Political Ruminations

Think the GOP's War on Women is a Myth?

Think again. Watch:

And that’s not even the half of it.

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

During an interview with Rolling Stone early in October, President Obama on Mitt Romney’s extremism:

“Four weeks out from an election, you can't hide from positions that ultimately are out of sync with how the majority of Americans think. I guarantee if you talk to not just Democratic women, but a whole bunch of Republican and Independent women, they will tell you they're very capable of making their own health care decisions. If you have a chance to meet these Dream Act kids, some of whom were brought here when they were two or three or five, and are American in every sense, except for their papers – love this country, have pledged allegiance to this flag, want to contribute – then you would reject the idea that somehow they should be deported to some country where they've never been.

But those are Governor Romney's positions, and we gotta make sure that the American people understand those positions.”

Imagine that. Democratic, Republican and Independent women are capable of making their own health care choices. Too bad Republicans are such control freaks when it comes to …well, everything. But especially women. Vote for them at your own peril.

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

During an appearance on Jay Leno last night, President Obama responded to Richard Mourdock’s comments that even pregnancies which occur as a result of rape are a “gift from God” and something that “God intended”:

“I don’t know where these guys come up with these ideas. Rape is rape. It is a crime…This is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women’s health care.”

Hey Girl, Mitt Romney is a Real Extremist When it Comes to Women

Mr. Romney has a new ad out, an ad that attempts to hide his extremist positions.

It features a woman who clearly lies about Romney’s positions, and then claims that she voted for Obama in 2008. The problem is well, that while you can find sites which back her up, they do so either in error or in order to deceive. The truth is in what Mr. Romney himself has recently said.

On the issue of contraception, we can look to the Blunt Amendment to determine whether or not Mr. Romney supports the use of contraceptives.

The Blunt Amendment allows your boss to decide for you whether or not you will get access to contraceptives through your health insurance. That’s right. And Mitt Romney said himself that he supports the Blunt amendment (@14:46 on the Maddow video).

“Of course I support the Blunt Amendment.”

On the issue of a woman’s right to choose, abortion, Mitt Romney has said very recently (September 2012) that he would appoint Supreme Court justices who would strike down Roe v. Wade:

“But I am pro-life and will intend, if I’m president of the United States, to encourage pro-life policies. [...] And I hope to appoint justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the law and the constitution. And it would be my preference that they reverse Roe v. Wade and therefore they return to the people and their elected representatives the decisions with regards to this important issue.”

Romney also said that he would sign a bill which banned all abortions (@11:33 on the video):

“I’d be delighted to sign that bill.”

“Delighted.” Rachel Maddow on Romney’s severely conservative positions(the segment on these issues starts at approximately 09:04):

A Romney administration would end abortion, would take away our right to choose what we do with our own bodies.

No exceptions for anything. Not rape. Not incest. Not the life of the mother.

Factor this in with Romney's stance on the Blunt Amendment -- which would make it more difficult for you to obtain contraceptives since he will allow your boss to decide whether or not you could obtain contraceptives through your health insurance.

This is what Mitt Romney really supports. This is what the Republican War On Women is about. This is what it will mean to women if Mitt Romney is elected.

If you’re undecided at this point, you need to think hard about your options, and then go to the polls and vote for Barack Obama. Not to do so will affect you, your children, and your grandchildren in ways you can’t even begin to count.

The Most Long Lasting Consequence of This Election

Chris Matthews on Mitt Romney:

“He’d love to have nine Scalia’s on the court.”

The most long lasting consequence of this election will be the fact that if Mitt Romney wins, he will appoint at least two, possibly three, Supreme Court justices. And, Romney has said that he will appoint justices who would rule to strike down Roe v. Wade. 

This would mean another entire generation of a very conservative Supreme Court, with all of the relentless backward progress that would bring. Just the thought makes me sick.

New Swing State Ad: The Republican War on Women

A new ad by Rob Reiner for MoveOn, set to air in the swing states of Colorado and Virginia. Watch:

The stakes in this election are enormous. More than in any election in my lifetime. Vote. And vote for Barack Obama.

2012 Presidential Election Topics Index

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For posts related to the GOP primaries, just search on the individual candidate’s name.

Joe Biden Goes After Ryan and Romney on Women's Rights

Back on the campaign trail in Wisconsin on Friday, Joe Biden talked about the Republican plan for the future of women’s rights:

“If anyone had a doubt about what’s at stake in this election when it comes to women’s rights, and the Supreme Court, I'm sure they were settled last night.

It was made clear last night that they don't believe in protecting a woman's access to health care. It was made very clear that they do not believe a woman has a right to control her own body. These guys have a social policy out of the fifties.”

Mr. Biden begins speaking at 1:34. Watch:

Vice President Biden is referring to statements made by both Romney and Ryan, but especially to what Paul Ryan said during the Vice Presidential Debate on Thursday night, where Ryan said called rape and incest “methods of conception” again. Ryan also said that Romney would appoint Supreme Court justices who would vote to reverse Roe v. Wade (at least two justices are likely to retire during the next four years, one of them a liberal). You can read the transcript of the debate, and/or watch the full video.

You should also take a look at the GOP Platform within which Republicans codified their war against women.

Morning Quote: Mitt Romney on Abortion Rights

Mitt Romney on abortion rights as quoted by the Des Moines Register:

“There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda.”

Reactions to Romney’s latest flip-flop are varied, but the most telling of the reactions was that of Romney surrogate, Andrea Saul:

“Mitt Romney is proudly pro-life, and he will be a pro-life president.”

ABC News, emphasis mine:

During the GOP primary earlier this year, Romney said repeatedly that Roe vs. Wade should be overturned and that all funding for Planned Parenthood should be cut. He has also said he would prefer to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe vs. Wade.

[….] Romney could [will]  likely still support anti-abortion rights legislation.

The Obama Campaign:

It’s troubling that Mitt Romney is so willing to play politics with such important issues. Women simply can’t trust him.

My take. Mitt Romney will, as we already know, say and do anything in order to get elected. Anything. And, if we didn’t already know that, we sure should have figured it out when he chose his running mate. Paul Ryan is rabidly anti-women.

UPDATE: Last month, Romney was so against abortion rights, he said he would appoint Supreme Court justices who would reverse Roe v. Wade:

“But I am pro-life and will intend, if I’m president of the United States, to encourage pro-life policies. [...] And I hope to appoint justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the law and the constitution. And it would be my preference that they reverse Roe v. Wade and therefore they return to the people and their elected representatives the decisions with regards to this important issue.”

Morning Quote: Claire McCaskill

On Morning Joe today, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) discussed how far to the right her challenger, Todd Akin (R), actually is by noting that in contrast, Michele Bachmann, with her odd assortment of completely crazy-ass views, looks like a “hippie”:

“I mean, this is somebody who kind of makes Michele Bachmann look like a hippie.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Todd Akin, he’s the guy who differentiates between “rape” and “legitimate rape”. Akin is a certified member of the He-Man Woman Haters Club, so ladies, if you have a few bucks to spare, help Sen. McCaskill beat this guy by donating to her re-election fund!

Adding…yesterday, Akin accused Sen. McCaskill of not being as “ladylike” as she was in 2006. Republicans, after insisting that Akin drop out of the race at the time he made his controversial comments about women and their ladyparts, they are back on board with supporting this woman hating Neanderthal. Yet another reason why we can not allow McCaskill to lose.

Sen. Roy Blunt Flip-Flops on Akin

On Tuesday, Missouri’s Republican Senator Roy Blunt released a statement in support of Todd Akin, aka the “legitimate rape” guy, contradicting his stance on Akin last August:

“Congressman Akin and I don’t agree on everything, but he and I agree the Senate majority must change. From Governor Romney to the county courthouse, I’ll be working for the Republican ticket in Missouri, and that includes Todd Akin.”

But, geez, back in August, Sen. Blunt was just so eager to get Akin out of government:

“Todd needs to get out of this race…it’s not helpful.”

Today, it seems, Republicans are more concerned about their determination to win a majority in the Senate. According to Nate Silver, that likelihood is pretty slim.

