If you are looking for an appropriate soundtrack, particularly if Governor McDonnell signs a non-optional transviginal ultrasound bill I would submit the tune "Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man" by the legendary Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band.

What incredible reporting about seeming outright corruption in Iowa and Maine caucuses! Now, when we combine the GOP approach to caucuses (let's be charitable for a sec and call it malfeasance) with voter i.d. laws which seem intended to suppress left-wing voters, what have we got? One could argue that what we have is a GOP so desperate to topple the sitting president that they will abandon scruples and ethics altogether. I would love to be proven wrong on this point!

I think that if women are made to have this medically unnecessary and invasive procedure, then men in Virginia should have to submit to a mandatory prostate exam to obtain ED drugs!

I find the republican attitude toward contraception and abortion disgusting. Even more so since it seems to be primarily perpetrated by angry white men. Women have, and should retain, their reproductive rights. For some reason, the republicans seem to cast women as the “evil doers” in the procreation process, forgetting it takes “two to tango.”

Ok, I propose this. There have been approximately 600,000 vasectomies performed last year, which is commendable. To be fair and equal, all men, before having a vasectomy, should have to undergo at least an hour of counseling, as this is permanent, and have a scope inserted up their penis to make sure there are no problems performing the procedure. Afterwards, they should be forced to produce sperm by ejaculation in the doctor’s office to provide evidence the procedure worked. Fair is fair.

I think that any GOP male must have an anal probe to get Viagra...What is good for the goose is good for the gander.....

If women vote for any republican again they are signing on for more attacks on our gender. Maybe the "probe" ought to be tried out on the penis first! I am so angry about all this I could spit! I'm 70 and never thought I would have to deal with all this anti-abortion, anti-woman nonsense again. We must remain watchful forever. Thanks Rachel

what the hell is happening to this country? the gop has taken some kind of drug that has warped their minds back into the 19th century. can virgina mandate the probe, wont the surpreme court take them down? first they want to keep us barefoot and pregnant now they want to physically abuse us. I am 99% sure they will not win the white house, but if by some chance in hell they do. i will becomming a citizen of australia or canada. and i will be booked flight outa here after the nov. election, and not feel guilty at all about giving up my american citizenship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re Scot Walker's misuse of government dollars: Isn't it illegal to use government funds for anything other than their intended purpose? I know that if someone were caught trying to exchange food stamps for anything other than food -- say, use them for a non-food purchase or exchange them for cash -- they can end up with both prison time and several thousand dollars of fines. Government takes this issue very seriously. Is misusing government funds illegal only if you're poor?

I'm in Rep. Tammy Baldwin's district, and with all due respect, she doesn't (to my knowledge) represented the poor of this district. And there's a lot of poor people out here in the rural areas. In all the years she has been in office, I don't recall that she ever said anything to indicate that she is even aware of Wisconsin poverty. I did try to contact her office several times through the years, via mail and email, asking if there was anything in Rep. Baldwin's record -- any legislation or public statements related to this issue -- related to Wisconsin poverty/our poor, but unfortunately, her office has never responded.

Uhmm...isn't the definition of the insertion of any object into a woman's vagina without her consent RAPE? Especially a penis-shaped one? Did the Virginia state assembly just pass a law to legalize the rape of a woman seeking a legal medical procedure? Call it what it is, Rachel. Please.

VA- What else can we say but you are pushing to far this way if a woman has a religious conviction the only person she is to be touched by is her significant other, some not at all. But without woman’s consent I would consider this to be Rape, last time I checked rape was still a punishable crime not only under state (OH) but also federal law. I have heard for many years that the government was raping people but this is really raping people. Government enforced Rape, what next?

On the difference between the actual 3 and the stated 90 or 95 percent, and the disclaimer that the 90-95 was not intended as a fact. I don't buy that one bit. If you are going to offer a disclaimer for something you said that is untrue, the disclaimer, at minimum, has to be true. The truthful disclaimer by Kyl or Hatch would be as follows------" I intended my statement to be taken as fact, but someone called me down on it. I was inaccurate."

