John McCain: 'War On Women' Is 'Imaginary,' 'Conjured' By Democrats

As many Senate Republicans prepare to defend their opposition to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, a visibly annoyed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a floor speech Thursday morning expressing his support for the bill. He also accused Democrats of fabricating the so-called GOP "War on Women" as a political tactic.

"My friends, this supposed 'War on Women' or the use of similarly outlandish rhetoric by partisan operatives has two purposes, and both are purely political in their purpose and effect: The first is to distract citizens from real issues that really matter and the second is to give talking heads something to sputter about when they appear on cable television," he said. "Neither purpose does anything to advance the well-being of any American."

"To suggest that one group of us or one party speaks for all women or that one group has an agenda to harm women and another to help them is ridiculous," he continued.

McCain said he supports reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which many of his GOP colleagues oppose because it extends protections to LGBT victims of domestic abuse and expands a visa program for victims who are undocumented immigrants.

"Women and men are no different in their rights and responsibilities," he said. "I believe this legislation recognizes that. I don’t believe the ludicrous, partisan posturing that has conjured up this imaginary war does."

Democrats have increasingly referred to the "War on Women" over the past several months to describe the GOP's sustained legislative focus on issues that affect women's health and rights. An amendment to a sweeping transportation bill pushed by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) would have allowed employers to deny women contraception coverage for any moral reason. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) vetoed funding for rape crisis centers last week, and several GOP governors supported legislation that mandates medically unnecessary ultrasound procedures for women who are seeking abortions. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), meanwhile, recently repealed the state's equal pay law.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) responded to McCain's comments in an email to HuffPost on Thursday.

“Anybody who says that women’s health care, access to contraception, and equal pay for equal work aren’t real issues that really matter may not be accounting for the views of over half our population,” she said.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Rowlando]

03:49 PM on 02/02/2013

Inasmuch as McCain has been 180 degrees wrong about virtually everything--not excluding his VP choice--I guess this is about the sort of comment one would expect from a guy who is simply not a leader, not a legislator, not a hero, and not even a very good pilot.

[NAVRETRD]

03:15 PM on 01/19/2013

John needs to rember actions s[peak louder than words.

[jebuff]

02:25 PM on 11/12/2012

Post-election comment - looks like nobody was fooled by McCain's attempt to hide "womens' issues" as "imaginary.

[GroveGal10]

03:26 PM on 08/20/2012

That's OK McCain - you can say what you'd like but women know what's going on. It's real, it's not imagined and GOP is not going to win this war.

[socaldanielle]

10:14 PM on 05/08/2012

McCain was a soldier so he should be aware that the people who are being bombed and killed are in a better position to decide if they are in a war. The aggressors can call it an "incursion" or an "exercise" because they're the ones dropping the bombs from a safe distance. If younger women are able to see the profound change in their circumstances and their economic outlook as a result of this war, we'll see the kind of upheaval we saw 40 years ago for all the same reasons. Younger women are finally getting a glimpse of what their lives will look like if they allow their reproductive lives to be controlled by the government. This means that the government will be telling even married couples how to conduct their sex lives...so not American and so counter-productive. Ask their legislators why they aren't following the examples of countries that have been successful at delaying teen sexual activity, reducing RATES OF ABORTION and death and illnesses, improving child welfare - it's not brain surgery. Here's a hint - they are the countries that treat reproductive medicine as medicine, not a religious activity. In states and countries described as most religious, you'll find the opposite - more abortion, teenage parents, more illness, poorer outcomes for children...every single category relating to reproductive medicine. Make them explain to you in real world why they are supporting higher rates of abortion, etc. What an exciting change in the conversation we'd see!

[RainbowSparkle]

11:19 AM on 05/08/2012

McCain is just additional proof the GOP gene pool needs more chlorine

[Rita Lawrence]

10:06 AM on 05/05/2012

I think that Senator McCain should meet with women who are victimized.

[socaldanielle]

10:17 PM on 05/08/2012

Pssstt....he doesn't care. This is a guy who has changed his position on everything from his socks up, he has always been anti-choice and after all these years in the Senate, he has had endless opportunities to be educated. He doesn't care - it's all just politics.

[Amanda Marks Caldwell]

06:46 AM on 05/05/2012

SO, why don't you guys just hurry the hell up, and get on a plane...? We need some sugar cane and beans for our Starbuck's coffee... You know, to ensure that we have the energy to keep up with the time-cards that you are required to document your 30 hour required work weeks on. Also, I would really like a new cotton shirt, and some rice. Do you mind picking all that up for me? I only care about you and want you to experience the dignity that comes from hard work. Oh, and no worries. Without insurance, cancer screenings, or forms of contraception, you more than likely won't be miserable for too long. AIDS, cancer, and health problems all lower life expectancy... In case you haven't heard. We'll make sure to send you postcards reminding you that we're here for you, but please remember, we'll more than likely be too busy addressing the issues that really matter.

