McCain Says Women's Health is "Extreme"

I about fell out of my chair when I heard John McCain say this during the presidential debate last night:

"Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, 'health.'"

Since when did women's health become extreme?

What's really extreme here is that John McCain doesn't understand that women's health matters.

What John McCain said last night, in front of millions of viewers, was belittling to women. He not only mocked Barack Obama for supporting women's health, he mocked women across the country. The debate last night was just the most vivid example of what we've known all along: John McCain is out of touch on women's health.

The simple fact is that we need a president who wants to protect and promote women's health, not ridicule it. If John McCain doesn't understand that, then he's not prepared to govern this country.

Remember, this is not the only example where John McCain doesn't get it when it comes to women's health.

Just a couple months back, McCain had the deer-in-the-headlights look, and couldn't answer whether he thought it was fair that insurance companies that cover Viagra should also cover birth control.

And, remember the time when McCain was asked whether he thought contraceptives helped stopped the spread of HIV? McCain's response, "You've stumped me."

And there's more. Let's count the ways that John McCain is out of touch on women's health and women's rights

*He's voted 125 times against women's health.
*He wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.
*He opposes funding to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.
*He opposes requiring health care plans to cover birth control.
*He opposes equal pay legislation, saying it wouldn't do "anything to help the rights of women."
*He's proposed a health care plan that will be worse for women.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, gets it. Obama talked about commonsense proposals to prevent unintended pregnancy. He talked about a woman, along with her family and her doctor, deciding what is best for her health care.

The simple fact is that Barack Obama is a passionate advocate for women's rights, and has a long and consistent record of standing up for women's health care. As president, he will improve access to quality health care for women, support and protect a woman's right to choose, support comprehensive sex education to keep our young people healthy and safe, and invest in prevention programs, including family planning services and breast cancer screenings.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Women voting for John McCain is like chickens voting for Col. Sanders.

Click HERE to see video clip of the debate:

Read more reactions to the Obama-McCain Hofstra Presidential Debate from HuffPost bloggers

 

 

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Comments

[wniccolo]

The idea that John McCain should pronounce beliefs upon abortion and plan to make them law is laughable. WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT IT? Has he had to deal with an unplanned pregnancy? what if a woman is the victim of rape? An intelligent person that, though it may conflict with their beliefs, they should not dictate to the entire female population of the United States of America what they can and can't do with their pregnancy.

[theemailman]

I don't think (there I go thinking again), NO gentleman should have a say about a woman's health, the same I don't think a gentlewoman should have any say in a mans health issues.

.All these OLD FARTS ( and I'm one at 73) are not, in any way , able to say with knowledge what goes on in another person body. So Stay out, shove it, shut up, service man/woman kind.

[stayinsouth1981]

Thanks. I think even George Carlin recognized he did not have a say.

[JonMny]

Since when did women's health become extreme?

I think the meaning was clear, he was saying "health" is added so ANY health concern would be a legitmate reason to teminate the baby . That's why at the end he added "quote health"

so the answer to your question is. it didn't

[vikkids]

Seems this just adds to the list obvious demonstrations McCain thinks very little of women. Look at this choice of Palin. Although thoughts were he was trying to attract women to this ticket, it really shows how little he values women. I'm surprised there isn't a Republican Women's Group standing on their head saying, stop using her this way. She is expected to verbalize things that McCain wants to distance himself from saying. And it's not just the words, it's the references associated with those words. Now McCain does not want to dirty his hands so to speak, but it's apparently ok for Palin. Why is that? She's someone he really has no true value. So when you really add up all issues and weigh how much McCain really values women, I see very little to not much at all

[Salz08]

hmmmm, so I guess his theory is we can cure breast cancer by overturning Roe v. Wade. We can prevent pregnancy and std's by overturning Roe v. Wade. We can end cervical and ovarian cancer by overturning Roe v. Wade.

Stupid doctors for not figuring this out earlier.

[dagdavid]

Thank god for planned parenthood

[writainohia]

Women voting for McCain ARE like chickens voting for Col. Sanders.

Women, plural, ARE.

[Kelley Bell-Wenzlaff - Huffpost Blogger]

Wonderful article Cecile.

(and lots of insightful commenters too.)

