Clarification
I want to be very clear about this: the Santorum story about baby Gabriel is how you spin an abortion story. They are using the reaction to the part about taking the aborted fetus home to distract from the point that it was an abortion to save Karen Santorum’s life, which is an option that theocrat Rick Santorum would deny to every woman other than Karen.
That does not make the tragedy of losing a baby any less, well, tragic.
Here’s the basic details:
- Rick and Karen Santorum were informed that her pregnancy with Gabriel was endangered. The fetus had a birth defect that indicated he would live only a couple of hours outside of the womb. They decided for their religious reasons to proceed with the pregnancy.
- Around 20 weeks (about the halfway point) Karen developed a life-threatening condition, an intrauterine infection and a fever that reached nearly 105 degrees.
- The Santorum’s agreed to induce labor at about 20 weeks, and Karen took Pitocin, which effectively saved her life and terminated the doomed pregnancy. It must have been a very difficult decision for them.
Fatal birth defects happen a lot, it is not a happy event, it is a tragedy.
That said, this is exactly the decision that Rick Santorum wants to take away from everyone else. His no exceptions to save the life of the mother means that his wife Karen would have died under his theocratic vision of America.
As for taking the aborted baby home to meet the other kids, I have no idea what they were thinking, but perhaps in their torment it made sense. I don’t think many of us would do that.
I do NOT make fun of the decision to save Karen Santorum’s life. I think it was the responsible thing for them to do, the only choice that they could make. I do however take umbrage that this story is being spun to distract from the fact that Rick and Karen Santorum aborted a baby to save her life, but would deny that option for everyone else.
If the media were doing its job, they would point out the Santorum’s hypocrisy rather than call liberal commentators (what few that there are) insensitive monsters for saying that bringing home the dead fetus was weird. It’s the worst sort of spin.
Rick Santorum is a monster.
(ABC News is whitewashing this whole thing; here is the NYTimes story where Gabriel first makes his appearance on the national stage.)
Mr Google Problem also wants to limit medical malpractice claims to the extent that some drunken anesthesiologist that leaves your loved one in a vegetative state for the rest of their lives is only on the hook for 70% of what Karen was awarded for having her back injured by an incompetent doctor.
“Rules for thee, not for me!”
But it keeps the horse race alive to blame it all on rude, impertinent dirty fucking hippies, and the only thing, the ONLY thing that matters to the media is the horse race.
The Horse Race must be preserved at all costs.
Thus when a Republican beats seven puppies to death with a hammer in full view of a kindergarden class, the Media will point to a Democrat who got a jaywalking ticket and solemnly intone “Both Sides Do It” .
TheFaux News crew will amp themselves into a slavering frenzy proclaiming that the worst possible crime is Jaywalking, and there are, afterall, thousands of puppies that are put down every years, that this Republican person was just taking the heroic, self-reliant step of dealing with his refusal to spay his dog and his inability (or unwillingness) to keep her in his yard, the old fashioned Republican way: by himself with as much violence as possible.
Oh, sorry, I’m a rude, impertinent dirty fucking hippie…pay no attention to me.
Whack-yipe Whack-yipe Whack-yipe….
well put TG — this whole situation is not funny and it is tragic — but the most tragic part is the fact that Santorum would deny that same right to others. He would also “be OK” with states (the state being anything defined as he likes) – taking the right away to BIRTH CONTROL. he also said that homosexuals are ok – it is the act that is not OK – which in effect is saying the world needs more predatory priests – since denying an innate and basic HUMAN BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION doesnt sit well with Rick ALmighty
while Mitt, Newt , the other Rick and Michele are all digusting pieces of human flotsam – there is a special place in hell for a man like Santorum – he is free to believe that birth control is bad and that if a woman’s pregnancy endangers her life – too bad. he is NOT free to impose that on others.
worse than the horse race – is the fact the media is building on his “narrative” working class kid makes good, grandfather had big hands and worked the mines, he cares about the poor yadda yadda yadda
the frothy is a very bad person and an even worse politician. he should be NOWHERE need any seat of power – his extreme views will inevitablhy tgurn off most of the country – they finally woke up in Pennsylvania.
oh – mr hates govt has profited very nicely from his washington life – his net worth has gone from $2 million to $4 million since leaving the senate
Rick Santorum is a fucking asshole – and insane
This was the best sumnation of this story, and I couldn’t agree more with you, Tengrain. I appreciate you for your snark, but also for the clarity and brevity used to get your points across. Maybe C&L and others will pick this one up. That man doesn’t deserve to be POTUS.
Again, great writing.
An awful thing to have gone through. They did the only thing they could. But now I hate him even more because of his hypocrisy to deny women birth control, somebody google him, right now.
Ten, your compassion and empathy are both a Godly thing to which I aspire, and the reason we Progressives are doomed. Your conscious choice to see what the Santorums were faced with and appreciate their painful ordeal/decision in shades of moral gray afford them the human dignity which they deserve, but which they would deny others in the same sad circumstance. And the legions of Brown-shirts assembled beneath the Tea Party banner will afford us no such consideration when push comes to shove; their black-and-white world view will have them covering the backs of the Radical Reicht militias as they make their move to implement their Theo-Fascist dream for how America ought to look.
I’m totally on your page regarding what the issue is here, and will go down with your ship if need be, rather than ignoring what was right about the Santorums’ heartbreaking decision in favor of crucifying them for their hypocrisy.
That said, this steaming pile wants to be my President and deny others (such as my children) the painful choice which saves Karen’s life, and He the Politician deserves to be crucified for his hypocrisy.
Rick Santorum is a monster.
Yes he sure is TG, he is also a hubris infected stupid man which makes him extremely dangerous.
I know this pales in comparison, but “We live paycheck to paycheck” that is 162,000/yr and his parents have to help out periodically as they can. Good Grief.. make it stop.
Thanks, TCR -
Santorum frosts my cookies (ewww, gross). I was raised to never say that I hated someone (my parents would literally punish us if we did), so instead I might say that I love him the least.
Rgds,
TG
I always think it’s interesting the Repubs think the rules they impose on other people never apply to themselves…one more example of IOKIYAR, I guess…