Palin, rape kits and one more reason to vote for Joe Biden.

[Clio the Leo]

CNN just did a piece on the whole Palin charged rape victims for rape kits story.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/21/palin.rape.exams/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

The reporter ended the segment by saying that it's now rare for rape victims to have to pay for these kits. In order to get federal funding, local governments must now pay for it themselves, a result of the Violence Against Women Act.

What the reporter unfortunately failed to mention was that the Violence Against Women act was written (as we all know)by this guy ........



... who just so happens to be on OUR side.

We love you Joe ...... not as much as we're gonna love you after the debate ... but we do love you.

Anyway, my point is ......... we need to PUSH this point and PUSH IT UNTIL NOVEMBER 4!!!!!

[SmokingJacket]

1. Wow, I didn't know about the Biden connection!

Thank you!

We have a great team...

[rateyes]

2. IMO, Biden should fly to Wasilla, AK and tell that story. nt

[Clio the Leo]

4. He needs to fly to FL, OH, PA, MI, NC, NV and VA and tell that story! NT

[Blue_In_AK]

3. It's excellent that the national news is picking up on this.

From yesterday's ProgressiveAlaska:

http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2008/09/saradise-lost-chapter-seventy-eight.html

The issue of Wasilla Police Department Chief Charlie Fannon's and Mayor Sarah Palin's policy of eliminating financial payment for forensic examinations of rape victims from the municipal budget, and that decision's influence on the 1999-2000 Alaska Legislature's HB 270, is gaining traction. This past week, both Shannyn Moore and I have been guests on a fair number of radio call-in programs. When this issue comes up, people gasp.

The Anchorage Daily News, which failed to adequately address this in 2000, still hasn't covered it in a rational way that would, for instance, use the superb expertise of reporters Sheila Toomey and Lisa Demer to the paper's advantage. I've asked "Why not?" about this here before, and I'm asking it once more.

Why not?

Others are probing the issue, though. The most interesting example I found this morning (while waiting for a radio appearance on Irish National Radio), was a segment on the Public Broadcasting System's program, To The Contrary. Two conservative commentators on the program keep on trying to put some lipstick on this piglet, but it doesn't seem to work.

Tara Setmeyer claims that Palin and Fannnon were sort of sabotaged by Democrats in 1999, as the two former sought to develop a new, rational policy on how this budget item was addressed. Heritage Foundation shill, Genevieve Wood says, "I think Sarah Palin will speak to this. I'm sure she'll have a very good answer."

Will she speak to his? Should she? That's our Progressive Alaska poll for this week:

Should Sarah Palin be asked about the Wasilla Police Department Policy of charging rape victims for their forensic exams, during the VP debate?

Update noon Sunday - from the comments: (Shannyn says) "Since Joe Biden fought hard to make rape kit charges illegal on a national level, and JOHN MCCAIN voted against it, Palin and Biden should both be asked about it. The have both taken a stand." More coming on this later today.

[dazzlerazzle]

5. She won't explain this

Because there is no way to defend what was done. The idea of billing the victim for the cost of a rape kit is so cruel and insensitive, that trying to explain would likely be worse than just refusing to answer questions about something so controversial. It is not likely any of the people chosen to interview her would be allowed to ask this question.

"Should a rape victim have to pay for the rape kit which is part of the evidence, or should she get raped a second time by your personal belief's and have the rapists baby?"

[progressoid]

8. She'll blame it on the police chief.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/21/palin.rape.exams/index.html#cnnSTCText

[rcsl1998]

6. K&R

[1corona4u]

7. I hope he ask her about it in the debate....or at least mentions it.

[jillan]

9. oooh - I would just love it if Gwen Ifill would talk about this at the vp debate,

:P

[Froward69]

10. Joey the "Shark"

will have baracuda sushi fillet for us all!!! that is to say I feel confident he will slice her to itty bitty little pieces.

He wrote the law Phalin (and sister) attempted to abuse in Alaska.

[Triana]

11. I love Joe for that alone, and lots of other things! n/t

[hootinholler]

12. Not only that guy, but this guy voted against it.