The House Committee which was investigating the Obamacare mandate in relation to religious freedom completed its taking of testimony last week. Nine experts in two sessions (including two invisible women) stated their case. But one flaky witness was excluded. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a special session to listen to what this visible woman had to say.
The Congressional hearings on mandating religious organization participation in birth control and abortifacient insurance wasn't intended to be a discussion of medical procedures. Therefore, the majority voted to exclude testimony about experiences with birth control in order to concentrate on the religious issue. That meant that Pelosi's primary sob-story witness didn't get to pluck the harp strings and derail the actual purpose of the hearings. But San Fran Nan isn't anything if not annoyingly persistent. So Pelosi put on the dog and pony show at the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee instead.
Pelosi trotted out Georgetown Law School student Sandra Fluke. She hasn't apparently taken the evidence course yet, because Fluke's first sob story was: "Just last week, a married female student told me that she had to stop using contraception because she and her husband just couldn't fit it into their budget anymore." Objection, hearsay! But it's not only hearsay, it's utter nonsense. Then this future Democratic operative testified that "poor women employed in low-wage jobs without contraceptive coverage face the same choice as her anonymous fellow student."
She and her fellow student can afford Georgetown Law School, and probably a pretty good bottle of wine to go with dinner. But even if they couldn't, how much truth is there to her boo-hoo testimony? Next to none. There are three federally funded Planned Parenthood clinics near the Georgetown campus, none farther than 3.2 miles from the law school. Checking with Planned Parenthood's website, you find that condoms cost about $1.00 each, and if you can't afford that, you can get them for free.
Says Fluke: "Some might respond that contraception is accessible in lots of other ways. Unfortunately, that's just not true." Well, the ones who respond that way are those armed with facts instead of sob-stories. In fact, it is true. Planned Parenthood is just one of multiple organizations which run free clinics, particularly in urban centers. Whether federally-funded, funded by private charity, or a combination of both, birth control is readily and cheaply available to the poor as well as to affluent law students who can't get their priorities straight.
Not only did Fluke's testimony entirely sidestep the religious issue, but it was lacking in facts, logic and supporting evidence. But it was a really good story. I've gone through an entire box of Kleenex over it.
I'll be out of town on business for most of the day. But I'd love to see what you think about this reprehensible attempt to replace good government with low drama and the First Amendment with secular mandates. I promise I'll respond to your comments as soon as I get home.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Pelosi Praises Phony Witness
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37 comments:
"Just last week, a married female student told me that she had to stop using contraception because she and her husband just couldn't fit it into their budget anymore."
a), She's probably lying, b) It's not like there isn't easy access to condoms and such, and c) I wouldn't care even if the claim was true. It's not like there aren't natural ways of family planning, after all.
And d), I'm already getting tired of this wacky format.
LawHawk: You're so damned insensitive. Don't you understand? Condoms interfere with both spontaneity and the natural feeling of barrier free coitus. They're entitled to taxpayer funded birth control pills. Sheesh!!! /snark off.
I could give a rat's ass about that woman and her birth control pills. Admittedly, anything that helps prevent the birth of more liberals has some merit, but they need to pay their fair share in liberal prevention.
This whole contraception debate is horse twaddle of the first magnitude. If you can’t afford contraception, you sure as Hell can’t afford a kid. This delicate snowflake who testified for Nancy should be laughed at, and ridiculed, she is a helpless ditz. God help us if she gets a law degree, I’m sure the ACLU is waiting with pregnant anticipation, no pun intended.
Anything Nancy can do to make this about women and not about Constitutional religious freedom, she will do. Mainly because she knows this is unConstitutional and she has to muddy the waters for Obama. I am so sorry that some spoiled law student doesn't have the ability to obtain her own birth control. Maybe she should abstain then. It actually costs nothing.
But, actually, I am all for the State providing MANDATORY birth control for all woman of child bearing age who claim they can't pay for their own and especially for any woman of child-bearing age who is receiving any kind of public assistance. And once a woman is in this system, they will have to prove financial independence to be removed from it. If they want the government to pay for their BC then the State gets control of their sexuality, Let's give them what they want. Then they can see how invasive the State really CAN be. I predict that we will end up with a world somewhere between The Handmaiden's Tale and Gattica...