RELATED POSTS:

+ Todd Akin and Paul Ryan in the He-Man Woman Haters Club
+ Republican War on Women

+ Paul Ryan + Todd Akin Sympatico on Women's Reproductive Rights

+ Quote of the Day: Steve King
+ Morning Quote: Todd Akin

Morning Quote: Gov. Bev Purdue

On MSNBC’s “Hardball” last night, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) warned about the outcome of a GOP election win given the Republican position on abortion:

“ But for poor women, you'll be back to the days of coat hangers in the bathtub and you'll see women die. ”

Morning Quote: Paul Ryan, Soldier of the American Taliban

Weird Paul Ryan calls rape “a method of conception”, emphasis mine:

“I’m very proud of my pro-life record, and I’ve always adopted the idea that, the position that the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life. But let’s remember, I’m joining the Romney-Ryan ticket. And the president makes policy.”

See that part I bolded? The translation is a lot chilling, because Paul Ryan, who would be “a heartbeat away from the presidency” (and likely next in the GOP line to run for presidency if they win in 2012) is saying that if you’re a 13-year-old girl (or any other age female) and you’re raped by anyone (including your dad or brother or dirty old uncle), and that results in a pregnancy, well, you have no right to terminate your pregnancy via an abortion or the morning after pill. Seriously.

We are being taken over by the American Taliban.

Paul Ryan Co-sponsored 8 Anti-Woman Bills With Todd Akin

They say a picture is worth a thousand words......that is certainly true in this case!

If Akin should leave the race, so should Paul Ryan.

See also…….. Todd Akin and Paul Ryan in the He-Man Woman Haters Club

(h/t Ashby)

GOP Codifies the Republican War Against Women

Please note: this platform belongs to Mitt Romney, and to Paul Ryan, as it was prepared under the direction of their campaign.

With the inclusion of the agenda of those once considered the fringe into the2012 GOP Platform, the Republican Party should officially be flushed down the toilet. From the time when the once great party came into being in 1856, there has been no more hateful and conservative agenda than that of the 2012 GOP Platform.

The GOP has arrived at this unenviable place/state of being , a state of being where they are feared more than respected, hated more than tolerated, derided more than praised, by catering to the extremist religious fringe of their party until that extremist wing gained majority control. This can be easily, too easily, confirmed by reading their official platforms from the years prior to Nixon through that of this platform—the difference is striking.

This year we see the Republican war against women codified in the 2012 GOP platform in the form of several planks which endorse infringement upon not only our reproductive rights, but upon our dignity (the mandatory ultrasounds). Think Progress with the details:

1. NO ABORTION IN CASES OF RAPE OR INCEST. The proposal for a “human life amendment” passed without a hitch — and without any exceptions for rape or incest. The committee didn’t stop there; they also adopted language that would ban drugs that end pregnancy after conception, which could potentially include Plan B, the “morning after pill.” [the "Akin Amendment", so called by Democrats]

2. SALUTE TO MANDATORY ULTRASOUNDS. The GOP officially praises states’ “informed consent” laws that force women to undergo unnecessary procedures, require waiting periods and endure other measures meant to discourage them from getting an abortion. One such law receiving a “salute” was crafted by committee head McDonnell, who passed a notorious mandatory ultrasound requirement after he signed an unsuccessful bill to require an even more invasive transvaginal probe ultrasound during an abortion consultation.

3. NO WOMEN IN COMBAT. The platform condemns “social experimentation” in the military, which covers everything from the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to allowing officers to wear their uniforms in gay pride events to letting women serve on the front lines.

With the GOP’s adoption of these very specific planks which seek to control women, four things should be noted:

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

At a fundraiser in New York City, President Obama told the crowd that Republican congressman, Todd Akin, who made some seriously ignorant comments on rape and abortion, “somehow missed science class”:

“The interesting thing here is that this is an individual [Todd Akin] who sits on the House Committee on Science and Technology but somehow missed science class.”

