WOMEN'S RIGHTS
The War On Contraception

Every day in the United States, 10,000 young people acquire a sexually-transmitted disease. Teen pregnancy rates in this country are rising, and 2.5 million people worldwide contracted HIV in 2007. Nevertheless, the Bush administration continues to push scientifically unsound policies of abstinence education and defund widely-accepted family planning programs. The price of birth control pills on college campuses, for example, has skyrocketed from as little as $5 a month to more than $40 because of changes in federal law. Yesterday, however, congressional leaders blocked President Bush's attempt to expand abstinence funding at the expense of vital domestic priorities, freezing funding at approximately $115 million in the omnibus spending bill. They also included over $305 million for Title X programs, which provide "low-cost, confidential family planning services." "For the first time in recent memory, congressional leaders are making a clear investment in family planning, while finally putting the brakes on Bush's failed 'abstinence-only' programs," noted NARAL Pro-Choice President Nancy Keenan.

REJECTING ABSTINENCE: Abstinence-only education programs remain one of the right wing's favorite pet projects, placing public health at the mercy of ideology. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) recently added more than two dozen earmarks for abstinence education totaling over $1 million to a Labor and Health and Human Services appropriations measure. In October, Bush appointed abstinence-only proponent Susan Orr to oversee federal family planning programs; Orr once called contraceptives part of the "culture of death." Yet along with Congress, state governments are increasingly rejecting Bush's abstinence push. At least 14 states have "either notified the federal government that they will no longer be requesting the funds or are not expected to apply, forgoing more than $15 million of the $50 million available." Last month, 10 leading scientists in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health wrote to congressional leaders and "strongly" urged them to "reconsider federal support for abstinence-only education programs and policies." These concerns about Bush's reproductive health policies are well-founded. After the proliferation of abstinence-only programs nationwide, teen birth rates rose between 2005 and 2006, reversing a 14-year decline. A federal report released in April showed that abstinence-only programs have had "no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence."

GLOBAL GAG RULE CONTINUES: Despite these advancements in domestic reproductive rights, the government-wide spending bill announced yesterday was unable to increase support for international family planning. Lacking the votes to override Bush's veto threat, Congress was forced yesterday to drop its insistence that that the 2008 foreign aid budget reverse a longstanding ban on providing aid -- including donated contraceptives -- to organizations abroad that use their own money to offer abortions, counsel about abortion, or advocate to change their countries' abortion laws. Bush has supported this ban -- first initiated by President Reagan in 1984 -- since taking office in 2001, despite the fact that contraception is the most effective way to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion. A recent study concluded "abortion rates are similar in countries where it is legal and those where it is not." Additionally, "researchers found that abortion was safe in countries where it was legal, but dangerous in countries where it was outlawed and performed clandestinely."

A 'DOGMATIC ADHERENCE TO AN ILLOGICAL POSITION': The Bush administration's misguided abstinence-only policies have meant a decrease in contraception funding. When Bush created his President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, administration scientists "lobbied for reinvigorating international family planning efforts," showing studies that "even a modest expansion of contraceptive programs could prevent nearly three times the number of child AIDS deaths as could antiretroviral programs for pregnant women." Yet despite increasing evidence on the importance of contraceptives, funding has continued to decline. Funding for birth control programs in Bush's most recent budget "is less than one-third the amount spent in 1995, when adjusted for inflation." Furthermore, a Government Accountability Office report in 2006 found that countries have had to reduce spending on HIV/AIDS prevention in order to meet the Bush administration's abstinence requirements. "This dogmatic adherence to an illogical position...prevents us from working effectively to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions," said Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY).

Under the Radar

ETHICS -- SCANDAL-INFESTED TED STEVENS DOLES OUT EARMARKS FOR 'RODENT CONTROL': Currently, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is under investigation by the FBI for his relationship with an Alaska energy company and his use of earmarks to reward his friends. This summer, FBI agents raided Stevens's home in Alaska, the first ever raid of a sitting senator's home. Yet such scrutiny apparently hasn't changed the behavior of Stevens, who added $88 million in "earmarks and directed spending" to this year's omnibus bill. His earmarks included $975,000 for berry research, $825,000 for "alternative salmon products," and $113,000 for "rodent control." But more significantly, he directed $3.5 million to the Alaska Sealife Center, "which is being investigated by the FBI, Department of Interior and the Internal Revenue Service as part of their inquiry into Stevens." They are looking at whether the senator directed funds there to benefit his friend and longtime business partner Trevor McCabe, a former aide to the senator. In 2005, Stevens directed millions of dollars to the SeaLife Center, which then paid over $500,000 to McCabe to buy a parcel of his land.

