Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was one of the first to open an investigation into the current allegations, which Planned Parenthood has emphatically denied. Jindal even stopped a new clinic in New Orleans from opening by having the state health department suspend issuing all new licenses. Jindal asked the state inspector general to investigate non-Planned Parenthood clinics that do abortions too.

Other states may join the crowd. Georgia, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas and Arizona are all starting investigations; Republican lawmakers elsewhere are demanding action that could reignite state efforts to defund the clinics.

Ten states did cut family planning funds: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The two largest cuts took place in states led by 2016 contenders: Texas, where Perry cut $47 million in family planning money, and New Jersey, where Christie eliminated $7.5 million.

The states that have successfully “defunded Planned Parenthood” have done so by passing legislation or a budget that cuts or eliminates family planning money. Those cuts have been clearly targeted at Planned Parenthood but have also hit other health clinics or abortion providers. And the cuts haven’t just hit abortion; they reduce funding for contraception or other family planning services — and also cancer screenings.

While reviewing the homicide literature, I came across this piece, the results of which are quite disturbing.  This is a major journal, and the authors methods are very solid.  It is their results, not their methods, that are troubling.  

The relationship between state abortion-restrictions and homicide deaths among children under 5 years of age: A longitudinal study

Social Science & Medicine
July 2012, Vol.75(1):156–164, doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.037

Bisakha Sen a,,Martha Slay Wingate a,Russell Kirby b,
aDepartment of Healthcare Organization & Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
bDepartment of Community & Family Health, University of South Florida, USA

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore whether, in the U.S., there are associations between state-level variations in mortality among young children and state abortion restriction policies – such as parental-consent requirements, parental-notification requirements, mandatory delay laws, and restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortion. To investigate this, we used NCHS Multiple Cause of Deaths public-use data files for the period 1983–2002, and compiled data on children ages 0–4 identified as having died as a result of assault/homicide in each state and year. Medicaid funding of abortion, mandatory delay laws, and parental involvement laws for minors seeking abortions were included as the main predictor variables of interest. Multivariate count data models using pooled state-year-age cohort data, with state and time fixed effects and other state-level controls, were estimated. Results indicated that, between 1983 and 2002, the average increase in the number of homicide deaths for children under 5 years of age was 5.70 per state among states that implemented stricter abortion policies over that time, and 2.00 per state for states that did not. In the count data models, parental-consent laws were associated with a 13 percent increase in child homicide deaths; parental-notification laws were associated with an 8 percent increase in child homicide deaths though the results were less robust to alternate model specifications; mandatory delay requirements were associated with a 13 percent increase in child homicide deaths. While these data do not allow us to discern precise pathways via which state abortion-restrictions can lead to more child homicide deaths, we speculate that state restrictions on abortion may result in a disproportionate increase in children born into relatively high-risk environments. Additional research is called for to explore the association of state abortion-restrictions with other measures of infant/child health and well-being.

Highlights
► Individual states in the U.S. have placed a number of restrictions on abortion access. ► Initial legalization of abortion was associated with improvements in child well-being, including reduced child-maltreatment. ► Conversely, abortion-restrictions may be associated with increased child-maltreatment, and child deaths from assault/homicide. ► Our empirical results find certain state abortion-restrictions are associated with increases in child homicide deaths.

Not a free article, unfortunately.  Complaints to publisher welcomed.

Leading off today with Clinton's latest comments regarding Planned Parenthood, which continues to be under attack.  

New Hampshire Union Leader ran a one-on-one interview with Clinton that covered several issues.

First, Planned Parenthood:

“Planned Parenthood is answering questions and will continue to answer questions. I think there are two points to make,” Clinton said. “One, Planned Parenthood for more than a century has done a lot of really good work for women: cancer screenings, family planning, all kinds of health services. And this raises not questions about Planned Parenthood so much as it raises questions about the whole process, that is, not just involving Planned Parenthood, but many institutions in our country.”

