Will MI Democrats Champion Women’s Rights as Santorum Surges through Our State?

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I noted the other day how tired I am of MI’s Democrats asking women to ignore the anti-choice stance of so many of our Democrats, a stance which led to MI Democrat Bart Stupak dictating what kind of medical insurance women across the country can get.

Well, in the next 2 weeks, the party will have the opportunity to take the same stand the President just took and the same stand former Governor Jennifer Granholm, herself a Catholic, has taken, solidly in favor of health equality for women.

Over the next two weeks, of course, Rick Santorum will be wandering around our state,  trying to score a decisive victory against Mitt Romney by preaching that women should not be encouraged to work outside the home, that women should not serve in combat for fear it would distract their male counterparts from doing their jobs, that women who are raped should “make the best” of it by carrying their rapist’s child, and, yes, that health insurance should not cover contraception. In short, Santorum will be calling for downright regressive treatment of women as a way to beat Mitt in his home state.

Not even Republican women support these extreme stances.

All that might not matter for Democrats–we might have the luxury of sitting back and laughing at their contest–except for one thing. Rick Santorum will also, as he has been doing, distinguish himself from Mitt Romney by championing manufacturing. Our issue. Manufacturing.

And while his policies wouldn’t actually help manufacturing as much as, say, cracking down on China’s cheating would, he will nevertheless be speaking to the plight of those working in manufacturing, even while preaching against the autonomy and equality of women.

If Santorum wins–as he is poised to do–this year’s electoral match-up may actually get decided here in MI. This year’s electoral match-up may get defined, at least locally, in the next two weeks. And that means it’s time to lay out what Democrats–what all people who believe women should not be second class citizens–stand for.

While Santorum wanders around our state we absolutely have to remind voters that the new manufacturing jobs were brought by Granholm’s outreach and Obama’s energy investments. We absolutely have to remind Michiganders that Santorum also opposed the auto bailout.

But I hope we’re also making that case that whereas Santorum believes in the dignity of just half the electorate, there is a party that champions–or damn well better champion–the dignity of all the electorate.

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18 replies
  1. rugger9 says:

    Santorum still has to win the general, but open mic ops might be shall we say, highly entertaining? Keep in mind that there is no pop with the current group. Santorum still has a Google problem and he’s sanctimonious to boot, along with the forced abortions in the Marianas in cahoots with Abramoff. Look at the total numbers of votes cast in the GOP primaries, they’re all way down. Since Mittens trials by 15 or so percentage points right now, it’s more likely that Rove and the Kochs will get their brokered convention and the Koch’s choice with the ad time bought up. I’m still betting Petraeus and maybe Bluto [Christie] as the veep.

  2. Kathleen says:

    How any alleged religious folk can support people who hide racist, classist stances behind little crosses around their necks I will never get it. I grew up in the Catholic church and schools 12 years, across the street from priest on one side and across the alley from the Notre Dame nuns on the other. Saw too much. The Nuns did all of the work and the priest took credit while living in the rectory with cooks, housekeepers, gardeners and always drove around in nice cars. Would ride my bike behind the priest house and always see a pile of cases of beer and wine boxes. Sickening. Never ever saw them taking care of their sheep.

    While the nuns would all pile into their station wagon to go take care of a family who was having troubles, sit on their upper balcony strumming their guitars singing Micheal row the boat ashore (no bs) (that early 60’s era) after taking care and teaching children all day (long days)

    But what gets to me now are the Catholic Boehners, Gingrich’s, Santorums, the Christian Palin, Huckabee type folks who hide behind their alleged religious beliefs and vote against health care for all, equity in education, fair wages. Yeah they are pro fetus but they are clearly not pro life. These hypocrites drive me nuts. Parade their alleged religious beliefs across the national stage while they step over those less fortunate on their way into church. Just makes me want to spit

  3. nomolos says:

    The Obama administration has revised a provision of the president’s health care law concerning birth control coverage. Now, religious-affiliated organizations may decline to provide the coverage, but allow the employees to get free contraceptives through their health insurer.

    The Big Zero has now said that religious institutions do not have to pay for health insurance but those women working in religious institutions should get insurance..free of charge…from their insurance company. What a crock of shit. If anyone thinks for one bloody moment that an insurance company is going to provide any damn thing free they are living in the DC fantasy world. Already insurance companies are charging a very high, additional, premium for women’s reproductive health coverage.

    If a Hindi nurse or doctor working at our local hospital is denied coverage isn’t that infringing on their religious rights and beliefs?

    Well, in the next 2 weeks, the party will have the opportunity to take the same stand the President just took and the same stand former Governor Jennifer Granholm, herself a Catholic, has taken, solidly in favor of health equality for women.

