Scott Elmquist/Richmond Style Weekly
The kerfuffle in Virginia.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed the forced ultrasound bill today, saying that it ensured no one would have to undergo an "internal" ultrasound, by which he means the vaginal probe kind. More about that on the show tonight.
For now, an open letter sent to us a couple days ago by Virginia lawyer Tara Louise Casey. She headlines it "What the Kerfuffle is Really About: An Open Letter to Governor McDonnell."
As a Virginia citizen, and especially as a woman and a mother of a daughter, I have voiced my opposition to the mandatory ultrasound bill. Although I participated in the public protests to this legislation, I also sought to engage legislators and other constituents in discussions tempered with mutual respect and moderate voice. When the Virginia Senate passed this bill, I expressed my profound disappointment in what I viewed as the misguided failure of our legislative process. Nevertheless, I strove to maintain an open dialogue, free of platitudes and presumptions.
This evening, I learned that my Governor does not hold to the same rules in this debate.
Last Friday, Governor McDonnell sat down with National Review Online's Jim Geraghty to discuss "the kerfuffle over the ultrasound bill." I recommend this piece to every Virginian to read as the Governor has used this platform to express his perspective.
Below are his words from the interview and my responses:
"If you just read the papers, you have no idea what's going on in the legislature because the reporting has been so poor this session."
Governor, I have been there as a steadfast advocate and witness. The reason people are outraged and protesting is that they have been paying attention, very close attention. Sustained engagement in and educational outreach on the legislative process leading up this bill's passage has been a civics lesson for many. Please, do not blame the media for this kerfuffle.
"I don't think the objective of an abortion clinic is to try to talk women out of having the procedure. That obviously would not be positive for their bottom line."
Governor, I encourage you to talk to a physician who has performed an abortion, because, based upon your comment, it would seem that you have not. If you had, you would soon realize that "the bottom line" is not what motivates these physicians in practice. To suggest otherwise would be an insult to their ethics and a gross mischaracterization. Please, do not blame the physicians for this kerfuffle.
"Despite the rhetoric of opponents, this was about empowering women with more medical and legal information that previously they were not required to get in order to give informed consent."
Governor, Merriam-Webster has three definitions for "empower" -- "to give official authority or legal power to; [to] enable; to promote the self-actualization or influence of." It defies basic comprehension of this word to deduce that a mandate represents empowerment. In fact, this legislation thwarts any attempt at empowerment as it will interfere with a woman's autonomous choice and assumes that her doctor would provide her insufficient information to make that choice. The last time Virginia ever passed a mandated medical procedure was the forced sterilization of the mentally ill, a scenario in which there is no presence of empowerment. Please, do not blame a misunderstanding of the word "empower" for this kerfuffle.
"Informed consent is required for every invasive medical procedure, from getting your ears pierced to having an abortion."
Governor, even in an illustrative context, an abortion should not be placed on the same plane of medical procedures as an ear piercing. Ears are pierced at kiosks in the mall. Invasive medical procedures are performed by specially trained medical personnel in medical settings. Your relation of an ear piercing to an abortion reveals either your complete insensitivity to this issue, or your complete ignorance. Please do not blame a citizenry's misunderstanding of this issue for this kerfuffle.
This is our Governor. This is his perspective.
Dear Reader, that is exactly what the "kerfuffle" is all about.
(Photo: Scott Elmquist of Richmond's Style Weekly. Gallery)
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Governor McDonnell's political career is over I just tweeted his at (@bobmcdonnell) and wrote Governor Ultrasound your political career is over
The GOP continues to over reach into women's rights...unbelievable!
Think he'll be on "The View"?
article - McDonnell:Virginias G.O.Probe http://www.gopeabrain.com/?p=8
Great pic also.
I truely hope so. Men like this give men a bad name.
I was going to write "let's hope so". Instead, let's make sure it is.
"Men like this give men a bad name."
Unfortunately it's men like that that pretty much dominate the GOP!! I would implore all voters going to the polls in November to remember all of this and vote against these patriarchs!!
Born and raised a Catholic, we went to church before school and catechism after. I remember a priest telling me when I was 5, that I "Shall not covet thy neighbors wife" and so on.
I didn't know what coveting a wife was, but the priest assured me I would most certainly burn in hell for it. On Sundays, the same priest would belittle and condemn the members of the parish, telling us all why we were not worthy of something or another.
He often stopped mass to tell someone to be quiet, and would even walk into the crowd, hook his arm around a youngsters neck, and knock him on the head with his knuckles to humiliate him or her. He had no problem being as insulting as a human being can get.
