Issa Defends Denying Female Witness At Contraception Hearing: She ‘Wasn’t In Any Way Related’

[JohnWxy]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/17/427833/issa-defends-all-male-panel/

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) defended his decision to not allow a women to testify at his hearing on the Obama administration’s new birth control rule yesterday, telling Fox News host Greta Van Susteren last night that the woman’s story wasn’t at all relevant to the hearing.

Democrats had originally planned to have Rev. Barry Lynn, a prominent supporter of the separation of Church and State, testify, but decided that a woman’s voice was needed, as every single other witness was a man. They tried bring in someone who has been personally affected by the issue — Sandra Fluke, a law student at Georgetown, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church and does not insure birth control for students — but Issa refused.

Appearing on Fox News with host Greta Van Susteren last night, Issa defended the decision, saying Fluke was unqualified to speak and that her first hand experience “wasn’t in any way related” to the issue at hand:

ISSA: They then wanted a different witness, a college student, who really didn’t belong on that panel for obvious reasons. [...]

She had a compelling story, a very sad story of a classmate who developed an ovarian cyst that might have been prevented by using contraception in another way, one that by the way, the Catholic bishop and everyone else there said is fully allowed, under their faith. But it was one of those things where her story was compelling, but it wasn’t in any way related to the point of the stated reason for hearing.

(more)

[valerief]

1. I hate him. nt

[robg6255si]

19. +1

[MsLeopard]

23. I hate him too

And he's my rep, which makes me sick.

[kdmorris]

26. +1 n/t

[Stellar]

40. Geezzz, I hate him also.

[NoQuarter]

42. Issa is actually beneath contempt.

Not worthy of taking any place in my thoughts. From the moment Ahnuld entered the California Gov race, Issa has been on a hysterical quest for attention and relevance.

[valerief]

48. He's worth hating for the power he holds over our lives and abuses. nt

[tanyev]

2. There are lots of female ministers the GOP could have invited.

But probably none that could have been relied upon to spew forth the GOP talking points.

[pnwmom]

5. The leader of the Catholic Health Association, a network of hospitals, is a woman.

But she supports Obama's compromise plan, so they wouldn't invite her.

[Magoo48]

3. This bozo couldn't have pissed off more women in the last few days if he'd tried really, really hard

Sadly, I doubt he comprehends what all the fuss is about.

[la la]

7. bozo issa continually pizzes me off---

and he should get the publicity he so wants---so all can see what a capital B Bozo he is!


( i remember him crying when he didn't get to take the CA Governership when he spent a fortune getting Gray Davis recalled - issa is a putz)

[HockeyMom]

4. Why should women have to say WHY they are using contraception?

It is nobody's business except hers, her doctors, and certainly not the Catholic Church, or old men in DC.

Why does the WORLD have to know ANY of our medical history?????? PRIVACY, PRIVACY, PRIVACY.

[Auntie Bush]

12. Yeah! And not much privacy getting one of those ultrasounds.

[TxVietVet]

6. I guess having a woman on the panel probably wouldn't add any credibilty to a conservanazi argument.

Issa is a fucking conservanazi prick.

[niyad]

8. issa, you are one incredibly stupid prick. women "are not in any way related "???? it is OUR

bodies you jackasses are discussing, under the guise of "separation of church and state", OUR BODIES, OUR LIVES.

by the way, let us never forget that this bastard is responsible for giving us herr gropenator.

[caraher]

21. No, he was right...

For Issa, the "issue at hand" was advancing a bogus narrative about how providing reproductive health services is an affront to religious liberty. The testimony of a woman about the value of such services clearly does not promote that narrative, and therefore can only be deemed "not in any way related."

Oh, and I must add...

[Iliyah]

9. What a tiny little man

seriously, she, a female, a vagina, doesn't relate? This BS is not about religion, and yes, these religious so called churches need to be taxed to hell!

[Fearless]

10. Maybe not related to the only way he'll ever have sex again... by himself.

Otherwise...

[Zookeeper]

11. The person with a uterus...

is unqualified to speak at an all-male hearing on contraception.

That's special.

Issa is self-serving little ass.

[wordpix]

13. time to re-dig up the dirt on this criminal who was involved in arson & other crimes

He should be out on his ass and on the street looking for a job, instead of chairing a Congressional hearing

[crunch60]

18. problem is, the controlled MSM is not talking about his criminal

past. That is something I would like to hear more about.

Issa's Criminal Past..

Prior To Fire, Issa "Boosted" Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises.
snip:

Rep. Darrell Issa's past includes arrests for weapons charges and auto theft, suspicions of arson, and accusations of intimidation with a gun, but you'd hardly know it from the media's recent coverage of the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. While Issa was substantially mentioned in 15 articles in the nation's largest newspapers since the last election -- including several major profiles -- only one of those articles mentioned any of these allegations. Likewise, interviewers did not ask Issa about his alleged criminal past in any of the cable or network interviews he sat for during that period.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201101110034

[Bill USA]

49. A great point! (deserves it's own thread)

[Contrary1]

14. Can someone explain this one to me?

"...an ovarian cyst that might have been prevented by using contraception in another way, one that by the way, the Catholic bishop and everyone else there said is fully allowed, under their faith."

What the hell does this refer to? Holding a birth control pill between her knees? I thought the only BC allowed by the Catholic Church was the rhythm method, which as far as I'm concerned, should also be included in their ridiculous view of contraception.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. The same hormones

that work as contraceptives are also effective in combating hormonal disorders, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome.

