dialing now!

Keep the fire burning hot Jane.

Campaign Finance Reform, – first and foremost!

Take to the Streets with pointed demands!

I’m already boycotting Rite-Aid

Aww poor Joe Barton’s missing his Las Vegas birthday party

Take the pledge

I’ve already sent that message to my rep. All my extra $$ will go to NNAF. NONE to candidates or pacs.

Am I seeing this right – did Pelosi sell out women to the Catholic Church in exchange for a hollow 218 victory?

I’ve long since left the Dems, but I did not think I’d see this level of crass dealing from them on women’s rights.

Did women just lose the right to choose through a backdoor amendment??

that about sums it up.

amazing, huh?

Then again, they threw the gays under the bus too.

Please stop lumping Planned Parenthood in with the national NARAL. Planned Parenthood has been tirelessly working to ensure that at the very least, let me repeat that, at.the.very.least, the House health care reform bill coming to the floor would be neutral with respect to women’s health care and abortion.

Do any of us like the “neutral” position? No. The odious and brutal Hyde Amendment is wrong morally and wrong in the way it interferes with women’s rights. But given the craven way our “moral” politicians bend and scrape at the feet of the religious zealots who would make their anti-women bigotry the law of the land, neutral can look pretty good.

The Stupack amendment completely abandons that neutral position. It expands the “no federal funds for abortion” rule of Hyde in ways that will lead to “no abortion coverage at all” for millions more women in this country. Planned Parenthood was opposed to this proposal when Stupak raised it in the Energy & Commerce Committee, they are opposed to it today. They did not sit on their hands and do nothing as national NARAL has done.

So let’s put the blame for this squarely where it should be: our President who sanctions the Hyde restrictions by including that in his budget (unlike every other Democratic President in the 35 years since Hyde became law), Nancy Pelosi who sold out women to gain the Catholic bishops’ blessings, and every other member of Congress who continues to think of women as chattel and incapable of making their own moral and medical decisions.

Gee, now I get why they wanted this done on a Saturday. A slow news time; all the better to take away Constitutional rights in the middle of a weekend.

They are all talking about preexisting conditions! I say, Just do it on its own, kill this bill, and do medicare for all after pushing Obama to declare himself for or against it.

Sorry but as an advocacy group for women’s reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood does not get a pass for being neutral on this issue.

Just because other individuals and groups might be a tad more culpable does not make it alright for a group to say “Hey, we’re not as bad as those other guys”

I called Stupak’s office while very mad. I told the lady who answered I was starting to save my money now for a Dem primary challenger, and asked how she could work for someone who wants to send women back to the back alley. She said “He’s not outlawing abortion”, to which I replied “He’s making it only for the rich”. Her response? It was “I’m hanging up.”

At least PP actually provides services. We can support that.

Someone’s in the Office ? Shoot, I sent an e-mail, thinking the Office was closed today.

no, not quite that but under the phony pretense of some catholic “moral” outrage the health care bill cut out another leg from under the poor. its an excuse to weaken the bill even further. nothting new . their are so few “choices” for the working class anyway.

Number is (202) 225-4735

Hopefully this will be a big eye-opener to all as to how lousy this bill really is, as a lot of people will be looking to shoot it down when the Stupak amendment passes.

The Democrats will legalize segregation again before they’re through, and I wish I were kidding.

KILL THE BILL! And start over in the spring with single-payer.

thanks for the list jane. that is very helpful. anyone have phone numbers to go with the pacs? even though it’s saturday, i’d like to make some calls.

Jason’s got a lot of numbers to call

here’s the list

Got a link that describes any of that action by PP to oppose Stupak’s amendment?

Blackburn’s pants are on fire

i got hung up on also.

Calling?

If you’re calling on a phone that says “Sprint” or “T-Mobile” or “Verizon,” you might want to place a call to your customer service rep after you call your member of the US House of Reps.

Some very interesting names on that list up there, Jane. Thanks.

It’s a weird cult. They punch holes in condoms to give AIDS a chance in Africa and ban birth control so there be more starving Catholics everywhere and they demand all cultists believe that a shot of Mogen David and a dry wafer actually and on every occasion converts to the body and blood of the icon upon digestion – Holy Sh – !

And there are six members of the cult on the formerly Supreme court.

Oh, yes. They are the biggest sheltered playground for pederasts in the world.

So what’s not to like about their controlling the vote on health care? After all, if they can do it. I mean, they’re entitled.

Seems those who could be counted upon have been bought off.

At least we’re making somebody mad. Now if only we could influence some votes…

Makes sense….all of TX and others watching football.

