Today, the Maryland Democratic Party took immediate and decisive action and demanded the withdrawal of Wendy Rosen as nominee for US Representative in the 1st Congressional District after allegations of electoral law violations were brought to our attention.
In addition, at my direction, the Maryland Democratic Party submitted a letter to the Attorney General and State Prosecutor outlining all information regarding the alleged violations.
Any effort to corrupt or misuse the electoral process is reprehensible, wrong and must not be tolerated.
Per Maryland law, the Maryland Democratic Party will designate an alternate nominee to the State Board of Elections following a vote by the local Democratic Central Committees in the 1st Congressional District. The Party remains committed to ensuring that the voices of all Marylanders are represented and we maintain the highest commitment to the law and the Democratic process.
After having the facts of his record pointed out Roscoe Bartlett is on the attack. Rather than engage in a pointless back and forth there are two simple questions Bartlett should answer to let Maryland voters know where he stands on women’s issues:
Does Roscoe Bartlett believe abortion should be legal in the case or rape or incest?
What does Roscoe Bartlett believe the difference is between rape and “forcible rape”?
The only thing that needs repudiation is Roscoe Bartlett’s voting record on women’s issues.
Roscoe Bartlett and Todd Akin co-sponsored a bill to redefine rape that the Washington Post reported could exclude ‘statutory rape and attacks that occur because of drugs or verbal threats.’ Roscoe Bartlett and Todd Akin have repeatedly co-sponsored a bill that makes abortions illegal in the case of rape or incest. Congress Bartlett should either stand by his legislation or admit that he’s wrong.
Below are the facts about Roscoe Bartlett’s voting record. The tweets Bartlett referred to are here, here, here, and here.
The Sanctity of Life Act
This bill outlaws abortion in the case of rape or incest. It does this by defining a zygote as a full legal person thus making all abortions legally speaking murder. The most recent version is from Paul Broun but Bartlett has been voting on similar legislation for years.
- 2011 H.R. 212 Sponsor: Paul Broun Cosponsors: 65, including Roscoe Bartlett and Todd Akin
- 2009 H.R. 227 Sponsor: Paul Broun Cosponsors: 61, including Roscoe Bartlett and Todd Akin
- 2007 H.R. 4157 Sponsor: Paul Broun Cosponsors: 61, including Roscoe Bartlett and Todd Akin
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act
H.R. 3 was introduced on 1/20/2011 to ban taxpayer funding for abortion. The GOP introduces such bills each session and always includes an exemption for rape and incest. The 2011 version was different.
Bartlett co-sponsored the bill on the date of Introduction, as did Akin (1/20/2011). The 9 page legislation included new language ‘‘(1) if the pregnancy occurred because the pregnant female was the subject of an act of forcible rape…”
The Washington Post wrote that:
A Republican bill seeking to permanently cut off federal funding for abortions has angered women’s groups that say it alters the definition of rape, permitting coverage for the procedure only in cases in which the rape is considered “forcible.”…
Under the proposed language, however, rape becomes “forcible rape.” Critics say the modifier could distinguish it from other kinds of sexual assault that are typically recognized as rape, including statutory rape and attacks that occur because of drugs or verbal threats.
Bartlett never commented on the legislation but after the uproar the GOP dropped the language.
Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis issued the following statement today on Mitt Romney selecting Paul Ryan to be his running-mate:
By choosing Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney is doubling down on the same failed policies that didn’t grow our economy, create good jobs, invest in the future, or pay down our debt. The Romney-Ryan agenda would end Medicare as we know it, raise taxes on the poor to pay for tax breaks for the rich, make college less affordable, and cut Social Security. The Romney-Ryan vision is wrong for Maryland and the country, and is the last thing working families need.
President Obama and Democrats know that we must build an economy to last that lays the foundation for sustainable economic growth where everybody gets a fair shake, everybody gets a fair shot and everybody plays by the same set of rules. That’s why the President is committed to moving us forward by cutting taxes for middle-class families, supporting manufacturing and innovation, giving more people the opportunity to go to college, and investing in infrastructure, science and education.
The choice in this election could not be clearer. We cannot move forward by going back to the same bad ideas that got us into this mess. We must move the country forward by reelecting President Obama.
