Republicans Renew War on Women
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 6th, 2012
Good morning!
A continuation of yesterday. While Obama clearly cares about women, the repubs renew the war on women. I am posting this specifically for the girls out there who are in support of that repub Romney. If you care about your health and the health of your mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, nieces…you’ll be smart and vote for Obama in November.
Republicans Renew War on Women
Starting today, critical women’s preventive health services will be available to women, free of co-pays or deductibles — a hard-fought benefit for women in Nevada and across the country that is long overdue.
Yet on the eve of the implementation of these historic benefits for women, my Republican colleagues were still trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act — the very law that offers these benefits along with many other crucial protections for women.
Beginning today, for the first time, new insurance plans will be required to cover — without any co-pays — well-woman visits, contraception, breastfeeding support and supplies, screening for gestational diabetes, screening and counseling for domestic violence, as well as testing for HPV and HIV.
An estimated 47 million women nationwide, including nearly 400,000 women in my home state of Nevada, are expected to benefit from this new policy.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, new insurance plans are already required to cover preventive care like mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure checks, prenatal exams and childhood immunizations without cost-sharing. Yet Republicans are so intent on blocking women’s preventive services like contraception coverage from taking effect, they are willing to risk national security.
Yesterday, the Republican leader proposed voting to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act , a move that threatened to derail the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 — legislation that is critical to our national security and completely unrelated to health care.
Covering preventive health services for women is long overdue. While women are more likely to need preventive health services, they often have less ability to pay for them than men. On average, women have lower incomes, and a greater share of their salary is consumed by out-of-pocket health costs.
Half the women in this country have delayed preventive care because of price tags, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Millions of American women delay doctor’s visits, yearly, because they can’t cover co-pays, or miss pills to save money.
It is no wonder the U.S. has one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy of industrialized countries.
That is why, fifteen years ago, I began a bipartisan initiative with Senator Olympia Snowe to expand access to contraception for women. As part of this effort, we passed a law that gave federal employees access to contraception. When this policy took effect in 1999, despite the warnings of our critics, premiums did not go up.
Yet what began as a bipartisan, commonsense proposal fifteen years ago has turned into an unfortunate debate in Congress. Many of my Republican colleagues are downplaying the importance of covering preventing health care for women, or trying to repeal health reform altogether.
They’ve blocked efforts to give women who want it, access to contraception, and they’ve shown little interest in protecting the health of victims of sexual assault.
Putting ideology ahead of science is inexplicable.
I will continue doing everything I can to protect a woman’s right to health care. Today’s implementation of new women’s preventive benefits is just the beginning.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, by 2014, almost 19 million uninsured women will be eligible for comprehensive health coverage, women may no longer be charged more for the same policy as men, and women cannot be denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition.
Asking American women to continue denying themselves the care they need is unacceptable. Only by focusing on America’s best interest, rather than our own political interests, will we have a stronger, healthier future together.
*******
Readers: Just to make it easy reading for everyone, as Scott suggested (Thanks Scott!), when you are responding or referring to someone please include their “name” and the “number” of their comment. Thanks.
Lloyd, Trent, BC, et al: Thank you for your in the moment comments. I was shocked to read what you wrote when I finally did read them. I am assuming and HOPEing that all of you are still alive and safe. My condolences to the families and friends of those that were killed. This is just horrifying.
I read the write on HuffPO – Once again, I am sickened and saddened by what is happening in this world.
The Oak Creek shooting was the latest in a series of suburban U.S. gun rampages. Organizations fighting gun violence rate Wisconsin’s gun safety laws from low to moderate. There are no limits on the number of firearms that can be purchased at one time, nor on the possession or transfer of assault weapons, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Tracy: Yes, it is definitely a “testament to the dedication…”. I am amazed and grateful.
Blog Biz: Just to let you know, on Sundays I post around 11:00 AM. This gives me time on a Sunday to just relax in the morning if I choose. And since I am pretty consistent with the time, you, my readers, won’t expect my blog to post anytime earlier. However, sometimes I write early if I’ve want, but schedule it to post at 11:00. That is the reason why I did not make a comment before I posted yesterday. I actually finished my write at around 9:30 AM and scheduled it to post at 11:00 AM. I was not on my blog at all after 9:30.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 6th, 2012 at 9:22 am
Good Monday morning. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Here are some headlines:
Reuters: Romney rakes in over $100 million last month
Las Vegas Journal: Harry Reid helps Chinese energy firm represented by his son
Washington Post: David Plouffe got $100,000 fee from affiliate of firm doing business with Iran
Politico: Reid CoS calls GOP ‘cowards’
NASA: Curiosity rover lands on Mars
Plus — Our cover story in this week’s issue is from David, who looks at the 5 ways Republicans can frame the looming tax fight to their advantage. It’s a great piece that Republicans should take heed. It’s below.
