March 6, 2006
Free Lunch
So the Governor of South Dakota just signed a draconian anti-abortion law today. No exceptions for health of the mother. No exception for cases of rape or incest. Five years in prison for doctors performing an abortion. It's everything the most extreme anti-abortion activists want. And its completely unenforceable under Roe v Wade. Which is why they can get away with being so extreme. When you know that the law will be thrown out, why not give the anti- side everything it wants. It's not like there are any real-world consequences. No backlash. No need for the pro-choice forces to fight back politically, they just need to file a lawsuit to block the new law. Despite two new Bush appointees, there is still a pretty certain 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court in favor of Roe. So the anti-abortion folks get themselves a free lunch today.
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3 comments:
Actually, the law in question does allow exceptions if the mother's life is in danger.
I think you are a bit overconfident about a 5-4 vote saving Roe (or else I'm just a darn pessimist, but we pessimists have been pretty much right these last few years....). First, between now and the time this gets to SCOTUS, GWB may have the opportunity to appoint one or two more justices. I bet that will change your prediction of the future. And even without that, the new chief justice could very well change the dynamics enough to make it 5-4 the other way. No question, there's fire here, and someone is going to get burned.
BTW, how many Democrats voted for the SD law? I don't know, does anyone?
The vote was 47-22. I don't know if that was straight down party lines because I couldn't find those numbers, but 22 did not support the bill.
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