Video: Republican Legislator Says Disabled Children Are 'God's Punishment' For Abortion

[Cross-posted at Crooks and Liars.]

When a group of religious-right poobahs unveiled their effort in Virginia last week to attack Planned Parenthood and its funding, one of them -- a Republican legislator named Bob Marshal, as Josh at RightWingWatch reported -- declared that God punished women who've had abortions by giving them disabled children later:

“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children,” said Marshall, a Republican.

“In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.”

Marshall later tried to claim he hadn't said what he said:

A story by Capital News Service regarding my remarks at a recent press conference opposing taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood conveyed the impression that I believe disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions. No one who knows me or my record would imagine that I believe or intended to communicate such an offensive notion[.] I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created[.]

But yesterday, Josh got ahold of video of Marshall talking at the kickoff. Watch it for yourself.

Yeah, that's some misimpression. Not only was the original quote perfectly accurate, but Marshall goes on, discussing those Christians and their scriptural support for these beliefs:

Marshall: And with the knowledge they have from faith has been verified by a study by Virginia Commonwealth University. First abortions of the first pregnancy is much more damaging to a woman than latter abortions.

Bad enough that he would say it. Then to claim he didn't say what he clearly said is just cowardly and mendacious. That's some "Christian" character there, Bob.

And what will Sarah say?