Politics Today: Anti-Abortion Bill Advances in Ohio, Bachmann Says No Feud With Palin, And More
A controversial bill that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable has passed through the Ohio House of Representatives. The vote was 54-43, with most Republicans voting in favor of the ban. The law, if enacted, could challenge the landmark 1973 abortion case, Roe v. Wade, which made having an abortion legal until the fetus is viable outside the mother's womb, around 22 to 24 weeks. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann is denying reports that she is feuding with fellow Republican and potential presidential candidate Sarah Palin, telling a voter the media is rooting for a catfight between her and the former Alaska Governor.
"They want to see two girls come together and have a mud wrestling fight, and I am not going to give that to them," she said.
Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) may be leaving Congress to become the University of Tennessee's next Athletic Director, according to a Tennessee Radio Station, which is reporting that Shuler is considering the job. Shuler was the star quarterback at the university in the early 1990s.
More than half of New Jersey residents--51 percent, to be exact--say they don't want to see GOP Gov. Chris Christie re-elected, according to a new Bloomberg New Jersey poll. The poll also found Christie's favorability rating at 43 percent, with 53 percent holding an unfavorable of the governor.
From Bloomberg: "Christie often says he was elected to do a tough job, and he is governing as though he won’t win re-election."
Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert is getting ready to testify in front of the Federal Election Committee on Thursday about his planned Super PAC. Colbert formed the PAC to highlight and parody the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which essentially allows corporations to freely spend money to influence elections.
However, the joke may be backfiring. According to Politico:
Not only is the PAC joke causing headaches for those whose cause it seemed designed to help — and providing fodder for their opponents — it’s exposing Colbert to rigorous questioning from FEC lawyers and raising ethics questions for his lawyer.
“I think Colbert is trying to dramatize problems in the campaign finance world in the way that he dramatizes other things,” said longtime campaign finance reform advocate Fred Wertheimer, a longtime advocate for stricter campaign finance rules who is president of Democracy 21. “But nevertheless, the proposals here would potentially open gaping disclosure loopholes in the campaign finance laws.”
Colbert's political action committee, ColbertPAC, promises, "to make a better tomorrow, tomorrow."