Not killing babies is now a partisan issue

The United States is one of only seven countries that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks, but that’s not enough for Democrats.

Across the country, they’re working to remove restrictions on third-trimester abortions. New York passed a bill last month that allows abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy.

Last week, Virginia House Delegate and Democrat Kathy Tran presented her bill to remove restrictions on late-term abortions. Delegate Todd Gilbert asked Tran if her plan would allow an abortion even if a woman “has physical signs that she is about to give birth? She’s dilating?”

“My bill would allow that, yes,” Tran said.

She’s talking about killing a baby. Traveling a few inches down the birth canal doesn’t magically transform someone into a human. After nine months of pregnancy, a pre-born child is the same biologically that she will be outside the womb.

Tran is hardly alone. In 2017, more than three dozen Senate Democrats co-sponsored a bill to eliminate state restrictions on late-term abortions. Supporters included five announced or likely Democrat presidential candidates: Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders. Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto also signed onto the bill.

You’d assume there’d at least be unanimous agreement that doctors should preserve the lives of infants outside the womb. You’d be wrong.

Third-trimester abortions are “done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus that’s nonviable,” Virginia’s Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam said when asked about Tran’s bill. “So in this particular example if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

Infanticide shouldn’t be a discussion point. If there’s a living newborn, doctors, nurses and anyone with a conscience should try to save that baby’s life.

Amazingly, Northam’s inevitable walk-back statement didn’t walk it back. “The governor’s comments were limited to the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman” had a nonviable pregnancy or child with severe fetal abnormalities, a Northam spokesman said.

Infanticide isn’t morally justifiable if you’re discussing killing only babies with Down syndrome.

Two weeks ago, the national mainstream media rushed to proclaim the Covington Catholic boys vile racists based on a single smile. Now the national press is downplaying this story and actively spinning to defend Tran and Northam.

The headline of The Washington Post story was “Abortion bill draws GOP outrage against Va. Gov. Northam, Democratic legislators.”

Don’t believe your lying eyes. The newsworthy event isn’t that elected officials from Virginia endorsing killing fully formed babies. No, the real story is the Republican reaction to that morally repugnant position.

There’s a reason the national media are acting as a Democrat PR firm. Northam isn’t alone. Last year, the House voted on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. It required doctors to work to save the live of an infant who survived a botched abortion. House Democrats, including now-Sen. Jacky Rosen, Rep. Dina Titus and then-Rep. Ruben Kihuen, opposed it.

Sadly, tragically, horrifically — not killing babies is now a partisan issue.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.