The Political Voices of Women

Today’s New York Times reports that a proposed rule circulation through the Department of Health and Human Services:

… defines abortion as follows: “any of the various procedures — including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.” [emphasis mine]

Remember, the right-wing religious zealots are not going to overturn Roe v. Wade because it is easier just restrict abortion (and birth control) until it is safe, legal, and never accessible.

Wondering what role reproductive rights play in the presidential election? Have a burning thought about how to reach out to voters? Thinking about where the candidates stand? BlogHer is soliciting questions for a podcast interview with Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards. For more information, click here to visit the BlogHer post requesting questions and comments for Richards.

We already know that John McCain doesn’t want women to have a choice when it comes to abortion, but it’s also clear that he doesn’t think giving women more access to birth control is very important. Since more access to birth control is clearly something that would reduce the need for women to have an abortion, it seems McCain is at best clueless, or at worst just doesn’t care about women.

From Pam’s House Blend…

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Cathleen Decker apparently did some homework, and put Sen. McCain on the spot for votes on regarding making birth control mandatory for health insurance coverage. Per a story in the Los Angeles Times, apparently McCain twice voted against measures that would have required insurance companies to cover birth control — in both 2003 and 2005.

Watch Sen. McCain get really uncomfortable as he’s pressed on the issue:

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I think the telling line is that video is:

It’s…ah…something that I had not thought much about…

Not thinking about fairness between men’s and women’s healthcare coverage; not thinking about women’s issues and women’s healthcare…well!

And as has apparently happened frequently before, Sen. McCain can’t seem to remember much about issues he’s voted on that impact a voting demographic he allegedly wants to cut into…D’oh!

From The Huffington Post…

How damaging is this video, now spreading around the web, showing John McCain squirming, stumbling, and then claiming ignorance about his position on providing women with birth control?

Apparently, very damaging. A Democratic Party strategist familiar with internal polling said McCain’s two votes against requiring insurance companies to cover prescription birth control have been polled in battleground states and had tremendous resonance with women, including independents and Republicans.

From Planned Parenthood…

“Time after time, Sen. McCain has shown that he is out of touch when it comes to women’s health care,” said Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Action Fund president. “Birth control is basic health care for women. But yesterday, Sen. McCain ducked a straightforward question about whether he thinks insurance companies should cover birth control. Women in America are still waiting for his answer.”

In 2003, McCain voted NO on the Murray Amendment (S.Amdt 258 to S. 3, vote 45, 3/11/03), which would have improved the availability of contraceptives for women and required insurance coverage of prescription birth control.

Also See:

Is John McCain Pro-Choice?

Are Reproductive Rights Important To Women Voters?

What do you think? Does McCain Care about women’s issues? Are you a woman planning to vote for McCain?  How do you feel about his position of reproductive rights?  Let me know in comments.

Senator Ted Kennedy made a surprise return to the Senate floor yesterday, to help break a Republican filibuster on an important Medicare bill.

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From The New York Times…

Mr. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, flown in virtual secrecy to Washington, stirred the normally staid chamber to a rousing ovation and moved many colleagues to tears when he made a surprise appearance in the Senate in the late afternoon to break a Republican filibuster on a Medicare bill.

From Politico…

The bill — which cleared the House last month — seeks to block a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements for physicians. But to help pay for this spending, it trims back future payments to private health plans under Medicare Advantage, a private market alternative to the government run program for the elderly.For this reason, it has been opposed by the White House. But sensing defeat, as many as eight Republicans switched their votes at the end, and the final 69-30 vote far surpassed the margin needed to cut off debate.Under prior agreement, the measure will now go directly to President Bush, who now faces a situation where two-thirds of both the House and Senate have now opposed his position—more than enough to override a veto.

Recently (OK, if the past eight years count as recent), I’ve been fretting about the future of legal abortion in the United States. I’m 32 years old, and I appear to be one of few women in my age group worrying about this. When I ask my peers what their top issues in this election are, almost everyone says the environment, the economy, health insurance, and Iraq. Of course, these are all important issues, but it shocks me that no one is stressing about reproductive rights.

“Oh,” a friend of mine said casually when I asked her why not. “They’ll never overturn Roe v. Wade.”

