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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
August 24, 2012
Hope you enjoy your visit!...
http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/244935-democratic-billboards-greet-gop-in-tampa
Welcome To Tampa.
Hope you enjoy your visit!...
A billboard located in Tampa, Fla., the location of the Republican National Convention beginning on Aug. 27, reads: "Welcome to Tampa! Where the mayor and all city council members are Democrats. Enjoy your visit!"
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a photo of the billboard on its Facebook page Thursday.
“Attendees of the Republican convention next week in Tampa will see this lovely billboard during their stay,” the Democratic group wrote.
According to The Tampa Tribune the billboard went up on Tuesday. It is owned by Ruth’s List Florida works to elect what it describes as progressive women.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) posted a photo of the billboard on its Facebook page Thursday.
“Attendees of the Republican convention next week in Tampa will see this lovely billboard during their stay,” the Democratic group wrote.
According to The Tampa Tribune the billboard went up on Tuesday. It is owned by Ruth’s List Florida works to elect what it describes as progressive women.
http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/244935-democratic-billboards-greet-gop-in-tampa
August 24, 2012
Take him apart Tammy!!
Tommy Thompson : Will I Release My TAX RETURNS?...The ANSWER IS NO!!!
Take him apart Tammy!!
August 24, 2012
Huckabee,..Step a little closer to the mike,...a little closer,..closer,...closer....thanks,...now STFU!!!
Fox News host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee urged his fans to support Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), who recently said it was impossible for a victim of “legitimate rape” to become pregnant. “The Party’s leaders have for reasons that aren’t rational, left [Akin] behind on the political battlefield, wounded and bleeding, a casualty of his self-inflicted, but not intentional wound,” Huckabee wrote in an email to supporters. “In a Party that supposedly stands for life, it was tragic to see the carefully orchestrated and systematic attack on a fellow Republican.” 
Akin created an international uproar over the weekend when he claimed that it was unlikely that the victim of a “legitimate rape” would become pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Many prominent Republicans called on Akin to abandon his bid for Senate in Missouri, but he refused to drop out of the race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill. “This was a serious mistake, but it was blown out of proportion not by the left, but by Akin’s own Republican Party,” Huckabee continued. “Is this what the party really thinks of principled pro-life advocates?”..... 
cont'
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/23/huckabee-republicans-who-denounced-todd-akin-are-not-rational/
.
HUCKABEE: Republicans Who DENOUNCED TODD AKIN ‘Are NOT Rational’
Huckabee,..Step a little closer to the mike,...a little closer,..closer,...closer....thanks,...now STFU!!!
Fox News host and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee urged his fans to support Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), who recently said it was impossible for a victim of “legitimate rape” to become pregnant. “The Party’s leaders have for reasons that aren’t rational, left [Akin] behind on the political battlefield, wounded and bleeding, a casualty of his self-inflicted, but not intentional wound,” Huckabee wrote in an email to supporters. “In a Party that supposedly stands for life, it was tragic to see the carefully orchestrated and systematic attack on a fellow Republican.”
Akin created an international uproar over the weekend when he claimed that it was unlikely that the victim of a “legitimate rape” would become pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Many prominent Republicans called on Akin to abandon his bid for Senate in Missouri, but he refused to drop out of the race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill. “This was a serious mistake, but it was blown out of proportion not by the left, but by Akin’s own Republican Party,” Huckabee continued. “Is this what the party really thinks of principled pro-life advocates?”.....
cont'
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/23/huckabee-republicans-who-denounced-todd-akin-are-not-rational/
.
