The Republican War On Women - House Of Cards Edition

Yesterday, a festering sore known as the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives (a.k.a., the Planned Parenthood witch hunt) held a meeting, chaired by Republican War on Women cat's paw Rep. Marsha "How Many Holes In" Blackburn (R-  The panel is intent on resuscitating the debunked smear that Planned Parenthood is engaged in "making a profit selling baby parts" for research.  Twelve Republican- led states conducted similar witch hunts and concluded that Planned Parenthood did not illegally sell fetal tissue (in fact, a Texas grand jury indicted the perpetrators of the doctored video that ignited the current activity for felony tampering with a government record).  The way it started, it appears the Panel might outdo Rep. Trey "Howdy" Gowdy's (R- Cradle of Secession) Benghazi! witch hunt for sheer laughable, transparent partisan futility.

Impartiality?  What a card!

On the eve of her panel’s Wednesday’s hearing, Blackburn went over to Georgetown University to participate in a protest against Planned Parenthood, the very entity she is supposed to be investigating. According to the Right to Life organization, she gave a speech at a gathering called “Life-Affirming Alternatives to Planned Parenthood,” part of a series of events in opposition to Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards’s speech at Georgetown on Wednesday. 

A factual, evidence- based approach? Surely you jest!

... Blackburn gave an opening statement mentioning the buying and selling of “baby body parts” no fewer than seven times.

And the evidence that abortion clinics profit from the sale of these body parts? That would be in “Exhibit G,” handed out by Blackburn’s staff. “The AC [abortion clinic] has no costs so the payments from the PB [procurement business] to the AC are pure profit,” it said.

But this incendiary “exhibit” — asserting that any abortion clinic that receives any payment for fetal tissue is breaking the law — turned out to be not evidence but an undocumented claim by the Republican staff.

Keep in mind, this Panel has subpoenaed the names of fetal tissue researchers and workers at women's health clinics in a blatant attempt at intimidation that could also lead to their being the targets of an anti- abortion loon like the one who shot up the clinic in Colorado.  Keep in mind, also, that the end desired by these repugnant right- wing yokels is to ultimately shut down a vital source of health care for women.  Fortunately for all of us, Planned Parenthood isn't going to let them get away with it, and neither should we.

Republican Medieval Thinking On Climate Change

It was Denial Day in the swamplands of the far right today:

Here's George "Quill Pen" Will on (where else?) "Fox News Sunday," wherein he gives the game away:

Fox News contributor George Will on Sunday argued that climate change was a hoax because the world had also gotten warmer during the Middle Ages. [snip]

“I’m one of those who are called deniers,” Will admitted. “Of course the climate is changing, it’s always changing. That’s what gave us the medieval warm period. That’s what gave us — subsequent to that for centuries — the Little Ice Age. Of course it’s changing.” 

Will said that the only question was “how much wealth are we going to forego creating” by trying to stop the climate from changing? (our emphasis)

To Will and all the other fact-averse and corporate-funded deniers the bottom line is "how much wealth are we going to forego creating."  That's it right there.  That's what matters most to them.  Not what happens to the planet.  Not what happens to future generations.  Not species extinction.  No.  It's "how much is coming out of my/ corporate pocket?"

It was not much better over at "Press the Meat" with Dancin' Dave Gregory, where Bill "The Science Guy" Nye "debated" wingnut Republican Rep. Marsha "How Many Holes In" Blackburn (Tea-TN). Here's the gist of Blackburn's argument:

“What we have to do is look at the information we get from climate scientists, and as you said, there is not agreement around the fact of exactly what is causing this,” Blackburn opined. 

To which Nye responded:

“I encourage the congresswoman to really look at the facts. You are a leader. We need you to change things, not deny what’s happening.” 

For why that won't be happening, see post below.

Run For Cover Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

(Tom Tomorrow, via Daily Kos)

Daily Kos has put together a roster of shootings in the past few days to illustrate that, aside from mass gun murders like Newtown, there are random single/double/triple killings each day. We've just become numb to the proliferation of gun violence, which is the strategy of the National Rampage Association's demented leadership.

BONUS: Typical of the Rethug pols blowing smoke on gun violence is Rep. Marsha Blackburn (NRA-Tenn.), who said on Face the Nation Sunday:

"You do because you want to make certain that people are safe in public places. You want to make certain that children are safe at school. But, Bob, I've got to tell you, doing a so-called assault weapons ban is going after a symptom, and as teachers have said to me, don't focus on whatever is the weapon, get to the root cause. Look at some of these mental health issues. Look at some of these drugs that are involved in this. Look at some of the is violence that is permeating this society. Teachers, parents are all saying, you know, you need to drill down on this a little deeper. Be a little bit more thoughtful on it. And, you know, I'm with the speaker. Why should law-abiding citizens be compromised because you've got some bad actors over here that are not complying."

That's pure NRA hackery, right there.

BONUS DEUX: Life imitates cartoons, as residents of Charlottesville, VA found out.