NH sheriff candidate sorry for abortion comment

Republican Frank Szabo of Goffstown, New Hampshire / szaboforsheriff.com

(CBS/AP) MANCHESTER, N.H. - A New Hampshire businessman running for Hillsborough County sheriff has apologized for saying he would not rule out the use of deadly force to halt an abortion from taking place.

Republican Frank Szabo of Goffstown had said he believes elective abortions are not lawful and would arrest any doctor who performs them.

When asked recently if he would use deadly force to prevent abortions, he said the sheriff should do "everything in their power" to prevent the abortion from happening. On Thursday, he retracted his comments, saying he let his passionate stance against abortion "get the better of me" and that it was "inexcusable."

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"As someone who has such a passionate respect for life, I also respect the life of abortion doctors, even if I don't respect what they do," Szabo said in the statement. "As sheriff, when the moral waters are murky, I would always air [sic] on the side of prudence. This isn't the 19th century, and I am a man of peace."

He also stood by his previous statement that a sheriff could arrest an abortion doctor, but acknowledged that due to the "system of checks and balances that America's founders set up, a sheriff would not have the final word on this matter." Because abortion is legal in the United States, a jury would probably side with the doctor, who could potentially file a countersuit against the sheriff, the statement said.

Szabo is one of four candidates running for county sheriff in the district that includes Manchester.

After his apology, he said he'd like to focus more on farm-related issues, vowing he would end "legal abuses," citing an incident in which an Oregon man was arrested for harvesting rain water on his own land and another in which a family in Michigan was ordered to kill their pigs because they were an "invasive species."

[payasyougogo]

*** is wrong with republicans? Are they all crazy or just high on something?

[tvwatcher5345]

a republican born again friend of mine, his wife was pregnant but the baby was forming outside the womb it could have been born alive, but with servere birth defects, he says she went to the doctor's and had a miscarriage, my friend ought to kiss a democrats backside, and i will not give this sherrif the name of the doctor or my friends name, my friend is wrong politically but i am his friend

[foxybarb]

Yet another Republican off his meds! What is this guy gonna do, use deadly force against a woman who needs an abortion? I hope the citizens of Manchester do NOT elect this biased imbecile as sheriff -- I can't imagine what he would put a rape victim through, or any woman he disapproves of!!!

[npvere]

CBS missed part of the update. He now says that if a doctor performed an elective or late-term abortion (both of which are legal in New Hampshire) he would arrest the doctor and tell the county prosecutor to bring charges. And if the prosecutor refused to do so (what with the doctor not having committed a crime) he would convene a Citizen's Grand Jury and have the doctor indicted there. (At which point he would presumably have to create his own court of law, since any judge on the regular court is going to toss the case).

He has absolutely no experience in police or legal work. He says his background in business has given him all the experience he needs to be sheriff.

He was endorsed by the Tea Party. But that was earlier in the month. It would be interesting to see if they still back him.

[Verascity]

Conservative males are desperate to control women. Weird. And dangerous.
Paul Ryan would deny abortion rights to women who've been raped and to incest victims.

[Yeah_Its_Me]

Due to his "passionate respect for life," he's willing to use deadly force to end the life of someone performing an abortion. Doesn't one negate the other?!

[MojitoMamma]

Sweet Jesus!! Is this whack job related to Re-Todd Akin? It's very, very scary that this idiot wants to be in law enforcement. I think I'll avoid Manchester and all of NH for that matter. I thought those Yankees up in New England were slightly more open-minded and sophisticated than your average ignorant Bible Belt gomer.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

First Todd Akin's and now this guy. Republican minds are scary, very scary.

[superdem1]

OMG - just another anti-abortion tool. Flash tip to anti-abortion tools - abortion is legal in America ! You do not have the right to take vigilante action against law abiding citizens minding their own business ! We need to get some successful suits established to put these insane "crusaders" in their place. No one is dragging helpless pregnant women into clinics and aborting them against their will. You people need to get a grip on your emotions and your fantasies. It's none of your business if a woman wants an abortion. It's her life, not yours. I repeat, none of your business. Adopt twenty kids if you care so much, more power to you but leave women alone !

[tuckerwayne]

sounds like he values life, sounds like a blowhard