Clinton equates GOP stance on women to terrorists

Hillary Clinton bashed her Republican presidential rivals and compared their views on women’s issues to those of “terrorist groups.” 

{mosads}“Extreme views about women, we expect them from some of the terrorist groups, we expect that from people who don’t want to live in the modern world,” she said Thursday during a rally in Cleveland.

“It’s a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States, but they espouse out-of-date and out-of-touch policies. They are dead wrong for 21st century America.” 

She also criticized some of her main GOP rivals for their stances on abortion and funding for women’s healthcare programs. 

Clinton specifically mentioned Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) position to limit abortions even in cases of rape and incest, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s support of defunding Planned Parenthood after the release of controversial videos that were filmed undercover, and Gov. John Kasich’s (R-Ohio) decision to limit funding for rape crisis centers that refer patients to abortion providers.

“I would like these Republican candidates to look a mom in the eye who caught her breast cancer early because she was able to get a screening for cancer, or a teenager who didn’t get pregnant because she had access to contraception,” she said.

“For Hillary Clinton to equate her political opponents to terrorists is a new low for her flailing campaign. She should apologize immediately for her inflammatory rhetoric,” RNC national press secretary Allison Moore said in a statement. 

Clinton reiterated her push for increased gun control during the speech, one day after two Virginia television employees were shot and killed on live television.  

“I don’t know how we keep seeing shooting after shooting, keep reading about people murdered because they went to Bible study, or they went to the movies, or they were just doing their jobs and not finally say, ‘We can do something about this,’” she said, noting the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old from Ohio killed when a police officer shot him. 

“We have a majority of Americans and a majority of gun owners that support universal background checks in America and I strongly believe we’ve got to have common sense reforms to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals, the violently unstable, domestic abusers, and even terrorists who find it pretty easy to get a hold of a weapon in our country if they so choose.”

She also put some separation between herself and the Obama and Clinton White Houses. 

“I’m not running for my husband’s third term, and I’m not running for President Obama’s third term. I’m running for my 1st term,” she said. 

While it’s not the first time she’s used that line, it comes during Vice President Biden’s consideration of his own presidential run. Biden characterized the 2016 presidential race as a battle to continue President Obama’s legacy during a February speech in Iowa.

Clinton appeared at the rally with former Gov. Ted Strickland (Ohio), who is now running to unseat Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in what’s expected to be one of the tightest Senate races of 2016. While she didn’t endorse Strickland outright, she offered strong praise for her “friend.” 

“Nobody cares more deeply and profoundly about what happens to people,” Clinton said of Strickland. 

“He did a great job as your governor and he will be an important voice in the Senate. I hope you will do everything that you can to help ted get elected to the United States Senate.”