August 24, 2012
PART 2
DemocracyNow.org - In a new book, author Craig Unger examines the return of Karl Rove, the man who masterminded the rise of George W. Bush from governor of Texas to a two-term presidency, who advised Bush during two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who was at the center of two of the biggest scandals of the Bush administration: the Valerie Plame Wilson affair and the U.S. attorneys scandal. While Rove was almost indicted for the Plame affair, he has reinvented himself to become the most powerful political operative in America. Heading up the American Crossroads super PAC and the affiliated non-profit Crossroads GPS, Rove has built up a war chest that has given Mitt Romney a significant cash advantage in the fundraising race with President Obama. In "Boss Rove: Inside Karl Rove's Secret Kingdom of Power," Unger writes that Rove's ambitions are not simply about winning elections, but represent "a far more grandiose vision — the forging of a historic realignment of America's political landscape, the transformation of America into effectively a one-party state."
BOSS ROVE: Inside Karl Rove's SECRET KINGDOM Of POWER
PART1PART 2
DemocracyNow.org - In a new book, author Craig Unger examines the return of Karl Rove, the man who masterminded the rise of George W. Bush from governor of Texas to a two-term presidency, who advised Bush during two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who was at the center of two of the biggest scandals of the Bush administration: the Valerie Plame Wilson affair and the U.S. attorneys scandal. While Rove was almost indicted for the Plame affair, he has reinvented himself to become the most powerful political operative in America. Heading up the American Crossroads super PAC and the affiliated non-profit Crossroads GPS, Rove has built up a war chest that has given Mitt Romney a significant cash advantage in the fundraising race with President Obama. In "Boss Rove: Inside Karl Rove's Secret Kingdom of Power," Unger writes that Rove's ambitions are not simply about winning elections, but represent "a far more grandiose vision — the forging of a historic realignment of America's political landscape, the transformation of America into effectively a one-party state."
August 23, 2012
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is scheduled to deliver the concluding benediction at the Republican National Convention next week, after Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech. The Eternal Word Television Network leaked word of Dolan’s appearance last night in a press release about Romney’s exclusive appearance, to be aired tonight, on the program “The World Over.” The news — both its substance and the venue in which it was conveyed — make clear three things: that Romney intends to make the Bishops’ bogus arguments about religious liberty infringements a centerpiece of his campaign’s faith outreach; that any efforts the Obama administration made to placate the Bishops’ unattainable demands on insurance coverage for contraception were a fool’s errand; and that the USCCB has unequivocally attached itself at the hip to the Republican Party.
EWTN, the Catholic television network founded by the nun Mother Angelica in 1981, and which recently acquired the National Catholic Register (“America’s most complete and faithful Catholic news source”), sued the Obama administration in February, charging the contraception mandate violated its First Amendment rights. Michael Warsaw, the network’s president, decreed it a “moment when EWTN, as a Catholic organization, has to step up and say that enough is enough.” In its support of the Bishops’ “fortnight for freedom” earlier this summer, the network quoted — on the same page! — Sir Thomas More just before his beheading and the Rev. Martin Luther King. That was all alongside network head Warsaw asserting, “these are rights not given to us by governments. They are rights given to us by God.”
In its press release, EWTN notes that Dolan hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the presidential race, but emphasizes that “he has been an outspoken critic of a mandate issued by the Obama administration to require employers to offer health insurance plans that covers contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.” (This repeats the falsehood, which Dolan himself has perpetuated, that the contraceptives covered by the insurance requirement include abortifacients.) Belying the claims of the non-partisan nature of Dolan’s RNC appearance, EWTN goes on to highlight that “Obama has also voiced support for abortion and is the first U.S. president to openly advocate a redefinition of marriage to include homosexual couples.” Just in case you weren’t clear who the enemy is.
The Jesuit magazine America quickly weighed in, and didn’t spare the Bishops any criticism: “The cozy relationship between a sizable portion of U.S. bishops and the Republican Party should be cause for concern, and not just among progressive Catholics. For the church to be able to live out its role as prophet, it cannot be tied to one political party. Cardinal Dolan’s appearance in Tampa will damage the church’s ability to be a moral and legitimate voice for voiceless, as those who view the Catholic Church as being a shill for the GOP have just a bit more evidence to prove their case.”
cont'
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/23/bishops_god_votes_republican/
.