I stopped going to church when I was 18, and would never return. Years later I found out that when I was young, the men of the parish had enough of that same priests insults, and chased him into a field one Sunday, threatening to beat him within an inch of his life, if he didn't start giving the members of the parish the same respect he was afforded.
I am comfortable knowing that if there is a hell, that crotchety old priest is in it. I know that someday, and not soon enough, these men trying to control and humiliate the women of their state, will be right there along side him.
Go Virginia Women! Get it done!
Source - http://www.gopeabrain.com/?p=8
Is this suppose to be a deterent to having sex? If so...it's taking the long way around. I'm not a fan of abortion, but I respect the rights of others to regulate their own health. This will do absolutely nothing to deter or stop abortions, so what is the point? If Bob will not answer the questions asked....stop having him on your shows....he is just gonna stick to his talking points......Keep pressing him to come on Rachel...you are the only one with LadyBalls enough to take him on.
Just be honest....what do you really want from this kind of legislature?....Really?
And the congregation says "Amen."
Part of McDonnell's problem is that he's biologically male. Being biologically female is a whole other world that he can never know by experience. That wouldn't be totally fatal, except for his other problem, which is that he has never stopped to listen to women. There are stories he should hear and learn from, but he won't ever because he's too busy giving the dizzy little dears (who exist only in his mind) a firm talking to.
Governor McDonnell's national aspirations may be on hold for a few years, but given the short memory of main stream media, the ignorance of voters, and the tendency of the Republican Party to rehabilitate its "stars" when they fall from grace, McDonnell will be back. He'll be taken care of by the Republican Welfare system of Fox News, Clear Channel Communications, right wing think tanks, and the corporate speaker circuit until it's safe to bring him back. Look at Santorum back in the thick of Republican politics only 6 years after getting beaten by 18 points in his senate re election bid, even Newt has been reborn, so Limbaugh and McDonnell will be back, the ignorance, laziness and corporatization of the MSM assure that.
The offensive and out of touch debate over forced "transvaginal ultrasounds" and personhood bills that would literally ban all abortions is indicative of the pervasive rot that has overtaken the Republican Party. It is an ideology where certain individuals in power -- mostly men -- either as lawmakers or corporate elites, are deemed to have the authority and wisdom to legislate and control the lives of everyone else. The GOP is not about "small government, but rather the biggest and most toxic form of authoritarianism imaginable. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Who's worse, the Taliban or the GOP? And yes I certainly am glad that government is getting out of my personal life. If I'm a white christian that is.
You mean only if you are a White MALE RICH Christian
Ahem, that's straight white male rich fundamentalist Christian. You weren't quite pronouncing it correctly.
I sent a tweet that signing the bill was the same as signing his own job away. Nice going, moron.
Republicans believe that being a female is a pre existing condition that disqualifies them from receiving health insurance.
Wait until Airlines start charging pregnant woman for 2 seats "Your law says a unborn fetus is a full human being so tell me i can't charge for 2 seats"
This is what I always said about "the good thing about personhood" (if you try to look for the bright side of thing)....By their definition, pregnant women can definitely use carpool (HOV) lane in the freeway (trust me you'll get lots of support for it in CA). Actually, with personhood amendment, any woman who just get laid can hop in the carpool (HOV) lane.
My friends have been speculating about driving in carpool lanes, and insisting that legally they have another 'person' in the car if they get pulled over...
Since that is his bill I think the Governor should place his legs up in the stirups and have that ultra-sound placed up his privates. Fair is fair. That way he will see just how demeaning he is towards women. We are not cattle or horses on a farm we are people!
along with it he should have one of them gizmos inserted into his penis,
I'm surprised the Republicans didn't require that the ultrasound be televised and that a list of all of those women who have been raped at the order of the Governor be kept for in order to find the victims to testify at the trials of the governor and legislature for crimes against humanity. If I was the Governor of Maryland, I would issue arrest warrants for all of those rethuglicans for conspiracy to commit rape.
Transvaginal Bob is a reprehensible political "leader"!
Hey Transvaginal Bob - the objective of your legislation your helped sponsor and have now signed into law is by no means an effort to "empower" women. It is expressively present in the bill that hte effort is to humilitate and shame women so as to keep them the way your ideology dictates - barefoot, pregant and in the kitchen!
