GOP Kicks Women Out Of Contraception Debate

[desertvixen]

Women have a right to healthcare and prescriptions that benefit them, full stop. The end. Seems we're playing right into their hand when we say "well, I take the pill for these *other* reasons, not to prevent pregnancy." We have a *right* to take pills to prevent pregnancy!

This is exactly it, especially when paired with what Austin said. It is the single most important decision in a woman's entire life, because the decision to bear and raise children will have an impact on every other decision she makes.

And yes, people have been saying "oh, it can't happen" for too long when it can happen. It can happen, and it will happen if people don't start fighting.

[freejoytoo]

Wtf? Kicking WOMEN out of the contraception debate? Women are the ones who should be running it.

I don't understand the debate. Women should have free, unlimited access to contraception with no questions asked, full stop.

I can't believe this is happening in 21st century America.

[JuJuBee]

Also, we're partially in this trouble, because of the ability of educated fiscal conservatives to believe this stuff can't happen, and they can use and control the fundies at will. Yeah, right.

This. I know a woman who is completely pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, etc. But she hates Obama because of his fiscal policies and would never vote for him. She'll vote Republican for economical reasons because she believes that Roe V Wade will never be overturned. Maybe it will take some of the crazy to become visible for people like this to change.

[GoodbyeBlueMonday]

I know a lot of the conservative rhetoric is that only promiscuous sluts get on the pill or need other contraceptives, so I understand why it seems important to remind the powers that be that BC pills are useful for more things than just preventing pregnancy, and that married women need/take contraceptives. At the same time, a "slutty" girl has the *right* to get birth control pills, and I think we need to fight for that, too.

So much this. I'm one those unmarried "slutty" girls that has used birth control because and only because I'm trying to avoid pregnancy. And that is my right. And I thought that that was obvious, and also increadibly common, but the current poltical discussion of contraceptives has made me rethink that. What world are these politicans and their supporters living in? Clearly not the same one I am.

[SpeakNow]

I think women should fight to make vasectomy's not covered by insurance, and we should leave men out of the debate. Let 'em see how they like that! :evil:

[freejoytoo]

Why is it anyone's business why a woman is using contraception? Isn't it better for them that 'slutty' girls use it and don't give birth to children they can't provide for?

Conservatives are living in a fantasy land if they think taking away contraception is going to take away sex. Personally I think everyone has a right to safe sex and it's no one's business if it's 'slutty' or not.

I am so glad that I am in a country where I don't have to pay for contraception and my sex life is confidential. Even our conservatives aren't so crazy they want to get rid of it. These people seem to want to take back America to the fifties.

[Koala]

And I agree that framing it in "I take birth control for other reasons" is the wrong way to go. I take birth control because I am done bearing children. I take birth control because I DON'T WANT any more children. I take birth control because it's my choice, and it's my right to self-determine.

This. It's none of their goddamned business why we are taking birth control. Our bodies, our choice.

edited, because I'm so mad I can't see straight.

[BlackHawk]

I think women should fight to make vasectomy's not covered by insurance, and we should leave men out of the debate. Let 'em see how they like that! :evil:

I read a good one today about taking Viagra off the covered list for insurances.. see how those type of men feel about that.

As a man, I cannot FATHOM having this type of discussion.. let alone having it without having anyone affected by it be present. To me it's the same as when men decide what is best for a woman having an abortion. I will never be in the position of having an abortion, or needing BC to refrain from getting pregnant, so what does my opinion matter? Shouldn't the FACTS be what matters, not someone's opinion? The fact is, women have the right to control their fertility in any way they see fit. They have the right to decide what medications they put in their body, what treatments they seek out, and the best way to go about doing the above. That is their right. It should be a discussion they have with their DOCTOR, not their insurance agent.

(Okay, sorry, done preaching to the choir... I'll get back to studying abnormal psych now :) )

[emmiedahl]

Hey, BlackHawk, I'm taking that too!

/off topic

[MarsGirl]

It's nice to know that in 2012, I'm considered a slut for having sex with a man... while he is still apparently just considered a man. WAY TO GO, ASSHOLES.

I'm so outraged by this. And disturbed. Thoroughly disturbed.

I guess this makes me a femi-Nazi, huh, FOX NEWS?

[Avalondaughter]

This. I know a woman who is completely pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, etc. But she hates Obama because of his fiscal policies and would never vote for him. She'll vote Republican for economical reasons because she believes that Roe V Wade will never be overturned. Maybe it will take some of the crazy to become visible for people like this to change.

Actually, there are those who believe she may be right.

