Planned Parenthood ramps up educational campaign in support of Healthy Youth Act

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is ramping up an educational campaign in support of AB 458, The Healthy Youth Act. For the sake of Wisconsin’s youth this bill, which has already passed the Assembly, must now pass the Senate and be signed into law by Governor Doyle. The bill;

“Updates Wisconsin’s sex education statute so that if a school district decides to teach sex ed, the instruction will include key elements that are proven to change risky teen behavior and reduce pregnancy and STD rates, including information about abstinence and birth control.”

Opponents of the Healthy Youth Act have launched a misinformation campaign. Unfortunately some people value ideology over facts, at grave expense to the young people of Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood has worked diligently to counter the lies. A highlight from today’s press release;

“This bill supports parental rights by requiring that parents be notified if sexuality education instruction will not be taught. Parents additionally have the right to inspect all curriculum and instructional materials before they are used in the classroom and to remove their child from the instruction if they so choose.”

I couldn’t sum it up any better;

“To most Wisconsinites, this bill is about common sense, a much-needed first step in ensuring more students in our state have access to life saving health information.”

This bill is terribly important to the future of Wisconsin youth. Contact your state Senator and ask them to support the Healthy Youth Act.

Terrence Wall knows what women want

Terrence Wall’s Twitter feed produces another gem;

“10 Congresswomen tell Pres. Obama that his policies are damaging to women. Is Sen. Feingold listening?”

Wall’s link points to a blog post by ten Republican women in Congress doing the worst job playing the gender card since the last time you heard a guy say “Why aren’t there ‘men’s studies’ classes at colleges?”

The post claims “President Obama’s policies are hitting women especially hard,” evidenced by “the unemployment rate among women is at the highest level in over 25 years.” Not mentioned is unemployment regardless of gender hit a 26 year high in October of 2009. Also, men have lost their jobs at three times the rate of women during the recession but a good chunk of that is due to unresolved gender discrimination issues; women getting paid less and being more likely to work part-time. The point is, the GOP lady cadre is being disingenuous in their initial accusation.

Women as a growing percentage of small business owners is the next issue. Fears over lack of investment is stressed, followed by fear over the Recovery Act debt obligations. The Recovery Act is pumping billions into small business, and a recession is no time to start worrying about debt. Perhaps the previous Republican administration should have continued to operate in the black, as the prior Democratic administration did? The GOP likes fiscal responsibility more in theory than in practice.

The post cites a so-called bipartisan forum addressing the breast cancer screening recommendations that made headlines as “rationed care.” Of the speakers listed, all are tied to the Republican party. Victoria Clarke has served on the staff over several Republicans at the federal level. Betsy McCaughey, in addition to propagating lies about the Clinton health care plan was a Republican Lt. Governor of New York. Mariam Atash Nawabi worked at the Embassy of Afghanistan during the Bush administration and Amy Nichols gave $1500 over the last three years to a PAC which supported Republican candidates 90% of the time. Bipartisan? Evidence please…

The section addressing recent breast cancer screening recommendations is a legitimate concern, but the federal government has done nothing to make screenings harder to obtain for 40-49 year olds. The post uses California as an example as the state recently raised the age of state funded screenings, but California is a bankrupt state cutting everything in every department. And doesn’t the GOP believe the government shouldn’t be involved in your health care anyway? Except when the uterus is involved, of course…

The women remember that stance when they announce;

“If we can get the president to abandon his goal of seizing control of America’s health care system, we might be able to persuade him to start re-focusing on the economy.”

Yet the only advice offered is to cut taxes, which turned a budget surplus into the deficit the authors were decrying only a few paragraphs earlier.

The entire post had nothing to do with women specifically, it was merely ten women reciting tired GOP lines. I know women working hard for gender equality and presenting a piece claiming the president’s policies are hurting women is beyond vulgar. Unfortunately, parroting GOP rhetoric seems to be Terrence Wall’s strong suit.

Terrence Wall’s super-duper-top-secret plan for health care reform

I hope the title didn’t mislead you into thinking I had some information on the plan. It really is super-duper-top-secret. In an interview with WisPolitics Wall (at 9:30) declares he has six or seven simple changes to resolve the nation’s health care problem, that he is “not going to give out right now.”

