The last time Mitt Romney's campaign ran into real trouble on contraception, it dispatched South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to argue, "Women don't care about contraception.... The media wants to talk about contraception."
Republican policymakers were, at the time, pushing legislation -- at the state and federal level -- to restrict access to birth control, but for Romney surrogates, the sensible response was to say contraception doesn't matter.
Today, it happened again.
Kerry Healey, Romney's lieutenant governor in Massachusetts, fresh off her borderline-comical turn in the post-debate spin room last night, sat down with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell today, and the host asked questions Healey presumably expected, noting Romney's support for the Blunt Amendment, for example.
Inexplicably, the Romney surrogate described the consequences of the candidate's own proposals as "some hypothetical situation." Healey added that even having a discussion about women being able to afford contraception is a "peripheral" issue.
This arrogant attitude is extraordinary. Under Romney's preferred agenda, employers can end contraception coverage for their women employees, and millions of Americans would no longer be able to afford birth control.
Asked to defend this right-wing nonsense, the Romney campaign's defense is that the question is irrelevant -- as if the issue is so trivial, it's not even worth their time.
If this is Team Romney's attempt to appear in touch with the needs of working families, it's likely to backfire.
Postscript: On a related note, Ed Gillespie said he was "wrong" last night to explain that Romney opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. For those keeping score at home, the Romney campaign, over the course of less than a day, has had no position on the law, been opposed to the law, and then supportive of the law.
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More sleight of hand from Magic Mitt - "pick an answer, any answer" (then watch it disappear)!
Get Enraged and Engaged:
Mooch the Vote 2012!
;-)
It's not sleight of hand. It's obvious. Take all positions on any issue (for, against and neutral) then later you can point to the fact that you always agree with whoever you're discussing the issue with...
Will the real Mitt Romney...please shut the door on his way out.
Ok, is it just me or is there something seriously flawed with idea that the government has a right to tell ANYONE what they can and cannot do with their bodies... Seriously?
If I were female, I'd be really pissed off about that...
Your body is the property of folks who wouldn't know a labia from a laptop, and you're ok with that?... Really???
As a GUY, I'm pissed off about it... I can't understand why women haven't gone ballistic...
If you only knew the power you hold.....
Trust me, some of US are pissed off. The ones that aren't are the Stepford Wives....
Yes, I AM pissed off...and blown away that this isn't a bigger issue with women and in this election. I have no idea why so many women want to vote for the Romney/Ryan ticket...it's so clear to me that they want to keep women down.
What if a business owner whose religeous beliefs prevent blood transfusions -removed payment for transfusions from employees insurance plan? Seriously? Or circumcision, or viagra..............??? really !?!
Lysistrata. No, wait, forget I said that, honey.
I wonder. Are those women REALLY going to vote against themselves? Maybe. As long as they think they will get still THEIR supply of birth control and/or they will get THEIR abortions if need be. They might.
@ Phenner,
And thats a point.
The woman voting for Romney-Ryan think the legislation would never pass,
And if it did pass it wouldn't apply to them.
And when it did happen to them it would be someone else's fault.
These people imagine themselves getting the perks of the 1% because their fighting for the 1%, BUT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO ACTUALLY NEED THOSE PERKS THEY'LL FIND OUT THEY WERE ONLY THE STOOGES FOR THE 1%.
.
I should think our government has more important issues to deal with. Like wait staff that wear those studs in their nose or lips! I think it is actually a secret government operation to ruin my appetite.
Things like this are just continuing signs of the inability to manage a campaign. I seriously wonder what these people are doing because from an advertising a message standpoint this is a train wreck. Oh well just wait five minutes and they will shake the etch-a-sketch again.
Can't manage a campaign,but can run the most complicated economy on the planet? "Trust me, " he says.
In their own minds it's a hypothetical situation because they assume that what they are promising, won't happen. They throw out sound bites to the base, then obscure them from the center. It's all just saying whatever you think will get you contributions and/or votes.
You want reality? See them after the election.
@MikeinMichigan, I agree it is hypothetical to people who don't believe it is possible. Or for voters who have affordable access to everything THEY need and do not care about the quality of life for anyone else. We know it is not hypothetical because Federal and state legislators are already drafting bills and voting on these and other "women's" issues. It's is frighteningly real. What happened to doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do? I have no use for politicians with such selective or myopic vision.
Wow, Kerry - you must have a really bad taste in your mouth after that. Sleep well?
Women CARE about contraception, but Nikki Haley wants to squirm away from the FACTS that extensive time was spent in Rethuglicant Congress to force the government's nose into women's reproductive rights and requirements to look around inside their bodies.
Just look at the idiotic male domination at a hearing about the contraception issue, which Limpy later called Sandra Fluke a slut.
Women are insulted and trotting out a woman to say they love women or women don't care about about contraception is ludicrous.
I don't need contraception, but holy cow... the endless attempts to have men decide for women is mind boggling to even consider that males think they can decide and liberty is only for them to decide. Argggggghhh!
I suspect most men don't consider suppositories an important political issue, but then no one has suggested legislation about trans-anal probes either.
Couples being able to plan their child bearing, both as to time of pregnancy and numbers of pregnancy, is an important economic issue for them. Women's reproductive health, including abortion in rare circumstances, and availability of effective contraceptives are important components of decisions that have enormous economic consequences. How can someone say that the economy is more important than these issues? These issues are important to the economy -- they are not separate from it.
I'm a senior, passed the birth control issues. For the life of me, I can't understand why every woman in the US isn't screaming, especially those of child bearing age. The Republicans don't believe in government regulation until it comes to regulating women's bodies. SCREAM WOMEN, SCREAM AND VOTE A STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKET!