The point of view espoused by Todd Akin is by no means an outlier. Indeed, Paul Ryan and Todd Akin are pretty much in agreement on rape and abortion:

Ryan and Akin largely agree when it comes to abortion rights. Both believe abortion should be illegal even in the case of rape and incest. Both were co-sponsors of H.R. 3, the 2011 bill that would have limited the federal abortion coverage exemption only to victims of “forcible rape” and women whose physical health was in danger from her pregnancy, closing a supposed loophole in health-of-the-mother exemptions conservatives have been crowing about for years.

Quote of the Day II

The 2012 GOP Platform makes Republican support for an outright ban on abortion, no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother, once again official, emphasis mine:

“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

According to Think Progress, the amendment “would outlaw abortion and likely many forms of contraception”, emphasis mine:

Heading the committee is Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA), best known for his “mandatory ultrasound” law requiring any woman getting an abortion to undergo an unnecessary ultrasound. McDonnell also revealed his regressive position on women’s rights in his college thesis, which slandered working women, contraception, and “fornicators.” It’s no surprise, then, that under his guidance, the Republican Party will reaffirm its support for a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion and likely many forms of contraception.

In saying they would not oppose a rape exception, Romney and Ryan are both changing their tune. Romney said in 2007 he would be “delighted” to sign a bill banning all abortions, and Ryan has been staunchly anti-abortion in all cases, even attempting to restrict abortion access to victims of “forcible rape” only.

The human life amendment has been a tenet of the Republican Party platform since the dawn of the Reagan era in 1980.

Also, you should read this in order to grasp just how far Republicans are willing to go to strip women not only of choice, but of dignity.

Quote of the Day: Steve King

Nut Job Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) addressed the portion of the now famous Todd Akin quote in which Akin said that the female body has the ability to prevent pregnancy in cases of incest or statutory rape. In fact, "King told an Iowa reporter he’s never heard of a child getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest." Seriously.

“ Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter. ”

Every time you think it can't get worse....

Todd Akin and Paul Ryan in the He-Man Woman Haters Club

Politicususa’ RMuse, in his column entitled “Legitimate Rape is the Tip of the Republican War on Women Iceberg” makes some excellent points about Paul Ryan, Todd Akin, and the Republican War on Women, emphasis mine:

Todd Akin deserves every bit of criticism he is getting, but he represents Willard Romney, Paul Ryan, and the entire Republican Party who have voted consistently to eliminate a woman’s right to choose. It is hypocritical of Romney and Ryan to distance themselves from Akin because his stance on women’s rights is their stance. Ryan has stood shoulder to shoulder with Akin in the House attempts at redefining rape, defunding Planned Parenthood, and giving a zygote the same rights as every living breathing American citizen, accept [sic] women. Akin IS the Republican Party, and the Republican Party IS Todd Akin and they represent the dire circumstances every woman in America will face if they are victorious in November. It is impossible to isolate Akin from the rest of Republicans in Congress and GOP-controlled states because their voting records, plans for the future, and lowlife opinion of a woman’s right to choose all stem from the same source; the Christian bible. Maybe Willard Romney adheres to an extra phony religious book, but his beliefs, upbringing, and campaign promises spell the same dire results as bible-thumping Republicans that relegate women to the same place every other religious fanatic believes they belong; at home, giving birth, and desperately attempting to prevent Republicans from taking away their rights.

UPDATE: see also Paul Ryan Co-sponsored 8 Anti-Woman Bills With Todd Akin

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

President Obama’s response to Rep. Todd Akin’s  “legitimate rape” comments:

“Rape is rape, and the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn’t make sense to the American people and certainly doesn’t make sense to me.”

Tweet of the Day

From @PaulRyanGosling on Twitter:

“Hey girl, I want you to know that I'll NEVER say what Akin said about "legitimate" rape. I'll just try to pass it into law.”

Paul Ryan + Todd Akin Sympatico on Women's Reproductive Rights

In a press release last November, Paul Ryan talked up Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo), now known as the “legitimate rape” guy:

“Todd Akin has been a great asset to the House Budget Committee. His principled approach to fiscal responsibility is exactly the kind of leadership America needs and I appreciate his hard work.”

