I can not believe the Florida GOP chair says health care plan would force abortions.

[madfloridian]

I wonder sometimes if the Republican leaders are really as clueless as they act...or if they are constantly catering to their clueless base. I can't believe they believe the stuff that comes out of their mouths.

Wait until you hear the reason he thinks this is true, and wait until you hear the explanation of his spokesperson. Ridiculous.

From a Tampa Tribune blog:

Greer stands by accusation of “forced abortions”

That's a ridiculous thing to say.

Florida Republican Party Jim Greer is standing by comments suggesting that President Obama’s health care reform plan could result in “forced, taxpayer-funded abortions,” even though he has also sought to distance himself from disruption at town hall forums on the subject of reform.

In a mailing to Republicans this week, Greer said one question about the reform plan is whether it would cause “the very real probability of forced, tax-payer funded abortions.” He had sent out a previous mailer saying the reform proposal would result in taxpayer-funded abortions, a contention that is wrong according to several independent analyses of the bill.

As justification for the statement that people would be forced to have abortions, Greer pointed to a section of the act that regulates what kind of medical services can be provided by states to needy individuals under the Social Security Act.

I have no idea what he means. Here is the explanation from his spokesperson.

The section says nurse visits to the homes of needy families including first-time pregnant women or children under 2 qualify if the visits are effective at improving maternal or child health, reducing child abuse or “increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.”

The section makes no mention of requiring abortions, making health care coverage dependent on having an abortion, or suggesting that pregnant women have abortions. Asked during a news conference how that could amount to “forced abortions,” Greer responded, “If the procedure is financed by taxpayer funds then the word ‘forced’ would be appropriate.”

A spokeswoman, asked for clarification, said that if nurse visits help poor people increase intervals between pregnancies, “the possibility of forced, tax-payer funded abortions is accurate.”

By increasing the intervals between pregnancies....it is considered to be "forced, tax-payer funded abortions.”

Those are appalling statements from Greer and his spokeswoman.

Jim Greer has had his ups and downs with his far right wing. Once Sarah Palin would not let him on her plane because he said she needed more preparation to be VP

Determined not to be left out of the party, RPOF Chairman Jim Greer flew a chartered plane to Sarah Palin's events in Clearwater and Southwest Florida today.

The McCain campaign had told him there wasn't room in the small plane last week after Greer made what the campaign is regarding as disloyal comments to the New York Times last week, questioning Palin's readiness to be VP. There was room on the plane, however, for Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. Charlie Crist.

..."Flash forward to a hockey arena in Estero, Florida, near Naples, where Greer just finished speaking to the crowd gathered to see Palin and he's now singing the praises of the Alaska governor. He called her "dynamic'' and said she understands what working Americans are going through "She makes more decisions in one day than Sens Obama and Biden make in a whole year."

He is known for some other outrageous statements. He once said that Democrats would register anything with a heartbeat.

He really said that.

“Don’t be concerned about that because they register anything with a heart beat -- anything -- and our party and these leaders, all of you, have the best turnout-to-vote organization in the nation,” Greer said. “They (the Democrats) might register a lot of people but they’re not going to the polls on election day.”

Surprise, Jim Greer! We did go to the polls after all.

I don't ever remember the Democratic party acting like this GOP party is acting now. I don't think we ever said some of the idiotic things they are saying.

The chairman of the Florida Republican Party is saying that there will be forced abortions funded by taxpayers because of nurse visits to homes that just might increase times between pregnancies for needy families.

That's just pathetic.

[tj2001]

1. Actually the Obama health care plan would force Americans to turn in their guns,

and make white girls have sex with illegal black immigrants and then have abortions so their fetuses can be sold to China

[madfloridian]

2. That, too.

:rofl:

I never heard anything like it.

[durablend]

7. Don't forget TEH GHEY

Obamacare would turn everyone ghey. It's just not been determined if that would be done BEFORE or AFTER the forced abortions.

[madfloridian]

15. Actually some of them would believe that would happen.

If Glenn Beck says it, they would believe it. It's really scary.

