“Top 10 GOP Attacks On Women’s Health”

Want some facts regarding women’s health issues and the GOP? The Montana Democrats break it down:

One of the symbols of German Women's movement (from the 1970s) Deutsch: Ein Logo der deutschen Frauenbewegung (aus den 70er Jahren) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

National political observers have coined the term “War on Women” to describe Republican attacks on women’s health, ranging from plans to block access to contraception to massive cuts to cancer screening services.

But here in Montana, Republicans’ War on Women is far from a recent development. In Congress, Dennis Rehberg has a long record irresponsible decisions on women’s health, and Republicans in the state legislature have been with him every step of the way, even going so far as to compare women to animals. (Yes, really.)

To bring the story home, here are Montana Republicans’ Top Ten most extreme attacks on women’s health:

10. In Washington, Congressman Rick Hill voted multiple times to gut funding for access to contraception [Roll Call 290, HR4101, July 16, 1998 + Roll Call 493, HR4104, October 7, 1998 + Roll Call 494, HR4104, October 7, 1998].

9. Congressman Rehberg has earned the support of Foster Fries, the billionaire donor who said women use “asprin between their knees” as birth control.

8. Republican legislators pushed a bill to force women to view ultrasounds. Women’s health advocates called the measure an “offensive intrusion.”

7. Congressman Rehberg has been exposed by women’s health advocates for not understanding how funding for women’s health services works .

6. Congressman Rehberg has voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which aims to make sure women are paid equally with men. [Vote 768, 7/31/07; Vote 37, 1/27/09; CQ Votes]

5. State Rep. Keith Regier compared pregnant women to “preg-tested” cattle during a discussion about family planning.

4. In his first campaign for Congress, Hill attacked his opponent Nancy Keenan for being a single woman without children, though Keenan was unable to have children due to health reasons.

3. Congressman Rehberg wrote two bills in the last year that would have completely ended funding for Title X, which helps women access preventative care like cancer screenings.

2. When law student Sandra Fluke testified in opposition to plans to block access to contraception, state Rep. Krayon Kerns compared her to to a breeding dog.

1. Congressman Hill and Congressman Rehberg both want to let women pay higher health insurance premiums than men.

(For his part, Congressman Rehberg voted to overturn the law in the state legislature in the 1980s. [3r, HB 519, 2/18/87, House Final Status; and 1987 Women’s Lobbyist Fund News] Congressman Hill used to profit off insurance premiums as an insurance company executive.)

Rehberg: The Anti-Hunter?

Mar6 by D Gregory Smith

For the second time in as many weeks, Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s support for endangering the Montana world-famous hunting and fishing heritage is under fire.

Montana hunters have been clear in their opposition to Rehberg’s Roadless Area Release Act (H.R. 1581), cosponsored by Rehberg. The Montana Wildlife Federation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are among 26 Montana hunting and fishing organizations that oppose Rehberg’s bill.

The bill would open up millions of roadless acres putting some of Montana’s richest big game country at risk. The legislation has been called “short-sighted, top-down legislation” by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation who pulled their support for the legislation at the request of Montana hunters in August. [RMEF, Website]

The Montana Wildlife Federation is running an independent TV ad expressing the need to protect Montana’s outdoor legacy by opposing the legislation:

“It’s amazing that Dennis Rehberg is ignoring the voices of Montana hunters saying that legislation threatening Montana’s big game is ‘common sense,’” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick. “Montana hunters have been loud and clear, standing with Jon Tester against Dennis Rehberg’s out-of-touch, anti-hunting agenda—no matter what Montanans say.”

This is the second ad from the Montana Wildlife Federation which began running an ad last Sunday criticizing Rehberg’s legislation.

“Aspirin” Billionaire To Bankroll Rehberg (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Tester Stands Up

Mar1 by D Gregory Smith

Senator Jon Tester’s office released the following today:

Image via Wikipedia

Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after voting against a controversial amendment by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., that would have allowed employers to deny health insurance coverage, including contraception, for any employee based on “moral convictions”:

“This is a reckless attempt to undermine individual freedom and restrict access to health care for women. This measure is unprecedented and out-of-touch with Montana, and it would have prevented women from making their own healthcare decisions.”

The amendment did not define “moral convictions,” meaning an employer could have denied insurance coverage for anything from blood transfusions and diabetes screenings to HPV vaccinations and treatment of HIV.

The measure failed by a vote of 51-48, failing to reach the 60 votes needed for approval.

It sounds like it would have given employers the right to discriminate for insurance coverage.

I’m especially glad the release specifically mentioned HIV- we have hundreds of Montanans living with HIV who are enrolled in health insurance through their employers….

