Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was widely criticized last week for his public comments doubting the existence of a politically charged Ohio rape case. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A textbook political adage for elected officials is if you’re going to speak out about something controversial, make sure you’ve got your facts straight. And if you somehow make a mistake, try to limit the damage by owning up to it, or at least shutting up until it blows over.
But by putting Republicans on the defensive, it seems to, at least for now, be playing a role in shaping the public policy debate over abortion restrictions, which are in uncharted legal and political waters following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn in June of Roe v. Wade, which had offered national protections for abortion for decades.
Yost leaned into those doubts two days later on Fox News, where the segment kicked off with a chyron saying the story had “major red flags.” And in his remarks, Yost, while holding open the possibility the story could be true, said it was “especially telling” that as the state’s top law-enforcement official, no agency had reported the crime to his office, which plays a major role in investigating rape cases.calling the storyBut on Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch reported the arrest.
Although partisanship and the intensely differing views on abortion will lead some to defend Yost, at best, he looked foolish speculating on national television about a sensitive topic about which he clearly was not informed. At worst, it’s easy for critics to cast him as being callous or even professionally irresponsible, given his office’s work, which includes supporting rape survivors and often getting involved in local criminal cases.
As early as his Monday Fox News appearance, Yost said that the girl could have gotten a legal abortion in Ohio even under the heartbeat law, due to her pregnancy’s medical risks, even if the fetal cardiac activity had begun. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and state lawmakers, if they impose a total abortion ban when the legislature reconvenes later this year, certainly will be asked about the Ohio case as they write their law. That may influence what the specific language entails, although Gonidakis said in an interview on Friday he thinks pro-life lawmakers have grown calloused over the years when it comes to how abortion-rights supporters wage their arguments.
Big non issue. Yawn
Not just looking foolish is foolish..
Needless to say is good for some partisan reporting
Personally, I don't think he was not informed. I think he flat out lied.
Republicans calling a child rape victim a liar isn’t just foolish, it’s sick.
And he chose not to investigate even after he made a partisan appearance unbecoming of the State’s chief law enforcement officer.
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