McCain wins = woman's right to choose GONE

[Unsane]

The SCOTUS ruled last term that national, federal abortion restrictions (covering DX procedures) were valid and constitutional.

What does this mean? The SCOTUS is implicitly suggesting that the US Congress now has authority to pass federal laws covering a woman's private healthcare decisions. Where before, it was assumed that these issues were only 'legislatable' by the states, now, apparently, the US Congress can pass federal laws restricting certain kinds of abortion IN EVERY STATE.

One more RW judge on the SCOTUS = US Congress can overturn Roe and pass federal legislation outlawing abortion IN EVERY STATE. It wouldn't be a 'states' rights' issue at all; think your liberal state would never vote to restrict abortion (assuming Roe is oveturned)? DOESN'T MATTER, the SCOTUS recently implied that it's A-OK for Congress to pass laws outlawing abortion in every state. If Roe is overturned, a Californian's right to choose, for example, will be eviscerated because the US Congress now has the authority to legislate a woman's healthcare decisions broadly and universally (as evidenced by the apparent constitutionality of the PBA ban).

More people need to know this. This is what's at stake folks.

[d_b]

1. Obama-Biden need to stay on the economy

I hope Hillary goes out and talks about this, especially Palin's radical views. This is some serious shit.

[Waya]

2. Along with Polar Bears..........

...... clean air, clean water, alternative enery solutions.......>sigh<

[grannylib]

3. He and Palin support the "rapists' bill of rights." Let's frame this

correctly.
Rape is a crime primarily of violence and CONTROL. What better way to continue to control a woman, after you've already committed a crime of heinous violence against her, using sex as a weapon, than to FORCE her to bear your child, should she become pregnant?

[Unsane]

7. kick

[Captain Hilts]

4. Two-four-six-eight, WE'RE the ones who ov-u-late!!!!! nt

[maseman]

5. The Republicans don't want to overturn Roe and Wade

Why? It is the ultimate fundie emotional generator for the election cycles. If they overturn it they lose a huge wedge issue.

[ejpoeta]

6. its not just about abortion. some aren't that concerned with that.

but my concern lies with the desire to get rid of birth control. that should scare a lot of women. to not even have the ability to control whether you conceive a child at all! that ought to get a lot of folks attention. i am married, as if that should matter. I want to choose to have a child. My first child was an oops. and she turned out to be the greatest joy. but i had that choice. and I chose to have a child. i was in a loving relationship with my boyfriend who is now my husband. our 2nd child was a decision that we made consciously. do i want more kids? i don't think so, but am not ready to close that door forever. should i be forced to spend every month praying that i am not pregnant?? i don't want to live that way. and i shouldn't have to. and neither should a lot of other women.

[Kool Kitty]

17. Hear, hear!!!

This is extremely frightening. My childbearing (and birth-control taking) days are far behind me, but I am so worried for all the younger women coming up. This is major issue. I never thought that I would live in a time where this would even be discussed.

[Unsane]

8. kick

[Unsane]

9. k

[Unsane]

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[Unsane]

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[Unsane]

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[OmahaBlueDog]

13. It's not just Roe!

"Miranda"(cops read you your rights), "Gideon" (if you can't afford an attorney, one is appointed) might both be in danger. "Brown" (school desegregation) and "Griswold" (birth control) may well be challenged.

The problem -- realistically, not nearly as many people are fired up about defending choice than outlawing abortion. i hypothesize that, in part, this is due to the fact that women of child bearing age have no living memory of a time when birth control was not universally and easily available and have no idea what the consequences of illegal abortion would be. Coming out of the 60's, there was Tholidamide, and babies so horribly deformed they were hardly recognizable as human. I think the sad reality is that for most men and a growing number of women, illegalizing abortion is no longer a deal breaker. Yes.. it's an issue they care about, but they want low taxes and secure borders and (basically) to continue with their happy lives. After all, many of them will reason, I'm/no one I know is going to have an abortion.

The simple truth is that is abortion on demand is illegal, women of means (including girls from families with means) will simply find an MD who will do the work under the table, or will simply fly to where it is legal. Those without the means will go to the butchers and take their chances. At some point, we'll scratch our head and wonder what the Hell we were thinking, but thousands will have died by then.

[Unsane]

15. Those women better hope they're never raped.

[elleng]

14. "the US Congress now has the authority to legislate"

and the people have the authority to tell their representatives and senators what to do.

[Unsane]

16. Sure, but it just takes one radical RW Congress and a Republican president to get the law through.

We have the Congress for now, but it certainly may not last.

Bill Clinton vetoed federal abortion restrictions 3+ times, before it was finally signed by Bush.

[elleng]

18. Nothing simple about this issue.

We The People have to be diligent, not only in for whom we vote but in what we demand from them.

and 'one radical RW Congress' should not happen.

I don't mean to belittle importance of Supremes, but to suggest that there are more than one ways to skin cats, and we should use them. AND that's not easy; mobilising this country is so difficult that I'm about to say it just doesn't happen (and then there's the media.)