Gizzi showcases Rep. LaTourette’s exit from the House and a look at the Michigan GOP Senate primary.
Have a great Monday,
-Adam
August 6th, 2012 at 9:23 am
The man suspected of shooting and killing six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin on Sunday is former Army soldier Wade Michael Page, 40, several law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation said Monday.
The shooter was killed by an officer at the scene.
August 6th, 2012 at 9:24 am
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she is “devastated” by the mass shootings in Oak Creek, Wis., but said when it comes to revisiting the issue of gun control, Congress just doesn’t have the votes to pass any laws.
“The votes aren’t there for gun control,” she said. “We certainly aren’t going to be able to do it in this Congress, and I don’t know that we would be able to do it in a Democratic Congress because it takes a lot of votes to go down that path.”
August 6th, 2012 at 9:49 am
How to Tan Safely
I don’t have to tell you that lying in the sun—especially without sunscreen—is a dangerous way to tan, since it ages your skin and raises your risk for skin cancer. Baking in a tanning booth also is harmful, of course, for the same reasons.
But what about salon spray tans and over-the-counter self-tanning lotions and sprays? Many contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA)—a chemical that interacts with amino acids in the skin to produce a bronze color and creates a tan that lasts a while (three to 10 days or even longer). Are they safe?
Earlier this summer, an ABC News report raised questions about the safety of DHA for tanning. A panel of medical experts reviewed 10 lab studies and concluded that DHA tanners have the potential to alter or damage DNA if the products are absorbed in a certain way.
Here’s the thing: DHA was approved by the FDA in 1977 for external use, but—especially when it’s used in spray form—
you can accidentally inhale or swallow it, or it can get in your eyes, or it can enter your body through your genitalia or anus, and therefore it can enter your lungs, your digestive tract and possibly even your bloodstream.
There are other kinds of self-tanning products available in stores that are DHA-free, but Daily Health News did not find any DHA-free spray tans offered by salons.
DHA-free tans tend to last a very short time, only about 24 hours. What they do, essentially, is dye your skin.
Are they considered safe, even with repeated use?
Daily Health News did not uncover any negative reports, but it’s possible that rigorous research on these types of tanners has not yet been done.
Many people aren’t interested in looking tan at all—but plenty are. So for tips on how to get a safe faux glow, I called New York City dermatologist Neal B. Schultz, MD.
SHOULD YOU USE DHA—OR AVOID IT?
In Dr. Schultz’s opinion, over-the-counter DHA tanning products have been used externally for 35 years with no ill effects—with the exception of occasional skin rashes—so he still considers this type of application safe.
Just choose a lotion instead of a spray, he said, and then apply the lotion carefully to avoid getting it in your nose, mouth or eyes.
To test for an allergic reaction, he recommends that you test DHA lotion on a small patch of skin before applying it to your entire body.
If no rash appears within 24 hours, it’s safe to use all over. If you do develop a rash, then he recommends using a DHA-free product.
As for DHA-based spray tans at salons, Dr. Schultz said, if you go this route, tell the workers that they must not get any spray into your nose, mouth or eyes—
and then, for insurance, insist on wearing nose plugs (they’re like earplugs for your nose), lip balm and eye covers, and, of course, underwear during the spraying.
The FDA recommends that all tanning salons provide customers with protection for the nose, mouth and eyes, but the recent ABC News investigation found that many salons do not offer that sort of protective gear—and even when they do, salon employees sometimes discourage their use.
If your tanning salon doesn’t offer the gear, buy it and bring it with you. (You can find these products at such online retailers as http://www.TheTanningStore.com or store.TheVanityGirl.com.)