    You jest of course. The banker’s whore backed down, as usual. He has absolutely no regard for women they are merely sacrificial lambs in his drive to re-election. Why you think that permitting the godists to deny women’s reproductive health coverage is OK is truly amazing. How about denying coverage for viagra and other chemical aphrodisiacs?

  4. rugger9 says:

    @Kathleen: #2
    There are more than a few of us with faith that are highly offended by the posturings of the new Pharisees who have hijacked the word “Christian”. They need to read Matthew about figuring out who is a false prophet. WWJD? Smite them for sure.

    The cognitive dissonance of these people is astounding however, they really believe that they get brand spanking new souls every time they go to church, no matter how much they sin.

  5. Kathleen says:

    @rugger9:

    And the way these fake Christians parade their alleged faiths across the national stage and no one questions them. Hey when you parade your alleged religious believs around like that calling them out is “fair game”

  6. MadDog says:

    OT – Can’t afford to fly your own drone over Iran? Lockheed Martin has a deal for you! Why buy when you can rent?

    “Lockheed Martin Offers On-Demand Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Service

    To meet the immediate needs of customers who require intelligence aircraft or ground systems to support missions for a short period of time, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to order. Broadening its Dragon series of ISR configurations introduced last year, Lockheed Martin is expanding Net Dragon, which offers any Dragon ISR option to customers as a contracted service…”

  7. MadDog says:

    More OT – Via the WSJ comes this Op-Ed from Michael Silber, Director of Intelligence Analysis for the NYPD:

    “The Iranian Threat to New York City

    On Monday, Israeli embassy workers in the capital cities of India and Georgia were targeted in terrorist attacks that Israeli officials believe were planned and carried out by Iran and its client, the militant group Hezbollah. The bomb in Tbilisi was defused, but the bomb in New Delhi, planted in an embassy worker’s car, exploded and injured at least two.

    Iran’s next target could well be on American soil…

    [snip]

    …The NYPD must assume that New York City could be targeted by Iran or Hezbollah. On Feb. 3, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened that Iran “had its own tools” to respond to sanctions and threats of military action against it. Indeed, as the West’s conflict with Iran over its nuclear program continues to heat up, New York City—especially with its large Jewish population—becomes an increasingly attractive target…

    [snip]

    …Given the alleged plot against a foreign diplomat in Washington, Iran’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric and its long history of sponsoring terror attacks abroad, the NYPD must remain vigilant in attempting to detect and disrupt any attack by Iran or its proxies. Anything less would be abdicating our duty to protect New York City and its residents.”

  8. P J Evans says:

    @rugger9:
    I’d like to know how the bishops justify allowing Gingrich and Giuliani in with full privileges, given that they’re on the wrong side of canon law in at least two ways.

    (When Miss McConnell, Gingrich, Santorum, Noun-Verb-9/11, and the bishops can get pregnant without being able to support their kids, then their opinions on women’s health care might be worth listening to. Until then, it’s all BS from guys with power and no clues.)

  9. DonS says:

    ” . . . solidly in favor of health equality for women:

    Exactly. Why is it that Marcy seems to have no problem characterizing what is at issue in this whole contraception business, and seemingly most very serious and important people, from Obama on down don’t get it. They keep muddying the waters with crap about “religious rights”. It’s “women’s rights” for God sakes. How hard is that to say, to stand up for?

    Also, too, that standing up for women’s rights represents “the dignity of all the electorate.” Apparently not hard to grasp either, except by those very serious people.

  10. Bill Michtom says:

    When Stupak, et al, were screwing women’s health options, Obama did NOTHING to fight them. When the Progressive Caucus proposed not voting for war funding, Obama threatened them with withholding election funding.

    And you think Obama gives a shit about women?

  11. Kathleen says:

    Boom did anyone else hear Andrew Sullivan, Chris Matthews and E J Diones conversation about birth control and health care.

    Sullivan..Obama “took on Benedict the 16th and John Paul the II’s appointed bishops for whom no issues seems move important than controlling teh sex lives of other people” Boom..what a hit
    “Did Obama win the culture war”
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#46388820

  12. Kathleen says:

    I did know the Catholic church had passed the Humanae Vitae confirming the church’s ban on all forms of artificial contraception
    But I had never heard this one before. On Hardball Andrew Sullivan said that the 2nd Vatican Council Commission appointed by Pope John Paul the XXIIIhad approved birth control. Did not know this.

    National Catholic Reporter
    http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/new-birth-control-commission-papers-reveal-vaticans-hand
    “The commission, callyed by Pope John XXIII in 1963 and later working on the aegis of Paul VI, eventually ended its tenure with a report asking that the church’s ban on all forms of artificial birth control be lifted.”

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