War on women? GOP silent as Trump sounds off on abortion

[webfact]

War on women? GOP silent as Trump sounds off on abortion
By STEVE PEOPLES and SCOTT BAUER

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Frustrated Republicans grappled with new fears about Donald Trump's impact on their party Wednesday, as the billionaire businessman's campaign rivals targeted his punitive plan for fighting abortion and extraordinary defense of his campaign manager, who police say assaulted a female reporter.

Concern rippled through Republican circles nationwide, yet few dared criticize the GOP front-runner directly when pressed, leery of confronting the man who may well lead their election ticket in November.

Their silence underscored the deep worries plaguing the party's leaders — particularly its most prominent women — who are growing increasingly concerned that a Trump presidential nomination could not only cost the 2016 election but also tarnish the party brand for a generation of women and young people.

"A nominee who cannot speak to women cannot win," New Hampshire party chairwoman Jennifer Horn said, though declining to rebuke Trump by name.

Trump added to his challenge when asked to explain his prescription to fight abortion, a subject that remains highly controversial decades after the Supreme Court legalized it.

He told MSNBC during the taping of a town hall-style event in Wisconsin that abortions should be banned and, if they are, women who get them should receive "some form of punishment." That sparked an immediate backlash from both sides of the debate, and Trump's campaign quickly backtracked, releasing a statement that sought to take back his words. It said that only those who perform abortions would be "held legally responsible, not the woman."

"The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb," the new Trump statement said.

The abortion comments came as Trump questioned the findings of Jupiter, Florida, police, who charged his closest political adviser, Corey Lewandowski, with misdemeanor battery on Tuesday after examining surveillance video of an incident in which a reporter said she was grabbed and shoved. The police report said the woman's arm revealed "bruising from what appeared to be several finger marks indicating a grabbing-type injury."

"I don't know who created those bruises," Trump said Wednesday.

The Republican front-runner suggested his campaign manager was simply trying to protect him from Michelle Fields, a reporter for Breitbart News at the time, who was trying to ask him a question after a March 8 campaign appearance.

"She's got a pen in her arm which she's not supposed to have and it shows that she's a very aggressive person who's grabbing at me and touching me," Trump said. "Maybe I should file charges against her."

As Trump assailed Fields from a television studio, Republican rival Ted Cruz surrounded himself with women as he courted Wisconsin voters ahead of the state's high-stakes primary next Tuesday. Cruz leads the state by 9 points among likely voters, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.

Cruz campaigned in Madison with his wife, mother, two daughters and even their nanny in what he called a "celebration of women."

"We're here because we love our families," Cruz declared, declining to repeat his harsh criticism of Trump from the day before. "Women are not a special interest. Women are a majority of the United States of America. And every issue is a women's issue."

Women favored President Barack Obama by 11 points over GOP nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, a divide highlighted in the Republican National Committee's post-election study. "Our inability to win their votes is losing us elections," the report's authors wrote.

Yet Trump is poised to fare worse among women than Romney in a general election, according to recent polls that put his negative ratings nearing or even eclipsing 70 percent among women.

The RNC recommended that prominent female elected leaders be featured to promote the Republican brand, listing several, including South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Haley's office said she was "unavailable for comment" Wednesday, among other female Republican officeholders who didn't respond to AP requests for comment. They included Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Reps. Kristi Noem of North Dakota and Mia Love of Utah.

Liz Johnson, communications director for Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, who is in a tough re-election fight, issued this statement: "As a longtime prosecutor, Kelly believes Mr. Trump should leave this case to the criminal justice system, instead of wrongly trying it in the media."

The Trump campaign was in discussion with the Republican National Committee about arranging a meeting with Chairman Reince Priebus on Thursday.

Trump is the undisputed GOP front-runner in the nomination fight, but should he lose Wisconsin, his foes would have a realistic chance of denying him the delegate majority he needs to claim the nomination before the July convention. In such a scenario, Republican delegates would select their presidential nominee in what would likely be a messy televised gathering.

Leading Democrat Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, attacked Trump's rhetoric on women and minorities as she campaigned in New York.

