National Organization for Women opposes Senate health bill

[kpete]

Source: The Hill


National Organization for Women opposes Senate health bill
By Michael O'Brien - 12/19/09 01:55 PM ET

A leading women's group called on senators on Saturday to defeat its healthcare reform bill.

The leader of the National Organization for Women (NOW) excoriated the language in the health bill curtailing federal support for insurance plan covering abortions, which was inserted to win the 60th vote of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

"The so-called health care reform bill now before the Senate, with the addition of Majority Leader Harry Reid's Manager's Amendment, amounts to a health insurance bill for half the population and a sweeping anti-abortion law for the rest of us," NOW President Terry O'Neill said in a statement.

"We call on all senators who consider themselves friends of women's rights to reject the Manager's Amendment, and if it remains, to defeat this cruelly over-compromised legislation," O'Neill added.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/73083-national-organization-for-women-opposes-senate-health-bill

[dkf]

1. OMG finally someone speaks up.

Its funny that all the organizations that I wasn't necessarily in line with seem to be the only people I can support now.

My world is turning upside down. I finally get where they are coming from.

[hayu_lol]

3. I hope that NOW is only one...

of many pressure groups to speak up quickly.

[dkf]

4. Bet the unions are going to step it up too.

[Goldstein1984]

16. The SEIU and AFL-CIO have both come out against it

They are the biggest union organizations.

The People are speaking.

[femrap]

74. NOW has always been on the side of women. nt.

[optimator]

2. Democratic politicians really hate their traditional base

women get unequal health care.
gays get no marriage.
youth and the poor get to be forced to buy insurance they can't afford.
anti-war get no peace.

[dana_b]

9. if the majority of all of those groups

stopped supporting these politicians, the politicians would be screwed!!

[VanW]

12. Now there is some truth

I'm no longer certain the Republicans can out-evil this shit.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zogtheobvious]

37. Nice. Way to elevate the discourse. :P nt

[wial]

90. and yet

you don't dispute the premise that this shit is evil. telling.

[bfarq]

109. Theres still time for the bill to get worse

So far, they have:

- Eliminated any private competition for insurance companies

- Agreed not to even take a look at the anti-trust exemption

- Mandated that the middle class must buy insurance from these crooks, sight unseen at any price they name

- And not provided any assistance for us to do that (the only assistance is for people who qualify for Medicare)

- Agreed to block any discussion allowing re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada or other countries, which would often save 50-80% of the price.

- And in their best move, they are now wrapping up by making it essentially impossible to buy an insurance policy that covers abortion. How did that get into this bill on health care?

Hey, there's another 4 legislating days until Christmas. Surely there must be a way to put in some good gay-bashing amendments. And maybe there is time to give another 2 trillion bucks to Wall Street executives. Time's a-wastin' Congress. Get on the ball. You have time to make this thing worse.

[Autumn Colors]

5. K&R (nt)

[tomm2thumbs]

6. makes things interesting with 17 women senators and only 4 are repubbie

I'm wondering how this will play now - just getting crazier by the minute with all the various gizmos and gears being tossed in and out of the machine - not sure it is gonna run but everyone seems to want to keep putting gas in it so they can find out.

[Laelth]

7. k&r for NOW. Good for them. n/t

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care

system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[harmonicon]

31. that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

This is a real "let them eat cake" moment, except that these politicians really mean it - I think 1/2 of them aren't even smart enough to do this out of spite.

[roody]

8. Good. I'm with NOW.

[Dinger]

22. So Am I. K & R

[Bitwit1234]

10. I get so sick so damn sick when I read

people like Ben Nelson saying "I" can't support this and "I" can't support that. When in the hell did it become he being the one who is supposed to be pleased and he is the one who is supposed to get what he wants.

These people have to be shown that they are public servants. They do our bidding. And the majority of people in this country do not want any restrictions on abortion. Why can't we have a spokesman. Why can't we stand in front of a tv mick and tell the world that Ben Nelson isn't do what WE want and find a way to kick his strait laced ego filled a** out of the senate. We better start getting rid of them. What in the hell good are they is they do what the want and not what the public wants. I am sick sick sick to death of all this crap. They have been in office so long they think they are the ones who are supposed to run the show. And not the people who elected them.Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could mount a full blown resolution to get rid of those kind of people and let them know we are the boss.

