Former Sen. Simpson rips GOP over “moral values” hypocrisy

I don’t know much about former Wyoming Republican Senator Alan Simpson, though his Wikipedia page has some heartening things to say regarding his views in favor of LGBT and abortion rights. But if he was always as outspoken in Congress as he is in this interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthew, then I suppose that only makes it clearer why he’s no longer a part of that particular caucus:

Transcript (from ThinkProgress, sans original emphasis, with some edits from me):

SIMPSON: Who the hell is for abortion? I don’t know anybody running around with a sign that says, “Have an abortion! They’re wonderful!” They’re hideous, but they’re a deeply intimate and personal decision, and I don’t think men legislators should even vote on the issue.

Then you’ve got homosexuality; you’ve got “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. We have homophobes on our party. That’s disgusting to me. We’re all human beings. We’re all God’s children. Now, if they’re going to get off on that stuff – Santorum has said some cruel things – cruel, cruel things – about homosexuals. Ask him about it; see if he attributes the cruelness of his remarks years ago. Foul.

Now if that’s the kind of guys that are going to be on my ticket, you know, it makes you sort out hard what Reagan said, you know, “Stick with your folks.” But, I’m not sticking with people who are homophobic, anti-women, y’know, moral values – while you’re diddling your secretary while you’re giving a speech on moral values? Come on, get off of it.

Hear, hear. That first part about there being no such thing as “pro-abortionists” is really something that needs to be repeated as often as possible in the faces of those sniveling anti-choicers, who apparently operate under the delusion that pro-choicers actually go around encouraging women to terminate their pregnancies willy-nilly. There’s a reason we’re pro-choice, not pro-abortion, and Simpson nailed it: It’s all about giving the women the right and the ability to terminate their own pregnancies, if and when they see fit to do so. Whereas, anti-abortionists are, in fact, exactly that: firmly opposed to any abortions, regardless of the mother’s views or feelings on the matter.

(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)