Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Redefining Bobby

Posted in:

Illinois

Most Republican candidates expect the usual pro-abortion, “coat hanger” ads to hit their constituents’ mailboxes as Democrat groups attempt to confuse voters by gining up baseless fear just prior to an election.

However, Democrat Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and the Illinois Democrat Party may have sunk to a new low in putting out a mailer accusing her opponent - former Congressman Bobby Schilling - of trying to redefine rape.

Shocked by the audacity of Bustos and the Dems, and angry about the deliberate deceit, Schilling spokesman Jon Schweppe told Illinois Review the mailer is “completely false.”

“The bill in question about ‘redefining rape’ was H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” said Schweppe. “Bobby co-sponsored this bill and voted for it when it passed the House. It contained exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life was at risk. It had nothing to do with rape. To say so is shamelessly misleading and false.”

Actually, to say so is true.

* From March of 2011…

Last month, House Republicans proposed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would redefine rape so that women on Medicaid could only have abortion services covered if the rape was “forcible.” It would also deny abortion coverage to victims of incest who are 18 years of ago or older. Not surprisingly, people were outraged at the proposal and for weeks talk of the redefinition provision dominated discussions of the new Republicans’ anti-abortion agenda in the political blogs and the social media universe.

That was one bizarre DC fight over some creepy far-right conspiracy theories about women faking rape reports in order to get Medicaid coverage. The kooky language was eventually withdrawn, but it did, indeed, attempt to “redefine rape.”

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:47 am

Comments

WHY is Bobby Schilling drawing attention to this issue?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 11:55 am
-Rich-
Did he vote for it with the kooky language? If not, this is the kind of stuff that gives politics a bad name and a little more than a bit of a stretch.

Comment by DS Politico Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:00 pm
Is Illinois Review trying to help Schilling by drawing attention to this?

Geez, I wouldnt want those guys on my side.

Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:01 pm
No, it’s not true, and to say it’s true is absolutely irresponsible. All rape is forcible rape. By its very definition rape is forcible. It’s sexual assault. It’s wrong. Was that word necessary? No, and that’s why it was removed from the bill before it even passed out of committee. But to send out a mailer implying Bobby Schilling is pro-rape? This is ridiculous and it’s the worst of the worst of campaigning.

Comment by Amateur Hour Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:02 pm
=== But to send out a mailer implying Bobby Schilling is pro-rape?===

Poppycock. Nowhere in that mailer does it imply that. That’s Schilling’s spin.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:05 pm
Word, Schilling obviously thinks it helps him because he’s fundraising on the issue http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f57658eeef5e9b1f9d6e8ab7e&id=9d899d2417&e=52bcfcfcf9

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:06 pm
Rape is rape* … *Except to Bobby Schilling

Seems pretty clear to me. Without reading further, one would have to imagine Bobby Schilling said that rape is okay.

Silly me, thinking there was a shred of decency in Illinois politics.

Comment by Amateur Hour Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:12 pm
Amateur, how is changing the legal definition of rape not redefining rape? Do you understand the English language?

Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:13 pm
“Did he vote for it with the kooky language?”

Bobby Schilling added himself as a co-sponsor when H.R. 3 was first introduced on January 20, 2011. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/hr3-112/show

The language redefining rape was not removed from H.R. 3 until February 28, 2011. http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/2220-Republicans-Strike-Rape-Redefinition-Language-From-Abortion-Bill/ and http://www.motherjones.com/files/hr3-markup-memo.pdf

While H.R. 3 did not come to a vote before it was amended, it is not a stretch to note that Bobby Schilling co-sponsored the “kooky language” redefining rape from its inception.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:14 pm
Fundraising? Unbelievable.

Must have bought the Akin and Mourdoch lists.

Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:15 pm
Okay PC, what type of rape isn’t forcible? Tell me. I wouldn’t have personally included that language in the bill, but I also say “I need to go to the ATM” not “I need to go to the ATM machine.”

The bill wasn’t even about rape. There was no “legal definition” being changed. It was about taxpayer funding for abortion.

Comment by Amateur Hour Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:18 pm
Again, AH, this was all about kooky winger conspiracy theories. It was creepy language inserted for even creepier reasons and it was withdrawn after furious opposition developed. If it was no big deal, why withdraw it?

Schilling can’t get away from this. He co-sponsored the bill. He co-owns it.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:21 pm
It’s hilarious that an ad attacking Bustos for voting to cut $6 billion from veterans benefits is deemed, “SHAMEFULLY MISLEADING” and some of the “dirtiest politics” that Illinois has ever seen.

However when Bustos says that Bobby wants to redefine rape, because ya know non-forcible rape is pretty cool, it’s deemed as “legitimate.”

