What We're Reading This Morning -- January 24

Good morning everyone! As the ice thaws here in DC, and the March for Lifers leave the streets, Congress gathers tonight on Capitol Hill to hear the president deliver the State of the Union address. We’ll have a wrap-up on all that and more tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here’s what we’re reading this morning…

What’s at stake in 2012? With the Republican presidential candidates all pledging to overturn Roe v. Wade by appointing justices hostile to abortion rights, women have a lot on the line in the upcoming November election. Our own Tait Sye is quoted in Talking Points Memo’s latest: “Could A GOP Victory In 2012 Mean The End Of Roe v Wade?” – “‘A Republican president would be all but certain, if given the chance, to appoint justices who are hostile to abortion rights. And the math favors the GOP to take back the Senate in 2012, which could help get those justices confirmed. ‘Despite the fact that there is mainstream, bipartisan consensus on upholding Roe v. Wade, the leading GOP presidential candidates have pledged to appoint judges that would overturn Roe v. Wade,’ Tait Sye, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, told TPM.”

Rick Santorum wants to make decisions about your body. The Huffington Post reports: “Rick Santorum On Opposition To Abortion In Cases Of Rape: 'Make The Best Out Of A Bad Situation'” – “Santorum explained his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape during an interview Friday, saying that women who face such circumstances should ‘make the best out of a bad situation.’ Asked by CNN's Piers Morgan what he would do if his own daughter approached him, begging for an abortion after having been raped, Santorum explained that he would counsel her to ‘accept this horribly created’ baby, because it was still a gift from God, even if given in a ‘broken’ way.’” Blech.

Finally as the Republican presidential candidates campaign in Florida, they should recognize that Latina women are a force to be reckoned with, particularly when it comes to women’s rights. Penning an op-ed for NBC Latino, Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Destiny Lopez explains “What Roe Means for Latinas”—“Some people assume that Latinas oppose abortion rights. It’s not true. Research shows that Latino voters strongly favor access to safe abortion care. In a recent survey by Lake Research Partners, 74 percent of Latinos agreed that politicians should not interfere with a woman’s pregnancy decision, 73 percent agreed that we should not judge a woman who decides to terminate a pregnancy, and 68 percent openly rejected the Catholic position on abortion, saying that it should remain legal despite the church leaders’ objections.”

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