It really would save the country billions of dollars. Okay, okay, maybe that's a little harsh, but Libs can't see beyond today anyway. As we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The intention with State-provided birth control is so that woman can do what they want without having to be responsible in anyway even for paying for their own birth control.
Well, and to stick to the Church that have preached personal responsiblility for since...well...the beginning of time.
I'm calling BS on you, Stan. I think you totally intended that pun.
Actually, I'm just picking on you because you beat me to what I was planning to say.
LawHawk, I'm no law student, but did the visible Georgetown woman not only offer hearsay, but also suggest a possible hearsay counter which she ultimately put down with more hearsay? Surely she wins some points for that?
I put nothing beyond Pelosi.
BTW, don't forget it's Trek Tuesday! (LINK).
Hawk
Hope your trip goes/went well with all the snow in the area it should be a challenge.
As for condoms use Saran wrap if your in a pinch. Of course with all the alternatives being taught in our schools get creative.
Interesting that before any mechanical or medical methods the Catholics were using an age old method.
As for the argument about spontaneity, what are we dogs.
Humans can reason, anticipate and plan ahead, I don't think the animal kingdom does.
Some rhythm in the days prior to pelosi would have made this a better world indeed. She doesn't need birth control for obvious reasons.
Well, at least ONE Congresswoman gets it and she's from NY! Who'd a thunk it? New York Republican Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle said today that "mandating that religious employers provide health insurance plans covering contraceptives is 'the largest single intrusion of the federal government on our constitutional rights.'"
http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/27/congresswoman-on-birth-control-mandate-the-intrusion-here-is-astounding/
Bev, are you trying to tell that poor, defenseless young woman what to do with her own body? For shame! How dare you insist that actions have consequences?! ;-)
um, T-Rav, I think she's trying to tell them what not to do with her money... ;)
which, come to think of it, is rather audacious these days!
T-Rav and rlaWTX -
If they want the State to supply everything, then the State has the right to mandate everything.
(T-Rav, I recognize the /sarc...)
The one factor that no Lib every takes into account is the age old rhyming truism -
Those who pay get the say.
Those who do not pay taxes should not have any say and have no right to complain how tax money is being used. I realize that this harks back to our early days when only landowners could vote, but maybe this was the reason.
Just like those who do not vote have no right to complain about our election process or any elected official or any bit of legislation.
If one wants to have a say, you must do these things:
1. Get a job
2. Vote
3. Serve on a jury (if you want to complain about our legal system)
If you do not do at least two of these things, then you do not have any right to complain. You are just empty noise.
Okay, my sermon is now done.
Bev, you say "I realize this harks back to the early days when only landowners could vote" like that's a bad thing or something.(Personally, I'm all in favor of a massive restriction of the franchise.)
If fits the meme, like that phony restaurant receipt with a banker who gave 1% tip for service. It fits the meme.
Also, it "appeals" to the emotions. Poor little rich girl can't keep her legs closed, but she has a solution. Government to pay for her contraception techniques.
Really idiotic. What a conservative on the panel should say is, "Contraception? Try abstinence. Works every time it is tried and it doesn't need religious organizations to hand it out."
I just checked at Amazon and, in quantity, condoms cost about $0.27 each.
That means for each time Mrs. Fluke visits Starbucks, she has to abstain from sex 11 times, that is, assuming she doesn't want the stigma of getting free condoms from Planned Parenthood.
If she drives a car, Obama's energy policies have increased gas prices to the point where she'll have to give up a whopping 3,500 horizontal mambo sessions this year alone versus 2009. That translates to about 10 bonks per day. Or 0.625 bonks each waking hour.
If that's the case, I can see how she and her husband can't afford contraception, because they would be too tired to actually go to work.
I don't care what some people say, I love when you lawyer folk make a great argument. PP is THE place to go for the poor and/or those lacking in priorities. you really can't argue that fact away. no matter what the left wants us to think.
