Cross Your Legs, Ladies

This post is dedicated to all the warriors out there

 who have been on the front lines -

men and women friends everywhere. 

You are so awesome.

Thank you.

Yes dear ladies, it's time to cross our legs. Our minds and bodies are being invaded by a mob of crazed philistines who know little to nothing about our body parts. Like a convention of mad scientists, they insist on poking and probing the deepest recesses of our bodies. Wake up. No more lying on our backs, dear hearts. We have a civil war to wage.

So far this year, nine state governments have been roaring over us with demonic frenzy in their efforts to pass abortion laws that date back to prehistoric times. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has even appointed himself arbiter of every single Medicaid-covered abortion in his state, including victims of rape and incest. No doubt it will come as a huge relief to these traumatized women that he plans "to be thoughtful." Whew, that's noble of him.

In short, we have been invaded by a bunch of sexually oppressed, repressed and depressed Republicans who in their sick twisted minds think they not only have the medical expertise, but the God-given right to tell us what choices we can make regarding our own bodies. This, in 2013 - 40 years AFTER Roe vs. Wade.

Yes, Ladies, we are at war. But there is something we can do beyond signing petitions, protesting at state houses, writing letters to the local newspapers, bitching on Facebook and even voting - all of which are vitally important. Don't get me wrong. But we have another weapon = the most powerful weapon known to man. S.E.X. - the very thing that sends them into a catatonic state.

No, no, no, we're not going to give it to them, Ladies. Hah, they should be so lucky. Nope, we're going to cross our legs and and just say "NO" - to all of them, even those who support us. It's amazing how much harder people will work to get one thing when they're denied another.

If 300 women in the small town of Barbacoas, Columbia, S.A. can bring the city fathers to their knees by keeping their legs crossed for a total of nearly three months, there's no reason why the women of America can't do likewise. Besides, we have a hell of a lot more at stake here than getting a 35-mile road paved.

Sex strikes are nothing new. They go back at least to the the Ancient Greek comic play "Lysistrata," in which women withheld sex from their husbands as a way to end the Peloponnesian War.

Recently in Belgium, a senator suggested women withold sex until an agreement was reached to form a government. In 2009, Kenyan women pledged a week-long sex ban to stop political infighting.

They're not even a new tactic in Colombia. In 1997, the country's military chief called for a sex strike among the wives of paramilitaries, guerrillas and drug lords to work for peace. In 2006, wives and girlfriends of gang members in the town of Pereira reportedly withheld sex from gangsters who failed to turn in their arms.

Originally, I planned to stop here, but when I checked around before adding the finishing touches, all hell was breaking loose in two states. For the second time in a few short days the NC legislature passed abortion limits, this time via a motorcycle safety bill. The governor has indicated he will approve the vaginacycle bill although originally he declared he'd never change the abortion law. Nevah!

Around 1300 miles from Raleigh, the Texas Senate was turning the final screws on the right of women to make their own decisions and to have access to safe abortions. I don't think anyone was particularly surprised at the outcome but the indignity that many protesters suffered at the hands of troopers was degrading, insulting and offensive.

“In front of, all of these male troopers took away my maxi-pads, and made a huge deal out of flashing them around and showing… and then saying that I couldn’t go into the gallery, I couldn’t take maxi-pads into the gallery. I’ve never been… I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

It was also reported that this poor lady had her diabetic supplies taken as well.

Maddowblog reported at the time:

Women are being forced to throw out tampons and maxi pads to enter the Senate gallery, which has been confirmed by DPS. [...]

However, people with concealed handgun licenses are allowed to bypass long lines to enter the Gallery through the expedited CHL entrance, and per DPS, if a person has a CHL, they can take their gun into the gallery. [emphasis mine]

My friend Rusty Gordon made this astute observation: "They won't confiscate the bloody one in your hoo-ha, and THAT'S the one to throw at the legislators!"

*******

In the meantime Ladies . . .

KEEP YOUR LEGS CROSSED

UPDATE: It seems I'm not the only one who believes it's time for women to take action - or non-action. Here are more great suggestions. 

No Sex Ed, No Contraception, No Abortion: But What If . . . ?

Republican and Right-to-Life-Until-Birth groups are seemingly unable to make the connection between sex education and the number of teenage pregnancies or between not being able to afford contraception and the continuing cycle of poverty that the birth of a child often brings.

