(CNN) - Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is not backing down from her criticisms over the National Organization for Women's demand that CBS cease from airing a pro-life commercial during the Superbowl.
"For a pro-life, pro-woman, pro-family ad to be seen as offensive and not empowering women is puzzling," Palin told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Thursday. "It makes you wonder what is NOW afraid of?"
The ad in question is paid for by the conservative political action group Focus on the Family and features Heisman-winning college quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, discussing her decision not to have an abortion even though doctors recommended it at the time. Deciding against an abortion, she gave birth to Tim, who grew up to be an all-star quarterback at the University of Florida and perhaps one of the best college quarterbacks of all time.
Several abortion rights groups have taken issue with the ad, saying the Superbowl is not the correct forum for politically-charged messages. But Palin, who originally took issue with NOW's request on her Facebook page earlier this week, said the group is picking the wrong battle.
"It certainly isn't an offensive message," the former Alaska governor said on Fox. "For NOW to have chosen this, [they are] picking a wrong battle I think, to come across sounding quite offended by hearing that a pro-life commercial will air on the Superbowl, it's baffling."
Meanwhile NOW President Terry O'Neill said Palin is "missing our point."
"The goal of the Focus on the Family ad is not to empower women. It's to create a climate in which Roe v. Wade can be overturned," O'Neill said in a statement obtained by CNN. "There are always going to be women who need abortions. In this country, one in three women will have an abortion."
While CBS used to adhere to a policy of not airing advocacy commercials during sporting events, a spokesman for the network told the Associated Press they have changed their stance to reflect "industry norms."
From CNN Politics
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This is a non-issue. It is a simple matter of free speech. If FotF has the funds to pay for a superbowl ad they should be allowed to run the commercial. If there are negative consequences to them for voicing their opinion, they will have to deal with that....ask that Dixie Chick singer about that. It's funny how some organizations believe in free speech as long as it agrees with their views?
I am strongly pro-choice, and I disagree with just about everything that comes out of Sarah Palin's open mouth.
However I believe this group has the right to create the ad in question, and CBS has the right to decide what to air (or not to) on their network. Just so long as anyone with an opposing point of view is also granted the same.
If you don't like it, boycott it. Protest it. Start a Facebook group against it. Make your own ad rebuting it. We can and will disagree, but to silence someone or bash someone for not agreeing on something is just wrong.
That's the kind of dirty trick that Republicans and Teabaggers use constantly. We must not stoop to that level.
Interestingly, if the situation was reversed... if it was a pro-choice group wanting to air an ad... I wonder how accepting Ms. Palin and the Right would be of it?
What is NOW afraid of.
PRO-CHOICE people can be as crazy as their counter-parts. Why don't they run an ad justifying abortion??? It's a free country.
Seems like NOW is just trying to pick a fight and are now directly responsible for putting the ad they claim is offensive and their organization in the spotlight. Also NOW is making a huge assumption about the Roe vs Wade issue. This time I find NOW coming across as troublemakers, making mountains out of nothing.
Is it a "pro-life" message or is it a believe as I believe message?
Is she afraid of others with differing points of view?
Would a pro-abortion message be allowed?
Doesn't "the right to choose" include choosing life as an option?
It is sad.
We're trying to get America on track with it's values and then you have this.
Why do so many continue to treat Palin's comments as newsworthy?
She has proven time after time that she has no real grasp of national issues.
None of us (including NOW) have even seen the ad. If the message of the ad is simply an appeal to women to not have an abortion, using the Tebow family as an inspirational example, i don't see anything wrong with that. If the ad were to call for abortion to be outlawed (which i have a feeling it will not) then i could understand people objecting to it.
Palin "missing a point" what a novel thought. I am assuming there are a lot of women that have a differant view abbout this. She apparently is not taking that into account if she wants to run again.
I'm a pro-life liberal, and if the ad is what it is described as in the story, I really see no problem with it.
What are advocacy commercials exactly? Aren't all commercials 'advocating' something? Be it a certain food product, clothing line, thirst quencher, or tv show you just can't miss, etc. If Focus on the Family and the Tebow's had the money to purchase and produce a commercial spot to run during the Super Bowl then they have the right to do so. Just as much right as the National Organization for Women has the right to buy an 'advocacy commercial'...but what exactly would NOW be advocating? Sour grapes it sounds like.
Palin takes shots at everything - nothing new
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Is this for real? What industry norm? You do it or you don't do it. Don't justify it by saying others are airing these types of commercials as well.
So I guess Palin and her ilk won't have any problems if the gay dating site also runs their ads during the super bowl, right?
How would Palin feel if a Pro-Choice commercial was aired during the Super Bowl instead?
The ad is just plain misleading.
It takes a one-in-a-million example of Tim Tebow to demonstrate that abortion is somehow universally bad. That's lame.
Couldn't someone make an ad with about 100,000 people who are drug addicts, murderers, and rapists and say the same thing to make the opposite point?
Freedom of Speech !!! You can't "cherry pick" and choose according to a fixed agenda. If Rowe v. Wade is a just, popular law, it will stand on its own merits. If the Focus on the Family ad brings it down, well so be it, and personally I hope is does.
So now we have CBS, Rush, Glenn and Sarah leading us to a better future. If these are what we are going to call our drivers of our American bus, I think I'll just get out and walk. The stink in the bus could get toxic!
Such an ad is NOT appropriate for the Super Bowl - no ifs, ands, or buts about it! And, not to worry, EVERYthing upsets Silly Sarah in one way or another - go figure.....??
I think regardless if you are religious, practice Christianity or not it would really be nice if more of these Focus of the Family folks, including Sarah Palin herself would really practice what the religion teaches which includes NOT passing judgment and being more tolerant of other's differences. If they would do that, especially the so-called religious right Republicans I think there would be a far better view of them and they could get their point across even better. I recall a certain verse that says "let your light so shine before men so that they may SEE your good works". Really can't say I see that with a lot of them.
I have no problem with the pro life message of the Tebow ad. I do have a problem with the fact that it implies that women should not heed a doctors advice while pregnant. In a situation like Tebow's mom describes, it s always good to havea second opinion, but to suggest that if a pregnancy puts a woman's life in danger she should just 'pray it out' is ridiculous
Only Sarah Palin would say that taking a woman's rights to choose is empowering her with a straight face. She plays as is pays.