Attacking the Rights of Women is Par for the Course With These People

Senator Hillary Clinton points out a case of deranged wingnuttery from the Bush Administration:

The Bush administration is up to its old tricks again, quietly putting ideology before science and women's health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is poised to put in place new barriers to accessing common forms of contraception like birth control pills, emergency contraception and IUDs by labeling them "abortion." These proposed regulations set to be released next week will allow healthcare providers to refuse to provide contraception to women who need it. We can't let them get away with this underhanded move to undermine women's health and that's why I am sounding the alarm.

These rules pose a serious threat to providers and uninsured and low-income Americans seeking care. They could prevent providers of federally-funded family planning services, like Medicaid and Title X, from guaranteeing their patients access to the full range of comprehensive family planning services. They'll also build significant barriers to counseling, education, contraception and preventive health services for those who need it most: low-income and uninsured women and men.

The regulations could even invalidate state laws that currently ensure access to contraception for many Americans. In fact, they describe New York and California's laws requiring prescription drug insurance plans to provide coverage for contraceptives as part of "the problem." These rules would even interfere with New York State law that ensures survivors of sexual assault and rape receive emergency contraception in hospital emergency rooms.

Here's the link to HillPac, and a letter you can sign protesting this outrage.

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About This Term "Bitch"

[x-posted on Corner of the Sky]

I am totally fed up with the gender bias in this country. Though many feel that women exaggerate when they complain about gender bias, our common language says otherwise. The current election is once again bringing this ugly bias to the forefront.

I am taking exception with this word, "bitch."

Recently on Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey made a brilliant pass at trying to put a positive spin on a hateful term. In her endorsement of Hillary Clinton, she coined the phrases "bitches get stuff done" and "bitch is the new black." She was referring to the criticism that Hillary is a bitch.

Folks, if you don't think calling a presidential candidate a "bitch" is a nasty little piece of gender bias, you need to wake up and smell the doggy doo. We have become a culture where it is acceptable to call a strong, assertive, definitive woman who knows what she wants and how to get it done a term that is synonymous with a female dog. A dog! For those that want to argue that in some contexts, "bitch" is not an insult, please answer some of the following questions. When have you ever told your female pastor that you really admire what a bitch she is? What about the last time you thanked your mother for raising you so well by being such an admirable bitch? No? Why not?

The truth is that when a man is strong, assertive, and definitive we call him powerful. We call him confident. We call him "Sir" and "Senator." When a woman is the same, we call her by her first name, we call her "Mrs." and we label her a bitch. Language is powerful. It conveys hidden attitudes and agendas that might not otherwise be revealed. This is true whether one is talking about hidden gender bias, racial bias, or a plethora of other things. Language is one of the most important communicators of attitude in the world.

In a world where we accept that racial slurs are not socially acceptable, we still relegate women to a role in which gender slurs are regularly condoned.

Powerful men are accused of corporate scandals and breaking the law. They get a slap on the wrist. Martha Stewart is accused of breaking the law, and she's a bitch. She goes to jail.

Let's call it like it is. Hillary Clinton is intelligent, articulate, assertive, confident, and capable. As much as I like dogs, this woman is no bitch.

--Sky Girl

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Sunday Shorts

Steve Benen offers a splendid day-by-day breakout of Rudy Giuliani's Worst. Week. Ever. Alas, even the magical wand of the Tax Fairy couldn't ameliorate Il Douche's woes because there is no such hocus pocus, a fact that informed adults already know.

Harvard University published a new study: "Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust press coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign... four out of five people believe coverage focuses too much on the trivial -- and more than 60% believe coverage is politically biased." What's that say about journalistic integrity and the Beltway intelligentsia?

With all the talk about the military success of the Surge™, the lack of political progress becomes more apparent and oil divides Iraq even more. Remarkably, the Bush WH didn't deny that the military outpaced the political gains in Iraq.

Tragically, the suicide rate of returning Iraq war vets is "four times as high as the general population." Unsurprisingly, "Bush's Department of Veterans Affairs lied" about the "epidemic of suicides among returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans."

Presidential contender Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico took congressional Democrats and a few of the Democratic WH hopefuls to the woodshed. Good for you, Big Bill.

And in a sick display of utter wingnuttery, when Hillary Clinton's NH campaign office in Rochester was assailed by a hostage-taking mental case, Michelle Malkin's rightwing nutjobs came out to laugh it up. How insane is that? Certifiably wacky.

Now it's almost time for the Sunday funnies and I've got to git 'cause Lil' Tim and The Villagers can bust your guts making you roar with laughter at the stuff they think is smart.

[The end. But y'all come back. Chow!]

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Hillary Is Just Plain Old Hillary Clinton When She Is Running For President.

Of course when she sends information out to her New York constituents she is Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I make no bones about it. Hillary Clinton is not my favorite candidate. She is the only Democrat I might be tempted to cross party lines to vote against. This story is a perfect example of my problem with Hillary. The woman is 59 years old. She has been married to Bill for 32 years. She is a mother. She has been First Lady. She is the junior Senator from New York. She is very well educated. She is smart. For all of that, the woman isn't comfortable in her own skin. She just doesn't know who the hell she is.

She doesn't even know what to call herself. Somebody has polled New York and discovered that the "Rodham" helps her in that state. Somebody, maybe the same consultant, has polled the rest of the country and discovered that "Rodham" doesn't poll that well. She is "Hillary Rodham Clinton" for one audience and "Hillary Clinton" for another. How does she keep it all straight? As I said she is smart. Smart isn't good enough. All the Democratic candidates are smart.

In her name as in everything else, Hillary goes along with whatever the consultants tell her polls well. We voters have no idea what she really stands for or even if she stands for anything at all. Not an authentic bone in her body.

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