AUDIO: "Stupak, you baby-killing mother f***er... I hope you bleed out your a**, got cancer and die"

By GottaLaff

As much as we have disagreed with Bart Stupak, he did not deserve this:

In the wake of his vote in favor of health care reform legislation, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a strong opponent of abortion rights, has been on the receiving end of a string of extremely hostile and threatening messages, including death threats.

Stupak's office released some of those messages to CBS News [...]

"Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing mother f***er... I hope you bleed out your a**, got cancer and die, you mother f***er," one man says in a message to Stupak.

How "pro-life" of them.

Here's the audio:

Sounds like these callers took their cues from good ol' boy, remorseless Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer of "Baby Killer!" infamy.

One more horrific example of a scary, violent trend that could easily end in tragedy.

We must put a stop to this reprehensible, irresponsible behavior. Now.

BREAKING: Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer confirms he yelled "Baby killer"

By GottaLaff

MSNBC: Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer confirms he yelled out "Baby killer" at Bart Stupak last night.



UPDATE, via an e-mail alert from WaPo:

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Tex.) admits shouting 'baby killer' during House debate over health care.

In a statement, Neugebauer says he was not referring to Rep. Bart Stupak, but instead, "I exclaimed the phrase ‘it’s a baby killer’ in reference to the agreement reached by the Democratic leadership."

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com:

Nice try, but that was one weak attempt at a save. You blew it. We have a loser.

UPDATE #2:

“While I remain heartbroken over the passage of this bill and the tragic consequences it will have for the unborn, I deeply regret that my actions were mistakenly interpreted as a direct reference to Congressman Stupak himself.”

Neugebauer said he apologized to Stupak for the outburst.

“I have apologized to Mr. Stupak and also apologize to my colleagues for the manner in which I expressed my disappointment about the bill. The House Chamber is a place of decorum and respect. The timing and tone of my comment last night was inappropriate,” he said.

Another non-apology. Everyone got it wrong. Poor Neugebauer is misunderstood. We should be apologizing to him for the Big Misunderstanding in which we interpreted his appalling outburst as "You are Bart the Baby Killer!"

You lie!

Oh my. I deeply regret that my outburst might be mistakenly misinterpreted by you.

VIDEO: House Member Appears To Yell 'Baby Killer' At Stupak

By GottaLaff



How mature, respectful, and orderly.

Whoever did that needs to be kicked out... and spat upon repeatedly.

UPDATE:

Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) acknowledged late Sunday night that a Republican yelled "baby killer" as Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) urged his fellow Democrats to vote down a Republican amendment on abortion services in the health-care legislation. [...]

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said he heard the remark and said it did come from in the area of where the Texas and California delegations sit. He said he believes he knows who yelled it, but declined to say anymore.

Rep Bart Stupak: It’s been ‘a living hell’

Awww poor thing!

Leading a revolt against President Barack Obama’s healthcare legislation over abortion has been a “living hell” for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.).

The telephone lines in his Washington and district offices have been “jammed” and he’s gotten more than 1,500 faxes and countless e-mails — most of which he says don’t come from his constituents.

The fight has taken a toll on his wife, who has disconnected the phone in their home to avoid harassment.

“All the phones are unplugged at our house — tired of the obscene calls and threats. She won’t watch TV,” Stupak said during an hourlong interview with The Hill in his Rayburn office. “People saying they’re going to spit on you and all this. That’s just not fun.”

You know, I'm semi sympathetic- no one should be calling their home, threatening them or any of the rude stuff that I'm sure they get, but can you really tell me that what is happening to Bart is worse than what can happen to millions of women if his heavy handed anti-choice language goes thru? Read Natasha's story and tell me which is worse.

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

Sarah Palin is booted from speech at a Canadian hospital

By GottaLaff



We knew this was coming, did we not? Barbie McLipSchmutz was scheduled to speak at a socialist-- er, public-- abortion-providing, advanced directive-servicing (gasp! death panels!) hospital. But that wasn't going to stop her, nosirreebob! Not when there was $200K at stake!

Let's get real. There was no way one of the two wouldn't eventually quit the other:

Now, the Toronto Sun reports that Palin has “been given the boot” and will no longer appear at the fundraiser for St. Peter’s hospital. Jeff Valletine, the vice president of communications for Hamilton Health Sciences, said that he had received a backlash for inviting Palin.

