UPDATE on the abortion/contraception looming clusterfuck

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/07/clinton-and-murray-hell-no.html

Senator Clinton and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) are raising a ruckus.

See, this is why it's not completely stupid for women to want a woman in the Oval Office. Of course there's no guarantee that no woman would ever propose something like the ridiculous initiative coming out of the DHHS (Dept of Health and Human Services), and there's no reason to believe that every man would--but it's a hell of a lot less likely that a woman would come up with this idea, let alone think it worth implementing.

Senator Obama, meanwhile, remains silent. Thanks, Barry.

Here is an interesting post re: Obama on reproductive rights, as well as one about his tendency to be massively unhelpful on this front (rather than trying to figure out why, which is what the first one does).

And
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/07/clinton-and-murray-hell-no.html

Senator Clinton and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) are raising a ruckus.

See, this is why it's not completely stupid for women to want a woman in the Oval Office. Of course there's no guarantee that no woman would ever propose something like the ridiculous initiative coming out of the DHHS (Dept of Health and Human Services), and there's no reason to believe that every man would--but it's a hell of a lot less likely that a woman would come up with this idea, let alone think it worth implementing.

Senator Obama, meanwhile, remains silent. Thanks, Barry.

Here is an interesting post re: Obama on reproductive rights, as well as one about his tendency to be massively unhelpful on this front (rather than trying to figure out why, which is what the first one does).

And is an absolutely essential post (it's long, but worth it) on why women might not want to vote Democrat this year. (NOTE: She's not advocating that women not vote Democrat. She's explaining the "bitter Clinton supporter" and generally alienated lefty woman point of view.)

If you are an Obama supporter and you want him to get elected and, you know, be a good progressive president thereafter, you would do well to understand these issues.

oh shit oh shit oh shit

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16218.html

The government (the Bush administration) is trying to define many common forms of contraception--like, oh, the pill--as abortion. And cut off federal funding to hospitals and clinics that compel their practitioners to offer them to women.

If this kind of legislation ever passes in this country it would be one of the few things that would have me seriously considering hauling my ass off to Europe. I don't like fearing my government, and I don't like the idea of living in a country where such fundamental aspects of my agency and personhood are so restricted and vilified.


Seriously, why the fuck do they hate women so much? And why is women having sex--as a personal choice and for, oh, fun, pleasure, emotional connection, WHATEVER, rather than as a means to tying oneself to babies--so fucking scary to them?

I mean, for the love of god:

According to the HHS draft, “abortion” takes on a very broad meaning: “The Department proposes to define abortion as ‘any of the various procedures — including the prescription and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.’”

That necessarily means that common birth-control methods — including the birth control pill and IUDs — would be designated as “abortion.”

IT'S AN ABORTION EVEN IF YOU WEREN'T FUCKING PREGNANT YET. ("Before implantation.") Basically, if you have sex and don't get pregnant for any reason other than sheer bloody luck, it was an abortion and ain't no federal money going there. (Don't know where they stand on condoms, but since that's something that men have more control over as opposed to women they probably aren't too bothered.)

And you know what follows. If it all counts as abortion then all the anti-choice activists can jump on it and find ways to restrict more and more aspects of "abortion" until birth control is effectively illegal or inaccessible--see South Dakota, where most women would have to drive three hours to get an abortion if they can have one at all.

Guys, donate to Planned Parenthood sometime soon. I know I am.