In Colorado this week, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) faced off against former Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) in a televised debate, and according to one of the local reports, their discussion got a little confusing when the issue of “personhood” measures came up.
“You have switched on personhood in this election,” the governor told his challenger. Beauprez replied, “I am opposed to the personhood amendment.”
“I said that,” Hickenlooper interjected, prompting Beauprez to respond, “You said personhood. There’s a big difference.”
Admittedly, I didn’t see the debate, and I can’t say for sure that this report from the local CBS affiliate is exactly correct. But if the Republican really believes there’s a difference between personhood and personhood, it might be time for the former congressman to up his game.
Personhood has been a problem for a high-profile Colorado Republican for the U.S. House; it’s been a huge problem for a high-profile Colorado Republican for the U.S. Senate; and it’s apparently now a problem for a high-profile Colorado Republican for governor.
Complicating matters, Beauprez whole approach to reproductive health is suspect.
Beauprez refused to answer what he called a “hypothetical” question on whether or not he would sign a ban on abortion and went on to say he opposes IUD contraceptives, which he labeled an “abortifacient”, the equivalent to a drug that causes an abortion.“I’m unabashedly pro-life,” said Beauprez, who also said he respects those with other views and would uphold the law, which protects abortion, if elected governor.
It might be worth asking Beauprez if he actually knows what an IUD is.
KDVR, the Fox affiliate in Denver, added:
“The fact is the IUD is not an abortifacient. These comments illustrate how little Bob Beauprez really understands about women’s health,” said Planned Parenthood’s Cathy Alderman. “The IUD prevents fertilization and is proven to be one of the most reliable methods to prevent pregnancy.“As a trusted provider of reproductive health care in Colorado, Planned Parenthood highly recommends IUDs as a method of birth control to our patients. We agree with our colleagues from the American Academy of Pediatrics, who recently released a report finding the IUD is one of the best methods of birth control for teens.”
I’m going to assume that the gender gap in the Colorado race is going to be pretty significant this year. Call it a hunch.
Disclosure: My wife works for Planned Parenthood, but played no role in this article.
Recommended
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."