President Obama appeared via video to the BlogHer Conference yesterday and spoke at some length about his commitment to women's health. His remarks caused a bit of a stir on the right, but they really shouldn't have.
The transcript is online, but in terms of public policy, the president talked about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, loans for women-owned businesses, student loans for millions of women to pursue higher education, and, of course, health care:
"Because of the new health care reform law -- Obamacare, I happily accept the term -- millions of young women are going to have coverage through their parent's plans. Children with preexisting conditions can't be denied insurance. Tens of millions of women with private insurance now have access to preventive care like mammograms, and are beginning to gain access to contraception at no additional cost. And pretty soon, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage because of preexisting conditions like cancer or pregnancy, or charge you higher premiums just for being a woman.
"I'm not going to give any ground to those who would deny women their own health care choices.
"Behind every one of these policies is a pretty simple idea: You, women, should have control over the decisions that affect your health, your lives, your careers. And if you share that belief, then I think you'll agree that the choice women face right now in this election could not be bigger. On the one hand, you have folks who plan to turn back the clock. They promise to take away access to health care and contraception. They talk about getting rid of vital services like Planned Parenthood. They're planning to spend trillions of dollars on new tax cuts weighed towards millionaires and billionaires."
As we discussed earlier in the week, the president clearly believes Republicans have made a mistake by picking culture-war fights this year, especially on issues related to women's health, and as Obama's BlogHer remarks suggest, he's likely to stay on the offensive through the fall.
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Sic 'em. They started this fight. Of course they are starting to regret it and wish they actually had a real platform other than hate and fear. Oh well that is what happens when you hand the keys over to the crazies.
It's about time somebody sees the Republican positions as being mistakes. They've done this for 30+ years and it's time to start calling them on it before it's too late. The Republicans needed to be punched in the mouth. Repeatedly.
I think that's aiming too high.
There are so many things that republicans are talking about that they themselves take the attention away from the economy. The issues like women, Romany’s tax returns and so on. That is why they are losing it in the latest polls. http://www.pollheadlines.com/poll-category.php?category=obama-vs-romney
Coming soon to an email from your crazy uncle, and then to a sleazy superpac ad, and from there to an RNC ad, and from there to a Romney campaign ad, and then, eventually into Romney's stump speech:
Hey, it's Obama's own words.
From past performance, that is all they have.
Sadly, it appears to be enough. (Swiftboats, anyone?)
Why any single woman would vote Republican is beyond me.
Obama/Biden 2012
I'm missing the part where "single" matters.
Women of reproductive age? Check.
Women who work for a paycheck? Check.
Women who have daughters? Check.
Women who hope to have daughters? Check.
Women who have grand-daughters? Check.
Women who hope to have grand-daughters? Check.
Women who have breasts? Check.
Women who have a cervix? Check.
Women who have a uterus? Check.
Women who have family in any of the above groups? Check.
Women who have friends in any of the above groups? Check.
I'm pretty sure I've missed a few.
Besides this, you mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZ9ku_wInw
Lets get Rachel to host one of the Presidential Debates
1) http://signon.org/sign/rachel-maddow-to-host
2)http://www.change.org/petitions/commission-on-presidential-debates-name-msnbc-rachel-maddow-to-host-a-2012-presidential-debate
Ditto to Bill King (commenter) who mirrored my exact thoughts about Rachel Maddow (as a host for one of the upcoming debates). She's is one of the very few on whom we can depend to ask questions that need to be asked and answered by candidates (and not allowed to wiggle their way around the questions regarding issues facing America).
GOTP waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaaaaaa! You're not playing fair, just cause we started this fight doesn't mean that WE have to play fair! WE want our women - barefoot, pregnant, and if they must work then they do it for less, now there! Waaaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaaa!
Just more proof that Obama has no business in the White House: he doesn't understand how things work in Washington.
The culture war is supposed to work like this: Republicans crank it up another notch, Democrats whimper and make "that's not fair" noises, lather, rinse, repeat.