If Terrence Wall were to win the general election, he would take office in 2011. The health care debate will be over by then, so if you’ve got the answers Terrence, we need them now.

Wall acknowledges the need to bring down costs, but the only aspect of a health care reform plan he offers is (at 8:58);

“If Democrats really wanted to make health insurance affordable for example, they would simply allow health insurance to be sold across state lines.”

Health insurance can already be sold across state lines so long as health insurance companies abide by the rules set forth by individual states. Sounds odd that someone who is against universal health care would favor taking power away from the states and putting it in the hands of the federal government.

At least Wall offers one idea, flawed as it may be. In a WisPolitics interview the other contender for the GOP nomination, Dave Westlake’s idea is (at 19:05)… do nothing;

“We already have 100% universal coverage to health care… emergency rooms. Um, now, it, it may sound callous to say well, if you need health care and you don’t have health insurance uh you know, find an emergency room, but it’s also the way the system has been designed, uh, and it works.”

The emergency room system doesn’t work Dave. A little preventative care would bring down costs for everybody. You are all for fiscal responsibility, right Dave?

So, Terrence Wall has a super-duper-top-secret plan to address health care he is not going to let us in on. Dave Westlake thinks doing nothing is a good idea. Feingold is working working hard right now to add something to the debate and make health care affordable for everyone. Are you going to vote for that, or these guys?

Wisconsin “Pro-Life” Groups Are Anything But

Both of Wisconsin’s anti-contraception, anti-women’s health advocacy groups are spreading falsehoods and endangering citizens again this week.  Wisconsin Right to Life demonstrates tighter abortion restrictions outrank the health of Americans, while Pro-Life Wisconsin publicizes a stunt disparaging Planned Parenthood doctors.

With the Senate defeating the Nelson/Hatch amendment WRTL claims;

“Senators…voted to keep abortion covered in the proposed federal government insurance program.”

The federal government insurance program? Like a public option? Like the dead public option? The amendments defeat does not put the federal government in the abortion business, no matter how you spin it.

So WRTL is “in strong opposition to the Reid pro-abortion health care bill.” The abortion opposing Senate majority leader is pushing a pro-abortion bill? That doesn’t make any sense…but neither does fighting health care for Americans.

Also outrageous is WRTL’s claim Sen. Herb Kohl lied when saying “I do not want health care to be used as a vehicle to expand abortion access” because he voted against the amendment. A vote against restricting abortion rights does not contradict a position against abortion expansion.

Pro-Life Wisconsin joins the “liar, liar” name-calling, accusing a Planned Parenthood doctor of lying to an undercover operative posing as a confused and moronic (asking multiple times “what’s a fetus?”) potential patient. In Peggy Hamill’s (PLW director) world, statements contrary to her opinion are lies. The rest of us do not operate under that luxury Peggy. I don’t see a “Dr.” in front of your name, pardon me if I don’t take your statements on human growth and development over someone who does.

So-called “pro-life” groups are a threat to the health of our country. Without health there can be no life. By opposing any health care reform that does not further restrict abortion rights the anti-choice movement is selfishly seeking attention at the cost of human lives they claim to place such a high value on.

Pretty Important…On Liberty (and Conservative Manifestos)

WisOpinion (check out the new layout) tipped me off to a Richard Esenberg piece for the Wisconsin Promulgation of Republican Interests. Considering the battle for the soul of the Republican party, the article reads like a conservative manifesto.

As expected from a modern conservative manifesto, measurable hypocrisy is present;

“No single individual or organization can ever know enough or be trusted to recognize and to impose the conditions for the good life.”

Yet the Republican party has no problem executing individuals. The GOP supports a judicial system presuming to “know enough” to pass judgment rescinding the first unalienable right from the Declaration of Independence, life.

The American military, under a Republican commander-in-chief,  was directed to impose the “good life” in two formerly sovereign nations. Unfortunately at great cost to that first unalienable right of American soldiers, I might add (and to be fair Democrats are not off the hook in this mess).

I believe the government needs to do something about health care because of those unalienable rights. One cannot have life or liberty, much less the opportunity to pursue happiness, without health. Esenberg echoes my sentiments;

“The role of the state is to do only those things individuals and private organizations cannot do.”

