Another Reason Why Renzi Sucks (as if you needed one)

What is one of the biggest problems with the Republican Party today? It is their inability to accept the reality of the world around them and their inability to address real issues. They have this problem in many areas, but perhaps none more than when it comes to reproductive freedoms.

Rationally, one would think that if you opposed abortion, you would want to do whatever possible to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, the truth is quite different. Many within the Republican Party oppose access to contraception as much as they oppose abortion. Wanting to overturn Roe vs. Wade is just the beginning. The next stop is Griswold vs. Connecticut. If you don't already know, the Griswold case essentially legalized access to contraception nationwide. It is a dirty little secret on the right that after they curtail abortion rights, the next target will be contraception itself. I know it sounds far fetched and a little crazy, but look at the actions of Arizona's own Rick Renzi. Renzi voted to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood Clinics while claiming to want to see fewer abortions performed.

Here is the problem: we do not live in fantasy land. In public policy, you make choices. You can promote contraception, which can have a lot of positive outcomes. You can spend your money on an organization that provides much needed and quality services that people both need and want (Like Planned Parenthood). Or you can pretend that abstinence only education works.

I know some of my more libertarian readers will think that we should not spend tax dollars on contraception at all, but I respectfully submit that this is another debate. Renzi and his ilk are not against federal funding for abstinence programs that do not work ($1.5 billion since 2001) . They are against spending money on a needed services because it violates the delicate sensibilities of a far-right wing faction that holds sway in their party.


It is time to send Renzi packing. This is just the latest reason...

Here is more information:

Amendment
Floor Debate
Pence statement

Help out Planned Parenthood!
http://www.saveroe.com/pence/Renzi.pdf

Abstinence only info:

since 2001, when President George W. Bush created a Faith-Based and Community Initiative, made the abstinence programs one of the initiative’s hallmarks and advanced the funding for the programs to $1.5 billion.

Link here

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/02/24/abstinence/index.html

Why Renzi should go...

Here is an opinion piece from Robert Robb stating a really good case for why Rick Renzi should resign. Robb did not intend it to be that way. See he makes a really good presentation of all of the bad things Renzi is accused of like personally benefiting from all kinds of shady deals. At the end of the article, he makes a feeble attempt to link Terry Goddard to the whole mess. I know it is tough being a Republican these days, but really Robb are the two things even remotely equivalent? Even if Goddard did everything he is accused of by Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio (both prone to partisan hackery), it does not even approach Renzi because Goddard is not even accused of personally benefiting in anyway. There was a transfer of money from one office budget to the other that apparently was legitimately owed. It is also important to point out that that Goddard is accused of helping another corrupt Republican that was forced out of office.

Very different... Try again Robb... OR How about calling out Republicans when they are corrupt. For example, when Rep. William J. Jefferson was clearly shown to be corrupt, I tried to help defeat him in the primary and pressured my party leaders to relieve him of his committee assignments in the House. I also opposed Alcee Hastings for the intelligence committee and I raised doubts about Murtha and ABSCAM. We should put our country ahead of party.