[madfloridian]

3. More from Greer:

"Greer, though, doesn't seem to understand the health-care plan all that much and has a few questions for Pelosi and Hoyer, such as "Would the Democrat's health-care plan work to systematically 'increase birth intervals between pregnancies,' opening the very real probability of forced, taxpayer-funded abortions?"

You hear that? Nancy Pelosi is going personally abort all of your babies.

Naked Politics to asked Greer if he really believed we will have forced abortion in this country.

"Well, yeah... I do think this will provide an opportunity for certain medical procedures that many taxpayers would not be aware of and would not support. If the procedure is financed with taxpayer funds, then I believe the word 'forced' is appropriate," he says.

So, technically, what you're saying is no one will be forced to have an abortion but instead, taxpayers will be "forced" to pay for it. Way to be clear in choosing you words, Greer."

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2009/08/rpof_chair_pelosi_will_force_y.php

Here's the press release:

Tallahassee–Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer today commented on an opinion-editorial written by"Democrat House Leaders, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
“I was appalled to read that two of the leaders of our United States Congress would dare to call citizens expressing their views on one of the most serious pieces of legislation pending in Washington, ‘un-American.’ I can think of a few things that are ‘un-American,’ and attempting to peacefully voice your opinion at a town hall meeting designed for the very purpose of providing local feedback for members of Congress before they return to Washington to vote on this legislation isn’t one of the them.”
Across the nation citizens are asking constructive questions about the Democrat’s health care legislation, but they aren’t getting any answers from Doctors Pelosi, Hoyer and Obama.
Would the Democrat’s health care plan:
• Restrict the enrollment of people with special needs (pg. 354)?
• Decide what level of “end-of-life” treatment you receive, according to a pre-determined, government-mandated schedule (pg. 430)?
• Build government databases which include your private, personal medical history (pg. 503)?
• Work to systematically “increase birth intervals between pregnancies,” opening the very real probability of forced, tax-payer funded abortions (pg. 768)?
• Would the federal government serve as the final, ultimate authority on which health care conditions will be treated, dramatically increasing the likelihood of rationing (pg. 800)?"

http://www.rpof.org/article.php?id=746

Absolutely ridiculous. Too many people believe it.

[Birthmark]

4. Republicans aren't like you and me.

You and I are constrained by the facts. Republicans operate under no such restriction. And they get away with it due to a lazy media and wimpy Democrats.

[dysfunctional press]

5. i can believe it.

i also believe that we aren't going to get any kind of real healthcare reform.

i bellieve that we are entirely and totally FUCKED.

yet again.

[TheKentuckian]

6. We have to make these people accountable and publicly call them out for being lying ass liars

I don't know how effective that will be but it still has to be done. We have to push back on this kind of complete nonsense.

[polmaven]

8. Pathetic hardly begins to describe it.

But I don't think we have a word in the English language that CAN describe what is going on over this effort.

[Doctor_J]

9. Why can't you believe it?

Anyone who is still surprised by anything the wingers do needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

that's probably our first order of business in taking the country back

[Gman2]

10. They are speaking in code.

All this insane talk is no longer literal. They are expressing their fear of our fecundity rate vs. ewhere else. They want to saddle all women with child. For the cause. Witness Fox News poll thinking Palin should be a homemaker. The Whole republican party will soon do off off off broadway productions of leave it to beaver. They so want their cold war back. Theres No place like home. All of this is making the right bonkers. This is no joke. I believe that soon righties will let themselves go, and many will need drugs and therapy to find their way back. They are foolin with powerful brain drugs. I call the present period, SANDWICHBOARD REPUBLICANISM!

[maxintexas]

11. pandering to the gullible...

"I wonder sometimes if the Republican leaders are really as clueless as they act...or if they are constantly catering to their clueless base."

I don't think they believe it, MadFlo - but they think their constituents are stooopid enough to believe it.

