Posted on 08/14/2015 8:32:05 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Republican presidential candidates Ben Carson and Donald Trump were criticized by pro-life activists this week after they waffled on their positions regarding abortion, research on aborted baby body parts and funding Planned Parenthood.
After Carson indicated support for the abortion drug RU-486 in the case of rape or incest, Cavuto asked Carson, "At the point of conception do you see that as life Doctor?"
"Certainly once the heart starts beating, certainly at that point," replied Carson.
His seemingly contradictory admission may come as a surprise to pro-life activists across the country. Carson was a popular speaker at several state right to life fundraising dinners the last several years and his own campaign website says he believes life begins at "conception."
Carson faced criticism from some pro-abortion activists and the media this week for supposed hypocricy because it was reported he conducted medical research while he was a neurosurgeon on fetal tissue of pre-born babies older than 17 weeks.
Carson defended his actions on Facebook, calling the attack "not true," and saying he had nothing to do with abortion and his name as a physician was only "attached" to a separate study. Carson called the accusations "propoganda" on Bill O'Reilly Thursday night.
Fellow presidential candidate, former Senator Rick Santorum, who said he would not participate in fetal tissue research, told CNN Friday that the research is often used to justify abortions.
"It's used to, I won't say coerce, certainly make women more comfortable about having an abortion," declared Santorum.
When asked if Carson is showing inconsistency on life, Santorum replied that "when you start to see some of these cracks, I think it will show if the person is really somebody who will take on an issue and be strong on it when they get into a very difficult situation of being president of the United States."
In an op-ed for The Christian Post, conservative and pro-life Iowa activist Shane Vander Hart wrote that Carson may have damaged his reputation with the pro-life community beyond repair.
"Children conceived in rape and incest are just as innocent as those who are not. All abortion does in this case is create another victim. Also, either you believe life begins at conception or you don't. Life doesn't suddenly not begin at conception just because the circumstance is difficult," he added.
While Trump is a newer face to the pro-life movement, having previously long been a supporter of abortion rights, foes of abortion are now denouncing him for comments saying he would take another look at Planned Parenthood services before nixing their federal funding entirely.
In early August, Trump previously called for the shutting down of the government to defund Planned Parenthood, while encouraging Republicans that if they stick together they can win in a showdown with the White House. Trump even blamed Republican leadership in early August for selling out lawmakers like Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate, accusing them of not "sticking together."
On Sean Hannity's television show Tuesday, Trump said of Planned Parenthood, "They do good things" for women's health while claiming that abortion is a "fairly small part" of the organization's operation.
Trump reiterated that he is against the "against the abortion aspect" of Planned Parenthood but said "conservative women" regularly come to him and to tell him the organization "serves a good function."
He clarified his comments, seemingly taking a stronger line against the popular abortion provider Tuesday evening in a statement to Brietbart News, saying, "While Planned Parenthood is engaging in the despicable act of abortion — in addition to selling aborted baby parts to the highest bidder — the organization should receive no taxpayer dollars.
"I am totally in favor of women's health and if they can put their money where their mouth is, and stop the abortion services at Planned Parenthood entirely," added Trump, "we can talk about government funding for many of the other aspects of the organization that do a lot of good."
Planned Parenthood made a rare move Tuesday in praising a GOP frontrunner for rejecting in what was their words "extreme" positions.
"Donald Trump seems to have realized that banning all abortions, shutting down the government, and defunding Planned Parenthood are extreme positions that are way too far outside the mainstream for even him to take," said Planned Parenthood spokesmen Eric Ferrero.
Planned Parenthood encouraged the rest of the GOP field to follow Trump's lead in calling on them to be less "extreme" when it comes to cutting the over $530 million annually they receive from the federal government.
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser fired back at Trump saying he "misleads Americans by repeating tired Planned Parenthood talking points."
"According to its own annual reports, Planned Parenthood's abortions are on the rise — nearly one million in the last three years," she declared. "Meanwhile, their already limited non-abortion services have dropped significantly." Dannenfelser said Trump should have just quit after calling Planned Parenthood "an abortion factory."
In an interview with CBS News Wednesday, Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina accused Trump of "taking the Democrat Party's talking points on Planned Parenthood."
Lila Rose, leader of the pro-life organization Live Action called Trump's flip-flop "deeply troubling, and reveals ignorance about their horrific abortion practices." In her statement, Rose accused Trump of not watching the Planned Parenthood videos released by the center for Medical Progress.
In the past, Trump told Dana Loesch on her radio show in July that he has watched the first video and some of the second video. Trump called the footage "disgusting" and accused the tone of Planned Parenthood's top medical official, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, as being "horrible" and "cavalier."
only the beginning of the cognitive dissonance necessary to consider Trump to be a conservative
Yeah, and who blew the most recent attempt to defund Planned Parenthood? Hint: the initials are GOP-e.
Same for defunding Obamacare, blocking Iran nukes, blocking executive amnesty, blocking the national credit card limit increase, etc, etc, etc.
The GOP-e gives Obama everything he asks for and a dollar more.
Friends do not let friends vote GOP-e.
I still like Carson. I would be happy with a Cruz-Carson ticket..
And that's the way it was understood when he spoke to Hannity. But the GOPE spinners went into overdrive.
Jim, I still don't trust Trump on a lot of issues including Pro-life. He is also against assault weapons. These are two of my major issues.
Therefore, I'm looking for someone who will fix our oversized, arrogant and destructive government. We need the economy fixed, and we need to fix our homeland security. We need to stop dividing ourselves, and we need to stop PC nonsense. We need to make American industry great again.
Trump is the man for these tasks.
Guess what. If some amnesty pimping GOP-e RINO like Jeb Bush helps the libs push amnesty through, the likelihood of ever getting Roe v Wade overturned gets pushed back a couple more generations. Amnesty creates 30-40 million new democrat voters.
I will not support or vote for an amnesty pimp. Period.
At least McCain and Romney lied about securing the border. Bush is an outright traitor on amnesty and is bragging about it.
Trump on the 2nd Amendment interviewed by Ammoland.
I'm a Cruz supporter and will not vote for Bush. After the election I could see Trump changing on amnesty. His recent statements just don't impress me. I have to ask myself whether I would buy a used car from the dude and the answer is no.
It takes some time for people to work through the ball of tangled yarn when it comes to abortion. The concept of a living human inside a human body is hard to visualize because it is so hidden. Think of it as a room, not a womb. How that human got there should not be a reason to cost it its life.
I’m a Cruz supporter too, and just like Cruz (and Carter) I say, Go, Trump, GO!!
Don’t fight a good thing. And anytime a guy like Trump can torpedo the elite establishment ruling class, it’s a good thing.
For the "beating heart" ... he's intelligent enough he was probably trying to head off the "molar pregnancy" gotcha. (Since he's a doctor, they won't trap him with the nursery-school stuff.)
If Karl went all the way to Singapore to plant a story...
The assault weapons ban which he was in favor of in 2000 included the AR-15. He is saying something different now that he is running for President. I don’t trust him.
Uh, oh, I mixed up my threads...
Doesn't have to be him personally to be a GOP-e lackey attempting to plant a shiv.
Just as long as I don't have to vote for him in the general election. I would have to go to the third party that he doesn't rule out.
Carson is a doctor????? And he thinks life begins when the heart starts beating?????
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.