Ten days after it was revealed that Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Murphy once asked his mistress to get an abortion, a pro-choice advocacy group made his conduct the subject of their protest campaign at the Family Research Council’s annual Values Voter Summit.
Reproaction, which describes itself as a “new direct action group” focused on increasing access to abortion, sponsored a Snapchat geofilter that went live at Values Voter this week. “ABORTION: Not just for your mistress!” the text of the filter read, using a screenshot of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette’s original report on Murphy as a background image. The group also sponsored a mobile billboard with similar language outside the Washington hotel where Values Voter is being held, and was photographed near the venue with a banner bearing the phrase as well.
On Friday morning, the group tweeted, “#reproaction has a message for #VVS17 : Abortion is not just for your mistress & the pro-life leadership is morally bankrupt.”
But in their disgust with the pro-life Murphy’s hypocrisy, Reproaction would likely find common cause with most Values Voter attendees, few if any of whom would ever support the request he made to his mistress.
After reports earlier this month revealed Murphy’s misconduct, it was his fellow Republicans who pressured the congressman to resign. Politico reported that Murphy “initially believed he could weather” the scandal, but decided to resign on Oct. 21 rather than retire at the end of his term after GOP leaders urged him to quit.
“The Pennsylvania Republican’s about-face came after House GOP leaders and senior Republicans upped the pressure on Murphy to step down,” Politico reported, continuing to add later in the article, “…many senior Republicans did not believe Murphy could — or should — survive until the end of his term. Several top Republicans said Ryan, who met with Murphy Wednesday evening to discuss his future, also wanted him to step down.”
Conservatives in media criticized Murphy for his conduct as well.
If it weren’t for pressure from Republicans, it sure looks like Murphy would have tried to stick around.
Though Reproaction’s small campaign at the Values Voter Summit won’t have much impact, it serves as a reminder that Murphy’s scandal will have a lasting effect on the pro-life movement. No matter how much distance conservatives put between themselves and Murphy, he will continuously be used to undermine the hard work of the many people who labor tirelessly and earnestly to defend life.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