[Goldstein1984]

20. Ben Nelson's constituents will be happy as long as the keeps

subsidies flowing for agriculture. If he does that, he can get away with about everything else.

And Nebraska has a lot of Catholics in it.

[HillGal]

23. Nebraskans aren't in support of this at all, I think support is in the 20% + range. NT

[Goldstein1984]

50. WOW. I stand corrected.

We lived in Nebraska during 2008, and Nelson had a lot of support.

Nelson may be doing himself some damage. Good.

[wordpix]

120. i would think Nebraskans would prefer pugs to a pug-lite like Nelson

[femrap]

75. Ben sucks....or maybe

I should say he wishes he could suck himself. I know I'm crude, but compared to him, I'm really an angel.

[dana_b]

11. Hmmm... maybe I should join up

between PP and NOW it's great to have some strong support for women's rights.

[lapfog_1]

13. We got NOW, Howard Dean, AFL-CIO, SEIU, Move On,

Markos Moulitsas (dailyKOS), Thom Hartmann, Keith Olberman, Michael Moore, Ed Shultz...

They've got Vicky Kennedy (Ted's widow), Paul Krugman, probably every Dem Senator, Joe Lieberman, probably Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, and most of the House Democrats, and, of course, President Obama.

Well, so much for party unity.

If you folks that support the bill here think that we are just going to roll over and take it... and that this won't cost you in the midterms, now only 11 months away... think again.

Someone better come up with a plan to stitch things back together.

And that someone pretty much has to be President Obama. And right now, I don't see how he can.

P.S. for you bill supporters... hint, there ain't NO WAY you are going to convince us that this turd is really polished wood.

[omega minimo]

14. sounds like a coalition building

good post :thumbsup:

[dpbrown]

48. They can polish it all day, and it still smells the same

Mandates are a handout to the corrupt industry that's keeping us worse off in our health care than every other major industrialized nation.

And now just to get that handout passed, they have to oppress women, too.

I'm having a hard time thinking how Democrats are better for regular people.

[marasinghe]

87. + 100% (n/t)

[ananda]

15. As well it should.

Every women's organization there is should be opposing
this travesty of a bill.

[FreedomRain]

17. Will the House

really go along with this perversion?

-edit to replace double wording

[Le Taz Hot]

96. The House has the Stupak Amendment

and it passed so, yeah, they're going along like the good little DLC sheep they've been taught to be. :puke:

[Bluebear]

18. Women. Another fringe left-of-the-left special interest group.

:sarcasm:

[DCKit]

76. Women - and a pre-existing condition to boot. Oh, those pesky ovaries.

My S.O. hasn't been watching the political news much this past two weeks and had an "OMFG" moment tonight watching the news regarding this POS they're trying to foist upon U.S..

Could it possibly be any clearer that the WH and Congress have become wholly owned subsidiaries of the large corporations? Even some of the Republicans I know are beginning to "get it" - they don't give a flying shit about the people.

[wial]

91. that's an excellent point

they've made being a woman a pre-existing condition.

[wordpix]

121. pregnancy is now a pre-existing condition the HC corps can refuse you over

how dare you women be pregnant and apply for health care insurance?

[chill_wind]

84. +100

[slay]

19. I'm convinced the Dems would sell the souls of everyone on the planet to pass this bill

excuse me - this awful fucking piece of shit worthless sellout of a bill!! Good for the National Organization for Women! Ben Nelson needs to STFU and keep his stupid beliefs to himself - NOT legislate them into law. This will mainly hurt females who are poor! Fuck Ben Nelson I would rather we kick him out of the party and NOT have the 60 votes than for the Dems to sell out to a scumbag like him. This shit gets worse every goddamn day! :mad:

[Neecy]

47. It will mainly hurt middle class women

Poor women have already been screwed over by the abortion restrictions in Medicaid. Now they're turning to restricting abortion access for the middle class.

