Our Democrats' timidity about Plan B, abstinence only education, plus

[madfloridian]

their history of introducing anti-abortion bills. It is something we need to be on the guard against.

We will have more control in the House come January, but we had a majority in 2007 when two incidents occurred that failed to address serious concerns. One was the fact that women on military bases overseas could not get access to the morning after pill, Plan B. The other was that our Democrats, though in control of the House..last year voted to raise the funding for abstinence only education in our schools.

I have said before it is not about having 60 Democrats in the Senate, or a true majority in the House....it means they have to stand up for what Democrats are supposed to believe in.

From June of 2007...

Did the Democrats leave military servicewomen without EC for political reasons?

On Wednesday, May 16, advocates were optimistic that legislation requiring emergency contraception to be stocked on all military bases would pass in the House. “We had the votes on Wednesday night. Things were looking good,” says Monica Castellanos, press secretary for Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine), one of the lead co-sponsors of the amendment that was scheduled for a vote the next day. But then, something mysterious happened.

For reasons that remain unclear, Michaud withdrew the legislation the next morning. According to Castellanos, it was purely a logistical snafu: “Key supporters had to be in their districts.” But sources close to the issue tell a different story: The legislation, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, with bipartisan support, was dropped by a Democratic leadership unwilling to go to bat for pro-choice issues. Despite Michaud’s confidence that the votes were there, Democratic leadership wasn’t so sure, and they didn’t want to hang around long enough to find out. The legislation might not have sunk, but they jumped ship anyway.

Emergency contraception, also known as Plan B or the morning-after pill, is available over-the-counter in all 50 states, but women in the U.S. military cannot count on accessing the medication on military bases. A 2003 survey financed by the Defense Department found that almost a third of military women reported being the victim of rape or attempted rape during their tenure in the military. Yet in return for their service, servicewomen are denied access to basic health care. “The situation is unconscionable,” says Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation. “If you are a military woman in Iraq, and you are raped, it is this country’s obligation to make sure you have access to emergency contraception.”

That's a shame, and it does sound political much as I hate to say it.

Another reason for keeping an eye out and watching legislation closely, is that after they won in 2006, Democrats increased funding for the discredited abstinence-only policy.

From 2007

Democrats Increase Funding for Discredited Abstinence-Only Policy

"The Democratic leadership of the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Service, and Education (LHHS) Sub-Committee set science and commonsense aside by increasing the funding for discredited abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Despite a congressionally mandated report that found these programs do not work to help teens delay sexual initiation, House leadership allocated $141 million (an increase of $27.8 million) to continue feeding America's young people misinformation.

"Let's face it, with friends like these, who needs conservative Republicans?" said James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth. "By continuing to fund these ineffective programs, the House Democratic leadership has signaled that the health and well-being of America's teens are not their priority. Young people and their parents should be outraged.

They provided almost 28 million more in funding than before.

Our new HHS Secretary, while said to be pro-choice now....was not pro-choice in 1997. He tried to pass a more restrictive anti-abortion bill than that of the Republicans.

Women's right advocates..be aware of bills introduced in the past.

"Daschle's so-called compromise bill, as quoted in the New York Times, permits an exception to the ban for `a severely debilitating disease or impairment specifically caused by the pregnancy (emphasis added),' but makes no provision for a pre-existing, life- and health-threatening `debilitating disease or impairment' that is being exacerbated by the pregnancy. This could include kidney disease, severe hypertension and some cancers. Nor does the Daschle bill allow for an abortion in cases of severe fetal abnormality where it is unlikely the fetus would live long outside the womb, even with technological support.

"The physician certification requirement and the potential loss of a medical license in the Daschle language invites government scrutiny of private medical matters and threatens doctor-patient confidentiality. The intent of this and other abortion ban bills is to control women and to limit their ability to make critical reproductive decisions that affect their families, their health and their lives. These bills represent the ultimate in Congressional arrogance," Gandy charged.

Making sure our Democrats act like Democrats is our job, you know. We can not let them use women and gays as scapegoats to compromise the party's core beliefs.

No Democrats should be advocating the failed abstinence only policy. No Democrats should deny women in the military the access to Plan B contraception. No Democrat should ever try to pass an anti-abortion bill more restrictive than those of the other party.

It's our job to make sure they stand up for traditional Democratic beliefs.

