In the days since Donald Trump amassed sufficient electoral votes, though losing the popular vote, to secure the title "President Elect", much has been made about "faithless" electors. These are, by current definition, electors who fail to abide by the vote they are bound to by 29 states. A binding which, incidentally, is not addressed in the 12th Amendment to the Constitution which states "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for
President and Vice-President". Allow me to suggest an alternate definition.
In the Federalist Papers #68, Alexander Hamilton discussed the Electoral College and its purpose which is two-fold. The first is to ensure that "the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust (as POTUS)was to be confided". In this case, the majority of voters who voted for Hillary Clinton.
Secondly, the Electoral College is intended to prevent "the desire in foreign powers (Russia in the case of this election?) to gain an improper ascendant in our councils" and prevent ascension to the presidency on anyone "who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite
qualifications" and whose "Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of
popularity" may secure them the office of President of the United States. A better, more polite description of Donald Trump I simply cannot find words for.
This election has us on the brink of thrusting a man so preeminently unqualified by training or temperament that he poses an existential threat to the Republic. The "faithless electors" are those who would put loyalty to party and ideology above the good of the country and cast their votes for a septuagenarian degenerate whose disdain for key pillars of the Republic...freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, the rule of law...have been repeatedly and forcefully expressed throughout his campaign for the Presidency. And let's not forget his running mate, Mike Pence, a man for whom homophobia and misogyny come as naturally and easily as breathing, as does the expression of his particularly intolerant brand religious right wing-nuttery.
No, the "faithless electors" are not those who would vote contrary to the manner in which they have been bound by their state. They are those who would, without thought, install a man who poses a clear and present danger to the Republic and. potentially, the world as President of the United States.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
The Face of Things to Come
There are those who still think that Donald Trump and the GOP are going to play nice and respect the rules and honor the gentleman's agreements that have smoothed the paths of power over the years. You should disabuse yourselves of that silly notion. Trump's campaign rhetoric has been divisive, insulting to just about everyone, and dismissive of the foundations of our government. He incited violence at his rallies...even promising to pay the legal fees for those arrested for injuring protesters. The Trump campaign was supported by neo-nazis, white nationalists and white supremacists. Support which neither he nor the GOP never repudiated. And he has selected Steve Bannon, formerly executive chairman of the alt-right noise machine and mouth piece for America's neo-nazi and white nationalist/supremacist movement, "Breitbart".
As for the GOP, they have been sharpening their knives since 2008 when Obama first won the presidency. Mitch McConnell famously stated, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." in 2010. Failing at that, the GOP obstructed the Obama administration at every turn throughout his presidency.
It is readily apparent from the statements of Trump surrogates and people like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and others, that their preference ios for a scorched earth policy with regards to the political opposition. If you want to see how GOP control of the Executive and Legislative branches is going to work, look no further than Michigan. It has been the GOP test-bed for fascism in America. From freezing out all opposition from the Democratic party to stripping citizens of their rights to self-governance through the use and abuse of the "emergency manager" law.
Now, for those of you who think, well gosh, we need to unite behind Trump to ensure the success of his presidency...No, we don't. The success of Trump's presidency will mean the wave of hate crimes sweeping the nation since his election will become endemic. It will mean that women won't be able to get birth control, let alone a safe, legal abortion. Minorities across the board, will be scapegoated and the hard fought gains of the civil rights era in this country will be lost. Environmental and workplace safety regulations will be but fond memories. Social Security and Medicare will be gutted and millions will lose insurance coverage as Republicans trash the ACA...more on the consequences of this later. We will see the gains made in securing the fundamental rights guaranteed all Americans for the LGBT community lost to the rabid homophobia of Mike Pence and his fellow travelers.
Now, back to healthcare. With Trump's, and the GOP's, promise to gut the ACA...with absolutely no plan to replace it...we will see 20million people tossed back into the ranks of the uninsured. As a result, we will see more and more people using hospital emergency departments for primary care. This will force hospitals to pass the costs of this care on to patients with insurance. As a result we will see higher premiums, higher deductibles and higher co-pays, thus forcing more people into the ranks of the uninsured. This vicious cycle will lead to hospitals closing their doors in unprecedented numbers as they can no longer absorb the costs of providing care to the uninsured. Thus only the wealthy will be able to afford healthcare.
