Chuck Todd Skips Pro-Abortion Terrorism With Dem Wisconsin Senator

On MSNBC’s soon-to-be-streaming-only MTP DailyChuck Todd worried about Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democratic Senator on Thursday afternoon. He was concerned that Democrats had failed to pass radical pro–abortion legislation ahead of Roe Vs. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. However, unbelievably missing from the softball chat was any mention of the pro-abortion terrorism perpetrated against a pro-life organization in the Senator’s own state.

Todd lamented that the Senate had failed to pass the pro-abortion extreme bill. He warned, however: “voters across the country are expecting action as the threat of the Supreme Court decision looms.”Baldwin then was eagerly received by him: “I’m joined by Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, and Senator, given the state you come from and the immediate impact the – what Roe would have, I can’t think of a better person to talk to right now.”

 

 

He started by complaining about Democrats not being united on the legislation. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin joined Republicans to vote it down. “When you look at the final result, was it better to show the Democrats divided or would it have been better to show the Republicans divided on this issue?”

Baldwin defended the political stunt: “…it shows that we are engaged in this fight and this is only the first step in the fight, given the anticipated opinion of the Supreme Court….every senator is now on record as to whether they would strip away a constitutional right, the first time in history we’ve seen the Court poised to peel back a Constitutional right.”

Todd kept complaining that the GOP wasn’t damaged: “Do you accept the premise, though, that you politically might have been able to show the Republicans as more extreme on this issue….painted them into a deeper corner?”

Baldwin replied by repeatedly smearing her Republican colleagues as “extreme.” She went on to fearmonger about Roe being overturned: “…let me tell you what the law would be in Wisconsin if Roe vs. Wade is overturned. Wisconsin has a law in place. It was passed in…1849, one year after Wisconsin’s statehood.” Todd helpfully chimed in: “By the way, at a time when women weren’t even allowed to vote in the state of Wisconsin. It might be worth bringing that up.”Baldwin agreed to: “Yeah, women were property. They didn’t have independent rights of all sorts, let alone voting.”

“Let me ask you about what can be done in Wisconsin. I mean, it’s the most polarized state in the nation,” Todd worried. This would have been the ideal time to inquire about Madison’s chapter of Wisconsin Family Action, which was being bombed by anti-abortion extremists. Todd was afraid that there wouldn’t be enough abortion.

…it feels as if that there will be nothing and there’ll be no protection, nothing at all.Does anyone have any idea if there is a plan B, C, or D in the immediate future? You guys seem pretty stuck at the federal level. It just seems like it will be very draconian in Wisconsin.

Baldwin replied: “I fear that it will. I really do.” Todd went on to suggest the state pass a pro-abortion “constitutional amendment.”

This was the second day in a row that Baldwin was treated to a softball cable news interview where she didn’t have to answer a single question about pro-abortion attacks or far-left attempts to intimidate Supreme Court justices and their families. CNN’s Kate Bolduan worked with a Democrat lawmaker to discuss how they could promote the pro-abortion agenda.

Back on Tuesday, Todd’s MSNBC colleague Jose Diaz-Balart steadfastly ignored left-wing violence when talking to Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Todd’s friendly chat with Baldwin was brought to viewers by Fidelity and Colonial Penn. Fidelity and Colonial Penn brought Todd’s friendly chat with Baldwin to viewers.

The complete transcript for the segment of May 12, 2012 is available here:

1.49 PM ET

CHUCK TODD: Democrats were aware that this bill would not get 60 votes regardless of which version they presented on the floor. Instead, they’re gonna try to use it as a marker for where lawmakers stand on abortion ahead of the midterms, but voters across the country are expecting action as the threat of the Supreme Court decision looms. What should you do?

I’m joined by Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, and Senator, given the state you come from and the immediate impact the – what Roe would have, I can’t think of a better person to talk to right now.

First, let me talk about yesterday’s decision. It seems like we all knew it was a message bill. And there’s two strategies one can take. If you take a look at the end result, is it better for the Democrats to be divided than the Republicans to be divided?

SEN. TAMY BALDWIN [D-WI]: This is an extremely substantive bill. The bill existed for quite some time before this leak. Because we could see all of the states act, and introducing legislation that would restrict access to abortion care, Senator Blumenthal and I joined forces to bring it to them. And in some states these passed and in other states they didn’t. But we’ve had this bill for a long time.

