We won, right?

You wouldn’t know it from this news: Democrats are reportedly preparing, at the behest of the Obama administration, to eliminate economic-stimulus funding for contraceptives for low-income women. The about-face came after much squawking from right-wing godbags like Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, who charged that the proposal was “anti-child“; other Republicans charged that funding birth control for poor women does nothing to help the economy. Although Democrats like Nancy Pelosi have responded, quite reasonably, that neither families nor the economy benefit from poor women having unwanted children they can’t afford, Obama and the Democrats appear prepared to bow to Republicans’ wishes and kill funding for the program.

42 replies on “Failure of Leadership”

  2. It is utterly ludacrous that all the clamoring Obama supporters are SO SHOCKED that he’s just as much of a political tool as every other president has ever been.

    You got played.

  8. 4 – then it wouldn’t it be sensible to give the poor & stupid a little birth control so they don’t make more poor stupid people?

  10. Whatever. That funding was put in with the intent of it being taken out. It’s a token to give the Republicans. Now maybe they can get in line without looking like tools to their constituents.

  11. This is the ONE chance we have to fund family planning initiatives in the next four years. If we don’t dig in our heels and fight to the death over this, abortion will be declared illegal.

  19. C’mon peoples, this bill is going to change and change again as different versions go through both houses and the final legislation gets hashed-out in the Conference Committee. The Dems will have several opportunities to add this back in, should they choose to do so (which I hope they will).

    But, by giving a bit of ground now, it’ll also enable Obama to test the waters in terms of how many members on the GOP side are willing to include themselves in any bi-partisan solution; if most follow in Boehner’s lock-step and vote against the bill early on, then he’ll have a better indication of how solid the opposition will be to this and to future bills he presents, and at that point can decide whether he wants to continue to “reach across the aisle” – or whether it will even be worth the effort.

  21. I’m all for contraceptives for anyone who wants them, but I’m not 100% certain that this should be included in a short-term economic stimulus plan. I think the payoffs are obvious in the long run, but perhaps a better place for this additional funding would be in the ordinary Medicaid contraception/women’s health budget.

  22. Put it back in another bill. How about a bill that takes away that Bush horeshit “faith based initiative” that was meant to help out the fucking Pope and build fundamentalists “museums” that show dinosaurs and people strolling around together.
    Either way, demand your senator or congressperson PUT IT BACK INTO SOMETHING!

  23. FUCK THAT.

    And fuck joining the right wing in their evil views just becuz your an Obamatron cult member.
    “Oh that, that’s another head fake to the right, it’s part of the master plan to move left without telling anyone that’s the real goal and by telling everyone the right wing is so respectabl their views deserve respect and honor.”

    Fuck that.

  25. OH MY GOD. Shut up.
    It’s called compromise. It’s called finding a middle ground. This is how we got ourselves into the fucking mess we’re in. How about giving a little to get something done? Does anyone know how to do that anymore?

  27. Uh…bigger picture, everybody. Somebody on CNET was talking about 23% unemployment recently. The sky is falling. We can have the stupid back-and-forth on abortion rights later.

    Christ.

  28. i’m with lily. the stimulus package should focus exclusively on things that have an immediate effect on the economy. this ain’t one of those things.

    but it kills me that conservatives got so worked up over this. contraception prevents abortions!!! if you oppose abortion, you should support any and all practical efforts to prevent it from happening. but i guess the sense of moral superiority they get from shaming people is more important. go figure.

  29. @26, Giving in on this doesn’t even mean that we are really giving up the idea of expanding poor women’s access to contraceptives. Instead of pushing this into the *temporary* economic stimulus plan, we should pick our battles and fight the fight that matters–and get that $$ put into a long-term program where it really belongs.

  30. Jeebus, you people are idiots! This is why I so often hate my fellow liberal-progressives…

    He’s been president FOR BARELY A WEEK, fools! Does he really have to kiss everyone who voted for him’s ass on EVERY SINGLE SUBJECT in the his first big piece of legislation for you to not turn into a bunch of useless whiney bitches?!?

    Can you please grow the fuck up, kids! (Yes, that means you, Erica.) This is exactly the kind bullshit he was talking about when he said it was “time for us to put away childish things.”

    (And before you riff on how contraception for the poor isn’t a “childish thing,” hold up — I agree with you, but that isn’t what I’m saying. What I’m saying is… )

    Wanting it all right now and bitching when you cant have every single thing on your list done in the first 14 days of a 1460 day long administration is toddler-level crap, people! Two year olds have more patience than that. Just try giving the man some room to move and a little time to get it all done before you get you diapers all in a bunch.

    Have a snack and a nap and just STFU already!.

  32. Just how, in any reasonable way (outside of some sort of feminist worldview), could contraceptives for low-income women be considered appropriate for an economic stimulus package?

  34. This is the same bullshit Bill Clinton did. After being elected because it’s the economy stupid, what does Obama do? Start off with a bunch of SuperLib agenda items…meanwhile, people are out on the streets.

  36. Does anyone want my IUD? I hate the thing. I’m a democrat, but if it will get a republican to shut up for a moment, I’ll take it out and hand it over. I might even rinse it off.

    It was a good idea that turned into a bad idea: pain, cramping, misery. Maybe we can get the dems to subsidize ordinary condoms??

  37. The contraceptive coverage is included in the MedicAid portion of the legislation – it is the ONLY part of the MedicAid portion that is being disputed… that is the problem. If it’s really about spending money on non-stimulus related stuff (whatever THAT means) then ALL of the social program spending should be taken out, not just the stuff that affects low-income women, you meritocracy-loving shitheels.

  39. WE DON’T DO POKER WE ONLY DO HYSTERIA! UNLESS EVERYTHING IS 100% WHAT WE WANT, ALL THE TIME, AND WE ARE INFORMED VIA CANDYGRAM (WITH NO COCONUT PIECES) AHEAD OF TIME WE ARE NOT INTERESTED

  41. So, is it just me or is that AP article poorly written? Was there actually any money designated for contraception? It seems like the provision was just giving states the option of doing so, but not really designating funding for contraception. I’m with lily, put it in another bill and just get rid of the fucking waiver. It’s not the end of the world (yet).

    Also, fuck Boehner and his “contraceptives don’t save jobs” bullshit. Tons of low-income women lose jobs because they get pregnant and we don’t have guaranteed paid-leave for parents.

Comments are closed.