“And if there’s going to be any kind of congressional inquiry, it should look at everything and not just one part of it,” she said.

"Well, there is no funding that, you know, would be any more at risk than it already has been for years because this has been an ongoing dispute, and I’m well aware that passions are very high. I have said for more than 22 years that abortion should be legal, safe and rare. And as First Lady, I led an effort to try to lower the number of teen-age pregnancies and we succeeded, and as President I will continue to work toward that so that women are fully empowered, they can afford to make responsible decisions, and I hope that we will be successful with that.”

I wrote this article in 2013 and was inspired to post it today upon reading Leslie Salzillo's diary re: Sister Chittister and the subsequent comments.

I have already discussed the issue of abortion at great length and in some depth in the past (1) and thought I had said everything I needed to say about it. Lately, however, I have noticed in the public debate two recurring themes which demand further discussion, namely, a lack of understanding about basic biology, and the implications of "personhood" with regard to civil rights.

Many of us had believed that the fight for sovereignty over our own bodies was settled years ago, back in the 1960s and 1970s, in America.  But we were wrong.  Now that we are menopausal, here in 2013, our daughters and granddaughters are facing the same battle.  One might think that this right to bodily integrity was self-evident, but apparently it is not, based on the quantity of legislation being introduced and the many commentaries posted on the subject.

Here is Watson's transcript followed by the video:

Planned Parenthood is in the news a lot these days thanks to a maliciously edited video making it look like they SELL BABY PARTS.

It’s weird for those of us with two brain cells to rub together, that this is even a thing. Because first of all, obviously Planned Parenthood doesn’t sell BABY PARTS. Jesus fucking christ, get a hold of yourselves. Baby parts!

3% of all Planned Parenthood’s activities are abortions, and more than 90% of those are in the first trimester when it’s about size of a kidney bean, so they do see some pieces of fetal tissue. Which are just going to be thrown away in the garbage, but which the patient can instead choose to donate to important medical research.

HOW DARE THEY! How dare Planned Parenthood allow women to aid in the research and treatment of conditions like H.I.V. and Parkinson’s disease, when instead those women could just be throwing that tissue in the garbage!

So yeah, there’s the fact that Planned Parenthood obviously isn’t “selling baby parts.” And then there’s the fact that the group releasing this video are some of the same people who worked for the group Live Action, which is best known for…editing together misleading videos attacking Planned Parenthood.

So despite the fact that this is an obviously made up and ridiculous accusation, actual politicians are taking it seriously. If you live in the US, your tax dollars are now going toward Congressional Republicans calling for a formal investigation, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced they’ll launch a probe. A probe for baby parts! Good luck, guys!

This all reminds me of a course I took in college on heresy. I remember learning about how multiple times throughout human history, various groups of people have been accused of the very specific act of gathering together and hosting orgies, and then taking the resulting babies from any past orgies and burning them into ashes, which are then formed into cakes, which are then eaten. Usually it’s supposed to be the Jews doing this but plenty of other marginalized groups have been accused as well. And it always baffled me to think that people could really, truly believe that their fellow humans were doing something so obviously stupid and made up.

Well, now it’s 2015 and an organization that is mostly responsible for making sure poor women have access to basic medical care including cancer screenings, checkups, and birth control, are accused of convincing women to abort their babies and then tearing them into parts and selling them on the black market.

And I realize, that if it helps you achieve your goals — whether they be persecuting people of a different faith or cutting funding for poor women’s health care — it becomes surprisingly easy to believe something unbelievable.

If you've ever considered supporting Planned Parenthood, this would be a great time to get involved/contribute. To make a secured Planned Parenthood donation visit: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, call 800-798-7092, or mail donations to:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
PO Box 97166
Washington DC
20077-7543

Special thanks to 'W' and the Facebook page Being Liberal. Thanks also to Pro-Choice Liberals and Kossack, 'Armd'.