Republicans know that there are many single-issue voters in their party. There are voters so obsessed with abortion that they will consider themselves to be conservative Republicans on that issue alone.

They have anti-abortion platforms because that brings these single issue voters to the polls. Ever notice how the issue is dropped once the elections are over? Sure they might make laws that chip away at it, but no one has seriously introduced legislation to totally overturn it. Republican politicians fear that completely overturning it will satisfy these people and they might stop coming to the polls. Hell, they might start thinking about other issues and decide they're not Republicans after all.

Since Roe V. Wade we have had over 20 years of Republican presidents, and 12 years of Republican-dominated Congress and no one has managed to overturn Roe V. Wade. At best, on the national level they had the ban on D&X abortions.

Republicans talk more than they do action. They can chip away at abortion rights to please their base, but they want to keep that base.

[Austin]

This. I know a woman who is completely pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, etc. But she hates Obama because of his fiscal policies and would never vote for him. She'll vote Republican for economical reasons because she believes that Roe V Wade will never be overturned. Maybe it will take some of the crazy to become visible for people like this to change.

I keep ruefully thinking of the saying, "We get the government we deserve". And maybe now we're reaping what we've allowed to be sown in this country, the type of government that women like this have voted for. She may be very surprised at just what her precious fiscal conservatives are willing to do with regard to her uterus.

We have been far too complacent. The patriarchy is not going to let women keep these rights just out of the goodness of their collective hearts. They and their female minions will chip away, as they have been successfully in so many states, at women's choice. Their goal is the antithesis of ours and we need to keep that in mind in when considering the whole issue.

[Witsec1]

The problem with thinking things can't happen is that I was laughing at Smuggar two weeks ago, thinking what a delusional tool he is to believe Santorum would be taken seriously. Of course, I thought that with Palin, Bachman, Cain, Gingrich, and, once upon a time, the second term of GWB. I'm learning it's not safe to think anything is too obviously foolish for these people.

I hear what you're saying, but I think that hanging around FJ for the past year+ left me more prepared for this than I would have been otherwise. Before I tended to base my ideas of the Religious Right on my 70's era conservative evangelical/biblical literalist upbringing. The idea that there could be a Catholic/evangelical Protestant political coalition against contraception would have caught me completely off guard.

[emmiedahl]

I know several liberals who are pissed about Obama's fiscal policies. So I have made it my personal goal to keep them informed about what the other side really wants. In a polite way, of course.

"Are you concerned that Ron Paul has had a lot of contact with white supremacy groups?"

"What do you think about Santorum being against abortion even when the mother's life is in danger?"

Things like that. btw, if anyone has dirt on Romney and Gingrich--serious dirt, not flip-flops and personal character flaws--please let me know. Those are the two I have the hardest time arguing against.

eta: especially those one-liner homeruns like above, that make social liberals' eyebrows fly off their face.

[Witsec1]

OK, someone needs to organize DC area call girls/ sex workers to threaten a strike against Congress members until this piece of shit legislation is kicked to the curb. Go Lysistrata on their asses.

[Hane]

Back in the '80s, I went on BC to try to control my periods. I had to submit a fucking letter from my doctor, stating I wasn't using the pills for contraception, in order to get my health insurance to cover the cost. I felt it was disgustingly intrusive, but I had no choice.

Then came Viagra, which was automatically covered, and you could hear women shrieking from miles away, so suddenly insurance companies started to cave.

I am disgusted by this whole mess. I want to have the rep who suggested mandated prostate exams for Viagra users to be crowned Empress of the Universe.

Of course, my insurance paid for my D&C and endometrial ablation--far more expensive--without blinking.

[PokaDot]

I know several liberals who are pissed about Obama's fiscal policies. So I have made it my personal goal to keep them informed about what the other side really wants. In a polite way, of course.

"Are you concerned that Ron Paul has had a lot of contact with white supremacy groups?"

"What do you think about Santorum being against abortion even when the mother's life is in danger?"

Things like that. btw, if anyone has dirt on Romney and Gingrich--serious dirt, not flip-flops and personal character flaws--please let me know. Those are the two I have the hardest time arguing against.

eta: especially those one-liner homeruns like above, that make social liberals' eyebrows fly off their face.

Romney used his position as Bishop to shame a unmarried woman who was pregnant....I can't remember what exactly he did. He's also a lifelong card carrying member of the 1%. Has probably never been hungry a day in his life. I doubt he knows how to truly relate to the one percent (hey, being an elitist snob worked against Kerry when he was running).

