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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"Abortion should be a state issue, not a federal issue. If the country is split on the issue, we shouldn't have a one-size-fits-all federal mandate."
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What is it with you Repubs and everything being state issues? There are pro-life & pro-choice people in all of the states so why can't it be a federal issue. Same as Obamacare – we are all Americans just living within different state borders so why does it have to be sent to the states instead of federal? Can't understand the logic.
"Scarlett, Eva, I want to talk to you about your ability to act...."
Not the president, nor the vice president can over turn Roe V Wade.
Scare tactics as usual.
Come on, Women aren't stupid.
"Since when is Hollywood a good compass for anything, let alone how to vote?"
EXACTLY! How in the world did Ronald Reagan get elected?
More Hollywood types who think it is OK to kill the unborn, waterboarding is torture and war is murder. So which is it! i am pro choice but lets get real here. If you kill a terrorist or you kill the unborn it is still killing!
Go act and shut the hell up. Abortion is murder I don't see why there is such a debate about it. If it isn't incest, rape, life of mother/child related it shouldn't be allowed. It's not a young woman's "right" to go screw around and get knocked up at 17 with no consequences.
@BG: quit being a closet Bolshevik. You never had conservative blood in your veins. U r a double liar.
BG. No one wans to prevent all abortions. We would like them made rare, not used as a form of birth control. I am very much "pro- choice" when i comes to rape, incest, when the life of the mother is at risk, AND in cases of deformed fetuses and for minor girls, under the age of 18. That's pretty broad. I am opposed to abortion as a means of birth control, for sex selection, or when that unborn child is used in domestic disputes. Unfortunately, although the press wont report it, 90% of abortions are for "convenience" or in domestic disputes.
So, is their opinion supposed to mean anthing to a voter that can think for themselves? I undersatnd it matters to liberals as they need as much guidance and SUPPORT as they can get. Mindless drivel out of these women! Just keep following their messiah off a cliff
Blah, blah, blah...if abortion is all these women care about then they are missing the point. You're an idiot if you vote on singular issues...gotta look at the big picture and fortunately there are a lot more smarter women then these 3 that know that and won't be voting for Obama just cause they "feel' their "reproductive rights" are threatened.
It amazes me that anyone would want to vote for Romney. Thankfully Obama has been ahead in the polls consistently.
I'm sorry, since when is there EVER justification for cold blodded murder? While a woman does have the right to do whatever she wants to her OWN body, NO woman (or person) for that matter has the right to murder an innocent unborn baby.An unborn baby is NOT part of a woman but a completely seperate being. Put more simply, does locatoin determine the legality of the murder of an innocent? Can I murder in zip code 12345 but not 23456? Must a baby be 12 inches outside the womb to be protected?!?!? God Lord, people will do anything to justify things wont they?
Bob, and ALL the other men posting here....THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU. It is a woman's issue. You have no say. I will not quietly go away and let you take away my rights....or my daughter's rights. What's next to be taken away? The right for women to vote? Don't laugh, it has been suggested. Burkas after that? How far do you want to take this? What is Rush telling you to think today? I cannot believe that ANY woman would vote for ANY Republican anymore. I am sad that our country has come to this point.
@ Obummer NOT... you know nothing about me, so keep your ignorant comments to yourself.
You have no right to tell anyone else what to do with their life, no one does, ever. If you don't want an abortion, don't get one. If you don't want to drink, don't drink. If you don't want to smoke, don't smoke.
Women are still getting abortions every day – I would like to see all of those against abortion give me a full list, in numerical order, of the ways it has affected your everyday life. And don't throw biblical nonsense at me, because that is a wall to stand behind to hide your ignorance and inability to process logic.
In the meantime, I suggest you start your own adoption agency or become a foster parent and start raising all of those "unwanted" children. Hope you have great healthcare...
@FLIndependent
"Abortion should be a state issue, not a federal issue. If the country is split on the issue, we shouldn't have a one-size-fits-all federal mandate."