What’s interesting is that she is correct - the Supreme Court probably won’t overturn Roe v. Wade, although John McCain states that he would like to bring it to an end. However, the reason that SCOTUS won’t say sayonara to Roe V. Wade is not because they understand that a woman’s ability to chose if and when to reproduce is essential to her lot in life. Rather, it is because it would scare the crap out of complacent women who thinks are rights are enshrined in the Constitution and also remove an issue that serves to mobilize evangelical and conservative voters.

Instead, the ruling justices on the Supreme Court prefer to chip and peel away at Roe. The result will be that the law of the land ensures safe, legal abortion is a right that no one can exercise. It’s been happening for quite some time already. First, the Justices ruled that asking a woman to wait 24 hours between her first appointment at a clinic and her actual procedure so she “can think about it” is not a barrier to exercising the right to an abortion. Except that 87% of counties in the US do not have a facility that offers abortions, and 35% of American women live in those areas. A full 25% of women travel more than 50 miles to obtain an abortion. So, the reality of the situation is that it takes a long time and a lot of money to travel to a clinic. Waiting another 24 hours likely makes it too expensive for women who also need to stay in hotels to “think about” what they are about to do. Sounds like an undue - i.e. - unconstitutional burden to me.

The Supreme Court recently upheld a law that ruled that doctors no longer had to consider whether a woman’s health was jeopardized during pregnancy, thus warranting an abortion, only whether her life was in immediate danger. So any pregnant woman who could be irreparably harmed by a pregnancy can no longer expect her personal condition to matter. Plus, certain late procedures used ONLY to save the lives of pregnant women have been banned, which the Supreme Court upheld, too. The message: you can have an abortion in theory, but good luck getting one when you need it.

These types of restrictions scare me, and they are more common every year. When I cast my vote in November, I want to be sure that I am voting for a candidate that supports my rights as a human being. I hope that more women will take this into consideration as well.

Will You Be Scared Into Voting For McCain? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

The GOP wants to scare you into voting for McCain. Don’t fall for it. Last week, I posted on how John McCain’s top adviser, casually mentioned that a terrorist attack would help Republicans. I hope everyone (both Republicans and Democrats) will vote on all the issues, and not on one emotion (fear).

From The Huffington Post…

Last week, as expected, the GOP, unable to run on its disastrous record, pulled out its 2004 playbook and opened it to “Scare Tactics,” offering up fear-mongering hatchet men Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and John Bolton to deliver the message that we should all be afraid — very, very afraid — of what an Obama presidency could lead to. Little things like the obliteration of a U.S. city (Gingrich) and more terrorist attacks (Bolton).

This fright-fest came in the wake of McCain telling us that al Qaeda will increase its violent attacks to try to defeat him, and that Hamas wants Obama to win.

In case we didn’t get the message, up popped McCain’s chief campaign advisor Charlie Black with his considered opinion that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil “certainly would be a big advantage” for McCain.

(read full FearWatch ‘08 post here)

What do you think? Can fear win the election for John McCain? Does the issue of “fear” trump issues like the economy, healthcare, and the environment? Do you expect there will be an “October Surprise” designed to scare the public? Would you change your vote out of fear? Let me know what you think in comments.

Read full post at The Care2 Election Blog

Here is a guest post by Emily Kronenberger from New Wave Girl.

(If you would like to be a guest blogger on this site, please join our community)

Women’s eNews published a story today written by Carol Roye, WeNews Commentator, Nurse Practitioner, and Professor of Nursing at Hunter College’s Bellevue School. This is a MUST READ for anyone who cares about women’s reproductive health and rights.

Roye’s piece, entitled “Global Gag Rule Must Not Be Domesticated,” warns of the dangers of the United States bringing its own Gag Rule policy, which it has exported to developing nations that receive U.S. Aid for the better part of the past 25 years, to bear here at home. The Global Gag Rule has had alarming implications for the women, girls, and families that have been subjected to it through its implementation by the U.S. in the developing world. Nevertheless, anti-choice and anti-family planning groups such as Focus on the Family are lobbying hard for the Bush Administration to put this Gag Rule in place here and restrict all Title X funds for U.S. family planning clinics that provide abortion in addition to a wide range of family planning and sexual health services, before the next President takes office.