The Supreme Court will be stacked with right wing ideologues who will validate the autocratic and authoritarian policies of Trump's and the GOP's fascism for generations. This may well have been the last election in America.
Trump and the GOP have but one over-riding goal now...securing power at all costs. Like authoritarian movements throughout history, they will not hesitate in using force to quell any opposition, no matter how peaceful. For these reasons, and so many more, the Trump administration MUST fail. It's success will be the death of the Republic.
As for the GOP, they have been sharpening their knives since 2008 when Obama first won the presidency. Mitch McConnell famously stated, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." in 2010. Failing at that, the GOP obstructed the Obama administration at every turn throughout his presidency.
It is readily apparent from the statements of Trump surrogates and people like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and others, that their preference ios for a scorched earth policy with regards to the political opposition. If you want to see how GOP control of the Executive and Legislative branches is going to work, look no further than Michigan. It has been the GOP test-bed for fascism in America. From freezing out all opposition from the Democratic party to stripping citizens of their rights to self-governance through the use and abuse of the "emergency manager" law.
Now, for those of you who think, well gosh, we need to unite behind Trump to ensure the success of his presidency...No, we don't. The success of Trump's presidency will mean the wave of hate crimes sweeping the nation since his election will become endemic. It will mean that women won't be able to get birth control, let alone a safe, legal abortion. Minorities across the board, will be scapegoated and the hard fought gains of the civil rights era in this country will be lost. Environmental and workplace safety regulations will be but fond memories. Social Security and Medicare will be gutted and millions will lose insurance coverage as Republicans trash the ACA...more on the consequences of this later. We will see the gains made in securing the fundamental rights guaranteed all Americans for the LGBT community lost to the rabid homophobia of Mike Pence and his fellow travelers.
Now, back to healthcare. With Trump's, and the GOP's, promise to gut the ACA...with absolutely no plan to replace it...we will see 20million people tossed back into the ranks of the uninsured. As a result, we will see more and more people using hospital emergency departments for primary care. This will force hospitals to pass the costs of this care on to patients with insurance. As a result we will see higher premiums, higher deductibles and higher co-pays, thus forcing more people into the ranks of the uninsured. This vicious cycle will lead to hospitals closing their doors in unprecedented numbers as they can no longer absorb the costs of providing care to the uninsured. Thus only the wealthy will be able to afford healthcare.
The Supreme Court will be stacked with right wing ideologues who will validate the autocratic and authoritarian policies of Trump's and the GOP's fascism for generations. This may well have been the last election in America.
Trump and the GOP have but one over-riding goal now...securing power at all costs. Like authoritarian movements throughout history, they will not hesitate in using force to quell any opposition, no matter how peaceful. For these reasons, and so many more, the Trump administration MUST fail. It's success will be the death of the Republic.
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
Which wolf has Donald Trump fed?
A Cherokee tells of a fight that is going on inside himself between two
wolves. One is evil: Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, fearful thinking, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, superiority and ego. The other is good: Joy, peace, love,
hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and
faith. The grandson asked, "Which wolf wins?"... "The one I
feed."
Which wolf has Trump fed?
In his bid for the Presidency, Donald Trump has garnered the support of racists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists and other right wing extremists. People like David Duke, former imperial wizard of the Ku Kulx Klan; David Black, former a former KKK grand dragon and founder of the white supremacist website “Stormfront”; David Riden, a “Constitutionalist” and militia member; Matthew Heimbach, a white nationalist and training director of the “League of the South” (Neiwert & Posner, 2016). The list is lengthy, and those on it are unified ion their rhetoric on white nationalism, white supremacy and fascism. Neither Trump, nor his campaign, repudiated or rebuffed the support of any of these groups and their rhetoric of hatred. Neither, it is worth noting, did the GOP.
And of course, we have the multitude of instances where Trump fanned the flames of hatred against Hispanics and Muslims. His misogyny which borders on, if not into, sexual assault. His racism and homophobia. His disdain for the sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and their families ("Record of Hate," 2016).
With the election of Trump to the office of President of the United States, these hate groups will be emboldened. It would have been years in repairing the damage done with a Trump defeat. But now, with his victory, they will feel empowered as they have never been in decades.
Now, which wolf do you think Trumps is feeding?
Which wolf has Trump fed?
