Republicans have no problem portraying themselves as the victims even when a policy has no particular effect on them.  Here’s an example of their twisted logic, specifically Bobby Kaufmann expressing indignation that women want to be the ones to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy in case of a catastrophic birth defect.  He feels  that he and the Republicans should be the ones who choose what women can and cannot do in every case.

At the March Muscatine legislative forum, a female constituent asked this question:

“The heartbeat bill passed the upper chamber with a vote of 30-20 Republican favor. A doctor performing an abortion after a hearbeat is detected faces felony charges unless the mother’s s life is threatened. This intrusion on womens’ rights removes the choice in the face of knowing there are catastrophic defects that remove all quality of life for the child. This in the face of increasing lack of support for medical care supports a class war. This in the face of supporting 2nd amendment rights indicates our representation is pro-birth not pro life. I’m ashamed of the hypocrisy that I continue to see. What will you do to protect the lives of the already born in the face of gun control?”

According to Kaufmann’s logic, it is not women who should be insulted by male legislators such as himself, thinking they have the right to “pick and choose.” Rather it is Bobby who gets to feel “incredibly insulted” by the argument that the woman should be the one who decides.

Bobby explains, “I’m arguing on behalf of the pro-life crowd when I say that if you want to give the courts an easy way to toss it then criminalize or de-license someone for doing something that is currently legal,” clarifying that he is only opposed to making doctors felons because it would be bad political strategy.

He closes on the gun control portion of the question by throwing in the most handy, patronizing talking point he apparently had available, “cautioning everyone” on how “easy” it is to think that “gun control will make us all safe.”

And how easy it seems to be for you, Representative Kaufmann,  to defend your policies over real people with condescending, insulting talking points.