Listen Up Dems: Repressive Societies Prioritize Controlling Women's Reproduction

Repressive Societies Prioritize Controlling Women's Reproduction

Anne of Carversville has tracked the Republican War on Women in-depth since 2007. The assault on women has gained huge momentum under Trump, and this 2007 essay written by Steven Conn, now the W.E Smith Professor of History at Miami University, is more relevant today than ever. 

Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico lit a bonfire among Democrats when he said earlier in August that abortion rights shouldn't be a "litmus test" for Democrats. 

Abortion rights activists including myself erupted, imploring leaders like Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, to remain defiant with the Democratic Party. Richards couldn’t be clearer on how wrong she thinks Luján is, telling Politico. “It’s a shocking sort of misunderstanding of actually where the country is … which is overwhelmingly supportive of abortion rights and also, who are the ground troops that kind of fuel the election of candidates.” 

“Fundamentally, perhaps [what] he’s missing is, people can distinguish between their own personal feelings and what they believe government or politicians should do. And people even in some of the most conservative areas of the country who may themselves personally say, ‘I would never choose to have an abortion,’ or, ‘That’s not something that’s right for me,’ also, absolutely do not believe politicians should be making decisions about pregnancy for women,” Richards argues. “I think he’s totally wrong and I’ll use every opportunity to convince him of that.”

The truth is that Trump and conservative Republicans are coming at women's body autonomy with a torch -- the same torches that burned in Charlottesville. The alt-right believes that women's essential purpose is to breed. The white supremacists want white babies and they are poised to insist Handmaiden style that they -- THE MEN -- have control over women's bodies. It's positively disgusting to understand that in the aftermath of Hillary's defeat, Democratic men want to bring the Blue Dog Southern Democrats back into the party -- when they would be far more conservative today than 50 years ago. 

Alaska Rep Senator Lisa Murkowski Reaffirms Vote Against Any Plan That Defunds Planned Parenthood

Alaska's Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is one of the most important swing votes in the health care debate, making her position on Planned Parenthood potentially pivotal to the shape of the final bill. Murkowski is one of two Republican women -- joined by Maine's Sen. Susan Collins -- who are folding firm on the argument that defunding Planned Parenthood will de facto end any possibility of her supporting a Republican-sponsored healthcare alternative to Obamacare. 

"I am committed to ensuring that important provisions of the ACA, such as covering those with pre-existing conditions, continued support for Medicaid expansion, coverage for dependents and no lifetime limits, and funding for Planned Parenthood remain intact," Murkowski wrote in the constituent letter obtained by Politico. .

When asked about the letter this week, Murkowski repeated that she wouldn't make a promise on a bill she hasn't seen. Instead, she said she is a "strong proponent [of Planned Parenthood] and I will fight to keep the funding in. I can't make promises or representations on bills that I don't know the contents of. I guess I'd have to see. But I have been solid on Planned Parenthood. It's all about access."

Republicans need 50 of 52 Republican senators to pass their plan, causing Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie. It seems unimaginable that the Republican plan won't include a defunding of Planned Parenthood plank. One more Republican senator willing to vote against the plan ends its hope of passage. Murkowski has severely criticized the Republican process of creating an alternative to Obamacare as too secretive, with no public hearings, no input from Republican women senators, and a proposed plan that the majority of senators have no knowledge about. 

Dem Strategist Donna Brazile Calls Out New American McCarthyism

‘Father Knows Best’ is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s, and ran on radio from 1949 to 1954 and on television from 1954 to 1960.

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile is the first pundit we’ve read to speak of America’s new era of ‘McCarthyism’, putting her views front and center for The Daily Beast. Planned Parenthood is America’s most fervent target of ‘McCarthyism,’ writes Brazile.

While Planned Parenthood is a popular target of right-wing rage, the organization is not alone. More than ever, these brand bullies have come after all kinds of theoretically noncontroversial organizations. Current targets include JCPenney, for using Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. They include the Girl Scouts, for a tenuous connection to a Planned Parenthood education project. They include the hardware chain Lowe’s, for the sin of advertising on a television show that provided neutral coverage of Muslim Americans.

The backlash against the Susan B Komen foundation’s attempts to defund Planned Parenthood suggests that it may have triggered a call to arms that our modern McCarthyism mindset has to stop. We don’t want every DFR page to devote itself to the daily onslaught against women. But Republicans give us no choice. The battle is on. Anne

Democratic Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing After Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying ThinkProgress

Severe Conservative Syndrome NYTimes