'We Should Protect All Life': Cruz's Consistent Pro-Life Stance Contrasts 'Bizarre' Trump Fits

Washington Examiner ^ | 4/4/2016 | Timothy P. Carney

[conservativejoy]

MADISON, WISCONSIN—Calling Donald Trump's recent oscillations on abortion "bizarre," Ted Cruz laid out his own view on abortion in a Fox News town hall the day before Wisconsin's primary.

Over the past week, Donald Trump has oscillated between advocating "punishments" for mothers seeking abortions, and saying abortion should be kept legal. Cruz knocked Trump's "bizarre" statements. "It showed that he has not considered seriously this issue."

A self-described pro-choice moderate voter asked Cruz if his presidency would lead to outlawing abortion. "We should protect all life," Cruz said, arguing for the issue to be settled through the democratic process, as opposed to the current situation where federal courts have taken abortion largely out of the hands of elected legislators.

Roe v. Wade is not settled law, Cruz told Fox News' Megyn Kelly, but is a "classic case of judicial activism." Undoing Roe would return abortion to elected legislators and the state. In that case, Cruz said Monday, pro-lifers would need to persuade the country to join them in passing laws to protect the unborn.

As President, Cruz said, he would reinstitute the Mexico City agreement, which curbs U.S. foreign aide to overseas groups aborting babies or counseling abortion.

Fox News host Megyn Kelly asked Cruz on abortion in the case of rape, where most Americans are at odds with the pro-life position. After touting his prosecution of rapists, Cruz said, "as horrible as that crime is, I don't believe it's the child's fault."

Of Trump's call for punishing mothers seeking abortions, Cruz said: "These comments are the comments of a liberal who is saying what he thinks conservatives want to hear."

[Ray76]

When was that? Last Monday he twice refused. He even stooped so low as to allow a surrogate to answer (who only deflected as well).

[chae]

Ever see the Lord of the Rings movies?
The main cast worked together and one night all of them went out and got matching tattoos. And there is no way that big flamer Ian McKellan tapped Liv Tyler, even with a matching tat.

[Durbin]

If abortion were illegal. Trump’s 3 positions in 3 hours:

1. Women deserve some form of punishment for getting abortions.

2. The issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination.

3. The doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman.

A day later:

The laws should remain the way they are.

[swampfox101]

....usually he out promoting Hillary, Harry, Chuckie, and Nancy...!

lyin Donald...lol

[jessduntno]

Which one did you like best?

[Durbin]

Which one will make me more popular? :-)

[CodeToad]

Cruz can claim he wants to protect life but his campaign mailers threatening people with creepy threat about "follow-up notices" sure doesn't say he respects life. He wants to manipulate, threaten, and coerce life.

We have campaign laws in this country against such things that even a creepy Canadian should be able to understand.

What does Ted Cruz expect the person receiving this notice to do to their neighbors for not voting as he demands?

What might happen to the voter if the neighbors are informed the voter has not voted as Ted Cruz expects?

These are direct threats and intimidations in violation of federal election, civil rights, and postal laws.

The following PDF document link outlines the federal election laws and the government's position on such matters for the purposes of prosecution.

Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses Seventh Edition, May 2007

The following sections are from the above document. I've condensed and paraphrased the document to the important words.

42 U.S. Code § 1973gg-10 - Criminal penalties (violation of election law)
A person in any election for Federal office knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person for registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote; urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote; shall be fined or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

18 U.S. Code § 594 - Intimidation of voters
Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President or Vice President shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

[conservativejoy]

I have gotten campaign mail exactly like those notices. I threw it in the trash. These are nothing new but have been around for years.

[conservativejoy]

The town hall has been previewed today, but the full airing will be tonight at 8:00 p.m. CDT, on Fox.

[CodeToad]

I’ll be happy to throw a ballot with Cruz’s name on it in the same place, the trash.

[bray]

So he never answered the question like the good lawyer he is. Is it a human being killed or not? Typical squish who wants to bloviate w/o taking a stand while shouting from his soapbox.

If she just killed her baby why is she not punished? Why is a womb protection from guilt?

Pray America wakes

[Ray76]

So it took him a week. What a clown. It should have been a reflex, not a calculation.

[fortheDeclaration]

We won't punish the woman if we make abortion illegal, it is not their fault.

What a bunch of hot air!

[bray]

Why did he pay Carley $500K is not for hush money?

[fortheDeclaration]

Cruz does not oppose the TPP, he opposes certain aspects of it.

He gave his buddy Obama fast track authority

[fortheDeclaration]

The laws should remain as they are until there is a national consensus on how to deal with the issue of making them illegal.

Clearly, there is a big division on that issue.

[altura]

Amen to what Cruz said about Trump.

TRump is so out of tune with reality, he decided making a bizarre statement about punishing women would resonate with pro-life groups. Of course, it totally backfired.

The little trumpers are either saying abortion doesn’t matter to them if we don’t have a country ... i.e. Trump will build a wall and do other magic stuff,

Or they are now all about punishing women for something that is wrong but legal.

He shows no conception of how to address the issue which Cruz understands perfectly.

We have to do something about the Supreme Court and that is the only reason I would vote for Trump ...

But I would do so with my fingers crossed because he might be as bad as Hillary about the courts.

Was he joking about his sister? I hope we don’t have to find out.

[altura]

Exactly.

Trump and the little trumpers love trumpville.

The magic universe where all of Trump’s hyperbole and wild promises come true and we all have a raise and a pony behind our white picket fence.

It’s becoming obvious that Trump is not even competent on the business and trade issues ... supposed to be his forte.

He’s competent on nothing

He a funny looking clown with an awful record in business and his personal life.

Desperately trying to figure out why people here would throw themselves in front of a bus for him when he would run them over if they got in front of his limo.

It’s an odd thing and a sad thing.

[altura]

Really, Trump will end common core?

You didn’t read where he said education and health care should be handled by the feds.

Guess you missed that one.

[conservativejoy]

There is no piece meal with the TPP. That is one of the conditions of TPA. A trade deal gets an up or down vote. Cruz will vote against TPP. By the way, Cruz voted against the Fast Track Authority bill (TPA) that went to Obama’s desk.