Something Worth Stealing

This: 

http://juanitajean.com/for-those-of-you-not-on-facebook-or-twitter/

What if we treated the "clients" of the NRA like the Right Wing treats folks that use the services of Planned Parenthood??

Sneaky……..

We all know about the Right's endless battle to disenfranchise whole swatches of potential voters….."those people."

We have heard ad infinitum about about the rampant "voter fraud' being committed by those same people, with the help of the Dems, of course. 

We cringe at the mention of the SCOTUS vote on Citizens United, which undoubtedly had a major influence on the midterm elections…even though a scant 35 percent of our eligible voters bothered to even do so, probably disgusted with the whole thing. ( http://tinyurl.com/p9ovqrc )

But here in Tennessee where the color red is as vibrant as Volunteer Orange to UT in my city of Knoxville, the Religious Right has found a NEW way to influence election outcomes in their usual covert way. Well, it's really more like FOX Folks telling women and young people not to vote. 

According to Tennessee's constitution, the number of votes for passage of an amendment to said constitution must equal half of the total votes cast for the governor. Voting just for the amendment itself doesn't cut it, and the outcome was might close. This should be really interesting.

"Essentially, the plaintiffs charge, only the votes of people who voted in the gubernatorial election should be tabulated in the amendment referendum. The lawsuit cites several sources, including a website and a Nashville Catholic church’s Oct. 12 Sunday program, in which supporters of Amendment 1 inform fellow supporters that not voting in the governor’s race and casting a “Yes” vote for the amendment will effectively “double” their vote by lowering the number of votes cast in the governor’s race."

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/state/opponents-file-challenge-to-amendment-1_62168976

Does this remind you of anything?

"We don't want everyone to vote, because when everyone votes…we lose."

Same BS, different day.

It's About Time....not that it matters

We've heard ad nauseum what the old white conservative Republican men think women should be able to do concerning their bodies, and what their reproductive health rights should be. We've seen what they do to ANY woman who dares contradict THEIR beliefs....with facts, in governmental settings no less. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/sarah-slamen-interview_n_3585739.html

FINALLY there is some objection from those in-the-know about such matters: The American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG)

"That’s why we’re speaking to the false and misleading underlying assumptions of this and other legislation like it: These bills are as much about interfering with the practice of medicine and the relationship a patient has with her physician as they are about restricting women’s access to abortion.."

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/12/ob-gyns-texas-gop-out-exam-rooms.html

They of course, will be shouted down, called out, ignored.......presented as "toadies for the Left." NOTHING stands in the way of the Tea Party, the Koch Brothers, ALEC, and hateful Republican men on a mission. This whole agenda has NOTHING to do with fetuses, embryos, babies, abortions or women's health: it is all about control..........the Right is going to get it ALL, come hell or high water. The Talibaptists, I heard someone call them.

I'm sure Jesus told them so.......

UPDATE:

Now, to add insult to injury, women are being "frisked" for carrying concealed feminine hygiene products. Talk about idiocy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/tampons-confiscated-texas_n_3588177.html

Say What??

I know you haven't forgotten that little episode in Texas a few days ago where all the Repub men (and a few women) were surprised that lots of women in their state take issue with the premise that THEY know better the women themselves about their health and reproductive rights. And Gov. Rick Perry is going to ignore them anyway.

Well, take a gander at this from State Senator Donna Campbell:

"......because there's "a point at which you can overregulate."

http://tinyurl.com/l7yec9g

Bet you thought there was a brief moment of sanity and a change of heart....

Texas Against It's Women

Some feedback from Rick Perry Land before he sneaks through.....probably in the dark of night next week....his anti abortion bill like Ohio and North Carolina have just done.

"Bill sponsor Jodie Lauberberg (of rape kit fame....) repeatedly says....that this bill is about women’s health and safety.

Their speeches weren’t on that topic. Not a word from the chairman to stop them. Not a damn word."

                  http://juanitajean.com/2013/07/03/homeward-bound/

And then there's the real kicker BEHIND their "women's health and safety" line:

"In addition to criminalizing abortion services after 20 weeks, the other provisions in Texas’ abortion proposals would impose harsh restrictions on abortion providers. By subjecting abortion clinics (substitute health clinics for their term) to new regulations that would force them to make expensive updates to their facilities — unnecessary measures that major medical groups, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, oppose.."

"Under Texas’ proposed legislation, many clinics that currently offer birth controls and condoms would have to cease those services for some of Texas’ neediest residents." 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/07/03/2253921/texas-ongoing-abortion-battle/

See a pattern here? You should.