Then, after you get the tan, wait a few minutes until it feels dry before touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
TIPS FOR THE BEST-LOOKING FAKE TAN
If you decide to use an over-the-counter self-tanner or get a salon spray tan, to make your fake tan look as good as possible and last longer, follow these tips from Dr. Schultz…
Before you tan:
The day before you tan, exfoliate to remove dead skin with a whole-body scrub in the shower or use a glycolic chemical exfoliant after the shower. This helps you avoid a blotchy tan.
Do not apply any moisturizer, body oil, deodorant, sunscreen or makeup before you use a self-tanner—if you’ve put on any of that stuff since you’ve last showered, then shower again.
These create barriers to tanning. Skin should be clean and dry when tanner is applied.
Do apply moisturizer to the palms of your hands and any other skin areas that you don’t want to tan, such as fingernails and toenails, just before you use tanner.
Buy topless, strap-free sandals that stick to the soles of your feet (available for about $10 at http://www.StickySandals.com, or make your own out of cardboard and tape).
Put on these sandals and a shower cap just before you apply tanner. This will keep the lotion (or spray at a salon) from getting in your hair or on the bottoms of your feet.
If the spray tan gets on parts of the soles of your feet (but not on every single part), then the soles of your feet may look blotchy.
If using a lotion, apply it with a towelette or sponge—this makes the lotion easier to apply evenly than if you use your bare hands.
After you tan:
Water drops leave spots that will spoil your tan. So if it’s raining the day you use a self-tanner, wear rainwear when you go out…avoid strenuous activity that will make you perspire…and wait eight hours after you get the tan before showering.
You always want to avoid excessive sun exposure, but be especially careful in the 24 hours after you tan. At that point, your skin may be more vulnerable to free radical damage from sunlight due to the reaction of DHA with your skin.
Keep in mind that a sunless tan does not protect you from UV rays. When you go outside, apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
To keep your tan longer, ease up on exfoliation and shaving—these speed the fading process—and moisturize your skin daily.
Source: Neal Schultz, MD, a leading medical and cosmetic dermatologist in New York City.
Dr. Schultz is the author of It’s Not Just About Wrinkles: A Park Avenue Dermatologist’s Program for Beautiful Skin–in Just Four Minutes a Day (Stewart, Tabori and Chan).
August 6th, 2012 at 9:51 am
I am a military man. As such I exist by perimeters that are set by others. Most are out of reach of logical expectation given the circumstances within which one is expected to perform.
One more ultimatum falls on deft ears.
Luc
August 6th, 2012 at 9:55 am
Zen Lill, miss that cohesiveness that comes with your comments. Hope life isn’t presenting you with too many
difficulties.
Chris
August 6th, 2012 at 9:58 am
The tale of Tsarme has not entirely ended.
Now that Tsarme is safe aboard the Climaxx ship with Azza, what will they do when he is well?
They can not go anywhere until Tsarme recovers from his injuries. The transfusion he was given — while it saved his life has impeded Tsarme’s ability to morph into other beings.
Presently his form is stuck on the likeness of Tony who supplied the Krael transfusion.
Azza has sent for a physician from Krijo.
Then what?
Azza does not want to take Tsarme to his solar system because she is afraid that she may be asked to allow Tsarme to disembark.
This is not over yet. Azza has Several problems to be sorted out first. I will discuss them in my next comment concerning Tsarme.
HOWIE
August 6th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Hi Misch, rec’d your vmail msg, will try you on my long ride home tonight, for sure ; ) (I’m in the valley!)
Christine, hmm, my perspective probably won’t make me friends here, though I will voice it anyway. It goes into the realm of the American education system, which is lagging sorely in it’s standards and being outpaced easily by many other countries. Even old white guys who make laws cannot ignore that. If we weren’t dumbing down our curriculum and having certain types ‘rewrite’ at will, we could educate people about the differences between, Sikhs, Muslims amongst many other cultural/religious differences in looks, dress, beliefs and actions, and build a level of trust and tolerance for one another.
I actually don’t like the term ‘tolerance’ it seems to sound like ‘putting up with’ and why can’t it just be another ‘live and let live’ situation? Why does anyone need to be superior/inferior? (my theory on superiority complexes is that deep down is inferiority so it must present as its opposite in order to survive, it’s very unconscious behavior).
