#gop #rushlimbaugh #mittromney #ricksantorum
Republican contenders for the nomination of their party claim that the spat over contraception has nothing to do with a ‘war on women’, but a battle against a big-government mandate to force religious affiliated institutions from providing contraception and other related products from heathcare plans of employees or students (etc). In the face of that argument, President Barack Obama compromised by allowing the employer/institution to opt out, but would obligate the insurance agency contracted to provide health coverage to provide said coverage directly to its female clients. No problem, right?
Wrong.
The hold outs demanded that the mandate scuttled altogether. They demanded a full veto on providing such a benefit to their female employees. Not content with that demand, a GOP Senator wanted that right of veto for ANY employer who felt that providing contraception coverage was unacceptable based on the employers conscience. That amendment to the Affordable Healthcare Act was turned back – barely.
In a Senate committee struck to debate such issues, no women were allowed to testify. Go figure. An issue that pertains to women’s health issues didn’t have any women speakers to testify. They did have a table full of high ranking clergy representing the largest religious groups in America.
The one woman that was asked to speak (and denied the opportunity) was a student advocating for her friend who needed the hormone therapy to battle cysts on her ovaries. That friend was denied coverage by her religious affiliated university and couldn’t afford coverage on her own. She went without. Her ovary ruptured and was removed in emergency surgery because of it.
That advocate friend was then skewered by Rush Limbaugh on his talk radio program. He smeared her personally as a slut for thinking that the taxpayer ought to pay for her contraception as a result of her promiscuous lifestyle. Only, it had nothing to do with her; it was the suffering friend that was needing (and denied coverage) that the whole discussion was based on.
No apology, no explanation, no nothing. The student-advocate was a slut that demanded the taxpayer finance her sexual escapades on campus. Or so Rush Limbaugh decreed.
This is a war on women. This is 2012. Why the hell are we even having this discussion?
