Republicans and Reproductive Rights Don’t Mix

For people who don’t believe in nanny-state regulation of consensual sexuality in all its forms, there can only be one priority: get Republicans out of office. Take the nominally “pro-choice” lame duck governor of New York George Pataki:

Gov. George Pataki plans to veto legislation that would allow women to buy the ”morning-after” pill without a prescription, a decision described by abortion rights advocates as ”sheer political expediency” to build conservative support for a 2008 presidential run.

The thing is, no matter how allegedly pro-choice a Republican public official is, there are always external pressures that push them towards puritan policy outcomes. And if a politician is sufficiently slimy and unprincipled, the motivation can be a transparently futile pander to further a farcically stillborn presidential campaign.

As Matt notes, as a pander this is remarkably stupid; no cultural conservative will support an advocate of state-funded abortions just because they oppose easier access to EC. So what, may you ask, is the public rationalization for this sudden change of policy?

Pataki disclosed his plans Sunday night through spokesman Kevin Quinn, who said the governor’s primary objection was that the bill ”provides no protection whatsoever for minors.”

”If this and other flaws in the bill are addressed, and a responsible version of the bill is advanced, the governor would support it,” Quinn said.

[…]

”It is distressing that politics appears to have won out over women’s health,” said JoAnn Smith, head of the Family Planning Advocates of New York State.

”It’s unfortunate that as he looks to run for president he would toss away his principled legacy for sheer political expediency,” said Kelli Conlin, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, after being told of the governor’s veto plan. ”It’s obviously a flip-flop on his part.”

Conlin noted that Pataki was the first governor to extend Medicaid coverage to the RU-486 abortion pill. ”He made no cutoff for age whatsoever,” he said.

So, according to Pataki, the problem with making perfectly safe ex post facto contraception available is that it will be available to teenagers. Because there’s nothing that as contrary to the public interest as a policy that would reduce the number of teen pregnancies.

Let’s be candid: anybody who supports a Republican thinking they’re reliable supporters of reproductive rights would lend their car to Billy Joel and leave a case of scotch in the back seat.