Yesterday, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a pregnant woman in Texas could not obtain an abortion. Now her lawyer said that carrying the fetus to term could compromise her future fertility and also put her life in danger. Do you think the law should require a woman in that kind of difficult [00:00:15] position to carry the baby to term? >> Speaker 2: What I can tell you is in Florida, the Florida legislature passed a heartbeat bill that contained exceptions, and I understand they're very difficult, and these things get a lot of press attention. I understand, but that's a very small percentage that those exceptions cover. [00:00:32] There's a lot of other situations where we have an opportunity to realize really good human potential. >> Speaker 3: And how exactly would we do that? Would we do that by backing off of the insane laws that Republicans have passed [00:00:47] that have resulted in horrors being played out on a daily basis in states across mostly the south. But other parts of America as like, he hid in a way that so many republicans do behind, there are exceptions. And he talked about how in Florida we have exceptions no, [00:01:02] I understand that you have exceptions. I understand that that is supposed to be the paper pointless shield that you hide behind to avoid culpability for your insane, religiously dogmatic laws that you're passing. The point of all of this is that those exceptions aren't worth a damn, [00:01:20] they will not save Kate Cox's reproductive ability. They won't save her life, necessarily. She, like so many, is being forced to flee to another state because you passed those exceptions so that you could get the laws passed, that's it. With no intent that anyone would be able to qualify under them. [00:01:38] What he finds so inconvenient is that the case of Kate Cox is pointing that out to everyone. It shouldn't have required this case study, we and others in media have been saying it since before the laws were passed. But now it is an unavoidable conclusion that those exceptions don't mean anything. [00:01:56] And you should never gamble your future or the future of those you love on these little dribs and drabs of lies that they've put in their legislation. I think, Jake Tapper did sort of point that out, which is good and we're gonna have more to say about that later in the show. But, Adrian, what do you make of know? [00:02:13] >> Speaker 4: I really think that you have hit the nail on the head. The fact is that these little exceptions out here that the republican party likes to say are qualifiers. And they're in the event of legitimate abortions, that they're really just a farce. They're not here because they require the permission, [00:02:29] the approval of members of the judiciary or members of legislature in some way. And these are the same individuals who co-signed on to these restrictions. And we're seeing this play out in Texas right now that there are truly no exceptions. If you have to get permission from a body or board that is [00:02:46] against you being able to access that form of healthcare to begin with. And it's so incredibly, incredibly disheartening that people continue to vote for individuals who would make decisions like this. And I really hope that the situation with Cox down in Texas is enough [00:03:02] to get people to make good decisions when they are at the ballot boxes. Because otherwise, they are doing nothing more than guaranteeing a future that involves more restrictions and more farce like exceptions provided by the Republican Party. >> Speaker 3: 100% I mean, nobody should be surprised that this is happening, [00:03:21] that people are. And she's gonna be able to get out of the state other people will not. They will not have the resources, they won't have the media attention, they won't have the nonprofit connections. They will suffer, they will have horrendous experiences some will be scarred for life. [00:03:37] Some will no longer be able to have children for the rest of their life, some will die. Republicans know that and have passed the laws anyway that is it, that is what is going on here. They don't want you to pay attention to these cases that make clear [00:03:53] the horror of how these situations are adjudicated. And that's as true for Kate Cox as it is for, as we talked about yesterday on the show, Brittany Watts, these laws are set up to repress. That's what they are there for and so we cannot be surprised that in the end, [00:04:10] what we get is repression. It is not a side effect, it's not an unforeseen consequence, it is unfortunate for them that people are paying attention to it. But that's what it's there for, always you don't need a judge or Ken Paxton or the republican state legislature. [00:04:26] There has always been a perfectly suited arbiter as to whether a person needs to have an abortion, and it's the goddamn person who's pregnant. They have the expertise, they have the knowledge of their life situation, [00:04:42] they know what is going on. And the idea that some conservative who has since the first time they took notice of women. Despised and lusted after and feared them should be making that decision is utterly sick and only makes sense to men who are as broken as he is. [00:05:00] Ron DeSantis. Look, if there's anything to make us feel better about this is that he might well not drop out after Iowa. When he is going to get utterly creamed, he might hang around and that is only gonna increase the pain for him. [00:05:16] It is only gonna hurt his reputation more, it is only gonna hurt his chances of ever actually becoming president some. You know, it is difficult right now to come up with someone who deserves the suffering he is inflicting on himself more than Ron DeSantis. Any final thoughts on this before we take our break Adrain? [00:05:32] >> Speaker 4: No, I just think it would be very disheartening that individuals will continue to prop up others like Ron DeSantis. If he continues to be governor after this, if individuals continue to allow somebody like this to be in a leadership position and to encourage them. [00:05:49] But then again, we have individuals like Vivek Ramaswamy i who also unapologetically think they should be in a position to lead. Scary? >> Speaker 3: 100% and don't worry, we will get to him following his CNN town hall. >> Speaker 4: Can't wait. >> Speaker 3: God only imagines what he will say, might actually make Ron DeSantis [00:06:06] seem somewhat [LAUGH] reasonable by comparison and isn't that sick. [MUSIC]