First Step: Read Roye’s article for more information on the impact of the Gag Rule and for her first-hand experiences of having to comply with this policy while practicing as a nurse and providing adolescent health services: visit http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3648 for the full article.

Next Step: Visit www.accessdenied.org to learn more about how you can help advocate to repeal the Global Gag Rule and to prevent it from ever making its way back to the U.S.

Jane Fonda on the Problem of Teen Pregnancy

I’m Voting Republican is a satirical look at the likely outcome of another four years of Republican government.

Why Would Clinton Supporters Vote For McCain? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I think all the talk about women supporters of Hillary Clinton, voting for John McCain, is being overblown by the media. Shocking.

Yes, it has been a tough time to be a Hillary supporter. And yes, there are a lot of fresh wounds that will take time to heal. However, I do believe that most women who supported Hillary, did so because of her positions on the issues, and not just because she is a woman. For that reason, I have to believe that after careful consideration of the issues (especially women’s issues), Clinton supporters will see that a vote for McCain, would be a vote against women.

For the record, I admit…I’m still holding out hope for the dream ticket. But, no matter how this all shakes out, come November, I’m voting Democrat.

Here is some of what other bloggers are saying about this issue…

Will Pro-Choice Women Vote For McCain?

Following up on my post from yesterday on John McCain’s bid for Hillary Clinton’s female voters, I see my good friend Arianna Huffington has finally joined the ranks of pro-choice bloggers and writes about a promising poll by Planned Parenthood. The poll concludes that many of McCain’s supporters in swing states are pro-choice, and don’t realize what a reactionary barbarian he is when it comes to a woman’s right to control her own body.

From an Open Letter to Women Supporters of Hillary Clinton

I have family members who have strong ties to Bill and Hillary, one of whom campaigned with them during the primaries. I can’t tell you the love and admiration she has for the Clintons. However, she is going to set aside her personal feelings and work hard to ensure an Obama presidency. She is well-aware of the consequences if he is not elected.

You may choose to follow Hillary’s lead and switch your allegiance to Obama. You may also choose not to vote; or (as some of you have indicated) vote for John McCain The latter two options are one-in-the-same. Since record numbers of Democratic voters are expected to turn out for November’s elections vs. a lesser amount of Republican voters, a non-vote will essentially benefit McCain.

Should you choose to vote for McCain, you would be wise to study up on McCain’s positions regarding issues which are important to most women.

White Women To vote Against Reproductive Rights

Yeah, that’ll show him!

John McCain is in favor of forced pregnancy, but these women would rather vote for him than Obama.

John McCain’s healthcare plan is “let the market handle it” (like it has been handling it so far), but these women would rather vote for him than Obama.

John McCain is obsessed with fighting wars and extending the war of choice on Iraq, but these women would rather vote for him than Obama.

Why? Because they seem to feel that Hillary Clinton is somehow entitled to the nomination, despite the fact that she didn’t get the votes.

A Hidden Well: Obama in 08…

I just ordered an Obama in 08 bumper sticker from moveon.org. Hillary was my candidate of choice, for many reasons, but mainly because she has been a champion for women’s reproductive rights, justice, and health for thirty years. However, the reality is that Barack Obama, not Hillary Clinton, has been chosen as the Democratic presidential nominee. And sure, I experienced some initial disappointment over this. But it is what it is, as my friend Jayne would say. So now I’m ready to step up to the plate in support of Obama and do everything in my power to make sure that he is elected the next president of the United States.

Also See:

Where The Candidates Stand On Reproductive Rights

Linda Hansen: Little Women…a sad story of stereotypes.

Welcome to The Now: “What’s He Going to Do For Women”

Washington Wire - Abortion Rights Advocates Take Aim At McCain

Is John McCain a Pro-Choice Republican?

Women’s Vote Up For Grabs

Citizen Mom: What Would Alice Paul Do?

Are you a woman who was supporting Hillary Clinton? Will you now support Barack Obama? What are the chances you would vote for John McCain? Are you mad enough to risk another four years of Republicans in the White House?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan, also at catherine-morgan.com and Care2 Election Blog