BISHOPS: God VOTES Republican!
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is scheduled to deliver the concluding benediction at the Republican National Convention next week, after Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech. The Eternal Word Television Network leaked word of Dolan’s appearance last night in a press release about Romney’s exclusive appearance, to be aired tonight, on the program “The World Over.” The news — both its substance and the venue in which it was conveyed — make clear three things: that Romney intends to make the Bishops’ bogus arguments about religious liberty infringements a centerpiece of his campaign’s faith outreach; that any efforts the Obama administration made to placate the Bishops’ unattainable demands on insurance coverage for contraception were a fool’s errand; and that the USCCB has unequivocally attached itself at the hip to the Republican Party.
EWTN, the Catholic television network founded by the nun Mother Angelica in 1981, and which recently acquired the National Catholic Register (“America’s most complete and faithful Catholic news source”), sued the Obama administration in February, charging the contraception mandate violated its First Amendment rights. Michael Warsaw, the network’s president, decreed it a “moment when EWTN, as a Catholic organization, has to step up and say that enough is enough.” In its support of the Bishops’ “fortnight for freedom” earlier this summer, the network quoted — on the same page! — Sir Thomas More just before his beheading and the Rev. Martin Luther King. That was all alongside network head Warsaw asserting, “these are rights not given to us by governments. They are rights given to us by God.”
In its press release, EWTN notes that Dolan hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the presidential race, but emphasizes that “he has been an outspoken critic of a mandate issued by the Obama administration to require employers to offer health insurance plans that covers contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.” (This repeats the falsehood, which Dolan himself has perpetuated, that the contraceptives covered by the insurance requirement include abortifacients.) Belying the claims of the non-partisan nature of Dolan’s RNC appearance, EWTN goes on to highlight that “Obama has also voiced support for abortion and is the first U.S. president to openly advocate a redefinition of marriage to include homosexual couples.” Just in case you weren’t clear who the enemy is.
The Jesuit magazine America quickly weighed in, and didn’t spare the Bishops any criticism: “The cozy relationship between a sizable portion of U.S. bishops and the Republican Party should be cause for concern, and not just among progressive Catholics. For the church to be able to live out its role as prophet, it cannot be tied to one political party. Cardinal Dolan’s appearance in Tampa will damage the church’s ability to be a moral and legitimate voice for voiceless, as those who view the Catholic Church as being a shill for the GOP have just a bit more evidence to prove their case.”
cont'
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/23/bishops_god_votes_republican/
.
August 23, 2012
- "....Unlike Barack Obama, Mitt Romney does have a secret. This one is buried within what he either did or did not report to the IRS. It's traditional, but not required, that presidential nominees release copies of their tax returns. Most people have no idea how to read a tax return, especially one with dozens of amendments, filings, and schedules. But, the posting of the returns is a form of trust. Barack Obama has released his returns. Romney's father, George, former governor of Michigan and presidential candidate in 1968, released 12 years, thus setting a standard for future presidential candidates.
At first the flip-flopping Romney said he didn't plan to release the returns. Then he said, "Maybe." Then he declared he'd release only the previous two years' returns. Then he said that because of the complexity of the return, he filed for an extension from the IRS so he could file after the April 15 deadline for the 2011 return. Then this past week before a fundraiser he said he "never paid less than 13 percent. . . . So I paid taxes every single year." He expected us just to believe him. He never defined whether that was just income taxes, or included all taxes paid, including social security, local, and state taxes, thus making the federal income tax even lower. Let's pretend he meant income taxes. Even at 13 percent, it's one of the lowest tax rates. In 2011, Romney had a gross income of about $21 million, according to a partial return Romney finally allowed to be posted. The effective tax rate for persons with incomes over $1 million, according to the Tax Foundation, averages about 25 percent. But, most of Ann and Mitt Romney's reported income in 2011 was based on capital gains. In 2003, the Bush--Cheney administration had lowered capital gains taxes to only 15 percent, primarily benefitting the wealthy. If the Romneys did not take most of their money from investment capital, their tax bracket would be 35 percent. There are a number of questions that need to be answered.
