**UPDATED**
“We will never have the media on our side, ever, in this country,” Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, told the audience at the Omni Shoreham hotel. “We will never have the elite, smart people on our side.” [Buzzfeed]
LEAVING MISSOURI couldn’t come fast enough for me. The dreams I had of getting to Broadway had fueled my departure, but I also had no intention of staying because of the backward way the state’s politicians treated the rights of women. Decades later I find myself in Virginia, with Republicans targeting women’s rights in extreme ways, but now it’s the 21st century!
Let me add a personal note, that when I was faced with the situation myself, ironically I was living in Manassas, Virginia at the time. As I’ve written before, including in the chapter in my book titled “Is Freedom Just for Men?,” I had to travel all the way to New York, crossing several state lines because there was no option in Virginia, no clinics, to find a doctor who could help me. Now Cuccinelli wants to send Virginia women back to that reality, because he’s certainly not going to stop a female who feels it’s her only option, as I did.
With all the challenges we have in this country, Republicans are focused on empowering the government to invade the lives of women. The Republican Party won’t be dead if Obama wins in November, it’s already dead, because no decent conservative believes focusing on controlling women’s has anything remotely to do with conservatism, and it’s certainly not a major priority on the minds of the majority of Americans.
So when I think of Mitt Romney’s question channeling Reagan, asking voters whether they’re better off than they were four years ago, as someone living in Virginia I’d have to say no. But it’s not because of President Obama or the Democrats, it’s because of Republicans.
Virginia’s Board of Health did an about-face on abortion regulations Friday, voting to impose strict, hospital-style building standards even on existing clinics and reversing its June decision. The reversal came two days after the office of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) sent a letter to board members advising them against grandfathering clinics ““ and warning that they could be personally liable for legal fees if they were sued after ignoring his legal advice. [Washington Post]
Shorter: Ken Cuccinelli threatened board members to vote his way or else.
You’d think Gov. Bob Transvaginal Probe McDonnell would have taught Ken Cuccinelli something after he lost a chance to be Mitt’s vice presidential running mate over the spectacle of right-wing Republicans in the legislature. Cuccinelli dreams of being governor, so he’s sucking up to the Virginia cranks that will decide his political fate at next year’s nominating convention. It may not work out that way after this blunder.
The war on women, Virginia edition, has been going on for a while now and I’ve witnessed it. However, Ken Cuccinelli’s personal ambition to become governor through putting 20 clinics out of business is not only mimicking what was done in Mississippi, times 20, it’s threatening the very lives of women in Virginia and their health.
Conservatism used to mean fighting against government control in our lives.
It’s another example of Republicans using governmental force to push women into situations where they have no access to reproductive health care when they have no place else to go but a clinic, which will be shut down if these hospital-style building standards are implemented.
Ken Cuccinelli is an extremist who is so hungry to appease the rabid right to amass more power that he’s willing to put the lives of Virginia women at risk to do it. There’s nothing “pro life” about that.
There’s very little difference in what Cuccinelli is doing in Virginia and the anti-women’s freedom platform of Romney-Ryan, which was adopted in Tampa. Forced birth for women who get in trouble is the Republican solution, but also mandating certain tests before a woman can have a legal procedure, which abortion remains in this country for very good reasons.
The consequences of an abortion are between the woman, her own conscience, as well as her minister, priest or adviser. Government’s got no business in the middle.
Romney-Ryan, just like Cucccinelli, want to do for America, what’s now playing out in Virginia, which is one reason there are ads galore hitting Romney-Ryan on their extreme views on women and abortion rights. Make clinic access to women obsolete, so they have no choice when they find themselves in an emergency situation they can’t handle and didn’t expect or plan.
That’s how ignorant these people are. They don’t realize that a woman who feels her own life is threatened by an unplanned pregnancy, not physically threatened, but emotionally or in other ways, can never be forced to bring a zygote to term if she doesn’t want to. She will risk her life stopping that from happening, which is one reason why abortion became legal in the first place.
Somebody needs to rescue Virginia from the Republicans, because women here are going to be in trouble if these extremist Republicans aren’t sent a message. No politician should be able to use his or her office to do what Ken Cuccinelli is doing in Virginia.
There is a war on women, and in Virginia the general is Ken Cuccinelli.
I love this state, its beauty, birds, wildlife, all of it is magnificent.
Come on, Virginia, you’re better than this.