#StandWithPP

Will U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Joe Heck (R. NV) help his party defund Planned Parenthood?

Republicans aren’t even trying to hide their latest shameless attack on women’s health – and we’re running out of time to stop them.

Rick Santorum said he’s “declaring war” on Planned Parenthood. A former Republican congressman bragged, “This bill will put Planned Parenthood out of business.” Their goal couldn’t be clearer: They want to take away access to critical health care from millions of women to score political points, and the vote could come any day now.

I won’t stand for it, and I know you won’t either. We have to block this bill before the vote next week. Time is running out: Add your name to tell Republicans we won’t let them defund Planned Parenthood!

Click here to add your name: Tell Republicans we won’t stand for their attacks on Planned Parenthood!

http://www.dontdefundpp.com/...

One in five American women visits Planned Parenthood for essential health care that would otherwise be unaffordable. If Republicans succeed in taking away critical funding, the consequences could be disastrous.

They’re putting affordable contraception and cancer screenings on the chopping block – all to further their ideological agenda.

We can’t let them get away with it – we need to act NOW. Sign the petition today to tell Republicans: We won’t let you defund Planned Parenthood and put women’s health care at risk!

Add your name now: Tell Republicans to stop their attacks on Planned Parenthood.

http://www.dontdefundpp.com/...

Thanks for speaking out,

Catherine

http://www.dontdefundpp.com/...

Rachel Bertsche reports: When Angela Valavanis established her birth plan for delivering her youngest child, she indicated that if a C-section was medically necessary, she wanted to get a tubal ligation at the same time. But, at the last minute, the Illinois mom was denied the sterilization surgery because the hospital where she was delivering was a Catholic institution and policy dictated it couldn’t perform contraceptive procedures — something Valavanis was never made aware of throughout her pregnancy.

Under federal law, religious hospitals can choose not to allow sterilization and other forms of birth control. Valavanis says she understands a doctor not wanting to perform a procedure based on religious beliefs. This is different. The institution never made it clear their policies would not allow tubal ligation. To make matters worse, Valavanis was told she should wait months to have the tubal litigation surgery.

“The idea that I would go through a surgery and six weeks of healing and then go in for a second surgery for this was completely ridiculous to me,” she says. Performing tubal ligations during a C-section, because the patient is already in surgery, is common practice so as to avoid extra, unnecessary operations. “Had I known about all of this in advance, I would have reconsidered my options and likely have gone to a different hospital.”

The fact is any surgery can be physically and emotionally traumatizing - and life-threatening. Valavanis opted not to go through two invasive surgeries. Under the new Illinois law, religious health care institutions must ensure that patients are well informed, in advance, of medical treatment limitations due to religious beliefs.

The bill has been passed in the Senate, which has a Democratic majority, and is pending a decision in the House, which also has a Democratic majority. If passed, the Republican Governor Rauner can opt not to sign the bill into law.

Seems like a no-brainer. But given the amount of Republican laws restricting women's reproductive rights in just in the last year, there is no guarantee that Rauner will stand up for women's rights and allow passage.  

The battle for reproductive freedom is an ongoing struggle that will most likely continue past our lifetimes. We continue this fight for our daughters, and granddaughters, because our mothers, grandmothers, and male/female pro-choice supporters did the same for us. There are many ways we can support reproductive rights. Here are 10 large/small pro-choice organizations/Facebook pages you can visit/join now. They offer ways to help and be helped.

Planned Parenthood
NARAL/Pro-Choice America
NOW
NAF/National Abortion Federation
UniteWomen.org
Abortion.com
Fight Laws Against Women
Abigail Adams Brigade
One Millon Vaginas
Pro-Choice Liberals
_____
The Guttmacher Institute is an excellent source of current reproductive rights legislation.

Thank you to the ACLU and the Democrats in Illinois for pushing this new legislation.

If you feel you have been discriminated due to the religious beliefs of a person, corporation, or institution, contact the ACLU online. You can also write to the ACLU at 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York NY 10004 or call 212-549-2500.

Will Sen. Mark Kirk (R. IL) vote to defund Planned Parenthood?

We’ve gotten word that in response to recent misleading attacks on Planned Parenthood, the Senate could vote on a bill to defund the organization as early as tomorrow.

I’ve joined several of my Democratic colleagues in Congress to organize urgent support for Planned Parenthood and stop this partisan GOP attempt to defund its important work.

Add your name now: tell Congress not to defund Planned Parenthood.

http://action.tammyduckworth.com/...

The latest accusations facing Planned Parenthood are part of a deliberate smear campaign that’s intended to sabotage the organization’s mission and that is putting essential health care for millions of women at risk.

One in five American women have relied on Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings, access to birth control, fertility testing and more. I’m one of them - I turned to Planned Parenthood for my health care needs as a college student.

It’s disgraceful that Republicans are subjecting this health care to political games. Already, Republican Senators have tried to derail a bill that would provide fertility treatments for Veterans over Planned Parenthood funding.

As a wounded Veteran who would not have given birth to my baby daughter without in vitro fertilization, I’m furious that Republicans are letting an ideological agenda stand in the way of caring for our Vets.

It’s time to put a stop to the GOP smear campaign against Planned Parenthood. Sign the petition now:

http://action.tammyduckworth.com/...

Thank you for speaking up,

Tammy

http://action.tammyduckworth.com/...

Republicans are threatening to shut down the government if Planned Parenthood isn’t defunded.

This isn’t about a controversy, this is an organized and long-planned offensive on an organization women depend on. This is a cynical attempt by a radical group of legislators who want nothing more than to attack women and their access to safe healthcare and abortion services.

The Senate is expected to vote tonight on a measure that would defund Planned Parenthood and put the healthcare of millions in jeopardy. Will you join me in demanding they back down? They need to hear from you before the vote.

Add your name and tell the GOP: Stop your attacks on Planned Parenthood. Partisan politics have no place in women’s healthcare.

http://signforgood.com/...

Planned Parenthood provides healthcare for millions of people every year, and I trust them to do it.

And for many low-income women, and women of color, Planned Parenthood is the only place in their local community where they can receive care. HIV testing, cancer screenings, birth control, this is about more than just women's access to abortion.

We’ve stopped these attacks in the past, but only when people from across the country let Republicans in Congress know they would hold them accountable.

Will you help me stop this attack on Planned Parenthood? With enough pressure we can force them to back down.

Add your name and tell Republicans that you stand with Planned Parenthood. Stop the attacks and stop trying to get in between women and their doctor.

http://signforgood.com/...

Thank you for adding your voice. After you sign, forward this to as many of your friends as you can. They need to hear from all of us.

Thanks,

Donna

http://signforgood.com/...

Today's edition of Hillary News & Views features Clinton's strongest statements yet on Planned Parenthood, an endorsement from a prominent supporter of Obama in 2008, organizational activity in Denver, and two biographical campaign ads that will be her first TV spots of the election cycle.

Starting off with Planned Parenthood, Clinton released this video yesterday in support of the organization:

As she has done previously with attacks on voting rights and immigrants, Clinton connected the current attacks on Planned Parenthood to the larger, long-term strategy of Republicans to roll back reproductive rights:

If this feels like a full-on assault on women’s health, that’s because it is.

When politicians talk about defunding Planned Parenthood, they’re talking about blocking millions of women, men and young people from live-saving preventive care.

Unfortunately, these attacks aren’t new. They’re more of the same.

We’ve seen them in Wisconsin where Gov. Walker defunded Planned Parenthood and left women across the state stranded with nowhere else to turn.

We’ve seen them in Florida where Jeb Bush funneled millions of taxpayer dollars into abstinence-only programs while gutting funds for crucial family planning programs.

