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News & ArtsThursday, November 12, 2009
Politics BABY KILLERS!
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 3:14 PM
The Republican National Committee’s health insurance plan covers elective abortion—a procedure the party’s own platform calls “a fundamental assault on innocent human life.” Federal Election Commission Records show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC’s policy covers elective abortion.Informed of the coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told POLITICO that the policy pre-dates the tenure of current RNC Chairman Michael Steele. “The current policy has been in effect since 1991, and we are taking steps to address the issue,” Gitcho said.
How long has a total ban on abortion has been a plank in the GOP platform?
2
Why the hell did no one check on this before???
And @1 - I guess they'll just have to change parties, won't they.
And @1 - I guess they'll just have to change parties, won't they.
4
@1 If a woman believes in the right to choose, she shouldn't be working for the Republican party. My initial assumption would be that the folks who work for the RNC are pretty strongly anti-choice to begin with.
5
Dan, you're paying too much attention to the context and not enough to how the Republican's want the debate to sound! Republicans don't really care about about whether or not abortion is covered by insurance! They just care about stopping a public health care plan, whatever the cost.
I'd think you'd have gotten this by now. ;)
I'd think you'd have gotten this by now. ;)
6
It's been a well established issue for their party since the mid-70's, maybe even since the early 60's when the first real ultra-conservative Dixiecrats jumped to the party.
Whatever, I'm not an expert on the GOP, but it's very odd that the current plan was instituted in '91, since that's the era when the religious right effectively had "working control" over the GOP.
Whatever, I'm not an expert on the GOP, but it's very odd that the current plan was instituted in '91, since that's the era when the religious right effectively had "working control" over the GOP.
7
@6,
I would imagine it became an issue after Roe v. Wade.
I find the idea of a Republican woman using her health plan to get an abortion hilarious. Plenty of anti-choice women get abortions, but their hypocrisy is protected by abortion clinics. Health insurance records aren't nearly as secure.
I would imagine it became an issue after Roe v. Wade.
I find the idea of a Republican woman using her health plan to get an abortion hilarious. Plenty of anti-choice women get abortions, but their hypocrisy is protected by abortion clinics. Health insurance records aren't nearly as secure.
8
It also includes Viagra.
Now maybe if they got rid of that one, they wouldn't need the abortion services coverage ...
Now maybe if they got rid of that one, they wouldn't need the abortion services coverage ...
10
They wanted to make sure they could vote against their own plan in the event the Democrats decided to do some legislative Judo and actually brought it to the floor.
11
Silly silly, Dan. Republicans don't actually care about babies, they just want control.
If they really cared about babies, then they'd end abstinence-only bullshit programs and try to find a way to actually protect babies, ie, in the foster care systems, in public schools, in providing those kids and there family with health insurance, etc.
Too many kitchens are empty and the Repubs want to fill them again... Means less competition from women who would be more qualified for their job positions.
If they really cared about babies, then they'd end abstinence-only bullshit programs and try to find a way to actually protect babies, ie, in the foster care systems, in public schools, in providing those kids and there family with health insurance, etc.
Too many kitchens are empty and the Repubs want to fill them again... Means less competition from women who would be more qualified for their job positions.
13
@7- Of course, but the pro choice movement really gained momentum in the 1960's. I don't know if the GOP took a stance on the national level just then, and I'm not certain there was any more of a party divide on the issue than as there was 150 years prior when abortion laws were being passed originally, when Susan B. Anthony (damnit Susan B., we wanted to like you!) was feverishly campaigning against a woman's right to chose.
Ok, I'm rambling. Anyhow, fuck their hypocrisy.
Fun footnote: In 1970, Washington was one of the only states with legalized abortion, and it was done via voter approved referendum.
Ok, I'm rambling. Anyhow, fuck their hypocrisy.
Fun footnote: In 1970, Washington was one of the only states with legalized abortion, and it was done via voter approved referendum.
14
Republican men are not pro-life, they're anti-choice. They want to control women just like they did back in the bad, old days before they got uppity. Republican women see nothing wrong with their choice to evict a uterine stowaway, because their situation is different, unique compared to all those slutty poor folk who get them. If abortion were banned totally today in America, it wouldn't keep rich people from getting a safe legal abortion....in Sweden. All those poor bitches forced to either bear another unwanted mouth to feed or risk a back-alley, wire-hanger abortion, tough luck for those bitches. Somebody has to crap out all the future minimum wage slaves and cannon fodder for the military industrial complex.
http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/anti-ta…
http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/anti-ta…
15
Not only is there the issue of how long they've been railing against abortion, but the fact that they didn't notice this sooner and fix their fuckin' hypocritical situation. Oh, wait, they wouldn't be the RNC if they did that.
By the by, I saw a bumper sticker today (in this conservative little town with a super liberal college) that said "Women deserve better than abortion."
I couldn't agree more. How about better and healthier forms of contraception? I think we can all agree that's better than abortion.
Or male contraception, because condoms suck (situation here only applies to monogamous people couples or those who don't fear STDs).
By the by, I saw a bumper sticker today (in this conservative little town with a super liberal college) that said "Women deserve better than abortion."
I couldn't agree more. How about better and healthier forms of contraception? I think we can all agree that's better than abortion.
Or male contraception, because condoms suck (situation here only applies to monogamous people couples or those who don't fear STDs).
16
#4:
You can't really be that naive. Surely you don't think that being anti-choice prevents you from getting an abortion. If so, ask anyone who works or volunteers at a clinic. I've been a clinic escort for going on 20 years, and I've stopped counting all the times I've heard "I'm pro-life, but...". Viewpoints can change very quickly when it's your life that's about to be wrecked.
Besides, there has to be a way for Republicans to get abortions for the girlfriends they knock up.
You can't really be that naive. Surely you don't think that being anti-choice prevents you from getting an abortion. If so, ask anyone who works or volunteers at a clinic. I've been a clinic escort for going on 20 years, and I've stopped counting all the times I've heard "I'm pro-life, but...". Viewpoints can change very quickly when it's your life that's about to be wrecked.
Besides, there has to be a way for Republicans to get abortions for the girlfriends they knock up.
17
@14,
Furthermore, if poor women are forced to keep children they can't afford, it also gives rich conservatives yet another group to look down upon.
Conservatives love to put themselves on pedestals... holier than thou, and better than all those lazy welfare cases who only want government handouts.
Furthermore, if poor women are forced to keep children they can't afford, it also gives rich conservatives yet another group to look down upon.
Conservatives love to put themselves on pedestals... holier than thou, and better than all those lazy welfare cases who only want government handouts.
18
Right you are 17!
As the song says, "the rich get rich and the poor get babies..."
But really, look at your history: the Republicans were not always the abortion zealots they are now. For a long time the GOP was fiscally conservative but libertarian when it came to personal rights. That all changed about, oh, 1980...
As the song says, "the rich get rich and the poor get babies..."
But really, look at your history: the Republicans were not always the abortion zealots they are now. For a long time the GOP was fiscally conservative but libertarian when it came to personal rights. That all changed about, oh, 1980...
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