Sen. Mitch McConnell: Don't listen to what the ladies say.
Just listen to me telling you what the ladies would say.
(Jim Young/Reuters)
Wow. Continuing the Republican Party's failtastic theme of insisting that there is no War on Women (or caterpillars), except that there is a War on Women, but President Obama started it, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to keep digging during an appearance on a radio show when he was asked to comment about the Republicans' War on Women:
Talk about a manufactured issue. There is no issue. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe from Maine I think would be the first to say — and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska — ‘we don’t see any evidence of this.’
Ah yes. Those few remaining Republican senators with lady parts would
totally agree with good ol' Mitch that there's nothing to see here, move it along when it comes to the Republican Party's assault on women's health care, including a particular focus on Planned Parenthood.
Like Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison:
We cannot afford to lose the Medicaid funding for low income women to have health care services. We cannot. We keep turning back federal funds that every state gets and then try to find money in our budget, which is already being cut in key areas like education. I do think that the governor needs to sit down with the federal government and work it out so we can have our share — our fair share not more — of money for Medicaid to help low-income women have their health care services. [...] I think Planned Parenthood does mammograms, they do so much of the health care — the preventive health care and they’re doing that, we need to provide those services, absolutely.
And
Sen. Lisa Murkowski:
I think [these incidents] are just adding to this sense that women’s health rights are being attacked — that in 2012 we’re having a conversation about whether or not contraception should be allowed.
And Sen. Lisa Murkowski some more:
“It makes no sense to make this attack on women,” she said at a local Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “If you don’t feel this is an attack, you need to go home and talk to your wife and your daughters.”
And
Sen. Olympia Snowe:
"You know, it really is surprising, because I feel like it's a retro-debate that took place in the 1950s," Snowe said. "It's sort of back to the future, isn't it? And it is surprising in the 21st century we would be revisiting this issue. And Sandra Fluke should have been commended, not condemned, for her courage in expressing her own views and beliefs before members of Congress."
Heck, even
Sen. John McCain (who isn't a lady but is a Republican senator):
GREGORY: Do you think that there is something of a war on women among Republicans?
McCAIN: I think we have to fix that. I think that there is a perception out there because of how this whole contraception issue played out — ah, we need to get off of that issue, in my view. I think we ought to respect the right of women to make choices in their lives and make that clear, and get back onto what the American people really care about.
But it's cool, Mitch. You and your buddies just keep on denying that your party is attacking women (and caterpillars). Because it's
working out so well for you.
(Via Think Progress)