[Peter Manierka]

06:38 PM on 05/04/2012

The"War on Women"is a tactical ,political ploy by those terrible Democrats.
Reprehensibles" would never get in the way of good sense nor would they ever
use politics to further illdefined motives.HAHAHAHA

[Carrie Harris]

01:16 AM on 05/02/2012

First My Wage is the Economy it is the Economy of my family and the country So money is important to this woman!. The Republicans have attacked my economy to many times and went further with attacking me Good bye Republican party I will remember in November and then again in 2years! The republican party has voted against equal pay voted against birth control put new
restrictions on abortion, they voted against the violence against woman’s act
before they voted for it. The Supreme Court 5-4just struck down fmla for women
who gave birth to a still born had a miscarriage, or pregnancy related
complications. Christine
Taylor in Iowa who was charged with attempted fetal homicide after she
called for help when she fell down a flight of stairs while pregnant. Doctors
being required to lie to pregnant women about their health and bills that cover
doctors who lie to pregnant women about their health, women are being held and
charged for refusing bed rest when they have to keep a roof over their family’s
heads. Republicans voted against access to the courts for rape victims employed
by federal contractors. They have introduced
bills that allow employers to fire you for using birth control and one tried to
change how the statics are reported in rape by calling women rape accusers
instead of rape victims, so he wanted it to be 1 in 2 women are rape accusers
not victims. Topeka made domestic violence legal.

[Carrie Harris]

09:00 PM on 04/29/2012

33. Action: US Republican Senators voted against allowing a rape victim access to the court system. In a senate approbations bill amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill would prohibit federal defense contractors receiving federal funds “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.”
In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. She was held in a shipping container at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” (Jones was not an isolated case.) Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration. Those who voted against this bill Republicans Burr (R-NC),Chambliss (R-GA),Coburn (R-OK),Cochran (R-MS),Corker (R-TN,Cornyn (R-TX)Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC),Ensign (R-NV),Enzi (R-WY),Graham (R-SC),Gregg (R-NH),Inhofe (R-OK)Isakson (R-GA)Johanns (R-NE),Kyl (R-AZ),McCain (R-AZ),McConnell (R-KY),Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS),Sessions (R-AL),Shelby (R-AL),Thune (R-SD),Vitter (R-LA),Wicker (R-MS,

[missu]

12:17 AM on 04/29/2012

John McCain always votes against any and all women's issues, McCain himself is contently from the "old boys club". Politicians like John McCain must be defeated for a better America

[NewEnglandMan22]

05:11 PM on 04/28/2012

This all boils down to money and nothing else... unfortunately women are the price for it. John Mccain wants republican $ for his district and etc so he's obviously back tracked to keep the $$ flowing. Not very Maervick-like at all. The more republicans push to defund planned parenthood the more $$$ the christian chruches of America and overseas will fill their pockets with $$$$. The more of these equal pay laws are thrown out then the more big businesses can hire women for less $$$$$ and still get the same work amount of work as a man. The less access women have to contraceptives the more $$$$$$ the pharmaceutical companies make at their expense. It boils down to greed.

[Valerie Finnigan]

12:16 AM on 05/09/2012

Are you kidding? The more access to contraceptives, the more money Big Pharma makes! They make tons of money on convincing healthy women that fertility is a disease.

[JustAGurlinSeattle]

06:01 PM on 05/09/2012

WHAT????

[GroveGal10]

03:46 PM on 08/20/2012

Come again?

[T-BONEIMPALA]

04:10 PM on 04/28/2012

GO AWAY OLD MAN...Ride out your days with your wealty 2nd wife (that you dumped your 1st wife for)...and hang out with your "mentors" Palin & And "Pastor" John Hagee. And by the way we LOST the Vietnam War!

[Cheryl veldman]

08:36 AM on 04/28/2012

I have always been forgiving of Senator Cain because I appreciate his war experiences, but he lost me at when he stated that the topic was being used to "...distract citizens from real issues that really matter and the second is to give talking heads something to sputter about when they appear on cable television." As a female, let me tell you what I heard from that: women's reproductive rights, the most personal and integrated aspect of my core being, is not important to you and your party. Then, I'm going to take that one step further and draw the conclusion that I, a registered voter, do not matter to you. If I hadn't taken my vote elsewhere long ago, I certainly would now.

[Rowlando]

03:52 PM on 02/02/2013

McCain's war "experiences" could use quite a bit of scrutiny. They are not the heroic sort of experiences.