On NBCNews.com's "First Read" Kelly O'Donnell attempted to further tie in the Romney-Ryan campaign to Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments with this gasp-inducing headline: Ryan backed more than one 'forcible rape' abortion bill.
In the article, O'Donnell made a substantial deal out of the term "forcible," seemingly implying that if there wasn't much violence during the rape, then it would be more "acceptable," and/or if the rape wasn't "forcible," then the woman is out of luck if she wanted an abortion:
The Todd Akin episode invited a closer look at Ryan's record on abortion and social issues. While Ryan has flatly rejected Akin's reference to "legitimate rape," Ryan's name and his vote are tied to instances in which the term "forcible rape" appeared in legislation. The bills sought to place limits on access to abortion or health insurance coverage for an abortion.
BUT!! If you read on (always a must), we see that these bills included [abortion] exceptions for "forcible" rape:
The Ryan-Johnson failed amendment did specify limited exceptions, permitting abortion coverage including when the life of the mother is at stake and in line 16 of the proposed text "... unless the pregnancy is the result of an act of forcible rape or incest."
Those italics are O'Donnell's in the original. Again, we're supposed to believe that Ryan/the GOP/conservatives have some dastardly intention with that term "forcible." Could it be ... true? Is everything the mainstream media have been saying about the GOP and women ... accurate?
Well ... no. Because at the very end of the article O'Donnell wrote this:
For broader context, the term "forcible rape" appears to have roots in the legal community, where it has been used by prosecutors to distinguish that crime from "statutory rape," which involves a minor unable to legally consent or a person who lacks mental capacity for legal consent.
How 'bout that? Lawmakers -- using legal terminology!! Funny how Ms. O'Donnell couldn't include that at the onset.
Then again, maybe she knows that most folks won't read down to the very end of the article for that "broader context."
