Drilling Down into the Closing Collision of Sherrill v. DeGroot
In CD-11, Republican Paul DeGroot has been annoyed for weeks at a Mikie Sherrill ad alleging that he opposes abortion at all times with no exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother.
DeGroot even had a press conference to present his views. He says he is pro-choice and has been saying precisely that in campaign appearances and in ads of his own.
So is this simply a case of Sherrill maliciously running a false TV spot?
DeGroot certainly thinks so.
But it’s really a bit more complicated than that.
Let’s drill down.
DeGroot said in the wake of the Dobbs decision in late June that he’s comfortable with states determining abortion policy.
And because of his pro-choice views, he has no quibble with New Jersey law. The state Legislature codified Roe v. Wade a few months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.
Let’s move on to Congress, which is where DeGroot hopes to be headed.
The federal issue is, what happens next? There are three possibilities.
Congress can do nothing. It can codify abortion rights into federal law – as New Jersey did on the state level. Or it can ban abortion, either outright, or maybe as Sen. Lindsey Graham has proposed, after 15 weeks.
DeGroot prefers doing nothing. He has said he doesn’t support Congress legalizing abortion nationwide, nor banning it.
At times, he has said Indiana’s way of thinking should not be imposed on New Jersey and vice-versa
All fine and good.
But now we come to the states that have banned, or are considering banning, abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.
Sherrill said at a debate last week that about 22 million women reside in these states and that number will grow if more states adopt similar bans.
Asked about that, DeGroot condemns state abortion bans without exceptions for rape and incest.
We have now arrived at the key point of contention.
Should Congress do anything about it?
DeGroot’s public position is that Congress should not. And that is the basis of Sherrill’s ads. DeGroot’s refusal to say Congress should seek to nullify those bans through federal legislation.
By that reading, Sherrill’s ads are correct, although it would be more accurate for her campaign to say that DeGroot opposes congressional action to stop total abortion bans – as opposed to saying DeGroot supports the bans themselves.
Then again, subtlety and political ads don’t usually have much in common. A spokesperson for DeGroot said that the candidate believes in the federal government codifying rape, incest and life of the mother exceptions to any state abortion ban.
Understandable to allow for abortion based on matters of rape, incest, threat to mothers live, even for fetal abnormalities.
However, perhaps a compromise at 20 months. Certainly a decision to terminate a pregnancy can be made within this time.
Other than these conditions taxpayer money should not be used to pay for abortions.
It is truly sad this election has become only about one issue. Many, many other issues our representatives will need to face are Not even being discussed.
Why is that? No one is asking tough questions.
Info@pauldegrootcates.com ask the hard questions – you’ll always get a real and honest answer
Info@Pauldegrootcares.com
A “real” Journalist would “Drill down” on the Democrat and get her ON RECORD that she is all for UNRESTRICTED 3rd trimester “abortions. But that never happens. ALL polling of “Pro-choice” advocates confirm that the vast majority fo NOT want barbaric late term “abortions” except in cases when the mothers life is at risk. A very reasonable & humane position. So WHY is it Pols like Sherrill vote for UNFETTERED 3rd trimester procedures apparently up to and including the labor process. MANY would call that infanticide Ms. Sherrill.
AND BTW CD-11 voters, if you haven’t figured out by now that the national DNC “strategy” this election is to distract you with the Abortion issue, maybe you shouldn’t vote on Tuesday. The unecessary painfull trainwreck that the Biden administration has put us all through in 2 short years of Executive Orders is the top issue. My groceries UP about 30%. Yours??? Gas up over a buck after more than DOUBLING. You good with that??? Oh yeah, just got my natural gas bill. UP 43%!!! Thanks Ms. Sherrill for following right in line with Bidens relentless attacks on fossil fuel. Might want to look at your gas bill prior to entering that voting booth. Happy winter voters, stay warm if you can afford it!