Let's hear it for Martha Raddatz, the brilliantly skillful moderator of the vice-presidential debate: She got a clear yes from Rep. Paul Ryan to this question: "If the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, should those who believe that abortion should remain legal be worried?"

Recent and ongoing attacks on women's freedom and privacy by the anti-choice House leadership are so far-reaching and so extreme that they've been dubbed the "War on Women."

Just two weeks into the new Congress, it appears Republicans in the House are already seeking to end the spirit of cooperation.

Women's groups can gain ground only if we change the terms of the debate. We need to make compassion for victims the issue, not some abstract debate about whether rape is real.