Posted on 02/24/2012 5:11:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind
At CPAC, Texas Gov. Rick Perry quipped, “I haven’t left the fight; I just went home, reloaded my Mag and am fighting on a different front.” Clearly, he wasn’t kidding. Texas today cut Medicaid funding to abortion providers — even though the administration threatened to cut the state’s funding if it did so. The Daily Caller reports:
On Thursday, Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Thomas Suehs signed a rule at the behest of lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott that will formally ban Planned Parenthood affiliates and other abortion providers from participating in Texas’ Women’s Health Program.
The administration had threatened to revoke federal funding from the state-federal Medicaid program if Texas went through with the ban.
“The Obama administration is trying to force Texas to violate our own state laws or they will end a program that provides preventative health care to more than 100,000 Texas women,” said Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry told The Texas Tribune. “This boils down to the rule of law — which the state of Texas respects and the Obama administration does not.”
The ball is back in the administration’s court now: Does Obama want to actually cut funding and potentially jeopardize the Texas Women’s Health program, which might not be able to survive without federal funding? That sends the message that Obama cares less that women have access to health care than that they receive health care from certain providers — namely, providers that also offer abortions.
Either Rick Perry just called Obama’s bluff or this is about to be an interesting issue. Planned Parenthood has already retorted with its typical demagoguery: “No one’s politics should interfere with a woman’s access to health care,” Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast President and CEO Peter J. Durkin said in a statement. “It is shameful that Governor Perry and Commissioner Suehs continue to politicize lifesaving breast cancer screenings and birth control access for low-income women.”
Would Planned Parenthood stand by that statement as it applies to President Obama, too? Surely other providers in the Texas Women’s Health Exchange provide breast cancer screenings and birth control access. Eliminating abortion providers from the exchange doesn’t jeopardize women’s health access — but eliminating the exchange altogether would. It’s obvious why Planned Parenthood would care more about which organization women turn to — they’ve got a business to run. Why don’t they just admit that and stop the rhetoric about “women’s health”?
Darn, I really hate to hear that. /s
If I were them, I’d just move to a more “friendly” state.
“It is shameful that Governor Perry and Commissioner Suehs continue to politicize lifesaving breast cancer screenings and birth control access for low-income women.”
What the P.P. Death Ghoul really meant:
“It is shameful that Governor Perry and Commissioner Suehs continue to deny us the funds to employ eugenics and population control for low-income women.”
Perry and others are now starting to realize that if the first ballot of the Republican convention does not select a nominee, the field is wide open, and *anybody* can be nominated and selected as the candidate “by acclaim”.
And that person is almost certain to be a strong conservative, because 60-70% of the delegates are conservatives, actually somewhat more conservative than Republicans at large, registered Republicans nationwide.
Perry will almost certainly be one of the dark horses nominated. So will Sarah Palin, and a bunch of others. If they don’t want to be nominated, they will have to turn the offer down. No more pussyfooting around.
The funny part is that while the media would prefer to ignore the Republican convention, they are going to have to pay attention to it, even if only as a desperate attempt to smear Republicans.
Yep, the same Rick Perry that a plurality of FReepers saw as completely unqualified and unfit to take on zero and Preside over the US.
Yes, the same Christian patriot that those Evangelical pastors neglected to endorse, over the two Catholics in the race, at the very time when Governor Perry sure could have benefitted from their endorsement, and I said this at the time as a Gingrich supporter.
Yeah, poor souls. They need a state that bows to the leader and get free stuff.
Texas and our nation will be better off if Texas quits taking Federal money.
The administration had threatened to revoke federal funding from the state-federal Medicaid program if Texas went through with the ban.
“The Obama administration is trying to force Texas to violate our own state laws or they will end a program that provides preventative health care to more than 100,000 Texas women,” said Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry told The Texas Tribune. “This boils down to the rule of law — which the state of Texas respects and the Obama administration does not.”
So here we are again. The Imperial pResident chains us with our own money.
Actually,the Imperial pResident would be quite happy if we refused Fed money as long as he could continue to bleed us dry.
LUV my Guv! :)
I hope they’re happy now. I’m sure not. Well, I am, I love Newt and recognize Perry should be his VP and not the other way around.
Go Rick! That’s the sort of spit-in-their-eye attitude I like to see!
HOORAY Rick Perry! Rick Perry for President!
DEFUND anti-life collectives.
I think this is the way it’s going to have to be for a while, we should all just do as we see fit and see what anyone’s going to do about it.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Obama started this trend.
“Perry and others are now starting to realize that if the first ballot of the Republican convention does not select a nominee, the field is wide open, and *anybody* can be nominated and selected as the candidate “by acclaim”.”
I am planning on voting for Newt at this point, and I like Santorum, but I like your scenario best of all.
Stranger things have happened.
“The Imperial pResident chains us with our own money. “
This has been encroaching for decades, and is for example why we have little to no local control of practically anything.
While I oppose the federal government for doing it, states could always just say, fine, keep your highway funds, keep your education funds, keep your Medicaid funds, and fight back. Rather they said, “Thank you Sir! May I have another! Thank you sire! May I picnic on your hunting grounds once a year?” We fought having an earthly King and then let him slowly buy us back over the centuries.
I am all for fighting back but we are so dependent on the feds right now it would be a painful process. I don’t have faith that many of my fellow Americans would tolerate it.
I am certain Governor Perry can choose any position he wants in the Gingrich presidency, including VP.
“I haven’t left the fight; I just went home, reloaded my Mag and am fighting on a different front.”
Governor Perry!
== == ==
YEE=HAW!!!!
I'm sorry.
He’s da MAN wit’ da MAG! :)
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