"According to the Sunlight analysis the Texas bill shares multiple instances of identical text with 12 of the 12 bills to which it was compared, including Virginia."

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/meet-the-anti-choice-alec.html#ixzz2Y1yjXWGG

Respect For Governing, Southern Style

An article from one of the esteemed (?) columnists in the Knoxville News this morning. (Hope you have your Mimosa ready to gulp....):

A couple of Tennessee Republican congressmen this week questioned officials involved in the Gestapo-esque targeting of groups disloyal to the Fuehrer, er, president, by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, remembered high school government classes. “We were told what a great country we are because of the freedom we have — the freedom of the First Amendment, the freedom of speech, the right to hold elections without the fear of tyranny or being oppressed,” DesJarlais said. 

 Besides the stonewalling, Obama’s IRS Heroes, like the leader they’re protecting, project a smug, self-righteous disdain for conservative members of Congress,.....http://tinyurl.com/pddayao

You all may remember Scott DesJarlais: a Tea Party member, Family Values conservative who is also a doctor. (You with me so far? ) He also had a little problem with bullying his ex-mistress and forcing her to have an abortion. That last part isn't true he said, because she really wasn't even pregnant.....but he forced his soon-to-be-ex-wife to have two.

Then another mistress told of how he would write prescriptions for recreational pharmaceuticals for whomever he was dating...

Yes, I know....it all caught up with him: he was fined 500 dollars.

"Tennessee authorities apparently believe sexual exploitation of women is less serious than speeding." 

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/301685-gop-rep-desjarlais-fined-for-affairs-with-patients

For those of you who have never been intimately acquainted with the old South..this is how it's done. Of course there are LOTS of us doing our best to change that. And CONGRESS these days isn't helping....

Oh, and that bit about the IRS...they are really just pissed about the attention it's drawing TO them. Probably afraid the rest of us will find out about Karl Rove's groups, the Koch Brothers, and.........

Romney Good For Women, Obama Bad
or Something Like That

It's getting harder and harder to keep up with this guy...especially if you're an intelligent woman.  

Romney:“Look, I am the guy that was able to get health care for all of the women—and men—in my state. There was talking about it at the federal level. We did something.”

Wallace: “So, you’re saying look at Romneycare?”

Romney:“Absolutely. I’m very proud of what we did, and the fact that we helped women and men and children in my state. And then with regards to contraceptives, of course Republicans and myself in particular recognize that people should have a right to use contraceptives. There is absolutely no validity whatsoever to the Obama effort and (sic)  try and bring that up. And with regards to the issue of abortion, that is something where men and women have alternative views on that or different views.”

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/26/romney-says-women-should-vote-for-him-because-of-romneycare/

And yet for months, Romney and all the Repubs have shouted from the rooftops (or at least within the cameras of Fox News).."Obamacare has GOT to go." As well as abortions, contraception, voting rights, and jobs if they had THEIR way. Then there IS that little problem concerning birth control: http://thegrio.com/2012/02/16/dems-try-to-turn-contraceptive-issue-against-gop/

But the fly-in-the-ointment for Romney and Ryan is that ACA, which is now law, has the same core principles as the Massachusetts healthcare law, the one that Romney has tried to dodge mentioning for months.

The problem for Romney is that there are no fundamental differences between the two laws. Both programs create exchanges where private insurers compete. Both require individuals to purchase insurance. And both subsidize those who can’t afford it. It’s a relatively new way of extending coverage.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/06/romneycare-and-obamacare-differ-only-in-inconsequential-ways.html

I wonder if this guy is actually made of Silly Putty? But...... at least he speaks in complete sentences, using words that are ACTUALLY in the dictionary.

" Forced To Use Universal Healthcare & Survived"

The story you are about to read is a harrowing one, according to all the pundits and politicians on the Right. A diehard believer was exposed, against her will, to the dreaded socialist form of MANDATED healthcare (known in this country as the menace of OBAMACARE, not to be confused with that excellent system they have in Massachusetts known as ROMNEYCARE....)


I'm sure you have all heard about the system: "free healthcare" for people who don't pay their own way, death panels, bankruptcy-causing forced premiums, coverage for non-citizens, no choice of doctors or hospitals, rationing of needed care, doctors fleeing their careers at every corner, hospitals and clinics shutting their doors, and Hitler at the reception desk with Nurse Ratchet assisting.


