Woman details abortion, relationship with "pro-life" congressional candidate

[LTR]

Source: The Seattle Times

A woman who dated congressional candidate Mike Erickson seven years ago said she asked him directly whether he wanted to have a baby. He shook his head no, she said, and paid for her abortion.

In interviews with The Oregonian newspaper, the Oregon City woman said she met Erickson in September 2000 and that she had the abortion in January 2001. They saw each other afterward, she said, even going on a trip to Mexico in March, before the relationship ended. She spoke on the condition that only her first name, Tawnya, be used.

Erickson agrees that he gave Tawnya $300 for medical help, and a ride to a doctor's office, but said he didn't know she was pregnant or planned to get an abortion.

Erickson, a Lake Oswego businessman, is the Republican candidate in Oregon's 5th Congressional District and is running on an anti-abortion platform. The charge that he provided money to Tawnya nearly derailed his campaign for the May 20 primary and could hobble his chances in the Nov. 4 general election against state Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008013912_erickson24m.html

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Please, don't act so surprised.

[KansDem]

1. Yet, he and his party would deny that choice to others...

GOP = "Gang Of hyPocrites"

[Mountainman]

2. For repukes, reality always gets in the way of pandering to the fundies.

It's either lust or greed that always gets the better of them. It's in the blood I think. They have no more moral fiber than the rest of us, they just lie about it.

[SheilaT]

3. Far too many "pro-lifers"

are that way only until faced with an unwanted pregnancy in their own life. Then, suddenly an abortion is acceptable in this case, but not, of course, for anyone else.

It's the hypocrisy that I despise.

[SemperEadem]

9. I think that the moniker "pro life"`

is nothing more than a vehicle which they use to get over on the gullable.

They are pro life until an unplanned pregnancy hits home, then they understand exactly what 'choice' means and how important it is.

But always watch out for those who are spitting-mad intolerant of anything---usually they are up to their eyeballs in that very activity.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. Against Abortion Except In Cases of Rape, Incest, Life of the Mother, AND

One of the cynical jokes that hits all too close to home down here in red-state Texas is that the anti-abortion activists are all firmly opposed to abortion except in cases of rape, incest, the life of the mother, AND THEIR OWN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

:argh:

[damntexdem]

4. I didn't know the gun was loaded!

Suuuuuuuure, Erickson.

[ladywnch]

5. Please don't act so surprised????? who could possibly be surprised?!!

Erickson agrees that he gave Tawnya $300 for medical help, and a ride to a doctor's office, but said he didn't know she was pregnant or planned to get an abortion.


hmmm $300 and a ride to a doctor's office and he couldn't put 2 and 2 together? What is he.....a rocket scientist?!!!!!

Clearly being smarter than a 5th grader is not a prerequiset for office.

[grace0418]

6. Not to mention she asked if he wanted to have a baby.

Sooooooooo, what, she just asked that out of the blue without telling him why? Then she asked for a ride to the doctors office and $300 without telling him why? And he did it, no questions asked?

Is it better to be a lying hypocrite or a clueless moron? I guess Republicans don't worry about such things.

[LibertyLover]

7. And the GOP said that 'don't ask, don't tell'

doesn't work in real life. Seems like Erickson was perfectly happy not to ask his lady friend what was up and didn't want her to tell him either. Sort of like Newt Gingrich's preference for blow jobs from his lady friends so that he could say that he hadn't slept with them. It definitely is a working definition of hypocrisy.

[knitter4democracy]

8. He totally knew. What other medical procedure costs $300?

He's lying to his constituents, his fellow parishoners, his pastor, and himself. I'm glad she came forward to get the truth out.

[SemperEadem]

10. He must have thought

the $300 was for the co-payment, health care being what it is and all... :sarcasm:

but this goes to a far deeper issue about his lack of judgement: he's having unprotected sex? In the 21st century, is he really that far past common sense? We can now see with what head he thinks.

[CanonRay]

12. Oh golly, another Rethug hypocrite.

I'm shocked and appaled.

[progressoid]

13. Sure, I'm surprised.

NOT

[BlueIris]

14. Mike Erickson is possibly the stupidest man alive.

In my neck of the woods, we HAAAAAAATE this man.

They're called vasectomies, asshole.

[surf]

15. As a pro-lifer, Erickson is a used tampon.

That would be an insult to tampons. I shouldn't be surprised a politician says one thing and does another.

[Quantess]

16. This hypocrite beat Kevin Mannix in the primary!

Kevin Mannix was enthusiastic about increasing the incarceration rate by about double, but voters didn't share his enthusiasm for spending exorbitant amounts of money on an enlarged prison system.

I remember quietly rooting for Erickson, over Mannix. And that's only because I've seen enough of Mannix and I don't want him elected for anything. I actually think it's good news that Erickson beat Mannix in the primary, because come General election, both these jerks will have lost.

I get to vote in the 5th congressional district election! Ah, victory will be sweet.

Edit: I was mistaken about Kevin Mannix's previous career in government. He is not an incumbent, just, a persistent campaigner for many Oregon govt. offices.