Megyn Kelly had on Patricia Ireland of NOW Tuesday night to discuss Senator Richard Blumenthal's Women's Health Protection Act, which is driving the religious right absolutely nutty. Our pal, Amanda Marcotte writes this about the new bill:
...it would end the attacks on abortion clinics through one simple measure: requiring states to regulate abortion providers in exactly the same way they do other clinics and doctors who provide comparable services. No more singling out abortion providers.
The bill goes into detail about the specific abortion-only regulations that would not be allowed, but the general principle is that if you don't require it for other outpatient procedures, you can't require it for abortion.
Megyn Kelly was seriously infected with the Randall Terry lunatic-fringe bug, because she started the segment off showing Rep. Marsha Blackburn holding up an ultrasound of her unborn grandson during the bill's hearing, a typical Randal Terry technique --so you knew where she was headed immediately. When Patricia Ireland started discussing how the law works, Megyn Kelly cited the assassination of Dr. Tiller as the bad old days, but not in the way you think. She didn't attack those who were responsible for Tiller's senseless murder, as you will see.
MEGYN KELLY: The critics say, this is basically going to open the door on late term abortions, because the bill would allow late term abortions nationally, if necessary not just to save the mother's life, but to save the mother's health.
What's the difference between saving the mother's life or the mother's health? Aren't they two heads of the same coin? We aren't talking about a week of flu-like symptoms, Megyn.
PATRICIA IRELAND: Well, the Women's Health Protection Act would knock down state restrictions on abortion that don't apply to other medical procedures, and that don't promote women's health and safety. Women's health is important, and if in the good faith determination of a doctor, a woman's health is at risk, then she ought to be able to have an abortion.
This bill will make doctors responsible for the health of a woman and her fetus, and take it out of the hands of the anti-abortion zealots.
KELLY: OK. The controversy there is that some women abused that when it was allowed and would get a doctor to say, yes, her health requires a late-term abortion. And then this happened in the case of Dr. Tiller, who wound up murdered, that he was providing late-term abortions based on health concerns, when you had a viable fetus, a baby, growing in the third trimester. And no one really wants to return to those days, Patricia, do they?
Many women feel they are the ones best qualified to decide the fate of their own body, but besides that point, Kelly is promoting Tiller's murder in a way that actually will encourage more of the same behavior. Instead of being outraged by the murder, she's appeasing anti-abortion proponents who are insane enough to commit murder. Megyn Kelly's schtick is supposed to be her "legal" background, so where is her commitment to the law?
La Feminista said this on Kos:
Well I must admit this is the first time I have heard this reasoning.
You have to really have a twisted mind to come up with this type of perverted logic.
Translation:
Women who have late term abortions for health reasons endanger the lives of their physician, and if they keep doing it then that can only result in one thing. More dead physicians. Now you don't want their blood on your hands, now do you?
Wow.
Yep, rather than saying anything about the whole hate-filled circus that lead to Dr Tiller's death we just have to hold up our hands and endanger women instead.
Now some like myself would consider this not only negotiating with terrorists, but enabling them as well. Just kill a few people based on hate and we will pass laws accommodating this hate.
