Planned Parenthood's War on Babies and Taxpaayers

Just as it seems its becoming possible for Planned Parenthood to defend its existence, let alone its taxpayer funding, yet another video comes out. 

Now the pressure is on those politicians who seek to justify sending limited resources to such an organization, when in fact there are other community health organizations that are more effective and less controversial. Planned Parenthood is a powerful lobby, and expects something back from the politicians who put them in office. 

Before when funding for Planned Parenthood came up, the group and it's political allies simply rallied around the "War on Women" slogan. Shockingly, something so absurd worked. But they can only got to that well so many times. The undercover videos make it nearly impossible that such a strategy can continue. 

I previously wrote about Planned Parenthood's role in the "War on Women" meme for Organization Trends.

In February 2011, the Republican-controlled House was debating the proposed “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.”  That’s when Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, said, “This legislation, represents an entirely new front in the war on women and their families.”  The Center for American Progress followed Nadler’s comment with a press release, “The Right’s War on Women.”  Planned Parenthood led a protest against the legislation with printed signs that said “War on Women.” …

“The ‘War on Women’ describes the legislative and rhetorical attacks on women and women’s rights taking place across the nation.  It includes a wide-range of policy efforts designed to place restrictions on women’s health care and erode protections for women and their families.  Examples at the state and federal level have included restricting contraception; cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood; state-mandated, medically unnecessary ultrasounds; abortion taxes; abortion waiting periods; forcing women to tell their employers why they want birth control, and prohibiting insurance companies from including abortion coverage in their policies.” …

EMILY’s List teamed with MoveOn to start the website StopTheWarOnWomen.com, asking people to sign a petition to “Tell Congress to stop its attacks on Planned Parenthood.”  The site added, “By signing this petition, you are opting to receive email from EMILY’s List and MoveOn.org Political Action.”  MoveOn.org posted on its own website the “Top 10 Shocking Attacks from the GOP’s War on Women.”  The top 10 charges include accusations against members of Congress and state legislatures for pro-life legislation and cuts to various programs.

Pelosi's War on Women Against a Solider Tough Enough to Take It

Get a load of this. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, is an American hero whether you like her politics or not.

CBS News and National Journal should get credit for covering this story, and it should shame Nancy Pelosi, or Rosa DeLauro from ever claiming to be advocates for women again.

From CBS:

House Democrats decided Thursday to deny Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a proxy vote in the Democratic leadership elections, which she requested because she can't be in Washington, D.C. for the vote.  ... the very pregnant 46-year-old Iraq War veteran who lost both of her legs in a 2004 helicopter crash, was told by doctor that it was unsafe for her to fly at this stage in her pregnancy.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, opposed the request, a day after she chastised reporters over what she suggested was a gender-based double standard: "You never ask Mitch McConnell, 'Aren't you getting a little old Mitch? Shouldn't you step aside?'"

And Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, who has been a fierce advocate for issues that resonate with women, is one of the members who denied the request.  

... Duckworth said in a statement, "The Caucus chose not to allow me to vote via proxy. I respect the process and very much appreciated my colleagues who made sure my request was considered."
 
Duckworth deserves credit for being classy about this. But really? Whatever inside politics or axes to grind that led to this denial should provoke some national outrage.

To their credit, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois  and Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin were both strong advocated for the proxy vote.  

It's all part of the absurdity of the war on women. Read about the history of the intellectually and morally bankrupt political line here.

The New York Times War on Women?

It’s quite possible that ousted Editor Jill Abramson had some real personality problems – or was “pushy.” But the Times top managers aren’t denying reports that she made significantly less than her male predecessor -- $475,000 compared to $503,000.

Photo Credit: LOC.gov

What’s almost certain is that if a high level female executive was ousted in such an abrupt matter in any other corporation, the Times editorial pages certainly – and quite likely the news pages – would hammer away at such a company as being part of a larger problem, and maybe even invoke “war on women” language.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina nailed the Times in a classic way on Meet the Press Sunday.

“Here is a woman who [has] been told she has an abrasive style — how many times have women heard that? She has been a distinguished reporter for The New York Times, an editor for three years. There is not a single word in her departure announcement about her contributions, about her record, about her time at The New York Times. She is excised from history. No more lectures, please, from The New York Times about the treatment of women.”

“Arthur Sulzberger, the more he talks, the more it becomes clear to me that of course she was treated differently. Whatever the issues in the newsroom were, the dynamics around her departure would not have been the same for a man. … There wasn’t a single positive comment about her in the statement about her departure. Not thank you for your time. Not thank you for a wonderful record of service to The New York Times. Not a word. That is disrespect of the most public form.”

 

After Howell Raines’s editorship during the Jayson Blair fabrication scandal that humiliated the newspaper, Times staffers also said he was a jerk. Yet, he was treated far better at his ouster than Abramson who did nothing to harm the Times reputation.

Pay equity is an important matter, but has been trivialized by President Barack Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, and yes, the New York Times with their silly “war on women” fiction, which I explain the history of and how it insults women in my piece for the Capital Research Center. The White House’s 77 cents pay stat has been thoroughly discredited, but the New York Times case seem to be a real problem in terms of a woman doing the exact same job as a man and being treated very differently.