» Gov. McDonnell still liked, but less liked: The poll, taken by Quinnipiac University and released Wednesday, shows that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is still popular, with a 53 percent approval rating, but that’s down a bit from the 58 percent approval he had in early February, suggesting that the ultrasound fight might have hurt him. It definitely hurt the Virginia legislature, though, which now has a net-negative rating and saw a 19-percent shift in their favorability rating. The law, which passed in late February, was toned down after a public outcry.
Object sexual penetration is a serious sex crime in Virginia. It is very difficult to look at the bill and look at the OSP statute together and think that you are not asking doctors to commit a sex crime. …Consent is a key element in the criminal statute, and there is no consent required in the ultrasound statute.David Englin, Democratic delegate from Virginia • Explaining the new tactic taken by Democrats in Virginia, in their effort against a bill expected to pass the state legislature that could mandate unwanted, penetrative ultrasounds for women seeking abortions. That happening under any other circumstance would, as Englin suggested, be considered a sex crime in Virginia, carrying a prison sentence of five years. The ultrasound mandate in the eyes of its supporters bears no inherent medical relevance, exactly – the logic seems to be to try to dissuade women from having abortions by forcing them to look at their own ultrasounds. The bill is currently opposed by 55% of Virginians, according to recent polling, but is expected to pass the legislature and be signed into law by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell, one of the most conservative governors in the country. source (via • follow)
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