I don’t need to judge or tolerate anyone or anything, that need only arises in the insecure and fearful, which we here at MM all know by now…are…drum roll please…in need of an ‘addadictomeeee’
My personal MO – I often try to ask white peeps who want to have a logical debate a few questions: and you have to slide em’ in sideways so you don’t alert too much attention. First, I want to know if they’re religious, bc they might have racist/sexist values based on their ignorance to issues other than those that affect them (they tend to be short-sighted) and second, have they lived out of the country at all, or travelled extensively, done biz with an emerging country…bc if they don’t meet that criteria (#’s 1 & 2), I understand their stance from their world view (can you say – limited?) and sometimes as in the case of the Wade’s of the world, he clearly believes skin color is everything. Most people who are ignorant on any subject come from a place of fear and will kill to ‘protect’ themselves and ‘their own’ from their ‘fear’ – in this case Wade seemed to go off half cocked at what he may have perceived to be Muslims, though clearly he wouldn’t care if they were sikh’s or any other religion either, he’s white (a supremicist at that), thinks anyone else is lesser than…hmm, we’ve got a few of that type tuning in here lately.
I also hesitate to use ‘war against’ (fill in blank)- (not to sound woo woo though I am Zen Lill remember) bc whatever you focus intensely on creates more of what you focus on intensely. I do understand using strong terms has impact for getting things done, however, if you watch closely re-scum-nican men know damn well that re-scum women will embark on a war with Dem women and get into a sweet ‘what about the baby debate’ when it comes to abortion, that will allow the men to step back smirking and ordering appendage growing apparatuses in between passing laws to ‘protect women’ just bc the war is on/between females (the rescum womenfolk completely ignoring the fact that it’s about women’s health, personal choice and the ability to carry out that choice whatever it may be. That – it isn’t about me, it’s about women getting very basic health care needs met.)
Men thinking with their large head would certainly grasp the need for a women to be able to ‘afford’ the pills that prevent the pregnancy neither of you want, why is that at all hard to grasp? I’m simplifying, no need to even chat about why we’d need STD or HPV testing, or do we??
Gotta roll, Luv, Zen Lill
August 6th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
& Christine, life is busy and so I often think – ah, there’s so many commenters, who cares if I join the foray, and then I see someone like you ask after me, and it makes my day, so thank you.
Howie, how’s it going? Just saying a hello specifically to you : ) I hope AL is well??
- ZL
August 6th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
I used to belong to one of those hate groups. I started when I was 16. I went to a white supremacist concert and met some what I thought were father figures who mislead me.
For the next 11 years I did horrendous things to minorities. Beatings, kidnaping, murder, whatever it took to remain a member in good standing I did.
I was convinced that we were in a race war and that I was a soldier. When my girl friend got pregnant and revealed that she had jewish relatives, I got scared and told her to get the fuck away from me.
When I told one of my best friends in the movement that I found out that my girlfriend in her final weeks of pregnancy confessed to me that she was a christian bu that she had hymie relatives in her family tree.
When I told him he said that my throwing her out would probably not be good enough. He said that she had insulted white blood like jews do every day by pretending to be white.
So he told the group and they set plans to track her down and punish her. I called her and told her that she was forgiven. When she showed up we took her to a place we had often taken our prey.
She recognized where we were taking her and began to beg us not to hurt her baby.
We kept her for 4 days the men took turns raping her. The women followed suit raping her with various objects from sticks to bottles.
The we took turns kicking the mudd out of her. When she suddenly aborted we burnt the thing cut her up and fed her to the alligators we kept for such purposes on our farm.
I woke up the next day to the sound of my child crying. I felt sick. I left when we returned to the city. I changed my name and left that scene.
I’m never going back.
August 6th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
ZL #9:
You can’t fool me with an Anonymous. I know it is you, Zen Lill, hiding behind the handle ZL ;)
Thanks for the comcern.
AL says HI.
HOWIE
August 6th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
The Right will be in full denial mode, because this tragedy seems to track the recent Justice Dept. study that claimed vets were in danger of being radicalized by right-wing separatists, and skin-head groups. I expect the full-throated push-back, any minute now.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Domestic terrorism, fueled by the likes of Bachmann and other crazies, will continue it’s sordid path of violent killings as long as Christians continue to claim they’re the only ‘true’ religion.
Sikhs, along with Hindus & Buddhists, are among the most peaceful religions on the planet. Leave it to politicians to distort, lie and cast suspicion that they’re all part of an Islamic Invasion that’s here to corrupt our minds and rape our children.
White Supremacists eat the Bachmann crap like candy & then go out & kill people.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
The right believes in “freedom of religion” as long as it’s their religion!