For the record Transvaginal Bob, we've already had this benchmark debate, and now you've decided to side with the likes of Bobby Riggs and the other American misogynists of our nation, both then and now! (I understand you are a personal friend with the likes of Rush "stinkbomb" Limbaugh!) -Kevo
Barefoot, pregant and in the kitchen! Yoiu place your legs up there have pics taken of that small thing you call privates you piece of crap.
I am SO glad that I don't live in Virginia and am past child-bearing age, but SO sad for the women who will now suffer the indignity of having a rod shoved up their vaginas to please the needs of a sick group of people who would take us back to the cruel mysogeny of Medieval times. Their thought processes are truly disgusting and vindictive and I'm disheartened that our legal system would even give them a moment's consideration.
Don't blame the "legal system", blame the idiots that voted on "party ideology" and figured that this guy was "someone they could have a beer with"! While I'm outraged at the offenses being heaped upon women all over this nation - I'm more outraged that these misogynists have even made it into state/local/federal governments!!
Hopefully women all over this nation will remember this come November and vote these traitors to women out of office!!
Hopefully the women of this nation will remember that conspiracy to commit rape is a crime and that the Governors and legislatures who are enacting these state mandated rape laws are committing crimes against humanity and should be prosecuted.
I do not understand why the medical profession is not up in arms at the attempt by legislators — people who are, for the most part, completely ignorant about medicine (except in the very rare instance that a legislator holds a medical degree) — to usurp the decision-making process that should rightfully belong to patients and doctors. Most physicians are aware that there is NO "one-size-fits-all" medical standard for procedures or medical treatments; the treatment must be appropriate to the patient's specific circumstances. To do otherwise is malpractice. But perhaps the medical profession is being silent because they would rather wash their hands of this sticky, politicized facet of women's health than stand up for women's rights. If so... shame on them all for their cowardice, because they'll someday be treating women bleeding out from botched abortions just like in the 60s and 70s.
Or perhaps they are afraid of being assassinated by a teabagger.
The medical profession at large is up in arms over this bill, as they were about the Personhood bill that was proposed this same session and recently, and temporarily, shelved. I was there for the Senate subcomittee hearings, and professionals from the medical profession, legal profession, women's rights organizations and individuals were lined up to express their disagreement with these bills. There were perhaps four "pro" witnesses, and so many "against" witnesses that the committee did not allow very many to speak out; they merely told them to state their names and whether they were for or against. All 8 Republicans on the subcommittee were male; and the committee was overstocked with Republicans - thus it passed along party lines. Clearly they did not care what the majority wanted, they merely wanted to pass a faith-based agenda, which is what Bob McDonnell has been planning to support all along.
Thank you for that rendition as I don't believe the procedings were tapped on CSpan or anywhere else. This is outrageous!
C-SPAN doesn't cover state legislatures.
Most state legislatures actually broadcast their procedures and some kind of state funded cable tv network.
Yes, but that's still not C-SPAN.
A wonderfully written, powerful letter. Too bad the chance of Gov. McDonnell ever seeing it is zero, zip, nada, zilch. The odds of him paying attention to what Ms. Casey is saying? Even less.
if we formed a boucott of Va and set it forth the people of Va who are associated with tourisum ,would get on his butt and make his fix what he has screwed up, we could cost their tourism several hundred million dollars and it would only take one season!
Oh don't worry about that, Virginia is gonna experience some major economic costs because of this, as will the other states that follow Virginia's lead. Not only will tourism be impacted, but it is gonna be harder to attract new business, it is going to make the entire state the butt of jokes and it is going result in a lot of lawsuits that Virginia's taxpayers are going to have to pay for. Whenever right wing republicans take over any government body, local or state, the budgets for legal costs usually double or triple because of their "creative" use of the law to implement religious doctrine.
Not only is this measure offensive to me as a woman and autonomous human being (so much that I refuse to do business in VA.) but it unnecessarily raises the cost of women's health care (and thus, health care in general). We are supposed to be doing AWAY with unnecessary medical procedures, not adding them.
Don't forget after being forced to be raped by your doctor the state not only wants to watch the whole thing, they want you to pay for it.
Until women and the men that love them start voting for Democrats instead of Republicans, we are going to continue to fight this battle. You can't blame the politicians, when it's the voters that "empower" them.
What we really need is more women running for office. Voting is fine, but it's very apparent that actual demographic representation is needed. The men who are voting bills like this into law haven't been running on a platform of transvaginal ultrasounds. The election process can't be relied on to keep these bozos out of office. Ideally, legislatures should mirror the population, and I imagine that if Virgina's legislature was 50% female, crap like this couldn't even get voted out of committee.