[madfloridian]

14. Hi maxintexas. They must be pandering to constituents they think are stupid.

It's really an insult to their constituents. :hi:

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. Pity their constituents don't realize that and that it is at their and our expense.

Life threatening expense. :shrug:

[madfloridian]

26. Yes, it is a pity.

I think some of them are proud of only watching Fox and only listening to the likes of Beck and Limbaugh.

They think because they don't listen to other views that it makes them somehow superior.

[MountainLaurel]

12. Cao last night said

It would "encourage" abortions

[madfloridian]

13. He really believes that extending time between pregnancies is like abortion.

I can not wrap my head around what he is saying.

Greer defends threat of forced taxpayer funded abortions

Greer yesterday circulated a memo questioning the health care bill and whether it would “work to systematically ‘increase birth intervals between pregnancies,’ opening the very real probability of forced, tax-payer funded abortions.”

He stood by his characterization of the bill this morning.

“If the procedure is financed by taxpayer funds, then in fact the word forced or mandated would be appropriate,” Greer said.

The portion of the bill Greer refers to deals with home visitation services.

The full text follows:

“The term ‘nurse home visitation services’ means home visits by trained nurses to families with a first-time pregnant woman, or a child (under 2 years of age), who is eligible for medical assistance under this title, but only, to the extent determined by the Secretary based upon evidence, that such services are effective in one or more of the following:
(1) Improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies.”

How the heck does he think the intervals between pregnancies would be done...is he really saying it would cause abortions? Is he referring to birth control as abortion? I am clueless.

[newtothegame]

16. We want abortion, they'll use it against us. That's kind of the way it goes unfortunately. n/t

[bertman]

17. "I cannot believe the Florida GOP chair says . . ."

Why can you not believe it? This is how they operate day in and day out, in every town, city, state and Washington D.C.

Must have been a rhetorical flourish.

[madfloridian]

20. "Must have been a rhetorical flourish."

Yep, have to do that sometimes. :)

I see Republicans locally, and I keep expecting to hear normal things. I need to adjust my expectations.

[bertman]

28. Had to pull your leg on that one.

:hi:

I can't imagine what it's like living where you live. I live in liberal land and it still drives me nutty just seeing the craziness from a distance.

[defendandprotect]

18. Just like Canada, France, UK are "forcing women to have abortions" . . .

under their national health care plans???????????????????

[vinylsolution]

19. Forced abortions for Republicans....

.... now there's a policy I could back 100%.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. .

:evilgrin:

[RBInMaine]

22. Why can't you beieve it? What else do they do besides lie?

[jtrockville]

24. Planned parenthood called yesterday - they need help $$$ to respond.

Now's as good a time as any to donate. I did :)

[The Backlash Cometh]

25. I was reading a local paper with viewpoints from the insanely right-wing...

It's funny how the first paragraph is usually a grabber to signal that they're on the "right side," which makes everything else that follows in the opinion piece acceptable. Sort of like saying, "Okay you can shut your brain off now and just absorb everything I say without questioning it."

[PatSeg]

27. Naw, not clueless

Just big fat LIARS and opportunists.

[windoe]

29. No one can keep up with this craziness

by debunking it point by point, it is really accelerating, and it seems contagious.

So this is the RW strategy, to destabilize the US now, destabilization is how they attempted to gain control of other countries, now we are next. Also creating and activating fundamentalists works real well too. They are working to create a collective psychosis, which should be illegal somehow.

This demands that the sane people of this country hold a strong vision of peace and harmony. Our vision has to be stronger than theirs, sanity has to be stronger than insanity, stability more resilient, and our foundation more sustainable.

[kevinbgoode]

30. This really shoots the wingnut legislation down, don't you think?

I mean, aren't THEY the ones which want to require women seeking an abortion to go before a "death panel" before making decisions?

[Speciesamused]

31. Florida has become another Texas.

An 18 yr resident. It is very scary how
many nut cases rule in our state. Election fraud,
Corporate welfare on and on. Old Jeb still has his hands in the pot too.
The Dirty South.