TPM on the Ryan-Akin abortion positions, which are pretty much the same:

Ryan and Akin largely agree when it comes to abortion rights. Both believe abortion should be illegal even in the case of rape and incest. Both were co-sponsors of H.R. 3, the 2011 bill that would have limited the federal abortion coverage exemption only to victims of “forcible rape” and women whose physical health was in danger from her pregnancy, closing a supposed loophole in health-of-the-mother exemptions conservatives have been crowing about for years.

In 2011, Paul Ryan also co-sponsored a personhood amendment along with Todd Akin and other Republicans. If enacted, this bill would “provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization”, which would likely make birth control illegal.

Morning Quote: Todd Akin

Over the weekend, the right wing nut job Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo) talked up his position re abortion, which is he wouldn’t condone abortion even for cases of rape or incest:

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

“Legitimate rape”…..wah????

There you have it. Another crazy trying to get elected to the Senate (as if we didn't already have way too many of them in the House), in his case, attempting to unseat Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), and ahead in the polls.

Oh, and by the way, on the non-rarity of pregnancies occurring as a result of rape,  TPM notes that “a 1996 study by the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found “rape-related pregnancy occurs with significant frequency” and is “a cause of many unwanted pregnancies” — an estimated “32,101 pregnancies result from rape each year.””.

UPDATE: Outraged as I was by Akin’s reference to “legitimate”  rape,  I obviously didn’t touch on the other part of Akin’s statement, you know, the one where he claims that women have magical powers or something that can prevent them from becoming pregnant if it’s a “legitimate rape”. 

There are times lately when I have to wonder if I’m living in an alternate universe. Really.

Quote of the Week

In an op-ed for Rolling Stone, Tom Morello, popular guitarist for the band ‘Rage Against the Machine’, blasts Romney’s vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan (Rage being one of Ryan’s favorite bands) as an “extreme fringe right wing nut job” among other things, emphasis mine:

“Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta "rage" in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions.

You see, the super rich must rationalize having more than they could ever spend while millions of children in the U.S. go to bed hungry every night. So, when they look themselves in the mirror, they convince themselves that "Those people are undeserving. They're . . . lesser." Some of these guys on the extreme right are more cynical than Paul Ryan, but he seems to really believe in this stuff. This unbridled rage against those who have the least is a cornerstone of the Romney-Ryan ticket.”

Quote of the Week

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Md), on Republican hypocrisy re the health care ruling:

“ The only health care mandate they can embrace are transvaginal probes for women. ”

Gov. O’Malley is referring to a bill proposed by Virginia Republicans.

Morning Quote: Barbara Mikulski

After Republicans successfully blocked the passage of the equal pay bill in the Senate today yesterday, a very irritated Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) took to the podium to enjoin women to “foment our own revolution” and continue the fight for equal pay:

“ We’re going to foment our own revolution. So I say to the women out there in America, let’s keep this fight going! Put on your lipstick, square your shoulders, suit up, and let’s fight for a new American revolution where women are paid equal pay for equal work, and let’s end wage discrimination in this century once and for all! ”

Watch the video:

Think Progress with some background:

Republicans framed the measure as a useless bureaucratic roadblock that would have hindered free enterprise and helped trial lawyers. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) called the bill a “war on free enterprise.” But Heller’s record on women’s issues is far from stellar: He previously voted against Paycheck Fairness when he was in the House of Representatives and also voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair pay act, another pay equity bill.

Pay discrimination isn’t some fantasy of the left — it actually prevents families from higher earnings. On average, women make 77 cents to a man’s dollar. And that’s happening while more women are becoming the primary breadwinners or dual-earners in their family and a larger number of women with high degrees entering the job market.

Over her lifetime, the average woman loses enough in wages to feed a family of four for 37 years.

The Paycheck Fairness Act has become an election issue, as well. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), who is challenging Heller, cited his opposition as a sign that he is one of the warriors in the ongoing battle to destroy women’s rights. In Missouri, the Senatorial candidates have also butted heads on Paycheck Fairness (all three Republican candidates opposed the bill). And in the Presidential election, President Obama has come out strongly in favor of the bill, while Mitt Romney has kept silent on the issue.

Of note, President Obama has been a strong supporter of the legislation, while Mitt Romney has refused to commit.

