Senator Eric Schneiderman is taking strong offense at yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, a sentiment unlikely to go down well with extremist anti-choice advocates like, say, Serph Maltese. From an email:

Dear Friend,

Yesterday, I was scheduled to bring a motion to the senate floor to force a vote on a bill to prohibit pharmacists or pharmacy chains from refusing to dispense emergency contraception or other medications lawfully prescribed by a doctor. My motion came to the floor just a few hours after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gonzalez v. Carhart, that--for the first time since the court's historic decision in Roe v. Wade--upheld a national ban on specific abortion procedures.

This ruling, which upheld the federal ban on so-called "partial birth abortions" that was signed into law by President Bush in 2003, was also the first time that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld any limit on abortion rights without providing an exception when the health of the patient was at risk. This decision has crossed a dangerous line, setting a new pace for the ideological attack on reproductive rights and on every woman's essential Constitutional right to control her own body. The full clip of my remarks is available here (audio only).

Sincerely,

Eric Schneiderman
NYS State Senator, 31st SD

Nice work. Just as a reminder what a difference a Democratic Senate would make.

The Supreme Court's decision yesterday to uphold the so-called 'Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act', passed by the republican Congress in 2003, casts into stark relief the simple fact that New York City is the nation's central hub for providing safe and legal abortions.

The federal law bans a procedure used in a limited number of midterm abortions, but the court's decision will probably have an immediate effect on U.S. politics and lawmaking.

And...

"It is just a matter of time before the infamous Roe v. Wade . . . will also be struck down by the court," predicted Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America.

"The impact of Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement is painfully clear," said Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, adding: "It took just a year for this new court to overturn three decades of established constitutional law."

The critical concern now is that the definition of 'legal' has been overturned, and it will have a direct local impact on physicians and patients in this City. Read on.

From The Albany Times-Union:

BUFFALO -- A man already serving time in a state prison for the sniper-shooting murder of a doctor was convicted Thursday on a federal charge of targeting and killing the man because he provided abortions. [...]

"You do not decide that you are the judge, the jury and the executioner, that's what [the defendant] Mr. Kopp did," U.S. Attorney Terrance Flynn said after the verdict.

The government will seek a prison term of life without parole at sentencing, scheduled for June 19, Flynn said.

Kopp, affiliated with the domestic terrorist groups Operation Rescue and The Army of God, killed – executed is a better term – Slepian with a high-powered assault rifle as the latter was making dinner in his kitchen; his children watched their father bleed to death. Following the murder, Operation Rescue released a statement that justified the murder. After Slepian's execution, pro- and anti-choice groups took out a full-page ad in a Buffalo newspaper calling for civility and abjuring violence, which OR also denounced as a "pitiful philosophy and vision", urging followers to take to the streets.

We've written about Wingnut Maureen O'Connell, anti-choice extremist; now, that message is going to the airwaves in the biggest way. First, via The Albany Project, the official Craig Johnson spot:

Second, via The Daily Politics, an ad put out by EdPac:

The fact of the matter is this: Maureen O'Connell is an extremist, opposing stem-cell research and the morning-after pill, and supporting jail time for doctors and nurses who provide constitutionally guaranteed medical services. That's not partisan hyperbole, but a cold recitation of the public record. If she were to become part of a republican majority in the state Senate, she could legislate her outlandish views on the rest of us.

In the special election scheduled for February 6th in Nassau County, there's a lot of talk and counter-talk about reform; Craig Johnson, the Democrat, is endorsed by Eliot Spitzer, who of course brought reform to Albany in the first place. His opponent, Maureen O'Connell (google her), is campaigning on virtually the same platform of change; this because, presumably, reform is what Joe Bruno really wants to bring to the state capitol, along with democracy.

One thing O'Connell really seems to want to reform is that part of the law pertaining to a woman's right to choose. A fact sheet from a leading choice advocacy organization details her past record of extremist activism in the State Assembly:

Blocking Access to Birth Control
Maureen O’Connell vehemently opposed legislation that would reduce unintended pregnancy by permitting women to access the “morning after pill” directly from a pharmacy.

Criminalizing Abortion
Maureen O’Connell supported legislation that would send doctors and nurses to jail even when facing the most catastrophic situations.

In the universe of anti-choice activism, there are gradations. Opposition to emergency contraception and the demand to criminalize doctors and nurses are extremist by any standard; that's Operation Rescue territory.

Sexism and racism are getting talked about quite a bit on our companion site Culture Kitchen. And they are getting A LOT of readers. Though my favorite discussion of race on the site right now isn't getting much attention. But I do recommend Margaret's diary down memory lane.

To me, any discussion of race or gender has to start from the realization that America was FOUNDED with racism and sexism included in its foundation. Too often excuses are made that ignore this: things like "slavery wasn't so bad," or "the Civil War wasn't about slavery," or "that is all in the past, things are equal now."

As long as people ask questions like "are we ready for a woman president" or "are we ready for a [fill in your favorite ethnic, religious or racial minority] president" we still have a long way to go. I like to point out that if we are still asking if we are ready for a woman president this long after Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, etc. have ALREADY had women presidents/prime ministers, we should be embarrassed.

About 10 years ago I was living in a great place in the Hollywood Hills. We had a dinner guest one night who identified himself as a "libertarian." Now I have known some pretty smart and well meaning libertarians. But this guy was basically a fool who used libertarianism as a way of blaming society for his own shortcomings.

Recently I wrote about an organization called Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) which has rated Republicans markedly lower than Democrats on issues of concern to soldiers and veterans. IAVA was founded in June 2004 and claims to be the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans. The gist is that Republicans pretty much suck on defense while Democrats are mostly rated well by IAVA. Many of us have known this ever since Republicans in Congress criticized Clinton for going after bin Laden and since Republicans called Clinton "obsessed with al-Qaeda." That alone was enough for me to see that Republicans could not deal with threats to America while Clinton actually prevented the Millenium Attacks. Republicans claim that was pure luck (yeah...right), but it still is markedly better than anything Bush has been able to muster. Even some top ranking Generals, previously life-long Republicans, agree that Republicans are failing on Defense, not to mention the 21 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who are so pissed they are running for Congress as Democrats and are vocally opposed to Bush's policies.

Planned Parenthood is fighting the South Dakota ban on abortion and they are asking you to host or attend a potluck fundraiser for choice.

Potluck House Parties will be held across the country to raise money and build awareness for the campaign to defeat the abortion ban in South Dakota.

Sign up to host a Potluck for South Dakota with your friends and family!

Use their online tools to create, manage and promote your potluck.

The host whose potluck raises the most money will win a Newman’s Own gift basket and a trip to New York City to meet Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards!

Or you can find a potluck near you to attend.

In a released statement by Planned Parenthood congratulated Sen. Hillary Clinton in her efforts to get Plan B approved for over-the-counter use. NARAL, PFAW and the ACLU have been swift to point out that it's a half-win : underage women and fertile children have no free access to emergency contraception. Which is why at culturekitchen Lorraine Berry is taking the pledge to start a PlanB Underground and buy the damn thing to anybody under 18 who needs it.

There is no need to force underage women and fertile little girls down the path of an abortion or unwanted pregnancy for irrational health reasons. Reasons that have all to do with religious extremists obsession over parental rights. Hoorah for New York State Senator Liz Krueger to tackling the issue head on: