Kerry Using "Old Math"

Although I have not seen this ad - nor any political ad, as I'm again on TV hiatus - I'll wager that the folks at Annenberg's Fact Check have the equation completely correct.

Apparently there is a Kerry ad airing that claims that the SCOTUS is "just one vote away" form overturning abortion rights for humans..women in particular.

What you need to know:

A Kerry ad released April 19 claims the US Supreme Court is "just one vote away from outlawing a woman's right to choose" an abortion.
But the fact is that only three of the current nine judges have ever voted to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

Analysis

The claim that a single Supreme Court appointment could result in overturning the Roe decision was true -- more than a decade ago. In 1992 the court voted by a bare 5-4 majority to reaffirm Roe in a pivotal case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

But one of the four justices who voted to overturn Roe was Byron White, who retired the following year to be replaced by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Roe supporter. White died in 2002. That leaves only three current members -- Chief Justice William Rhenquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas -- who voted to overturn Roe and who continue to say it was wrongly decided.

Lots more at link above.

In this case, I'll offer my totally useless opinion. I don't think that the SCOTUS should have any hand in determining the legality of women's reproductive rights.

Tony Scalia and Clarence Thomas aren't fit to rule on any issue, much less one of such vital importance.

No, I am not giving Kerry a pass. He, or is minders are guilty of obfuscation. That crap doesn't stand here at pbs.