Chalk up Laura Ingraham as another Fox Newsy to echo Rush Limbaugh by painting those who advocate for contraception coverage as sluts. Ingraham didn’t use any vile language or say anything as repulsive as Limbaugh did but the sentiment was pretty much the same.
Substituting for Bill O’Reilly last night, Ingraham sneered in her Talking Points commentary that the “so-called war on women” was a cynical ploy by the left. She conveniently ignored how Limbaugh thrust this topic into the national spotlight with his continued, over-the-top attacks on Sandra Fluke over her Congressional testimony in favor of contraception coverage. This is at least the second time Ingraham has tried to blame the left for the uproar. Last night, she suggested the whole thing was a diversionary tactic by the Democrats:
"The Obama administration has decided that it isn’t really interested in debating the primary issues facing our country, issues like jobs and the economy. Instead, the President has decided that scaring women, especially single women, is the key to victory in November. Now, Democrats know that today, women face, really, no restrictions getting contraception. They know that Republicans aren’t going to stop women from getting contraception. They know that 9 in 10 employer-based healthcare plans already cover contraception.”
Of course, she conveniently overlooked the recent Blunt amendment which opponents said “would have allowed employers to cherry-pick women's health care options based on moral beliefs” and even refuse to cover mammograms, prenatal care for single mothers and HIV/AIDS screenings.” Anyone want to bet that was an amendment Ingraham enthusiastically supported?
Next, Ingraham got right down to suggesting contraception is for sluts. “If you are a woman, for instance, and you’re working for let’s say Georgetown University Hospital, and you want to have multiple sexual partners every week, no one is going to stop you from buying whatever contraception you want to use. And community clinics cover virtually all the costs.”
Of course, Ingraham didn’t consider that there might be some married women living in rural areas whose “community clinic” could be many miles and an unaffordable distance away.
Ingraham continued, “This is a totally phony issue pushed by partisans who have no strategy other than to go negative, dividing Americans along racial, ethnic and now gender lines."