No more $200 grand? That explains her recycled Hawaiian resort wardrobe. No wonder she quit that trip, too. Also.

Sarah Palin to Speak at a Socialist Canadian Hospital

By GottaLaff



This is quite the big deal for someone who said that Canada should really think about reforming its health care system (video from post above), and who's not the biggest fan of abortion rights, and who thinks "death panels" will kill your Grandma. Me oh my.

Hyp. O. Crite:

According to the Hamilton Spectator, Sarah Palin has been contracted to speak at a fundraiser for the Juravinski Cancer Centre and St. Peter’s Hospital in Canada.

Oopsie daisy there, Barbie McLipSchmutz, I do believe you're exposing yourself to the dreaded H1Socialism1:

– St. Peter’s Hospital is a public hospital within the national Canadian healthcare system. In Palin’s worldview, universal, government-insured health care is “socialism.”

– St. Peter’s Hospital performs abortions. Palin, a staunch anti-choice zealot, has protested outside of abortion clinics and has refused to denounce abortion clinic bombers as terrorists.

– St. Peter’s Hospital, through its Centre for Studies in Aging, offers “advanced directives.” Palin tried to derail health reform earlier this year by falsely labeling advanced directive reimbursements as “death panels.”

Oh dear. This will never do.

I feel a "quit" coming on....

As Barbie said, "Keep the faith".

Video- Senator Boxer: Maybe men need to get an insurance rider for Viagra?

Hell no, just ban it completely.

Nebraska abortion doctor to expand his practice

Department of Unintended Consequences. A very brave man.

OMAHA, Neb. - An abortion doctor said Friday that he will likely perform more late-term procedures at his Nebraska practice to meet the demand left when a Kansas physician was shot and killed earlier this year.

The move could solidify Nebraska's and Dr. LeRoy Carhart's place at the center of the fight over abortion because he's trying to offer the late-term procedures his friend Dr. George Tiller offered in Wichita before his death.

Carhart has considered opening a clinic in Kansas, but said he thinks expanding his practice in the Omaha suburbs may be the best option because it is easier for patients to get flights into Omaha than Wichita.

Law would require pregnancy centers to post signs if they don't offer abortions

Excellent turn of things. I've heard about it happening all over the country, but I know for a fact that local "pregnancy crisis centers" up here open offices close to the Planned Parenthood ones and put misleading ads in papers and the phonebook to trick vulnerable women into having to listen to a religion-centric diatribe over abortion etc. Things these women are not looking to deal with.

Reporting from Baltimore - Crisis pregnancy centers that don't offer abortions or birth-control referrals would have to post notices saying they exclude those options under legislation approved Monday night by the Baltimore City Council.

(snip)

Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, called the vote a victory for women's well-being. She cited a study by an advocacy group indicating that women have been misled at pregnancy centers that provide counseling, clothing and food for expectant mothers -- but not abortions.

"It's a step toward making sure that women have the information they need to make the right decision for their health and their future," Rawlings-Blake said.

But those who oppose abortion say the bill unfairly targets centers that provide information and assistance to poor women.

"The thing that's most disappointing about it is not the particular signs that are put up or the particular bill itself, but the message that it sends," said Maryland Right to Life legislative director Jeffrey D. Meister. "This is the first time in the United States that any elected body has chosen to vote to condemn pregnancy centers."

No one's condemning your "centers" hon, just making it illegal for you to lie about them.

Abortion hurdle cleared

By GottaLaff

CLARIFICATION: The "abortion hurdle cleared" was tweeted by @rollcall on Twitter. Since the site is subscription only, I could only give you what I was given.

Roll Call (subscription only) is reporting the following:

House Democrats are planning a final vote on their signature health care bill Saturday at about 6 p.m., Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday.

More from an earlier piece from the Salt Lake Tribune:

The major last-minute changes to the House bill hardened the battle lines in the confrontation between Democrats and the health insurance industry. [...]

Other changes to the bill, such as enhanced status for the government's office of minority health, were intended as sweeteners for supportive lawmakers.