[marasinghe]

88. and remember - women will have the pleasure & the privilege of paying ...

to get screwed over by the health insurance corps. - with this bill - because of the enforced mandate.

the fascists are right out in our faces & they don't give a shit that we see them for the evil scum that they are.

[patrice]

21. Women should not be War Slave Brood Mares!!

Choice of reproductive services IS Pro-Life.

[Vidar]

24. Good for NOW

[Techn0Girl]

25. NOW, AFL-CIO, SEIU, MOVEON, FIREDOGLAKE, Howard Dean ...WTF is Obama THINKING! ???

WTF?
This is party self-destruction on a massive scale. What is the Democratic Party thinking? What is Obama thinking?

I've seen F-ups before by the Democrats but NEVER on such a massive an obvious scale. This is truly historic.

We are watching what may be the total destruction of the Democratic Part at precisely the time when they've been handed the largest populist mandate they've seen in decades.

WHAT. THE. Fxxx. ??

[grahamhgreen]

28. I think you could add the majority at DU, as well

[Little Star]

46. Isn't AARP on that list also with Medicare being cut?

[bertman]

52. L-E-G-A-C-Y, Techno0Girl. He's bought into the legacy of being the first President

since LBJ to pass healthcare reform. That superficial meme has gotten totally out of proportion in President Obama's mind, so that he's willing to do ANYTHING to say he passed it. ANYTHING including giving away the store to the Health Insurance Cartel.

And don't forget who's whispering "Legacy" in the Prez's ear: dear old Rahmbo, who could give a shit what the bill contains.

[Trajan]

59. Oh ... you might be overselling the doom and gloom ...

Cmon now: Absolute annihilation of the Democratic party ?

One big nuclear detonation that will blow the party into smithereens ?

A giant WHOOSH, and all Democrats disappear from the world forever and ever ?

Cmon ....

Yea ... It is obvious there are serious divisions. but to proclaim this day as the death of the Democratic party is a tad premature .....

It doesn't consider reality, but it is heavy on the histrionics ....

I am against this bill, and I agree with Dr. Dean .... but to paint this as a Democratic Party Armageddon seems irrational ....

[pundaint]

60. This issue is big enough to illustrate the futility of a two-party system funded by corporations.

The Republican and Democratic parties should shrink to the relative size of their service area - corporations, and those living on capital gains.

New Parties concerned with the interests of workers, environmentalists, students, real small businesses should emerge to accept the 95% not being represented by the existing parties. The movement politics Thom Hartmann has been talking about.

The People must be heard! My impression is that there are a significant number of folks who don't want war, and do want single payer. Neither Party is giving us a voice.

[Trajan]

124. While I agree with your basic list of points ...

There is one thing that stands in the way of third party juggernauts ....

Losing .....

I wish it weren't true, but as soon as Party #1's unsatisfieds are stripped away to Party #3, Party #2 simply wins ....

[griffi94]

65. i no longer think obama cares what's in the bill

he just wants to pass something.
so far his administration seems to be playing to not lose rather than to win. trying to walk right down the middle

[bvar22]

67. If Obama is trying to "walk down the middle"...

...then he has FAILED miserably.
He is way, waaaaay off to the Right.

Mandating that every American BUY an invisible product every year from For Profit Corporations who manufacture NOTHING, and produce NO wealth is the extreme RIGHT of the Political spectrum.

Not even the Republicans could dare dream about doing that.

[nichomachus]

106. Obama is thinking "What do my handlers at Goldman-Sachs want?"

[icee]

107. You are exactly right. Makes me want to vomit............nft

dd

[mother earth]

26. The more voices to stop this so called "reform" bill the better.

[grahamhgreen]

27. That's right, the women are smarter!

[pundaint]

29. I'd care more about NOWs opinion if it wasn't all about abortion.

Take that out, and People are still screwed by this. Are they on the side of the People or just the small intersection with the choice issue? That's why I couldn't bother to actually vote for Coakley last month in MA, and wont in the general unless I believe she'll represent my progressive interests.

