(Hey folks. Zandar here. DougJ and John Cole in their infinite wisdom have allowed me to hit the shiny red self-destruct button fill in for Doug this week. I’ll try not to back the Juice into a ditch. More than like…4 times.)
Up in Wisconsin, Scott Walker yesterday signed the state’s budget into law, among the victims: everyone in the state who doesn’t pull down a quarter-mil a year and women.
Yesterday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed a budget that cuts funding for Planned Parenthood, after pushing the measure through the state Legislature without a single Democratic vote. Planned Parenthood denounced the decision to choke off state and federal funding to nine health centers in small communities that will deny preventative health care to 12,000 women who don’t have health insurance.
That’s state number four where Planned Parenthood has been cut from the table as Wisconsin joins Indiana, Kansas, and my home state of North Carolina in telling tens of thousands of women “Gynecology? Just pour some Tussin on it.” Oh hey, and Walker’s authorized some $800 million in education cuts and half a billion off “unspecified” Medicaid programs too.
At some point somebody has to start asking why red states are so damn eager to deny women basic preventative care like this, other than the Koch Brothers are planning to launch a chain of drive-in women’s clinics, or that they’ve contacted the Bene Tlilax and have axlotl tank technology, or they’re just colossally misogynist doucheknockers. Maybe all three.
Between this and the Wingers defending Wisconsin state supreme court Judge Prosser’s alleged assault of a female judge, I can’t possibly come up with a reason why women aren’t flocking to Wisconsin Republicans.
[UPDATE 6:45PM] And Texas today makes it five red states to defund Planned Parenthood, plus turning Medicaid into a block grant so they kick as many people off the rolls as possible.
FFrank
Welcome to mix, Zandar
crybaby peepants
That’s what the women of Wisconsin get for being Bene Gesserit witches!
Han's Solo
“Planned Parenthood denounced the decision to choke off state and federal funding”
And the rest of us denounce the choking of supreme court justices…
jayackroyd
Don’t TOUCH THAT BUTTON
cleek
luckily, a Federal judge just told Indiana to GTFO with that shit.
of course the judge is a woman, so she’s biased against justice.
someguy
Don’t worry about them uppity women. They give us any shit, we can just send Judge Prosser out to kick dey asses.
Hunter Gathers
Let’s just hope that the wingnuts don’t decide to create a Ghola of Nixon. There isn’t enough spice on Arrakis to help me cope with that kind of shit.
slag
Excellent. I have a good feeling about this.
Gotta go with all three on this one.
lllphd
this is somewhat OT, tho the courts will play a huge role in all this, but – is anyone watching for whether or not any elected republicans anywhere have had anything whatsoever to say about justice prosser attacking justice bradley over the weekend? god knows the rightwingnuts have gone berserk, but i’m looking for someone actually in the republican party elected gang, especially those who had so much to say about weiner’s weiner, and how fast he should resign. granted, this is a state v. federal level matter, but please; a justice attacking another justice? unprecedented in modern times, folks.
and this crazed and violent misogynist will have anything to say about women’s healthcare?
Epicurus
Fixed.
Comrade Carter
“At some point somebody has to start asking why red states…”
Wisconsin is not a red state, despite the others in the mix.
bemused
Van Susteren’s first commenter says to her:
There is something deeply wrong with you.
Southern Beale
You forgot Tennessee! God dammit, you always forget Tennessee! What, are we invisible?
We cut of state funds to PP too. However, we did reallocate Title X funds to the public health clinics so at least women have another place to go.
So now Republicans are in favor of a government-run health agency over a private one. Which should be fun next time the single-payer argument comes up. Would LOVE to throw this one back in their faces.
Jonathan
“Pour some Tussin on it” should definitely be part of the Balloon Juice Lexicon.
Southern Beale
Can’t make this shit up, Peeps: Michelle Bachmann confuses serial killer John Wayne Gacy with the actor.
Thoughtcrime
Must be something they’re adding to that Wisconsin beer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeWUXV89w0g&feature=related
Montysano
Welcome aboard, Zandar. Just remember: if you post something that causes the comments to descend into something resembling The Lord Of The Flies, a quick pet photo will usually fix it. Other than that…. have fun.
