Senator Ron Johnson wants people to look at fetuses in jars before voting on abortion

Sen. Ron Johnsons (R-Wis.) Re-election campaign is in a statistic dead heatand abortion is on the center of the race. In recent weeks, Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers tries kick out the state archaic abortion ban of 1849 with a statewide referendum, but the Republican-controlled Legislature refuses to allow it. New Audio received by Jezebel from several private Republican Q&A sessionsJohnson seems to take conflicting, nonsensical, and frankly bizarre, positions on the subject.

With such a Meeting on September 16 in OshkoshJohnson – who in May supports a 20-week federal ban on abortion and has repeated co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act and similar bills since 2011 — said it was “not for” Sen. Lindsey Grahams (RS.C) recently introduced 15-week federal ban. But, Johnson clarified, just because it’s too soon:

“Okay, so I’m not for what Lindsey Graham has suddenly made available [inaudible]. It’s not the right time, maybe at some point, maybe in the future, once this process has been played out in all states, maybe Congress needs to go in there and go, okay, you’ve got a couple of runaways here, you know better, protect You better live a little sooner than that. But you know, the extreme position is from the left, by the way.”

At the same event in Oshkosh, pre-recorded audio shows Johnson answered a question about his stance on the possibility of a nationwide referendum He repeatedly refers to an exhibit at a science museum that shows embryos and fetuses at all stages of development – conception on the left end of the spectrum and a live baby on the other. Johnson then declared his support for an abortion referendum not only in Wisconsin but in every state – as long as voters first looked at the aforementioned 1970s museum exhibit of disorganized fetuses before making their decision:

“So what I would like to see is a single referendum in each state, not combined with other elections. … I think that [abortion] A cancer on our body politic for 50 years is that we heal that cancer with a thoughtful, compassionate, sympathetic discussion, then a vote of the people and find out where this bell curve is coming from. …

When I first visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago – did you see this wonderful exhibit? Thirty-six bottles of eggs throughout pregnancy. I probably saw it right when Roe v. calf was decided in the early 1970s. I said how to decide this debate is to do a long-term longitudinal study, let people vote, ‘At what point do you think life should be protected?’ I’m guessing it would be at the very bottom left side of this display.”

Johnson made virtually identical comments at a Republican Q&A session in Greenleaf on Sept. 23, this time adding, “Before you make that decision, before you vote on this referendum, you should know how big these little babies are.” He continued continued: “I think we can all agree that society has a responsibility to protect life, right? That’s why there are laws against murder. The question is, should we do it in the womb? I think if you do it that way, I guess you’re protecting life, the majority of Americans, far to the left of this ad, much closer to conception.” It sure sounds like Johnson wants to ban abortion, if not at conception, then probably before Graham’s 15-week ban.

The senator’s reelection campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on his statements in the audio received from Jezebel.

As much as Johnson, like other Republican nominees for the Senate and up and down the vote, could do ambiguous on or literally hide her deeply unpopular anti-abortion stance, it’s pretty clear where he stands – whether you look at his own electoral history or his comments at private events.

While Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature continued to oppose a referendum last week, Johnson supported not just one, but a referendum Posted the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a sample ballot he intends to send to voters, asking, “When does society have a responsibility to protect the life of an unborn child?” The ballot lists 10 options, beginning with “from the moment of conception.” and ending with “Never – an unborn child has no right to life”.

Besides being obvious how dangerous such a referendum could be, possibly full of concessions Constitutional Rights for Fertilized Eggs and explicit Criminalization of miscarriage and IVF, it is almost ridiculous how Johnson came to this conclusion. Real doctors, experts and pregnant women know what’s at stake when abortion is banned — but Johnson, after seeing a single exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry from the ’70s, is convinced he’s the expert for all that is. I almost have to respect the truly amazing level of straight white male self-confidence – if only Johnson wouldn’t use it to take away my rights to bodily autonomy.

In any case, it’s almost impossible to understand what Johnson is talking about Graham’s 15-week suspension or Johnson’s personal terms for a referendum, his comments make one thing clear: Republicans have no idea what they’re talking about on pregnancy and abortion. Your best defense for all the widespread pain Sufferand terror inflicted on women, pregnant women, families and their loved ones doctorsis apparently a cute display of embryos in jars in a Chicago museum.