MSNBC: WaPo’s Quinn Declares 90% of Parents Abort Down's Syndrome Babies

At 3:50pm on MSNBC News Live, anchor Contessa Brewer interviewed writer for the Washington Post's 'On Faith' blog, Sally Quinn, on the role of social issues in the presidential campaign and cited recent poll numbers on abortion: " On abortion, the latest New York Times/CBS poll shows 37% of voters say abortions should be generally available, 42% want the procedure available but with stricter limits than we have now. 19% say they should not be permitted at all...What do you make of those numbers?" Quinn responded: "Well, I think the majority of people in this country believe that abortion should be legal at some point. And 90% of people, for instance, who have Down's Syndrome babies choose to terminate their pregnancies. So I think that people generally feel that a woman should have a choice." Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome five months ago.

Quinn went on to suggest Palin and John McCain were hypocritical for being opposed to abortion and in favor of the death penalty and even claimed that Palin would be in favor of executing abortion doctors and women who have abortions: "Both McCain and Palin are in favor of the death penalty. In fact, Sarah Palin has said, 'anybody who murders a child I will sign the death penalty for that person.' So how can you then say life begins at conception, abortion is murder, 'I'm in favor of the death penalty,' and not be in favor of the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions or mothers who allow abortions to be performed?" However, Quinn did not see any hypocrisy in Joe Biden’s contradiction of being personally opposed to abortion, but not publicly: "Joe -- Joe Biden is Catholic, believes that life begins at conception, but does not believe that imposing his religious views on others."

Quinn has attacked Palin for her decision to be McCain’s running mate while being a mother of five. During a September 3 appearance on the CBS Early Show, Quinn suggested that Palin should "rethink her priorities."

Here is the full transcript of the segment:

3:50PM SEGMENT:

CONTESSA BREWER: With the economy stealing center stage in the election, that means social issues like abortion and capital punishment are taking a back seat. Some even wonder if these moral issues should be as relevant as the economy. On abortion, the latest New York Times/CBS poll shows 37% of voters say abortions should be generally available, 42% want the procedure available but with stricter limits than we have now. 19% say they should not be permitted at all. And the Washington Post's Sally Quinn writes about the abortion issue in On Faith. Sally, thanks so much for joining us.

QUINN: Good to be here.

BREWER: What do you make of those numbers?

SALLY QUINN: Well, I think the majority of people in this country believe that abortion should be legal at some point. And 90% of people, for instance, who have Down's Syndrome babies choose to terminate their pregnancies. So I think that people generally feel that a woman should have a choice. But, you know, it is a moral issue, and it's a moral issue for both sides because there is no clarity. And I -- I don't know anybody who's pro-abortion. I've never met anybody who says abortion is a great thing. I think everybody would love to avoid it. But I think-

BREWER: In fact, you hear both sides saying they want to reduce the number of abortions.

QUINN: That's right. And I think now that -- you know, with the medical science, the viability of a fetus gets younger and younger and younger, even though quality of life is never very great for a very early fetus. But I think that the difference between the two candidates is, for instance, Joe -- Joe Biden is Catholic, believes that life begins at conception, but does not believe that imposing his religious views on others. Obama believes -- does not believe that life begins at conception but doesn't know exactly when it begins, which is most -- Sarah Palin and John McCain both believe that life begins at conception, and they are both in favor of the death penalty. And John McCain used to be against it. He was against overturning Roe vs. Wade in 2000-

BREWER: Let's talk about that-

QUINN: -changed his mind and now is in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. Sarah Palin has been very consistent. John McCain did say that he believed it was okay in the case of rape or incest, which I don't understand because if you believe it's murder, then what difference does it make how the child was conceived? Does that mean you can murder a 2-year-old because that child was conceived from rape or incest?

BREWER: In fact, there are very different issues about this that Cindy McCain has been challenged on because she has been asked in interviews lately whether she supports Sarah Palin's view on abortion, which is no abortion ever. Cindy McCain has said, I disagree with that. In fact, I support abortion in cases of rape or incest. Do you think it matters -- I mean it matters electorally to those -- to voters that would vote Republican?

QUINN: That doesn't make any sense because if you believe that life begins at conception, then abortion is murder. Then, of course, the subject of the death penalty comes up. Both McCain and Palin are in favor of the death penalty. In fact, Sarah Palin has said, 'anybody who murders a child I will sign the death penalty for that person.' So how can you then say life begins at conception, abortion is murder, 'I'm in favor of the death penalty,' and not be in favor of the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions or mothers who allow abortions to be performed?

BREWER: And yet politically speaking there has been and we've seen it in the polls that Sarah Palin has attracted a lot of women and a lot of women's interest in the John McCain ticket despite there maybe differences on the abortion issue. And I say women meaning those that were former Hillary Clinton supporters who are pro-choice but have been attracted because Sarah Palin is on the ticket.

QUINN: Well, they want to attract those women, obviously. There are 18 million of them. And I think a lot of those women aren't absolutely sure where Sarah Palin stands on this issue. And I think that if you noticed at the Republican convention there was barely a mention of choice. And I think that they are deliberately playing that down because they know that that could be a real loser for a lot of these pro-Hillary Clinton people. So that the issue that they care most about, which is life and life begins at conception, and anti-abortion, they are really playing down because they know if they don't, they're going to lose an awful lot of women voters.

BREWER: Sally Quinn, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

QUINN: Thanks.