Associated Press
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is clearly on a roll when it comes to health care. Three weeks ago, she vetoed an HPV vaccine bill, despite bipartisan support in the state legislature, and despite the fact that the proposal would save lives by preventing cervical cancer. Soon after, the Republican governor vowed to kill Medicaid expansion in her state.
Annie-Rose Strasser highlighted Haley's latest antics yesterday.
Late last week, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) vetoed nearly half a million dollars that was slated to go toward domestic violence and sexual assault prevention.
Haley defended the veto, according to theCharleston City Paper, saying that rape and sexual assault prevention programs “distract from” the Department of Health’s mission, and that sexual assault victims are “only a small portion” of South Carolinians who need help.
No, seriously, that's what she said. Haley characterized rape and sexual assault prevention programs as "special add-on" programs that shift the state's focus away from the health department's "broader mission of protecting South Carolina's public health."
Rebecca Schoenkopf's report noted, "[T]he State Law Enforcement Division reports that South Carolina's rape rate has exceeded the national rate every year since 1982." Pamela Jacobs, executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, added that if Haley's veto isn't overridden, rape crisis centers will lose 37% of their current state funding, "which will drastically reduce their ability to respond to victims and provide prevention education."
If this is part of some scheme to help the governor advance her national ambitions, Nikki Haley must not think highly of the value of Republican primary voters.
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I've been reading a bit online about Nikki Haley's vetoes. She really does seem to be a hard-core Tea Party radical who loves to wield her line-item veto pen. In addition to defunding rape prevention and HPV distribution, she also has defunded the S.C. Arts Commission and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (an environmental agency). These vetoes seem to be mostly ideological, since the money saved is trivial.
(I also see that in the past, the legislature--which I am sure is not a flaming liberal body--has overridden some of her vetoes.)
("Flaming liberal body"--I like that phrase. . . .)
It is sad that in an era when women are in the majority, they are treated like they are in the minority. It is also sad that with the plethora of smart women, THIS is the sort of thing the Republicans call a rising star. These are the sort of intellects that are rising stars, Jan Brewer (dimwit) and the Nikki Haley (calculating dimwit) and Sarah Palin (dimwit reality star with the dimwit family and an ego the size of the Alaskan tundra) Is this what is required to make it in the grand old party? That you are stupid?
I was seriously considering voting for McCain....until Palin showed what a donkey she was. This made me doubt McCain's mental faculties. I voted for Obama. In order to be a Republicant, and also be female, the woman must tow the line and vote anti-woman, anti-gay rights, anti-environment. I don't like that the Dems think that they know best where everyone's money should go, but at the same time, Rethugs are NOT helping small business....they help the large corporations.
If the people of South Carolina were stupid enough (not saying their all stupid, just the ones that voted for her) to elect her, they really do deserve her. I just don't know where all us liberal northerners are going to retire to, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona, all off the table because I could never stand to live in a state that treat women and minorities so unequally. Seriously, she is an embarrassment!
Evidently, the northern panhandle and gulf coast of Florida are pretty conservative - many midwesterners go to the gulf and the north is full of teabaggers. I would recommend Orlando or the Atlantic coast as a proper place to retire.
Key West has its attractions, although housing costs more.
"Oh, you know... it's them women's fault for getting raped anyway, right? I bet those domestic violence victims deserved to get a whack or two--prolly nagging cows.... and good girls dun get Cancer."
That's my impression of Haley's mind set.
The sad thing is that so many people would think this way. "Were you wearing a dress? A short skirt? A strappy top? You got what you deserved." As for the HPV vaccine...it's a vaccine against cancer. What's not to love????
It has become clear to me now. The Republican women are in a competition to see who can become the most bat @!$%# crazy biotch on the block...
That explains it all I think; consider Michele Bachmann's "Muslim Brotherhood" remarks yesterday...
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/06/22/504937/bachmann-muslim-brotherhood-penetration/
Gone are the days when such gals in need of attention would resort to extra make-up or LBD's (little black dresses) or, horror, actually getting an education and becoming articulate... The competition just got too tough, that's all... This way they get the attention without the sexual overtones...
Apologies to all my lady friends for exposing these subjects, but these sorts are your real enemies, not guys like me...
Bachmann is just a moron period. I mean seriously who goes to Law School. And gets a degree in Economic and Finance Law. And cannot grasp the concept that. "We don't have a tax problem. We have a revenue problem." Is flat out stupid. Because Bush cut the taxes, that supplied the revenue. That pays the bills (debt).
I think it's something in the water!
I had vaginal sex with my grandfather from ages 4 to 15. I was one of the lucky ones who did not get pregnant. A few decades ago I asked a question in the adult bible study class of a conservative church that I went to. It was basically, 'So you are saying that if a 13 year old girl gets raped then God considers that man her husband?' The answer was not only 'yes' but also that that was not the kind of thing that I should be talking about in there. Since that time I have no longer been surprised by anything the ultra conservative element has proposed. Horrified, yes. Surprised, no.
South Carolina haters, please understand that there are lots of us here who are working very hard to put good people in office, good people who recognize that the government is for the people, not for the corporations or for the gain of individual elected officials.
Mockery and hate doesn't help us; we get enough of that from the right wing (and you really don't want to be compared to them). Many of us don't have the option to leave for more Democratic-friendly states. Please offer your support instead of your vitriol.
from where do we get these people??? it's difficult to imagine she is even human, much less female. seriously, SC, is this who you all really want as a governor? maybe it's time for some change in your leadership.
She must not be a member of the Sikh religion of her parents as they are supposed to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of religion, color or creed. Gee our Constitution says the same thing.
I have said it before and I'll say it again: Nikki Haley makes Sarah Palin look like a Rhodes Scholar. She is part of the reason I left South Carolina.
South Carolina sure can pick em'...
I just hope Rommney picks her for VP......another Palin.....whoooope.
Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal. Doing their darnedest to give Indian-Americans a bad name.
I wonder how many rapes there would have to be in South Carolina before Haley would consider it more than a distraction? Ten times as many? A thousand? Or maybe just the current number, plus one. Haley clearly lacks the ability to empathize with others. Anything that doesn't impact her, personally, isn't real.
Which is not to say that I am suggesting that Haley ought to be raped, only that she can't empathize with experiences that are not her own, and therefore she does not feel that those things need to be addressed. Possibly she might feel differently if her personal experiences had been less fortunate, but you shouldn't have to suffer to feel compassion and see the need to help others. That's not the way decent people are wired.
Oh Robert you got schooled LOL. sorry I'm late to the party but I just read that.
" As for the HPV vaccine...it's a vaccine against cancer. What's not to love???? Kathy, they don't believe in that vaccine, because they only believe in abstinence.
She's from a culture where it's OK to murder your wife or daughter, or throw acid in their face, if they bring "shame" to the males. Maybe she will also come out favorably next year for that type of treatment for rape victims too.
Nikki......go the f*** back to India, and take Bobby Jindall with you!