[girl_interrupted]

30. K&R

[patrice]

32. ? Everything is affected by the number of dysfunctional families needing services. Free Women

with economic parity will reduce all demands on all systems.

Simply put, abortion is not a small issue.

[Jim Sagle]

33. Nobody cares if you care.

[patrice]

35. That's either a rather obvious mistake or a lie.

[Jim Sagle]

36. No.

[patrice]

58. No? Then it must be pure bullshit.

[Jim Sagle]

68. Project much?

[pundaint]

54. Thank you for caring enough to point that out, that is useful.

[bonnieS]

38. NOW's position

NOW, of which I am a member and past President of a local, has a strong single payer position. However, since almost no one else is paying attention to women's rights, and this is a matter of women's rights being rolled back half a century, that is what is the MAIN issue for the organization in terns of being "against."

[AlphaCentauri]

40. They haven't show up the same support for the public option

at least I have not read about them protesting for the removal of such legislation

[katkat]

44. Alpha

I don't care if NOW is single issue. The more people/groups on our side the better.

[pundaint]

51. Allow me to revise and extend

Is NOW just in it to resist Stupak and Nelson? or are they in it to put pressure on for a bill with genuine reform? I support choice and vote for it. Choice in itself is not a little issue, but it's not the thrust of healthcare reform. Adding anti-choice provisions is only a diversionary tactic from the other side in this fight. If this is Landrieu-like opposition, "I'm opposed only until my personal issue is resolved, but then do what you will," that support is ultimately irrelevant to a good healthcare reform effort.

That said, I do welcome support in each of the battles along this campaign. But Campaign Ribbons go only to those continuing the fight, and not settling for any result short of reform.

[bonnieS]

102. all I can tell you

is when I went to DC with others to Stop Stupak and met with aides to my Senators I was instructed to speak on behalf of Bernie Sanders amendments as well as stopping Stupak. I don't know if that is good enough for you, but that is what I and my husband did in our one to one interviews on behalf of NOW-NJ. Naturally the passion is on the side of resisting an attack when it is lodged against you personally, even if you have been ideologically for another aspect (single payer) which would be wonderful to have, but does not eliminate your rights in a flash.

[pundaint]

115. Thanks, I am a little better informed now.

I shall still wait to see what happens once the stupid anti-choice verbiage is excised, but, yes, you have upgraded my expectations.

[McCamy Taylor]

39. Sending money to NOW now.

[Jefferson23]

41. Thank you, NOW.

KILL THE BILL

[katkat]

42. even more crap

"But two of the Senate’s champions of abortion rights, Senators Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, and Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, issued a joint statement saying they were satisfied with the agreement.

“We said all along that we wanted to ensure there was a firewall between private and public funds — this compromise achieves that,” they said. “We said we would not accept language that prohibited a woman from using her own private funds for her legal reproductive health care – this compromise meets that test.”


What a bunch of absolute crap from Boxer and Murray. Does the White House have photos of them in a love nest with Vitter or something?

[Le Taz Hot]

98. Boxer??????

Well shit!!! I hadn't read that. Well, I stopped voting for Feinstein but, up until now, I felt I had at least ONE Senator that represented my interests. This just couldn't get any worse.

[RainDog]

43. exactly n/t

[GreenTea]

45. Progressive groups, women's groups, labor unions, etc. etc. oppose this bad senate bill, which will

really only give the insurance companies more control, as well as more profits, and much more of our tax dollars going to private insurance corporations....while just throwing some crumbs at the uninsured, the poor and workers.

This is an extremely bad, watered down, weakened senate bill, and is why insurance company whore Joe Lieberman can accept this bill in it's current form.

The public option house bill should be revived instead.

[midnight]

49. Maybe the firewall the Senate should implement should be between church and state?

[billyoc]

53. It's nice to see that there are some who won't succumb to liberal blackmail.

:patriot:

[LaPera]

56. Name a liberal your speaking of?

[Le Taz Hot]

99. When the hell did

pro-choice become "liberal blackmail?" Are you on the right board?

[billyoc]

108. It didn't, what the fuck is wrong with you?

[Le Taz Hot]

110. The usual.

And you?

