Actresses call out Romney on abortion in new ad
(CNN) – Hollywood actresses Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington are featured condemning Republicans for their stance on abortion in a new political ad from the liberal group MoveOn.org.
The spot, released Monday and directed by noted filmmaker Rob Reiner, will air nationally and in the battleground states of Colorado and Virginia, the group said, adding it would air during shows primarily viewed by women.
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"I want to talk to you about women," Johansson says at the beginning of the spot, followed by Washington saying, "And about Mitt Romney."
"Mitt Romney is for ending funding to Planned Parenthood," Longoria says, with Johansson chiming in, "Including cancer screenings."
The ad continues:
Washington: "He said he'd overturn Roe v. Wade."
Johansson: "We have Republicans trying to redefine rape."
Longoria: "Trying to force women to undergo invasive ultrasounds."
Johansson: "If you think that this election won't affect you and your life, think again."
Washington: "Vote."
Longoria: "Vote."
Johansson: "Vote for Barack Obama."
In a statement, Reiner said Romney, and his running mate Paul Ryan, would "eviscerate women's rights" if they're elected in November.
"We'd be talking about getting rid of abortion, birth control, access to health care screenings. As a husband, son and father, I can't stand by and let this happen," Reiner continued.
"Misleading political attacks will not change President Obama's failed record," Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg wrote in response to the MoveOn.org ad. "His policies have made it harder for women across the country to start businesses, get good jobs, or see their children able to go to college and get started with their lives. Mitt Romney will lead us to a real recovery so that women – and all Americans – can succeed and live the American Dream."
Last week, Democrats pounced on Romney after he said in an interview with the Des Moines Register that he was not aware of any abortion legislation he would promote as part of his agenda as president.
Democrats claimed that was a reversal for the candidate, who maintained during the GOP primary season that he would support efforts to remove funding for Planned Parenthood, a women's health group that provides abortion services. Several House Republicans have introduced legislation that would strip funding from the group.
Romney reiterated that pledge later in the week, and on Sunday a top adviser to Romney's campaign said the GOP nominee was a "pro-life candidate" and would serve as a "pro-life president."
Ed Gillespie, speaking to CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley on "State of the Union," said that was a long-standing position for the Republican candidate.
"What the governor has consistently said is that he thinks Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and this is something that should be left to elected representatives, to the people through their elected representatives," Gillespie said, referring to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming a woman's right to have an abortion.
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So feel free to kill unborn humans eh? very good.
Hollywood pushin' for abortion.
I'm all for choice too! Hey, how 'bout we give those little unborn babies the right to choose.
Well, I believe they are wrong because God's word, the Holy Bible says that thou shalt not kill which is one of the ten commandments of the Lord God or the Lord Jesus Christ. And living sinful lives is what leads to such things in the first place normally such as fornication and adultery as well as drunkenness and drug abuse. Which is not the unborn childs fault at all. And I wish that Mr. Romney would go a little farthur on his posistion which is exceptions for the life of the mother and rape and incest but the child really is not at fault at all. But I understand peoples views are different. But some things are always right or wrong altogether. And the answer is to repent of our sins against God and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as ones personal Saviour and Lord God. He loved us all enough to die for our sins on the cross and rise from the dead the third day and went back up to heaven. He alone can save us from hell for our sins and take us to his heaven by asking him in prayer to forgive our sins and save our souls. Sincerely ;
People – there is always birth control. Go pay for it yourself if you want to use it. Plus @jag – I am married, and we use condoms. Who cares? The logic you are all using doesn't make any sense. Forget about religion and ethics. If you don't want kids, don't do it during the times when you are ovulating. I've told my husband "no" plenty of times – because I have a CHOICE in whether I have s e x, whether I am married or not. There is such a thing as "natural family planning" too – it is free and for the most part, you can do it as much as you want during the month with the exception of a few days. I know, I know – you may have to (gasp!!) abstain for a few days during the month.
"So feel free to kill unborn humans eh? very good."
As soon as the GOP/Teatrolls stop insisting that we ahve the right to unilaterally kill hundreds of thousands of born humans, THEN and only then, will they have even the beginnings of a hint at a leg to stand on in this argument. Until then, why don't we ask 100K+ dead Iraqi innocents what they think of the GOP's use of the abortion/contraception issues in an attempt to rile their base and divvy up the electorate.
@Malory Archer
Lauren
...people sometimes get pregnant in spite of control – that is something they need to recognize and accept as a consequence of being s e x ually active even with birth control. If you can't accept the consequences of your actions, then don't take the actions. Period.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What if a woman's husband has a different idea? Is she supposed to just lie back and let it happen and risk getting pregnant against her will, or tell her husband "no"?
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But you said it is the woman's right to choose, the man has no say. You continue to destroy your credibility.
Let's take abortion off the table for a minute as public money cannot be used to perform abortions.
Romney's plan to remove funding will only take away cancer screenings and other health services from women, not prevent abortions. That's just cold-blooded politics on their part to make an example of Planned Parenthood to satisfy their base. Shame on them!
willard/LDS = Lie...Deceive...Smear
HM8432-
If abortion and birth control WERE NOT such a significant part of the political landscape now, please explain why the Republicans have spent such an inordinate amount of time and energy creating record numbers of bills and laws on theis topic- especially when, I don't know, jobs-related bills might seem more urgent?
Look, sweethearts, the fact that you each have 2-4 notches in your abortion punch cards is you business; don't try to convey to others they should do the same.