TERRORISM -- DOES JOHN BOLTON OWE PRESIDENT BUSH AN APOLOGY?: In the current issue of Foreign Affairs, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee criticizes the Bush administration's unilateral foreign policy, calling it an "arrogant bunker mentality." In response, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and the right wing have rushed to defend President Bush. "We ought to be saying thank you to the president for keeping us safe these last six years," Romney said, adding that "Huckabee owes the President an apology." Huckabee wasn't the only one criticizing Bush's foreign policy this weekend. Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton ripped Bush in an interview with Der Spiegel. Bolton said Bush is excessively "moderate," subsequently "putting US national security at risk." So far, Romney and the right wing have been completely silent on Bolton, despite their criticisms of Huckabee. Although Bolton and Huckabee's attacks on Bush come from different perspectives -- Huckabee says Bush is too arrogant and Bolton says he is not arrogant enough -- they both agree that the President's foreign policy has made America less safe. Will Romney -- who thinks Bush has been "keeping us safe these last six years" -- also demand an apology from John Bolton?

HEALTH CARE -- BUSH CLAIMS 'WE HAVE FABULOUS HEALTH CARE' COMPARED TO 'OTHER SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD': During a Q & A following his speech on the economy in Fredericksburg, VA, yesterday, President Bush declared that "we have fabulous health care in America." "Before people start griping about the health care system here...compare it with other systems around the world," said Bush. U.S. health care has already been systematically compared to other systems around the world. In many cases, the results are not good for Americans. In 2002, the United States spent more on health care per person than other industrial countries like Britain, Canada, France, and Germany. But unlike those countries, which have universal health care systems, the United States still has roughly 47 million people who lack health coverage. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) did a comparative assessment of the health systems of 191 countries and found that in terms of the five measured performance indicators, the United States ranked 37th. In his recent documentary, SiCKO, Michael Moore illustrated clearly how U.S. health care ranked far behind much of the industrial world. As New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has noted, American health care "at its best is the best in the world," but for millions of Americans, "it's all too easy to fall through the cracks in our system."

Think Fast

Some FBI agents are challenging the CIA's description of al Qaeda captive Abu Zubaida "as an important insider whose disclosures under intense pressure saved lives." They say his "credibility dropped as the CIA subjected him to" waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation" measures.

A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that Americans gave the President, congressional Democrats, and congressional Republicans unfavorable ratings "by more than 2-to-1 margins." "While Bush's ratings have been poor for most of the past two years, the two parties in Congress hit new lows in the poll."

The House passed a massive year-end omnibus spending bill last night after the White House said it was "encouraged" by what the Democrats had produced. The Washington Post reports that the omnibus bill "has cut all funding for continuing development next year of a new nuclear warhead."

The Politico reports that some Senate Democrats are exploring ways to replace Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, "believing he's no longer physically up to the job." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is "not in favor of such a move."

"Americans could save $1.5 trillion in healthcare costs over the next decade while covering the uninsured and improving overall quality," according to the Commonwealth Fund. "But it would take widespread reforms to root out inefficiency, not to mention higher tobacco taxes and other levies."

The FCC "is pushing ahead to pass a rule today that would allow more consolidation of local media ownership in the nation's largest cities, despite the fresh threat of a legislative rebuke and continued protests from advocacy groups." Watchdog groups say FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin is "is rushing" the rule "through without adequate public comment."

A consortium of 14 of the world's largest coal producers will announce today the location of a new coal-fired electric plant that will capture and store its carbon emissions. However, the Energy Department, which is supposed to pay for much of the work, "called the announcement on a location 'inadvisable' and seemed to distance itself from the plans."

Iraqi leaders criticized Turkey for bombing Kurdish militants in northern Iraq with airstrikes that they said had left at least one woman dead. The Turkish army sent soldiers about 1.5 miles into northern Iraq in an overnight operation on Tuesday.

And finally: Former Senate majority leader Bill Frist "was seen out in front of the White House Monday on a Segway." Frist is said to be filming a new commercial for Coca-Cola, which puts him at odds with former Senate majority leader Bob Dole, who promoted Pepsi.

Good News

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) won a temporary victory yesterday "after his threats of a filibuster forced Democratic leadership to push back consideration of a measure that would grant immunity to telecom companies that were complicit in warrantless surveillance."

State Watch

CALIFORNIA: "The state Assembly on Monday approved the first phase of a $14.4-billion plan to extend medical insurance to nearly all residents."

RHODE ISLAND: "Attorney General Patrick Lynch is expected to announce $1.2 million in grants to combat lead paint poisoning."

ECONOMY: "For the third time in a month, an analysis of state finances is warning that budget deficits and spending cuts are on the way."

Blog Watch

THINK PROGRESS: Tony Snow: "The second war in this country" is "the war on God."

CREW BLOG: The top ten ethics scandals of 2007.

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: Americans don't want a long-term committment in Iraq.

SADLY NO: In his new book, National Review's Jonah Goldberg claims "the quintessential liberal fascist" is "a female grade-school teacher with an education degree from Brown or Swarthmore."

Daily Grill

"[W]e have fabulous health care in America. ... [C]ompare it with other systems around the world."
-- President Bush, 12/17/07

VERSUS

"The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance."
-- World Health Organization, 6/21/00

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