Politico proves Gingrich’s point for him on Obama and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.


Quite handily, in fact.

OK, if you followed the debate in Arizona last night then you got to see Newt Gingrich consume a moderator’s liver for what may be the last time. The topic? Double standards in the media, particularly when it comes to ‘extremist’ positions. The transcript is as follows:

GINGRICH: But I just want to point out, you did not once in the 2008 campaign, not once did anybody in the elite media ask why Barack Obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide. OK? So let’s be clear here.

(APPLAUSE)

GINGRICH: If we’re going to have a debate about who the extremist is on these issues, it is President Obama who, as a state senator, voted to protect doctors who killed babies who survived the abortion. It is not the Republicans.

Note the (APPLAUSE). That’s because the audience of Arizona Republicans and conservatives knew exactly what Newt Gingrich was talking about; he was talking about Obama’s voting record against the Illinois version of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA) – which, by the way, was and is appalling of the President. As those voters know quite well, as a state senator Barack Obama voted against an Illinois state bill that would have extended legal protections to children who survived a botched abortion. An almost-identical version of the same bill passed on the federal level in 2002, and not even “FactCheck.org” can quite take seriously Obama’s claim that he would have supported that bill because it was significantly different*.

While Newt is slightly overstating the issue by claiming that nobody in the media ever brought it up – it was discussed at least once in July of 2008 on, ironically, CNN – his central point remains true. This was an issue, one that conflicted with the preferred media narrative but fit the actual fact that Obama was largely a culture warrior as a State Senator. The story never approached the front pages, and was thus kept out of the cleaner narrative picture Obama wanted painted. There were some clear discrepancies in how the Obama campaign pushed back on this, discrepancies any decent reporter should have regarded as red meat to chew on, and the media… largely declined to push the issue. At all. Certainly not as much as they’ve harped on birth control in the last month or so. And how do we know that this is true?

Because if it wasn’t true – if this issue had been adequately examined – then the Politico’s Alexander Burns would have been sufficiently aware of the issue to have correctly identified what Gingrich was talking about. But because Burns, like most of the rest of Politico, lives and breathes the DC media bubble, he thought that Newt was referring to Obama’s position of partial birth abortion (note that the transcript that Burns referenced does not reference Obama’s controversial vote on the BAIPA at all, despite the fact that it was an issue in the 2004 Senate race). This is not probably actually a case of maliciously getting the story wrong; people are usually smarter about doing that sort of thing. No, this is just regular pig-ignorance and an inability to read/listen.

Oh, was that harsh? It’s meant to be. Again: Gingrich explicitly said that “If we’re going to have a debate about who the extremist is on these issues, it is President Obama who, as a state senator, voted to protect doctors who killed babies who survived the abortion.” There’s no excuse whatsoever for Alexander Burns not to comprehend exactly what Newt Gingrich was talking about: which leads one to wonder what else the reporter’s gotten comprehensively wrong, over the years…

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Note that “FactCheck.org” (scare quotes deliberate) did its level best to push back on the infanticide thing. Shocker.


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36 Comments Leave a comment

I wasn't sure John King had any liver left after the prior debate

jamesm (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 2:32PM EDT (link)

Whether standing or sitting down it was meal time for Newt.

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” A. Einstein

Will Obamacare be buying John King a new one?

acat (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 2:47PM EDT (link)

or is he on the Sisyphus plan?

Mew

——
self-portrait

Caveat Suffragator

I think you mean the Prometheus Plan

civil truth (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 3:19PM EDT (link)

http://www.prometheas.org/mythology.html

The Sisyphus plan would probably have been a step up for him. :)

The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis

I am corrected, civil truth. My thanks to you.

acat (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:08PM EDT (link)

And yes, the Sisyphus plan would have been a step up.. more like physical therapy.

Mew

——
self-portrait

Caveat Suffragator

 

He might come out ahead on the Procrustes Plan

CincoSolas_del_Bronx (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:14PM EDT (link)

But who would foot the bill?

Those dreading urbanization should remember that though the Kingdom of God first appeared in a temporal Garden, at the end of the book it is established in an eternal City. (paraphrase, James M. Boice)

soli Deo gloria

Now that's a stretch, Cinco

civil truth (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 8:37PM EDT (link)

But at least it would be the only government plan ever devised that was upfront about the necessary cuts.

And like any government run plan, it’s one-size-fits-all.

The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis

 
 
 

Death panels may not require liberal reporters to take painkillers and go home

Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:49PM EDT (link)

That will be for conservatives with the will to live…

Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

 
 
 

Did anyone ever directly ask Obama about his infanticide effort.

clowngirl (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 3:37PM EDT (link)

I remember the issue being covered some but don’t remember seeing Obama ever directly confronted about it. Certainly not in a debate.