Rich, I’ve lost all respect for you. Yout pro-abortion in all cases/paid with tax payer dollars mindset has completely blinded you.

Comment by i miss illinois Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:24 pm
“Rich, I’ve lost all respect for you.”

I’ll bet he gets over that.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:28 pm
There are no rational discussions on this topic anymore. Haven’t been for decades. The crazies on both sides should be put in a mutually assured destruction situation on this issue.

There are very thoughtful people on both sides of this. Who would ever know they probably make up the significant majority of people who consider this issue. BTW, I am pro life with the exceptions. I’ve also met some remarkable people born as the result of a rape who made the world better. One being Chris Zorich. There are plenty of others, but he’s well known.

Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:30 pm
What in the hell is “non-forcible” rape??

Comment by Chicago_Finest Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:32 pm
-MrJM-
i miss illinois has a point

Comment by DS Politico Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:32 pm
Desperately seeking votes from anywhere he can possibly get them. The last gasps of a dying campaign.

Comment by Aldyth Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:33 pm
Can we please get past this Democrat Party childishness and call it the DEMOCRATIC Party, you know, it’s actual name.

Now, with that rant out of the way, I have no idea what universe some of the Republicans live in with this “forcible” rape crap. They sank their US Senate chances last election with dummy candidates espousing that nonsense.

And given some of the comments here it’s apparent that there are still dummies that get into the forcible rape argument. And, yes, I called you dummies.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:42 pm
===I’ll bet he gets over that.===

Instantly.

Also, I’m not the one who said the Schilling ad was shamefully misleading. I just posted the analysis. And if I recall correctly, I disagreed with that analysis in part.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:43 pm
“i miss illinois has a point”

Yes — but a nice hat could cover it up.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:44 pm
What a stupid unbelievable stunt

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:48 pm
A guy… - Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:30 pm:

“There are no rational discussions on this topic anymore. Haven’t been for decades. The crazies on both sides should be put in a mutually assured destruction situation on this issue.”

100% agree. I am sick and tired of both sides trying to twist this issue in a matter that it would make a pretzel look straight.

There appears to be no intelligent discussion by either side on this issue anymore. Charges are made to attract attention and to raise funds.

As Rich would day “Move on”. But that is not likely to happen.

Comment by Federalist Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:54 pm
As a pro-choice woman, that whole law is a bunch of crap. And if you are tired of the issues tell your lawmakers to leave them alone. As long as they are bringing up laws to try to make changes to abortion and birth control etc, women like me are going to be fired up. Ridiculous. If he was a part of that bill, he should own it, so that women know what his true feelings are and can keep him from Congress.

Comment by girls opinion Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 12:59 pm
Are the “the remarkable people born of rape” part of the rational discussion on access to abortion?

Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:17 pm
Wait, wait, wait, wait…. Wait.

Stuff you sponsor/vote for can be used against you in an election?

Foul is fair and fair is foul! Says the fool….

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 1:26 pm
Not to get all technical, but is it “forcible” if someone gives a woman a drug that renders her unconscious or unable to move?

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 2:00 pm
Soccermom my interpretation of the goofy discussions is that forced would be determined by the amount of resitance a old white male thought the women used. If she didn’t resist enough its just women trying to milk free abortions after all. Maybe call it the three bruise law. And shilling was all over closing this fear

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 2:58 pm
what is it about Republicans and rape and their sexist bullying attitudes? and, yes, Bobby, you were wrong.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 3:47 pm
===While H.R. 3 did not come to a vote before it was amended, it is not a stretch to note that Bobby Schilling co-sponsored the “kooky language” redefining rape from its inception.===

Exactly.

Recent We ask america poll has Bustos up on Schilling 55%-39%. Looks like desperation on Schilling’s part… http://weaskamerica.com/2014/10/22/il-congressional/

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 5:14 pm
The Republicon artists are at it again. And IR crying at the big bad meanies again. So much for personal responsibility and the rest of their rhetoric.

Comment by low level Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 6:20 pm
So am I missing something. Schilling voted for H.R 3, but last month there was some rangling on another bill, or even this bill, but language being inserted. So Schilling had nothing to do with this new langauge or even a vote in the House last month since he is not a member of congress?! Correct?! So it really is Bustos stooping to a new low?!

Comment by Oracle Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 9:18 pm
Oracle, huh? the language in question redefining rape was in the bill when schilling signed on as a sponsor.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Oct 22, 14 @ 9:44 pm
Bustos is running in the MOST DEMOCRATIC 17th District in 50 years and the most DEMOCRATIC by far in downstate Illinois. She would have to get hit by a truck to lose it. So why the hysterical ads?

Comment by Bill Edley Friday, Oct 24, 14 @ 7:50 am