Makes no sense that any woman (or man) would vote republican. Maybe someone could tell us why republicans never attack the mens' factory. Maybe they could legislate, after a man has fathered two children, no more sex or face a penalty of prison. Make vasectomy illegal. Cut the production of viagra, making it an illegal drug. Afterall, that sperm is the very beginning of a real live human person and if it is not allowed to fertilize an egg, watch out men, prison time! Republicans have reverted to pre-civilization thinking, and we do not need or want them in America.
hypothetically
Not supporting contraception and pushing pro-life.
Seems contridicting on social spending and life saving issue.
An individual is not allowed to protect themselves from STD
or unwanted pregnancy, which leads to adding more
health cost debt and death. Also, Leads to more cost
for Citizens in need of social welfare.
People that support this have to be in a hell only fit for them.
I can see where the demand for Depends is going up.
Another example that the rules of engagement are for thee, and not for me!
Yes, Romney represents the luxury-immersed 1% - 2% who believe what they say no matter its relationship to the truth or reality as the other 98% have agreed is the fact, Jack!
Contraception is not hypothetical, but Romney's surrogate has no hesitation to put such gibberish out there because if it is put out there by anyone affiliated with the Romney campaign, it is not to be questioned or put up against cross-referencing as to do so would be to insult the wealth and riches of the campaign! And, when these Romney affiliated skewers of the argumentative truth come out to offer up their apologetic excuses, they are telling us we're number one with their middle fingers, and expecting we will bow down and take it!
Not an American spirit I can support! -Kevo
Republicans and Mitt Romney going to kill their chances with independents and moderate voters by simply going along for the ride on the Tea Party's extreme agenda in Congress. Access to birth control and insurance coverage for women's health are not controversial issues. There is no "debate" over contraception among ordinary Americans. they simply support it and are disgusted by the GOP's efforts to legislate a culture war on the country. There will be a mounting backlash among moderate Republicans against the extreme right-wing ideology that has vaulted birth control to the top of the GOP's agenda. - progressive
I want to say this surprises me. I really do. But it does not.
I figure that rethugniCONS must not be "getting any" otherwise they would be happier, and minding their own business when it comes to "other people's bedrooms/doctor's offices!
Romney while discussing gun control:
"But gosh to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone, that's a great idea.
Because if there's a two parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically."
Not easy to plan when to have a baby when you want to without birth control!
Self-control=birth control
That must be how Paul Ryan managed only 3.
Yeah, Santorum, says, "You only have sex to pro-create", I guess Lying Ryan, has only had sex three times.
Wow, I must say that I am ever amazed what daily/lately springeth from the surrogates. It's simply @!$%#ing amazing, like a cruise line buffet of bullshet! Don't like that? Try this horseshet over here! There's something for everybody!
If Romney and the Republicans want to delude themselves with the idea that contraception is not an important issue to women, who are we to argue? Let the Republicans indulge themselves in this alternate reality while Dems address the issue. Election results with women voters will disabuse the Republicans that contraception and women's health issues are hypothetical.
I am no longer amazed, incredulous, taken aback by the R&R campaign's propensity to simply adapt the truth their own momentary political expediencies. How much of this what-I-say-tonight-isn't-what-I-said-today BS? The American electorate deserves much better than this from its potential leadership. Women have every right to scream loudly about this issue, taxpayers to scream about the tax-for-thee-but-not-for-me attitudes, about the pandering to the elderly for the moment and the destruction of the social safety net for the middle agers and young, and whatever many quagmires Romney can find to sink into in the world's foreign affairs. As the French say while they munch on their 'freedom fries': «Gare aux politiciens! Ils mentent.» (Beware of politicians--they lie.)
Romney: "But gosh to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone, that's a great idea.
Because if there's a two parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically."
No sane woman can vote for this guy and his views on contraception!
Romney does realize as 51% of the population he needs us to get elected, right?
The only thing that amazes me is how many Republican women are OK with this. Because none of the independents or Democrats that I know think it's a good idea.
I do have one good friend who is a moderate Republican. Her take? "Of course we use birth control...we can't afford any more kids. I'm willing to take my chances with God." We might not always agree about everything, but we do agree on women's rights.
Romney: "But gosh to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone, that's a great idea.Because if there's a two parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically."
......the cheek to say this while he does not support contraception and is pro-life at the same time......might as well tell all women to abstain!
Actually, there's more wrong with that statement than just that. Sociological studies have shown that the likelihood of larger families living in poverty is fairly high.
If you were to look in China, for example, disregarding the issue of overcrowding, were not their regulations on family size in place their economy would have crashed a long time ago. That's not to say that such extreme measures are correct but I'm just using it to point out that Romney's thinking is flawed on many levels and why exactly contraception and family planning is necessary in a nation as large as the US.
Hey guys I know I am off subject, but I can't find a way to contact Rachel's show/people.
Have you seen the information on Bain Capital's members who own the voting machines in several states? The same machines that contributed 1000's of bogus votes for bush in 2004?
they bought the company/machines in 2010.
just asking, I would like to see Rachel follow up. Seems the only way to vote is by mail in ballot.
ghMac
Sandy beat me to it!
try tweeting her.. or go thru msnbc.com/maddowblog
Romney doesn't want to infringe upon employer's rights to religious freedom, but it is perfectly okay for that employer to impose their beliefs on me and my body? Birth control is not a periphery issue. If a woman cannot afford birth control, has no access to birth control, odds are more children will be born to those who cannot afford more children. So, by not providing birth control, that family now is struggling even more and may even cause family strife. This could lead to more spousal and child abuse, more people enrolling in assistant programs, less high school/college graduates, and the list goes on. Do not marginalize this as a periphery issue. It affects each and every one of us.
"Every sperm is sacred..."
If it wasn't so serious it would be hilarious.