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Subscribe to RSSTwo female members of Congress walked out of Thursday's House oversight committee hearing in protest. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.
The whistle in the tea pot over the fight over religious freedom and birth control sounded last week. And today it continued into Week Two with jaw-dropping comments about aspirin between women’s legs as birth control by a prominent supporter of a Republican presidential candidate; a hearing on Capitol Hill, where a member walked out and another accused the committee chairman of wanting to go back to a "dark and primitive era"; and a bill in Virginia that all-but outlaws abortions.
“Back in my days they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives,” said Foster Friess, the principal financial backer of a pro-Rick Santorum Super PAC, on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports earlier today. “They put it between their knees. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn’t that costly."
At the Capitol Hill Oversight Committee hearing, entitled, "Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?" chaired by Obama thorn Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a Democratic congresswoman walked out in protest over no women being included in a morning panel.
Another, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., asked, “Where are the women?” and chastised Issa for what she saw as him wanting to take the country back to a “dark and primitive era.”
Maloney briefly left the panel to attend to other business and later returned, but D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton walked out in protest over the lack of balance.
Democrats wanted a Georgetown law student, who takes birth control for an ovarian cyst, to testify, but Issa denied the request saying, she was ineligible because she goes to Georgetown, which is Catholic, and she’s not a member of the clergy. (Of course, women aren’t allowed in leadership positions in the Catholic Church.)
Women were included in an afternoon panel. But they weren’t exactly there for ideological balance -- not that it was entirely ideologically balanced under Democratic chairmanship. The witnesses were: Dr. Allison Dabbs Garrett of Oklahoma Christian University and Dr. Laura Champion of Calvin College Health Services in Michigan. The description of the school on Calvin College’s front page: “Loving God with heart, soul, mind and strength.” It’s a school “grounded in an unwavering Christian faith.”
Planned Parenthood had a field day with a photo from the morning session. Its Facebook page posting about it had 3,852 comments, 5,495 “likes”, and 9,454 shares, as of 3:30 p.m. ET.
In Virginia, Republicans have a super majority in the legislature and AP reported yesterday, it "has muscled two of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in years through the Virginia House, including one that would all but outlaw the procedure in the state by declaring that the rights of persons apply from the moment sperm and egg unite. The bills passed over bitter yet futile objections from Democrats. And one GOP delegate caused the House to ripple when he said most abortions come as ‘matters of lifestyle convenience.'"
“Del. Bob Marshall's House Bill 1 on personhood at conception passed on a 66-32 vote. And on a 63-36 vote, the House passed a bill that requires women to have a ‘transvaginal ultrasound’ before undergoing abortions ... The bills now go to the Senate, which has passed Sen. Jill Vogel's companion to Del. Kathy Byron's ultrasound measure. There is no Senate mirror legislation to Marshall's personhood bill, which prescribes criminal penalties for those who would violate its provisions, but Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, won passage Tuesday of a measure that would permit wrongful death civil lawsuits against those who kill a fetus.”
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I am starting to wonder if the GOP even wants to win an election. What in the world are they doing talking about contraception when there are far more issues to be addressed...oh wait? That's right, people are starting to demand answers on how they plan to achieve all those problems and none of them have answers to that. An obvious and very destructive distraction ploy.
The issue isn't going to go away. The Catholic Church is one of the wealthiest organizations, if not the wealthiest organization, in the world and they have a meeting of their members once a week. They are not about to let a politician with, at most, an 8 year term in power, dictate how they are going to conduct themselves when it comes to their doctrine. They have a Pope that handles that, and he's not about to take instructions from Marxist former Muslim turned Christian, on how his Church is going to handle benefits for their employees. It's just not going to happen.
As long as the Republcans keep up these lines of thought and conversation, Obama won't have to campaign at all, in order to win by a landslide!
Why is it people think there is a right to have someone else pay for what you want.
Contraception and/or Health Care is not a right.
Do I have a right to force you to pay for my cab fair home from the bar (via a tax or other government mandate) so I don't get a DUI or kill someone by getting behind the wheel if I'm drunk.
The stupidity behind this of you Obama / Democratic / Progressives is that the Catholic Church (and I'm not a Catholic or agianst contraception) is against being forcred to provide for by paying for product/services for which they have a moral objection to.
I know some of you will argue that birth controll pills are also used as hormone therapy for certain deseases (e.g. edometriosis) and cancer - The Catholic church is not against this therapy and already provides it in their present insurance policies.
What Obama wants is that all FDA approved contraceptive services (read the law imposed by the Affordable Health care Act http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/womensprevention08012011a.html - actually it won't be affordable) including diaphragms, IUDs, prophylactics, rhythm counseling etc, etc also must be payed and provided for EVEN WHERE THERE IS NO MEDICAL REASON.
If you want to fool around buy your own @#$ condoms. The rest of us had to.