Mitt Romney Hates Women

Mitt Romney has taken extreme positions on issues women care about, including economic security, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, reproductive rights, Roe v. Wade, and on women’s health. Watch:

Morning Quote: Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant

Not long after he signed into law a bill which would shut down Mississippi’s lone standing abortion clinic, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) told the racist, misogynist conservative radio host, Tony Perkins, that Democrats have only “one mission in life”, and that is “to abort children”:

“The hypocrisy of the left that now tried to kill this bill, that says that I should have never signed it, the true hypocrisy is that their one mission in life is to abort children, is to kill children in the womb.”

Yeah, that's our mission alright, and Gov. Bryant is evidently aching for a seat on the crazy train.

Political Punch:

The recently-signed bill to crack down on Mississippi abortion providers is one of the most stringent to be passed by a state. It requires all doctors who perform abortions to be certified in obstetrics and gynecology and have admitting privileges at a local hospital.

Opponents of the law claim it “endangers women’s health.”

“Make no mistake, this law is based on a political agenda, not medical necessity,” said Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards, in a statement following the law’s passage last week. “Politicians are again trying to reach into complex personal decisions with a bill that could have very broad consequences for women’s health.”

Reminder: Nationwide protests are taking place on April 28th in states across the country, speaking out against the Republican War Against Women. Visit www.unitewomen.org to get together with protesters in your state.

Sen. Jeff Sessions is a Racist, Misogynist Pig

And Senator Sessions (R-Al)has an unreasonable dislike of Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. Think Progress, emphasis mine:

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions knows something about what it means to be unfit for the federal bench. In 1986, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Session’s nomination to a federal judgeship in Alabama after a Justice Department attorney revealed that Sessions called the NAACP and the ACLU “un-American” and “Communist-inspired.” Unfortunately, rather than gaining some humility from this incident, the now-Sen. Sessions seems to be finding questionably qualified nominees under every rock he can lift:

Sessions was one of [Justice Elena] Kagan’s toughest critics on the Senate Judiciary Committee when she was nominated by President Obama in 2010. Last week, he revived his complaints about her when he became one of only two committee members to vote against Maine lawyer William J. Kayatta Jr., whom Obama nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.

Kayatta’s transgression, according to Sessions, is that he was the lead investigator for the American Bar Association panel that gave nominee Kagan its highest rating — “Unanimous Well-Qualified.”

Given that Kagan had never been a judge and had little experience in private practice, Sessions said, such a rating “was not only unsupported by the record but, in my opinion, the product of political bias.”

The fact that Justice Kagan is imminently well qualified for her position is not too difficult for doubters to ascertain, since her employment history is a matter of public record, as Think Progress points out:

For the record, Justice Kagan was the sitting Solicitor General, a former Dean of the Harvard Law School, a former White House attorney and senior policy staffer and a former law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall when she was nominated to the Supreme Court. The idea that she wasn’t well qualified for her current job is absurd.

These thuggish effing Republicans make me sick.

Morning Quote: Mitt Romney

According to Steve Benen, Mitt Romney continues to lie about the Affordable Care Act:

“The employees of the Catholic Church have to be provided by the Catholic Church with health care that gives them free contraceptive and free sterilization treatments and morning-after pills despite the fact that this violates the conscience of the Catholic Church.”

Romney is lying.

Morning Quote: Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney tries to blame Democrats for the contraception wars (which culminated in the bombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wisconsin)  and blusters his way through an interview with the right wing website, Newsmax:

“But there's no question that over the past several weeks, that a discussion about religious liberty was distorted into a discussion about contraceptives. And there was the somehow Republicans are opposed to contraceptives. I think it was most unfortunate twist by our Democrat friends. I think this will pass as an issue as people understand our real position.”

There has been no misunderstanding by Democrats of Republican positions on women’s concerns, Mr. Romney.

And, apparently Independent women understand the Republican position as well. Taegan Goddard:

The Washington Post digs into the latest USA Today-Gallup poll of a dozen battleground states and notes that "among independent women -- a key group of swing voters -- Obama had been trailing Romney by five points in a series of surveys late last year. But that number shifted dramatically in polling conducted in February and March, and the president took a 14-point lead over the former Massachusetts governor, marking a net gain of 19 points."

