![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.shotinthedark.info\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/4575208799_e7c6e34c94.jpg\" "\\"4575208799_e7c6e34c94\\"")
<\/a>ft’s latest chanting points – abetted by Todd Akin’s groaner last week – is that a group of GOP legislators co-sponsored a bill, HR3, better known as the “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion” bill. \u00a0The title more or less explains the bill.<\/p>\nIn the original version of the bill’s language, the term “forcible rape” was used.<\/p>\n
Of course, in the post-Akin political news cycle du jour, there\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>only one type of rape; it’s eminently PC to say “all rape is rape”.<\/p>\n And certainly non-consensual sex is, always, rape. \u00a0No argument about it.<\/p>\n Of course, not all “rape” is “forcible”, by definition. \u00a0If a 56 old guy has consensual<\/em> sex with, say hypothetically, a 16 year old guy, it’s\u00a0statutory\u00a0<\/em>rape – meaning “no force was used, but it’s still considered rape since the 16 year old is not of the age of consent”.<\/p>\n We’re splitting linguistic and legal hairs, of course.<\/p>\n Splitting hairs is something Third District DFL candidate Brian Barnes wasn’t doing when he accused his opponent, incumbent Republican representative Erik Paulsen, of drawing a distinction between “Rape” and “Forcible Rape”. \u00a0 Here’s a statement from Barnes’ announcement for a press conference today<\/a>:<\/p>\n According to Brian Barnes, \u201cThe voters of our district deserve the facts on Representative Paulsen\u2019s positions on important issues, such as his vote to support H.R. 3.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yep, they do. \u00a0And here they are; whatever the reason for the language, it is for Paulsen’s purposes irrelevant – because Paulsen was neither an author nor co-sponsor of the bill.<\/p>\n The word “forcible” was removed from the bill long before Paulsen got his first chance to vote on the bill – which he did, along with a strong bipartisan majority of the House<\/em>.<\/p>\n