T-Rav: I agree with "a" through "c," and as for "d," I'm sick and tired.
Libertarian Advocate: I have absolutely nothing to add to that comment. LOL
Tennessee: And God forbid she should try abstinence while she's saving up for her free condoms.
Stan: And if she's not good enough for the ACLU, she could always do TV ads for mesothelioma lawyers.
Bev: Ditto--to everything.
tryanmax: We just call it "hearsay on hearsay." The problem is that in hearings, a lot of the rules of evidence are suspended which would not be suspended in a court of law. But even at that, a genuine witness simply wouldn't offer what somebody else told her when that person who told her could have appeared herself--to be questioned.
Tehachapi Tom: If she was Catholic, she could have tried the rhythm method, but that might sound too favorable to Santorum. LOL
Now I know who jinxed me. My 8:15 AM appointment in Bakersfield was for a stress test at the doctor's office. Unfortunately, about ten minutes into the trip, black ice intervened. Despite all my caution, and knowing what to do in a skid, my car decided it would rather go over a cliff. It only rolled over twice before one tree stopped the car from going farther down the mountain, and two others neatly surrounded it, front and back. Fortunately, that lonely road wasn't as lonely as I was afraid it was going to be. After clawing my way back up to the road, the neighbor who lives behind me just happened to be heading home. He gave me a ride back to my house, and then up to my daughter's house to let her know what had happened. She took one look at me and decided to drag me to the hospital to be checked out. Except for a few cuts and bruises, I'm fine. But I can't say the same for the car.
I can't help finding it ironic that if I survived that, the stress test should be a breeze when I reschedule. But somebody upstairs must like me. If I looked like the car, they'd be totaling both of us.
Bev: The few things I've seen coming from Buerkle makes me wonder if she's in the wrong party.
Bev: My mistake. I had briefly remembered that she is a Democrat. My error. And she's in the right party.
Bev: Good sermon!
Joel: Any potential lawyer who can't figure out how to get free/cheap contraceptives shouldn't be practicing law or having children.
wahsatchmo: It is forbidden to confuse liberals with the facts or expect them to be able to add two plus two and come up with the same answer twice.
Patti: You know the old joke. How can you tell when a lawyer is lying? His/her lips are moving. Ms. Sob Story was just practicing for passing the bar. Then she'll go to work for John Edwards and channel dead babies to juries.
OMG! Lawhawk! Did you really go over a freakin' cliff? OMG!
Bev: I'm counting my blessings. If I had been a half mile farther down the road, it's almost a straight drop down to the canyon. There's already a memorial cross there from past fatalities. Where I went over is more of a very steep hill than a cliff. Where I really got lucky was the intervening tree. Beyond that tree it's another sharp hill with a creek at the bottom. I've never been a big advocate of safety belts, but I've always worn them, if just to keep from getting a traffic ticket. I now advocate them enthusiastically. If I hadn't been belted in, I would probably have gotten serious head injuries when the car rolled. We had just bought a new spare tire, and hadn't put it into the rack below the car yet. It was in the back next to the hatch, lying flat behind the second row of seats. After the accident, it (with the tire iron) was sitting upright just behind the driver's seat. I am going to be saying special thanks in my prayers tonight.
LawHawk - I will join you in that prayer of thanks tonight...
Bev: I can always use the help. Thanks.
LawHawk: Someone upstairs decided you need to stick around to needle Demoncrats a bit longer. I'm glad about that. Be well.
LawHawk,
Doctor's appointment? Yeah right. More like you was runnin' moonshine across Hazzard County lines and Cletus happened to catch sight of you Duke boys. Looks like you need to beef up the suspension on the General Lee a bit before you try to jump the creek again.
Seriously, I'm glad you're safe and sound. Sad for the car, happy for you.
wahsatchmo: Thanks for the laugh, which I really needed. I seem to be the only one around here who thinks totaling a car is a big deal. And thanks for the good wishes too.
Libertarian Advocate: I think you may be right. I have no intention of shuffling off this mortal coil while Barack Obama and the Pelosi Democrats remain in office.
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