So, why would these same groups be expected to consider what would happen to a woman who is charged and found guilty of having an illegal abortion? After all, in our system of laws, most illegal activities are met with some kind of punishment. A fine? How much? A jail sentence? How long and what if she has children at home?

Execution? Why not? These groups consider it murder and states like Texas love their executions -- 500 so far. Part of their program to protect the sanctity of life no doubt. Or, how about a scarlet letter embroidered on their bodices? "A" for abortion anyone?

AtCenterNetwork.com, which bills itself as a "a group that works for justice and nonviolent resolution of conflicts," interviewed a group of abortion protesters about this very matter in Libertyville, Illinois recently. Obviously, they've never thought any of this through.

Tea Baggers just keep on showing their classless asses - guns and updates

Things seem to be getting pretty heated in the Capitol with crowds of anti-Reform/Tea Party activists going through the halls shouting slogans and epithets at Democratic members of Congress.

As our Brian Beutler reports, a few moments ago in Longworth office building, a group swarmed a very calm looking Henry Waxman, as he got on the elevator, with shouts of "Kill the bill!" "You liar! You crook!"

Not long before, Rep. Barney Frank got an uglier version of the treatment. Just after Frank rounded a corner to leave the building, an older protestor yelled "Barney, you faggot." The surrounding crowd of protestors then erupted in laughter.

At one point, Capitol police officer threatened to throw a group of protestors out of the building but that only seemed to inflame them more; and apparently none were ejected. Note that this was in the Longworth building, not the Capitol building proper. But I'm a bit surprised that this is being allowed to occur anywhere in the Capitol complex. From Brian's description it sounds like menacing.

If this were the 60s, their classless asses would be in jail. At least they could have been moved outside where they could still exercise their Freedom of Speech and their abject stupidity.

UPDATE: TPM reports that those good Christian Tea Buggers yelled "nigger" at Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).
It'll be interesting to see how the MSM covers this.

Left click to enlarge.

CrooksandLiars

UPDATE: The Washington Post: "Some protesters cursed at lawmakers and at one point -- when Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) wanted to walk across the street to an office building -- he was ushered into a car by his security detail and driven a couple hundred feet through the screaming crowd."

Not surprisingly Fox News reported there were "thousands" of protesters. The WP estimated hundreds.

Health care opponents show their true colors

And they're not red, white and blue. They're simply ugly as mud. They were tossing a bunch of it at a protest rally today outside Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy's (D) offfice.

In the following video, "an elderly man holding a sign that reads “Got Parkinson’s? I DO and YOU might. Thanks for Helping. That’s [illegible]” is shouted at, mocked, and ridiculed as the anti-healthcare protesters standing over him dismissively throw money at his face."


The full video is at The Columbus Dispatch. It's nothing less than sickening and disgraceful. And it should make you damn mad.

For many Americans, what happened in Columbus is what the healthcare issue is all about and the disdainful way in which the anti-healthcare protesters fling a few bills at the subject of their derision is a perfect illustration of everything that is wrong with the small-government narrative.

If this is what Conservative opposition to healthcare reform looks like, the Democrats have already won.

Mud belongs at the bottom of the pond. That guy throwing the $$$ should be in a psyche ward along with the rest of them. They are obviously mentally disturbed.

Kilroy, who was diagnosed in 2003 with multiple sclerosis, is as yet undecided.

Wealthcare

Thanks to my good friend over at Brain Rage for giving me my morning wake-up call. James seems to always come up with the best pics.

Barney Frank Answers Stupid Question

I love Barney Frank. This guy, who looks like and is, a wise old owl has more spunk than 25 of his fellow Democrats put together. Would that they take a courage lesson from him. He can give his opponents whiplash before they even know what's hit them. In this video he responds to a stupid question by a stupid woman with his typical make-no-mistake-about-where-I-stand frankness. You gotta love the guy.

Opponents of Reform

Writing for The Huffington Post, Steve Benen disects the people who oppose health care reform in to five groups. ". . . . it's hard not to wonder what, exactly, motivates opponents of health care reform."

