Bush Shows His "Compassionate Conservatism" To Africa

In one of many contradictions to George Bush's pledge to be a "compassionate conservatism," this week the White House is silently taking away contraception and family planning aid to African countries. Bush can claim to be pro-life all he wants, but in reality this callousness will ultimately destroy many lives.

From Planned Parenthood:

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is appalled by the Bush administration’s latest move to put women’s lives in danger by withholding contraceptives, a critical family planning resource, from women in six African countries. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is mandating that several African governments terminate a program that allows Marie Stopes International (MSI), one of the world's leading family planning organizations, to provide contraceptives in those countries.

“We know that family planning saves women's lives and protects their health,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “These women already face legal restrictions and harsh gender inequalities. Further limiting their access to health care puts them at risk of harm resulting from unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion and childbirth, and sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS.”

This administration already has severely limited family planning funding to developing countries through its global gag rule, which mandates that no U.S. family planning assistance funding can be given to organizations that provide abortion services, offer counseling and referral for abortion care, or advocate legal abortion access in their own countries — even if they do so with their own funds. Domestically, the administration is moving forward with a regulation that would allow health care providers to withhold critical health information and services from women.

The new USAID mandate will seriously disrupt family planning programs in at least six African countries — Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Women in these countries will be left with few options and could end up turning to unsafe abortion services, which can result in their death or disability.

There are an estimated 137 million women in the developing world who are not using a contraceptive method. According to the World Bank, maternal mortality would drop by 25–35 percent if those women had access to adequate family planning services.

The cost of these programs are a fraction of what we waste every month in Iraq. The relatively small amount of charity it takes to help millions of Africans is easy for our country to spend, despite the enormous amount of debt we are in. America is/was known as a world leader because of our generous outreach across the globe but because of George Bush, we continue to lose our standing as a leading democracy and a country that cares about others who's wealth is nothing compared to the United States.

Birth Control Frightens John McCain

It isn't the size of the BC pills that gets to McCain but the politics surrounding them. As anyone knows who has bought them recently, the price has skyrocketed in the last few years and that isn't random at all. The conservative culture surrounding the Bush Administration has helped to allow for the pills to escape the coverage of health insurance policies while they do reimburse for Viagra. That got McCain supporter (and potential VP choice) Carly Fiorina upset this week so that got one reporter thinking and asked McCain about the situation and his vote against forcing companies to cover it. The answer....or lack there of, is stunning and should be a loud, clear message to women across the country.

From Time:

Q: Earlier this week Carly Fiorina was meeting with a bunch of reporters and talked about it being unfair that insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control. And -

McCain: I certainly do not want to discuss that issue. (uneasy laughter)

Q: But apparently you’ve voted against (McCain laughter continues)

McCain: I don’t know what I voted -

Q: Voted against coverage of birth control, forcing health insurance companies to cover birth control in the past. Is that still your position?

McCain: I’ll look at my voting record on it, but I have, uh, (5 second pause) , I don’t recall the vote right now. But I’ll be glad to look at it and get back to you as to why, I don’t -

Q: I guess her statement was that it was unfair that health insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control. Do you have an opinion on that?

McCain: (after 8 second pause) I don’t know enough about it to give you an informed answer because I don’t recall the vote, I’ve cast thousands of votes in the Senate. I will respond to - it’s a, it’s a (nervous)

John McCain doesn't want to discuss the issue because he knows this position was a cave-in to the religious right. He never knows what he voted for when the truth pokes holes in his "maverick" facade and usually he'll tell an outright lie to cover it, but this time he just stumbled....badly.

Pigeons Going On The Pill?

Do pigeons agree that they should wait to have sex until after marriage, make sure their young be schooled on abstinence programs or even go so far as China in its population control law? Well Councilman James Oddo wants to enrage the Christian right instead and give birth control to the so-called "rats with wings" in the city. Will we hear from James Dobson or Pat Robertson on this issue?

From AM New York:

Borrowing an idea from Hollywood, City Councilman James Oddo says contraception may help to reduce the proliferation of pigeons at the St. George terminal on Staten Island.

He says the use of a product called OvoControl P in rooftop bird feeders is supported by animal protection groups and has been proposed to the city departments of environmental protection and transportation. State environmental experts have it under study.

Oddo says it appears OvoControl P "might be a tool we can use long-term to eliminate this problem in a humane fashion."

Well it is better than capture and killing flocks of pigeons, but where does it end? Can this be done to rats and mice too? Oh and what if other birds eat the food and being infertile as well? Shall we trade a pigeon problem for a bird-free New York? Oddo claims that animal protection groups do not have an issue with using OvoControl P but I'd like to hear them say it for themselves, remember which Councilman we are dealing with here.