THE WIT & WISDOM OF CAL THOMAS

"Ignorance & Apathy. There's an old joke about a fictitious poll taker who asked people what they thought about ignorance & apathy when it comes to politics & elections. One respondent said, 'I don't know & I don't care.' I thought of that joke after seeing a recent youGov poll. It shows a vast gap between what people believe to be true & what is verifiably true. Here are a few examples.

"According to the poll, transgender individuals make up just 1% of the U.S. population, yet people believe the estimated proportion is 21%. Only about 1% of U.S. households earn more than $500,000 a year, but the survey shows respondents believe 26% earn more than that amount. Three % of the U.S. population identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, but the survey shows people think the figure is 30% The Black population of the country is 12%, but people surveyed think it is 41%. Hispanic? The actual number is 17%, while the perception is 39%. It is the same for atheists:  3% (actual) vs. 33% (perception.

"What accounts for this vast disparity between perception & reality? It can only be the news & entertainment media & what they choose to highlight, as well as the bias they bring to subjects & issues they seek to promote, denigrate, or ignore." Column in the Norfolk Daily News, 4/30

"BOTHSIDESISM" IS NEEDED

"Too many liberals would prefer that only their viewpoints should be heard. What is "bothsidesism? It's not a word that is heard often in Northeast & North Central Nebraska, but perhaps it should be more frequently part of conversations. It refers to the journalistic practice of presenting both sides of an argument. But critics say the alleged problem with the practice is that it gives credibility to some opinions & views that they otherwise would not have or deserve.

"The real problem, though, is that liberals & progressives like to presume that their viewpoint is the only one deserving of that credibility. They argue that the cancel culture on the left poses far less of a danger to free speech than attempts, for example, in right-leading state legislatures to determine, by law, what can & can't be taught in K-12 classrooms & public universities.

"Florida's new so-called 'Don't Say Gay' legislation is an example of what horrifies the far left. For those who support it, their opinion isn't worthy of airing. That's why 'bothsidesism' angers & frustrates liberals. Elements of the national media contribute to the situation when they practice what might be called 'onesideism.' Editorial in the Norfolk Daily News, 5/2

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

"Planned Parenthood silent on how it's worked to 'examine' Margaret Sanger's eugenicist past." Fox News Online, 5/6

MORE SCOTUS LEAK NEWS *

* Compliments of Fox News Online, 5/4

"Democrats use leaked SCOTUS opinion to push bill legalizing some abortions for all 9 months."

"Media pushes narrative that leaked Roe v. Wade draft could be midterm game-changer."

"'Devout Catholic' Biden torched for appealing to his rights as a 'child of God' to justify abortion."

"Supreme Court draft decision leaked to energize Democrats' base, former Clinton adviser says." 

"US Marshals, Supreme Court police silent on security measures after draft leak overturning Roe."

"LA abortion protest turns violent:  Protesters lob 'rocks & bottles' at cops, smash cruiser's window."

"US women could get abortions in Canada if Roe v. Wade falls, Canadian minister says."

"Supreme Court leak confirms Ruth Bader Ginsburg's prescient warning about Roe v. Wade . . . Although Ginsburg firmly advocated for women's access to abortion as a constitutional right, she criticized the way in which Roe v. Wade established that that right."

"Sen. Hawley, former Supreme Court clerk, calls abortion a 'religion for the far left.'"

"FLASHBACK:  Biden backed amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade as a senator."

"Abortion survivor reacts to leaked Supreme Court decision draft that would overrule Roe v. Wade. Melissa Ohden, founder of the Abortion Survivors Network, said Tuesday that the leaked Supreme Court abortion ruling left her 'hopeful,' saying legal abortion left her & other abortion survivors 'with physical, emotional, & mental traumas & disabilities, while failing to protect their right to life.'"

"Fox News Poll:  Just over half favor banning abortions after 15 weeks."

"Oklahoma governor signs Texas-style abortion ban into law."

