In a Feb. 5 NewsBusters post, Noel Sheppard asserts that Rachel Maddow “falsely claimed” that Rick Santorum says that he would like states to be able to make contraception illegal. But the truth is more complicated — and Maddow is less false — than Sheppard portrays it.
Sheppard concedes that Santorum is opposed to Griswold v. Connecticut, the 1965 Supreme Court decision that struck down a ban on contraception. That alone confirms Maddow’s statement, since repeal of Griswold would, in fact, allow states to make contraception illegal.
Sheppard, however, takes refuge in Santorum’s subsequent statements that he would be opposed to states actually outlawing contraception as the basis for claiming that Maddow is wrong. But that’s irrelevant to the claim at hand. Santorum has, by opposing Griswold, stated that he wants states to have the right to ban contraception; whether he wants states to actually exercise such a right is immaterial.
In short: Maddow is right and Sheppard is wrong.
Wouldn’t it be nice if people like Sheppard would tell the truth when they’re on a popular blog, or is that asking too much?