Rehberg Defends Controversial Bill (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Romney reverses on Roy Blunt’s health care amendment A few… (shortformblog.tumblr.com)
GOP Sen. Roy Blunt to introduce bill allowing employers to deny coverage for any health service (dailykos.com)

Rehberg Defends Controversial Bill

Mar1 by D Gregory Smith

From The Montana Democrats:

Already under heat from Montana sportsmen for supporting an anti-hunting bill, mutimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg today doubled down on his defense of H.R. 1505, his unpopular federal land grab bill.

H.R. 1505 allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to override at least 36 existing laws and seize public land within 100 miles of Montana northern border in order to gain “operational control.” The legislation has been panned by critics on the right and the left. Montana sportsmen also criticized the bill because it gives the Department of Homeland Security “complete control over millions of acres of Montana public lands.”

But Rehberg defied Montana’s opposition to the bill on KECI-TV this morning:

“It has nothing to do with any kind of a land grab. It’s federal properties only and it’s just saying ‘let the border patrol and the customs agents have access to federal property you shouldn’t lock them out’.”

Rehberg is wrong. H.R. 1505 gives unprecedented authority to the federal government lock up land in Montana, and to lock Montanans out.

“Congressman Rehberg’s 35-year political career is defined by irresponsible decisions like his Homeland Security land grab and his votes for the Patriot Act and REAL ID,” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick . “If Congressman Rehberg still thinks Montanans will stand for his attacks on our rights and freedoms, then he’s clearly lost touch with Montana values. And he refuses to admit when he’s wrong.”

Earlier this week, Montana hunters began running TV ads in Montana questioning Rehberg’s support of the Roadless Release Act. Rehberg’s bill (H.R. 1581) would open up millions of acres of land in Montana to roads and development, impacting some of Montana’s most prized hunting habitat. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Montana Wildilfe Federation oppose Rehberg’s bill.

HOMELAND SECURITY LAND GRAB: Congressman Rehberg is sponsoring a bill that “would give the secretary of homeland security total operational authority over all federal lands within 100 miles of the U.S. international and maritime borders” [Great Falls Tribune,9/21/11]. Critics said the bill was “exactly the kind of big government Montanans don’t tolerate” [Missoulian, 9/28/11].

REAL ID: In 2005 Congressman Rehberg praised a plan to force all Montanans to get government ID cards saying, “something states should have been doing all along” [Rehberg Press Release, 5/6/05].

PATRIOT ACT: Congressman Rehberg has voted over and over again to re-authorize the controversial Patriot Act, something Jon Tester has consistently opposed [HR 2975, Vote 386, 10/12/01; HR 3162, Vote 398, 10/24/01; HR 3199, Vote 414, 07/21/05; HR 3199, Vote 627, 12/14/05; S 2271, Vote 20, 03/07/06, HR 514, House Roll Call Vote 29, 2/10/11].

Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan

Feb25 by D Gregory Smith

From The Montana Democrats:

While multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg continues to hide from the public (see ‘Related Articles’ below), Jon Tester hosted his 10th public small business workshop, following months of meetings with Montanans across the state.

Denny Rehberg - Caricature (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

As for Congressman Rehberg? He cancelled his latest scheduled appearance–at a Republican Party fundraiser he was supposed to headline Sunday in Havre. And Congressman Rehberg has held virtually no public meetings with Montanans since November.

“After 35 years in politics, Congressman Rehberg no longer thinks he’s accountable to Montana,” said Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Congressman Rehberg gave himself five pay raises in Congress, but he votes to cut funding for our public schools, cut Pell grants, and cut health care for our veterans. His 35-year career in politics is marked by irresponsible decisions like tax breaks for fellow millionaires and corporations that ship jobs overseas—at the expense of Montana families, education, Medicare and Social Security.”

Congressman Rehberg has avoided accountability for the last year, hiding the donations he takes from lobbyists, refusing to meet with Montanans, and giving his full endorsement to the Citizens United ruling that allows big corporations to spend unlimited money on dishonest political attack ads. Here’s more:

Hiding Campaign Cash from Lobbyists: An investigation by the Associated Press found Congressman Rehberg refused to disclose the identities of 189 lobbyists on his financial disclosure reports. Rehberg hid more than $20,000 he took from Washington lobbyists.

Dodging Public Meetings with Constituents: Congressman Rehberg went 6 months without holding a public townhall meeting, and when he finally scheduled one, he watched a Sheriff removed someone from the meeting.

Siding with Anonymous Corporate Cash in Elections: Following his endorsement by Citizens United, Congressman Rehberg gave his full endorsement to the secretive organization’s Supreme Court Ruling, which allows big corporations to spend unlimited to buy elections.