And even if they really did not intend it to be taken as a fact, which I don't believe for a second, my only response would be that intelligent people, long ago, started taking it for granted that whatever conservatives say about anything is not meant to be taken as fact.

VA- What else can we say but you are pushing to far this way if a woman has a religious conviction the only person she is to be touched by is her significant other, some not at all. But without woman’s consent I would consider this to be Rape, last time I checked rape was still a punishable crime not only under state (OH) but also federal law. I have heard for many years that the government was raping people but this is really raping people. Government enforced Rape, what next?

I am so sick and so tired of what is going on this country!!! We've cycled back to the dark ages. We need to make a law that precludes going back in time. The GOP continues to boggle my mind--the attacks on women's rights, abortion, birth control and now VA's legalizing government rape of women. What else can you call it when a woman is forced to be penetrated without her consent?! Are they on drugs??? I think my biggest concern is that somewhere out there, there must be citizens supporting them otherwise wouldn't they be fearing election time?

Then we have the infamous Scott Walker who is soon to be investigated for criminal behavior, being subjected as well to a recall election and he dares to take the government settlement meant for homeowners perpetrated by the banks and balance his budget! I have to think he believes his true backers, those who HIRED him, aka Koch brothers, will see to it that he is re-elected come hell or high water.

I could go on but it's wearing and I'm sure you all get the point and judging from the other posts here, you're on the same page I am.

Honestly, Rachel, I salute you! How do you continue to report this stuff day after day without getting physically ill?

I am so disgusted with all that's going on in this country. GOP is taking us back to the dark ages. I feel like I've awakened in the middle of an episode of Twilight Zone every time I watch the news. Now we have Virginia approving government rape of women who seek abortion--that is what it is when a women can be subjected to being "probed" without her consent whether it's a penis or not! Sorry, but let's be honest here. Then we have Scott Walker, hired gun of the Koch brothers who obviously is convinced his Godfathers will get him re-elected somehow even in the face of a recall effort, potential criminal investigation and now he's ready to steal from all the unfortunate citizens who've already been "probed" by the banks and lost their homes or are underwater.

Honestly, Rachel, how do you report this stuff every night without becoming physically ill? Thank you for doing a great job, but I had to quit listening tonight!

Elections have consequences. The people of Virginia have been electing political leaders who have been serving up this radical right wing agenda for YEARS. They are now getting what they voted for, and have nobody to blame but themselves for having to endure this gross invasion of privacy and personal freedom. Maybe now they’ll begin to realize that electing a moderate might not have been such a bad idea after all, but I doubt it.

Regarding the Virgina Ultrasound Bill, I've got a name for what Virginia Republicans want to do - "state rape".

When consent is denied how could these transvaginal ultrasounds be anything but rape with a foreign object?

How would this not be "state rape"?

Why isn't the misogynistic law that has landed on the Virginia Governor's desk referred to for what it is - government mandated rape of pregnant women?

The horror.

So that trans vaginal ultrasound without my consent is going to be rape. It will be video tapped with me saying no and then I am going to file criminal charges aginst the doctor and the state. After that lets go for civil charges for everyone including the governor that signed this bill. Hey--- Let's play!

Is the Hoover Dam thing Hatch is rambling about related to that fake Rachel Maddow ad that was reported a few weeks back?

Please, please please let them pass this idiotic law! Then they can all face indictment for conspiracy to commit a crime. Forced vaginal penetration with an object without consent is by legal definition rape. They would also be forcing the doctor to commit a crime. It would make for an unprecidended perp walk to see the governor and the entire state senate walking out in handcuffs. Please get some attorneys on as guests to discuss this. At the very least, if this law is passed, it could easily be overturned as unconstitutional.

where is Laura Conaway? is she still writing for the show?