Posted by TRB on Wednesday August 22, 2012 - 10:23 am (12 years, 3 months ago)
By Columnist TRB - As hurricane planes fly through the eye of a storm headed for the Republican Convention in Tampa and the convention hall is washed down and strung with red, white and blue bunting, in preparation for the nomination of Mitt Romney as the Republican choice for the Presidency, the Party, whose "brand" is suffering almost as badly as the popularity of Congress, finds itself back in America's bedrooms trying to involve itself in our sexual lives. This is the political party that claims "Big Government" has no place in the average American's personal life. Then why won't they get out of our bedrooms? More to the point, why won't they cease and desist in their stalking and harrassment of American women? Republican leaders. mostly, white, Christian men without medical training and many without an understanding of the basic sciences, see it as their right to make healthcare decisions for women in America. The absurdity of this notion has been revealed on many occassions, such as when the Blunt Amendment failed to pass. But nothing could have prepared us for the ignorant remarks of U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, (R) MO, who actually sits on an important Congressional Science Committee. Akins believes that "legitimately" raped women are empowered with special defenses that prevent pregnancy. What a time to be talking about the role of birth control in cases of rape and incest. But Akin couldn't help himself.
Although now he claims he doesn't believe that anymore. He misspoke, he says. He just used "one wrong word" he asserts, when in reality during an interview he went on and on for minutes, using false science to blame the victims of rape. He did his best to try to define away rape completely. In his world (and in Romney's running-mate, Paul Ryan's) there is an act called "forcible rape." All other rapes, for example where a 40-year old man has so-called "consensual" sex with a 14-year old girl, would not fall into this "forcible" catagory, and therefore would not qualify the victim for an abortion. In reality, Akin and VP candidate Paul Ryan believe that women and children should not qualify for an abortion because of rape or incest.. But the back-tracking has begun - the proof that politicians will look at the polls and will adjust their opinions to yours overnight.
Just look at them now.
Akin is running from Akin's own words.
Ryan is running from Ryan's own plans.
And Romney, leader of the RNC, is running from the RNC's own platform, which would also force a woman or child to have a baby regardless of rape or incest.
And look at how they dial it up.
It is as though they have no self-capacity for moral outrage. They are taking their cues from you. When Romney first heard of Akin's interview, he didn't ask him to step down from the Rep. race he is running in Missouri. He simply stated that he did not agree with him. The following day, the polls began to slip for Akin and Romney said he should do "what's right for the Party." It wasn't until the next day - two days after Akin's remarks - that Romney could bring himself to ask the man to step down. That tells you a lot about Romney as a leader. He is not one.
The other members of the Republican Party are no better; most went two - three days before giving up on Akin. One is left with the sure feeling that Akin only made one mistake. He said something in public that many Republicans believe privately. Sure, they are smart enough to keep it to themselves. After all, if us pointy-headed Lefties knew the true number of Republican pols who really believe in Akin's magical thinking, we might demand scientific proof of these amazing claims.
Then facts would surface, like the one showing that Dr. Willike, the quack who wrote the article that gave Akin the misinformation about rape, actually worked for Romney in 1997 as a "surrogate," to help Romney's in his approach to the press on the issue of abortion.
Facts like VP candidate Ryan actually co-authoring a Bill with Todd Akin recently. That Bill defined their thinking on the absurd idea of "forcible rape," and is not all that different from the crazy statements Akin made to the interviewer.
The Republicans have become a political party that celebrates ignorance. Despite their statements to the contrary, they are conducting a war against women in America. It is a war they will lose.
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