"It's nice to see that there are some who won't succumb to liberal blackmail."

The Liberals are against this Bill as it stands with the anti-abortion language. It's the corporo-whore Democrats who are pushing this POS. I think you confused people with your characterization of liberals being the blackmailers. It's important to know who is who in this debate and using the correct terminology is key.

[billyoc]

111. Bullshit, liberals are whining that it's "now or never".

[Le Taz Hot]

112. No,

that would be the corporate whores. Liberals don't like this bill for a myriad of reasons I'm pretty sure I don't need to outline here seeing as how it's been debated ad nauseum for the last 6 months.

[noiretextatique]

118. no, they just captiulate to the powerless rw and their blackmail

change we can believe in :sarcasm:

[marshall]

55. They better hope Reid doesn't sic Franken on them

They've got a bill they want in the Senate. Now they just have to shut everyone else up so they can get it passed.

[bertman]

57. Next November is gonna be UGLY for the Democratic party. NOW will not be the last

group to stand AGAINST this abomination.

What kills me is the way they are parroting the "We have to pass this bill as it is" line. The Beltway Disease is manifesting itself in the D.C. Democratic governing class like a nasty virus.

Recommend this thread. Time for me to send in my NOW renewal.

[DebbieCDC]

61. Damn straight

Good for NOW

[pleah]

62. K&R

[RedCloud]

63. The fierce urgency of NOW. Go get 'em.

Bout time the main street folks actually won something.

[Skittles]

64. as well it should

[defendandprotect]

66. Howard Dean may have emboldened others to speak out now . . .

Certainly any new restrictions on abortion should be removed -

Meanwhile, where has NOW been? Didn't notice any comment on the Papal Bulls and Pelosi

and the Stupak Amendment?

This simply more of the patriarchal war on women -- i.e., exploitation --

[tnlefty]

69. Good!

I just wish that they and NARAL and Planned Parenthood had stepped up their efforts in June/July when they were aware of Shithead Stupak's amendment.

I expect to be shit on by republicans, but that this is coming from supposed democrats is just a bit too much to take.

[Mari333]

70. jesus. everyone is coming out against this.

long overdue.

[wordpix]

122. truly heartening BUT can these groups & DU counterbalance BigInsurance enough to

get a better bill?

Otherwise, we get nothing, not closing teh donut hole on Medicare drugs, not competition between companies who want to operate in the same state--nothing.

[xchrom]

71. Recommend

[brooklynite]

72. Let's compare...

If the health care bill is defeated, public funding for abortions won't be available.

If the health care bill is passed, public funding for abortions won't be available, but general health care is expanded for millions.

While I whole-heartedly support abortion rights, I'm not going to sacrifice the additional benefits of HCR for the lack of a benefit that wasn't there to begin with.

The solution to this problem, is to find pro-choice candidates to run against Nelson and Stupak, who can -also- win an election against the candidates the Republicans will run...

[Guilded Lilly]

79. "While I whole-heartedly support abortion rights,"

I tend to believe that you truly don't.

This is not a personal attack, please do not take it that way, but a comment on that specific way of thinking.

To use as an example that you are not going to sacrifice the additional health care benefits...for the addition of a woman's basic right because those rights weren't there before, is to also invalidate all those other things that are NOT in the new bill that weren't there before.

So sacrifice women's rights?

Women are always treated as if their rights are expendable and can be overlooked sometimes with not so subtle patronization, sometimes with fear and others times, open hatred.

To expand health care to millions is admirable. What ARE those costs? Frankly I can't even grasp some of the other parts of this proposed bill because who the hell knows what the hell they actually mean? Even the lawmakers aren't sure.

Bottom line...To exempt women from basic reproductive rights because misogynist lawmakers erroneously preach that women's rights are expendable in the face of everything else...is NOT acceptable. These lawmakers then USE this highly charged issue at every single turn when their other obstructionist and bullying tactics don't work. I don't believe for a minute that the vast majority of politicians who spout about murdering fetuses give two holy hoots about fetuses but give plenty of holy hoots about gaining votes in pre-election years. If they give in to actual equal reproductive rights for women, they lose a HUGE advantage when it comes around to playing the *fetus* card to try and obstruct other issues.