The first questions are about that extension for the 2011 taxes. With a fleet of lawyers and accountants, why did the Romneys need at least a five month extension to file a return? Was it to massage the data for public consumption? Equally important, if he needed this extension to file a personal income tax return, what does that say about his ability to govern a nation with a $2.3 trillion budget? Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints tithe to the church. The Romneys acknowledge donating $2.5 million in cash to the church in 2011. Were they overly generous? Or, does that contribution reflect that the Romneys' income may have been about $25 million. If that is the case, where did the rest go? Ann Romney told NBC News , "We also give 10% of our income to charity." According to a partial return in 2011, the Romneys claim they donated about $4 million to charity. If Ann Romney is a accurate, that would be a $40 million income, twice what is claimed.
Why Romney won't release tax returns prior to 2010 may be because secrets are buried in 2009. According to BuzzFlash's Mark Karlin, citing Lawrence O'Donnell's pointed queries, "Romney may have taken advantage of a 2009 IRS amnesty period to disclose hidden income in offshore accounts but subject to US taxation. The amnesty offer allowed such persons to escape potential criminal prosecution for tax evasion." It would be nice to know how much income was diverted to off-shore accounts in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Switzerland, and into various tax-shelters the average American has no idea even exist. That leads to an obvious question. How much of the Romneys' income over the past decade, not just the two years when he was planning to run for president, had deductions that might be questionable to the average person who doesn't have lawyers and accountants on retainer? Certainly, taking a $77,000 write-off in 2010 for a show horse isn't something the average American can do. Working with an onerous tax code, loaded with myriad special interest loopholes, the Romneys know how to take everything wealthy Americans are entitled to receive. It may be legal, but is it ethical?
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Romney-Tax-Return-Provides-by-Walter-Brasch-120823-225.html
.
Romney TAX RETURN Provides a Window to His Soul
- "....Unlike Barack Obama, Mitt Romney does have a secret. This one is buried within what he either did or did not report to the IRS. It's traditional, but not required, that presidential nominees release copies of their tax returns. Most people have no idea how to read a tax return, especially one with dozens of amendments, filings, and schedules. But, the posting of the returns is a form of trust. Barack Obama has released his returns. Romney's father, George, former governor of Michigan and presidential candidate in 1968, released 12 years, thus setting a standard for future presidential candidates.
At first the flip-flopping Romney said he didn't plan to release the returns. Then he said, "Maybe." Then he declared he'd release only the previous two years' returns. Then he said that because of the complexity of the return, he filed for an extension from the IRS so he could file after the April 15 deadline for the 2011 return. Then this past week before a fundraiser he said he "never paid less than 13 percent. . . . So I paid taxes every single year." He expected us just to believe him. He never defined whether that was just income taxes, or included all taxes paid, including social security, local, and state taxes, thus making the federal income tax even lower. Let's pretend he meant income taxes. Even at 13 percent, it's one of the lowest tax rates. In 2011, Romney had a gross income of about $21 million, according to a partial return Romney finally allowed to be posted. The effective tax rate for persons with incomes over $1 million, according to the Tax Foundation, averages about 25 percent. But, most of Ann and Mitt Romney's reported income in 2011 was based on capital gains. In 2003, the Bush--Cheney administration had lowered capital gains taxes to only 15 percent, primarily benefitting the wealthy. If the Romneys did not take most of their money from investment capital, their tax bracket would be 35 percent. There are a number of questions that need to be answered.