Could be wrong – but the one article I read claimed Newt was lying because a couple commentators discussed it once.

Newt didn’t claim nobody discussed. He said the elite media didn’t ask Obama questions about it in 2008. That is different. And I haven’t seen that proven untrue.

Uh- never mind

clowngirl (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:12PM EDT (link)

Just looked at the transcript of that answer, and I remembered it wrong.

Newt didn’t specify asking Obama directly — that’s just what I understood it to mean.

 

Obama claimed that current Illinois law already required life-saving measures to be

Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:55PM EDT (link)

given to such infants. He lied.

Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

There was a babe on CNN tonight talking about Obama not supporting killing

Scope (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 6:23PM EDT (link)

babies that ere born alive as the result of botched abortions. It took her about 10 minutes to wind down this path and that with various laws, and every excuse in the book to protect Obama. She said that doctors were already required to save the lives of those botched abortions if it was possible. I guess if you have a pair of scissors poked into that part of the brain that doesn’t cause immediate death, saving them is questionable.

If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t it the mother of a botched abortion that told the story about the born alive baby being put in a closet to die?

Kermit Gosnell didn’t only kill babies, he killed the mother’s also in some cases.

yes, the "soiled room", I think it was called - n

Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 10:16PM EDT (link)

t

Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

obama's pay grade

sgleibow1 Friday, February 24th at 1:44PM EDT (link)

correction–thisi is above obam’s intelligence grade–what can you expect of this white house moronWhere is his hidden scholastic record? He earned his degree by affirmative acton, not by scholastic achievement.and it shows in his inept performance.

 
 

Scope...Was It The Mother or the Nurse

rightland1111 Friday, February 24th at 2:51PM EDT (link)

There was a program on Fox News about that. I remember that. I think that in one case the baby was left to die in another room and in another case…left in a soiled laundry hamper. This is just from memory, but I do remember his post abortion bill. In fact…wasn’t it him who championed it in Illinois. Any answers

 
 
 

Obama said the question of when "human rights begin" (not when human life begins) was above his pay grade.

SoFiMil (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 11:06PM EDT (link)

At absolute minimum, human rights begin when the baby is outside the womb. Who besides Obama has any doubt about this fact?

Obama in his own words supporting infanticide. Absolute evil!

Obama on the question: “At what point does a baby get human rights?”

www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com

Kowalski - links

SoFiMil (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 11:09PM EDT (link)

Obama on infanticide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUkbuhXzbvI&lr=1

Obama on not knowing when human rights begin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3F7ZkoIeNM

www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com

 
 
 

When you look at that vote....

tnguy Thursday, February 23rd at 4:11PM EDT (link)

,,,,or just look at the abortion issue for what it is instead of viewing it as a political issue, it’s shocking what is going on in this country, and has for decades.

Our country needs far more than political solutions to its woes.

“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.”

Exactly!

somethoughtsonfreedom Friday, February 24th at 8:06AM EDT (link)

I completely agree. Babies should be cherished as the miracle they are instead of being treated as inconveniences that can be killed on a whim. As conservatives, we must stand up for those without a voice and protect them from this senseless killing.

Making it socially acceptable to kill an unwanted child just further reinforces the growing lack of personal responsibility in our country.

check out http://somethoughtsonfreedom.blogspot.com/

 
 

He voted to protect doctors who killed babies

kowalski (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:12PM EDT (link)

He voted to protect doctors who killed babies who survived the abortion because as you well know, those terms: “babies” and “doctors” are very loosely-defined. Legally, we’re talking about the definition of “previable fetuses” here, and of course, that changes everything completely. Because we put a different name on it!

Previable fetuses

kowalski (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:15PM EDT (link)

“Previable Fetuses” you see, takes eight syllables to say. “Babies” takes just two. Obviously, the more syllables you have, the more important the precise definition is.

They don't accept fetuses as persons

kowalski (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:20PM EDT (link)

Period. Obama’s full quotes are here. It’s crystal clear what his legal reasoning is:

“… I just want to suggest… that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny.

Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – child, a nine-month-old – child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place.

I mean, it – it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an antiabortion statute. For that purpose, I think it would probably be found unconstitutional.”

He understands and understood the legal definition and the precedents very well from his perspective. There’s nothing there that suggests anything other than a complete mastery of the legal definition of infanticide.

You define the lump of cells

kowalski (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:24PM EDT (link)

You define the lump of cells as a “previable fetus” and then you work to make sure that when the “doctor” removes that lump of cells it can never be construed with the legal definition of killing a human being. Ever. And under no circumstances do you ever allow the definition of “previable” to be controlled by anyone who wants to stop abortions. If that lump of cells the doctor is performing a medical procedure on is ever defined as a human being, then what they are doing is illegal.

