Politics And Strange Bedfellows

This post has been brewing for quite a while.  But this week, the Republicans seem to have outdone themselves.


Rick Santorun has come out against public schools.  Now it is generally accepted that the public school system is the foundation of our democracy.  But this serious candidate for the presidency says there should be no government involvement in schools, federal or state.  He wants no "government run schools". 


I don't remember the government running my school.  We did a lot of hard work trying to do that ourselves.  We just tried to get help paying for it.


In Virginia the state legislature was ready to mandate that a woman must undergo an ultrasound to determine the age of the fetus before having an abortion.  Turns out that in order to do this it usually requires a vaginal probe.  No problem.  We'll just make women be probed.  Opposition called it "rape".  After creating a national uproar, and much fodder for late night comedy, the bill seems to finally be dead.  


So too the bill in the same legislature to declare "personhood" on a fertilized egg.  This would outlaw many types of contraception.  The governor was all for these bills until it seemed to be hurting his chances to be named a vice presidential candidate. It seems he was losing the women's vote?


Here in Washington State the legislature passed a same-sex marriage bill a week or so ago.  Good!  But before it can take effect it will most likely be subjected to a referendum calling for a vote of the people.  Then the  homophobe  Super PACs will be pouring money into the state in another ugly campaign to deny civil rights to some of our citizens.  


There is good news on the national level on same-sex marriage.  A second federal judge has ruled against DOMA - the Defence Of Marriage Act, stating that "government denial of all federal benefits to same-sex married couples is an irrational and unconstitutional act of discrimination".


In Indiana a state representative refused to support a proclamation honoring the Girl Scouts, and instead berated them as "radicalized to promote abortion and homosexuality".  He said the organization had been "subverted in the name of liberal progressive politics and the destruction of traditional American family values".


He went on to say their "role models are feminists, lesbians or communists"  and linked them to that most demonic of organizations, Planned Parenthood.


The Republican Speaker of the House, a man of some obvious intelligence, reacted by munching on thin mints and passing them out on the floor of the House.  


I'll be getting my delivery of cookies from Girl Scout granddaughter Irene this weekend, and I intend to savor them with added gusto.  I hope you all buy a box too.


Contraception seems to be the hot topic these days.  The audience booed when it was raised at the Republican debate this week, but the candidates jumped on it.  Gingrich explained how President Obama supported "infanticide".  No, I can't tell you how.  It was much too convoluted, as straying from the truth usually is.  Romney chimed in that the President was carrying out a full on "attack on religious freedom", stemming from the health care act that requires coverage of contraception.


Rick Santorun believes that contraception is "harmful to women".  He says "birth control enables sex outside of marriage."  That is "not healthy for our country".  Of course he didn't speak to the use of contraceptives inside of marriage, but I do believe more than a few folks find it helpful in managing the size of their families, sort of planned parenthood.


Title X, a federally funded family planning program that provides contraception service for low income women, was also debated in the Republicans campaigns.  Romney said he would eliminate funding for Title X.  He blasted Santorum for apparently voting for it before he would vote against it.  Ron Paul, who would just eliminate most government agencies, just shakes his head.


At least Ron Paul has sense enough to stay out of our sex lives.  Those other guys apparently want to be our bedfellows.