Posted on 09/22/2014 7:13:24 PM PDT by markomalley
The New Hampshire Republican Party amended its platform this weekend with stricter abortion provisions, including support for "personhood," which defines life as beginning at conception.
Personhood has become a hot-button issue in Senate races across the country this year, such as Colorado, where Democrats have successfully attacked Rep. Cory Gardner for having supported such a measure in the past.
Now, the issue could spread to New Hampshire, following the state party's decision at its convention.
The platform now states: "Support the pre-born child's fundamental right to life and personhood under the Fourteenth Amendment, and implement all Constitutional and legal protections."
It added: "Support a Life at Conception Act guaranteeing the protections of Life and Personhood to the pre-born under the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution."
The platform previously used the term "unborn" rather than "pre-born," and did not refer to personhood.
The new wording was proposed by Walt Stapleton, a state delegate from Claremont, N.H., and approved by a voice vote with little discussion. Stapleton confirmed to the Washington Examiner that he proposed the amendment, which was initially rejected during a preliminary platform discussion in August.
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is running for re-election against Republican Scott Brown, indicated in a statement Monday that she now plans to make personhood, and its place in the state GOP's platform, an issue in the campaign.
"The message from Scott Brown and his Republican Party is disturbing, alarming and clear: they believe they should make the decisions about birth control and health care for women in New Hampshire and around the country," Shaheen said. "They are dangerously wrong, and by signing on with Tea Party extremists, they're showing just how irresponsibly out of touch they are with the needs and rights of women."
Elizabeth Guyton, a spokeswoman for Brown, responded in a statement that Brown "is pro-choice and will protect a woman's right to choose."
The state Republican party did not respond to a request for comment.
Steve Duprey, who has run many Republican campaigns in New Hampshire, predicted Republicans, including Brown, would not be greatly hindered by the new platform. "I know very few Republicans that support every plank of the platform," Duprey said.
Indeed, party platforms are complicated beasts. At the same convention where New Hampshire Republicans approved adding personhood to the platform, more than one-third of people supported adding a provision for marriage equality.
But whether Republicans are happy with the change, Democrats will likely attack the party's candidates for it.
Personhood, which would ban all abortions without exception and limit access to birth control, has already become an issue in other races this year. In Colorado, Gardner has attempted to distance himself from his past support for the provision, but Democrats have nevertheless spent millions of dollars on advertisements emphasizing the opposite.
Moral absolutes / pro life ping!
Scott Brown will run from this faster than Obola towards a free copy of the Communist Manifesto.
This is pleasing in God’s eyes, but I fear without national acceptance it will not appease His coming wrath.
GOP Platform is pointless, the GOP doesn’t adhere to it at all. It is merely there to fool gullible conservatives
The platform is meaningless.
NH was run by the GOP for a long time and they banned abortion how many times?
No one can ban abortion with Roe in effect.
Negative Supreme Court rulings don’t stop leftists from enacting their crap.
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Personhood, which would ban all abortions without exception and limit access to birth control, has already become an issue in other races this year. In Colorado, Gardner has attempted to distance himself from his past support for the provision, but Democrats have nevertheless spent millions of dollars on advertisements emphasizing the opposite.
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.