August 6th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
I suspected that he was a racist. Racists are not mentally ill. That is their worldview that is what they think and act according to that position.
August 6th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Haters don’t particularly care which sect they kill…..as long as it’s someone different from them!
August 6th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Voting for Democrats won’t help either. They are too spineless to stand up to gun interests as has been demonstrated many times over the past 30-40 years when they have controlled both sides of the the Congress and the Executive branch at the same time.
Mayor Bloomberg (a Republican BTW) of NYC has been one of the strongest proponents of gun control.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:46 am
Only racists are actually voting for Romney. The rest of the Right are merely voting against the black guy.
They will use any dirty tactic to win.
It used to be I want to get these groups to vote for me. Now the Right is saying I want to prevent these groups from voting because they won’t vote for me.
We need organize to fight these dirty tactics.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:49 am
For those too young to have seen the horror of the Civil Rights attacks and burning of black churches. Men hanging from trees, women/girls/boys raped, torture done and such hate it was beyond belief.
Well Connie Rice lost her girlfriends when a KKK group burned the Church with the little girls inside the church. All this because Americans wanted rights and the right to vote.
Some Governors looked for other ways of stopping minorities from voting. A charge or Poll Tax was changed at such a high cost no one could afford it as many citizens said the fee was more then they made in a month.
Threats were given to those workers to not vote and some who couldn’t read or write saw their boss case their vote. A TV station followed a young black man who graduated from college in the North as he went home to resigister to vote.
The young man filled out the form and the clerk refused it saying she couldn’t read. He boss accepted the formed but asked him did his parents know what he was doing and suggested he go back North. Welcome back to the 50′s and 60′s.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:53 am
..republicans will do anything to win……lie, cheat & steal……..
August 7th, 2012 at 1:54 am
Money is what controls elections now and big money doesn’t want these people voting.
The only way to fight it, really, is to have some big money backers starting a program to pay for voter id for the poor and elderly and to back funding of efforts to thwart those that want to take away this basic right.
It’s just the new Jim Crow, this time with big lobbying money behind it.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:55 am
Counter arguments to this always really bother me. They generally revolve around “if you’re too lazy to get an ID then who cares if you can’t vote!”.
I didn’t realize that voting had qualifications like that and I’m not sure who decided what arbitrary social lines people need to cross in order to vote are either.
There’s too much proof of who this inordinately affects. There’s too much proof that voter fraud in this country, particularly for national elections, is almost nonexistent.
There’s too much proof that these laws that attack nonexistent problems affect more legal voters than than illegal voters.
Plus every time I read about this, there’s inevitably some comment about a house plant that voted for Obama.
I would never support a law that kept votes from happening. I wouldn’t care if it affected nothing but a state that was entirely conservative. It’s wrong. It’s against everything this country is supposedly about, against things our ancestors have fought and died for. It’s absolutely disgusting.
The concept that this is good is beyond me. As is the concept that enabling more people to legally vote is somehow equivalent to this.
August 7th, 2012 at 1:55 am
I was born, raised, and educated (thank God) in the north (NJ), and moved to the south (TN) 7 years ago – living quite comfortably, since they won’t properly educate their population, which is a shame.
When I was growing up, I remember someone telling me that “nothing scares racist whites more than an educated Black person”. I’ve been finding there is some truth in that.
August 7th, 2012 at 2:00 am
I just finished reading your comment Zen Lill. Loved it! You lady know how to write.
Penn
August 7th, 2012 at 2:12 am
Michelle I had so many people call me to read your blog to get a description of the killer.
August 7th, 2012 at 2:13 am
ZK I heard that said a long time ago too. Not really thinking it made sense but no it does as it seems it’s really Obama’s education that really bothers many.
Yesterday Boehner was so drunk and mad he said Obama never had a real job. Well Boehner worked at a bar, left the military because of fear and was a salesman.
Now I check Obama’s work experience and found community organizer, Lawyer, Constitutional Professor, State Senator and US Senator.
It seem Boehner doesn’t see that as a real job but serving drinks in the Boehner Family Bar is real work.
August 7th, 2012 at 2:16 am
This is a dam shame..those who are violating this law need to be taken to the mat….
This is a civil rights violation and charges need to be filed to prosecute the party responsible…
WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN…IT is in the constitution…this is out right voter suppression..