This is the best time to raise it. First, it is a sign that we are fighting and, with the Supreme Court’s expected opinion, this is the only step.

And secondly, as you noted, every senator is now on record as to whether they would strip away a constitutional right, the first time in history we’ve seen the Court poised to peel back a Constitutional right. We’ve always been expanding rights in our nation, never moving backwards.

So everyone is on the record and now we – we organize. Now we are ready to fight. We educate women about the implications of this Supreme Court ruling on them. And then, we prepare for the elections.

TODD: Do you accept the premise, though, that you politically might have been able to show the Republicans as more extreme on this issue if you put a bill that allowed for some of the limitations that Roe and Casey have allowed for and yet they still wouldn’t support it, right? Accept the idea that they would be forced into deeper corners if it allowed for some of the limitations Roe and Casey have permitted.

BALDWIN: I disagree with their description of the law going beyond Roe Vs. Wade. It has been a series of states that have placed restrictions and limitations on the rights of women and their ability to choose. These proposals that have come to pass have severely limited a woman’s right to choose. And they won’t stand up against that nor will they stand up against this anticipated Supreme Court case.

And when we want to talk about what’s extreme, you know, denying a teen who’s been raped the access to abortion care, denying a victim of incest abortion care, denying a woman whose life or health has been placed in jeopardy because of, say, an ectopic pregnancy or something like that, the chance to live, that’s extreme.
          
TODD: Let me ask you about Wisconsin specifically and I can’t help but get you to react to your Senate colleague that also represents the state. This is what he said, according to The Wall Street Journal, “It might be a” – this is Ron Johnson – “‘It might be a little messy for some people but abortion is not going away,’ he said, saying that driving across state lines to Illinois would likely be an option. ‘I just don’t think this is going to be the big political issue everybody thinks it is, because it’s not going to be that big of a change.’”  

So if you’re in Wisconsin, just drive into Illinois. Does that sound like a viable solution?

BALDWIN: First, I want to tell you about the Wisconsin law if Roe Vs. Wade were overturned. In Wisconsin, we have a law on the books, it was passed in 1894 – er, sorry – 1849, one year after Wisconsin’s statehood. That’s where we’d be – that would be the status of our law in Wisconsin. And I think we can all agree that lots has changed –

TODD: By the way, at a time when women weren’t even allowed to vote in the state of Wisconsin. Perhaps it’s worth raising this issue.

BALDWIN: Yeah, women were property. They didn’t have independent rights of all sorts, let alone voting. You know, we’ve advanced quite a bit since 1849. And I have to say that the idea that women don’t have the same rights from state to state is ridiculous.

However, I also want to remind voters to vote for Senator Johnson if he wants to send Illinois women.

TODD: Please tell me about Wisconsin. I mean, it’s the most polarized state in the nation, and I look at a – I look at this – it feels as if that there will be nothing and there’ll be no protection, nothing at all. Do you have any plan B, E or F? You guys seem pretty stuck at the federal level. This just feels to me like it’s going to be very draconian here in Wisconsin.

BALDWIN: It will, I am afraid. It is something I am certain of. While Wisconsin’s political landscape is heavily Republican, with a Democratic governor, who has been able to veto anti-choice bills that have passed the state legislature. I can tell you that the views of our citizens, which includes the Wisconsin people, about Roe vs. Wade are very similar. While a majority of people believe Roe vs. Wade should not be changed, a minority thinks it should.
TODD: Does there exist a Constitutional Amendment? The state of Michigan could at the very least, put this on the election ballot. They have the chance to get something in the state constitution. Do you see a path similar to that? Because, look, your legislature’s gerrymandered in one direction and you have the governor – the Democratic governor there can sort of stalemate things. Is there really a third way in Wisconsin?

BALDWIN – The legislature must pass in two separate sessions a bill to modify our state constitution. This bill then goes to voters either at the first or subsequent election.

TODD: That’s a long process. Yeah.

BALDWIN: Right. So what I will say is go to the ballot box, everybody who is concerned about this and a whole series of other issues where we have seen Republicans siding, you know, with –  well, siding with the idea of repealing a constitutional right, the first time in our nation’s history, and setting, in the United States, tens of millions of women back. It is time to vote.

TODD

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