Obama Nominee compares mothers to “slaves,” “losers in the contraceptive lottery”

Dawn Johnsen, nominee to head the White House Office of Legal Counsel, faces criticism from a pro-life group for her opposition to the federal partial-birth abortion ban and her comments characterizing pregnant mothers as “inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery” and comparing pregnancy to slavery or being hit by a drunk driver.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19 approved Johnsen’s nomination by 11 to 7 for a full vote on the Senate floor. (CNA article)

Across the country, Susan B. Anthony List members expressed outrage at Johnsen’s nomination, sending over 26,000 letters of opposition to their U.S. Senators. Johnsen was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19th by a vote of 11-7.

While Johnsen served as the legal counsel for National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League (now NARAL Pro-Choice America), she authored numerous legal opinions rejecting any and all restrictions on abortion. Some notable quotes from Johnsen’s amicus curiae brief in the case Webster v. Reproductive Health Services include:

“Abortion restrictions ‘reduce pregnant women to no more than fetal containers.’”

“The argument that women who become pregnant have in some sense consented to the pregnancy belies reality...and others who are the inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery no more ‘consent’ to pregnancy than pedestrians ‘consent’ to being struck by drunk drivers.”

“The experience [of abortion] is no longer traumatic; the response of most women to the experience is relief.”

Johnsen awaits a floor vote by the full U.S. Senate to gain confirmation to head the Office of Legal Counsel. (Susan B. Anthony List)

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Comments

  1. Leticia4/1/09, 7:50 AM

    Well this "loser" and "Slave" considers motherhood the highest calling a woman can have. Where else can you cooperate in the creation of an eternal soul?
    I have cooperated in the creation of six.

    ReplyDelete

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