[tclambert]

22. No rhythm method! Sex is only for procreation.

Having sex and trying to avoid pregnancy is a SIN! No exceptions! (Except for certain priests.)

[RC]

39. It is less of a sin for priests to

molest boys, than it is for them to have sex with an willing, of age woman.

That is also why they refuse to let priest marry and continue cover up the pedophile scandals.
The definition for 'pervert' comes to mind.

[justgamma]

15. This was supposed to be about religious freedom?

Did he invite any Muslim leaders? Was he one of the people going apeshit over a Mosque being built? Creep.

[chervilant]

17. Wow...

Just keeps digging that hole, deeper and deeper...

[BlueMTexpat]

20. Please, CA, please - do not re-elect this POS! eom

[shanti]

29. unfortunately

he represents the very red san diego county area

[Thor_MN]

24. The GOP want to make this abour religious freedom

Which is a ridiculous notion, but they know that it the only arguement they can use and not get tossed on the scrapheap. If it becomes being about banning contraception, they are history.

In terms of religious freedom, you are free to do almost anything in your church, acting as a church. When your chuch is claiming to be acting as a hospital, daycare, school, etc, it is NOT a church. Companies have no religious freedoms. Corporations have no First Amendment rights.

If you want to claim your business is a church and you have relgious freedoms, turn you funding into freewill offerings and we might consider it. If you are billing for services, you are not a church.

[Alcibiades]

25. Also worth noting

The all male panel was composed of a preacher, a priest, a rabbi, an evangelical ethics professor at a Baptist Bible college in Texas, and an evangelical ethics professor at a different southern Baptist bible college in Tennessee: the panel was so diverse that both of the these last two have the surname "Mitchell."

If only they had walked into a bar, this would be a joke.

[Zookeeper]

30. +1. n/t

[unionworks]

27. This should infuriate

All women, Democrats and progressives to make sure this shitweasel gets thrown out on his ass next election.

[elleng]

28. I'm not happy about the 'framing' of this by anyone,

Issa, VanSusterin, TP, or DU, just as to this particular hearing. What WAS the 'stated reason for the hearing?'
We mustn't enable them to trample on us by failing to be clear ourselves. We obviously are correct, and at every point we must provide space for full discussion. IMO.

[TownDrunk2]

31. And Bill Maher has this moron on his show ... (nt)

[surrealAmerican]

32. "unqualified to speak" is, ironically, a pretty good description ...

... of Darrell Issa, and yet, he won't shut up.

[October]

33. Issa is the one that doesn't belong! HE is the one who is irrelevant in this conversation!

[LiveNudePolitics]

34. Middle aged men at it again

Middle aged men, particularly clerics are not qualified to bear witness on women's health issues, as evidenced by the farce that ensued. We need to mobilize and get these panderers to the noisy religious right, right out of office!! Check out what they've gotten up to in Virginia: http://livenudepolitics.com/2012/02/18/virginian-womens-rights-undermined-or-virginia-mindand-places/

[RebelCarol]

35. The Real Reason for the Hearing

The hearing was not about the use of contraceptions. The hearing was to ascertain the constitutionality of Obama mandating a private business (in this case insurance companies) to provide a service. It was in no way a hearing on birth control. Issa was right, the college student testifying was in no way related to the hearing.

[efhmc]

36. You are wrong. The ultimate goal, as with most repukes events, is to

gain control over women's reproductive organs.

[Evergreen Emerald]

37. The hearing is political

The reason for the hearing is the continuing effort by the Republicans to gain back the power they lost when they destroyed the economy during the Bush era.

They are throwing as much crap against Obama to see what sticks--even if they know it is a lie. They all know that many republican governors happily signed the very same concept into law (including Romney).

It is not about religion. They are using women's bodies as throw-away props (their daughters, wives, mothers).

And a couple of more things
1. There is as much freedom of religion as there is freedom FROM religion. Our government is secular. We are not the equivalent of Iran--a religious nation.

2. The religious entities enjoy exclusion from the requirements of public entities. But in this case, the religious entities are crossing the public / private line by entering into the public arena. And, once they cross that line, they must abide by the same public laws as every other business. This is not--and never has been-about religion.

[efhmc]

38. Well said.

[yellowcanine]

44. Yes and the Civil War wasn't about slavery either so stop saying that it was!

[noiretextatique]

46. wrong...republicons claimed the hearing was about "religious freedom"

and that woman was more than qualified to testify about the effects of so-called "religious freedom" on women's healthcare choices.
"Sandra Fluke, a law student at Georgetown, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church and does not insure birth control for students"

[Heddi]

41. Grr..."defended his decision to not allow a women.."

WomEn is plural (there are three women in the room)
WomAn is singular (look at that woman walking down the street)

The correct way of writing it would have been 'defended his decision to not allow a womAn"

Editorial standards are non-existent these days

[sinkingfeeling]

43. Then there should have been a non-believer who works at a Catholic insitution

on th panel to relate how the church's beliefs are overriding their personal beliefs.

[efhmc]

45. Goodness. Balance on "his" panel. What are you thinking?

[WCGreen]

47. This guy makes empty lot Used Car salemen look like upstanding and above the board

Better Business certified business

[wzwonderful]

50. Spam deleted by Morning Dew (MIR Team)