If you can find one thing that Planned Parenthood has done beyond issuing statements to cover themselves I’ll gladly admit I’m wrong. But what have they done to make Stupak pay a political price?

I could tell you 10 or 20 things that would’ve hurt. As far as I know, they’ve done none of them.

Thanks Buddy !

But Laura Ingraham really, really hates them….makes me think they’ve done something.

I didn’t say they were neutral. I said they have worked/are working hard to make sure that it is at.the.very.least neutral. They don’t support Hyde language, never have, never will. But IF the bill at least makes no change to the still-unsatisfactory status quo, then women would be able to purchase supplemental insurance to fully cover their health care needs. And you don’t know that Planned Parenthood wouldn’t make that kind of coverage more available/affordable. The Stupak amendment removes that possibility.

Yes, they do provide services and they are often the only source of help for hundreds of thousands of women across this country. NARAL, not so much.

Can you please STOP trying to be cute and creative and just get to the damn point!? I have written Rachel Maddows and Kieth Oberman as well and pointed out that the reason the ‘right’ gets so much attention and is so effective in spreading their message (even if it is usually baseless or completely false) is because they are SERIOUS and EVEN PISSED when stating their issues. They don’t try to be cute and funny and sarcastic… they are in your face with their message and it works!!!
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS NOT FUNNY! This is serious shit and I would appreciate it if FDL would start focusing, with a fire & a passion, on the big issues. Your message is getting lost in your delivery!
ie.
“THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES ARE SUPPORTING THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS ISSUE! PLEASE CALL/EMAIL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE BOYCOTTING THEIR BUSINESSES UNTIL THEY CHANGE THEIR PRACTICES!”

I said they have worked/are working hard

And again I’ll ask: do you have a link that describes any of that hard work? As Jane said @30, all I’m coming up with is *crickets*.

Jane,
When would you have had them “make Stupak pay a political price”? After he failed to get his amendment attached in the E&C bill? The deal with Pelosi, etc. was that the bill coming to the floor would at least maintain the status quo. That deal was broken yesterday.

Get your own blog if you don’t like it.

Have you considered looking at the Planned Parenthood Action website?
http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/healthreform/index.htm

It doesn’t track back all the way nor does it provide information on specific meetings they have had with specific members (I’m trying to some of that info now), but it shows a consistent call for health care reform that supports women’s health.

If all you hear is crickets, you may need to turn your computer’s speakers on.

Rayne’s liveblogging the debate

Can I also ask that we not take our eyes off the ball here? Yes, I’m defending Planned Parenthood here but I’m not defending Bart Stupak and those who support him. They deserve special targeting, regardless of whether this amendment succeeds or fails.

That link gives me three calls for action, dated today, Nov 3, and October 5th.

That doesn’t impress me much. You can find that much here at FDL before breakfast on most days, and it’s been going on for quite a while.

Hey! Don’t give them any ideas!

(but watch out for Social Security privatization plans to rear their ugly heads again under Obama…)

glad you at least acknowledge that there is more there than crickets. that is not a blog, and most groups that cover a wide range of issues don’t put all of their actions/emails/meeting notes/etc. on a public web site. All I can tell you is that I made calls last Spring and Summer for women’s health rights because of my PPA support.

Understand that you intend to continue to blame Planned Parenthood; hope you appreciate that I don’t agree with you based on my personal experiences.

Great list! Easy to use and important.

Thanks Jane. Look this freakin bill needs to be killed, period, end of story. It’s a POS. It’s time to start from Square One, and that’s single-payer, HR 676. Progressives have to tell and show people that they’re not compromising anymore. So, if those people want a reform bill, they need to get behind HR 676. If everyone had done that from the beginning and accepted nothing less, we wouldn’t be getting rolled by the likes of Stupak and any other Tom, Dick, or Harry, who thinks that whatever they do, we’ll fold in the end.

Remember folks, no matter how bad this House bill becomes, the Senate version will be even worse.

So far, compullsory private insurance for the least among us and de facto overturning of Roe V. Wade.

Can we now strangle this (Rosemary) baby in the crib by demaning a no vote on hearthcare reform? We do not want change; we want better.

Vote no on healthcare reform and yes on Medicare 4 All.

if you had the choose between fully funded breast cancer treatment or federally funded abortion which would it be?

The Stupak amendment goes a lot further than “federally funded abortion”. It bans those people who even have existing plans that would cover abortion if the person or group is receiving any federal funds at all.

But nice strawman.

