The Akin-Ryan-Romney Nexus: Opposition to Women is Their Bond

     The Republicans did everything in their power over the last 2 days to get Akin out of the Missouri race for Senator and failed to bow him. Hes still in and he claims the "liberal media is out to get him"

     That's great as it's quite the opposite. We liberals want him in the race. Indeed it may be thanks to Democrats but especially his opponent herself, Claire McCaskill that he's still in it.

      A post in Politico wonders how Mitt Romney can distance himself from "the Akin Plank."

      http://www.politico.com/arena/?hp=ar

      In truth Romney's position diverges in no substantive way from the Akin-Ryan position. Romney basically made a liar out of Ryan the other night by claiming that his Administration would not outlaw abortion in the case of rape. Meanwhile, Ryan and Akin co-sponsored the Personhood Amendment last year that would not only outlaw abortion for rape victims but also great restricted the use of birth control.

      The problem is that there is no daylight between Ryan and Akin and not daylight between Romney and Ryan. Or for that matter the Republican party platform that provides for no exceptions for not only rape but even the life of the mother.

     Romney doesn't have his "own positions" on abortion independent of Akin anymore than he has his own positions on Medicare independent of Ryan. The reality is that Akin.=Ryan=Romney=the Republican party platform.

      This party is opposed to nothing more than the rights and welfare of women. It's important to realize that the Personhood Amendment, Ryan-Romney's plan to close Planned Parenthood-which neither Reagan or Bush W. did-along with the Paul Ryan budget, his plan to end Medicare, and the plan to end ObamaCare are all part of the larger War Against Women.

      For all of these seemingly disparate policies are actually part of the same agenda-to roll back women's rights, choice, and healthcare.

     Bear in mind as well that in Ryan-Akin's Personhood Amendment they not only sought to criminalize abortion but many kinds of birth control as well.

     As far as ObamaCare is concerned, bear in mind that it offers many new health care services and options to women and their families, so Ryan-Romney's plan to repeal it means another major sock in the stomach to women's healthcare.

      You have to conceive of opposition to abortion of part of a larger Republican agenda against women's health care that they oppose at every level. If they shut down Planned Parenthood, this would restrict many more health services for women than just abortion, but also birth control, a long with many gynecological services and preventive care.

     A victory for Akin-Ryan-Romney decimates no one group more than American women.