A CNN panel on Alabama’s new abortion law grew heated Wednesday night after Rick Santorum accused political analyst Kirsten Powers of trying to couch the abortion debate in “moral terms.”
This week, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into a law a measure that banned abortions in almost all cases. The bill also threatens punishment to physicians performing abortions in the state with up to life in prison.
Speaking of the measure, Powers started off by saying that while some pro-lifers’ faith has led them to support overturning Roe v. Wade, the majority of Americans — including persons of faith — do not.
“My point is it is not something that all Americans agree on,” she said. “I think people of good faith who have thought a lot about this issue have come to a different conclusion and they don’t think an embryo has the moral value you’re putting on it. I am not debating that’s right or wrong, I am saying there isn’t agreement…and I think a lot of people, even pro-life people recognize that, which is how you end up with 57% of Americans saying Roe vs Wade should be the law of the land.”
Santorum then claimed Powers was trying to “couch” the debate in moral terms.
“You used the term you don’t put the moral value. And that’s because you’re trying to couch this in moral terms. I don’t. You’ve never heard me talk about it in moral terms or in terms of my faith,” Santorum countered.
He then said he came to his decision after talking with his father-in-law, a geneticist.
“And the answer genetically, scientifically, otherwise it is a life,” Santorum claimed. “For you to say it is not morally significant…”
That is when things got heated.
“No, I didn’t say that that’s what I thought,” Powers shot back. “I’m not talking about what I think.”
She then gave the example of Reform Jews who have come to the same conclusion.
“You say they don’t come to the same conclusion, what do you mean by that, say it is not a child, not a human life?” Santorum pressed.
“They say, I think the debate is over,” Powers said.
Then after a bit more debate, she added: “It is just interesting that you can’t even allow for the possibility that somebody could think differently on this.”
The conversation then turned when host Anderson Cooper asked Santorum if he believes in the death penalty.
Santorum said he did not as the heated discussion continued on.
Watch above, via CNN