In August, Missouri Republican Todd Akin became a national laughingstock when he said women impregnated through "a legitimate rape" have the magical ability to "shut that whole thing down." Last night, his Republican colleague, Illinois' Joe Walsh, was nearly as ridiculous.
Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, running against Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, told reporters Thursday night that there should be no abortion exception for the "life of the mother" because "with modern technology and science, you can't find one instance" in which a woman would actually die, according to a radio station. Walsh, of course, is flat wrong.
"There is no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing," Walsh continued. The comments were first reported by the Illinois radio station WGN.
So, in Walsh's mind, thanks to "advances in science and technology," life-threatening pregnancies simply don't exist. Ever. And because they don't exist, there's nothing wrong with having a policy in which the government tells women they cannot, under any circumstances, terminate a dangerous or unwanted pregnancy.
In case there are any doubts about reality, Aviva Shen explained, "[P]regnancy-related deaths have increased in the US, climbing to a rate of 15.1 deaths for every 100,00 live births. Walsh's own colleague, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), spoke on the House floor in 2011 about getting an abortion because her life was in jeopardy."
And yet, as far as Walsh is concerned, these women simply don't exist thanks to "advances in science and technology," which only he is aware of.