And we’ve seen them in Texas where Gov. Perry drastically cut funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings and then signed legislation that forced health centers across the state to close their doors.

When they attack women’s health, they attack America’s health and it’s wrong and we’re not going to let them get away with it.

One way the GOP feels they can control women's reproductive rights is by defunding Planned Parenthood abortions services. Only 3% of Planned Parenthood's services go towards abortions and under the Hyde Amendment, federal funds cannot be appropriated for family planning abortions. FactCheck.org provides additional information. Ironically, Planned Parenthood services actually prevent countless, possibly millions, of abortions by preventing up to half a million unintended pregnancies per year. The federal funding goes toward the other 97% of services offered by Planned Parenthood including cancer screenings, birth control, STD screenings, and general health care for women and men.

Yes, men. It's something we don't often hear about. Here is a breakdown from the Planned Parenthood website describing men's services:

There is much we can do to protect our health. Routine visits with a health care provider can help prevent serious illness. They can also diagnose and treat the common conditions that affect men. Whether you see your health care provider regularly, or if you have not yet made your first appointment, you may have many questions about men’s health.

Our goal at Planned Parenthood is to give you up-to-date, clear information that helps you better understand your sexual and reproductive health. We hope these pages give you the facts and tools you need to protect your health and to protect the health of men you care about.
Men’s Sexual Health Services at Planned Parenthood

Services offered at Planned Parenthood health centers vary by location. Some of the services include:

*checkups for reproductive or sexual health problems
*colon, prostate, and testicular cancer screenings
*condoms and vasectomy
*erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation services, including education, exams, treatment, and referral
*general health care and routine physical exams
*jock itch exam and treatment
*male *infertility screening and referral
*STD testing and treatment
*urinary tract infections testing and treatment

Use our health center locator to find the nearest Planned Parenthood health center that offers the services you need.

Planned Parenthood works to make health care accessible and affordable. Some health centers are able to charge according to income. Most accept health insurance. If you qualify, Medicaid or other state programs may lower your health care costs.

Call your local Planned Parenthood to get specific information about costs.
- See more at: http://plannedparenthood.org/...

If you've ever considered supporting Planned Parenthood, this would be a great time to get involved/contribute. To make a secured Planned Parenthood donation visit: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or call 800-798-7092. You can also mail donations to:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
PO Box 97166
Washington DC
20077-7543

#StandWithPP

Special thanks to Samuel Wynn Warde, Liberals Unite, and the Facebook page Pro-Choice Liberals.

Today's edition of Hillary News & Views has Clinton again making her biggest headlines by going after the GOP.

In Colorado yesterday, she focused her rhetoric on Jeb!

Timereports:

“Jeb Bush said he is not sure we need half a billion dollars for women’s health issues,” Clinton told nearly 300 Coloradans who had gathered in a Denver dance hall, many to organize for her. “Now, he has got no problem giving billions of dollars away to super wealthy and powerful corporations, but I guess women’s health just isn’t a priority for him.”

“This really isn’t complicated,” Clinton continued. “When you attack Planned Parenthood, you attack women’s health, and when you attack women’s health, you attack America’s health.”

Clinton sought to make the most of his remark, knocking Bush at a Denver event Tuesday evening, saying the comment provides a window into what "Republican candidates really believe."

"I would like to ask him, 'Gov. Bush try telling that to the mom who caught her breast cancer early because she was able to to get screening in time. Was her health not worth the money?" she said. "Tell it to the teenager who avoided an unintended pregnancy because she had access to contraception. Tell it to everyone who was protected by an HIV test."

"I'm really tired of women being shamed and blamed and dismissed," Clinton said.

"The Bush campaign claims that what Jeb Bush meant to say is we should just de-fund Planned Parenthood, as if that makes it any better," Clinton said. "Where women go for cancer screenings and all kinds of other preventive health measures."

This is part of a larger strategy of framing the GOP in advance of the general election, following the blueprint of Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.  More on this after the jump!