But as Obama said: “That probably won’t survive constutional scrutiny.” Neither will all the lumps of cells! Basically that’s how all of it is done. It’s just legal definitions enforced by lots of money and important professors.

At Catholic Universities. In Chicago.

kowalski (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:26PM EDT (link)
 
 
 
 

Re Burns, Stalin wasn't the only one who had a memory hole.

johnt Thursday, February 23rd at 4:30PM EDT (link)

Our home growns follow their old hero, mentor, and mass murderer quite well.

“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville

 

We're a long way from Kansas, Toto.

Marcus_Traianus (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:34PM EDT (link)

Since birth control is the latest hot topic, which candidate believes in birth control, and if not, why?

See how King did that?

Sure, Newt’s point was good red meat. But it was partially factual and missed the point. That is, the question from King is a non sequitur.

The question at hand is really not about birth control. It is a question of the government trampling on the free exercise clause of the Constitution.

IMHO, Newt missed the opportunity to make a larger, more relevant point (which, he frankly does extraordinarily well). That would be how the Obama Administration has as nauseum trampled individual rights and the Constitution. There are a bounty of examples Newt could have articulated with his encyclopedic mind to really make a much more relevant point. Instead he went for the feel-good demagoguery.

“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson

 

Glad I'm not the only one

mong001 Thursday, February 23rd at 4:39PM EDT (link)

who noticed that Burns had no clue what Gingrich was actually talking about. I think there’s less of a media conspiracy than continual groupthink that prevents reporters from analyzing issues from outside the box.

 

The Real Tragedy About 2008, MAObama, and Infanticide

Ausonius (Diary) Thursday, February 23rd at 4:48PM EDT (link)

McCain did very little about attacking or even publicizing MAObama’s radical pro-infanticide beliefs.

BIG BRObama had little fear about being proud of his position:

From October 6, 2008

“By Chad MacINNES

Senator Obama came out swinging at John McCain a couple of weeks ago on his abortion positions, taking swipes at his “extreme” position against abortion,… Just to be clear, Obama is the Prophet of Hope and Change only if you are not a child in the womb or newborn, for in these cases he is the prophet of doom. The AP printed an article entitled, “Obama calls out McCain on abortion.” …

In fact, Obama is so confident that he is in the right, he rails that McCain holds an “extreme position on choice” and “will make abortion illegal.”

It is difficult to wrap one’s mind around the fact that Obama does not see his position on abortion as extreme. As has been reported since he announced his candidacy, Obama favors unrestricted abortion to include lifting all bans on partial-birth abortion. Obama also fought hard to kill a bill in the Illinois State Senate that would have protected a newborn baby that survived a late-term induced-labor abortion. In fact, he is on the record on the floor of the State Senate as not merely speaking out against the bill, but in doing so making a convoluted argument as to why a baby born alive should not be afforded “human personhood” because it would “unduly encroach upon Roe.” Translated, that means, “I can’t afford to let these children live because I must retain my 100% rating from NARAL in order to received money from Planned Parenthood.”

See:

http://www.americanconservativedaily.com/2008/10/obama%E2%80%99s-pro-infanticide-position-isn%E2%80%99t-extreme/

Ausonius: 310-395 A.D. Teacher, Poet, Consul, General, Farmer.

Personal Tutor to the future St. Paulinus of Nola and to young Gratian, heir to the throne during the turbulent final years of the Western Roman Empire. When his former student Gratian was assassinated, Ausonius threw up his hands and retired to his farm in Gaul. Rome was captured by barbarians 14 years after his death.

Cato@rock.com

AND…Know Your Czars…Before They Hit BIG BRObama’s Unemployment Line in November: http://www.czarcards.us/

The real tragedy of 2008 is that McPain in the Butt

davesinsanantonio (Diary) Friday, February 24th at 5:33AM EDT (link)

did very little about attacking Obummer on anything. He just thought his “my turn” status would shoo him into the White House in a landslide. He just knew he was entitled to it, and therefore didn’t need to work for it.

But, I guess Obummer was “more entitled”.

Let us hope that this go round Obummer is entitled to “former” status.

