Radical rightist appointed to sensitive HHS position: It'll never stop, will it?

[DFW]

From the Center for American Progress:

On Monday, President Bush appointed Susan Orr Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a position that gives her oversight of federal family planning programs. Orr, who is currently directing HHS child welfare programs, was touted by the administration as "highly qualified." Before joining HHS, Orr served as senior director for marriage and family care at the conservative Family Research Council, which opposes family planning, and was an adjunct professor at Pat Robertson's Regent University. In her new role, Orr, who considers contraceptives part of the "culture of death," will be responsible for "HHS's $283 million reproductive-health program, a $30 million program that encourages abstinence among teenagers, and HHS's Office of Population Affairs, which funds birth control, pregnancy tests, counseling, and screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV." Given Orr's record of opposition to comprehensive family planning services, women's rights and reproductive health advocates are speaking out strongly against her appointment. "We are appalled," said Mary Jane Gallagher, president of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. "While her resume suggests a commitment to child welfare and children, her professional credentials fail to demonstrate a commitment to comprehensive family planning services for all men and women in need." Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) called her appointment "absurd." Referring to her as "a virulently anti-family planning radical," Planned Parenthood has circulated a petition opposing Orr. Unfortunately, though, appointing Orr as an "acting" secretary allows the administration to sidestep the need for Senate confirmation.

A RECORD AGAINST FAMILY PLANNING: In 2001, Orr embraced a Bush administration proposal to "stop requiring all health insurance plans for federal employees" to cover a broad range of birth control. "We're quite pleased, because fertility is not a disease," said Orr. At the 2001 Conservative Political Action Conference, Orr cheered Bush's endorsement of former President Ronald Reagan's "Mexico City Policy," which required NGOs receiving federal funds to "neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations." In a 2000 Weekly Standard article, Orr railed against requiring health insurance plans to cover contraceptives. "It's not about choice," said Orr. "It's not about health care. It's about making everyone collaborators with the culture of death." In 2000, she authored a paper titled, "Real Women Stay Married." In it, she wrote that women should "think about focusing our eyes, not upon ourselves, but upon the families we form through marriage." In 1999, Orr referred to child protection as "the most intrusive arm of social services." Her former employer, the Family Research Council, which championed her appointment yesterday, equates contraception with abortion.



For something like the 7,598th time, I am again reminded why voting for a third party candidate, even if the Democratic nominee
is not my first choice, is not an option for me in 2008.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It WILL stop...

When they get thrown out of office...

Just when you think they cannot sink any lower in their choices ....they do!

They just make me sick. :puke:

K&R

[DFW]

3. Unfortunately, it's not "when," but "if."

There are still those who adhere to the "no difference" line with some of our
potential nominees. There is NO candidate out there for the Democratic nomination
to whom "no difference" could be legitimately applied. Our future depends on our
realizing that. If we lose this time, we may not get another chance.

[Kool Kitty]

2. Notice how Bush is putting these people

(and I use the term loosely) into jobs as "Acting..." (fill in the blank to correspond to whatever job they are getting)? Cute way to work around Congress, President Shithead. Can't get these people approved, too late for a recess appointment, so you just slip us this piece of dreck as the "Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs". Another woman-hating woman, and a birth-control hater, to boot. Nice work, Prez.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. I don't know why our people aren't shouting from the rooftops:THE GOP WANTS TO OUTLAW BIRTH CONTROL.

It's clear from their agenda, it's clear from their platform, it's clear from their speeches, it's clear from the anti-contraception nutter butters they stick in places like HHS and the FDA.

Meanwhile, Most Americans are Pro-Choice. A VAST majority supports the right of people to use contraceptives like the pill. Meanwhile, it's the far fringe kooks- the people who want to outlaw non-procreative fucking, essentially, who are driving the GOP agenda on this.

I can only assume it's because our people have bought into some corporate sponsored bullshit about the all-powerful "values voter" that we don't play more hardball on this bullshit.

[DFW]

5. Maybe because the GOP is shouting it loud enough on their own

And maybe we would well to take them more seriously when they shout it

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Who isn't taking it seriously? Frankly, I'd like to see our people speak up about this.

I'd like to see our candidates come out and say "The Republican Party thinks women who use the birth control pill are murderers- just read the HLA plank of their party, and the noise of the "pro-life" groups who wrote it. I support the right of consenting adults to manage their own reproductive lives". Our candidates should SAY that. And someone- if not the press, then our candidates- should CHALLENGE the GOP presidential contenders to come out and SAY whether they think contraception should be legal, or not.

They won't answer the question, just like Bush's press secretary wouldn't answer it.. because they know that a significant, highly motivated portion of their base is committed to making birth control illegal.

[Monk06]

7. Every university and professional association in America should

refuse to recognize the credentials of any
student or faculty member of Regent University.

It's just a factory producing incompetent RW
pod people.