The first questions are about that extension for the 2011 taxes. With a fleet of lawyers and accountants, why did the Romneys need at least a five month extension to file a return? Was it to massage the data for public consumption? Equally important, if he needed this extension to file a personal income tax return, what does that say about his ability to govern a nation with a $2.3 trillion budget? Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints tithe to the church. The Romneys acknowledge donating $2.5 million in cash to the church in 2011. Were they overly generous? Or, does that contribution reflect that the Romneys' income may have been about $25 million. If that is the case, where did the rest go? Ann Romney told NBC News , "We also give 10% of our income to charity." According to a partial return in 2011, the Romneys claim they donated about $4 million to charity. If Ann Romney is a accurate, that would be a $40 million income, twice what is claimed.
Why Romney won't release tax returns prior to 2010 may be because secrets are buried in 2009. According to BuzzFlash's Mark Karlin, citing Lawrence O'Donnell's pointed queries, "Romney may have taken advantage of a 2009 IRS amnesty period to disclose hidden income in offshore accounts but subject to US taxation. The amnesty offer allowed such persons to escape potential criminal prosecution for tax evasion." It would be nice to know how much income was diverted to off-shore accounts in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Switzerland, and into various tax-shelters the average American has no idea even exist. That leads to an obvious question. How much of the Romneys' income over the past decade, not just the two years when he was planning to run for president, had deductions that might be questionable to the average person who doesn't have lawyers and accountants on retainer? Certainly, taking a $77,000 write-off in 2010 for a show horse isn't something the average American can do. Working with an onerous tax code, loaded with myriad special interest loopholes, the Romneys know how to take everything wealthy Americans are entitled to receive. It may be legal, but is it ethical?
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Romney-Tax-Return-Provides-by-Walter-Brasch-120823-225.html
.
August 23, 2012
Turns out Congressman Paul Ryan is just another typical Washington politician. He says one thing, and does another.
- Ryan has repeatedly claimed that he never asked for stimulus money, but he actually wrote at least four letters to the Obama administration requesting stimulus funds for energy projects in his state.
- Ryan publicly dismissed the stimulus as a "wasteful spending spree," but he wrote to the Obama administration that his favored stimulus projects would "allow residents and businesses in the partner cities to reduce their energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate the local economy by creating new jobs." Ryan has also voted against energy efficiency and greenhouse gas initiatives in Congress.
- Ryan told a constituent that he supports ending tax breaks for oil companies, but he included $40 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies in his budget proposal and has repeatedly voted to protect oil subsidies.
Paul Ryan: DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO
Turns out Congressman Paul Ryan is just another typical Washington politician. He says one thing, and does another.
- Ryan has repeatedly claimed that he never asked for stimulus money, but he actually wrote at least four letters to the Obama administration requesting stimulus funds for energy projects in his state.
- Ryan publicly dismissed the stimulus as a "wasteful spending spree," but he wrote to the Obama administration that his favored stimulus projects would "allow residents and businesses in the partner cities to reduce their energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate the local economy by creating new jobs." Ryan has also voted against energy efficiency and greenhouse gas initiatives in Congress.
- Ryan told a constituent that he supports ending tax breaks for oil companies, but he included $40 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies in his budget proposal and has repeatedly voted to protect oil subsidies.
August 23, 2012
Note: Video length 1hr. 6min.
Well worth a watch.
Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, and Dan Savage, writer of the Savage Love column, met at Savage's home in Seattle for dinner and a debate over same-sex marriage and the Bible.
Dan Savage vs. Brian Brown: THE DINNER TABLE DEBATE
Note: Video length 1hr. 6min.
Well worth a watch.
Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, and Dan Savage, writer of the Savage Love column, met at Savage's home in Seattle for dinner and a debate over same-sex marriage and the Bible.
August 23, 2012
Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University student who found herself under attack earlier in the year by Right-Wing Bombast Rush Limbaugh, has entered the contraceptive/abortion/personhood debate in a big way. Limbaugh had attacked the 30-year old law student for her support of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act (A.C.A.), which enable women to receive contraceptives through their health care plans without a co-pay.
