What the Huck?

Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. For most Americans, the protracted battle appears never-ending, and for that matter, never-changing. The abortion debate has become political white noise, something you hear and tune out simultaneously. But while we've been half listening, the conflict has changed; it has broadened. Roe v. Wade is no longer just about abortion rights. Those set on overturning Roe have their eyes on a larger prize: banning contraception. And they've got the support of at least one leading presidential contender.

Today, Governor Mike Huckabee is scheduled to travel to Georgia to commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. There he plans to join Georgia Right to Life to lend his support, as well as the focus of the national media, to HR 536. This legislation, also called the Human Life Amendment, is a state constitutional amendment that reclassifies the most effective and popular forms of contraception as abortion. The goal of the amendment is to create a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade while also defining life as beginning at fertilization. The anti-abortion movement believes that hormonal contraception (the pill, the patch, the depo shot, the nuva ring, the IUD) can destroy a fertilized egg. By setting in law the assertion -- the unproveable assertion -- that life begins at the moment of fertilization, the most common forms of contraception become abortion.

James Bopp, a leading anti-abortion attorney, in a memo to pro-life activists, explained what the practical applications of HR 536 would be. Establishing in law that life begins at the moment of fertilization could lead to, he writes, "enforcement of homicide laws against pregnant women, restricting the activities of pregnant women, outlawing contraception and so on." He continues, "The big picture is that the Human Life Amendment creates uncertainty in the law leaving it up to future legislatures to establish implementing laws and up to enforcement officials and courts to sort out what the law might mean in various applications." In other words, let's leave your right to use contraception up to your local assemblymember, district attorney and sheriff.

Huckabee appears comfortable with the implications of defining the most commonly used forms of contraception as abortion. In an April 2007 interview with the Des Moines Register editorial board, Huckabee explained his position this way, "There are some forms of birth control that really are the destruction of a fertilized egg." One of the editors offered a follow-up question, "Should the government ban that sort of birth control?" Huckabee replied, "Yeah, I personally think there are better ways to deal with contraception than destroying a human life. So, again I'm going to say that I'm always going to make my position on the side of protecting human life."

That's why, for many pro-life leaders, Huckabee's support of their anti-contraception campaigns makes him the real deal. Randy Alcorn, author of Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions? (Alcorn's answer: yes) earned a spot on Huckabee's Faith and Family Values Coalition beside others who are deeply opposed to contraception.

Huckabee is not the only candidate wooing the anti-contraception base. Mitt Romney, as Governor of Massachussetts, vetoed a contraception bill claiming the emergency contraception was an "abortive" drug. The McCain campaign boasts he has always opposed funding of family planning programs. Neither of these two frontrunners have embraced the anti-contraception rhethoric and strategy as fully as Huckabee, however. When Huckabee describes himself as "consistently pro-life" this is what he means. If only the majority of pro-life voters who overwhelmingly support contraception understood that.

For breaking news on threats to birth control access and information visit birthcontrolwatch.org

Follow Cristina Page on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cristinapage

Comments

[tom ellison]

"By setting in law the assertion -- the unproveable assertion -- that life begins at the moment of fertilization, the most common forms of contraception become abortion."

That's not "unprovable". That's basic biology. A distinct human being comes into existence at conception. The personhood concept is "unprovable".

[willymack]

If this was a sane world, huckaboob would be laughed out of town, and those who concur with them would be regarded as the pathetic bufoons that they are. I don't hold with abortion as a sole means of ending an unwanted pregnancy, or waiting until it's obvious that one is pregnant to do something about it, what with all the afordable and safe contraceptive devices and methods readily available, but as a man, I realize this is a WOMAN'S issue and really none of my business.

[Eisenkreis]

Here's a different take on what's being stated by Huckabee, here.

Speaking as a woman with Endometriosis -- http://www.endometriosis.org for those of you not in the know -- I rely on birth control in order to regulate chronic pain that would be ten times worse without it.

Hormone therapy isn't just for contraception for some of us-- it's pain regulation, or at the very least a means by which we can lessen the BLEEDING LESIONS on our internal organs, which produce their own hormones. Ironically, the disease is known to cause infertility if it's left untreated.

Just add that to the stockpile of how scientifically inept and hateful his conclusions -- as well as the conclusions of the rest of the Religious Reich -- are when it comes to birth control.

If I didn't hate the man enough already...

[Tortillas]

"I've been saving Spermatazo­an-America­ns from the Tubesock Holocaust for years," [Director GenJCChristian] Homewood continued, "by liberating them and providing them homes in mason jars I kept in my cellar until I ran out of room. This facility gives me the space I need to continue to give them their freedom.