Gingrich....he's just an ass.

[doggie]

Rick Santorum is a bottomless cup of repulsive, dangerous and misguided views. He's a radical far-right Republican who, in spite of this seemingly endless primary process, hasn't choked on his own tongue yet -- at least from the point of view of conservative Republicans. The rest of us remember his ridiculous "blah people" remarks from last month, but I imagine his use of a Southern Strategy dog whistle only helped his reputation with primary voters.

Nevertheless, his comparatively chokeless campaign appears to have elevated Santorum to be the latest driver of the GOP clown car even though, at the outset, he was pegged as one of those quadrennial D-list candidates who would drop out of the race before or immediately following Iowa. Instead, he won Iowa along with three more states this week. Who knows how long Santorum's night in the sun will last or whether he's permanently stymied the Romney campaign. It doesn't matter. The fact that he's gained such prominence since being crushed and humiliated in his home (swing) state of Pennsylvania in 2006 is both an indicator of Republican desperation for a solid contender and yet another warning about the increasing radicalization and marginalization of the party.

At no other time has this been more apparent than during this fight over birth control.

Over the weekend, Santorum said, "nterestingly enough, here is what they are forcing them to do -- in an insurance policy, they or forcing them to pay for something that costs just a few dollars. Is that what insurance is for? The foundational idea that we have the government tells you that you have to pay for everything as a business. Things that are not really things you need insurance for, and still forcing on something that is not a critical economic need, when you have an economic distress, where you would need insurance. But forcing them even more to do it for minor expenses."

That's right. Apart from being a jumbled grammatical mess, Santorum said that birth control costs "just a few dollars." It's so inexpensive, in fact, it shouldn't even really require insurance and it's not an "critical economic need." At first glance, I thought Santorum might just be confused. Maybe he's thinking about condoms, which are inexpensive. But Santorum has been demagoguing the birth control issue for many years and he knows what's what.

As though the idea of bargain basement contraception wasn't silly enough, Santorum followed up this nonsense by warning that the president's birth control policy would lead to public beheadings.

The reality is that prescription birth control costs upwards of a thousand dollars per year, in some cases much more. Not that reality matters to a party that's chiefly built around wafer-thin bumper sticker slogans and doing the exact opposite of the president regardless of how cartoonish it makes them look.

But let's take Santorum at his word. Since birth control pills and devices are so cheap, why don't you send your medical bills to Rick Santorum. Seriously. Send a copy with or without redacting your name to:

Rick Santorum for President

PO Box 37

Verona, PA 15147

Include both the cost of your OB/GYN visits and your prescriptions, and don't expect to be reimbursed by the Santorum campaign for obvious reasons. At the very least, however, we can consider such a gesture a retaliatory strike against the ongoing Republican war against women -- a war, by the way, which the Republicans are winning by attrition.

At this point, I could go through the point-by-point case for why access to affordable birth control is crucial for women's health. I could write about the self-evident truth that birth control mitigates the risk of unintended pregnancies and, subsequently, abortions. I could cite all of the other various medical reasons why birth control is prescribed -- from regulating menstrual cycles to preventing ovarian and uterine cysts. I could write endlessly about how anti-abortion Republicans, if they're truly determined to reduce abortions, should be demanding free and universal healthcare for pregnant women who might otherwise need to terminate their pregnancies for financial reasons. I could also remind the Republicans that Americans who object to the use of birth control aren't being forced to use it and that employers aren't being forced to directly finance the purchasing of birth control for their employees.

None of that matters to these paleoconservatives.

They're engaged in a war against women as part of an effort to maintain a ruling elite of white males. That's all that matters. A transformational process within the party has been engaged by zealots who are increasingly out of touch with the mainstream of America. While the Democrats continue to run a plate-spinning act, frantically but admirably representing both the middle, center-left and far-left, the Republicans have desperately lashed themselves to one faction: Rick Santorum's far-right extremist base, and, consequently, they're losing touch with moderates, independents and liberals (obviously). So in order to motivate its remaining voter base, the modern Republican Party has become so virulently anti-woman, anti-minority and anti-compromise that even their sainted hero, Ronald Reagan, would find his party unrecognizable. The white Christian conservative power structure has been painted into a corner and they're freaking out about it.

As Rachel Maddow documented on her show the other night, most of the anti-abortion "life begins at conception" laws being passed by Republican legislatures will also restrict access to birth control since most birth control prevents implantation of a fertilized egg.