What is being forgotten is the concept of Free Will not get everything you think is evil needs to be removed. Santorum at least as a "Good Catholic" should be familiar with this concept, shouldn't he?
No one including the Catholic church is trying to make it illegible for consensual copulation.
But why the @#$ should anyone have to chip in so one of you doesn't get pregnant - It's both of your choice to drop your pants - Figure out how to avoid not having a baby. If you're not intelligent enough to do that on your own maybe government mandated sterilization would be a better solution. The NAZI's used this method.
And for those idiots who would bring up the specter of rape - Is your solution that all women between pubescence and menstruation be required by law to take hormonal birth control pills (most other methods require more active thought before the act). Hopefully you realize that mandating women take hormone pills will result in quite a number of deaths, since not all women can take them safely without disastrous side effects.
Pro-life...
Would be against the death penalty...
Would be against starting imperialist wars for oil...
Would be against children starving in the streets...
Would be FOR any measure that has been proven to lower the ACTUAL rate of abortion, both legal and illegal.
Statistically, the lowest abortion rates happen when:
1. Birth control is freely available and not restricted in any way.
2. Abortions are legal and safe and available with proper counseling. (Yes. It's true).
3. There are enough services in terms of counseling, medical services, job training, job placement assistance and daycare to help women who get into dire straits, who end up raped, who end up having severe health problems, etc.
When ALL of this is in place there are FEWER abortions.
When you ban abortions, and ban birth control, and make rape a not-crime, you end up with Nigeria: 11 year old girls forced to carry their rape babies to term...or desperately shoving coat hangers inside of their bodies in the hopes of getting some peace.
If you really want to save babies (including female babies who get raped) you will see to the services that make it so that having a baby is not a sentence of hopelessness and poverty.
This portrayal that abortions happen primarily because irresponsible women wanna hook up and have consequence-free sex is a misnomer that ignores a great good deal of reality.
A consistent, sane ethic of life demands a rational solution. In addition, NO political party to date has ever ACTUALLY lowered the ACTUAL abortion rate. It is a useful political bone to throw around and snarl over in the hopes of dividing voters, however.
You care about the rights of the baby? Good, so do I. Care about the rights of the baby enough to make raising that baby a viable proposition. Care about whether or not that child is able to eat at age 2 or age 3, too. That would be consistent and sane. Step off your moralizing soap box and stop whinging about personal responsibility and address reality. Men aren't perfect either and they have plenty of sex too. Indeed, VIAGRA remains covered under this bill.
Brava!
Progressives are amazing if not bewildering in your lack of sense.
You turn an argument of why is it right for the government to force others to pay for someone else to be given free of charge a service/product; especially to force a person/group to pay for a product/service they disagree with, into an argument of freedom of choice.
No one is trying to take away anyoe's freedom of choice (contraception or abortion) they just don't want to have to pay for someone else's choice. You want to use contraception fine just don't demand others pay for it.
And regarding hormone therapy look at the earlier post above #30 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:44 AM EST
Then you compound your stupidity by comparing Abortion with Capitol Punishment.
Abortion is the killing of an innocent child, simply because it's not convenient for the parents at the time. Since it is already a practice to terminate the child post birth if the attempted abortion had been botched, in order to honor the mother's original intent - Should the government mandate extending the termination phase out two years so if the child bothers anyone, just snuff it out. At what age does the child become an asset rather than a cost to society?
Just a follow up note - since jjdcc wants to distort the argument of forcing someone to pay for someone else's wants vs the Abortion / Life argument.
Progressives militantly defend and promote a women's right to choose and sex education be taught in elementary and high schools.
Why don't the Progressives demand that people are educated and required to watch films on exactly what the stages the fetus is at during pregnancy and what the different methods and conditions the child undergoes during an abortion.
Here is a site which will give you a little education. http://www.lifesitenews.com/abortiontypes/
"Progressives are amazing if not bewildering in your lack of sense."
The right wing lunatic fringe is flabbergasting in its profound lack of character and moral courage. Also, your lamentable deficiency in intellectual horsepower is probably the reason common sense makes no sense to you.
Sailcat-2064101
Okay twit
I'm an old Marine who served my country. Both my parents were born in foreign countries (Czechoslovakia and Columbia) - I put myself through college, (graduated Summa Cum Laude - no government loans by the way) as well as every child on both sides of my family have (sister and all cousins- we have doctors, accountant and engineers). I raised 3 kids (2 daughters as a single father). My oldest daughter is an MP in the Army, the youngest putting herself through college (it will mean something to her if she is the one to make it happen, not given to her).
Us right wing lunatic Conservative are the ones having to carry you pieces of @#$% with Food Stamps, allotments, etc, etc because your to stupid to be able to provide for yourselves. There will always be folks who need help and they should be helped; but the best help is to help them out of dependency not to perpetuate. But there comes a time when if your not willing to put in the effort to help yourself, why the hell should anyone else. You'll also find that us Conservative right wing lunatics far out give you Liberal Progressive dirt bags when it comes to charities - do a little research.
