Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Friday afternoon, CNN host Jake Tapper displayed the latest example of his consistent bias against pro-life activities by conservatives as he devoted a segment to letting a pro-abortion guest react to new Oklahoma laws banning abortion.
Northwestern University Professor Katie Watson -- whom Tapper did not inform viewers is an advocate of abortion -- fretted that women who want abortions would be "medical refugees" because of the laws and made a tortured analogy comparing it to trying to re-segregate schools by getting parents to enforce it.
After Tapper began by asking Watson what the "practical effect" of the Oklahoma ban would, she began by labeling the law as a "copycat" of Texas's law:
So the Oklahoma bill is a copycat of the Texas six-week ban. And the immediate effect is that approximately 12,000 women a year would be displaced. And I thinks of these folks as medical refugees. In Texas, 45 percent of the patients who travel to escape that unconstitutional ban went to Oklahoma.
A bit later, she likened the enforcement of such abortion bans to re-segregating schools:
Now, the second element is this vigilante enforcement mechanism, which is still extraordinary. And I just think we have to not forget that, that if Texas had said, "Oh, re-segregate the schools, but you can't sue us, that it's a violation of Brown versus Board because parents are the ones who get to enforce it," that part is so threatening to our democracy and our separation of powers and our judicial system, the implications are much larger than with just abortion.
Tapper did not challenge her in his followup, and she then suggested that a woman's "personhood" would not be recognized if abortion were made illegal:
TAPPER: So the people who are passing these laws, they obviously argue that they think abortion is immoral and more. Are they succeeding in eliminating abortion? Or are they just driving the women who want to get abortions to other states or to illegal secret abortions?
WATSON: They're increasing the hardship, so I think we're about after the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs versus Jackson's Women's Health Organization moving to a system of free states and forced motherhood states where a women's personhood is not recognized, and therefore women have to flee to get abortions or they try to order abortion pills off the internet or they try to self-induce in other more dangerous ways.
Watson -- who has served on the board of the National Abortion Federation and has been involved with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America -- has appeared on The Lead as a guest five times since September without her involvement in such groups ever being mentioned.
For the past few years, Tapper has been sympathetically touting the concerns of pro-abortion activists while challenging the few pro-life guests with more aggressive questioning.
Last December, Governor Tate Reeves was aggressively challenged when the Mississippi governor appeared on State of the Union, with the CNN host hinting that the state should not ban abortion because it has not been more successful in improving the standard of living for poor children.
As documented by NewsBusters, Tapper had previously pressed Governor Reeves in another interview.
By contrast, in the rare occasions when he has brought up conservative complaints against abortion, he has generally done so half-heartedly, allowing Democrat guests like former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to spin, or Congresswoman Jackie Speier to just refuse to answer the question without followup.
This episode of CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper was sponsored in part by Life Alert. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper
April 29, 2022
5:23 p.m. Eastern
JAKE TAPPER: In our "National Lead," Republican-led state legislatures across the country are advancing new bills that would make abortion nearly illegal entirely. Oklahoma is the latest state, passing a Texas-style bill that would ban abortions after six weeks, before many women even know that they're pregnant. And, like Texas, the law would also incentivize citizens to sue anyone who performs or helps someone get an abortion. Let's discuss this with Katie Watson. She's an attorney and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University. Professor Watson, so this Oklahoma bill will go into effect as soon as the governor signs it, which he is expected to do. Practically speaking, what will this mean for Oklahoma?
KATIE WATSON, NORTWESTERN UNIVERSIY MEDICINE: So the Oklahoma bill is a copycat of the Texas six-week ban. And the immediate effect is that approximately 12,000 women a year would be displaced. And I thinks of these folks as medical refugees. In Texas, 45 percent of the patients who travel to escape that unconstitutional ban went to Oklahoma. So the minute this takes effect, Oklahoma women --approximately 90 percent of them -- would have to travel if they wanted an abortion. And, in addition, we have the roughly 1,000 or so Texas patients who are moving as well. And so yearly I estimate it's about 12,000 Texans and Oklahomans who will now have to travel for abortion care. So it is a huge effect -- it will be immediate. And, if I may add, on Monday the Oklahoma legislature is expected to pass a total abortion ban with this vigilante enforcement scheme that will be more quickly enjoined, I imagine, But they just can't stop in Oklahoma.
TAPPER: So the U.S. Supreme Court, in the next few weeks, we're expecting the Court will rule on the constitutionality of Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban. What impact will that have on states, do you think? And can you read the tea leaves as to how you think the Court might rule?
WATSON: Well, there are two factors there. One is, exactly as you said, what the Court rules there. It's possible that Justice Roberts could wrangle five conservatives into saying, "We're upholding the court holding of Roe -- women have a constitutional right abortion, but we're going to jettison the viability standards, and states can decide when abortion is banned as long as they give women some opportunity." They could also just uphold the Mississippi 15-week ban. But those are, like, the, quote, "good" scenarios for pro-choice advocates. It's also very likely that even if it's with a five-member majority, the conservatives absolutely just reverse Roe, and it's a complete free-for-all in the states.
