FINALLY! DEMOCRATS HAVE A GOOD IDEA
Senate Dems to pursue new strategy on abortion

From the Hill courtesy of the Daily Kos:

The Senate Democratic leadership says it has found a wedge issue to strengthen the party’s position on abortion rights, which top strategists think has become a liability in recent years.

The wedge is legislation expanding access to contraceptives and sex education, which polls show a majority of Americans support but which Democrats are betting will be difficult for social conservatives in the Republican base to accept.

And

The bill would prohibit group health plans from excluding contraceptive drugs, devices and outpatient services if they cover the cost of other prescription drugs and outpatient services. It would also require the secretary of health and human services to disseminate information on emergency contraception to healthcare providers and require hospitals receiving federal money to provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault.

The bill would also mandate that federally funded programs provide information about contraceptives that is medically accurate and includes data on health benefits and failure rates.

Click here for the rest.

The weird thing about many, probably most, hardcore pro-lifers is that, while they oppose abortions, they aren't too keen on doing anything to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies. Actually, numerous pro-lifers favor policies that pretty much create a context in which it's very likely that more women will have unwanted pregnancies, especially teenagers. These are the same fundamentalist and weirdo Catholic types who oppose both birth control and comprehensive sex education. Of course, they've got their reasons for taking such a contradictory stance--generally, it's because they think birth control and sex ed will result in more unmarried people having sex, which they think is an awful thing. But most Americans who are sympathetic to their cause aren't as batshit crazy as that; indeed, it seems obvious that, short of a reversal of Roe v Wade, reducing abortions by reducing unwanted pregnancies seems to be a no brainer. Hell, I support abortion rights myself, but would greatly prefer that women don't have to deal with making such an emotionally intense decision. This is common ground we're talking about for an issue that's supposed to not have any. If the Dems really push this bill, make a major issue out of it, it'll go a long way toward stripping away a lot of the pro-life movement's mainstream support, because the abortion issue wouldn't seem so urgent, and expose it's leaders as the extremist anti-sex psychos they are. It's a win-win situation for the donkey party.

Of course, this idea's been bouncing around for at least a decade if not more. Why are the do-nothings finally getting around to it?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$