MSNBC’s Katie Phang used her Saturday show to allege that the Republican response to the Herschel Walker-abortion allegations prove that they aren’t really pro-life because “it was always about being pro-power.” Co-host of the Democracy-ish podcast, Danielle Moodie agreed, claiming Republicans use that power to be the party of “cruelty and oppression” for “millions of people with uteruses.”
Phang saw a connection between conservative reactions to Trump and Walker, “they did it before. Now, there’s a certain group of GOP voters that looked at Donald Trump and said, ‘he’s going to give me a conservative SCOTUS and I'm going to see the end of Roe v. Wade’ and that’s exactly what Mitch McConnell delivered courtesy of Donald Trump, right?”
Moving on to Walker, Phang continued, “So, in some way these voters, again, a certain group of them, they don’t have a problem owning this, they don’t have a problem standing next to someone like Herschel Walker, but listen, you said it and it’s true, this was never about being pro-life it was always about being pro-power.”
It may be shocking for Phang to understand, but the power to enact laws only comes with winning elections. It is why Democrats stood behind everyone from Bill Clinton to Ted Kennedy.
After Phang asked if people should at least be grateful conservatives are being honest in this alleged simple power play, Moodie declared, “I mean, the fact is that Democrats need to be authentic to their base and the base is very pro-choice. This is about bodily autonomy, this is about freedom.”
She added that abortion is “frankly, it is also about our economy because when you pull woman out of the workforce because they—one: we’re not going to provide them with childcare, we’re not providing increase in child tax credits, we’re not giving you universal pre-K, we’re not doing any of the things that would say this country and the Republican Party is behind women and families.”
Speaking of the GOP, Moodie added, “They aren’t the party of values. They are the party of power. They are the party that wants to create policy that is based in cruelty and oppression and those things need to be clear.”
Moodie also claimed Walker and Republicans are hypocrites for using abortion for their families, but blocking “it for millions of people with uteruses.
Concluding, Moodie made sure to get in some dehumanizing language when referring to the unborn, “And I hope that the voters recognize this. That this is not about them caring about what happens to, quote, unquote, ‘babies.’ This is about what happens when they are able to take over the Senate and to take over the House … And figure out what other rights they want to take away from the American people.”
Neither Phang nor Moodie realized that if Republicans are successful in passing pro-life laws they will make it illegal, or at least much more difficult, for them to be hypocritical on the issue.
This segment was sponsored by Wayfair.
Here is a transcript for the October 8 show:
MSNBC The Katie Phang Show
10/8/2022
7:32 AM ET
KATIE PHANG: Well, Danielle, I think, to your point, though, they did it before. Now, there’s a certain group of GOP voters that looked at Donald Trump and said, “he’s going to give me a conservative SCOTUS and I'm going to see the end of Roe v. Wade” and that’s exactly what Mitch McConnell delivered courtesy of Donald Trump, right?
So, in some way these voters, again, a certain group of them, they don’t have a problem owning this, they don’t have a problem standing next to someone like Herschel Walker, but listen, you said it and it’s true, this was never about being pro-life it was always about being pro-power.
So, should we be grateful now, Danielle, that Republicans have finally stopped a charade, they stopped pretending what it’s about and if so, does that change how Democrats should be approaching the issue of abortion?
DANIELLE MOODIE: I mean, the fact is that Democrats need to be authentic to their base and the base is very pro-choice. This is about bodily autonomy, this is about freedom and frankly, it is also about our economy because when you pull woman out of the workforce because they—one: we’re not going to provide them with childcare, we’re not providing increase in child tax credits, we’re not giving you universal pre-K, we’re not doing any of the things that would say this country and the Republican Party is behind women and families.
No, we’re not doing that at all, once these babies come out you are on your own. And so, the Democrats need to just tell the truth. They need to continue to tell the truth about who the Republican Party is.
They aren’t the party of values. They are the party of power. They are the party that wants to create policy that is based in cruelty and oppression and those things need to be clear.
Look, if Herschel Walker can make decisions about his future and his family then why should he rob Americans of the opportunity to do the same. Why is it okay for Republicans to be able to use, right, the access to abortion for their own needs, but then have the power to block it for millions of people with uteruses. Give me a break.
And I hope that the voters recognize this. That this is not about them caring about what happens to, quote unquote, “babies.” This is about what happens when they are able to take over the Senate and to take over the House and somehow start to begin impeachment hearings about Joe Biden, right? And figure out what other rights they want to take away from the American people.