 
 

Gingrich point

rstarce Friday, February 24th at 9:22AM EDT (link)

Why is it I knew back when Catholics, Jews and Christians were tripping over themselves to get to the polls to vote for Obama. Seems most wanted to believe what the MSM told them instead of taking the time to do just a little research before Obama had his minions spend millions hiding his background and scrubbing everything they could off the Internet. Well, after 3.5 years, one would think you might have a clearer picture. There should be no questions this man should be voted out of office even if Bugs Bunny turned out to be our candidate. One thing, hopefully some will vet their choice this time of the man with the “R” beside his name because we have one who is very much like Obama. He’s programmed, doesn’t use the prompter to speak but has robot like memorized all his convenient talking points. If you don’t know who that is and you vote for him, we might have Obama for another 4 years to finish off what he’s started.

Rose Marie Starce

 

RINO and DINO? Both must be changed!

paco12348 Friday, February 24th at 11:31AM EDT (link)

Newt is the only one that will shake the tree BOTH Parties live in and rule from. He sees the larger picture from the SC to the President and Congress plus Federal Judges. He sees the corruptness and the disdain for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. He see the assault on Religion and the Socialist Indoctrination in our school system. Why do you think the GOP leaders came out against him? It’s not his warts. They FEAR Newt. They know he will change their strangle hold on American Politics.
BTW, what nitwit allowed the lame stream media to manage the Republican Debates? That was idiotic. It’s no wonder we hear nothing of substance.
Romney is a good man and good for the economy. BUT, he does not see the larger picture and under his leadership it will be the same status quo in Government. WE, the PEOPLE, want our Government back and Newt will clean up and give it back.

 

Liberal-think.

cbartlett Friday, February 24th at 11:43AM EDT (link)

An acquaintance (obviously a liberal Democrat) posted a link to this article on Facebook last night. I don’t usually read much of anything this person posts but for some reason I looked at this. Title is “The 7 Biggest Lies Uttered At The CNN Arizona Republican Debate”. This one that Gingrich brought up about Obama supporting infanticide is #4 on the list. The rest of the seven are pretty stupid too and the comments following the article are incredible – hard to believe people are still believing this stuff about Obama.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/republican-debate-fact-check

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln

 

This Man Just Lies...I don't know how to say it more plainly

rightland1111 Friday, February 24th at 3:14PM EDT (link)

Obama, Senate floor, 2002: [A]dding a – an additional doctor who then has to be called in an emergency situation to come in and make these assessments is really designed simply to burden the original decision of the woman and the physician to induce labor and perform an abortion. … I think it’s important to understand that this issue ultimately is about abortion and not live births.

Obama, Senate floor, 2001: Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old – child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it – it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an antiabortion statute.

My baby boy was born six weeks early. He is a health man now. He did not need any special treatment..and Obama is saying that he is not a person. Better tell Obama to look at all the babies that have grown up to be healthy living human beings a/k/a persons.

 

I Want You All To See Just How Bad This Man Is

rightland1111 Friday, February 24th at 5:20PM EDT (link)

Please cut and paste into your browser.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=1526

 

I just went to the Factcheck.org site and it was all I could do to keep from falling out of the Left sideof my chair.

ihateliberals Friday, February 24th at 5:45PM EDT (link)

It is rare to see so many facts spun to benefit the left all in one place. Factcheck.org will make you walk leaning to the left. Just one more point it charges Newt of being wrong about the media coverage of the Obama infanticide vote. There was one point brought up on CNN tht quietly got buried in the newspapers and TV stories. The Elite media did conspire to cover it up. So with that they can say it was covered but no one cared. To me the fact that anyone could consider allowing a newborn to be murdered is so reprehensible to me and makes me sick to the stomach. My first reaction is that abortions shouldn’t even be allowed in the time period that a baby would be viable if born naturally. Abortions shouldn’t be allowed after the first 10 weeks. If most women culd see what they are doing I would hope that they wouldn’t be so heartless as to murder their baby. I agree with the laws that require the woman to view a non-invasive sonogram before the abortion takes place. No other nation kills babies on the scale that the USA does. Why is that?

 

A killer in the White House

kopen Saturday, February 25th at 7:02PM EDT (link)

Obama .. He wants you to kill your babies and if that doesn’t work his other pptions are Contraceptives to control the birth rate .. this self important biggot that is “killing ” our Country isn’t satisfied with just that .. he wants to kill all of unborn babies and if that doesn’t work he wants to have “WeThe People” give contraceptives away to insure that no babies are born at all .Whats next aone babie limit like China or worse yet forced sterilzation, Hia czars would do that in an instant… We really have to end the reign of this wannabe dictator .. after November it may be too late .. Get out and VOTE Folks it’s our last chance to save this Nation..

 

This is just ghastly

aesthete (Diary) Saturday, February 25th at 7:10PM EDT (link)

It is unbelievable to me that child murder is the educated, cosmopolitan, freedom-enhancing, and enlightened view in the States.

“It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money.”
-P.J. O’Rourke