[StreetKnowledge]

1. Are you Seriously Surprised by this?

Obama's administration is going down the same road as Clinton, spending more time worrying about the right wing retards who have been retarding this nation for a generation than getting out there and boldly leading. So far, he's recycling most of the guys form the Clinton Administration, which though better than Bush was still very much not Liberal or even progressive.

The Dems don't get it. They are trying to be moderates, appealing to all people. And fat lot of good its doing! Ignore the righties, they already have a party and large groups of hatemongering lunatics trying to change things by threats of violence. To hell with them, and to hell with the people that have run the nation for three decades! We can do better.

Obama said he'd do better - so far, he's not delivering at all. Get with the program Barack! Without us Liberals, you'd still be an Illinois State Senator, not the President-elect!

[madfloridian]

2. It's our role to do what we can to make them stand up.

It may not matter at all, but we have to try and speak out.

I think I was surprised when Rahm was chosen, which sort of sent a message to many in the party.

I am keeping an open mind, but policy is being set now.

[StreetKnowledge]

3. You're wasting your time

We aren't being listened to. If we were, we'd have Obama and his people fighting to change the bailout, not hand more mountains of taxpayer $$$ without any recourse or accountability. This is gonna be Clinton Part 2, which essentially means more moderate conservatism, not progressives. Less Bush, more Reagan.

While our country goes broke, the way of solving it is called "socialism". The Democrats, the vast majority of whom don't know what a pair of testicles looks like let along have any, will just keep bending to the RW worthless fascist trash that we've become accustomed to. I think this country will have to hit violence on a massive scale before somebody wises up.

[madfloridian]

4. Maybe...

but the alternative is not trying.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. No, the majority of Americans are PRO CHOICE. Reminding our Democrats of that fact is

not only the right thing to do, it's smart politics as well.

Unfortunately, too many of them still buy into this bullshit about the all-powerful "values voter". That can and will change.

[Deja Q]

10. He's not even taken office yet and can't for 2 months. He can't be blamed for ANYTHING yet!

[madfloridian]

5. Cecile Richards points out good things that could happen for women...

in an Obama administration. I hope there are enough pro-choice Democrats left not to undermine things.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2008/11/7/7-things-obamas-win-could-mean-for-womens-health.html

Just posting the part about the Plan B for military women. There are 7 things listed.

". Improved access to morning after pills and abortions for U.S. military women serving overseas. Women who become pregnant while serving overseas are immediately shipped home. They aren't allowed to get surgical abortions in military hospitals, nor do they have access to medical abortions early in the pregnancy using Mifeprex, a combination of two medications. Obama's health plan includes coverage for abortions, and he could join with the Democrat-led Congress to enact legislation that ensures that soldiers get the same health benefits as the rest of us."

[madfloridian]

6. Whoa! Did you know funding for abstinence education also funds anti-abortion clinics???

I did not know that. I had no clue. Here is an article about it.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20081128/NEWS/811280361/1338/NEWS00?Title=Abortion_Foes_Are_Having_to_Change_Strategies

"Krista Yurchak, executive director of Lakeland's other anti-abortion clinic, A Woman's Choice, said she expects more demand for the clinic's services as a result of the political realignment in Washington. She said she is already planning to stoke her marketing efforts, which now include television commercials, a phone directory ad and an Internet presence.

.."Yurchak said her clinic benefits from a federal grant for abstinence-based education that she now considers to be in jeopardy. The five-year grant, which Yurchak labeled "substantial," began last year.

"We're all very aware we need to move quickly to secure private funding so we don't have to be dependent on this federal grant, because that's something that may go away," Yurchak said.

Rutherford said operators of clinics like hers also worry about increased government scrutiny. She noted former New York attorney general Elliott Spitzer investigated pregnancy centers a few years ago in a move abortion foes decried as intimidation.

Rutherford suggested similar steps could arise in Florida, though that seems unlikely in a state with a Republican governor and attorney general and a Republican-dominated legislature."

Her funding began last year? That was 2007...our Democrats controlled congress.

That must be when our Democrats increased funding for abstinence only almost 28 million dollars.

Amazing the things I don't know.

:shrug:

[Warren DeMontague]

9. I'm not surprised, because the real agenda of the so-called "pro-life" movement

is to get people to stop fucking, at least for non-procreative purposes.

It's never been about "life"... it's about sex, pure and simple. Sex, and control.

[Deja Q]

11. And when it's out of control, STDs skyrocket, unwanted children are made (think Nebraska), etc...

As far as I'm concerned, the truth IS in the middle.