“Where Are You?” (dgsma.wordpress.com)

“Aspirin” Billionaire To Bankroll Rehberg

Feb23 by D Gregory Smith

From the Montana Democrats:

via Wikipedia

Foster Friess–the billionaire donor who said women should use aspirin “between their knees” as birth control–is considering a massive contribution to Crossroads GPS, Karl Rove’s secretive front group that has already spent over $600,000 to support multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

According to the New Republic, Rehberg is one of Friess’ “favored candidates.” Friess is also considering “a six- or seven-figure donation to the conservative Super PAC American Crossroads or its sister organization, Crossroads GPS.”

Crossroads recently aired an ad attacking Jon Tester that was so false, a Montana cable company pulled it off the air.

“Congressman Rehberg has earned support from Wall Street billionaire Foster Friess because they share an out-of-touch, extreme agenda,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Thanks to the Citizens United decision, Friess can spend whatever he wants trying to buy votes for Dennis Rehberg. That’s because Congressman Rehberg supports tax loopholes that benefit millionaires–even when it means cutting Medicare, Social Security and education.”

Crossroads GPS has already spent hundreds of thousands to pay for false attack ads in Montana, following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.

Congressman Rehberg supports secret financing of elections. The organization Citizens United endorsed Rehberg in September, giving him a $10,000 contribution. And earlier this month, Rehberg was caught hiding more than $20,000 he took from Washington lobbyists.

MT Dems: Rehberg’s Concern for Foreclosed Homeowners a New Development (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Tuesday Clippings

Feb21 by D Gregory Smith

A few links to stories I found interesting this week:

~Indiana Legislator Refuses To Honor “Radical” Girl Scouts.

~Rick Santorum Could Take Republicans Down With Him

~AIDS Research Being Done By 17 Year-olds

~Rehberg Should Try Some ‘Made In Montana’ Funding

~Female Elephants Need Not Apply

~Marriage: David Cameron Faces Church Backlash Over ‘Cultural Vandalism’

Happy Clicking!

Baucus, Tester Congratulated For Tax Relief

Feb18 by D Gregory Smith

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick today released the following statement in recognition of the payroll tax relief just passed by Congress:

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work Jon Tester and Max Baucus have put in on this issue. Montanans shouldn’t have to lose out on a $1,000 tax break because of petty partisan games in Congress. Thankfully, Jon and Max worked together to get the job done for Montana families.”

“Senator Baucus did something you rarely see in Washington these days: He brought folks from both side of the aisle to the table to give tax relief to working families when they need it most. His work represents the spirit of working together that Montanans expect and deserve in their elected leaders.”

For me, the political races of 2012 come down to one thing: desire for fairness vs the desire to impose dogmatism.

I don’t think I need to tell you which party is for what- or that Denny Rehberg’s history of cooperation is pretty sketchy- and I’m being generous.

Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld

Feb15 by D Gregory Smith

…presumably relying on Montanans’ short memories. From the Montana Democrats:

Image via Wikipedia

Failed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to be in Montana later this month to stump for multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg–a move that highlights Rehberg’s strong support of the failed policies of former President George W. Bush.

Rumsfeld, who resigned from office the day Jon Tester won his Senate seat, is known as the architect of one of the greatest misunderstandings of military intelligence in American history. Rumsfeld was also a key supporter the controversial Patriot Act, which Congressman Rehberg has supported repeatedly.

“Donald Rumsfeld is almost as out-of-touch as Congressman Dennis Rehberg when it comes to reckless decisions about our freedoms,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.

Rumsfeld is holding a February 25 fundraiser near Bozeman for Rehberg, who recently got caught hiding tens of thousands of dollars he’s taken from out-of-state lobbyists.

“Donald Rumsfeld was a key figure in an administration known for its secrecy and lack of facts and transparency,” Dick said. “After Congressman Rehberg tried to hide his lobbyist cash, it’s no surprise he’s now embracing Secretary Rumsfeld’s support.”

Yeah- a no-brainer.

Rehberg’s “Year Of Disaster” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
“Where Are You?” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

A Tale Of Two Polls

Jan30 by D Gregory Smith

…from The Montana Democrats:

Image via Wikipedia

Dennis Rehberg’s supporters tonight are pushing a new GOP poll about Montana’s 2012 Senate race. But a second poll released today—conducted by the same GOP polling firm—tells a much different story.

The first poll, conducted by the firm Public Opinion Strategies for Karl Rove’s secretive organization American Crossroads, shows questionable and uncharacteristic results for the race between Jon Tester and Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

The second poll released today, also conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, has much different results. It shows the race much closer—well within the margin of error.

“Montanans don’t trust Crossroads or Dennis Rehberg, so why would they believe numbers from a firm that can’t even decide which numbers are accurate,” said Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Congressman Rehberg believes secrecy and unlimited corporate spending belong in Montana’s elections, and he and his allies will stop at nothing to try to influence the people of our state.”