With far too many citizens failing to receive necessary care, it is clear voluntary associations, from the times of Tocqueville to Esenberg, have failed. In defense of life and liberty, the government must step in.

I’m a liberal, and I’m all for limited government. Out of the uterus, out of the bedroom. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Out of the drug war too. All I desire from my government is just enough regulation to keep me from harm.

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Pardon the likening of conservatives and Republicans. Esenberg makes little distinction, nor do I.

How the GOP Can Defeat Russ Feingold

Tommy Thompson is enjoying the attention he’s receiving by considering a Senate run but he doesn’t want to damage his political legacy by losing a race to Feingold. With the health-care debate, Tommy prefers to enjoy his renewed relevance.

That leaves Terrence Wall as the feasible GOP candidate. Wall doesn’t have much to run on.  He’s been throwing his political ideology around with a monthly column for In Business since long before he announced his bid for the Republican nomination. I’ve been reading it. What have I learned?

You can trust a businessman, but politicians don’t even trust themselves. Businessmen trust others “because they themselves are trustworthy, so they project that trust onto others…politicians don’t trust business people, because many of them see themselves as being untrustworthy.”

On the topic of business, Wall doesn’t care about the small ones.  In April he chastised Doyle for “trying to tax the profits of out of state branches of businesses headquartered in Wisconsin.” This component of the state budget passed. Now small businesses that cannot afford a mailbox and a receptionist in Delaware (like Wall’s) no longer bear the tax burden of larger businesses that can.

Wall is a fearmonger. He misrepresents the health-care debate, attempting to frighten people with his experiences in France. Of course none of the health-care bills in Congress were remotely similar to the government run health-care system in France. So? Wall doesn’t mind using scare tactics to maintain the “excellent care that 85% of us already receive.”

Wall is fond of accusing Democrats of raising taxes, “causing businesses to collapse and stop creating new jobs.” Feingold recently proposed a jobs tax credit for employers hiring, expanding hours or raising pay.

How are Republicans going to beat a tax cutting, deficit reducing, bipartisan working, health care supporting Wisconsin legend?

They better convince us he’s a Bears fan.

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The GOP thanks Tim for the photoshop real picture.  Now to spread the news…

Fox News Inadvertantly Overestimates Number of Hannitys on Staff

The right-wing has had problems with the truth lately (maybe longer).

Caffeinated Politics has Jon Stewart busting Hannity’s use of footage from a 9/12 rally to embellish attendance at last weeks D.C. tea party. Also, Rep. Bachmann gave an estimate of 20,000-45,000 in attendance at the rally, whereas the Washington Post reported 10,000.

At Blogging Blue, Zach takes a conservative blogger to task for fuzzy math regarding Scott Walker’s primary opponent, Mark Neumann. The blogger seems to think he can declare Neumann a “career politician,” even though Walker has spent much more time in politics, based on Neumann’s voting record, not tenure of service.

The Week in Review on Wisconsin Public Radio had Chris Lato, a former communication director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin as the conservative guest Friday. While debating the health care bill passed by the House, Mr. Lato claimed the bill would cost America one trillion dollars. The CBO has produced plenty of evidence that HR 3962 will save the government money, but Lato outright refuses to accept that judgment (audio available here, program date Nov 13 2009, 8:00 am).

Rep. Paul Ryan is invoking the same “trillion dollar” price tag, conveniently ignoring the CBO estimates. I cannot condemn the behavior completely, Ryan and Lato have the right to question the government. However, this “trillion dollars” is an unfounded assertion. Neither presented any evidence to back up their claim.

Illusory Tenant has a take on Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gabelman’s constitutional right to lie in campaign ads. It reminds me of a case my current Assembly representative’s campaign lost right before the election last year. An appeals court found that while a radio ad indeed made false claims, a trial court order preventing the airing of said ad “represents a constitutionally impermissible prior restraint on political speech.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Stupak argues his amendment to the health care bill merely reaffirms the status quo on federal abortion funding. That’s not true, though Stupak refuses to admit it.

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Thanks to Tim for the shopjob. Anyone want to do some CSS for me? I need some more flexibility/bigger images.

Stupak Amendment: Attack on Right to Choose

The Stupak amendment has got to go.

