Washington Post associate editor and MSNBC host of The Saturday Show Jonathan Capehart opened proceedings by quoting the Declaration of Independence before lamenting it “rings hollow today” as Republicans pass pro-life laws.
Naturally, Capehart missed the irony of quoting the iconic passage that mentions the right to life, ‘“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ The Declaration of Independence certainly rings hollow today as the Republican party continues to push legislation that is not only wildly unpopular an dangerous, but also strips these unalienable rights from Americans.”
Teasing a future segment, Capehart continued, “Friday, the Supreme Court ordered continued access to mifepristone until the Court could make a final decision on Wednesday. Polling shows a majority of Americans, 64 percent believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases and we'll get into that later.”
Such polls are essentially meaningless because no law says “abortion shall be illegal in most cases.” Actual laws mention a specific timetable, which naturally effects polling.
In any case, about ten minutes later, Capehart welcomed Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson and asked, “The Supreme Court stay of the Texas ruling”—revoking the FDA approval of mifepristone—"is a good thing but how confident are you that the High Court will keep the stay in place when it meets on Wednesday?”
Johnson urged the Court to be deferential to the FDA, “Well, look, I mean, I think it's clear to most Americans, right, that the FDA determines what is safe and effective, not judges. One can only hope the Supreme Court saw the amicus briefs, the letters that have come in, but once from over 500 pharma executives who are deeply concerned that, kind of, political, partisan wrangling around the FDA could disrupt, you know, its, ability to determine what's safe and effective for Americans.”
The question at the heart of the case is whether the FDA followed proper bureaucratic procedure, it is much more technical than the Dobbs case, but Johnson still invoked those memories:
But, you know, confidence is unclear, right? We have a Court that overturned 50 years of precedent last summer, so we have to be deeply concerned for the patients who, you know, I spoke to one colleague yesterday, who said she had a patient ready for-- coming in at 9 A.M. and worried that the Supreme Court decision wouldn't come down until, well after midnight, and the ability to get to the patients coming in, that's the kind of disruption we are seeing because of this lawsuit.
Bureaucratic technicalities aside, rule by elected legislatures is superior to rule by bureaucrats and the right to life is noticeably the first right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.
This segment was sponsored by Lincoln.
Here is a transcript for the April 15 show:
MSNBC The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart
4/15/2023
9:01 AM ET
JONATHAN CAPEHART: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The Declaration of Independence certainly rings hollow today as the Republican party continues to push legislation that is not only wildly unpopular an dangerous, but also strips these unalienable rights from Americans. Friday, the Supreme Court ordered continued access to mifepristone until the Court could make a final decision on Wednesday. Polling shows a majority of Americans, 64 percent believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases and we'll get into that later.
…
9:11 AM ET
CAPEHART: The Supreme Court stay of the Texas ruling is a good thing but how confident are you that the High Court will keep the stay in place when it meets on Wednesday?
ALEXIS MCGILL JOHNSON: Well, look, I mean, I think it's clear to most Americans, right, that the FDA determines what is safe and effective, not judges. One can only hope the Supreme Court saw the amicus briefs, the letters that have come in, but once from over 500 pharma executives who are deeply concerned that, kind of, political, partisan wrangling around the FDA could disrupt, you know, its, ability to determine what's safe and effective for Americans.
But, you know, confidence is unclear, right? We have a Court that overturned 50 years of precedent last summer, so we have to be deeply concerned for the patients who, you know, I spoke to one colleague yesterday, who said she had a patient ready for-- coming in at 9 A.M. and worried that the Supreme Court decision wouldn't come down until, well after midnight, and the ability to get to the patients coming in, that's the kind of disruption we are seeing because of this lawsuit.
