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Showing posts with label Birth Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birth Control. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Daily Show - "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Gross
As usual, The Daily Show offered unparalleled insight into the Rush Limbaugh controversy surrounding his incendiary comments about Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke. Stewart manages to hit every important aspect of this story, from the complete misunderstanding Republicans seem to have regarding birth control, to the absolutely appalling way in which the Republican candidates responded to Limbaugh's attack. This is an absolute must-watch. Enjoy.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Limbaugh Controversy a Big Win For Dems
A recovering economy is bad news for Republicans in 2012. If Republicans address social issues as virulently as they have the ‘contraception controversy,’ it will be a long, sad election season for them. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act made it so all employers had to cover contraceptive care. Republicans cried foul on infringing religious freedoms. This seemed a win-win for republicans: attack an already unpopular legislative bill, at least with conservatives, and pin the bill to a social issue they care deeply about.
But it didn’t really turn out that way. President Obama compromised. This consolation by the administration seemed a straight-forward alternative, but many still argued insurance companies would pass the costs of contraceptive care to the institutions through higher premiums, but this simply isn’t true. Furthermore, it’s in the insurance companies’ best interest, i.e. benefits their bottom-line, to offer free contraceptive care for ALL women.
The controversy should have died there, but, republicans kept on it. At a Congressional hearing, Darrell Issa actually barred a woman named Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student, from giving testimony. Democrats, days later, held a congressional forum where Ms. Fluke finally gave her testimony. Republicans responded by letting Rush Limbaugh do the talking.
Limbaugh’s tirade has only served to help President Obama and the Democrats this fall. First of all, Limbaugh’s idiocy only proved how little he understands contraception and how women use it. Rachel Maddow expressed this brilliantly on her show Friday night. Limbaugh, and many other conservatives, do not seem to have a basic grasp of how contraceptive coverage works, and almost universally think contraception is solely used as an abortifacient, and ignore hormonal contraceptive use as a therapeutic drug, evidenced by Ms. Fluke’s testimony. Nobody is paying for somebody else’s contraceptive care. The taxes paid through your employer cover the health care benefits that YOU receive. If your employer objects to contraceptive coverage, or maybe they don’t like the diet pills you’ve been taking, or maybe the painkillers that you’re prescribed are too costly, and you have to go out of network to get those drugs then you’re essentially paying TWICE for medical insurance. As the Fluke testimony shows, going out of network can have disastrous consequences for women.
The right’s draconian furor against contraception will only further secure the women’s vote in 2012, especially the independent vote. Limbaugh, personally, is suffering. At least 9 advertisers, including AOL, Sleep Number, and a tax services company, have pulled their ads from his show. Limbaugh’s half-hearted (and now “left-blaming”) apology has been almost universally condemned as “insincere.” Even Ron Paul thinks it was all about ad revenue: "I don't think he's very apologetic. It's in his best interest, that's why he [apologized].” When a majority of Americans support the contraceptive requirement and conservative blowhards make such inexcusable comments, republicans are not only hurting their chances of winning the White House, but damage any chance to take the Senate or hold the House.
But it didn’t really turn out that way. President Obama compromised. This consolation by the administration seemed a straight-forward alternative, but many still argued insurance companies would pass the costs of contraceptive care to the institutions through higher premiums, but this simply isn’t true. Furthermore, it’s in the insurance companies’ best interest, i.e. benefits their bottom-line, to offer free contraceptive care for ALL women.
The controversy should have died there, but, republicans kept on it. At a Congressional hearing, Darrell Issa actually barred a woman named Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student, from giving testimony. Democrats, days later, held a congressional forum where Ms. Fluke finally gave her testimony. Republicans responded by letting Rush Limbaugh do the talking.
Limbaugh’s tirade has only served to help President Obama and the Democrats this fall. First of all, Limbaugh’s idiocy only proved how little he understands contraception and how women use it. Rachel Maddow expressed this brilliantly on her show Friday night. Limbaugh, and many other conservatives, do not seem to have a basic grasp of how contraceptive coverage works, and almost universally think contraception is solely used as an abortifacient, and ignore hormonal contraceptive use as a therapeutic drug, evidenced by Ms. Fluke’s testimony. Nobody is paying for somebody else’s contraceptive care. The taxes paid through your employer cover the health care benefits that YOU receive. If your employer objects to contraceptive coverage, or maybe they don’t like the diet pills you’ve been taking, or maybe the painkillers that you’re prescribed are too costly, and you have to go out of network to get those drugs then you’re essentially paying TWICE for medical insurance. As the Fluke testimony shows, going out of network can have disastrous consequences for women.
The right’s draconian furor against contraception will only further secure the women’s vote in 2012, especially the independent vote. Limbaugh, personally, is suffering. At least 9 advertisers, including AOL, Sleep Number, and a tax services company, have pulled their ads from his show. Limbaugh’s half-hearted (and now “left-blaming”) apology has been almost universally condemned as “insincere.” Even Ron Paul thinks it was all about ad revenue: "I don't think he's very apologetic. It's in his best interest, that's why he [apologized].” When a majority of Americans support the contraceptive requirement and conservative blowhards make such inexcusable comments, republicans are not only hurting their chances of winning the White House, but damage any chance to take the Senate or hold the House.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Rick Santorum's Theocracy
I'm really trying to wrap my head around a Rick Santorum presidential victory and what it might mean for the country. And I find it a frightening scenario. First of all, I honestly do not think it will happen. I believe Michiganders will finally start thinking again before next Tuesday's Republican primary and Mitt Romney will win out after being ahead, then drastically falling, only to come to a tie again the weekend before the voters cast their ballots (that is, if he stops talking long enough...). This win for Romney will once again set him up as the front runner and I don't foresee Santorum coming back again. Much of Santorum's fall, however, is based on his own missteps (more on that momentarily). But should Santorum come in a close second in Michigan, and perhaps steal a few more primaries along the way, he could potentially be the Republican nominee against Obama. And even though many voters claim their highest priority is the economy in 2012, for many more the simple expulsion of Obama from the presidency factors much more and it may mean the President is not elected, giving candidate Santorum the White House. And if this happens, the bitterness still stinging your tongue from the Bush administration will suddenly seem like the most decadent wine you've ever tasted.