"Just listen to Donald Trump. He plays coy with white supremacists. He says demeaning and degrading things about women," she declared.
___

Peoples reported from Washington. AP writers Catherine Lucey, Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin in New York, Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Todd Richmond in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-31

[helpisgood]

If you haven't seen it already, here's one link to a video clip of the Chris Matthew's interview with Trump about abortion:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/31/us/politics/donald-trump-abortion.html?_r=0

Ted Cruz responded, “Once again, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention,”

Maybe Ted has a point.

Edited March 31, 2016 by helpisgood

[maoro2013]

The legalisation of abortion saw the biggest drop in crime ever, due to the fact that women seeking abortions do so for a reason, maybe economic, single parent and any number of reasons. The children born into these situations, which the mother is trying to avoid, are much more likely to turn to criminal habits

Trump needs to realise this.

[Opl]

I can't wait until DT delivers his position concerning women guilty of aldutery.. corporal punishment ?

[Chicog]

I can't wait until DT delivers his position concerning women guilty of aldutery.. corporal punishment ?

I wouldn't be surprised if he said he thinks the muslims have got it right and a bit of stoning wouldn't be that bad an idea.

Before claiming the next week that he never said it, or he meant something completely different of course.

[boomerangutang]

It's good that Trump is speaking out, loud and often. He is showing what a dunce he is and how completely unfit he is for the job he's aiming for. With the latest ill-thought-out asinine abortion statements, he has turned off half the women who were considering voting for him. The interviewer was good, he didn't shy away. Trump was typical Trump, not able to answer questions directly, and when he did venture an answer (typically vague and off-on-tangents) he clearly showed he doesn't know diddly squat about many important issues.

[wabothai]

It's good that Trump is speaking out, loud and often. He is showing what a dunce he is and how completely unfit he is for the job he's aiming for. With the latest ill-thought-out asinine abortion statements, he has turned off half the women who were considering voting for him. The interviewer was good, he didn't shy away. Trump was typical Trump, not able to answer questions directly, and when he did venture an answer (typically vague and off-on-tangents) he clearly showed he doesn't know diddly squat about many important issues.

Remember, he is a trashy, loud mouth real estate sales man with little knowledge outside real estate.

[JakeSully]

I thought after W. we would never see an incompetent person ever come close to the Commander in Chief position but oh my gosh.. Trump makes W look smart with his "mis-underestimate"ing the situation.

People have very long memories like an elephant especially when crossed. This pretty much seals the election just like the Romney 47% and Sarah Palin all of them magazines.

Sad part is if it was 1916 and women were not allowed to vote and there were not the demographics there are today.. Trump would win in a landslide. But thankfully it is 2016 and not 1916.

[Pinot]

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Wednesday that there “has to be some form of punishment” for abortion if it were banned in the U.S. — as he says it should be — and that punishment should fall on the woman.

Then in a very surprising move back tracked and said the Doctor should be held responsible. I find this amazing because Trump rarely back tracks. It shows weakness. Of course this was so horrendous he didn't have much choice.

Every day another gaffe by the Republicans. It's tremendously entertaining!

America can't let any of these guys near the White House.

Donald Trump isn't a serious candidate for President. He's a Republican candidate for President. Same goes for all these unelectable cartoon characters.

81% of the electorate is either female, people of color or young (18-35). Republicans have written off 81% of the country and are pedal to the metal right over a cliff.

Go Trump

[mopar71]

OK, going out on a limb here...I have been hesitant to predict such a thing since late 2015 but...Trump will now take a hit in the polls for this latest comment. Well, he should anyway.

His foreign policy comments are enough to keep me from voting for him.

This latest comment shows not that he wants to jail women, he seemed more confused by the questioning than anything else and that would never pass any Congress anyway. The comment just illustrates, again, how ignorant he is on some major issues.

[boomerangutang]

Trump supporters seem mighty quiet on this latest gaffe. Usually, they sally forth with all sorts of excuses and spin. Here are some recent examples:

>>> Well, Mexico will wind up paying for Trump's giant wall, in the form of higher tariffs

>>> Trump is justified in speaking out against the Pope, because the Vatican itself has a very big wall.

>>> The campaign manager is justified in manhandling the woman reporter because she touched Trump's arm. Indeed, it should be Trump who sues her for battery.

>>> Trump is in favor of peace, even though he threatens to carpet-bomb the Middle East and kill the families of terrorists.

