This Week in the War on Women: Shutdown Edition, 09/20/2015-09/26/2015

Well, it looks like our government might keep running for a little while, but shutdown threats will come again.  If we can postpone it until near next year's election, which would allow people to remember to blame Republicans, that would be excellent!  But surely even the Repubs know better.  Unexpectedly, this happy ending may be due to Mr. Boehner.  From the New York Times:

Most recently, Mr. Boehner was trying to devise a solution to keep the government open through the rest of the year, but was under pressure from conservatives who told him that they would not vote for a bill that provided funding for Planned Parenthood.

Mr. Boehner’s announcement lessened the chance of a government shutdown because Republican leaders joined by Democrats will almost certainly go forward with a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating, and the speaker will no longer be deterred by those who threatened his job.

Thank you, Mr. Boehner!  Never thought I would say those words.

More seriously, however, is Carly Fiorina, possibly the worst woman for women since Phyllis Schlafly.  As reported by our own Joan McCarter, Carly stated:

Interestingly, no one has denied that babies are being butchered for their body parts at Planned Parenthood clinics and elsewhere," she said as supporters clapped. "They're trying to have a conversation about a technicality about a video tape. The character of this nation cannot be about butchery of babies for body parts.

OK, I'm not entirely sure that no one has denied this.  If not, that's probably because to anyone with half a brain it is obviously untrue.  But for the record, I will deny it here:

Carly, this is not about a videotape technicality.  Babies are not being butchered for their body parts at Planned Parenthood clinics nor elsewhere.  Fetuses are not being butchered for their body parts at Planned Parenthood nor elsewhere.  Women choose to have abortions for an array of other reasons.  At the time, they may be asked whether or not they would like to donate fetal tissue.  If and only if they agree and provide fully informed, voluntary consent, then fetal body parts may be saved to be donated for potentially life-saving research.  If these parts are not donated, they will be thrown away and wasted.

As Katie Lyon, a pregnant woman who had to abort because of multiple severe fetal health problems, explained in Time Magazine:

I was able to turn my pain into something that could benefit someone else.

Carly and your fellow fact-free Republicans:  Get a grip.  If you shut down the government over this nonsense, we will make you look like fools.  This is the opposite of nefarious.

PLEASE NOTE:  My Internet broke down while I was working on this week's column, so I wasn't able to complete formatting, but I'll publish now so you can find us!

MANY THANKS to officebss, ramara, and Tara the Antisocial Social Worker for great links!