If Republicans won't fight for late-term babies, what will they fight for?

By Timothy P. Carney

Most Americans -- especially women -- believe that government should ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Babies after 20 weeks of gestation can feel pain. If allowed a couple more weeks to grow inside their mothers, they can survive outside the womb. Most Americans — especially most women — believe that government should protect these babies by banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. After 20 weeks, a baby is entering her 6th month of in-utero life. She is forming taste buds and can hear her mother’s voice.

At 20 weeks, an unborn child is on the brink of viability: James Elgin Gill was born after 21 weeks and 5 days gestation. He’s now a healthy 17 year-old.

Almost all countries prohibit abortion at this point. China, North Korea, the United States, and a few others allow it. Polls show that Americans favor a ban on aborting babies after this point In 2013, the U.S. House passed such a ban. This week, on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision — widely understood to be a sloppy mess of motivated reasoning — Republicans planned to pass it through the House again. But two co-sponsors, Reps. Renee Elmers and Jackie Walorski, removed their sponsorship and demanded party leaders pull the bill. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Speaker John Boehner complied.......Republicans this week ran away from an abortion fight because they’re afraid of how it will play politically.......To Read More....

My Take - Clarity - of which we are in such dire need. William F. Buckley once said something along this order: There's only one reason to for abortion - you don't believe its murder and there's only one reason to be against abortion - you believe it is murder. Nancy Pelosi was asked if a fetus isn't a human being then what is it? If a fetus is a human being then defeating abortion is a moral imperative. If these people are so afraid of standing on such strong moral foundation then what do they believe in - other than getting re-elected by pandering to the lowest moral common denominator? As Sir Thomas More asked Richard Rich when facing trial for his life: Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales? But for a seat in Congress?