Thursday, July 21, 2005

Possible 8th CD candidate Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) [on TV] on Abortion

Jeff Berkowitz: [Pregnant as a result of incest, the girl goes] to a counselor and the counselor says “Okay, we better get somebody involved,” a judge and--

State Rep. and possible 8th CD Republican Primary candidate Mark Beaubien: I think what I would challenge people to do is-- get up tomorrow morning and try to find the juvenile courthouse in Cook County.

Berkowitz: Well, they can find Planned Parenthood; they can find a clinic to give them an abortion. Couldn’t they find somebody else who could maybe counsel them on this issue?

Rep. Beaubien: I don’t know how much further I want to go into this particular issue. I’m pro-choice.
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This week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” continues to feature State Rep. and possible 8th CD Republican Primary candidate Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda]. For more about the show, the detailed suburban and City of Chicago airing schedule and a partial transcript of the show, see here.
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An additional partial transcript of the show with State Rep. Beaubien is included, below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …On the issue of choice-- as people talk about it, or life-- depending on who is presenting it-- the issue of abortion. Would you say you’re thought to be a moderate- pro-choice? Would you say you’re a thousand percent pro- choice?

State Rep. Mark Beaubien [Wauconda]: I’m pro-choice. How one defines that, it’s--

Berkowitz: Does that mean you’d be opposed to parental notice?

Rep. Beaubien: I supported parental notification, and would support it, if you could provide for the thirty percent of the people that aren’t covered by that. If you talked to state’s attorneys, and you talked to prosecutors, there’s an amazing number of street children, there’s an amazing number of people who are impregnated by their fathers, their uncles, their father’s friends, their brothers, uh-

Berkowitz: There’s an amazing number of people who don’t have parents, guardians or who are impregnated by their--

Rep. Beaubien: Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t-- It’s hard to go to your father, and say, “I need permission to have an abortion.”

Berkowitz: It’s hard to go to your—

Rep. Beaubien: It happens. It happens--

Berkowitz: I’m sorry. Go ahead. I didn’t mean [to interrupt]--

Rep. Beaubien: How do you go to your father, when it’s your uncle who’s the one who got you pregnant? These things do, in fact, happen. Far more frequently than people realize.

Berkowitz: Would you say that thirty percent of the population-

Rep. Beaubien: The--

Berkowitz: Or thirty percent of the time [that] a young lady becomes pregnant? Or a child--

Rep. Beaubien: I think the number-- the number that was tossed around, and I don’t claim to be an expert on this. For seventy percent of the people, going to the parents is a natural and-- and fundamental thing. When I was in law practice, I did about three hundred adoptions, and that’s pretty much the statistics. I ran into street children, I ran into people who walked into the delivery room and delivered babies, without any--

Berkowitz: So, what percentage, would you say, of women, or young ladies, children, female children, become pregnant, or become impregnated by, either their parents or-

Rep. Beaubien: I wouldn’t begin to—begin to have statistics [on that].

Berkowitz: Why wouldn’t judicial bypass work in that situation?

Rep. Beaubien: Because-

Berkowitz: [Pregnant as a result of incest, the girl goes] to a counselor and the counselor says “Okay, we better get somebody involved,” a judge and--

Rep. Beaubien: I, I think what I would challenge people to do is-- get up tomorrow morning and try to find the juvenile courthouse in Cook County.

Berkowitz: Well, they can find Planned Parenthood; they can find a clinic to give them an abortion. Couldn’t they find somebody else who could maybe counsel them on this issue?

Rep. Beaubien: I don’t know how much further I want to go into this particular issue. I’m pro-choice.

Berkowitz: You’re pro choice. You favor parental notice, as you’ve just explained.

Rep. Beaubien: I think you have to have--

Berkowitz: What about partial birth abortion? Would you oppose a law that banned partial birth abortions?

Rep. Beaubien: I supported the “Born Alive [Born Alive Infant Protection Act]” bill this year, I voted for it. I would support a partial birth abortion bill that made an exception for the health and life of the mother.

Berkowitz: Okay.

Rep. Beaubien: And, I’ve been on record for saying that. And again, I would support parental notification, if grandparents-- or there are other alternatives for people to go to.
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State Rep. and potential 8th CD Republican Primary Candidate Mark Beaubien [R-Wauconda], recorded on July 6, 2005 and as is airing on the Suburban edition of Public Affairs this week [week of July 18] and on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs on Monday night, July 25 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See here for a detailed suburban airing schedule.
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Draft Transcript prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog. [See Obiterdictumblog here].
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Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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