In last night’s debate John McCain air-quoted the “health” of pregnant women. Here’s what Nicole at Crooks and Liars said:

Clearly, in all his debate prep, no one thought to coach McCain not to go to the third rail of the abortion issue. Boy, was that an oversight. Because not only did McCain go there, he jumped right on to it.

In trying to paint Obama as being for the great Republican bugaboo of late term abortions (because, you know, there are so many women running around and deciding after being pregnant for six or more months that being pregnant is no longer convenient for them), Obama replied that he didn’t vote for the late term abortion ban because it had no provision for the health or life of the mother. And that’s when McCain proved how heartless and clueless he is:

Again…just again, an example of the eloquence of Senator Obama, health (indicates air quotes) of the mother. You know that’s been stretched by the pro-abortion movement to mean almost anything.

This is from Medical News Today:

The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is the highest it has been in decades, according to statistics released this week by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the AP/Washington Post reports. According to the figures, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004. The rate was 12 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2003 — the first year the maternal death rate was more than 10 since 1977 (Stobbe, AP/Washington Post, 8/24). A total of 540 women were reported to have died of maternal causes in 2004, 45 more than were reported in 2003, according to the report (NCHS report, 8/21).

Reasons for Increase
A rise in the number of caesarean sections — which now account for 29% of all births — could be a factor in the increased maternal mortality rate, some experts said. According to a review of maternal deaths in New York, excessive bleeding is one of the primary causes of pregnancy-related death, and women who have undergone several previous c-sections are at particularly high risk of death.

Some studies have found that race and quality of care also factor into the maternal mortality rate. The maternal mortality rate among black women is at least three times higher than among white women. Black women also are more susceptible to hypertension and other complications, and they tend to receive inadequate prenatal care. Three studies have shown that at least 40% of maternal deaths could have been prevented with improved quality of care.

So no, the “health” of the mother does not matter in having a healthy pregnancy or healthy babies. Then there are these heartbreaking stories from women who have lost their babies in the later part of their pregnancy:

In March of that year, Watts was in the eighth month of a much-wanted pregnancy and was eagerly anticipating the birth of her first child. During a routine ultrasound (the only way to detect abnormalities that require late-term abortion), she discovered her baby had Trisomy 13, a chromosomal abnormality that causes severe deformities and carries no hope of survival.

Because her baby was already dying and because this put her own life at stake, Watts had an intact dilation and extraction (D and X), the procedure that Bush condemns as “brutal.”

“Losing my baby at the end of my pregnancy was agonizing,” says Watts. “But the way the right deals with this issue makes it even worse. When I heard Bush mention ‘partial birth abortion’ during the debates, I thought ‘How dare you stand there and tell flat-out lies?’ There is no such thing as this procedure! Why won’t the politicians listen to us?”

Watts and other women affected by this issue have tried to make legislators listen.

Testimony on Capitol Hill

When Congress first considered the ban in 1995, Watts testified on Capitol Hill. So did Viki Wilson of Fresno, Calif., who had a late-term abortion because the brain of the fetus she was carrying had developed outside the skull. So did Vikki Stella of Naperville, Ill., whose fetus had dwarfism, no brain tissue and seven other major abnormalities.

All three women told legislators they owed their health to late-term abortions and that a continuation of their doomed pregnancies posed grave health risks such as stroke, paralysis, infertility or even death.

So Senator McCain (and please dear God, let him remain Senator McCain), the “health” of the mother doesn’t matter does it? Of course this should not surprise me considering this is the same man who called his wife a cunt in public or thinks it’s okay for health insurance companies to cover Viagra but not the birth control pill. Because birth control is not a “health” issue. The hell it isn’t! What is more of a “health” issue than controlling the amount of children you’re body can handle and having access to prenatal care? Senator McCain, you can kiss my fat, white, middle class ass, and I hope you lose in one of the largest landslides ever! And if you don’t, then before January 21, I will be having a tubal ligation. Because you and your loony “women should have as many children as God gives them and let’s outlaw birth-control” VP (yes, Sarah Palin thinks the birth control pill and condoms should be outlawed) are NOT going to dictate to me if and when I have children.

Hat tip to Russell at Street Prophets.

Crossposted at Street Prophets.

EDIT: MSNBC just showed that the infant mortality rate in the United States is higher than in 26 other countries. Can we say lack of prenatal and preventative care?