5 Days Out, Republicans Continue to Offend On Rape: 2012 Bookended By Dangerously Backwards Agenda

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, it was reported that John Koster, Republican candidate for Congress in Washington State had explained his opposition to allowing rape victims to terminate a resulting pregnancy by saying “the rape thing” wouldn’t be improved by an abortion, which would be “putting more violence onto a woman’s body.”

Full story here: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/john-koster-the-rape-thing.php

The 2012 election cycle has been bizarrely marked by Republican comments on rape, beginning in January of 2011 when the Republican Party took over the House and introduced H.R. 3, which would have redefined rape.

“One of the very first bills Republicans introduced when they got power would have redefined rape so some were ‘worse’ than others,” said EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock. “When they got caught, they took that language out and said they hadn’t meant anything by it. Two years and countless comments later, we know the truth. The Republican Party has an agenda on the issue of rape – take personal decisions away from women and give that control to politicians.

“It doesn’t matter who they are or how they regularly vote, women across the country are outraged that these guys think they know what’s best for them, and want to pass laws so women aren’t allowed to make their own decisions. I never would have believed that 2012 would be marked by debates about rape. But here we are. And in five days, women are going to be heard. They’re going to reject this dangerous, offensive, anti-woman agenda – and send this ‘debate’ back to the 1950s.”

In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 1,700,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 87 pro-choice, Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.