Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Watch this Space
Apologies for not writing sooner...and there has been a LOT to write about...but I have been busy researching and writing. So watch this space, and I will be back.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Re-defining "woman"
Not only does the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act" (Senate Bill 51) sponsored by Senator Brownback (R-KS with 334 co-sponsors) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ, and 141 co-sponsors) in the House aim to call fetuses unborn children, it also redefines who is a woman:
"(6) WOMAN- The term `woman' means a female human being who is capable of becoming pregnant, whether or not she has reached the age of majority. "
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-51
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-356
Thus, post-menopausal females, infertile and sterilized females are not women.
"(6) WOMAN- The term `woman' means a female human being who is capable of becoming pregnant, whether or not she has reached the age of majority. "
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-51
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-356
Thus, post-menopausal females, infertile and sterilized females are not women.
Lesson: Lieberman's Loss
Incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman lost his democratic primary bid to be on the ticket for the November election. Incumbents usually do not lose--they have name recognition and momentum. His loss needs to be looked at for what it says to the democratic party, especially since the party sent in their heavy hitters to stump for him.
The message is one that the Democratic Party has been tone deaf to: that Democrats need to stand for something, and that something should not be the same thing as the Republicans; Instead the message has been to stay the course and follow the Republican lead. It has been like having only one political party in power, there has been too much kissing up to the Republicans. And, not just in this administration--note the Defense of Marriage Act, and the Personal Responsibility Act. DoMA undermines the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause--where one state recognizes another's civil laws and policies (i.e., one's driver's license from NY is recognized in Nevada, a marriage dissolved in Nevada is recognized as dissolved in NY). The Personal Responsibility Act changed welfare--imposing a 5 year maximum for adults to receive aid, promoting abstinence or marriage for impoverished women, not providing child care yet requiring parents to work. Clinton signed both pieces of legislation into law, claiming with welfare reform that there would be changes made at the regulatory level (not). Both these acts slide the democrats over to the republican's side...the center moved. Moderates, those Rockefeller Republicans on one side, and the Reagan Democrats on the other--those people who believed in social justice policies and fiscal responsibility found themselves without representation.
With 9/11 and the subsequent US Patriot Act and the War in Iraq the Democrats signed on with the Republicans in a show of solidarity, unfortunately they were, as the whole country was, sold a bill of goods.
Yet, where are the Democrats? There are only a few that have been calling the administration on their lies, and actions.
So, Bush's kiss on Lieberman's check was the kiss of political death for this democrat. The Democratic Leadership Council should take notice, and learn from Lieberman's loss.
The message is one that the Democratic Party has been tone deaf to: that Democrats need to stand for something, and that something should not be the same thing as the Republicans; Instead the message has been to stay the course and follow the Republican lead. It has been like having only one political party in power, there has been too much kissing up to the Republicans. And, not just in this administration--note the Defense of Marriage Act, and the Personal Responsibility Act. DoMA undermines the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause--where one state recognizes another's civil laws and policies (i.e., one's driver's license from NY is recognized in Nevada, a marriage dissolved in Nevada is recognized as dissolved in NY). The Personal Responsibility Act changed welfare--imposing a 5 year maximum for adults to receive aid, promoting abstinence or marriage for impoverished women, not providing child care yet requiring parents to work. Clinton signed both pieces of legislation into law, claiming with welfare reform that there would be changes made at the regulatory level (not). Both these acts slide the democrats over to the republican's side...the center moved. Moderates, those Rockefeller Republicans on one side, and the Reagan Democrats on the other--those people who believed in social justice policies and fiscal responsibility found themselves without representation.
With 9/11 and the subsequent US Patriot Act and the War in Iraq the Democrats signed on with the Republicans in a show of solidarity, unfortunately they were, as the whole country was, sold a bill of goods.
Yet, where are the Democrats? There are only a few that have been calling the administration on their lies, and actions.
So, Bush's kiss on Lieberman's check was the kiss of political death for this democrat. The Democratic Leadership Council should take notice, and learn from Lieberman's loss.