I posted a while back that I would be perfectly satisfied with a reform bill that didn’t allow funding for abortion. The procedure is relatively inexpensive compared to other medical treatments and the Hyde amendment has prohibited most federal abortion funding since the 70′s. A health care bill isn’t the place to address federal abortion policy in place for 30 years. That is exactly why Stupak’s amendment goes far beyond the realm of acceptable compromise.

The Stupak  amendment rolls back abortion rights, by preventing any companies receiving subsidies from covering the procedure. From Think Progress;

1. It effectively bans coverage for most abortions from all public and private health plans in the Exchange: In addition to prohibiting direct government funding for abortion, it also prohibits public money from being spent on any plan that covers abortion even if paid for entirely with private premiums. Therefore, no plan that covers abortion services can operate in the Exchange unless its subscribers can afford to pay 100% of their premiums with no assistance from government “affordability credits.” As the vast majority of Americans in the Exchange will need to use some of these credits, it is highly unlikely any plan will want to offer abortion coverage (unless they decide to use it as a convenient proxy to discriminate against low- and moderate-income Americans who tend to have more health care needs and incur higher costs).

Obama just said on MSNBC that this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill, and it needs work. I take that to mean Obama finds the above provision unacceptable. Wisconsin Right to Life claims the president has a “radical pro-abortion agenda.” I hope he proves it by stomping out Stupak’s attempt to undermine what has been the right of American women since 1973.

Health Care Reform & Abortion, New Hate Crime Law & Gay Rights

Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak has been making news with his proposal to block federal subsidies from going to any private insurance plans covering abortion. A law in place since 1976 prevents federal money from funding abortion. The health care reform bill currently under review does not contain the explicit prohibitions Stupak is looking for.

It seems to me subsidizing a plan covering abortion would be acceptable under current law, as federal money would not be directly funding abortion. A woman covered under a subsidized private insurance plan could, if she chose, terminate her pregnancy. The federal money pays for insurance, not the procedure itself.

Another point, how involved should the government be in dictating what a private insurer can and cannot cover? I’m not saying the government should stay out of what private insurers cover. If subsidies are paid to insurance companies, they should provide good policies. Since I do not trust the companies to do so, the government may have to step in to ensure the companies do. However, I am much more concerned about insurers not covering a procedure or condition than about covering one.

Stupak is a Democrat, but his conservative abortion views remind me of one of Rush Limbaugh’s arguments against the auto bailout — the government is going to tell the auto companies what kind of cars to build, when the auto companies know best. How different is it when the government tells insurance companies what not to cover. This discussion could ramble for pages, so I’ll leave it at that.

In other news the College Democrats of Wisconsin, with all their wisdom, praised President Obama’s signing of a hate crime bill covering gays and lesbians calling it “the first step toward equal civil rights for the LGBT community.” I’ve said it before, but this only serves to continue the perception that gay people are different, thats why we can’t let them get married.

I’ve heard (and said) that the motivation for a crime shouldn’t matter when determining the punishment. Then I realized our judicial system determines the degree of a murder charge based on intent (essentially motivation). I still think the hate crime law is a step backward for gay rights, but now I need to sharpen my argument. Thoughts?

Dave Westlake Lying…Again

Dave Westlake just issued a press release with the title “Feingold says bill doesn’t spend enough” referring to the health care/insurance reform bills in Congress. Westlake was referring to Feingold’s support of a public option in a health care reform bill. One thing about Westlake is certain: he doesn’t let honesty or facts get in the way of anything that will get him attention.

In the press release Westlake cites several polls thats show Americans oppose several health care options that are not and have never been in any of the bills currently in Congress. Then he attempts to tie our fine Senator to these options. Shameless.

Westlake then manages to insult Feingold’s Control Spending Now act, which would reduce the budget deficit by $500 billion over 10 years, by implying that figure is insignificant when compared with a health care reform bill. Shameless.

Why does Westlake word his press releases to make it appear Feingold said something he didn’t? The voters he is going for with these cheap shots don’t read press releases. They vote for people because they wear blaze orange at campaign events. Don’t lie to us Dave, we’re smarter than that.

Westlake puts tired GOP “big bad government” rhetoric over the health of American citizens. Senator Feingold looks to cut government waste and keep citizens healthy.  Easy choice.