Once again, Republicans are attacking women’s access to reproductive care to score political points with their Tea Party base.

Senator McConnell is leading the charge to place more restrictions on a woman’s right to choose and restricting access to reproductive care. Which means we need to lead the charge to stop him.

Demand that Senator McConnell and Republicans stop their attacks on women’s health. Sign the petition.

http://www.signforgood.com/...

It’s not a shock, really -- women’s health is a Republican’s favorite target. They have attacked access to contraception. They even tried to force through restrictions on women’s right to choose on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade this year.

Republicans have proven that they will come after women’s health anytime they see an opportunity. And we need to fight back each and every time they do.

Take this opportunity to stand up for women’s access to reproductive care. Tell Senator McConnell and Republicans in Congress: STOP the attacks on women’s health. Add your name.

http://www.signforgood.com/...

Thank you.

Ann

http://www.signforgood.com/...

In light of a) Donald Trump's latest bile, b) the Planned Parenthood hit job and c) Marco Rubio, Scott Walker & Mike Huckabee's latest upping the ante on rape/incest/life-of-the-mother exceptions for abortion rights, I've decided to dust off the (in)famous Republican Rape Advisory Chart with a slight twist.

Feel free to share the below graphics wide & far via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and so forth, because I've added the larger point at the bottom.

The saddest part? Not only are there an additional 30-40 at the link...it's outdated. It hasn't been updated in a year and a half.

An incident at dinner in Italy during my vacation there and the subsequent discussion has driven me to prioritise this piece. Following a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant, one man decided that it was time for us to listen to his misogyny on women’s reproductive rights. I knew he was saying offensive things as the two English speakers at the table refused to translate what he was saying. Upon my insistence, he tried to speak in English, but what he was saying was so offensive I refused to believe he was saying it. I turned to my husband and the other English speaking friend and they shook their heads yes, that is what he was saying. This man argued that women have to the right to choice but if they get pregnant with a child they do not want, they must be forced to carry the child to term and to give it up for adoption. Those that know me would not be surprised at my angry response in which I spoke of women having the right of property in their own body, spoke of bodily autonomy and reminded him that we were not incubators, but human beings. I concluded by calling him a misogynist and telling him that this was not an opinion but hate speech.

Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978 when Law 194 was passed. While not a perfect law, it was won after intense struggle by the women’s movement. This law not only guaranteed access to abortion, but access  to reproductive health care, contraception, and a whole range of rights for women and these were tied into public health provision. Like in the US (and this has been a failing in both countries), the conscientious objector clause has led to a decrease in the numbers of medical professionals willing to carry out the procedure on religious grounds (and in the US due to pressure from anti-abortion activists). So to hear someone (who is not religious) babbling this crap at me following dinner was way too much. So, who ruined dinner? Was it him or me?

This incident highlighted something that has become extremely obvious and this applies both to women’s rights and to racism. The days when someone who held these offensive positions knew to keep their mouths shut is long gone; instead they pose hate speech as opinion and demand their right to preach it.  Our response must be swift and strong so that these troglodytes are driven back to the primordial soup from which they have barely crawled out from.

In a follow-up discussion on the way to the car park, I told my English speaking friend what just passed the British parliament as part of the Welfare Bill. I told him that the Tories are changing the nature of the social welfare state which covered all women (child-tax credits, child benefits) to only cover the poor and working class. And then I told him about the limits to benefits only to 2 children in the future. I explained that the former made it easier to eliminate benefits totally (why should taxpayers take care of the working class – employed and unemployed -- after all?). I explained the latter policy was a form of eugenics and was a neo-Malthusian policy. While he agreed with the former (he is a mainstream neoclassical after all), he was horrified at the latter (maybe because he has 5 children and has benefited from receiving benefits in several countries to help with covering the costs for all his children).

Hillary News & Views returns today after a busy 24 hours that included a full press conference and release of Clinton's ambitious student loan reform package.