This country's lawmakers have been sacrificing women's rights for centuries. It has always been easy to throw females under the bus, or in the back alleys, or however anyone wants to describe it.

If abortions rights are wholeheartedly supported, then this hideously unfair last minute derailment attempt used to threaten the advancement of ANY change for anyone (or give priority to anyone's specific state's needs!)should be branded and fought loudly; if someone wholeheartedly supports reproductive rights, then someone would reject this habitual usary and repulsive slap to women.

Trying to get another politician into the system to change things isn't the answer, though it is a great attempt to take a step toward equality. CHANGING discrimination against women's reproductive rights, now, is the answer.

[katkat]

95. brooklynite

"general health care is expanded for millions"

it's not expansion of healthcare if you legally mandate that millions buy insurance they can't afford at prices BigInsurance sets. Read what's in the bill, please.

[Guilded Lilly]

114. And does the year 2014 mean anything?

That is when the expandable health care will kick in for the cast majority of those newly covered by this. The more this is explained to people who don't speak legalistic-bill-writing gibberish (ME) the worse it gets.

shaking my head in barely contained disgust.

[femrap]

73. My taxes go to killing pregnant women

in Iraq and Afghanistan....I don't like it.

Yet Nelson demands blackmail $$$$ for his state and poor women in the US can't afford family planning.

I'm so sick of Patriarchy. Hope his dick falls off....Oh...I guess it did.

[Gman]

77. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read here

kill the bill because of a single issue. Flat out stupid.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

78. its a discriminatory issue, which is not a single issue.

[cleverusername]

83. Effects 1/2 of population

Yea, it only effects the personal sovereignty of half of the population. What's the big deal? :sarcasm:

[Odin2005]

85. Misogyny is not liberal value.

[wial]

92. yeah it's just a little thing

so what if women have to raise children on their own they don't want and can't afford, leading to lives of misery and callousness and crime for all involved. so what if women have to die from amateur-abortion-caused infections when they can't afford uninsured hospital care. it's just a single issue. it's only half the population at risk, and besides there's a touch of christmasy male bonding for the senators in treating the rights of the little ladies lightly. you'd be "shrill" or even "hysterical" to "bitch" about it, when at last the guys are agreeing after their noble stag fights. wapitis leiberman and nelson won! get used to it and bring us beers!

(end sarcasm)

god.

count me in when the new party forms. what shall we call it? "progressive" might be most straightforward. not "bull moose" after my comment above. "peoples'"? Something to distinguish from the two corporate parties ruling now, anyway. the key thing is to have a fundraising model that excludes corporate influence. corporations should go back to being mere temporary instruments of the public good like they were for the first 100 years of this country.

anyway, speaking as a male I'm very sorry about what happened in congress. men can be such stupid violent uncaring jerks.

[Captain Hilts]

104. It negatively affects only 52% of the population...no big deal. Move along...nt

[AlphaCentauri]

123. It will only affect those using abortion as birth control

which is a small minority not 52% of the population

[ShortnFiery]

80. +1 eom

[penndragon69]

81. Kill the bill!

The bill, as it stands now, is nothing but a treasure chest of welfare support for the insurance cartels.

While they promise "fingers crossed" to put their house in order
and lower costs, at some point in the future.

It's nothing but a green light for the continued rape of the working class and the poor
in order to line the pockets of the rich!

Go Howard!

[cleverusername]

82. Boner tax on viagra could easily fund health care for women. nt

[eridani]

86. They were all for "reform" before Stupak

What in bloody hell did they THINK was going to happen when they signalled that they'd make any compromise just to get a bill?

[Big_Mike]

89. This bill needs to be shredded, burned, and have its ashes flushed into the sewer system...

where it belongs!

This thing should never see a full vote. We are monkeying with a tremendously complex subject, and secret backroom deals are made left and right just to say "We did it!"

And in a year or so, the refrain will be "We fucked it up!"

Latest issue: abortion. Legal in this land. But not allowed under these rules. Since we're doing this, let's outlaw smoking while we are at it.