Let's not waste any time on this beleaguered tale:

"When I moved to Canada in 2008, I was a die-hard conservative Republican. So when I found out that we were going to be covered by Canada’s Universal Health Care, I was somewhat disgusted. "

http://ayoungmomsmusings.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/how-i-lost-my-fear-of-universal-health.html

Imagine this poor women's relief when at last she was asked to put forth her opinion on this statement: "When they asked me to clarify and I explained that many people in the States are not insured and they try to put off medical care unless absolutely needed, they literally could not comprehend such a thing."


She was also surprised that no pregnant women were automatically forced to have abortions. Contraception also was not given out at every exam. There were also doctors of all religious leanings, not practicing at gun point.......and they actually smiled.
"Since all of these benefits are available to everyone, I never heard Canadians talking about capping their incomes to remain lower income and not lose their government provided health coverage. Older people in Canada don’t have to clean out their assets to qualify for some Medicare or Social Security programs,."


Now......how can we get FOX NEWS to spread the word......?
(OK, I got carried away for the moment.)

Then There's This:

 Starting in 2014, Members of Congress will be getting their health care insurance through Exchanges, and you will be able buy your insurance through Exchanges too.

Wow, do you think this fact just might be chaffing their posteriors just a bit too??

Things that make Repubs go "argh..............."


Of course, RomneyCare makes them go totally nuts. Especially when you know it contains this little gem:
Outpatient care in doctor's offices, clinics, hospitals, etc., including:

• office visits
  preventive care
  family planning
  abortion services
• What's a card-carrying conservative supposed to do these days? It's all getting too confusing.

CATEGORIZE, SCHMATEGORIZE

I'm getting a little overwhelmed and confused these days. Left wing liberal. Right wing conservative. GOP= Party of NO. DEMS=socialism. Sarah Palin= right wing goddess. Nancy Pelosi=left wing spawn of the devil. Bush=the decider. Obama=the ditherer. Abortion=right wing values, slap-down of women's rights. Abortion= celebration of women's rights, proof of left wing ungodliness. I'm caught in a morass of contradictions. No matter what I believe in, I'M WRONG.

I don't ever remember such vileness, divisiveness, fear mongering, truth stretching, slandering, pushing-of-religion for political purposes "in all my born days" as I used to hear said as a child. (I know, that was many years ago...) But we have been treated to a show of such lack of decorum, manners, respect, insult to intelligence, and shenanigans that would make Oral Roberts and P.T. Barnum blush. We all are not generalizations. We don't all live and die by the POLLS. We all don't swear by FOX news. Some of us actually THINK and go by our gut feelings to know what is right or wrong. Most of us are caught in the middle: we hear all the mumbo-jumbo put out by "our" side or the "opposition", and we agree with a little of both. But, NO, that's not acceptable. You're either for us or agin us, by golly!!

I believe in God, a higher being, a plan for each of our lives. I don't believe that all organized religions have a lock on goodness and yours, just because it is different than mine, is bad. I know that the Bible is a guide for leading a good and selfless life. But I also know it is a collection of writings that over time, have been rearranged, edited, added to and condensed to suit whatever purposes that particular group of scholars had in mind at the time. I believe there NEEDS to be a separation of church and state as was written by our forefathers when founding this country. I don't believe any religion-Catholic, evangelical, atheist, Jewish,-needs to be pressing their agenda into this country's politics. Nor do I believe that money from any of these organizations should be accepted for any purpose. I believe this country was built by people of all colors, creeds, nationalities, classes, education, and sexes. If it's OK to to use these same people in your factories, fields, homes, stores, and restaurants, they need to be afforded the same rights as everyone else, as long as they know what their responsibilities are as citizens. I believe NO ONE should have the right to tell me what to do with my body. I don't condone abortion as a method of birth control. I've never had one: but I don't believe any self-righteous man is going to tell me or any other woman in a dire circumstance that they can't have one. (I've worked more than 20 years of my life with OB/GYN's. This is not spoken callously.)
I believe in helping my fellow American citizen, or any person for that matter. I expect everyone to work for what they want to achieve in life: there's nothing wrong with succeeding in what you do. Money is not the root of all evil, LOVE of money is. It's when you don't use what you have (money or talent) in helping others do the same that the selfishness and greed sets in. It's when the looking down on others as "lazy, ignorant, waiting-for-hand-outs, and inferior" begins that turns me off.

So I guess I"ll continue down the road as an independent, not-so-middle-class-anymore, women's rights, spiritual, humor-loving, cancer-surviving, left-leaning, family-loving, commonsensical (is that a word?) kind of person. For those of you I irritate, I apologize. For those of you I amuse: at least I've accomplished something.