In his bid for the Presidency, Donald Trump has garnered the support of racists, neo-Nazis, white nationalists and other right wing extremists. People like David Duke, former imperial wizard of the Ku Kulx Klan; David Black, former a former KKK grand dragon and founder of the white supremacist website “Stormfront”; David Riden, a “Constitutionalist” and militia member; Matthew Heimbach, a white nationalist and training director of the “League of the South” (Neiwert & Posner, 2016). The list is lengthy, and those on it are unified ion their rhetoric on white nationalism, white supremacy and fascism. Neither Trump, nor his campaign, repudiated or rebuffed the support of any of these groups and their rhetoric of hatred. Neither, it is worth noting, did the GOP.
And of course, we have the multitude of instances where Trump fanned the flames of hatred against Hispanics and Muslims. His misogyny which borders on, if not into, sexual assault. His racism and homophobia. His disdain for the sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and their families ("Record of Hate," 2016).
With the election of Trump to the office of President of the United States, these hate groups will be emboldened. It would have been years in repairing the damage done with a Trump defeat. But now, with his victory, they will feel empowered as they have never been in decades.
Now, which wolf do you think Trumps is feeding?
References
Tuesday, November 01, 2016
America has failed her first people
On October 28th, Amnesty International USA
issued a press release detailing their sending a delegation human rights
observers to Standing Rock “to monitor the response of law enforcement to
protests by indigenous communities” ("AIUSA," 2016).
On October 31st, The Guardian reported that the United
Nations “is investigating allegations of human rights abuses by North Dakota
law enforcement against Native American protesters” (Levin, 2016) at the Dakota
Access pipeline protest at Standing Rock.
American media coverage of these two events, particularly the
mainstream media outlets, has been virtually non-existent. The silence on the
part of the American news media regarding this matter is a shameful example of just
how little news is actually being reported in this country. While we are
nearing the end of a bitter presidential election, it is no excuse to ignore
this glaring failure of US law and treaty obligations to its indigenous peoples.
The silence of the Obama administration has been deafening. The
silence on the part of the Clinton campaign has been equally deafening. I
expect no better from the Trump campaign and the GOP, but the Democratic party
has higher principles and standards to live up to. And President Obama has a
legacy that will now bear the indelible stain of his failure to stand for the
rights of America’s indigenous people.
References
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Voter Intimidation...GOP Style
In 1981, the RNC brought the "Voter Security Task Force" into New
Jersey. This "task force", composed of mostly off duty police officers,
stalked around polls in minority precincts with walkie-talkies,
arm-bands and sandwich-board sized posters boldly proclaiming that
falsifying ballots and violating election laws were crimes. As a result,
the election went to the GOP gubernatorial candidate...by about 1800
votes.
A civil suit charging voter intimidation and harassment was brought against the GOP. Interestingly, the attorney for the GOP was Donald Trump's brother-in-law. In 1982, the New Jersey and national GOP signed a consent decree prohibiting them from engaging in such illegal activities until 12/01/2017.
Fast forward to now. Donald Trump is exhorting his trollish followers to watch polling places because it's "so important that you watch other communities", or "some other place", or "certain areas". "Other communities"..."certain areas"..."some other place"? Unless you've been sleeping through the last century of race relations in the US, or have just chosen to ignore the issue altogether, you'll realize that those phrase are euphemisms for minority communities.
Back to 1982. The consent decree signed by the national and New Jersey GOP will expire on 12/01/2017 unless they GOP is found to have violated that decree. In which case, the decree extends another 8 years, expiring in 2025. And the GOP desperately wants to get out from under that decree.
Back to now.
Reince Priebus probably spends hours in a corner, in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, every time Trump babbles some shit about watching the polls. Watching the polls in "other communities"..."certain areas"..."some other place". Keep up the good work Donnie.
A civil suit charging voter intimidation and harassment was brought against the GOP. Interestingly, the attorney for the GOP was Donald Trump's brother-in-law. In 1982, the New Jersey and national GOP signed a consent decree prohibiting them from engaging in such illegal activities until 12/01/2017.
Fast forward to now. Donald Trump is exhorting his trollish followers to watch polling places because it's "so important that you watch other communities", or "some other place", or "certain areas". "Other communities"..."certain areas"..."some other place"? Unless you've been sleeping through the last century of race relations in the US, or have just chosen to ignore the issue altogether, you'll realize that those phrase are euphemisms for minority communities.
