In an interview this afternoon, Herman Cain stressed that he wanted abortions to be illegal.
“When he [Piers Morgan] then tried to pigeon hole me on my granddaughter being there as a victim of rape then what would I do, the only point I was trying to make, a lot of families will be in that position and will not be thinking well what would the government want me to do,” Cain told Fox News about why he answered CNN’s Morgan the way he did earlier this week. “My position is no abortion, my position is no abortion. But all I was trying to point out was take the typical family in this country and you don’t know what they might do in the heat of the moment, that’s what I was trying to say.”
“Abortion should not be legal, that is clear,” Cain added. “But if that family made a decision to break the law, that’s that family’s decision, that’s all I’m trying to say.”
He said he would be “sorry” if his remarks on abortion proved “problematic” to his campaign.
“Let me just state again, I am pro-life from conception, no exceptions,” Cain said. “I was trying to separate two situations here and if they won’t allow me to separate those two situations, they won’t allow me to separate those two situations, that’s unfortunate. I don’t know how much more I can say that if I am pro-life from conception no exceptions, I will not fund any abortions by the government, I will sign any legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and all of the other variations of this whole pro-life issue.”
"“Abortion should not be legal, that is clear,” Cain added. “But if that family made a decision to break the law, that’s that family’s decision, that’s all I’m trying to say.”"
CAIN 2012: COAT HANGERS FOR AMERICA!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, OK, but this is just weird, in my view:
“But if that family made a decision to break the law, that’s that family’s decision, that’s all I’m trying to say.”
???
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDo you think women should be put in jail if they have an abortion? Last time I checked a president can't personally stop someone from breaking the law.
I'm not sure why NRO is so obsessed with Cain and abortion other than they're trolling for hits. Better explanation is they're in the tank for Romney and Cain is in the way.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat can you possibly be talking about?
The problem here is the indecipherability of Cain's comments. I don't get what you do out of "if that family made a decision to break the law, that’s that family’s decision." I honestly don't know what to make of it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe President isn't Czar.
Conservatives know this; liberals do not.
It may surprise you to note that most violations of the law are never prosecuted. The concept in our jurisprudence is "prosecutorial discretion."
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“I was trying to separate two situations here and if they won’t allow me to separate those two situations, they won’t allow me to separate those two situations, that’s unfortunate."
Who are "they"?
I certainly hope Cain doesn't take to blaming his incoherence on others.
I've said from the beginning that I hoped he would pan out -- it would be so great to pit him against The One -- but that I had serious doubts as to whether he would pan out. Looks like I'm still there, but the doubts are growing more serious and the hope more forlorn.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe man is just saying, "If it's not some abstract "pregnant woman," but instead it's MY 12-year-old granddaughter who would be forced by law to bear a child while still a child herself... then that's different."
Which is, of course, the same answer that would/should be given to this question by any loving, responsible parent or grandparent.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusewhy would it be different? So he wants it to be illegal but if it's HIS daughter, well then the gov't should but out? What?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think he was just trying to say that he's 100-percent pro-life, just like NARAL and Planned Parenthood...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou can't be serious. You are not doing your candidate any good with that kind of argument.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis has been a non-story, non-controversy from the beginning. In the long run, the only thing it is going to cost is the credibility of those trying to fan the flames controversy and sew the seeds of doubt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHow pro-life is Romney, Katrina?
It is now Friday, if that helps.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's creepy how the Republican intelligentsia is so obsessed with Cain and abortion.
This has nothing to do with Cain being pro-choice (and I don't think anyone at NRO, Townhall, HotAir, etc. really believes Cain is pro choice). Cain has made plenty of statements over the years supporting the pro-life cause. This has everything to do with bringing down someone who the 'we're smarter than you crowd' doesn't think should be a top tier candidate.
Yesterday Cain tweeted that he was "pro-life. period. end of story." Someone on Cain's staff needs to tell him to say no more than that. And if during an interview someone wants to get into hypotheticals or nuance he should say "next question" and pivot to what the 2012 election will really be about - jobs and the economy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo, he shouldn't do that if he wants votes. I guess you didn't read the long thread yesterday in which nearly everyone -- supporters and non-supporters -- expressed deep dissatisfaction with his "end of story" kinds of responses to questions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Cain had been an Ivy Leaguer, they'd be pushing him hard.
He's a self-made man---not a trust fund baby like Romney---can't have that!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI believe Cain is pro-life; I don't believe Perry is prolife in every situation. I think a Romney/Cain ticket would be unbeatable...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI stand behind him on defunding Planned Parenthood and it's medusa like offshoots, but the rest...oy, it was a flub.
But I'll take the flub over certain others that change their mind from week to week on their "convictions"...or have none at all.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am one of Cain's biggest supporters but honestly I don't know if he's really thought through all of the various issues related to abortion. That interview the other night and his responses since then have left me really confused. I have no doubt that morally he is opposed to abortion. But, what about the legal issues related to abortion? Should it really be illegal? What about the states rights aspect of abortion? I still support him but he seems to lack some conviction about that issue and what he really believes the government's role is. At the very least, it seems like he hasn't thought all of that through. This issue could really sink his candidacy if he doesn't get it right because if one of his strongest supporters is confused and worried about his views about abortion, then he is in real trouble.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhen Herman states he believes abortion should be illegal, I would assume he means for the entire country. He should expand his remarks by saying he favors, for example, the passage of a human life amendment to the US Constitution or having Congress rule that the unborn are human beings protected under the 14th amendment (as Robert George and others have advocated).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCain will be an absolute boon to the healthcare industry. Every time his clarifications are read, optometry visits go through the roof.
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