Let's delve right into it.  Yesterday in New Hampshire, Clinton announced the details of her student loan reform proposals.  

There is a lot to unpack in what Clinton is calling her New College Compact.  Here are some of the key elements, supported by direct Clinton quotes:

No Loans Needed for Public Colleges:

Under my plan, tuition will be affordable for every family. Students should never have to take out a loan to pay for tuition at their state’s public university. We’ll make sure the federal government and the states step up to help pay the cost, so the burden doesn’t fall on families alone.

Of course, these days, tuition isn’t enough. The cost of living at college has also been creeping up. So under my plan, students who qualify for Pell Grants will be able to use them for living expenses — and middle-class students will get more help to cover their living expenses, too.

Today's Hillary News & Views leads off with Clinton's use of Planned Parenthood defunding to nationalize the election by tying her position into those of state and local officials.

WMURreports:

Hillary Clinton on Monday took special aim at the “three men” on New Hampshire’s Executive Council who voted last week to defund Planned Parenthood in the Granite State.

“I want to add my voice to all those who have expressed outrage and disappointment at the decision,” the Democratic presidential candidate said in opening a news conference following her town hall meeting at Exeter High School.

“It’s appalling that three men in the chambers of the Executive Council would deny women across this state the health care they need and deserve,” she said. “It shows yet again why we need more leaders like Gov. (Maggie) Hassan and Sen. (Jeanne) Shaheen, who are willing to stand up for women, and just how out-of-touch and out of date Republican leaders are.”

Last Wednesday, Republican executive councilors Chris Sununu, Joseph Kenney and David Wheeler were the majority in a 3-2 council vote to reject contracts that would have provided $640,000 over two years to Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings, contraception and other non-abortion activities.

You read that right. During a 1993 speech honoring her mentor and late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Kagan spoke approvingly of Marshall's lament, expressed six years earlier to mark the 200th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution:

[T]he government they devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government, and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights, we hold as fundamental today. When contemporary Americans cite "The Constitution," they invoke a concept that is vastly different from what the Framers barely began to construct two centuries ago.

"Does Kagan Still View Constitution 'As Originally Drafted And Conceived' As 'Defective'?"

Yet it is the 14th Amendment that elicits the greatest and most visceral conservative scorn. After all, many on the right still seek to deny to African Americans, Latino Americans and gay Americans due process and equal protection of the laws promised to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." Instead, as growing numbers of Republicans insist, those 14th Amendment rights are limited to corporations and fetuses, neither of which are an actual person at all.

Continue reading about the right wing's love-hate relationship with the 14th Amendment below.

OK, technically all I've really done so far is revamp the site into a full content management system to make future additions easier, but it was long overdue (plus, the site is now smartphone-friendly, making it easy to be unbelievably appalled by the disgustingly offensive and medically idiotic blathering of Republican elected officials, party officials, media pundits and so forth.

I have added something new, however: Volume X: Presidential Primary Edition.

Normally I'd say "enjoy!" but given the subject matter, I'll just say that I hope you have a strong stomach.

Needless to say: Trigger Warnings all over the place.

To say that Mike Huckabee's ideas about reproductive rights are out of the American mainstream is an understatement.

Huckabee Backs Denying Abortion To 10-Year-Old Raped By Stepfather

By Lydia O'Connor

In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," the former Arkansas governor argued that the Paraguayan government's refusal to allow an abortion for the now-11-year-old, who gave birth last week after being raped by her stepfather, prevented a second tragedy.

"Let nobody be misled, a 10-year-old girl being raped is horrible, but does it solve a problem by taking the life of an innocent child?" he asked. He added later, "When I think about one horror, I also think about the possibilities that exist and I just don't want to think that somehow we discounted a human life ... Let's not compound the tragedy by taking yet another life."

         Mike Huckabee wants to lead the charge in the Republicans' holy war on women.