How about the idea of the government forcing us to enter into a contract with a PRIVATE company or face fines and/or imprisionment? Hello, ACLU? Oh, that's right, they've just another lobbying firm.

Speaking of lobbying firms, it is good to see NOW actually do what is right. That organization has fallen so far since the 60's and early 70's when they actually believed in trying to better women's lives. Maybe they can become an agency for women again, and not just a political organization.

How about the whole public option? Why base it on a small program like the one for government employees? Let's parallel the one used by DOD. The care is good to very good, and the process already WORKS for a couple million people. What is so hard in figuring that one out?

[katkat]

101. no, shredded and composted

let's do our bit for the environment :-)

[Matt Shapiro]

93. NOW President Terry O'Neill is absolutely right!

The anti-abortion coverage language inserted for Nelson in the "Manager's Amendment" is just as bad as the Stupak/Pitts language in the House bill. It just takes a different route. While so-called women's rights advocates in the Senate like Boxer focus on the dual payment and think it an acceptable compromise (which it is not), they ignore the much worse provision which allows states to ban abortion coverage entirely in the state-run exchange. That was ENTIRELY -- regardless of reason -- worse than HYDE! States that would do this would likely also have minimal mandates for acceptable coverage in general and would therefore attract insurance companies eager to offer nationwide policies, provided for elsewhere in the bill. These nationwide policies would have to meet the state of origin's abortion coverage ban, and women would effectively lose the right to choose throughout the country.

Those who criticize NOW for focusing on a single issue like the right to choose probably don't care much about a woman's right to control her own body. Such individuals, even if they think of themselves as pro-choice, do not understand the deep prejudice against women that underlies such a position. It's not new. Minimizing a woman's right to choose by political insiders who claim to be pro-choice is commonplace (and disgusting). If men were somehow prevented from getting prostate cancer coverage because some right wing nut cases decided the prostate was to be protected at all costs, I'm certain the attitude would be different.

In any case, if you need more reasons to oppose this excuse for a health care, excuse me, health insurance reform bill, here's one or two.

Single payer Medicare for All (supported by NOW) was not even allowed to be discussed.

Medicare buy in for 55-64 year olds taken out.

Public option (weak as it was) taken out.

30 million Americans forced to buy crappy insurance they could not even afford to use if really ill because of the gigantic deductibles and co-pays, or face stiff fines.

There are many other negative aspects besides these and the effective abortion coverage ban, and there are some positive aspects that don't come close to outweighing the negatives.

The bill is a sell-out to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

Any progressive democrat who votes for this garbage is doing so not because she/he thinks it represents real health care reform. They do it because they think the Democratic Party and the President need a political win. Since most of the bill won't take effect until after the 2010 and 2012 federal elections, they may have a (political) point. But when the effects start to sink in with the base of the Democratic Party, and the extent of the betrayal becomes apparent, that political win could turn into a massive loss.

[Le Taz Hot]

94. Thank the goddess

SOMEBODY is speaking up! I have so many issues with this POS legislation but the anti-choice amendment is just unconscionable.

[democrank]

97. K & R

What reform?

[Blasphemer]

100. Amen! It's a disgrace... nt

[spicegal]

103. As a woman, it infuriates me that we are forced to continue fighting this battle.

And who is it making these decisions on our behalf? For the most part it's men, men who will never get pregnant, carry a pregnancy to term, or have the ultimate responsibility of caring for that infant.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

105. What's Michelle's take?

Inquiring minds...

[WileEcoyote]

113. I predict that she won't make waves.

[Land Shark]

116. No CARE in health "care" bill - oppose the bill. k&R nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

117. NOW is correct. I just wish...

I wish they would emphasize the life or death, tragic consequences of abortion restrictions.

Seems that crucial truth is always avoided when the argument comes up; yet supporters of safe, legal, accessible abortion know very well WHY the issue is so non-negotiable.

WOMEN"S LIVES ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE.

[upstandingcitizens]

119. Gee

so does just about everyone else too. This week'll be alot of this. People will be screaming from the trees.