At least the Republicans are Consistent: They are for probing women’s vaginas & against VAWA

You gotta hand it to the Republicans. They’re committed and consistent when it comes to making life miserable for women. Today’s all male panel on contraceptives was the cherry on the layered cake of misogyny comprised of opposing the Violence Against Women Act, and insisting on vaginally penetrating women against their will. See, the Republicans can’t support a bill that’s against violence against women, when they themselves are perpetuating violence against women by technically raping them with an instrument.

Digby has a great take on the Virginia Bill:

No Virginia, it’s not really about the fetus. It’s all about the probe.Democrats had sought to allow doctors to use other imaging methods but Republicans insisted that doctors put an instrument inside the woman’s vagina. Why? Well, since there’s no medical reason for it, the only possible explanation is that they want to “send a message.” You know. About who’s boss:

And here’s the  statement made by David Englin, who offered an amendment that was shot down because it wasn’t invasive enough.

This bill will require many women in Virginia to undergo vaginal penetration with an ultrasound probe against their consent in order to exercise their constitutional right to an abortion, even for nonsurgical, noninvasive, pharmaceutical abortions.  This kind of government intrusion shocks the conscience and demonstrates the disturbing lengths Republican legislators will go to prevent women from controlling their own reproductive destiny.

I offered an amendment that would have protected women from the unwanted vaginal penetration required by this bill. House Republicans rejected that amendment.  The next time Virginia Republicans speak the words ‘government intrusion’ I hope voters will remember this vote and hold them accountable for their hypocrisy.

So thank you, Republicans, for not being hypocritical about your hypocrisy.

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Born and raised on the mean streets of New York City’s Upper West Side, Katie Halper is a comic, writer, blogger, satirist and filmmaker based in New York. Katie graduated from The Dalton School (where she teaches history) and Wesleyan University (where she learned that labels are for jars.) A director of Living Liberally and co-founder/performer in Laughing Liberally, Katie has performed at Town Hall, Symphony Space, The Culture Project, D.C. Comedy Festival, all five Netroots Nations, and The Nation Magazine Cruise, where she made Howard Dean laugh! and has appeared with Lizz Winstead, Markos Moulitsas, The Yes Men, Cynthia Nixon and Jim Hightower. Her writing and videos have appeared in The New York Times, Comedy Central, The Nation Magazine, Gawker, Nerve, Jezebel, the Huffington Post, Alternet and Katie has been featured in/on NY Magazine, LA Times, In These Times, Gawker,Jezebel, MSNBC, Air America, GritTV, the Alan Colmes Show, Sirius radio (which hung up on her once) and the National Review, which called Katie “cute and some what brainy.” Katie co-produced Tim Robbins’s film Embedded, (Venice Film Festival, Sundance Channel); Estela Bravo’s Free to Fly (Havana Film Festival, LA Latino Film Festival); was outreach director for The Take, Naomi Klein/Avi Lewis documentary about Argentine workers (Toronto & Venice Film Festivals, Film Forum); co-directed New Yorkers Remember the Spanish Civil War, a video for Museum of the City of NY exhibit, and wrote/directed viral satiric videos including Jews/ Women/ Gays for McCain.

Katie is a writer, comedian, filmmaker, and New Yorker.

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