Homewood got the idea to name the Center after presidential candidate Mike Huckabee when he heard Huckabee state his support for the Georgia Personhood Amendment and the Human Life Amendment to the United States Constitution. "I thought if Gov. Huckabee supports granting civil rights to embryo-Americans and to the little 70 cell blastocyst­-Americans­, then surely he supports the rights of our tiniest citizens, the spermatazo­an-America­ns," Homewood recalled.

http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2008/01/mike-huckabee-center-for-liberation-and.html

[Tortillas]

Will the issues of the past make new headway in this year's election? You remember, people blaming gays for losing the election to Bush, by demanding rights. Abortion, the single conservative buzz-word that makes these zealots quiver. Contraception? Oh my god!!! You may be having sex! The same conservatives that won't teach contraception won't support single mother's through social programs. Huh? What the deuces is that all about? Now the Huckster threatens more of the same? That guy must live in the different planet than I do.

Alternative candidates running in Arizona.

http://www.projectwhitehouse08.com

[TheGreatOogabooga]

After getting a heart-stopping close-up gander at Preacher Huck's morbidly-obese, dog-lynching, carry-on-l­uggage-han­dgun-smugg­ling, hills-have-eyes mutant offspring, I would think The Huckster would be first in line to support everything from morning after pills to late term abortions.

[WireDolly]

Do y'all wonder if Huck eats meat?

If he eats meat, then he's killing one of god's own sentient beings for his own selfish nutritional purposes.

How can anyone be pro life if they eat meat?

[wrabbitt]

To bad they don't make a morning after pill that we can take the day after the election to stop a small error in judgement! sort of a second chance, every candidate has said they are for change, but, they all carry out the lobbyist wishes! First of all we already know that big drug/insurance are the problem, and keeping them in the loop of national health care will only make things worse! And Hillary if i can't afford $10,800 a year for health insurance now what makes you think i will be able to afford it because you say i have to get it???? Get a clue,please!

[cindysundancer]

The earth is groaning under the strain of sustaining 6 billion people and we're debating birth control?! Where's our God given reason? Maybe we deserve mass extinction.

[OhgReaTone]

If passion for one's faith is the qualifier for president then we should elect Tom Cruise. Huckabee has become a really scary guy - I liked him at first but he has returned to the crazy roots of his distorted faith.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/01/16/the-scary-theocracy-of-huckabee/

[susanlno]

Those who are against reproductive choice are against women's rights. Period. It's the only way to explain the apparently contradictory logic of being against both abortion and birth control: the idea that women should not have control over their own bodies or their own lives.

The passage quoted from anti-abortion lawyer James Bopp gives the clue in its talk about "restricting the activities of pregnant women." (Barefoot and chained to the stove, maybe?)

It's a good thing we have these compassionate conservatives around to tell us helpless, ignorant women what to do, or we couldn't become the baby-making machines we were destined to be.

[Democrab]

Maybe when hyuk, hyuk Huckabee stops shoving murderers back into society and flagpoles up unbigoted asses, we'll give him a lollypop.

The job of Christians is to pray for the end of abortion, not shove it down people's throats via government rule.

When are they going to learn that God is in control, not Huck.

They should look to Him for a solution to their frustrations.

[almanojodo]

Huckabee needs to do his preaching in his church and not in muddled in the presidential campaign.

[Numbskull]

I chimed in on this issue yesterday, and like Ms. Page said, this issue seems like political white noise that will never really amount to anything. Even if Huckabee was president and wanted to repeal it, I don't believe with a conservative supreme court he has the backing to do so. But one point that I know every woman will chime in on calling me a pig. If the gentleman Ms. Paige sited stated that there would be homicide charges brought against pregnant mothers, what happened 200 hundred years ago when termination and contraception weren't available? Humans seem to have done OK. I admit lets not go back to the dark ages with medicine, but too often people want to speak only of the impact it will have on a woman, and never truly look at whom it impacts the most the child. I don't care what anyone says I have a son and I would only have that son if he was concieved on December of 05. I would have a different child if we concieved on January 06. I know this is a womans rights issue, and the after affects of a repeal would be terrble, but I can't deny that my heart hurts at the idea that children aren't considered worth anything until they are born from the womb. They are expendable and at the mercy of sometimes immature selfish girls. This view isn't popular, but it's mine.

[Pandu]

I've only voted for a Republican one time before, and that was in an uncontested local election.

Maybe this will be a first, for real this time. Thanks for the info.