If the GOP right wing doesn't like reality, they just deny it. As with evolution, climate change, polling results, and unemployment stats, the Republicans deny that there is a "war on women" despite the reality of unprecedented GOP led attempts attempts, in the last two years, to limit women's reproductive rights. This right wing meme is being advanced by their media mouthpiece, Fox News, whose guests and talkers ignore the reality of the regressive policies and laws whilst promoting the right wing talking point that women are more concerned about the economy than their lady parts while ignoring the reality that for many women, access to affordable reproductive health care is vital to their personal economy. Last month, GOP Senate Candidate Wendy Long and Gretchen Carlson discussed how the focus on reproductive rights was "insulting" to women and a Democratic "distraction" from more important issues. This morning, Long was back for more of the same. Drums keep pounding right wing rhythm to the brain...
With just the sweetest smile ever, former Miss America Gretchen Carlson began: "The fight for the female vote escalating after last week's debate." She played video of President Obama "attacking" Mitt Romney on issues important to women. She introduced her guest, the unpopular GOP Senate candidate Wendy Long to answer the question of whether there really is a war on women. The answer was very predictable.
Gretch did a dramatic rendering of Mitt Romney's story, during the debate, about how a woman asked him how she could get a job. Long said it was "great" that Romney was talking about (spit out the coffee moment) "real" women such as this poor soul who "grabbed his arm" and talked about her plight. Gretch, who could well afford her birth control before her health care plan started covering it with no co-payment, chuckled when Long added that this mythical women didn't say she was out of birth control.
As she did in her last Fox & Friends appearance, Long claimed that women are talking to her about jobs. Carlson talked about a new Romney ad that attempts to win over single women - a group with whom he is trailing. She played a snippet of an ad in which a female former Obama supporter says that because she's concerned for her and her children's future, she's voting for Romney. Gretch delivered the Fox/right wing talking point with her comment that this ad demonstrates what Long is saying; i.e. that there is more than "just one issue" for women.
Long continued to avoid discussing reproductive health issues and the abysmal record of the GOP in this area. Once again, she stressed how jobs are the number one concern of women. She claimed that Romney's debate performance has helped him with women. She breathlessly intoned about how he said "yes, I can help you and here's how" to the woman who grabbed his arm. (Wow, this is starting to sound like that story about how Jesus healed the woman who grabbed his garment). She said that Obama looked "glum" while Romney told his tale because "Obama's whole phony war on women is collapsing." She claimed that he would have brought up abortion and birth control "if he knew that was working and he knows it's not working."
So far we have two Wendy Long appearances and no appearance by her opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand. But then Fox & Friends is an "opinion" show not held to any "fair & balanced" standards. It's too bad because if she were to be able to rebut Ms. Long's argument, she might say that if this anecdotal Romney woman is out of work, she probably doesn't have health care and as such might use the services of Planned Parenthood which the GOP want put out of business. There might have been an actual discussion of the draconian GOP reproductive health policies and laws that impact low income women.
The biased beat goes on, the beat goes on....
This isn’t the only issue for women, but it is very clear where Republicans stand on it, and I’m reminded of it every day when I take that pill.