Its like our Gregg Abott here in Tx. Our atty gen is at war w/ women, suing to ill fudning for PP. Suing to keep folks from voting. Suing to kill sect 5 of the vra. Suing to end afirm action etc.. And he will be running for guv likley in 14. At least Va is a swing state now. Pray for theday tx finally shifts and our people are freed from these monsters. I hope Va elects Terry Mculiffe next time- shoudl have last time! he wont screw women or the poor like the current asshat crew is now. Come on VA- in 13 elect sanity!
You expect that in Texas, frankly.
As for McAuliffe, he isn’t popular inside the Dem Party in Virginia, or hasn’t been, from what I hear. There is a strong belief he’ll make another try.
Virginia is for lovers? Lovers of the 18th century. You would think that a state so close to the nation’s capital would have more modern thinkers. For an Attorney General to send a letter like that strikes me as bordering on blackmail. Isn’t that illegal? Here is another troubling aspect of the GOP; they seem to commit one illegal act after another and call it politics. I think it’s gone way beyond politics and has entered the realm of criminal activity; yet know one calls them on it. They are being paid to be lawmakers and they are breaking the law. As far as I’m concerned, admitting that you are obstructing the president and thereby hurting the country you were elected to serve is for the express purpose of regaining the white house is unlawful.
“The consequences of an abortion are between the woman, her own conscience, as well as her minister, priest or adviser. Government’s got no business in the middle.”
And why would a minister need to be in the mix? If a woman has made up her mind, then she has made up her mind. If she has doubts, then she needs to work them out herself. It’s her life, her future, and no other person can really solve the dilema other than herself.
I would rather the woman see a medical professional. The people working in reproductive health are consumate professionals who can help a woman much better than a man or woman wearing clerical robes. As most religions are deeply steeped in Patriarchy and Misogyny, I seriously doubt that most Padres will have anything useful to say. At least at Planned Parenthood the woman will get non-judgmental support for the decision she makes.
The only “advisor” I would trust to help me out if I were a woman with unplanned pregnancy would be a medical professional working in the realm of Reproductive health care- full stop. Only they can competently talk about the risks, options and facts surrounding an unplanned pregnancy. Only they can be trusted to have the skill set to help guide a woman through this patch in her life. They have heard it all and then some. They will offer more and better guidance than any other person I could think of.
spincitysd – I spent more than 30 years in reproductive health and your words are the most sensible I have heard anyone utter. I would never send a woman to a priest to discuss reproductive health issues. A priest has no business discussing a woman’s body with her and what she can and cannot do with it.
I’m really surprised you don’t understand that some women of faith have a hard time reconciling having an abortion with their religious beliefs.
Ultimately, it’s between a woman and her God, if she believes, but many have struggles with the decision, which I know from talking to a lot of women about it over 2 decades. As for my own experience, I absolutely know in my deepest heart center that my decision was the only one I had to make.
This idiot probably just handed VA to Obama in the presidential election.
My entire neighborhood, considered the DC suburbs, is blanketed in Romney signs, but Obama remains ahead here in the polls.
The Recovery Act brought a lot of jobs, as has Obama’s defense spending. There are signs heralding projects built by the Recovery Act all over the place, or there were not long ago.
You know what is interesting Taylor? Here in my read 70% GOP district (or at least it was before redistricting—I haven’t checked on the numbers for the new district) I see ALMOST no Romney bumper stickers and ZERO Romney yard signs. I’ve seen one Romney bumper sticker and two Obama bumper stickers. Even in 1996 I saw a ton of Dole bumper stickers. I think that the people down here are so conditioned to think that MA is an evil state and that Mormonism is a cult that they can’t get past it. Not that I think Obama is going to win GA in November but it’s really odd. I guess it’s because they’re not voting for Romney only against Obama.
Thanks for sharing that, Ga6thDem. Always interested in what’s happening in everyone’s neck of the woods.
This is democracy? I call it a dictatorship. What is it within these men that they are so obsessed with women’s bodies and pregnancy? Can you imagine being married to one of them??? I can’t. To me, every woman has the right to self determination without any interference from the outside, especially the government.
Oh. AMEN.
DING! DING!! DING!!!
See “The Hillary Effect” and the chapter on “Is Freedom Just for Men?”
But…but….I keep reading from some here that there is NO difference between the teo parties and so they will not vote or go with a third party? I don’t understand?
On this issue, the parties are different. Absolutely, but let’s put all the flesh on the bone since you won’t be honest.
