Yes We Can, But We Won't

I'm feeling really beat down today. I just read an article in the current Newsweek entitled "War on the Weak: How the GOP came to view the poor as parasites—and the rich as our rightful rulers." It discusses new Republican heartthrob Paul Ryan who once said of radical right winger Ayn Rand, “The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand.” Those very same democracy crushing beliefs have already spread throughout the Republican Party via the Tea Party and a bunch of clueless followers who hate the black guy. And you know the Democrats, they'll try to catch up.

Other articles I've read suggest that tomorrow President Obama will embrace the suggestions of the so-called bi-partisan Cat Food Commission he assembled early in his presidency, who were all conservatives, regardless of which letter was after their name. While not as draconian as Ryan's plan, still a devastating blow to the middle class with tax "relief" to those with the most. It pains me to say this, it's not just disappointment any longer; I no longer trust Obama. I feel like he's working behind the scenes to yank us to the right without making it as obvious as a Republican administration would. Did he have a conversation with Paul Ryan and tell him to come up with something so freakin' insane that the Cat Food Commission recommendations will look palatable?

Meanwhile, as it went largely unnoticed in the mainstream media, President Reach-Across-the-Aisle-and-Always-Cave agreed to the Republican demands that the budget bill would prohibit the capital from spending its own local money for reproductive health care services affecting low-income women on procedures such as abortion, etc. It could also even eliminate initiatives that help prevent the spread of AIDS. DC Mayor Vincent Gray was arrested yesterday in a protest and stopped just short of calling Obama a traitor. Change you can believe in?

This video could've been recorded yesterday. George Carlin was brilliant and timeless. Considering the current BS the "conservatives" are shoveling in their attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and all their other anti-woman legislation, this is perfect. This guy is truly missed.

Democrats Finally Say, "Enough!"

There's no more room for debate. This is not a budget issue. Republicans have been officially hijacked by the hard right teabaggers and their corporate masters. They lied to get elected and have launched into a full assault on all social programs. They especially want to pick on the poorest, weakest, sickest and oldest. Right now in their site is Planned Parenthood (next year will be Medicare) and other lesser known womens health clinics. They're willing to shut down the government in order to stop poor women and men from accessing affordable care. Evidently the folks who rely on these clinics for breast and cervical cancer screenings to STD testing and contraception are not worthy. The constant lies from the likes of Mike Pence (R-IN) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) have just fueled the uninformed into a frenzy. For all their bravado about abortion, the Guttmacher Institute reported that nation’s abortion rate would be two-thirds higher and the rate for poor women would be twice as high without PP. So if they want less abortions, why would you close down a service that provides birth control? This is all about repealing every advance women have made over the past 40 years before the move onto all advances the middle-class has made for the past 70 years. How can anyone, especially women vote for the party with one hand in your wallet and the other hand on your uterus? I fear for women in this country if we don't fight back. Meanwhile, these old men are staying active with little blue pills while trying to force every woman who is sexually active to become an incubator, willing or not. This is just wrong. To their credit, in a joint statement that I heard on the radio, Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Patty Murray (D-WA) indicated that their caucus is solid and this is a bridge they will not cross. I couldn't find the complete video that included Murray unfortunately.

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Mike Pence, You Lie!

So...who actually believes Republicans are for cutting spending and balancing the budget, not just radical ideologues? Hmm, silence. Mike Pence (R-IN) lays out a huge part of their agenda. The shameless pandering to the extremists in the religious right comes before the reproductive health of women, especially poor women and he'd prefer to shut down the government before funding Planned Parenthood. No matter what the budget bill says, he will block it unless Planned Parenthood is defunded. The blind sheep following this group think that PP's sole purpose is abortion provision. The truth is that only about 2% of their services involve the very legal procedure.

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He also admits that the fRightwing is
"trying to score a victory for the Republican people,"


Pence is lying about Planned Parenthood, and he knows it. Not a dime of government funding goes to PP to provide abortions. The group has a separate organization, with separate staff in separate buildings, all with private funds, to provide abortion services. Federal funding pays for a broad range of women’s healthcare, from breast and cervical cancer screenings, STD testing and contraception. Last year Planned Parenthood, which provided family planning and other healthcare services to 2.5 million women, performed over a million cervical cancer screenings and more than 800,000 breast exams. Six in 10 clients say it’s their main source of healthcare.

A 2009 Guttmacher Institute report found that the nation’s abortion rate would be two-thirds higher — and the rate for poor women would be twice as high — without federally funded family planning services, most of which go to Planned Parenthood’s network. Former President Clinton, who tends to stay out of culture war discussions, made this statement.

“The assault on Planned Parenthood is unjustified. It is penny-wise and pound foolish. The law strictly and clearly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. The Republicans’ elimination of funding for Planned Parenthood, will in the end cost more than it saves by ending the ability of millions of American women to receive family planning services, breast and cervical cancer screenings and preventative healthcare at cost-efficient Planned Parenthood centers. And the denial of simple birth control and family planning services may well increase both the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in our country.”

Stay tuned to see how the Democrats cave in some way.