Violet
Welcome Zandar.
Really, you have to ask this question? It’s because women are nothing but men’s helpmeets, born to birth babies and take care of the home and kids. If they die in childbirth or from something else, it’s God’s will and the man can just go get another wife.
I know that sounds extreme, but that’s at the core of most decisions like this. Women aren’t people and don’t deserve/need any kind of care.
jayackroyd
and what’s up with Dune references and reproductive health services? Yglesias made a crack involving Bene Gesserit sex selection wrt Douthat’s idiocy today.
JCT
@Southern Beale
My husband just emailed me the Thinkprogress piece — I laughed so hard I had to put my head on my desk.
And then I read somewhere that she is odds-on to win in Iowa and just banged my head on my desk. repeatedly.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
At some point I think we need to consider the possibility that the GOP leadership sees both short-term emotional benefits and long term strategic advantages in exacting punitive vengance against any demographic group which favors the Dems. (A) They have it coming, the swine, and (B) if we make it hurt to be a Dem voter, and hurt badly enough for long enough, eventually people will stop voting Dem just to get out of the GOP’s sights.
In other words, the beatings will continue until the voting improves.
If you think of this country as being, not a small-d democracy, but rather a prison camp run in a semi-collaborative fashion between the guards and the inmates, that strategy makes sense.
cathyx
Now all these red states need to do is ban birth control, and they can increase their populations enough to be able to have more representation in the House. Then they’ll be able to write federal laws to their liking.
themann1086
Ooo, a Dune reference? I approve :D
TooManyJens
There you go. And it’s not even that Republican politicians necessarily consciously hate women, though I’m sure some do. Our needs and interests just don’t matter to them. We don’t exist as full human beings they need to give a shit about. Just like poor people, black people, etc.
Ivan Ivanovich Renko
FTFY.
Oh, and FTFY (in memory of Teh Gilliard).
Thoughtcrime
Well, that’s one thing she’s said that we can all agree on. She (and all of the current Republicans) truly are kindred spirits to a sociopathic serial killer.
Southern Beale
@JCT:
Yeah but it’s IOWA. The nutter always wins in Iowa. She will get her moment of glory and then get squashed by the Mighty Mormon Machine.
bemused
Southern Beale:
Hee, hee. This right after she was trying so hard to imitate a sane, rational person on the Sunday shows instead of a flake.
Matt
I doubt there’s much need to worry about that – after all, the teahadis would’ve thrown Nixon out of the party (for creating the EPA, if nothing else) in a hot minute. Heck, even Zombie Reagan would be a RINO according to modern standards…
Linnaeus
Wisconsin Republicans better hope that the women of Wisconsin don’t become Honored Matres.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
Hmm. Time to tell that sister to give Prosser the Baron Harkonnen treatment.
Linnaeus
One word: neofeudalism.
BO_Bill
Women are lots of fun. But by Nature they seek to be governed. Female political empowerment allows them to substitute a government vision for a husband. But in the end, governments are worse than husbands, even bad husbands. I think that women would be safer, healthier, and happier if we just repealed the 19th Amendment.
Southern Beale
Pat Robertson says we’re all dooooomed and it’s the gay’s fault. God will destroy America!
Tony J
Welcome to the snakepit. Have you had your vaccinations?
Slightly OT. I just made the mistake of clicking on Thiessen’s latest column on the WaPoOpEd page (because the title was so WTF my finger twitched) and.. well now I feel dirty.
Did you know that Republicans hold all the cards in the Debt-Limit Crisis? I did not.
There’s no way to describe the reasoning Thiessen relies upon to make his case without going a little bit mental, but the gist of it is that 2010 Changed Everything!, Defence cuts are objectively pro-Saddam, and IOKIYAR.
Methinks the Hiatt Collective is getting a bit concerned about the optics of all this.
cathyx
@33. BO-Bill-
Yes, women are just like an amusement park ride.
David in NY
BO_Bill: So what’s yer view on stranglin’, when they gets uppity? Fer ‘r agin’?
Thoughtcrime
Reagan is a shape shifting zombie and can be conjured up by the GOP in whatever form they need to perform their evil deeds.
trollhattan
@15.Southern Beale
Okay, that’s funny. I’m also enjoying sitting on her four-legged, three-leg stool.