The number 1 issue on voters minds right now is the economy. Santorum, to his credit, recognizes he doesn't have the greatest record when it comes to the economy, spending, and earmarks, and his opponents are hitting him hard on it. Santorum's plan of government cuts and tax reductions will actually increase the deficit, just as Gingrich's and Romney's plans will do. In actuality, Ron Paul's deficit reduction plan is the only plan of the 4 remaining Republican candidates that will effectively reduce the deficit. Knowing his economic past may come back to haunt him, Santorum has attempted a debate 'coup' to change what the candidates are talking about. He criticized President Obama last week of practicing a "phony theology," questioning the very nature of the President's beliefs. Many from both sides of the aisle criticized this statement, and those who are incredulous to President Obama's stated Christian beliefs, and excoriated them for their double-standards. Santorum has also loudly drummed the "contraception controversy" and spoken of the President's "war on religion". Santorum is playing to his strengths and what he perceives as his best chance to secure the nomination and the White House: social issues. But there is a larger pretext to all of this: Santorum's want to create law based solely on "biblical law".
Santorum's questioning of President Obama's beliefs and his advocating to outlaw birth control, as well as abortions, and prohibiting same-sex marriage are directly linked to the former Senator's strict Catholic upbringing. Where most candidates and public officials recognize and abide the Constitution's separation of church and state, Santorum seems to be wholly ignorant of it (something many Conservatives might find interesting), or willfully blind to achieve his own selfish ends. The former Senator is running on a campaign that would essentially be the most theocratic administration in power in over 100 years. Santorum has unequivocally stated that civil law should "comport with God's law." Here's a video of him saying just that:
The number 1 issue on voters minds right now is the economy. Santorum, to his credit, recognizes he doesn't have the greatest record when it comes to the economy, spending, and earmarks, and his opponents are hitting him hard on it. Santorum's plan of government cuts and tax reductions will actually increase the deficit, just as Gingrich's and Romney's plans will do. In actuality, Ron Paul's deficit reduction plan is the only plan of the 4 remaining Republican candidates that will effectively reduce the deficit. Knowing his economic past may come back to haunt him, Santorum has attempted a debate 'coup' to change what the candidates are talking about. He criticized President Obama last week of practicing a "phony theology," questioning the very nature of the President's beliefs. Many from both sides of the aisle criticized this statement, and those who are incredulous to President Obama's stated Christian beliefs, and excoriated them for their double-standards. Santorum has also loudly drummed the "contraception controversy" and spoken of the President's "war on religion". Santorum is playing to his strengths and what he perceives as his best chance to secure the nomination and the White House: social issues. But there is a larger pretext to all of this: Santorum's want to create law based solely on "biblical law".
Santorum's questioning of President Obama's beliefs and his advocating to outlaw birth control, as well as abortions, and prohibiting same-sex marriage are directly linked to the former Senator's strict Catholic upbringing. Where most candidates and public officials recognize and abide the Constitution's separation of church and state, Santorum seems to be wholly ignorant of it (something many Conservatives might find interesting), or willfully blind to achieve his own selfish ends. The former Senator is running on a campaign that would essentially be the most theocratic administration in power in over 100 years. Santorum has unequivocally stated that civil law should "comport with God's law." Here's a video of him saying just that:
Santorum believes that sex serves no other purpose than procreation. He thinks sex, unless in the act of conceiving, is immoral. He believes this so strongly that he does not think contraception should be legal. He believes this so strongly that he does not think abortions should be legal, even in the cases of rape, incest, or if a woman's life is in danger. He believes this so strongly that, though he claims to have nothing against gay people and purports to "know" many homosexuals, he thinks homosexuality is a sin because there is no biological expedient to homosexual sex, therefore making it immoral. As President, and as a member of the "liberty loving" right wing, Santorum would make all of these things illegal because he believes more strongly in a book written 2,000 years ago than all of the literature, math, and scientific advancements achieved since. In the era where Republicans overwhelmingly bemoan the overreach of government in our daily lives, Santorum seeks to effectively control you to your very bedroom.
And did you notice that bit in the video right at the outset there too? He says, in Islam the civil law and the higher law are the same, what one Newt Gingrich might call 'Sharia Law,' but the United States is different because we have civil laws unrelated to higher laws but they ought to comport with the higher law... Um, what? So, basically, Rick Santorum is promoting that we should have 'Christian Sharia Law'? How is that any better than 'Islamic Sharia Law'? How would that be better than 'Jewish Sharia Law'? A theocracy is a theocracy. Maybe Rick Santorum doesn't exactly know his world history and that thousands of our American ancestors fled Europe to escape theocracies (and still found themselves plenty of theocratic colonies in the New World). But I doubt it. I think he knows full well what he's doing. And that scares me the most.
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