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July 25, 2014 12:27 PM UTC

Today In BS: Yes, Colorado Personhood is Federal Personhood

  • 25 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

A story from KUNC's Bente Birkeland showcases a key emerging lie from Republicans in defense of U.S. Senate candidate Cory Gardner. As readers know, Gardner disavowed his longstanding support for Colorado's "Personhood" abortion ban ballot initiatives shortly after entering the U.S. Senate race. Gardner claims that despite supporting Personhood over repeated elections, he never realized the measure could outlaw commonly used forms of so-called "abortifacient" birth control.

Although Gardner has withdrawn his support for the Personhood abortion bans, he remains a sponsor of the federal Life at Conception Act. A big reason is that the process of formally removing one's self as a cosponsor of congressional legislation requires an appearance on the floor of the House–a public statement that would be jumped on by abortion opponents and supporters alike.

Via KUNC, here's what Team Gardner is saying when asked about this contradiction:

Polls show the U.S. Senate race is deadlocked. The Republican Party said Democrats are forcing the issue because abortion isn’t a topic at the top of most voters’ minds this election cycle.

Its job and the economy on the minds of women voters said Owen Loftus, a spokesman for the Colorado Republican Committee. He doesn’t think the personhood proposal will hurt Gardner – even though Gardner still supports a similar federal measure.

“It’s not personhood federally. The Democrats like to say it is personhood, but it’s not,” said Loftus. [Pols emphasis]

Cory Gardner thinks you are, in a word, stupid.
Cory Gardner thinks you are, in a word, stupid.

​As we and others have repeatedly explained, that is a completely false statement. Both the Colorado Personhood abortion bans and the federal Life at Conception Act would ban all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest, as well as commonly-used forms of birth control. The federal Life at Conception Act cosponsored by Gardner reads as follows:

The terms "human person" and "human being" include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, [Pols emphasis] cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.

And once again, here is 2008's Amendment 48, the Colorado Personhood abortion ban ballot measure backed by Gardner:

Person defined. AS USED IN SECTIONS 3, 6, AND 25 OF ARTICLE II OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION, THE TERMS "PERSON" OR "PERSONS" SHALL INCLUDE ANY HUMAN BEING FROM THE MOMENT OF FERTILIZATION. [Pols emphasis]

It is the language in both the Life at Conception Act and Colorado's Personhood amendments conferring rights from "the moment of fertilization" that would result in the same outcome–prohibition of "abortifacient" forms of birth control. It really is that simple. There is no hidden language in the federal Life at Conception Act making the distinction GOP spokesman Owen Loftus suggests exists. H.R. 1091 is three paragraphs long. Colorado's original Personhood initiative, Amendment 48, is the one sentence you see above.

Bottom line: Gardner's campaign is not being honest, and they are counting on the press having neither the time nor inclination to check the facts. It appears that Republicans all the way up the food chain are ready to repeat this falsehood rather than trap Gardner. Even though the facts are not at all difficult to understand.

If it were us writing these stories, we wouldn't stand for being lied to like this.

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25 thoughts on “Today In BS: Yes, Colorado Personhood is Federal Personhood”

  1. Speaking of BS, Udall's campaign is not being honest and they are counting on the press having neither the time not inclination to check the facts, blah, blah, blah, blah.

    1. Mark Udall        ✔ @MarkUdall2014

      My record: fight for #CO small businesses. @CoryGardnerCO's record: fight for large corporations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EooSyESO7sw&feature=youtu.be … #cosen #copolitics

    NFIB Action @NFIBAction

    Follow

    Really? Fact Check: @MarkUdall2014 has 23% lifetime voting record w/ NFIB on #smallbiz issues while @CoryGardnerCO has a perfect 100% #COSen

    2:41 PM – 24 Jul 2014

     

        1. A little Google action shows just how unrepresentative NFIB is.

          The Google notes "In 2011, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, there were 5.68 million employer firms in the United States. Firms with fewer than 500 workers accounted for 99.7 percent of those businesses, and businesses with less than 20 workers made up 89.8 percent."

          So…
          Less than 500 employees: 5.66 million
          Less than 20 employees: 5.10 million
          NFIB members: 350,000 or a bit more than 6% of small businesses.

    2. Sriracha Cucumber Salad
      (from From http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/07/sriracha-chinese-cucumber-salad.html)

      Ingredients:

      4 Persian cucumbers (At this time of year, use med-large pickling cukes from the farmer's market)
      1/2-1 tsp salt
      2 cloves garlic, minced
      1 tsp sesame oil
      1/4-1/2 tsp granulated sugar
      1 tbsp light soy sauce
      1 tsp sriracha sauce
      optional garnish: 1/2 tsp chopped cilantro, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

      Directions:

      1. Cut the cucumbers into thirds. Then slice each third in half, lengthwise, and then once again in half, lengthwise (so that each third makes four pieces). Place cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt over them. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, to let the salt draw out water from the cucumbers. Drain out water.

      2. Add in all the remaining ingredients and mix until cucumbers are evenly coated in seasonings. Taste and adjust as needed. You can eat right away or let the cucumbers sit in the fridge to further develop the flavors.

    3. I dropped my membership in NFIB years ago when I found they were less concerned with small business needs than their own profile and partisan band standing

    5. Fact Checking the Fact Check

      NFIB is largely funded by large right-wing groups and conduits. In 2012, NFIB received $1.5 million from the Koch brothers-backed Freedom Partners, which gave an additional $1 million to NFIB affiliates.[5] NFIB accepted a $3.7 million gift in 2010 from Crossroads GPS, a group affiliated with Republican political operative Karl Rove that overwhelmingly endorses and financially supports Republican candidates. According to new data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), in 2010 the NFIB Small Business Legal Center (SBLC) received $1.15 million from "conservative 501(c)(3) conduit group" Donors Trust, a major contributor to the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Other contributions include the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which gave to a wide range of conservative groups including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

      http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Federation_of_Independent_Business

  2. Or the trolls are desperately trying to throw out bright shiny objects to change the subject from the fact Gardner & the Colorado GOP got caught blatantly lying on the issue that will lose him the race. 

  4. I guess Cory or some GOP campaign types saw the same TV show I saw some years ago.  Wife walks in on her husband in bed having sex with his mistress.  She confronts him, and he simply states, "I'm not cheating on you", as he gets out of bed and dresses.  She repeats that she caught him red-handed, so how can he deny it?  He finishes dressing and leaves the bedroom with the mistress quietly staring at the scene going on in front of her.

    The couple continue accusing/denying each other as they leave the bedroom.  

    Finally the wife with a befuddled look on her face agrees he wasn't cheating…

    I think that's the outcome Cory and the other lying, cheating GOTPers are hoping for.

  5. OK, Republicans, I finally understand,

    Fertilised eggs are people.

    Corporations are people.

    Gays are NOT people and therefore don't have the rights of corporations or eggs.

    It all seems so simple now.

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