Trading Women’s Rights for Political Power

[DainBramaged]

A GRIM reality sits behind the joyful press statements from Washington Democrats. To secure passage of health care legislation in the House, the party chose a course that risks the well-being of millions of women for generations to come.

House Democrats voted to expand the current ban on public financing for abortion and to effectively prohibit women who participate in the proposed health system from obtaining private insurance that covers the full range of reproductive health options. Political calculation aside, the House Democrats reinforced the principle that a minority view on the morality of abortion can determine reproductive health policy for American women.

Many House members who support abortion rights decided reluctantly to accept this ban, which is embodied in the Stupak-Pitts amendment. They say the tradeoff was necessary to advance the right to guaranteed health care. They say they will fight another day for a woman’s right to choose.

Perhaps. But they can’t ignore the underlying shift that has taken place in recent years. The Democratic majority has abandoned its platform and subordinated women’s health to short-term political success. In doing so, these so-called friends of women’s rights have arguably done more to undermine reproductive rights than some of abortion’s staunchest foes. That Senate Democrats are poised to allow similar anti-abortion language in their bill simply underscores the degree of the damage that has been done.

Many women — ourselves included — warned the Democratic Party in 2004 that it was a mistake to build a Congressional majority by recruiting and electing candidates opposed to the party’s commitment to legal abortion and to public financing for the procedure. Instead, the lust for power yielded to misguided, self-serving poll analysis by operatives with no experience in the fight for these principles. They mistakenly believed that giving leadership roles to a small minority of anti-abortion Democrats would solve the party’s image problems with “values voters” and answer critics who claimed Democrats were hostile to religion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/opinion/12michelman.html?ref=opinion

[FreakinDJ]

1. After NOW jumped on the Bush Band Wagon what did you expect

Puuuuleeeeeease...

[maglatinavi]

2. NOW ???

In the Bush Band Wagon??? :cry: :cry: :cry:

[DainBramaged]

3. My thought exactly.......

Blame the National Organization for Women, it's all their fault.



:rofl:

[RainDog]

4. I am counting on progressive democrats to stop the Stupid

and I am willing to go sit in at the regressive democrats' offices and go to jail to stop this assault on women.

if the democratic party abandons women for religious voters, there is no reason to vote for democrats or republicans. there is reason to work to kick them all out of office and back to the 19th century where they belong.

[DainBramaged]

5. I'm just going to kick this, way more important than a prejean

[niyad]

6. can't rec, will kick

[DainBramaged]

7. We'll try this one last time, but I think women's rights aren't paramount here.