When Reince Priebus,  the Chairman of the Republican National Committee feels free to publicly make a remark such as this one, it becomes crystal clear exactly how Republicans feel about women.

Morning Quote: Reince Priebus

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on the GOP war on women:

“If the Democrats said we had a war on caterpillars and every mainstream media outlet talked about the fact that Republicans have a war on caterpillars, then we’d have problems with caterpillars. It’s a fiction.”

Chart of the Day– Women Move Away From Romney in Swing States Over Contraception Issue

This appears to be happening as a result of right wing attempts to deny women contraception, and it is the women that are moving to Obama, not the men.

Via Kevin Drum:

So how's that whole contraception thing working out for the right? The latest Gallup poll of swing states suggests that it's not going so well: Obama now leads Romney in these states 51%-42%. Here's why:

The biggest change came among women under 50. In mid-February, just under half of those voters supported Obama. Now more than six in 10 do while Romney's support among them has dropped by 14 points, to 30%. The president leads him 2-1 in this group.

Most people still don't have much of an opinion about birth control, but among those who do, 27% agree with Obama's view while only 11% agree with Romney's view. This might all blow over by November, but if the Obama campaign manages to keep it in play it could become a pretty serious albatross for the right.

House GOP: Let 'Em be Raped!

Let illegal female immigrants be raped, that is. Tim Murphy, emphasis mine:

On Wednesday, as most of official Washington was fixing its gaze squarely on the Supreme Court, the House Committee on the Judiciary convened a hearing on another issue: the supposedly posh conditions at the Department of Homeland Security's immigrant detention centers. The hearing, dubbed "Holiday on ICE" by chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas), focused on the idea that Obama administration rules intended to prevent sexual abuse and inhumane conditions at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facilities made detention too fancy. "War on Women," meet "War on Immigrant Women.

Karen Santorum: Rick Santorum Won't Take Away Access to Contraceptives

Like hell he won’t. ANY GOP nominee will defund or limit your access to contraceptives. If you believe otherwise, you haven’t been paying attention.

The GOP War on Women in Texas

Do you ever wonder if reproductive rights would be such a cultural issue if men were the gender which bore the children?

I don’t, because I know that there would be no damn war on reproductive rights if men were the child bearers.

Caroline, a young mother, and her husband, were forced into the misery created by Texas laws which seek to abridge reproductive rights of women, and to confer slut shaming  on those who make choices not acceptable to these almost all male lawmakers.

GOP lawmakers should all be forced to have vasectomies.

Morning Quote: Hillary Clinton

“Why extremists always focus on women, remains a mystery to me, but they all seem to.

It doesn't matter what country they're in, or what religion they claim, they all want to control women, they want to control how we dress, they want to control how we act, they even want to control the decisions that we make about our own health and our own bodies.

Yes, it is hard to believe, but even here at home, we have to stand up for women's rights and reject efforts to marginalize any one of us, because America needs to set an example for the entire world.”

- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the right wing extremists who have taken on the women of America ( and awakened a sleeping giant).

Watch:

The quote is at 23:51.

The Republican War on Women

A new video from Move On is a good example of the kind of problem that Republicans will encounter  with women of voting age in this election year.

Watch:

Nationwide Protests against the Republican War on Women on 4.28.12.

Quote of the Day II–Mitt Romney

“Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that.”

- Mitt Romney in an interview with KSDK-TV.

The Republican War on Women

Is having an effect on the electorate that's predictably beneficial for Democrats. Steve Benen:

In 2008, women represented 53% of the American electorate. Four years later, and with the 19th Amendment still intact, Republicans have reason to be concerned about the antagonism between the GOP and more than half of the country's voters.

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll, for example, asked respondents, "[W]hich political party would you say cares more about issues that are especially important to women?" Democrats led Republicans by 25 points, 55% to 30%.

What's more, Karen Tumulty noted the other day that when an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll asked last summer which party should control Congress, women preferred a Democratic majority, 46% to 42%. Last week, that margin had grown to 15 points.