"Justices go into hiding." Drudge Report, 5/5

BIDEN & ABORTION

"Predictably, President Biden has had nothing meaningful to say about the outrageous, criminal leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion, but he has been quick to demagogue the justices in the putative Court majority for overturning Roe andCasey, as well as Republicans and abortion opponents. What’s at stake, the president says, is “about a lot more than abortion,” and he warned that “this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization in recent American history.”

"Putting aside that widespread, vibrant opposition to the taking of unborn life long predates the political emergence of Donald Trump and his “make America great again” movement (On that score, see Xan’s excellent analysis of “What Americans Really Think about Abortion”), the actual extremists when it comes to abortion are Democrats, very much including Joe Biden — ostensibly, a practicing Catholic — and one who once supported a constitutional amendment to empower states to overturn Roe." Andrew McCarthy, National Review Online, 5/4

THE POLLS

"Meanwhile, polls that ask Americans for their views on specific abortion policies tend to find that most Americans disagree with the status quo created by the Court in Roe and Doe v. Bolton and bolstered in Casey — namely, that abortion must be legal across all 50 states, for nearly any reason, and at nearly any time in pregnancy.

"For instance, a Gallup poll from a few years back found that only 28 percent of Americans favor allowing abortion in the second trimester, and only 13 percent of Americans favor allowing it in the last three months of pregnancy — compared to 60 percent who would allow it in the first trimester." Alexandra DeSanctis, NRO, 5/4

JEN PSAKI

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday declined to directly condemn the leak of a Supreme Court draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. 

“Does the White House condemn, explicitly condemn, this leak or has seeing this draft been seen as welcome by some here?” a reporter asked during a press briefing.

“I don’t think we have a particular view on that other than to say that we certainly note the unprecedented nature of it,” Psaki said. “What we are mindful of, and I spoke with the president about exactly this question yesterday, and obviously it’s up to the Department of Justice to determine what, if any, action they will take, and I know obviously there have been calls for that by some Republicans but also members of the Supreme Court.” Brittany Bernstein, NRO, 5/4

"Speaking to reporters at the White House Wednesday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to condemn the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade from the Supreme Court this week. The breach inflamed the legal world and put the institution's integrity at risk." Katie Pavlitch, Townhall, 5/4

THE MISSISSIPPI LAW

The Mississippi law being upheld in this case -- contrary to everything I've heard on MSNBC -- is shockingly reasonable. It states: "Except in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe fetal abnormality, a person shall not intentionally or knowingly perform or induce an abortion of an unborn human being if the probable gestational age of the unborn human being has been determined to be greater than fifteen (15) weeks." The Mississippi legislature provided a series of factual findings:

"-- at eight weeks gestational age the "unborn human being begins to move in the womb";

-- at nine weeks "all basic physiological functions are present";

-- at 10 weeks "vital organs begin to function," and "hair, fingernails, and toenails begin to form";

-- at 11 weeks "an unborn human being's diaphragm is developing," and he or she "may move about freely in the womb;" and

-- at 12 weeks the "unborn human being" has "taken on the human form in all relevant respects."

After 15 weeks, the legislature found, most abortions involve crushing and tearing the fetus apart." Ann Coulter, Townhall, 5/4

NANCY PELOSI

"Democrats believe that every woman everywhere has the fundamental human right to reproductive care, one that is not limited by background, income or zip code," said Pelosi. "Her health decisions, including whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, belong to her." Overturning past decisions that declared the killing of unborn babies a right, Pelosi argued, would "erode the legitimacy" of the court.

"In brazenly ignoring 50 years of its own precedent, the United States Constitution and the will of the American people, this draft ruling would seriously erode the legitimacy of the Supreme Court in the eyes of the American people," she said. "Upholding the rule of law and maintaining the faith of the people require that the Court allow Roe to remain the law of the land."

"Who is correct about abortion? The Catholic Church, which calls it murder? Or Nancy Pelosi, who calls it a right? The church is right. Pelosi is wrong." Terence Jeffrey, Townhall, 5/4