SDB Evening News Reads for 072011: Franken, Perry and Kasich walk into a Hooters…

Evening News November 18th, 1914

Well, good afternoon.  Obviously, any blog post that begins with a title like this one has is just trying to make a joke out of a few very serious news articles…which I happily bring to you in this evening’s news reads.

The same state that brought you Bachmann, check out another Minnesotan, Al Franken as he Destroys Focus On The Family Witness, Exposes Misuse Of HHS Study | ThinkProgress

During this morning’s Senate DOMA hearings, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) destroyed Focus on the Family’s Tom Minnery’s argument that children are better off with opposite-sex parents by demonstrating how Minnery misrepresented an HHS study. The study — which Minnery cited to oppose marriage equality — actually found that children do best in two-parent households, regardless of the parents’ gender.

Click that link to ThinkProgress to watch the video.

So here is some more disturbing news, this time from the Lone Star State.  Disturbing in that it involves Rick Perry’s foreign policy education, instructed by none other than Donald Rumsfeld himself.  Be afraid…be very afraid…Rumsfeld had role in Perry meeting – Ben Smith – POLITICO.com

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld helped organize Rick Perry’s foreign policy and national security briefing in Austin last Wednesday, Rumsfeld’s staff confirmed today.

Perry’s aides have been tight-lipped about the gathering, which National Review reported included former Rumsfeld aides Doug Feith, Daniel Fata, and William Luti, as well as the magazine’s Andrew McCarthy and others . But I’m told Rumsfeld helped steer Perry’s staff to the low-key advisory group, and his detainee adviser Cully Stimson was also invited, but couldn’t attend.

Oh great, as if Perry’s Jesus/God prayerfest fasting fundraising party wasn’t bad enough.

Go ahead and give this Colbert Clip a minute of your time:

Tuesday July 19, 2011

God Calls Rick Perry to Run

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/392478/july-19-2011/god-calls-rick-perry-to-run

With the tough challenges facing America, Rick Perry thinks it’s time to hand it over to God and ask Him to jump in.

I’d embed the video if I could…a bit of comic humor for you all.  Honestly, humor is the only thing that is getting me through all this crap lately.

Update: Here’s the video embed… Vodpod videos no longer available.

And speaking of crap, yes this next video clip shows us what NBC’s Today Show believes is newsworthy, you know…if I was a woman anchor over on the Today Show, I would have to put my foot down on this story.  Today Show Breasts | Why Do Men Like Boobs | Large Boobs | Mediaite

I don’t know the exact figures, but I’m pretty sure the Today Show airs on NBC for about 42 hours every day. With that much time to fill, you’d think some of the content may strain for substance. Not the case, however, as you could see by today’s Today in which the show sought to answer a question that’s been challenging great thinkers for centuries: “Why do breasts turn men into boobs?”

I’m sure all the camera guys who shot b-roll for this segment must have been really excited. You know, for helping with great journalism and all.

Today’s investigating was so good for this piece that they answered their central question in the first minute, showing an interview with sexologist Logan Levkoff who explained everything:

“The fixation on breasts starts with this evolutionary blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah? Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah.”

I apologize if that transcription wasn’t perfect. I got distracted because Levkoff is a woman and therefore has breasts.

Give the rest of that post by Jon Bershad a read, it made me chuckle…if only men would pay more attention to women’s health issues, other than focusing on women’s breasts…ah, I am preaching to the choir…I know.

It is obvious that Ohio Governor Kasich doesn’t give a damn about the health and welfare of the women in his state.  Ohio Governor Signs 20 Week Abortion Ban | RH Reality Check

Ohio has become the latest state to ban almost all abortions after 20 weeks, even prior to viability and without any exception for the health of the mother.  Republican Governor John Kasich signed the bill into law today, making it the second major new abortion restriction to go on the books this session.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, released the following statement condemning the new law:

“Once again, Governor Kasich put politics over the safety of Ohio women by signing an anti-abortion bill that lacks adequate health protections.  When a pregnancy endangers a woman’s health, or there are serious complications, politicians shouldn’t interfere.  This intrusive new law will force women who face serious health problems later in their pregnancies to wait until their lives are in jeopardy before a doctor can legally terminate their pregnancy and has no exception to provide care for women carrying a fetus with a severe anomaly.  Ohio is on the fast track to becoming the most dangerous state in the country for pregnant women.”

Yes, read that statement again: “Ohio is on the fast track to becoming the most dangerous state in the country for pregnant women.”

Come on people, this is the USA, not some country that degrades and devalues their women citizens…/snark

And in that respect, I will end with this request from Planned Parenthood.

Yesterday I got a mass email from Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood.  So here is the gist of the email.  Give this link to PPAction a click and send a message to HHS.

No co-pay birth control for millions of women in America is within reach. Right now, the Dept. of Health and Human Services is deciding whether or not to require new insurance plans to cover birth control with no co-pays. We’re almost there — add your name to Planned Parenthood’s petition:
http://ppaction.org/bcmfb

So what else is going on in your world today?