But it's still hard for women to get into politics, and I expect that this is only going to be even more difficult in our shiny new Citizens United world (all the money is in the hands of men). It'll be harder still if all these anti-women laws stand and the women who would enter politics end up tied down by endless series of pregnancies they aren't allowed to regulate themselves.
Unfortunately all women do not see what is wrong with this because they are too caught up in preaching from a bible that was written by men. I used to believe that women in office would change things but found that not to be true.
And to the people who think they have the right to decide for me:
How many children have you adopted from our overloaded system before forcing me to carry a child who will wind up in that system?
I have a genetic disorder and was told not to have any more kids,( I had one, and it almost killed me.) I do not have the money to get my tubes tied.
this is my body, these are my children, it is my fate to decide. Perhaps you should spend more time with your own children and less time making other peoples lives hell.
What is needed is either a Lorena Bobbit or Lysistrata strategy, since it is men making these laws you need strike back where it really hurts them.
What an incredible waste of time and money! The law on this issue is settled, and has been since Casey v. Planned Parenthood. A forced ultrasound is an undue burden to a woman seeking an abortion, and McDonnell and company have a losing argument in the courts. Such a shame that Virginia taxpayers will have to pay to defend this crap.
Yes, but since the GOP won't be "paying" the insurance - they'll call it "personal responsibility"!
TransVaginal Bob will have our courts tied up for years. What's wrong with this man? Was he raised under a rock?
this is great...here's hoping he gets his coveted VP nomination and women across the country hear of him and vote Obama 2012!!!!!
Mutterings recently heard in the Virginia State Capitol: "That damn media, always exposing the secret goings-on behind legislative doors, even during the Presidents Day federal holiday. Can't we get any work done, without a raucous crowd butting in where they don't belong?"
I'm I glad that I left Virginia over 30 years ago.
I am slowly, and steadily losing both respect and faith in politicians today.
Why can't we just call this what it is--government-mandated rape. If I don't want an instrument forced into me, without my consent, it's rape. I think any woman who goes through this should bring the governor into court for a big ol' felony-rape charge!
Thank you so much for continuing to cover the concerted attempts of late to eradicate women's reproductive rights in Virginia! The majority of Virginia women appreciate it. We are not surprised that the Governor signed the bill, which thousands of us protested and asked him to veto, but we are still disappointed. He goes against the 66% of all Virginians responding to a Richmond Times Dispatch and Christopher Newport University poll who do not wish this bill to become law. We appreciate your support, and the support of your readers and listeners. Now, we will try to get this bill overturned.
Fenbeast, I am just guessing here if this is not over-turned the medical professionals license could be revoked just as in the days when non-legal abortions were preformed. This time tho if a woman's life is in the balance (due to health reason NO abortioncan be preformed) she could die. What gives state or federal government that right to decide our fate??
Considering that many abortion clinics are non-profits that rely heavily on grants and donations, one would think they would avoid any expensive procedure. To imply that performing abortions is motivated by profit is ridiculous. There are real expenses associated with performing one. Furthermore, what an insult to all doctors, and certainly an argument for taking the profit out of all health care, otherwise, how can we trust a doctor if he/she stands to make money on any procedure?
My favorite new name for him
The Governor of Vagina
Virginians, please initiate a recall effort. Wisconsin is getting it done. We're starting up again in Michigan. This fool needs to go spend more time with his family.
Virginia doesn't have recalls.
How about revolution? Virginians used to be pretty good at that.
Really? kerfuffle? He doesn't understand? Ignorance is bliss. Riot police called out to handle a bunch of angry women. I am a male and I know that women are much more intelligent than vilantly confronting body armored armed men. They will make you pay in other ways that last longer than you can tolerate. Bill Cosby had it right when he said, I would rather get a beating from my father than have my mom holler at me.
I want a reporter to ask Newt, Ron, Willard and The Guy with the Google Problem if they will condemn Rush Limbaugh and now Governor Bob McDonnell
I think men who want to get Viagra should undergo an internal prostate exam, to make sure it's healthy enough to withstand the effects of the drug. They should also have to stare at pictures of healthy prostates for a minimum of 5 minutes, so that they have all the information they need to make an informed decision about using Viagra. No more asking and getting. Get the exam first, wait 24 hours, THEN you can have the prescription for them.
Actually, they should have to stare at erect penis's before they can get viagra. It's important that men are well informed. I mean, because like women who don't know what's involved with pregnancy, I am sure people like Mr McDonnell don't have a clue to the effects of viagra type drugs.
And stare at them for 4 hours.