-Nevertheless Rush labeled Ms. Fluke “a protitute” and “a slut” and was roundly condemned for his misogynist attack, though much more mildly – if at all – by major conservative voices, including Mitt Romney, who only said of Limbaugh’s attack, “…it’s not the language I would not have used,” apparently terrified of offending the buffoon many regard as the ‘Voice of the Party.’
In her open letter, Fluke forcefully attacks the 2012 Republican Party Platform. And, it appears that the Romney Campaign merely stood by as the Republican platform committee adopted “personhood” language for next weeks introduction at the national convention. That language (despite the protestations by Party Chairman Reince Priebus, to the contrary) – if followed up by a Romney/Ryan Administration and Republican Congress – would have the effect of denying all abortions for any reason (and even some forms of birth control).
- Fluke accuses Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan as being “in lockstep” with Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, who they have pressured (unsuccessfully) to abandon his Senate Campaign…for committing the “legitimate rape” gaffe, now drawing national outrage and more public attention to the extreme anti-woman agenda Republicans are pursuing.
Here is Sandra Fluke’s complete statement, written as an open letter to all concerned women and voters, urging them to “Stand With President Obama.”….
In a recent statement that was both factually inaccurate and horribly offensive, Republican Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin said that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan tried to distance themselves from the remark — but the fact is they’re in lockstep with Akin on the major women’s health issues of our time. Just this morning, the Republican Party voted to include the “Human Life Amendment” in their platform, calling for a constitutional ban on abortions nationwide, even for rape victims.
Several Romney supporters and advisers stood silently by while this vote took place, and the Los Angeles Times reports that the platform “was written at the direction of Romney’s campaign.” President Obama spoke out in response to Akin’s comments: “What I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn’t have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.” This controversy is not an accident, or a mistake, or an isolated incident.
It’s a reflection of a Republican Party whose policies are dangerous for women. There is a clear choice for women in this election: Stand with President Obama. I entered this national debate on women’s rights in February, when, as a Georgetown Law student, I testified before members of Congress on the issue of contraception. Without knowing me or my story,
Rush Limbaugh called me a “slut” and a “prostitute” on his radio show. Many Americans stepped forward to tell me they agreed with me, and supported my right to speak out without being verbally attacked. President Obama stood with us. Mitt Romney, on the other hand? He didn’t even condemn the remark, instead saying only: “It’s not the language I would have used.”
Since that moment, I’m even more resolved to continue the fight to make sure every single woman — and every man who cares about the women in his life — knows exactly what’s at stake in this election. The Republicans are frighteningly clear on these issues. The party platform itself includes a “salute” to states that have pushed “informed consent” laws, such as those that force women seeking an abortion to first undergo an invasive and medically unnecessary ultrasound.
Just last year, Paul Ryan joined Todd Akin and more than 200 other Republicans in co-sponsoring legislation that would have narrowed the definition of rape, limiting which victims of rape were “legitimate” enough to receive financial assistance for access to abortion care. Mitt Romney famously says he would “get rid of” Planned Parenthood if he had the chance.
And both Romney and Ryan pledge to go back to a system where insurance companies can discriminate against women and charge us more than men for the same health insurance. Akin’s comments shouldn’t be surprising. But this isn’t about him — just like it was never about me. President Obama has told us what he’s fighting for: “I want women to control their own health choices, just like I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as your sons.”
Republicans, led by Romney and Ryan, have made it clear that they want to make our decisions for us. President Obama trusts us to make our own. It’s as simple as that. Join me and stand with him today:
http://my.barackobama.com/A-Clear-Choice
Thanks, Sandra Fluke
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/22/breaking-sandra-fluke-blasts-republican-party-platform/
.