Especially when there are so many reports claiming that people with white skin will be a minority by 2050. If all these religions people are eeeeeeeeeeeeeevil racists, why aren't they encouraging more people to boink and make unwanted children?

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Define "out of control". What makes anyone think other people's sex lives are theirs to "control",

first off?

Secondly, I'd like to see some statistical back-up. Actually, it's in places where this "abstinence only" stuff is taught that you have huge increases in unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Where information on protection and contraception is taught, kids are far more likely to protect themselves when they have sex- as they invariably will.

In answer to your last question, the far right religious people don't mind (at least, this is what they claim) procreative sex done in the confines of a Christ-centric marriage, particularly with the express goal of producing more church-goers.

[madfloridian]

13. That's my taxpayer money Congress is paying to fund her anti-abortion clinic???

I surely have been clueless. And the five year grant for her clinic started last year under a Democratic congress??

I am so very angry about this.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. K&R.

:kick:

[judasdisney]

14. Plan B is NOT the "abortion pill" -- that's RU486. Repeat after me.

The "Morning After Pill" is NOT an abortion pill. It is a double-dose contraceptive.

The "Morning After Pill" is NOT an abortion pill. It is a double-dose contraceptive.

The "Morning After Pill" is NOT an abortion pill. It is a double-dose contraceptive.

If implantation has already occurred, you WILL get pregnant. Plan B/Morning After does NOT abort.

If implantation has already occurred, you WILL get pregnant. Plan B/Morning After does NOT abort.

If implantation has already occurred, you WILL get pregnant. Plan B/Morning After does NOT abort.

[madfloridian]

15. I did not use the words "abortion pill." I know what Plan B is.

:shrug:

[judasdisney]

16. Exactly. It's the Neocon/Theocon talking point I'm clarifying, not your excellent post.

I don't hear enough Democrats who understand the difference, and Neocons/Theocons exploit that ignorance.

Sorry to be so annoying, but I hope it helps people remember.

Your essays & posts are virtually the only reason to read DU.

[madfloridian]

17. That was nice.

Thanks.

[madfloridian]

18. IL also funds anti-abortion clinics with these funds. This bothers me.

That is not funding "education", that is funding bigotry and misinformation. That is our tax money.

http://progressillinois.com/2008/11/25/IL-abstinence-ed-problem

"Here in Illinois, however, it seems Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have ignored the overwhelming evidence to this effect. According to the Sexuality and Information Education Council’s (SIECUS) William Smith, the state accepted over $1.8 million in abstinence-until-marriage funds this past fiscal year through a federal funding stream known as Title V. And the money went to some undeserving causes.

..."The state also doled out $250,000 to four crisis pregnancy centers, anti-choice institutions that are generally operated by religious organizations. The primary goal is to talk women out of abortions, often via misleading information and questionable tactics.

What gives? DHS Secretary Carol Adams wrote to Smith that the agency “supports a myriad of services designed to address the goals of reducing teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The Abstinence Education Program is part of the continuum of services designed to address these goals.”

That’s not a very convincing argument. There are a myriad of ways to teach math, but the state wouldn’t fund a school using discredited algebra equations."

[madfloridian]

19. Walgreens is apparently restricting access to Plan B contraceptive...

Per this diary at Daily Kos. Someone needs to get over this fear of the religious right and let the medical advances be available to women...their right to such a pill should be be conntrolled.

Where are our Democrats speaking out on this? That's right. They are not. There are now 31 at least in congress in the House who would be against this morning after pill.

Walgreens Restricting Access to Plan B Contraceptives

"Well, the other day we decided to be extra-safe and to get the Plan B pill from Walgreens here in town. My girlfriend went and requested Plan B, equipped with the knowledge that it's a non-prescription drug available with ID. She said the pharmacy worker started asking for proof of insurance in order to get the pill. My girlfriend refused and asked to speak to someone in charge. The pharmacist then came, and my girlfriend told him she simply wanted Plan B and that her ID should be good enough. The pharmacist then went about getting the pill, but they also seem to have a policy, a lá abortion clinics, of forcing a waiting period of an hour and giving adoption literature to the person requesting the contraceptive. Now, Plan B is just an additional spermicide, not an abortion pill, but that's another can of worms. In the end, my girlfriend demanded the Plan B immediately, and she got it, but not without a fair amount of interference on Walgreens' part. They also insisted on writing down her driver's license number."