Back to 1982. The consent decree signed by the national and New Jersey GOP will expire on 12/01/2017 unless they GOP is found to have violated that decree. In which case, the decree extends another 8 years, expiring in 2025. And the GOP desperately wants to get out from under that decree.
Back to now.
Reince Priebus probably spends hours in a corner, in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, every time Trump babbles some shit about watching the polls. Watching the polls in "other communities"..."certain areas"..."some other place". Keep up the good work Donnie.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
The Rise of Donald Trump
The American political landscape, as it now stands, is fertile ground for demagoguery. After nearly 40 years of stagnant wages, a widening wealth gap, the decimation of the middle class and the failure of "trickle-down economics, many who work for a living are desperate for change. Throw in the incessant ranting from the political right in their efforts to delegitimize the functions of government, and you have set the stage for the rise of Donald Trump. Had it not been him, if would have been some other charismatic, authoritarian, dictator wannabe.
One of the chief culprits has been "trickle down" economics. This is supply-side economics, but "trickle-down" is more appropriate as the GOP and their oligarch pimps are pissing on the collective backs of everyone who works for a living and telling them that warm feeling running down their backs is prosperity. The basic theory was that, through lower marginal tax rates, corporations and investors would take those tax-savings and plough them back into expanded production, thus producing new jobs and expanding opportunity for people who work for a living. How it's really worked, however, has been another story. Instead of investing in research and development, new equipment and manufacturing, US corporations have parked those savings and other corporate income in offshore accounts...to the tune of some $2.1 TRILLION, yes that's TRILLION.
While people feel they have been let down by both parties, and rightfully so, the burden of guilt remains with Republicans in their dogmatic adherence to the failed policy that is "trickle-down" economics, deriding and delegitimizing the offices they hold and seek to hold and pandering to the fears and insecurities of working Americans.
This is the background, against which, Donald Trump arose. A man with on background in public service. A man whose business experience consists of being bailed out...repeatedly...by his daddy, from his multiple bankruptcies. A misogynistic man who views women as little more than chattel, to do what he pleases to, whenever he pleases. A man whose world view is focused solely upon himself. A racist, bigot and xenophobe. In short, he is likely the unsuitable candidate for presidentcy ever to stand for election. Yet here he his. Having crushed his primary campaign opposition like grapes, and all because he has been perceived as a "straight talker", as "genuine", as a "breath of fresh air", when he is the antithesis of all of those qualities. Trump has waffled on every subject he has spoken on, changing his positions on a daily, even hourly, basis. and he is as much a breath of fresh air on the political scene as a broccoli fart on a crowded elevator.
With the political and economic disenfranchisement of many Americans, they are looking for a strong leader who can provide solutions to the problems and fears they face. Authoritarian demagogues, like Trump provide simple, stark answers to those problems in the form of scapegoats an vague promises based solely on HIS self-proclaimed position as being the "only one" who can solve these problems. But the problems we face do not render themselves to simple solutions or finger pointing. Yes, Trump may be soundly defeated this November. But unless the issues which led to his success as a candidate are not addressed, and right quick at that, we may not be so lucky with the next authoritarian, fascist demagogue to stride onto the political stage. Then it'll be "Sieg heil, y'all", and the death of the Republic and Democracy.
One of the chief culprits has been "trickle down" economics. This is supply-side economics, but "trickle-down" is more appropriate as the GOP and their oligarch pimps are pissing on the collective backs of everyone who works for a living and telling them that warm feeling running down their backs is prosperity. The basic theory was that, through lower marginal tax rates, corporations and investors would take those tax-savings and plough them back into expanded production, thus producing new jobs and expanding opportunity for people who work for a living. How it's really worked, however, has been another story. Instead of investing in research and development, new equipment and manufacturing, US corporations have parked those savings and other corporate income in offshore accounts...to the tune of some $2.1 TRILLION, yes that's TRILLION.
While people feel they have been let down by both parties, and rightfully so, the burden of guilt remains with Republicans in their dogmatic adherence to the failed policy that is "trickle-down" economics, deriding and delegitimizing the offices they hold and seek to hold and pandering to the fears and insecurities of working Americans.