But it was Obama, Pelosi & Dems, including so-called progressives, that codified Hyde into law. That hadn’t happened before in history and Obama had a majority in Congress when it happened. He also emboldened mini Stupaks across the country when he signed a ridiculous & gratuitous executive order, which kicked off the war on women, 21st century edition. It was also Obama who chose politics over science on Plan B. So, since you brought it up, we’ll take a wider lens…
Both parties are bought and paid for by big business & Wall Street.
Pres. Obama’s foreign policy is very similar to George W. Bush’s, though Obama has upped the drone policy even more. Civil liberties are under assault under Obama, just like Bush as well.
As for secrecy, Obama is as bad as Romney. Read Ari Melber’s piece since you like to cover for so many examples of where the big two parties are similar.
Backroom deals on the health care bill?
The “grand bargain” that Obama has already endorsed?
This isn’t what I want to talk about in this thread, but anyone with their heads in the clouds shouldn’t get away with making Obama & Democrats what they are not.
But the situation in Virginia is no doubt dire, so you’re point state wide is not lost, believe me, sech.
Well said, Taylor. The Democratic Convention made the Republican one look like amateur hour, and certainly put forth a warmth and inclusiveness sorely lacking in its counter part. So the contrast in the conventions absolutely demonstrated a stark difference between the 2.
That said, some seem to be forgetting just how far right Obama was able to move the Democrats, mostly because the Republicans have sold their souls to the right wing nuts who want to push women back into the kitchen, the laundry room and the maternity ward, and who want to escalate a world-wide holy war to expedite Armageddon.
Yes we do have a choice: The New Republican Party (labeled Democratic) led by Obama, and the Neanderthal Republican Party led by Neanderthals. Wow. I am so excited….NOT!!!
I get slammed whenever I bring this up, ladywalker68.
However, it’s ridiculous in voting against Romney-Ryan and the Republicans that everyone also consider what they are voting FOR.
I so totally agree. I was listening to the Stephanie Miller show last week who had a substitute and his side-kicks, all of them were pontificating how bad people are who are going to vote 3rd Party. They flat out said it is the same thing as voting republican.
The essence of the condescending lecture was, “You are never going to be happy and get 100% of what you want in a democracy. So you have suck it up and compromise and vote for those who don’t represent everything you want because the other guys are really evil.”
But they forget to mention how evil some of the things are the Obama Administration has implemented. Really.
There is some pretty awful stuff there, as far as I am concerned. The Republicans have sold their souls to the powers I mentioned above but Obama and the Dems have sold their souls to the corporations and the banks, and largely continued Gestapo assault on our freedoms that Bush Jr. piggy-backed on the emotion of 9-11.
“since you won’t be honest.”
So you are saying there isn’t anyone here who says there isn’t any difference? Now WHO is being dishonest?!!!
And frankly, on any policy other then use of the military to say there isn’t any difference is like saying a match is equivalent to firestorm. I mean really Ms. marsh, I lovez ya, ya KNOWZ I duz….but come ON! Are you REALLY trying to say there wouldn’t be any difference between a 2nd Obama term and a Roney term?!!!!!!!!
Are you being purposefully obtuse?
Read my comment. It begins…
On this issue, the parties are different.
It ends…
But the situation in Virginia is no doubt dire, so you’re point state wide is not lost…
If you actually comprehend what I write every day you’ll figure it out. Obama is a moderate Republican, so he’s into austerity, “grand bargain,” etc. Romney’s biggest problem is that he’s an awful politician. If the man who ran in Massachusetts could step out this would be a real fight for the presidency. As for foreign policy, NO ONE has made the case against Romney any better than I have, which I began very early.
” If the man who ran in Massachusetts could step out this would be a real fight for the presidency.”
And if Superman had landed in Germany instead of The United States he would have been UBERMAN!
From an obtuse but loyal Fan!
[…] Romney and Paul Ryan on their extreme stance on abortion have been non-stop. I can’t imagine Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s overreach on women’s clinics and the publicity he’s gotten over it have helped Republicans […]
[…] Blue Virginia posted on the picture above, which is as virulent as it gets. In one shot over there you can clearly see a George Allen sign for Senate. Though there is no link whatsoever between the campaign and this scurrilous shot, it does draw up the memory of Allen’s past problems with race, with the “macaca” catastrophe the tipping point in his campaign against Jim Webb. Today, Tim Kaine has surged ahead of George Allen, driven by women and the reaction to the GOP’s extreme positions, led now by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. […]