In a move aimed directly at health insurance companies, the revised House bill would launch a federal-state crackdown on what it terms "unjustified premium increases."[...]

Democrats also strengthened a provision that would strip the industry of its decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws.

Supporters said the tougher approach is needed to keep insurance companies from artificially boosting premiums in advance of the major reforms taking effect in 2013.

Hoyer ‘Reasonably Confident’ of Abortion Deal in Health Bill

By GottaLaff

Hoyer thinks the issue of funding abortion in the health care reform bill can be worked out this week:

“We are still working on that,” Hoyer said, “but I am reasonably confident. I have talked to people who have varying views on that. I am pretty confident that we can get there, essentially making very clear that any money spent on the issue of termination of pregnancy will be spent, not by the government, but by the individuals.”

Wasn't this always the case? My head has been spinning because of all the, um spin.

Earlier I posted about Hoyer's confidence that the bill will pass within a few days.

Does Focus on the Family Fund Abortions?

I love it when a headline makes me do a double take. Amy has a point though, why won't FOTF hold itself to the same standard it demands of others?

It does if you hold the organization to the same standard it uses to insist that health reform would result in publicly funded abortions.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the fungibility argument that many pro-life groups and politicians have employed to oppose health reform. The problem, they say, is that if any insurance plan that covers abortion is allowed to participate in a public exchange, then premiums paid to that plan in the form of taxpayer-funded subsidies help support that abortion coverage even if individual abortion procedures are paid for out of a separate pool of privately-paid premium dollars. You can debate about whether it makes sense to use this strict standard, but that's the argument.

But are those pro-life organizations holding themselves to the same strict standard? As it happens, Focus on the Family provides its employees health insurance through Principal, an insurance company that covers "abortion services." A Focus spokeswoman confirmed the fact that the organization pays premiums to Principal, but declined to comment on whether that amounts to an indirect funding of abortion.

Even if the specific plan Focus uses for its employees doesn't include abortion coverage--and I'm assuming it doesn't--the organization and its employees still pay premiums to a company that funds abortions. If health reform proposals have a fungibility problem, then Focus does as well. And if they don't think they do have a fungibility problem, then it would be interesting to hear why they think the set-up proposed in health reform legislation is so untenable.

VIDEO: Rick Sanchez Calls Out Bachmann For Spreading Fear Of Abortion Field Trips

By GottaLaff



Rick Sanchez has some excellent moments. This is one of them.

Video- Rep. Bachmann Warns of Abortion Field Trips

How did we miss this nummy crazy from our favorite batshit insane congresswoman? (Adam Green is on MSNBC right now getting crap about calling Michelle crazy. If the crazy hat fits...)

Video- FOX News Guest Pastor Broden: 'Obama Aides Want To Kill Seniors'

What did Fox report on all day before President Obama?

Video- Rep. Todd Tiahrt suggests Obama’s mother wanted to abort him

I may have finally reached my outrage peak. Shameless.

Speaking on the House floor yesterday, Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) argued that low-income mothers of African-Americans — like President Barack Obama and Justice Clarence Thomas — would have aborted their children, if only the government had agreed to pay for it.

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

Abortions More Frequent for Private Religious School Students

By GottaLaff

Oh really?

There's an interesting new study reported in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior showing that unwed pregnant teenagers and women in their 20s who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to have abortions than young women who go to public schools.

Go figure.

Follow the link for more.

Bill O’Reilly To Address Critics Tonight Over Murder Of Doctor

There will be much building of strawmen and subsequent destruction of same... There's an awful lot of "facts" for him to ignore though. Via Greg-

Bill O’Reilly — who’s taking a beating for the jihad he’s waged against George Tiller, the doctor who performed late-term abortions and was gunned down yesterday — will address the killing and the criticism directed at him on his show tonight, a Fox spokesperson confirms to me.

O’Reilly has attacked Tiller in dozens of episodes, frequently referring to him as “Tiller the Baby Killer,” Salon reports. After the news spread of Tiller’s murder yesterday, multiple critics fingered O’Reilly for fomenting a hate campaign against him.

I asked Fox spokesperson Richard White if O’Reilly had a response to the criticism. “Mr. O’Reilly will be addressing the issue/topic on tonight’s show,” White answered.