Well, as Mitt Romney likes to say, what's sauce to the goose is motor oil to the wallaby. Or something like that, anyway.
What makes Obama think he can win the women voters. First off, this is a total infringement on women's religious freedom and secondly, women knows that conctraception is cheap and readily available everywhere. This is just bogus and outright desperation in the President's part but he certainly have everybody fooled. Congrats !!!
Bull@!$%# Cindy.
I am a woman voter and Obama has my vote.
Obama leads Robme among women voters in key swing states as well.
And as for your bull@!$%# about "infringement on women's religious freedoms:"
You don't want to use contraceptives, fine, but don't you DARE use your idiotic religious freedoms to deny me MY OWN religious freedoms and rights.
And contraceptives being cheap or not, it is still none of your business what or how other women use them, or their access to them.
So congrats on your ignorant and backwards post.
Bravo Donna!
Contraception is cheap to those who have funds to obtain it (you obviously have the funds for it...Good for You!!) . And the president is in no way infringing on religious freedoms. You are well advised to do more than repeat what you hear GOP so-called leaders say (aka the Parrot Syndrome). And furthermore, neither you nor anybody can specify what religious freedoms are being attacked, challenged, destroyed, etc. Learn to research for yourself, and you'll be the better for it. Besides, don't you actually have a brain to use for yourself, and not to be misguided for the benefit of GOP so-called leaders who repeatedly prove (not my opinion, but fact) that they don't give a rat's left nostril about you or anybody else who can't provide them and/or their loved ones (a) money for votes, (b) money to look the other way on issues that affect America's economic health, (c) money to change proposed laws before the Congress to reform the banking and financial systems, (d) money to give defense contracts to companies that continually produce weapon systems that the Pentagon itself doesn't want (very often because the weapon systems authorized to be funded don't work, despite numerous efforts to perfect them, and which was clearly, to those paying attention at the time, a problem that came to light during the Gulf War, in addition to the war in Iraq), etc.
I could continue, but my fingers are getting tired (trust me, I've got a lot more), so in conclusion...START THINKING, AND STOP ALLOWING THE G.O.P. TO DIRECT YOU TO VOTE AGAINST WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR AMERICA (OF WHICH YOU ARE A PART)!!! Don't look at what I've written (in response to your comments) as merely a criticism of you, but accept it as encouragement to start looking at what's truly happening in America, realistically and objectionably, because America needs you (and others who have failed to this point to do so) to be involved in a manner that is productive for our country and all its citizens, not just a select few.
Cindy
Are you really a woman? Because you sound more and more like a guy in not very good drag.
I designed a T-shirt with the slogan "Stop the GOP War on Women" with an image of Rosie the Riveter on the front and the words "Women's Rights = Civil Rights, Vote Democratic" on the back. Plan to order more and wear a different color everyday. It's time for every woman to stand up before the GOP tries to take away our vote. Oh, and by the way I’m a senior citizen – next they’ll kill Medicare.
Wow! I just Googled "church unmarried Viagra." Plenty of people got there before me.
The point: if it is "against Church teaching" to use contraception, bishops claim requiring Church-affiliated institutions' employee health insurance to pay for it for others who don't share their views is an assault on their religious freedom. But if it is "against Church teaching" for unmarried men to have sex, how come we don't hear any complaints about the requirement that they pay for Viagra?
How many priests take Viagra?
I think this is an admirable stance for Obama to take. I just wish he was pushing for human health rights rather than women's health rights. Women and children certainly have health issues they need covered, but men do too. It is strange to think that men are actually discriminated against in healthcare, but apparently that's where this country's policy is headed.
Uh...what? Can you provide evidence of your theory?
DNC and Obama have denied women (and men) healthcare Obamacare plan as implemented will not give cancer treatment to over 65yr, women have to wait months for mammogram or pap smear, heathcare will be rartioned or denied to over 65yr olds. People will not have choice of treatment or doctors. Doctors will be driven out of business because what gov't will pay will be less than cost of care.