus ("baby&quot .

Let's just focus on what is easier to explain to the public. And there is a lot there.

Having said that, it looks to me like Santorum won't make it too far in this race...it may be a moot point...

[baldguy]

9. So, the Santorums are allowed to have a "personal private tragedy",

But he - as with all the other Republicans - is allowed to say nobody else should have that same privacy & respect? And we shouldn't criticize him & shout his hypocrisy from the rooftops?

That's nuts.

[CTyankee]

13. oh, please. the repubs have been holding double standards for years!

It's just who they are. They promote bad laws that hurt people but when it is THEIR own lives, they whine about their own "personal private tragedy" and invoke their "family" as if nobody else has a family.

It's why we are so enraged with them.

But there is being smart about our anger...and not being smart about it. Eugene Robinson nailed him on this and then had to go on msnbc and mumble an apology. that's not good politics in my book.

We can stick it to santorum on lots of other stuff. we don't need to be shooting ourselves in the foot...

[baldguy]

15. And attacking a politician's feet of clay has been too.

Avoiding anything that shows any Republican as they really are - hypocritical, stupid, and dangerous - is just kowtowing to RW media spin and forces us to play on their field under their rules. THAT'S where we shoot ourselves in the foot.

Like I said: That's nuts.

[CTyankee]

16. they also turn our arguments against us. That's nuts too but it is also our problem.

I think there may be a way of doing it...but not what Eugene Robinson did. We have to be more clever than they are and not give them an issue, but rather take it away from them...

[spotbird]

5. Rick surly wouldn't want the world to know that he supports laws

that retrospectively would have killed his wife. It just makes him sound ignorant and heartless, the situation was tragic for his family I'm sure. But his advocacy for policy that would have compounded the loss speaks loudly to the kind of so called human the man is.

[roguevalley]

11. rick won't survive florida. he will implode. the election will abort him.

[Tunkamerica]

12. rick santorum is this election's non-viable fetus. one of several.

that's a funny thought.

[CTyankee]

14. Yes. I think you are absolutely right.

He's so far right it's incredible. But he may be doing Dems a service. He is showing Independents that the Republican Party is nutso. I don't think Indies want to be associated with that brand. Santorum's mouth will undo him and do damage to his party at the same time.

Let the shithead soar for the time being. He'll bring down himself and the Party in no time...

[wundermaus]

2. Political hacks will do/say anything to get elected...

and a sociopath will do so with the emotional depth of a reptile.
and hypocrisy glares when actions collide with rhetoric.
and yet we continue to chose representatives that are neither representative nor chosen.

[HockeyMom]

4. I was sent to a catholic hospital with a 5 week ectopic pregnancy

My doctor ordered immediate IV, blood pressure monitoring, and a sonogram. I got NOTHING but a pregnancy test, which with a tubal, came out negative. "We don't do abortions here". "We will give you something to stop the bleeding(????)". That is what I got for 12 hours until my doctor came SCREAMING into that hospital.

That embryo, ruptured and DEAD as it tuned out, meant more to them than ME, as a wife and mother of a 3 year old already born child. "MIRACLE" as they later said that with all my internal bleeding that I didn't go into a coma. Oh, yeah I didn't because I wanted to LIVE to raise my living and breathing already born child. My husband and my LIVING child kept me alive. Can a 5 week old embryo do that??????

[CTyankee]

7. And that is a reason that I would not have EVER gone into a Catholic hospital for pregnancy

related issues. I was never at risk, as you were, but I would not have set foot in one exactly because of what you have related here.

Thank you for that. It is instructive to those who don't already know it or have forgotten it...

[zbdent]

8. In that case ...

the Catholic Hospital could have been charged with negligence (at best, I would believe) ... but, since it gives its "God nod" to Republicans, they would have made sure that the hospital would face no repercussions ...

[iris27]

10. Yikes! I am glad you are ok today.

Stories like yours are why I refuse to go to a Catholic hospital even for something as minor as a broken wrist. Mr. I27 has strict instructions to the same, in the event that I am incapacitated.