When GOP priorities collide

[ProSense]

When GOP priorities collide

By Steve Benen

By most measures, the Republican Party proudly considers itself a fierce opponent of abortion rights. At the same time, the GOP also proudly considers itself an unyielding ally of Israel. So what happens when Israel supports abortion rights?

Kate Nocera sought an answer and found some interesting results.

Last month, a health ministry panel in Israel recommended the state pay for the abortions of women aged 20 to 33, including non-medical abortions. The measure was adopted this week, and will cost the state annually about $4.6 million. Unlike in the United States, abortion is relatively non-controversial in the country.

“They are sovereign nation they can do as they wish,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said of the policy. “That won’t happen in America.”

And that’s about as far as prominent Republicans were willing to go in distancing themselves from an Israeli public policy. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John McCain (R-Ariz.), and others did not comment. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) didn’t want to talk about it, either.

Reps. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and Steve King (R-Iowa) were more vocal in their criticism, but neither one would consider changing U.S. aid to Israel. Indeed, Israelis receive about $3 billion a year in aid from the United States, but Republicans aren’t concerned about indirectly subsidizing a foreign government that uses public funds to pay for abortions.

- more -

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/when-gop-priorities-collide

[Swede Atlanta]

1. And this is the hypocrisy with the reich wing.....

They want to and have stripped funding from Planned Parenthood even though abortion services provided by PP are usually done by a separate entity and no state or federal funding ever goes to the sub. The argument is either well all the money eventually goes into a big pot and some tax money is being used to fund an abortion or that by providing funding for cancer screenings and other women's health services with taxpayer dollars means money that would normally have gone to provide those services are now channeled to kill fetuses.

The same argument can be made here. We give $3BN a year in aid so maybe $2.50 of that will go fund an abortion. Uh oh we need to stop all foreign aid to Israel.

That would be the logical conclusion given the GOP position on PP. But of course the reich wing see no hypocrisy in their two diverging positions or even if they do they will ignore it because giving money to Israel will help bring about Armageddon.

[monmouth3]

2. That amount of money we send them in aid is obscene. Our own go hungry??..n/t