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Send Your Medical Bills to Rick Santorum

Posted: 02/16/2012 8:32 am

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Rick Santorum is a bottomless cup of repulsive, dangerous and misguided views. He's a radical far-right Republican who, in spite of this seemingly endless primary process, hasn't choked on his own tongue yet -- at least from the point of view of conservative Republicans. The rest of us remember his ridiculous "blah people" remarks from last month, but I imagine his use of a Southern Strategy dog whistle only helped his reputation with primary voters.

Nevertheless, his comparatively chokeless campaign appears to have elevated Santorum to be the latest driver of the GOP clown car even though, at the outset, he was pegged as one of those quadrennial D-list candidates who would drop out of the race before or immediately following Iowa. Instead, he won Iowa along with three more states this week. Who knows how long Santorum's night in the sun will last or whether he's permanently stymied the Romney campaign. It doesn't matter. The fact that he's gained such prominence since being crushed and humiliated in his home (swing) state of Pennsylvania in 2006 is both an indicator of Republican desperation for a solid contender and yet another warning about the increasing radicalization and marginalization of the party.

At no other time has this been more apparent than during this fight over birth control.

Over the weekend, Santorum said, "nterestingly enough, here is what they are forcing them to do -- in an insurance policy, they or forcing them to pay for something that costs just a few dollars. Is that what insurance is for? The foundational idea that we have the government tells you that you have to pay for everything as a business. Things that are not really things you need insurance for, and still forcing on something that is not a critical economic need, when you have an economic distress, where you would need insurance. But forcing them even more to do it for minor expenses."

That's right. Apart from being a jumbled grammatical mess, Santorum said that birth control costs "just a few dollars." It's so inexpensive, in fact, it shouldn't even really require insurance and it's not an "critical economic need." At first glance, I thought Santorum might just be confused. Maybe he's thinking about condoms, which are inexpensive. But Santorum has been demagoguing the birth control issue for many years and he knows what's what.

As though the idea of bargain basement contraception wasn't silly enough, Santorum followed up this nonsense by warning that the president's birth control policy would lead to public beheadings.

The reality is that prescription birth control costs upwards of a thousand dollars per year, in some cases much more. Not that reality matters to a party that's chiefly built around wafer-thin bumper sticker slogans and doing the exact opposite of the president regardless of how cartoonish it makes them look.

But let's take Santorum at his word. Since birth control pills and devices are so cheap, why don't you send your medical bills to Rick Santorum. Seriously. Send a copy with or without redacting your name to:

Rick Santorum for President

PO Box 37

Verona, PA 15147

Include both the cost of your OB/GYN visits and your prescriptions, and don't expect to be reimbursed by the Santorum campaign for obvious reasons. At the very least, however, we can consider such a gesture a retaliatory strike against the ongoing Republican war against women -- a war, by the way, which the Republicans are winning by attrition.

At this point, I could go through the point-by-point case for why access to affordable birth control is crucial for women's health. I could write about the self-evident truth that birth control mitigates the risk of unintended pregnancies and, subsequently, abortions. I could cite all of the other various medical reasons why birth control is prescribed -- from regulating menstrual cycles to preventing ovarian and uterine cysts. I could write endlessly about how anti-abortion Republicans, if they're truly determined to reduce abortions, should be demanding free and universal healthcare for pregnant women who might otherwise need to terminate their pregnancies for financial reasons. I could also remind the Republicans that Americans who object to the use of birth control aren't being forced to use it and that employers aren't being forced to directly finance the purchasing of birth control for their employees.

None of that matters to these paleoconservatives.

They're engaged in a war against women as part of an effort to maintain a ruling elite of white males. That's all that matters. A transformational process within the party has been engaged by zealots who are increasingly out of touch with the mainstream of America. While the Democrats continue to run a plate-spinning act, frantically but admirably representing both the middle, center-left and far-left, the Republicans have desperately lashed themselves to one faction: Rick Santorum's far-right extremist base, and, consequently, they're losing touch with moderates, independents and liberals (obviously). So in order to motivate its remaining voter base, the modern Republican Party has become so virulently anti-woman, anti-minority and anti-compromise that even their sainted hero, Ronald Reagan, would find his party unrecognizable. The white Christian conservative power structure has been painted into a corner and they're freaking out about it.

As Rachel Maddow documented on her show the other night, most of the anti-abortion "life begins at conception" laws being passed by Republican legislatures will also restrict access to birth control since most birth control prevents implantation of a fertilized egg.

With this series of anti-choice and anti-contraception laws on the books in various southern and midwestern states, the Republican Party is hastily constructing an ideological and legislative Berlin Wall around itself.