I do hope each and every one of the people reading this will take the time to talk to their friends and neighbors about the importance of this election. This race will likely come down to a difference of only 5 to 10 votes per precinct. Think about that, and make some phone calls.

YOUR VOICE and YOUR VOTE do count.

[hesingswithfrogs]

You're right. A woman's health does matter. And McCain better respect that. McCain came across as a jerk with no self-control last night. There were moments during the debate, when I could just hear a chorus of women saying "ewwwww" as McCain grew slimier and slimier. Meanwhile, Barack Obama showed McCain how a gentleman acts and behaves while in public. And Barack Obama stood up for women's rights, while McCain degraded and sullied them. Obama just came across as so calm, cool, sensible, and smooth in his delivery. He was organized in his responses and knew exactly what he was talking about. McCain, on the other hand, bumbled around, got crotchety, and looked like he was about to pop. He was dug in, hostile, irreverent, closed-minded, and at times, including with regard to women's health, ignorant. Sometimes, the easiest way to tell quality between two items, is to place them side by side. Then, you can really see how they differ. During this last debate, we got to see Obama and McCain side by side. In just about every way, Obama looked and performed better than McCain.

[hangdogit]

McCain likes to use the phrase that Obama "doesn't understand..."

What McCain doesn't understand is how angry that reasonable and moderate women (and men) who heard his comments about womens' health undoubtably are after the debate. And he doesn't even seem to understand that women will make up a MAJORITY of the voters on Nov 4th. McCain is a total Neanderthal who much deserves to lose big-time in a FDR or LBJ landslide.

[jacqmac]

Poor John! He just doesn't get it! And, WHAT do we expect from a guy that was born on a naval base in the Canal Zone and lived his entire life on military bases? Who basically consorted with men of his own age from the time he went off to the Naval Academy to NOW? McCain has NEVER HAD to participate in the child rearing process actually, he was too busy fighting a war and then running for the Senate to be bothered with such mundane issues as women's 'health' (quotation marks added for entertainment value). There have been TWO moments in TWO debates now where I really wondered if I had actually heard and seen what I ACTUALLY heard and saw--ONE was in the VP debate when the 'powers of the Vice President' were discussed and last night--when women's 'health' was treated as a spurious or even fictional issue. So much for the Hillary voters out there! They're gone, John and you 'drove' them off!

[trailerparktrash]

Exactly! Nora Ephron hit the nail on the head when she described McCain as a "towel snapper."

[dindc]

Ms. Richards:

Thank you for your insightful post. I would also like to thank you for your appearance on this evening's "Hardball with Chris Matthews." That you were a calm, reasoned voice trying to be heard against a shrill, alarmist and idiotic Republican fear-monger reflects your intellect and your genuine concern for people. You are, indeed, a class act.

[whit4brains]

I saw that too. Thank you.

[anniegirl9]

Here's another note to McCain. No one is pro-abortion. No one!!! We are pro-choice. Repeating that over and over during the debate shows how little McCain tries to even understand differing opinions.

Pro-life advocates love to push ideas of late term abortions - even showing the remains of one to maximize shock and horror. What no one can show you (legally) is the act of a 14 or 15 year old being raped. That image would equally cause shock and horror for anyone with any amount of decency. The big difference is that the instances of child rape are far more common.

[American04]

I’ve seen many women in my life that where pro-life change their view when under the stress of financial burdens, failed relationships, medical reasons, and teen daughter pregnancy. There are many couples in America that would love to adopt a child. Pro-choice should remain a women choice.

[Berettasskeeter]

I presume, as you seem to implicate that men should stay out of the decision, that you believe that women should have no say over combat decisions, since women are excluded from combat arms?! Ridiculous. I'll put my two cents wherever I feel appropriate.
Semper fi

[anniegirl9]

I'm not understanding what you are reading into Americano4's statement. Every pro-choicer believes that it is a woman's choice. Duh! Some may argue whether or not men have a voice in the debate, but that is not what was said. In fact, one can not for fact asertain the gender of Americao4 by that staement.

[trailerparktrash]

What most offended me about McCain's breathtaking statement in the debate was the way he grinned as he made "air quotes" around the word "health of the mother." I actually jumped off the couch and screamed at the t.v. in disbelief. I think we will point to that moment as the exact point where the Straight Talk Express went off the cliff......