Studly Pantload, a full-service troll
@Montysano
Ha!
Southern Beale
@trollhattan:
Actually, I find “stool” an apt metaphor for Michelle Bachmann and, indeed, the entire Republican party.
:-)
Ghanima Atreides
Its just Distributed Jesusland™ in action.
Southern Beale
Apparently the Tea Party in Utah is going after Orrin Hatch. Hill-fucking-larious. But we’ve seen this movie. Hatch loses the primary to some nutter, decides to run as an independent, wins in a landslide.
I mean, c’mon.
Valdivia
Welcome Zandar.
@15 SouthernBeale
ha ha ha, wipes tear, ha ha ha.
Ruckus
I used to work for a fella who works the same way as rethuglicans do. No matter the work load, no matter how much new business we had to do, he could never figure out how to hire any additional people to do it. It was always you just do more. At some point the work suffers as well as the worker. With less. When we got a new boss he was able to immediately hire additional people. Life wasn’t great but it sure was better.
BO_Bill
Actually cathyx, the big ones are like mopeds. Lots of fun to ride until your friends see you. But I digress.
The best bet for all people, regardless of their gender, is to follow Nature’s plan. The happiest women in my experience seem to be those who celebrate their femininity.
Southern Beale
Not enough women in politics in these states, that’s why.
scav
OT Ha! on the Blago bounch. Lots of nice juicy guilties.
David in NY
BO_Bill: Still waitin’ fer yer view on stranglin’ when they stop bein’ feminine enough fer ya. How ’bouts it?
SiubhanDuinne
OT – Blago guilty on 18 counts.
batgirl
OT: Blago headed to Governors’ Row, joining George Ryan! Woo hoo. Maybe our governor’s should just bypass the state house and head directly to the big house.
Martin
Well, don’t be too hard on those seeking a non-bipartisan budget. We’re desperately trying to achieve that very goal here in CA, mainly because our state Republicans are fucking insane.
Martin
Actually, BOB likes the hairy armpits, so you gotta be careful there.
dpcap
@Southern Beale
Bachmann?
BO_Bill
David, in my opinion stranglin’ is counterproductive. Personally I believe there is solid Logic to the old English ‘thumbrule’. This social construct allows a husband to guide his wife along the path to happiness with a stick no larger in diameter than his thumb.
artem1s
Gacy was the guy with the bells and warning shots protecting our guns right?…Damn, I’m getting them all mixed up now.
MattW
But the Tleilaxu are HUGE fans of Sharia law.
Martin
Understandable. CA named an airport after John Wayne, and we’re all fags and communists out here, so clearly she concluded we chose the serial killer, and Iowa where everyone is fat and smokes too much chose the Real American Hero.
The Golux
I nominate “colossally misogynist doucheknockers” as a new tag. Not bad for your first post, Zandar!
Martin
Well, I fail. My stick is significantly larger in diameter than my thumb. Glad it’s working for you, though.
TooManyJens
I know some people think this shit is clever for some reason, but I don’t want to read somebody advocating domestic violence even if he is trolling.
(Yeah, yeah, pie filter, but seriously. He was banned for good reason. Why is he allowed back?)
Tulip
BO_Bill
DIAF.
Welcome Zander.
And as to the why… it’s in the Bible baby. Woman are subservient to men, so their needs health wise or any wise is secondardy to men or the budget or political points or anything of worth.
shano
yea, well, all professional jockeys carry a stick that size, even the female ones like me.
jayjaybear
I’ll tell ya, we gays are really slacking off on this. Robertson’s been saying this since the early 80s and you’d think we could actually manage to pull it off in 30 years, but NOOOOOO…
Trevor B
Yeah Zandar, always loved your blog. Although now that is two good blogs double posting on my blogroll as BJ has recruited well. Welcome aboard
Snail
I hate to say this, but New Hampshire has jumped on this rickety bandwagon:
http://www.nhpr.org/blocked-contract-threatens-planned-parenthood-new-hampshire
BO_Bill
Good Lord TooManyJens, lighten up. Yesterday commenters were calling for holders of high political office to be shot. David asked my opinion and my offense is mentioning a social construct that is mild compared with the vast majority of the world.