>>> Trump isn't militaristic even though he claims he will bomb the shit out of ISIS.

>>> Trump will the best jobs president the world has ever known because, .....ummm, well, maybe because he's got several large buildings with his name in gold letters across their tops. Pay no attention to the fact that Trump hires mostly foreigners and he gets his clothing lines manufactured in China.

[up2u2]

He told MSNBC during the taping of a town hall-style event in Wisconsin that abortions should be banned and, if they are, women who get them should receive "some form of punishment." That sparked an immediate backlash from both sides of the debate, and Trump's campaign quickly backtracked, releasing a statement that sought to take back his words. It said that only those who perform abortions would be "held legally responsible, not the woman."

Now if you told me this was an interview with a Taliban leader, sure I wouldn't be surprised in the least. A candidate for the highest office in the USA in 2016 then you would have to show me the tape. I simply would not believe a person would be stupid and ignorant enough for those words to come out of their mouth. Sorry this has to be a prank.

[JakeSully]

He told MSNBC during the taping of a town hall-style event in Wisconsin that abortions should be banned and, if they are, women who get them should receive "some form of punishment." That sparked an immediate backlash from both sides of the debate, and Trump's campaign quickly backtracked, releasing a statement that sought to take back his words. It said that only those who perform abortions would be "held legally responsible, not the woman."

Now if you told me this was an interview with a Taliban leader, sure I wouldn't be surprised in the least. A candidate for the highest office in the USA in 2016 then you would have to show me the tape. I simply would not believe a person would be stupid and ignorant enough for those words to come out of their mouth. Sorry this has to be a prank.

Negative ghostrider!

This is just how extreme the right is now.

[Grouse]

The Trumpettes are remarkably quiet on this issue

No defence for the indefencible I assume

There is an obvious correlation between Trumpism and low IQ methinks

[Basil B]

Are there people who hate America so much as to support this clown???

[Yunla]

Back-street abortions cause illnesses and death.

Women prevented from having legal clinical abortions, will seek out alternatives anyway. They won't suddenly convert to a new way of thinking, they will just go to back-street coathanger abortions instead.

In the case of legal abortions, the baby dies.

In the case of back-street abortions, the baby dies, and the Mother can get serious illnesses or die too.

A pro-life stance would be the former option, as it at least protects the life of the Mother.

[Ching ching]

Sometimes it is fortunate that 'we the people' do not elect our President in the USA. The President is elected by an Electorial College. By and large the process serves us well. Every now and then we get a George Bush, Jr.; but mostly we get it right. Reaoned thinkers in the EC will ultimately deny Trump the office he seeks. Ms Clinton may be passed over as well, pending the FBI's investigation. But whomsoever becomes the next POTUS, our Constitution, and the separation of powers will insure that the POTUS elect can not break us. You may disagree, that's fine. Opposing political views and opinions are still legal and welcome in my country

[Basil B]

CC

But this clown is making GWB look like Einstein...

Edited March 31, 2016 by Basil B

[dunroaming]

Oh dear Donald, it's all starting to go wrong already. You really must avoid un-rehearsed interviews, you know you will put your foot in it and make a fool of yourself and then have to back track. Try to wait until you get the nomination before you crash and burn. We are all rooting for you and the circus is certainly entertaining with you in it.

[Mosha]

He's flip flopping on this. His original stance, listening to BBC was pro choice.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[Credo]

Donald doesn't really have any stand on most issues. He is bully but he is an articulate bully. He only cares about winning and in order to win, he will say whatever he needs to say to win. I don't think anyone has any idea what he would actually do as President.

As far as flip flopping, he generally steers the interview away from the question and talks about something entirely different. The press doesn't usually push the issue because he's a bully and most don't want the humiliation that Megan Kelly was subjected to.

On the issue of birth control, he has a history of being pro-choice, now he's anti-choice, then he is for punishing women who have abortions and now he's not for punishing them. Will the real Donald Trump please stand up?

[Ulic]

IF abortion was against the law should the woman be punished. Well personally I am

pro choice but IF something is against the law then I do think you should be punished.