Now, the second element is this vigilante enforcement mechanism, which is still extraordinary. And I just think we have to not forget that, that if Texas had said, "Oh, re-segregate the schools, but you can't sue us, that it's a violation of Brown versus Board because parents are the ones who get to enforce it," that part is so threatening to our democracy and our separation of powers and our judicial system, the implications are much larger than with just abortion.
TAPPER: So the people who are passing these laws, they obviously argue that they think abortion is immoral and more. Are they succeeding in eliminating abortion? Or are they just driving the women who want to get abortions to other states or to illegal secret abortions?
WATSON: They're increasing the hardship, so I think we're about after the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs versus Jackson's Women's Health Organization moving to a system of free states and forced motherhood states where a women's personhood is not recognized, and therefore women have to flee to get abortions or they try to order abortion pills off the internet or they try to self-induce in other more dangerous ways. So what we're seeing in Texas is that many who are seeking abortion are traveling or ordering pills from the internet or having a miscarriage -- what looks like a miscarriage at home. And that will get harder because -- as Texas and states like it become more land-locked.
So we know 59 percent of abortion patients are already mothers. And we know half live under the poverty line which is about $13,000 for a single person. So imagine people in that category -- say you live in Texas and you could make it to Oklahoma, that doesn't mean you can make it to Kansas or elsewhere, .And so, as more states fall, as these dominoes fall, it gets harder and harder to travel. So it is true that these laws are simply forcing women to endure more shame, more expense, and it's pushing them to later gestational stages. So for those who say they find second-trimester abortions more problematic than the first, they ought to be against these laws pushing them into later gestation.
TAPPER: Katie Watson, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time as always.
(...)
CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper
July 1, 2018
JAKE TAPPER (to Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins): A lot of women around the country are looking to you right now -- almost seven in 10 women, according to a new poll, want Roe versus Wade to stay intact. What do you say to those women who say, "What are you going to do here? How are you going to protect this right?"?
(...)
You're going to get a lot of pressure from groups and individuals who support abortion rights, and one of the things that they think about you is that you get played by these judges, and that ultimately, if you vote to support whoever President Trump nominates -- presuming that person comes from this list of 25 -- that one of your longest-lasting legacies is likely going to be that you voted to confirm a justice who ultimately tipped the balance of power -- political power -- on the Court and voted to overturn Roe.
(...)
CNN's State of the Union
December 16, 2018
9:09 a.m. Eastern
TAPPER (to Senator Collins): Planned Parenthood's political wing tweeted out a link from a liberal website slamming you as, quote, "delusional," for thinking that this move means (Justice Brett) Kavanaugh will support abortion rights -- uphold Roe v. Wade in the future. I wanted to give you an opportunity to respond.
(...)
The Lead
May 22, 2019
4:47 p.m.
CBS News finds that 67 percent of Americans think the Supreme Court should keep Roe versus Wade -- 28 percent want the high court to overturn it. A Pew poll found similar feelings -- 65 percent of voters said that they agreed with Roe versus Wade. Why are Republicans doing this then if ultimately the vast majority of the American people don't support these bans and don't want Roe v. Wade overturned?
(...)
The Lead
May 31, 2019
4:48 p.m.
We have some news -- good news if you're an abortion rights supporter, especially in Missouri, but the celebration might not last very long. Stay with us.
(...)
State of the Union
May 30, 2021
9:23 a.m.
(interview with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY))
The Supreme Court is now preparing to hear a case of a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks, which is about two months earlier than Roe v. Wade would make legal. How worried are you that this Supreme Court which is basically 6-3 majority conservative will gut Roe versus Wade?
(...)
State of the Union
June 6, 2021
9:39 a.m.
(interview with Governor Tate Reeves (R-MS))
And what do you say to a Mississippian who says, "Why are you telling a girl who has been raped by her uncle that she has to carry the child to term?"?
(...)
State of the Union
December 5, 2021
9:00 a.m.
(in opening tease) Roe at risk: Nationwide protection for abortion is on the line as the Supreme Court considers a Mississippi case that could overturn Roe v. Wade. Could millions of American women lose their constitutional right to have an abortion?
(...)
(interview with Governor Reeves)
9:18 a.m.
So the country has been here before -- before 1973 -- and what happens in reality is women of means are still able to get abortions, but poor women, young women, vulnerable women often end up seeking abortions in ways that can cause them severe harm, mutilation, if not death in some cases. So do you acknowledge that this step will result in some women getting almost certainly seriously hurt, some even dying.
(...)
You clearly see this move as part of a culture of life as you've said in the past. Mississippi of course ranks 50th in the country in infant mortality. Mississippi is nearly last when it comes to childhood hunger. According to a recent study of what kids need to thrive from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, looking at economic wellbeing and education and health and family and community, Mississippi ranks 50th out of 50 for child wellbeing. How do you square those statistics about Mississippi with what you say about a culture of life?
(...)
State of the Union
December 12, 2021
9:42 a.m.
(interviewing Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN))
The Supreme Court just ruled that some of the challenges against Texas's restrictive abortion ban can proceed. The law bans abortion after six weeks before a lot of women even know they're pregnant, deputizes private citizens to enforce it. That law is allowed to remain in effect. Quickly, if you could, what was your reaction? And what do you fear about the -- I know you've expressed fear about what happens to Roe v. Wade.
