The Supreme Court Could Make Abortion One of 2016’s Big Campaign Issues
Mother Jones
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Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, does not want to talk about abortion. Specifically, he doesn’t want to discuss the draconian law that he signed two years ago, which was upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals this week and now threatens to shut down two-thirds of the state’s remaining abortion clinics.
During an interview on Fox News Wednesday, Perry pushed aside questions about the recent court decision. “I think the real issue for me is this has been settled in the state of Texas,” Perry told host Megyn Kelly before changing the subject to the economy, the border, and national security—”the big issues that I think the bulk of the American people really want to focus on.”
But the American people may not be able to avoid the issue of abortion as next November nears. This week’s ruling paves the way for the United States Supreme Court to take up the most important abortion case in more than 20 years to determine how far states can go in cutting off access to abortion. If the high court takes the case, the justices’ decision could be announced right smack in the middle of the 2016 campaign, forcing candidates to discuss abortion whether they want to or not. And, as Perry seems to recognize, that could be bad news for Republicans.
Excerpt from:
The Supreme Court Could Make Abortion One of 2016’s Big Campaign Issues