This is the background, against which, Donald Trump arose. A man with on background in public service. A man whose business experience consists of being bailed out...repeatedly...by his daddy, from his multiple bankruptcies. A misogynistic man who views women as little more than chattel, to do what he pleases to, whenever he pleases. A man whose world view is focused solely upon himself. A racist, bigot and xenophobe. In short, he is likely the unsuitable candidate for presidentcy ever to stand for election. Yet here he his. Having crushed his primary campaign opposition like grapes, and all because he has been perceived as a "straight talker", as "genuine", as a "breath of fresh air", when he is the antithesis of all of those qualities. Trump has waffled on every subject he has spoken on, changing his positions on a daily, even hourly, basis. and he is as much a breath of fresh air on the political scene as a broccoli fart on a crowded elevator.
With the political and economic disenfranchisement of many Americans, they are looking for a strong leader who can provide solutions to the problems and fears they face. Authoritarian demagogues, like Trump provide simple, stark answers to those problems in the form of scapegoats an vague promises based solely on HIS self-proclaimed position as being the "only one" who can solve these problems. But the problems we face do not render themselves to simple solutions or finger pointing. Yes, Trump may be soundly defeated this November. But unless the issues which led to his success as a candidate are not addressed, and right quick at that, we may not be so lucky with the next authoritarian, fascist demagogue to stride onto the political stage. Then it'll be "Sieg heil, y'all", and the death of the Republic and Democracy.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Lies and the GOP...Goebbels would be impressed
Lies...they're all the GOP has left. I am referring to the most recent foray by Trump and the GOP into their alternate universe with regards to claims about HRC being behind the "birther" movement and the RNC's and Trump campaign's monotonous repetition of the meme. On an historical note, Joseph Goebbel's would be impressed by the
efficacy of the GOP spin machine given that the GOP and Trump campaign are
masterfully employing his techniques.
"Arguments must therefore be crude, clear and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology." - Joseph Goebbels
"Propaganda must therefore always be essentially simple and repetitive. In the long run basic results in influencing public opinion will be achieved only by the man who is able to reduce problems to the simplest terms and who has the courage to keep forever repeating them in this simplified form, despite the objections of the intellectuals." - Joseph Goebbels
"The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over." - Mein Kampf
"Arguments must therefore be crude, clear and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology." - Joseph Goebbels
"Propaganda must therefore always be essentially simple and repetitive. In the long run basic results in influencing public opinion will be achieved only by the man who is able to reduce problems to the simplest terms and who has the courage to keep forever repeating them in this simplified form, despite the objections of the intellectuals." - Joseph Goebbels
"The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over." - Mein Kampf
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Politics is No Game
There are more than a few people I know for whom politics appears to be nothing more than a game. A game played by those already in positions of wealth and power. A game whose consequences will, at best, have a minimal impact on their lives. For these people, I have a question...
Have you ever seen one of these?
I have, and I've known people who had them. They are a reminder of just how serious politics can be. This, and others like them are born by fewer people every year as the number of those who survived the Holocaust and Nazi death camps grows ever smaller. They are grim reminders of just how serious politics is. It was politics, that ultimately gave rise to the horrors of the Third Reich. Through the use, and abuse of the political system and the democratic process, a right-wing, demagogic, charismatic figure appealed to the fears, prejudices, anger and disaffectation of German voters to overthrow the Weimar Republic and establish the Third Reich. This is how serious politics is.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
More Conversations With My Congress Critter
Dear Mr. Schrider,
Thank you for your recent communication regarding Planned Parenthood. I appreciate this opportunity to correspond with you.
By way of background, Planned Parenthood receives federal funds through Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and programs. Title X of the Public Health Service Act and Medicaid provide a considerable amount funding to the organization for family planning and women's health services. Planned Parenthood is prohibited from using federal funds for abortion services.
Recently, several videos have been released that show healthcare workers at Planned Parenthood discussing and arranging the sale of organs from unborn children. Employees in the videos also explain how they alter abortion procedures to obtain specific requested organs and body parts which they then sell to companies that specialize in procuring fetal tissue for research purposes. I am deeply disturbed by the footage and find it abhorrent that doctors and senior employees at this organization have engaged in their barbaric process and may have blatantly curtailed federal law.
Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) introduced H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, on July 21, 2015. This bill would place a year-long moratorium on all federal funding to Planned Parenthood unless the organization and its partners certify that it will not provide any money for abortions. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 3134 by a vote of 241-187. I voted in favor of this bill, and I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue.