Wait. What? Hollywood for the Dem president? And distorting the Republ's position?
Thanks for nothing, CNN.
Seriously Democrats- you have better things to run on than state-subsidies to companies that kill the unborn.
Women should think before they put something in their body.
Rethugs are liars
Kerry Washington sneer, "He wants to overturn Roe v. Wade." Eva, "Invasive ultrasounds." Save the drama for the screen ladies... America is slowly, because of increasingly greater knowledge of science and other reasons, moving the needle to pro-life. We know it's a life; let's start recognizing this situation for what it really it. A fetus is a person.
For the life of me I cannot understand how all these women who are supporting the Republicans think this would be a good choice for them. Sheesh........the GOP want to take away women's rights............Are these women so stupid that they want to go back to backdoor abortions, no birth control, no cancer screening or support. ..invasive scans.
Actually I do think they are really stupid.
@Sean, if people need to ignore this issue when voting and leave personal opinions aside then why don't people stop voitng according to race? That is the most ignorant thing I have seen happen in the 2008 election and it will happen again here. People need to wake up, educate themselves on the issues facing our country and vote according to principle not according to the color of a person's skin! Ignorance is bliss and that is why so many people who couldn't vote 4 years ago will come out and vote this year because "we can vote for the black man's president." It's ignorant people like this that know nothing except the sun rises and sets each day because they fail to learn the state of our nation.
Abortion is a court issue and most woment don't base their choice for President on reproductive issues.. If anything, they might have issues with late term abortions ... At least thats the case for myself and women I have discussed this with. I dont particularly care what the movie stars think.
Are people really so lame that they will listen to a group of people who shed their personalities, beliefs, and clothing, at the drop of a hat, for "entertainment"? Look Scarlett Johhanson is good looking, but that's it. Once those looks go, there is nothing there. Same thing with her support for abortion on demand, late term abortion, and the rest of that retreaded 1960's claptrap that is pased of as "political policy" by Hollywood's nitwits. If this woman has ever had an original thought in her life, I would die of shock.
This has nothing to do with a woman’s choice, and abortion should not be a woman’s choice alone. There was a man at some point and he should have a say as well. I am tired of men having to pay for a woman’s choice.
Imagine that! Hollywood is for abortion. Heck, they can't even keep a marriage together! ScarJo, how'd the marriage to Ryan Reynolds turn out? Eva, How'd Tony Parker turn out? Rob... you still married to Penny Marshall? Are there any more messed up people than children of Hollywood stars?
A woman is pregnant and doesn’t want to be, so she asks someone to abort her unborn baby. This is not a problem in the US because judges have decided that a baby is not a person until it is born.
The woman might have any one of several reasons she doesn’t want to be pregnant. Perhaps she is embarrassed. Perhaps it may interfere with her career. Perhaps she doesn’t want to care for a child and at the same time she is afraid she would not be able to give it up to adoption. The list goes on and on.
In the past a woman giving birth out of wedlock was a humiliating disgrace both for the parent and the child. Because of the failings of the society of that time desperate women sought unsafe ways to have abortions with terrible results.
For women in today’s world this is no longer true. It is commonplace and acceptable in most circles. And for single mothers with the strength to give up their babies for adoption, there is a long line of prospective parents even willing to let the mother have a role in the baby’s life. I adopted three children myself – it is wonderful.
AbortionSanger's family planning advocacy always focused on contraception, rather than abortion.[106][note 10] It was not until the mid-1960s, after Sanger's death, that the reproductive rights movement expanded its scope to include abortion rights as well as contraception.[note 11] Sanger was opposed to abortions, both because they were dangerous for the mother in the early 20th century and because she believed that life should not be terminated after conception. In her book Woman and the New Race, she wrote, "while there are cases where even the law recognizes an abortion as justifiable if recommended by a physician, I assert that the hundreds of thousands of abortions performed in America each year are a disgrace to civilization."[109]
EVEN THE FOUNDER OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD DID NOT BELIEVE IN ABORTIONS. ARE YOU PEOPLE STARTING TO GET IT??? THIS ORGANIZATION IS INTOLERABLY EVIL AND NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED, LITERALLY.
I cannot believe some of the comments here. I am in my 50's and I remember what it was like before Roe v. Wade. You CANNOT stop abortions! Plan and simple. Women have had abortions since the beginning of time. Different methods were used. Many died. Many were ruined for life. If this continues many young women of today will also die needlessly. Decent, clean medical care is deserved in this country...although I know that Republicans don't agree. Be careful what you wish for people, you may get it, and I hope that one day your daughter, or granddaughter, is not laying there in a pool of her own blood because of your action or inaction, whichever the case may be. As a woman I am appalled at where this current Republican party is heading, and with it about 50% of our nation. As a former Republican, you are a shell of what was once a great party. Get rid of the religious fanatics, and get rid of the tea party and go back to the party you once were.
Historian Rodger Streitmatter concluded that Sanger's opposition to abortion stemmed from concerns for the dangers to the mother, rather than moral concerns.[110] However, in her 1938 autobiography, Sanger noted that her opposition to abortion was based on the taking of life: "[In 1916] we explained what contraception was; that abortion was the wrong way no matter how early it was performed it was taking life; that contraception was the better way, the safer way—it took a little time, a little trouble, but was well worth while in the long run, because life had not yet begun."[111] And in her book Family Limitation, Sanger wrote that "no one can doubt that there are times when an abortion is justifiable but they will become unnecessary when care is taken to prevent conception. This is the only cure for abortions."