In one of the nation’s most hotly contested campaigns, incumbent GOP Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has recently been slammed by a new ad blitz highlighting his staunch opposition to abortion rights. He and his campaign consultants are obviously worried about this line of attack: On Monday, they issued one of the slyest ads of the campaign season. Titled “Decision,” the ad attempts to depict Walker as a reasonable fellow on this issue. It’s a brazenly misleading spot—almost a flip-flop—that is designed to create the false impression that Walker respects a woman’s right to choose. The ad is camouflage for the fact that Walker has supported outlawing all abortions, even in cases of rape of incest.
In the ad (seen above), Walker, talking straight into the camera, starts off by saying, “I’m pro-life.” He then defends the bill he he signed in 2013 that required women seeking abortions to first obtain an ultrasound and that required abortion providers to possess admitting rights at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic. This law—which remains tangled in legal challenges—could greatly restrict abortion access in Wisconsin. But in the ad, Walker characterizes the legislation as a measure “to increase safety and to provide more information for a woman considering her options.” Then comes the whopper: “The bill leaves the final decision to a woman and her doctor.” With that statement, a viewer could easily conclude that Walker is personally opposed to abortion but supports the right of a woman to decide (in consultation with a doctor) to choose an abortion.
But Walker is as hard-core on abortion as a conservative anti-choice politician can be. In 2010, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board that he wants to ban abortion entirely—no exceptions for rape or incest. Here’s that exchange:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: You oppose abortion even in cases of rape and incest.
Scott Walker: (Nods)
MJS: Tell me if I got that right.
SW: That’s correct.
For some reason, Walker neglects to mention this absolutist stance in his new ad. The ad is a clear sign that Walker and his strategists believe that this position won’t help him get reelected and that his best shot at winning depends on the most sophisticated of campaign craftiness.