You Progressive pieces of $%$^ whine and complain the world isn't fair and you want others to pay for your stupidities.
Guess what, the world isn't fair, never has been never will be. Communism, Socialism and Fascism have been tried on multiple occasions, ask the Chinese, Russians and North Koreans how liberated they feel. The Capitalist model isn't perfect but at least it takes this imperfection into account and has proven to be the most equatable economic model devised.
Instead of spending your time and effort asking for handouts and others to pay for what you want, go out, put the effort into it and make it happen for yourself.
Great story! Let me make one up for you now! You are handsome, strong, smart, and you have a firm grasp on reality! Plus, no one hates you, your despicable political views, and your selfish, self-centered personal values! Finally, people are actually laughing with you, not at you! A lot!
Feel better? I knew you would!
I'm selfish becuase I don't think it is right to have government makes others pay for what I want?
Nor make others pay for someone elses condoms?
Really???
Actually; this is the only issue that the Repugs can latch on to. Unfortunately for them, it's , as usual, the wrong side of the fence.
It's an issue they hope will keep people screaming so they don't have to address the serious faults in their platforms. Remember when they took over the House and said they were going to create jobs and then jetisoned the jobs bill? Remember the battle in Aug. over the debt limit? Now they figure if they can keep this issue alive you won't notice anything else.
That's because they have no respect for women or women's rights. They think the Equal Rights Amendments only applies to white, christian, males of a certain financial footing.
So back in the day did women really shove aspirin into their coslopus? Dis it sometimes work?
No, they simply kept it between their legs, preventing them from separating them enough to copulate. And, since my grandmother conceived my father 2 months prior to her marriage, I am not sure that method worked all that well either. That was in 1924!
Dan,
Yes, abstinance seems to fly out the window in the heat of the moment doesn't it! Irregardless of what time period we are talking about.
Dan,
Yes, abstinance seems to fly out the window in the heat of the moment doesn't it! Irregardless of what time period we are talking about.
I cannot believe that our American Catholic Bishops and a large number of priests have sided with the right-wing Conservatives in their demands to deny all women—not just Catholic women—coverage for birth control! Why would the bishops put political pressure on our President—who unceasingly demonstrates his conviction to protect human right issues and the common good of all—and throw their support to the GOP that has done everything in their power to cripple basic healthcare to everyone in America?
Perhaps there is a more sinister reason to supporting the Conservative agenda—like receiving large monetary donations to help pay for the recent sex scandals of the Church! The timing of both is too coincidental.
And where are the voices of Catholic laity—particularly Catholic women—on this issue? Statistics show overwhelming use of birth control by the American population and Catholic women are part of that group. Are they as selfish and hypocritical as the bishops? This issue casts yet another bright light on how desperate the Bishops and Catholic Conservatives are to keep their power and money—dare they be called “Pharisees?
The Catholic Bishops are more interested in getting weekly offerings up so that they can payoff all of the lawsuits they face because of their decades long denial that some priests--and bishops-- did anything like the molesting and raping children. They are very good at moving these pedophiles around to other parishes to hide them, to protect them and to let them continue their rape and molesting. All this is is a smoke-screen for them to use to have the public's attention directed somewhere else. These bishops have absolutely no clue about the medical needs of women , but all of a sudden they've become 'experts' on the subject.
This does not seem to be a good time to be an OBGYN in Virginia, every woman who wants a prescription for the pill will go out of state to get it, and every woman who wants an abortion will also go out of state to get one. I am as pro-life as anyone, but I realize that it is going to happen, and it is better to have it happen under a doctor's care than not, and it would be nice if birth control was available to every woman who wanted it. I wonder if the GOP legislators who voted for this measure realize that they are outlawing several measure of birth control which are legal in every other state of the union?
If the Catholic Church wants to be consistent in its condemnation of contraception, I would suggest they excommunicate any member of the Church that has ever used birth control... Add to that any member who has committed adultery, gotten a divorce, or any of the other myriad of violations of Church Law...
The Catholic Church would be reduced to the size of a small cult...
I wonder if Viagra is covered?
Thank you congresswomen for standing up for us!
Yep it sure is I guess men are allowed to particpate in non-procreation acts and women aren't. Not a big surprise since it is the men that are making up the rules after all. And if you are among the 1000's of women who need the pill for medical reasons oops to bad you get stuck with all of those nasty little outcomes as well...
I wonder how many conservatives realizes that by declaring personhood and the time of conception that they are in essence makeing abortion perfectly legal. After all if it is really a person as they claim, then it should not need a host body to exist and should be able to live on its own in this living breathing place we call the world.
who is the stonie in the background?