After all, improving the fundamentally flawed system would have broad benefits for all Americans. Some of Rush Limbaugh's listeners are one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Some Sarah Palin supporters can't get coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Some Glenn Beck viewers will see their insurance companies drop them when they need their coverage most. Some RNC donors may want to start their own business, but can't because they can't afford to pay the monthly premiums. Some of the same people who attended "Tea Parties" in April saw their family coverage disappear after they lost their job.

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To fully appreciate the larger dynamic, it's important not to lump all opponents of reform together into one large group. We've heard many of the same arguments from a wide variety of activists, but different groups are fighting with different motivations.

I tend to see them in five distinct factions:

* The Greedy: There's a fairly small group of people who profit handsomely from the broken status quo. Regular Americans are getting screwed by the system, but The Greedy are getting rich. Reform puts their profits at risk, so they're fighting back to protect their livelihood.

* The Partisans: If President Obama does what many presidents have failed trying to do, it will likely make him more popular and make his presidency successful. The Partisans care more about Republican gains than the national well being, so they're fighting to prevent a major Democratic victory because it would be a major Democratic victory. . . .

* The Tin-Foil Hats: If reform passes, the government will kill their grandparents, create "death panels," lavish benefits on illegal immigrants, and mandate that ACORN volunteers live in their basement. The Tin-Foil Hats have active imaginations, and believe their own ridiculous conspiracy theories. They're likely to benefit from reform, but the voices in their head discourage them from believing it.

* The Dupes: Probably the largest group in opposition to reform, The Dupes tend to believe what The Greedy, The Partisans, and The Tin-Foil Hats have told them. When confronted with accurate information, The Dupes suspect the media, Democrats, and their lying eyes aren't to be trusted. After all, Sean Hannity wouldn't lie to them, would he? Like The Tin-Foil Hats, The Dupes stand to benefit from reform, but are skeptical because they don't know who's telling the truth and who isn't.

* The Wonks: The smallest of the groups, The Wonks are conservatives who actually care about substantive policy details, have read the proposals, and believe there are better ways to improve the system. They're looking for a meaningful policy debate, and are slightly embarrassed by their allies' dishonest temper tantrums, but The Greedy, The Partisans, The Tin-Foil Hats, and The Dupes have decided to ignore The Wonks. They don't scream at town-hall meetings and they don't show up for 9/12 strategy sessions.

Carol Kreck and the Secret Service

It always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when someone I know stands up for the right thing. Carol Kreck is barely five feet tall but has more courage and spunk in that tiny little frame than most folks. A former reporter for The Denver Post she's now a librarian. Hey, we librarians have to stick together.

She was told by the Secret Service to leave a John McCain rally in Denver because of her sign which read: McCain = Bush.

Democracy In Action?

During the recent firestorm over health care reform, we have witnessed large angry crowds screaming at the tops of their lungs, drowning out any chance at real dialogue. We have watched as these out-of-control mobs threaten speakers and those who simply want to exercise their right to ask questions and get information.

Thanks to the Huffington Post and an article by retired federal judge H. Lee Sarokin we are presented with a calm reasoned discussion on Democracy v. Democracy. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

Judge Sarokin writes, "Two of our most venerated democratic traditions--- the town hall meeting which gives local citizens the opportunity to express their views and the referendum which allows citizens to propose legislation and constitutional amendments----have been turned against themselves."

Portions that pertain to the town hall meetings follow:

At town hall meetings on the issue of health care, the free speech of some has been used to deny it to others. Instead of being a forum to exchange views and ideas, the meetings have deteriorated in to shouting matches with volume drowning out reason and hysteria replacing facts. This is a complex issue requiring thoughtful discussion and the exchange of views, not the nonsense of "death panels" suggested by Sarah Palin.

Despite what I perceive to be the abuses of both the town hall meeting and the referendum, I would not want either to disappear from our American landscape. How can we honor these great traditions and not defile them as we are presently inclined to do?

Big Lies and Big Money

That these health care protests are being organized by right wing organizations and financed by big money is not new news - unless you're Paul Klugman of the New York Times. Klugman says "while the organizers are as crass as they come, I haven't seen any evidence that the people disrupting those town halls are Florida-style rent-a-mobs." Klugman is referring to the 2000 demonstrations in Miami that disrupted the vote count between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. In a sobering fact-check of her own, Rachel Maddow "explains how right-wing Republican operatives and corporate fat cats are spreading lies, staging fake protests, and disrupting townhall meetings."

Deceptive Demos