Bob Marshall's Pathetic Response

Yesterday we wrote a post about VA state Rep. Bob Marshall's statement that that God punishes women who have had abortions by giving them disabled children.

Of course, that statement outraged a lot of people and so Marshall backtracked and issued a statement claiming that he would never say something like that and that it was poorly chosen words that were responsible for this "misimpression":

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 have devoted a generation of work to defending disabled and unwanted children, and have always maintained that they are special blessings to their parents. Nevertheless, I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families.

Please. Here is what Marshall said: 

“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.”

If he doesn't "believe disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions," then why did he say that they were a "special punishment" from God? 

Marshall ought to either stand by his statement or apologize for it, because he's not fooling anybody with his claim that he never meant to suggest what he explicitly stated.