Roundup: A Not So Silent Night
by Robin Marty, RH Reality Check
December 23, 2009 - 10:17am (Print)
It's two days until Christmas, and today is "Health Care Vote Eve." Tomorrow morning the senate will be wrapping their bill with a pretty little bow. But today, let's see what sort of carols are being sung while folks are decking the halls...
Rather than being pleased about the embarrassment of riches that Sen. Nelson has provided them, the anti-abortion factions are lamenting their loses in a soulful rendition of "The Twelve Anti-Family Gifts from Congress." They have their twelve drummers drumming and eleven pipers piping morosely about the loss of abstinence only education and more funding for Planned Parenthood.
The Christmas season is a time when Americans celebrate life, family, and community. Unfortunately, the 12 unwelcome Christmas gifts in the omnibus bill, signed into law by President Obama last week, undermine these pillars of American civil society.
Guess the ten lords didn't leap through enough hoops to make them happy.
Meanwhile, pro-choice feminists have given up on getting two front teeth, and are asking for a more important gift: health care. But they aren't waiting for Santa Baby to stick a present under the tree. Instead, they ask everyone to demand it.
The next two weeks are critical for pro-choice activists. It’s the middle of the holiday season, but we have to remain focused. Call your senators directly, rather than by calling the Senate switchboard, and tell them that you demand equal health care access for all Americans. Requiring women to purchase additional insurance for abortion coverage is unconstitutional. We shouldn’t have to pay twice as much as men for health care.
Can't start caroling yet because you are too busy looking for last minute gifts? Sounds like there is a senator you can pick up for cheap.
I can respect those who are pro-life out of conviction and those who are pro-choice out of conviction. It is more difficult to respect politicians willing to use their deepest beliefs -- and the deepest beliefs of others -- as bargaining chips.
In a single evening, Nelson managed to undermine the logic of Medicaid, abandon three decades of protections under the Hyde Amendment and increase the public stock of cynicism. For what? For the sake of legislation that greatly expands a health entitlement without reforming the health system; that siphons hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicare instead of using that money to reform Medicare; that imposes seven taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 a year, in direct violation of a presidential pledge; that employs Enron-style accounting methods to inflate future cost savings; that pretends to tame the insurance companies while making insurance companies the largest beneficiaries of reform.
And, yes, for $100 million. It is the cheap date equivalent of Taco Bell.
But don't bother getting a gift receipt for that - once you buy him, you're stuck with him.
With all of the debate, blustering, and posturing, I personally am looking forward to a silent night in the near future.
Mini Roundup: Contraception stocking stuff extra: Depo can cause bone density loss, the pill can help with menstrual pain and migraines, and this may be a potential new form of birth control all together.
December 23, 2009
Not good enough California Catholic Daily
Marie Wilson: From Right to Wrong: Daycare, Abortion Huffington Post
Abortion looms as possible health bill deal killer The Associated Press
Scrutinizing health-care reform Washington Post
Couple's family planning is headed for crash Houston Chronicle
Federal funding may revive sex education debate Waterbury Republican American
New ads causing Catholic controversy Fox11online.com
December 22, 2009
Women's Victory: Baltimore Crisis Pregnancy Centers AlterNet
The 'Pill' Offers Benefits Beyond Birth Control BusinessWeek
Birth control option has doctors watching women's bone health WWAY NewsChannel 3
Population Growth and Global Warming New York Times
Twelve Anti-Family Gifts from Congress Heritage.org
Senate Clears Second Health Care Hurdle 60-39 Lifesite
Scott Roeder's Defense ... CBS News
North Carolina High School Had Denied Pro-Life Student Free Speech, Backs Down LifeNews.com
Abortion deal is a radical change Politico
Pro-Life Democratic Congressman, Doctor, Switches to GOP Over Health Care LifeNews.com
Safe, Legal, and Subsidized The American
Gibbs Calls RNC Chief's Comments on Health Care “Delusional” ABC News
Senators Challenge Health Care Bill Section Making Death Panels Permanent LifeNews.com
Scholar: Nelson Abortion Compromise No Better Than Stupak TPMDC
All I Want For Christmas is Some Health Care Feminists for Choice
GWU – Nelson Compromise Not Materially Different From Stupak Amendment Firedoglake
Birth control shot may harm bone health ABC7Chicago.com
Sunrise votes nudge health care bill forward Tues. The Associated Press
Senate moves closer to healthcare passage Los Angeles Times
Is Abortion Fundamentally Un-American? Wall Street Journal
Judge won't change venue in Kansas abortion trial USA Today
The Dirty Little Secret on Abortion and Healthcare Reform CBN
FACTBOX-Major differences in House-Senate health bills Reuters
The Scarlet Letter Revisited: Sen. Nelson and Abortion Shaming Huffington Post
Judge rejects `necessity defense' in abortion case The Associated Press
Abortion doctor George Tiller's accused murderer will go on trial in Kansas Los Angeles Times
Sebelius says accounting 'procedure' ensures 'everybody' funds abortions Kansas Liberty
Senate healthcare bill may be hard to reconcile with House's Los Angeles Times
For Sale: One senator (D-Neb.) No principles, low price. Washington Post
Senate Health Care Reform Bill is an Abortion Bill Catholic Online
Irish views on abortion have moved on guardian.co.uk
New Human Reproductive Hormone Could Lead to Novel Contraceptives Science Daily
New Marriage Blog Draws Thousands to Discuss Sexuality, Natural Family Planning Catholic Online