Ladies, pay no attention to this Martin. When it comes to matters of love, choose the Teabagger. Although you might walk for a while with a limp, you will smile as you swagger.
Valdivia
@67 Snail
what is up with NH?
Snail
@70
Well, in the last election, we decided to elect a veto-proof Repub majority in both houses, and their leadership is comprised primarily of belligerent psychopaths. Bill O’Brien, the Speaker of the House, is a particularly loathsome piece of work. At this point, we need to actually be thankful for our John Lynch, our milquetoast Dem governor.
daveNYC
More ‘Tussin!
cckids
[email protected] # 65:
Really, it is God who’s slacking off. I know many gays who’ve been doing ALL THEY CAN towards the cause, and yet; nothin.
James E. Powell
I’m curious, about Wisconsin but about everywhere else too, does any of this right-wing activity heighten the contradictions, as the saying goes? Do people in the great mass of low-information, low-participation voters get that the right-wing is making fundamental changes in our country and culture? Do they think these are good things? Do they care?
I’m curious and more than a little amazed. What is the relationship between economic hardships and right-wing ideology? Why do hard times always seem to cause the masses to move to the right? Or to allow others to move things to the right?
goblue72
Its pretty simple. The Rich Peoples Party can’t win on their own. They need the votes of single issue God’s Chosen Hillbillies to win. Which why even the Richies don’t really care about abortion, gay marriage or guns, they’ll continue to make a fuss about if it gets them their tax cuts and deregulation.
Catsy
Body Odor Bill was a lot more entertaining when it wasn’t so blatantly obvious that he’s a spoof–and not a particularly good one at that.
Sorry buddy, but you jumped that shark long ago.
Origuy
So, I’ve always wondered about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah: What was the sin of Gomorrah? Maybe sodomy alone isn’t enough to invoke God’s wrath; maybe it takes gomorrahy as well. We won’t know until someone figures out what it is and puts in on the web.
Edit: Never mind. Too late. Sorry I asked.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@ jayjaybear
I know. I know. I’ll totally start helping on destroying the world later. But tonight? Fabulous cocktails and a foam party!
Not!ABL
Zandar is here!
::breaks out into wild applesauce::
Not!ABL
also, your title, FTW.
Mike Kay (Democrat of the Century)
I can’t believe you’re talking about draconian cuts to education and health, when obama doesn’t like teh gay!
Ghanima Atreides
You retards don’t know what shariah law is. Or we wouldn’t have spent a trillion dollars and slaughtered a million muslim moms and dads for FUCKING NOTHING.
Shariah law forbids proselytization of the poor and ignorant. It is in the Generous Quran. Freedom of speech legalizes proselytization of the poor and ignorant. Therefore missionary democracy with freedom of speech is incompatible with al-Islam.
That fucking WEC retard Bush killed 7k of our soldiers and spent over a trillion taxpayer dollahs FOR NOTHING.
murbella
And Bene Tleilax were classic Free Market Capitalists.
eg, human flesh for sale in the market place.
Catsy
Whoops, looks like m_c is off her meds again tonight.
NobodySpecial
Ok, folks, for future reference? The S-word brings out the nutters.
murbella
im not a nutter. im telling the truth. the Bush Doctrine and COIN were both doomed to fail.
rikyrah
yeah ZANDER
good to see you here.
DougW
@Zander:
Welcome aboard. Buckle up. Have fun!
Love Dune!
KS in MA
@77:
Gomorrhea?
murbella
you cudlips wanna joke about the Horror of Shariah?
none of you know what is in it.
you listen to the christofascists screeching about stoning and hijab, and that is all you know.
What really is in shariah law, or islamic jurisprudence, is an uninvadable strategy.
Muslims are immunized to missionary democracy.
But the Republican WEC Party and the libertarians don’t want you to know that.
Because that means America spent a trillion dollahs in treasure and 7k soljah lives in blood and we have NOTHING to show for it except 4.5 million muslim orphans and the undying enmity of dar ul Islam.
You know, dar ul Islam, the Place Where the Oil Is.