DO NOT FEAR, woman citizen of the United States!! These "hairy old white men" (my wife's phrase) have your back!! The GOP holds a committee hearing on Obama's contraceptives decree, and somehow forgets to invite women to the discussion.
God it’s good to be a liberal right now, and watch the increasingly radicalized GOP self-destruct. After vehement (and largely phony) outrage over the last week regarding Obama’s decision to force coverage of contraception for certain groups, Republicans have certainly TRIED to make it an issue to focus on for the campaign. Somehow, having the insurance companies themselves pay for contraceptives coverage is Obama trying to “destroy Catholicism” (something Gingrich says Obama will start doing as soon as he’s re-elected)? Given how all of the GOP issues they were banking on for the fall election are melting away (economy, Obama’s ratings, foreign policy, etc.), this is what they’re left with.
It’s been wonderful watching how incredibly inept the GOP has been though, in trying to make this a major campaign issue. Just hearing Santorum or any Santorum backer speak on the issue is enough to warm the heart of any liberal hoping for an Obama re-election. Thursday, the GOP-led House ratcheted it up a notch, holding a Congressional hearing on the Obama contraceptive issue.
The problem? The five panelists invited to participate in the hearing? ALL MEN. The House Committee driving the panel? Very heavily male. This fiasco of a Committee hearing has certainly been getting a lot of play in the media and in the blogosphere, particularly from groups that support women’s rights.
I thought it was a very gutsy move for Obama to make last week, knowing he was up for re-election, yet following his heart and pushing for fair coverage for contraceptives. I shuddered when I first saw the (fake) outrage from the right, knowing immediately they were going to try to make it a major campaign issue.
I should have known better. As inept as the GOP is right now, I should have KNOWN they would take a potential campaign theme, a potential strength, and screw it up and turn it into a major liability for them come November. Did any of these “Hairy old white men” (my wife’s phrase when hearing about this) REALLY think it was a good idea to hold a congressional committee hearing on the issue, but largely leave women out of the discussion???
Well-played, GOP!! Once again, you’ve got Obama’s re-election team laughing at your bumbling.