There are many alternative locations where women can receive family planning and women's health services. For every Planned Parenthood facility there are 20 federally-funded comprehensive care clinics, known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Rural Health Centers offering women 13,000 alternatives. In Ohio, there are 204 different FQHC service sites that serve more than one-half million women. They offer emergency medical care, mammograms, radiological services, child wellness services, health screenings, and a full spectrum of family planning care. They do not provide abortions.
I have been pro-life my entire lifetime and oppose the use of U.S. tax dollars to fund abortion services in any capacity. Cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered are the only exceptions I can accept. Through education and increased awareness, the number of unwanted pregnancies can be reduced. In addition, we must encourage alternatives to abortion such as programs that promote adoption. Through this approach, we can alleviate many of the circumstances that contribute to the distressingly high number of abortions in this country.
Again, I appreciate the time you have taken to reach out to me. I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact my office should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Tiberi
Representative to Congress
_________________________________________________
Representative Tiberi,
Thank you for your response, rife with inaccuracies as it was.
First, the Hyde Amendment already explicitly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. So, Planned Parenthood does not use any federal funds in providing abortion services.
Secondly, the videos you and your fellow travelers cite as the source of your disgust and ire with Planned Parenthood have bee thoroughly and completely discredited. Any legislation written or passed on the basis of these videos is legislation based on a lie.
Thirdly, the fact of the matter is that while there may be alternative sites for women to seek healthcare, the system lacks the capacity to take in the number of patients that would be cut adrift with the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Again, you and your fellow travelers are legislating on the basis of misleading information.
Finally, defunding Planned Parenthood would shutdown one of the best programs available to reduce the number of abortions. The patient education, access to contraceptives, and counseling...all serve to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, thus reducing the number of, and need for, abortions.
Mark Schrider MSN, RN, CCRN
Thank you for your recent communication regarding Planned Parenthood. I appreciate this opportunity to correspond with you.
By way of background, Planned Parenthood receives federal funds through Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and programs. Title X of the Public Health Service Act and Medicaid provide a considerable amount funding to the organization for family planning and women's health services. Planned Parenthood is prohibited from using federal funds for abortion services.
Recently, several videos have been released that show healthcare workers at Planned Parenthood discussing and arranging the sale of organs from unborn children. Employees in the videos also explain how they alter abortion procedures to obtain specific requested organs and body parts which they then sell to companies that specialize in procuring fetal tissue for research purposes. I am deeply disturbed by the footage and find it abhorrent that doctors and senior employees at this organization have engaged in their barbaric process and may have blatantly curtailed federal law.
Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) introduced H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, on July 21, 2015. This bill would place a year-long moratorium on all federal funding to Planned Parenthood unless the organization and its partners certify that it will not provide any money for abortions. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 3134 by a vote of 241-187. I voted in favor of this bill, and I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue.
There are many alternative locations where women can receive family planning and women's health services. For every Planned Parenthood facility there are 20 federally-funded comprehensive care clinics, known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Rural Health Centers offering women 13,000 alternatives. In Ohio, there are 204 different FQHC service sites that serve more than one-half million women. They offer emergency medical care, mammograms, radiological services, child wellness services, health screenings, and a full spectrum of family planning care. They do not provide abortions.
I have been pro-life my entire lifetime and oppose the use of U.S. tax dollars to fund abortion services in any capacity. Cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered are the only exceptions I can accept. Through education and increased awareness, the number of unwanted pregnancies can be reduced. In addition, we must encourage alternatives to abortion such as programs that promote adoption. Through this approach, we can alleviate many of the circumstances that contribute to the distressingly high number of abortions in this country.
Again, I appreciate the time you have taken to reach out to me. I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact my office should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Tiberi
Representative to Congress
_________________________________________________
Representative Tiberi,
Thank you for your response, rife with inaccuracies as it was.
First, the Hyde Amendment already explicitly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. So, Planned Parenthood does not use any federal funds in providing abortion services.
Secondly, the videos you and your fellow travelers cite as the source of your disgust and ire with Planned Parenthood have bee thoroughly and completely discredited. Any legislation written or passed on the basis of these videos is legislation based on a lie.
Thirdly, the fact of the matter is that while there may be alternative sites for women to seek healthcare, the system lacks the capacity to take in the number of patients that would be cut adrift with the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Again, you and your fellow travelers are legislating on the basis of misleading information.
