Bush’s Dred Scott reference

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This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on October 11, 2004). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

Remember when Bush made the odd reference to the Dred Scott case during his answer to what kind of Supreme Court justice he’d appoint in the second debate? It didn’t seem to make a lot of sense, and had a lot of people confused. Looks like one of the diarists on Daily Kos may have stumbled upon the answer — it’s right-wing code for abortion.

The “Dred Scott” reference by Bush sent everyone at Atrios and other blog sites scrambling to historical tomes to figure out what on Earth Mr. Bush could mean, short of saying that he wouldn’t appoint pro-slavery judges.

Really, we should have just done a damn google search on the Internets.

Because it’s all there, plain as day. The Dred Scott reference is code language for abortion rights. Here’s how one anti-choice site describes it:

Stephen Douglas didn’t see Dred Scott as a person with rights because he was black; now Al Gore doesn’t see these children as people with rights because they are unborn.

[…]

In short:

When Bush made reference to “Dred Scott” he was assuring his anti-choice constituents that he would indeed only appoint Supreme Court justices who would remove abortion rights.

It’s unmistakable, once you know the code words. There’s no other reason he said it, that damned fundamentalist fascist.

(via Lane)

iTunes “Breakdown on Paradise Boulevard” by Chaykin, Maury/Jarmusch, Jim/Stanton, Harry Dean from the album Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1995, 7:41).