GOP legislators running both houses are passing bills protecting women from domestic violence while passing bills restricting women's access to health and medical services and mandating invasive and unneeded procedures on women who opt for legal abortion.
In other words, some violence against women will come with the official state seal of approval.
And the GOP majority pushing these measures is using Wisconsin women as pawns in one of the most cynical and callous political maneuvers in state history.
The GOP cares less about the well-being of Wisconsin women - - and particularly low-income and rural women dependent on Planned Parenthood services directly targeted by the legislation - - than it does about serving fringe, right-wing advocacy groups and teeing up Scott Walker as the farthest-right candidate in 2016 presidential primaries.
Heh. That picture makes me wonder if Ellis is one of the regular commenters here?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, that picture is really going viral; it's cropping up everywhere.
ReplyDeleteMy wife was moved to go to the Assembly chambers yesterday to view the circus. Just as she arrived, two rows of spectators were being ejected because someone in their area applauded during the debate. Collective punishment seems to be a new feature of the Republican Occupation Government.
ReplyDeleteShe described the Republicans on the floor as resembling one of those old Thomas Nast cartoons about Tammany Hall. As a group, they were male, obese and balding, with the habit of smiling inappropriately, not in response to the debate but as if enjoying some private dirty thought.
Indeed, Gareth. The Republicans speak piously to the Wisconsin Eye cameras about decorum, and then go back to joking with each other, playing games on their computers or phones, eating, sleeping, what have you, knowing full well that only people in the room will see it (the Wis Eye cameras only focus on one person at a time). That's if they're even in the room at all - they spend a lot of time in the parlor, which is why one person will vote for several other people (both sides are guilty of this). The media who are allowed in the room are such lapdogs that they don't mention this, for fear of losing their 'access.' If you go ever sit in the gallery, you'll see all of this (though with some difficulty, since they Republicans usually open only the gallery above their side, so you only get a full view of the Democratic side), but if you try to take a picture of it, you'll get kicked out and possibly arrested.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe this is 2013 in the United States of America. In Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteMandatory prostate exams for nasty old men!
B: considering that prostate exams are part of disease prevention, better to WITHHOLD prostate exams....
ReplyDeleteOk. Gratuitous anal probes for nasty old men, then.
ReplyDeleteJR, I say you use that photo in your header for the near future...
ReplyDelete