The ghost of Mr. Hyde along with our President (for including the Hyde language in his budget, the first “pro-choice” president to do so) ensures that there are no “federally funded abortions” already. The Stupak amendment goes much further as Jon Walker has explained quite clearly here at FDL:

The Stupak amendment would prevent any private health insurance plan from covering elective abortion, if even one of its customer used even one dollar of affordability tax credits. The problem is that the Stupak amendment will conflict directly with other parts of the bill. The bill would require “guaranteed issue.” This means that any insurer offering coverage to individuals on the health insurance exchange most accept all customers.

If the insurance companies offering plans on the exchange are not allowed to turn down any customers, it means no basic insurance plan on the exchange could cover abortion. There would be no way to prevent that at least one of the plan’s customer would be using affordability tax credits to help purchase the plan. So the effect is no plan sold on the exchange could offer abortion coverage as part of its basic package. (emphasis mine)

An awful lot of those companies are known for their conservative (if not falling-off-the-edge-wingnut) tendencies.

I wonder what their female employees would think about this?

Did.

why are women letting men like bart stupak get away with this?

Dear Representative _____________

I urge you in the strongest way to do all you can to ensure the health care reform bill does not in anyway restrict, deny, or limit a women’s reproductive rights.

There are a large number of immoral and unethical things my government does that I am strongly against including illegal invasion, destruction, and occupation of countries, torture, illegal indefinite detentions, extraordinary renditions, maintenance of “black sites”, illegal spying on citizens, state sponsored murder (a.k.a. capital punishment), and the unnecessary use of less-than-lethal devices such as tasers on citizens to name few. I am strongly and whole heartedly against my tax dollars supporting these, and other immoral and unethical activities. These are all things I really wish my government would not do and I am sick that my tax dollars go to supporting these and other immoral activities.

I find these government activities outrageous and yet another immoral act of my government is being considered: the government denial of using my tax dollars to aid women in need, who are exercising their constitutional rights.

I find the hypocrisy of the anti-choice demagogues pushing such denial on moral grounds astounding in light of their lusty support of all the many immoral and violent activities of the government. It would be tragic for the government to lend credence and support by singling out for denial, the indisputable inalienable right of every man and woman on Earth to have dominion over themselves that is being pushed by these hypocrites.

Once again I urge you not to support their insufferable hypocrisy and faux morality; do not support their invasion and intrusion of a woman’s right to herself; and please make sure the government supports all of women’s rights, including the right to an abortion.

Sincerely,

Great. Let us keep growing in numbers. If this portion of the bill passes (mandated insurance with penalties) imagine how authroities at the local level can punish the poor for breaking the law until it is challanged in court; deninal of social services, arrest, loss of employment, etc. Jim Crow laws are back, for evil doers, by federal mandate.

Why do I have to choose? Men would get both.

No more choosing the lesser of two evils. Progressives like other Americans want health care reform that ends the deaths, the bankruptcies, the foreclosures and the BS from the insurance companies. Any bill that does less than that should be defeated, and we should do our utmost to get progressives to block all other work in Congress until such a bill is passed.

Because this came up suddenly and women don’t know what’s going on. Without alerts from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, or the veal pen organizations, how are they supposed to find out until after it’s over.

Fortunately, since the subsidies don’t take effect until 2013, if people get angry about this, there will be time to amend the bill and ensure that women have their right to choose protected. However, people need to let the Democrats know that any BS on this point will lead to their defeat in 2010.

Mz. Hamsher, just read your piece at HuffPo today, and now this piece here.

Love it.

On behalf of my wife, women everywhere, and myself, thank you for your fight against this crap.

Retard men, sold out Reps like Eshoo, and all who would deny we the people basic, decent, and world wide recognized rights and care should fear your voice.

You rawhk.

Not the context i meant. I was thinking more along the lines of compromise. Would be better that the bill fully cover a life threatening disease and not cover an optional procedure than to have neither?

well if a man some how became pregnant that might be life threatening and i could see that as being covered so i guess you are right on that one.

‘Kin paid concern trolls.

Like The Who, and Fleetwood Mac (pre Nookie and Bucky) penned:

Miles Away. MIles and miles and miles away.

We can see them, miles away.

*G*

Jane–THANK YOU for your efforts on this and for your piece on HuffPo re: PP and NARAL. The groups have known from the get-go this was a likely scenario, so its just not credible for anyone to claim that this came up suddenly. They went in with compromise language and hoped no one would notice if they just played nice and stayed quiet. I hope you are willing to take this issue on as well as the public option, because we should be taking a harder line in the Senate but I don’t think any orgs are willing.