Is Walker's abortion bill driven by his higher ambitions?

The sudden introduction of a restrictive abortion bill may be due to presidential aspirations

Republicans in the legislature and Gov. Scott Walker have indicated they plan to pass into law a bill that would ban all abortions in the state after the 20-week mark.

It’s unclear what the importance of this bill would be. The number of abortions after 20 weeks in America is less than 12 out of every 1,000 performed. And they’re typically performed for reasons other than convenience, despite what some people might argue.

Women aren’t using abortions after 20 weeks as a form of birth control -- with the procedure costing more than $10,000 in some cases, that’d be a ridiculously expensive method. Rather, the reason for this procedure is often due to health concerns, and results in a painstaking decision that is tough but ultimately deemed necessary by the patient and her doctor.

Still, I get the rationale behind a 20-week ban. I’m a pro-choice individual, but I’m also personally very much for preserving the life of a fetus. That’s my personal opinion, and I’m not advocating that as law...but I understand why some people do.

Those who DO find themselves supporting this law ought to know something about Walker’s motivations: they are not based out of his pro-life stance.

Per the Capital Times in Madison:

Walker’s announcement of his support for the ban came the day after he took some heat from conservative leaders over an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace. Frank Cannon, president of the conservative group American Principles in Action, called the interview “the very worst interview on the life issue I have seen from a Republican in recent memory.”

Walker had previously declined to comment on whether he would sign such legislation.

(Emphasis in bold added.)

So it seems that Walker’s true reasoning behind pushing a bill of this nature isn’t based out of some moral obligation. It’s to appease conservatives on the national level, in preparation for his impending presidential campaign.

It’s clear that Walker is using the state of Wisconsin as a means to fulfill a checklist before he runs for higher office. His budget proposal, which scraps a multitude of popular programs and makes horrendous cuts to education across the state, makes that very clear.

His sudden desire to pass this bill is based out of the same reasoning. He’s pushing it now to save face with conservative media on the national scene. This is especially apparent due to how he tried to appear moderate on the issue during his gubernatorial race last year.

Instead of trying to win the confidence of the state of Wisconsin, Walker’s now trying to court conservatives in Iowa.

Anyone who once had a shred of respect for this governor ought to think twice in the future about his motivations. It’s clear that their interests and Walker’s no longer align. The governor is no longer driven to serve the people of this state. He’s got more important things to worry about, apparently, than us.

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