OPEN LETTER- Sandra Fluke BLASTS Republican Party PLATFORM
Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University student who found herself under attack earlier in the year by Right-Wing Bombast Rush Limbaugh, has entered the contraceptive/abortion/personhood debate in a big way. Limbaugh had attacked the 30-year old law student for her support of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act (A.C.A.), which enable women to receive contraceptives through their health care plans without a co-pay.
-Nevertheless Rush labeled Ms. Fluke “a protitute” and “a slut” and was roundly condemned for his misogynist attack, though much more mildly – if at all – by major conservative voices, including Mitt Romney, who only said of Limbaugh’s attack, “…it’s not the language I would not have used,” apparently terrified of offending the buffoon many regard as the ‘Voice of the Party.’
In her open letter, Fluke forcefully attacks the 2012 Republican Party Platform. And, it appears that the Romney Campaign merely stood by as the Republican platform committee adopted “personhood” language for next weeks introduction at the national convention. That language (despite the protestations by Party Chairman Reince Priebus, to the contrary) – if followed up by a Romney/Ryan Administration and Republican Congress – would have the effect of denying all abortions for any reason (and even some forms of birth control).
- Fluke accuses Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan as being “in lockstep” with Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, who they have pressured (unsuccessfully) to abandon his Senate Campaign…for committing the “legitimate rape” gaffe, now drawing national outrage and more public attention to the extreme anti-woman agenda Republicans are pursuing.
Here is Sandra Fluke’s complete statement, written as an open letter to all concerned women and voters, urging them to “Stand With President Obama.”….
In a recent statement that was both factually inaccurate and horribly offensive, Republican Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin said that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan tried to distance themselves from the remark — but the fact is they’re in lockstep with Akin on the major women’s health issues of our time. Just this morning, the Republican Party voted to include the “Human Life Amendment” in their platform, calling for a constitutional ban on abortions nationwide, even for rape victims.
Several Romney supporters and advisers stood silently by while this vote took place, and the Los Angeles Times reports that the platform “was written at the direction of Romney’s campaign.” President Obama spoke out in response to Akin’s comments: “What I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn’t have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.” This controversy is not an accident, or a mistake, or an isolated incident.
It’s a reflection of a Republican Party whose policies are dangerous for women. There is a clear choice for women in this election: Stand with President Obama. I entered this national debate on women’s rights in February, when, as a Georgetown Law student, I testified before members of Congress on the issue of contraception. Without knowing me or my story,
Rush Limbaugh called me a “slut” and a “prostitute” on his radio show. Many Americans stepped forward to tell me they agreed with me, and supported my right to speak out without being verbally attacked. President Obama stood with us. Mitt Romney, on the other hand? He didn’t even condemn the remark, instead saying only: “It’s not the language I would have used.”
Since that moment, I’m even more resolved to continue the fight to make sure every single woman — and every man who cares about the women in his life — knows exactly what’s at stake in this election. The Republicans are frighteningly clear on these issues. The party platform itself includes a “salute” to states that have pushed “informed consent” laws, such as those that force women seeking an abortion to first undergo an invasive and medically unnecessary ultrasound.
Just last year, Paul Ryan joined Todd Akin and more than 200 other Republicans in co-sponsoring legislation that would have narrowed the definition of rape, limiting which victims of rape were “legitimate” enough to receive financial assistance for access to abortion care. Mitt Romney famously says he would “get rid of” Planned Parenthood if he had the chance.
And both Romney and Ryan pledge to go back to a system where insurance companies can discriminate against women and charge us more than men for the same health insurance. Akin’s comments shouldn’t be surprising. But this isn’t about him — just like it was never about me. President Obama has told us what he’s fighting for: “I want women to control their own health choices, just like I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as your sons.”
Republicans, led by Romney and Ryan, have made it clear that they want to make our decisions for us. President Obama trusts us to make our own. It’s as simple as that. Join me and stand with him today:
http://my.barackobama.com/A-Clear-Choice
Thanks, Sandra Fluke
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/22/breaking-sandra-fluke-blasts-republican-party-platform/
.
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