If you're a woman with reproductive medical needs, you're unwelcome there -- in fact, and without hyperbole, you're being targeted as a potential murderer in red state America.

Unless something happens to reverse this trend toward reproductive and sexual criminalization, America will indeed return to being "half free" with northern states maintaining affordable and accessible healthcare for women, while southern states will continue to subjugate women with archaic, misogynistic laws. Women within these states will have only two lifestyle options: they can either be celibate or they can be married and pregnant. (It's no surprise that Rick Santorum won the endorsement of the Duggar baby factory.) Everyone else will have no choice but to leave, which is precisely the goal, allowing self-defined "morally superior" white Christian men to rule without obstruction within their walled-off conservative throwback utopia.

That is unless there's a serious and immediate retaliation. Women are a demographic majority and can still win this. Send Rick Santorum your medical bills and work against any politician who votes to restrict your access to healthcare -- especially those politicians who seek to criminalize it.

[Annette]

If these Republicans are so pro-life, they should be having insurance companies dole out the BC in one-year supplies at a time.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/25/w ... rol-pills/

This would lead to a much lower abortion rate, as well as a fewer unimplanted fertilized eggs. Preventing implantation is the last line of defense with BC. First, ovulation is prevented and mucus is thickened. Women who are NOT on BC would lose more fertilized eggs than women who are on BC.

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/02/im_pro_ ... /singleton

[ADoyle90815]

Romney used his position as Bishop to shame a unmarried woman who was pregnant....I can't remember what exactly he did. He's also a lifelong card carrying member of the 1%. Has probably never been hungry a day in his life. I doubt he knows how to truly relate to the one percent (hey, being an elitist snob worked against Kerry when he was running).

Gingrich....he's just an ass.

From what I remember reading in Vanity Fair, Romney tried to bully a woman from getting an abortion, even though she would have died if the pregnancy continued. My understanding is that the Mormon church does allow abortion in cases like that, so he was just using his position as Bishop to be a total asshole. Apparently, that woman had the abortion anyway, and stopped going to the Mormon church.

[MarsGirl]

Um... the reason birth control is such a small cost (for me), Santorum, is because it's covered by insurance. I pay $5/pack. But I'd probably pay, I'm guessing, $60/pack if I didnt have insurance. He doesnt know what he's talking about because he's never had to pay for birth control.

[PokaDot]

From what I remember reading in Vanity Fair, Romney tried to bully a woman from getting an abortion, even though she would have died if the pregnancy continued. My understanding is that the Mormon church does allow abortion in cases like that, so he was just using his position as Bishop to be a total asshole. Apparently, that woman had the abortion anyway, and stopped going to the Mormon church.

So basically he used his position to shame someone enough they lost their faith in their religion, which if I remember my early morning seminary, is a sin in and of itself (and a pretty big one).

Um... the reason birth control is such a small cost (for me), Santorum, is because it's covered by insurance. I pay $5/pack. But I'd probably pay, I'm guessing, $60/pack if I didnt have insurance. He doesnt know what he's talking about because he's never had to pay for birth control.

When I was on BC, it cost $5-20 a month (depended if it was generic). Without insurance it went up to $60/mn (generic)....yeah, couldn't afford it...

[liltwinstar]

I'm on a generic BC pill, so the "market price" for a 90 day supply is about $40. At least that's what the statement I get from the pharmacy says. I pay $20 for a 90-day supply because of my insurance.

But again, it's not about birth control pills being "cheap" or "expensive." It's about privacy and getting the healtcare that all women (people) need, and not having congress or bishops dictate the kind of medication that we take!

Also, you know what? I'm on another prescription - thyroid pills - that are also super cheap. I think if I didn't have insurance I could get them from WalMart for $4/mo. As it is, I (again) pay $20 for a 90 day supply. But, I don't hear bishops/right wing lunatics/whoever getting up in arms becuase my thyroid pills are "cheap" and therefore don't need to be covered by insurance. Which just goes to illustrate (again) that the argument is not about money, it is about controlling women.

[SpeakNow]

Romney used his position as Bishop to shame a unmarried woman who was pregnant....I can't remember what exactly he did. He's also a lifelong card carrying member of the 1%. Has probably never been hungry a day in his life. I doubt he knows how to truly relate to the one percent (hey, being an elitist snob worked against Kerry when he was running).

Gingrich....he's just an ass.

Gingrich- Cheated on his first 2 wives. If that doesn't show a major character flaw, I'm not sure what does.

[Elle]

Holy shit, that quote isn't taken out of context either.