Women’s Rights

(Update) Attorney General pursues Governor Ducey’s witch hunt against Planned Parenthood

by

Witch Hunt (wĭch′hŭnt′) n. An investigation carried out ostensibly to uncover subversive activities but actually used to harass and undermine those with differing views.

handmaids-tale_0“Cathi’s Clown,” Governor Doug Ducey, beholden to Cathi Herrod and her Christian Taliban at the Center for Arizona Policy for his election, decided to join the GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood over surreptitious videos made by fetus fetish Forced Birthers from the Center for Medical Progress discussing fetal tissue donations with Planned Parenthood representatives.

“Cathi’s Clown” sicked his abortion cops, led by state Health Director Cara Christ and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, on Planned Parenthood. (h/t image: The Handmaid’s Tale). Governor Ducey joins GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood.

Howard Fischer reports today, AG seeks OK for probe of fetal tissue sales:

The Attorney General’s Office is asking a federal judge to allow it to pursue an investigation fishing expedition into whether anyone in Arizona is violating state laws dealing with abortions and fetal remains.

In legal papers filed in federal court, Assistant Attorney General Maria Syms wants U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick to rule that his injunction barring the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress from releasing more undercover videos does not apply to copies already being sought by prosecutors. Syms said her boss, Mark Brnovich, believes the injunction, unless amended, will impede his legal obligation to investigate whether state laws are being violated.

The Attorney General’s Office would not comment on what it is investigating other than to say it is a “possible violation of Arizona law.’’

But court documents obtained by Capitol Media Services confirm there is an active investigation: Judge Orrick specifically said a subpoena already has been issued by the state.

Read more

GOP clutches its pearls after Hillary Clinton calls them out for extremist views on women’s reproductive rights

by

So let me get this straight . . . Donald Trump, the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog of the Republican Party — whose entire campaign is based upon insulting his sixteen opponents, the media, every demographic voting bloc in America, and anyone else unfortunate enough to have crossed his path today — is entitled to say the most outrageously offensive things he wants and the media will eat it up, giving him free airtime to air his boorish insults on the network news.

But Hillary Clinton says one mildly offensive (to some) comment, that just happens to be true, and suddenly it’s a “scandal” for which she should apologize?

The clear media double standard here is that IOKIYAR, but not if you are a Democrat.

The New York Times reports, Hillary Clinton Likens Republican Views on Women to Those of Terror Groups:

TalibanAt a rally in Ohio on Thursday, Mrs. Clinton scolded Senator Marco Rubio of Florida for his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape or incest. She hit former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida for wanting to defund Planned Parenthood. And she criticized Gov. John Kasich of Ohio for banning public financing of some rape crisis centers.

“Now, extreme views about women, we expect that from some of the terrorist groups,” Mrs. Clinton said. “We expect that from people who don’t want to live in the modern world. But it’s a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States.”

Calling such policies out of date and out of touch, Mrs. Clinton dared her rivals to face mothers who caught breast cancer early because of screenings and girls who did not get pregnant because of access to contraceptives that were made available through government funding.

Charles Pierce at Esquire says that Hillary Clinton Has Run Out of F*cks to Give. Good for her, Clinton has had a tendency to be too cautious because of the Clinton Rules of reporting.

Read more

J.E.B.(!) Bush is a terrible candidate

by

The scion of the “Bush Dynasty,” J.E.B.(!) Bush, no doubt assumed that the presidency was his inheritance — all he had to do was run for president. It turns out that J.E.B.(!) Bush is a terrible candidate, and his assumptions are wrong.

Cartoon_31

After spending the better part of a week doubling down on his idiot brother’s unnecessary and illegal war in Iraq and illegal torture policy, J.E.B.(!) returned to offending key voting blocs.

In recent days this gaffe machine has again offended Latinos and women, two key voting blocs that no candidate can get elected president without. It’s as almost if J.E.B.(!) doesn’t want to be president and is subconsciously sabotaging his own campaign.

Read more

Governor Ducey joins GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood

by

Witch Hunt (wĭch′hŭnt′) n. An investigation carried out ostensibly to uncover subversive activities but actually used to harass and undermine those with differing views.

handmaids-tale_0“Cathi’s Clown,” Governor Doug Ducey, beholden to Cathi Herrod and her Christian Taliban at the Center for Arizona Policy for his election, has decided to join the GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood over surreptitious videos made by fetus fetish Forced Birthers from the Center for Medical Progress discussing fetal tissue donations with Planned Parenthood representatives.

“Cathi’s Clown” has sicked his abortion cops, led by state Health Director Cara Christ and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, on Planned Parenthood. (h/t image: The Handmaid’s Tale). Howard Fischer reports, Abortion providers must account for tissue to state:

The state Department of Health Services late Friday filed emergency rules with the Secretary of State’s Office to mandate that each report of an abortion now contain “the final disposition” of such tissue from what the agency calls “unborn children.”

It also requires abortion providers to detail if they provide the tissue for another person, provide that person’s name and address, any compensation received and whether the patient provided “informed consent” for the transfer of the tissue.

The rules took effect with their filing. By law, state Health Director Cara Christ is entitled to enact emergency rules without prior notice and without public hearings.

Christ acted at the behest of Gov. Doug Ducey who was responding to undercover videos — none from Arizona — that purport to show Planned Parenthood representatives discussing the sale of such tissue. [They do not.] Sale for profit is illegal under federal law, though abortion providers can recover certain costs.

Read more

Forget Trump, focus on the misogynist policies of the GOP contenders

by

E.J. Montini of The Arizona Republic makes an excellent point in a recent opinion, The right-wing misogynist hypocrite who is NOT Trump:

Handmaid'sTaleIf the other candidates actually believe that sexism and misogyny is bad, why would any of them want to be in the same room as [Erick] Erickson?

* * *

After all, if sexism and misogyny actually bothered them, they would have boycotted the event to which Trump was disinvited.

(Image of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood)

Steve Benen makes a similar point in Jeb Bush flubs another test on women’s issues:

But Jeb Bush attended that gathering, stood alongside Erickson, and made a curious proclamation. Think Progress reported over the weekend:

Jeb Bush appeared at the RedState Gathering on Saturday and pronounced that Erickson was “on the side of women.”

Erickson tried to distinguish his own comments from Trump’s by claiming he has apologized. But he only apologized for one sexist remark — referring to the first day of the Democratic National Convention, which featured female speakers, as the “Vagina Monologues.”

So, let me get this straight. Looking back over the last few days, Jeb Bush said, “I’m not sure we need half a billion dollars for women’s health issues.” The former governor then made accusations against Planned Parenthood that were demonstrably untrue. He then stood alongside a right-wing media personality with a lengthy record of misogyny and said, “You’re on the side of women.”

It’s almost as if the Florida Republican is trying to alienate voters.

Read more