Finally, defunding Planned Parenthood would shutdown one of the best programs available to reduce the number of abortions. The patient education, access to contraceptives, and counseling...all serve to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, thus reducing the number of, and need for, abortions.
Mark Schrider MSN, RN, CCRN
Conversation with My Congress Critter
Press release by Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) today (9/18/2015):
“I watched the horrifying videos showing clinicians coldly talking about selling baby body parts and they made me sick. I am proud of my pro-life voting record and join my House colleagues today to vote to prevent federal dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. I hope the Senate promptly takes up this legislation so it can go to the president’s desk to be signed into law. Congress will continue to investigate this matter fully. Taxpayers should not be forced to fund organizations that participate in these barbaric practices. There are plenty of clinics that provide comprehensive women’s health services without offering abortions that would be helped by this funding.”
Representative Tiberi and his fellow travelers in Congress are legislating on the basis of a lie. They are fixated on a non-issue while the very real, clear and present issues this nation face are ignored. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My response to the Representative:
Representative Tiberi,
I read your press release regarding the the videos released by the misnamed "Center for Medical Progress" (CMP).I am simply amazed at the disingenuousness of you and your fellow travelers on the "Defund Planned Parenthood" bandwagon. The videos released by CMP have beeen shown to be utter frauds, but that seems to carry little weight with you and your fellow travelers. Rather than take stock of the situation and adjust your response in accordance with the facts, you continue on.You ignore the facts for no better reason than they are not in accord with your ideology.
There are greater issues this country must come to grips with...the widening income gap, crumbling infrastructure, climate change. But rather than deal with these issues, you and your fellow travelers prefer to pursue non-issues, like defunding Planned Parenthood on the basis of outright fabrication and prevarication...Yes, a lie. Perhaps you find it easier than dealing with the hard issues, the issues you were elected to address. If you are unable to take up these more difficult, pressing and REAL issues before us as a nation, Perhaps you should resign your office in favor of someone who will.
Respectfully,
Mark Schrider
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
So, You Wanna Vote Republican?
So, you’re worried about your job and money worries keep you up at night? Why, then, do you want to vote Republican? Never mind that working folks voting for Republicans is like mice voting for traps because of the cheese.
The GOP budget would more appropriately be called “wealth care” because the benefits of that budget fall, chiefly, to the wealthiest Americans. Nearly 62% of the cuts under the GOP budget would fall on programs designed to help low income individuals and families…SNAP, Pell Grants, AFDC, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, and the list goes on (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities [CBPP], 2012). All this, while 40% of the benefits of the budget go to those earning $1 million a year or more, a staggeringly tiny fraction of the total number of American citizens…less than 1%.
As for jobs, well, much as the GOP has touted the miraculous benefits tax cuts have for economic and job growth, after more than ten years of Bush Era tax cuts we have yet to see any of these ballyhooed benefits. In fact, the US economy was hemorrhaging more than 700,000 jobs each month by the end of the Bush administration. It wasn’t until President Obama pushed through an anemic economic stimulus package, heavier on tax cuts than stimulus money, that we began to see the picture reverse itself. More than 4 million private sector jobs were added as economic stimulus money began to percolate through the economy. The proposed GOP budget, if enacted, will create a drag on job growth to such an extent that nearly 4.1 million jobs will be lost by the end of 2014 (MediaMatters, 2012). This would very nearly eliminate the jobs gains under the Obama administration.
If you work for a living, live paycheck-to-paycheck or are unemployed, if you think the GOP has your back, you’re wrong. The current vision the GOP has for the budget is simply the trickle-down economics of Ronald Reagan and, later, George W. Bush taken to their logical extremes. Trickle-down economics is nothing more than the GOP and the insanely wealthy few backing them collectively pissing on our backs and telling us the warm feeling trickling down between our shoulder blades is “prosperity”.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2012). Ryan Roundup: Everything You Need to Know About Chairman Ryan’s Budget. Retrieved 08/22/2012, from http://www.offthechartsblog.org/ryan-2/
MediaMatters. (2012). No Matter How Right-Wing Media Spin It, Millions Would Feel “Sharp Effects” Of GOP Budget. Retrieved 08/22/2012, from http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/05/02/no-matter-how-right-wing-media-spin-it-millions/184992