Not sure what the penalty should be but I don't have to worry. Abortion is not against

the law. Of course I am not a black and white kind of guy. Abortions should be quick

easy and simple to get up until 10 weeks. (No Republican obstructionism) However

after that only in the event of endangering the mothers life. A woman has the right to

choose, but she has to choose by 10 weeks. Just my opinion.

[boomerangutang]

Here's Trump's way of thinking, whenever he's asked a question.....

>>> act tough. take every chance to assert how I'm the best and the smartest

>>> For every issue there's a deal to be made. Continue to hammer home that I'm the best deal-maker in the world.

>>> If there's a question about keeping a deal, dodge it.

>>> What will get me the most votes? Emphasize that

>>> I emphasized the wrong thing? Why didn't my minders tell me about this ambush?

>>> Never retreat. Never backtrack, unless it's such a big gaffe (like the abortion statement).

>>> Emphasize divisions. People are tribal, and they readily glom on to 'us vs them'

>>> Characterize my supporters as angry at establishment, while telling them I'm anti-establishment

>>> Remind everyone that everyone likes me, and my supporters love me and I love them. Everyone wants to be loved

>>> Show how tough I can be on terrorists. Concurrently, paint everyone else as war-mongers.

>>> Never miss a chance to belittle someone. Some effective ways: name calling and blame. It worked on Jeb Bush and reporters, so it should work on everyone.

>>> The contradictions won't matter to my supporters. They'll love me no matter what I say.

>>> Always appear tough and firm. Act like I know everything about all topics.

>>> Anyone who doesn't agree with me is stupid and/or is trying to ambush me with a 'gotcha' question.

[Berkshire]

Donald doesn't really have any stand on most issues. He is bully but he is an articulate bully. He only cares about winning and in order to win, he will say whatever he needs to say to win. I don't think anyone has any idea what he would actually do as President.

Correct, no one knows what Trump will do as President. He may or may not keep his campaign promises. But going by his behavior during these primaries, in particular, his propensity to lie and lie with vigor, it's fair to say he won't keep most or any of his promises. So why in God's name would anyone with half a brain vote for this guy? That's one of the mysteries of the universe, how the brain of a Trump supporter works.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Berkshire

[Chicog]

Any woman that would vote for Trump is akin to the proverbial Turkey voting for Christmas.

[lannarebirth]

Donald doesn't really have any stand on most issues. He is bully but he is an articulate bully. He only cares about winning and in order to win, he will say whatever he needs to say to win. I don't think anyone has any idea what he would actually do as President.

As far as flip flopping, he generally steers the interview away from the question and talks about something entirely different. The press doesn't usually push the issue because he's a bully and most don't want the humiliation that Megan Kelly was subjected to.

On the issue of birth control, he has a history of being pro-choice, now he's anti-choice, then he is for punishing women who have abortions and now he's not for punishing them. Will the real Donald Trump please stand up?

In that regard he's much the same as HRC. The only difference is he's a seat of the pants bullshit artist and she's a calculating liar with polling data.

[Basil B]

Any woman that would vote for Trump is akin to the proverbial Turkey voting for Christmas.

You are showing off your Britishness too much...

Over there it is Turkey's voting for Thanksgiving.

[mopar71]

Are there people who hate America so much as to support this clown???

A clown, a criminal and a commie walk into a bar...

[lannarebirth]

Are there people who hate America so much as to support this clown???

A clown, a criminal and a commie walk into a bar...

https://snarkypenguin.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/rad-duke-edwards-bumper-sticker.jpg

[bendejo]

Chris Matthews gets my respect for bringing this up in prime-time media, it's been getting scant coverage on PBS-type stations since a few years ago when one of the southern states (can't recall which, maybe one of the Carolinas) came up with the premise "well, if abortion is murder, then if an abortion has been performed then there's a murderer out there, and murderers must be brought to justice."

Extra credit to Matthews for leading DT into stepping in this doo-doo that he can't scrape off his little shoes. But now it's a question all the GOP candidates will be hit with.

Has anybody else noticed reporters are getting tougher on DT and Cruz lately? The other day one gal who has been on the Cruz bus since last summer confronted him about endorsing the GOP candidate, and when he dodged she said "will look into that camera and say..." and you can hear the frustration of ten months of listening to his bs in her voice. I didn't see the Anderson Cooper stuff, I heard he was manning up on them too.