------------------------------------------------
The reason we have Federal Law is to protect citizens from tyranny at the state level – from States violating the rights granted in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Conservatives created the "personhood" illusion to skirt the issue – creating an arbitrary definition of "persons" by considering a fertilized egg a "child". However, the biology doesn't support the supposition. Quite frequently a fertilized egg is sloughed off by the uterus and passed with the discharge from menses. Using the definition of "personhood" supported by many Republicans this discharge contains a person who needs a death certificate, a funeral, and maybe a tiny little coffin. Really? Following this logic the eggs commonly culled in fertilization clinics are tiny people killed in genocidal fashion by lab technicians. The prospective parents would be accomplices in the murder – sent to prison after the trail. Would failure to allow a "person" become a crime? Masturbation would become manslaughter? Maybe keeping governments out of this arena is a good idea...
"Romney's plan to remove funding will only take away cancer screenings and other health services from women, not prevent abortions. "
Yes, but that's OK as far as CNN is concerned....as long as they can avoid actually talking about the facts of the issue so that the GOP/Teatroll belief that federal funding is actually used by PP for abortions, then CNN is happy. Fact checking and debunking that nonsense would be bad for ad revenues. You see, here is CNN's arithmetic:
Avoiding be called biased and maintaining ad revenue from conservative PACs > women dying of cancers of the breast, cervix, ovaries, etc.
This issue isn't about you having an abortion! That is the law – the issue is about MY Tax dollars and the US Government paying for your Abortion. Again, another misreprensentation
The only person, with a right to make a decison like this, is the woman who is pregnant!!! NO ONE ELSE. Don't kid yourself into thinking the repubs can't have the abortion laws overturned. They will have the chance to appoint two new supreme court judges....if Romney is elected, and could change the law before you know it. I may not agree with everything others think or believe....but I don't have the right to opose my beliefs on them. America is about freedom. I hope it stays that way.
if the liar romney wins kiss all abortions good bye ladies.
@ Observer974 – I agree with you 100%. I am simply stating the way it is. I cannot judge for others what they should do. I can only say that I wouldn't have done that, but others should be free to pick. I agree 100% with your terms, but we cannot put ourselves in others shoes. Making birth control accessible is a great beginning, though. As far as unhealthy fetuses, fortunately, I have had healthy children and never had to make a tough decision like that. I can't even begin to think how difficult that would be. I tell my daughters to make sure they do not end up in a position to have to make a choice because they were not careful, because no matter what you choice, it is not good. But, people make mistakes. I just don't want dead, young woman added to that. Thanks for listening.....
"Not the president, nor the vice president can over turn Roe V Wade.
Scare tactics as usual.
Come on, Women aren't stupid."
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You're right, they're not. What will overturn Roe v. Wade is a perfect storm of handing the Presidency to some right wing pandering grifter who will likely get to appoint enough SCOTUS justices to tip the court way into the right-leaning Teatroll abyss for the foreseeable future....all while the House is churning out all sorts of repressive, oppressive and regressive legislation to unfund PP and institutionalize Christian dogma in our secular laws.
It's hard to have any discussion on the pro-life view because no abortion supporter will accept the fact that the child in the womb is relevant to the topic.
It's inconceivable to me that any woman (or any educated man) would ever again vote for any Republican candidate for any office.
@Dave Jaipersaud – Your an idiot! GO read Roe vs Wade again. The President, VP, Senate, House can't legislate abortion!
The issue isn't about taking abortion away, it's about US TAX DOLLARS (MY TAX DOLLARS) paying for Abortions through public funding!
oops, edit hehe:
"Romney's plan to remove funding will only take away cancer screenings and other health services from women, not prevent abortions. "
===
Yes, but that's OK as far as CNN is concerned....as long as they can avoid actually talking about the facts of the issue so that the GOP/Teatrolls can go on making the unsubstantiated claim that federal funding is actually used by PP for abortions, then CNN is happy. Fact checking and debunking that nonsense would be bad for ad revenues. You see, here is CNN's arithmetic:
Avoiding be called biased and maintaining ad revenue from conservative PACs > women dying of cancers of the breast, cervix, ovaries, etc.