Thursday, May 04, 2006

"Lieberman vs. the Day After Pill"

Joe Lieberman supports the approach of the Catholic hospitals when it comes to contraceptives for rape victims (as reported in The New Haven Register, by Gregory B. Hladky on 03/13/2006, via KissJoeGoodbye.Com).

Lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldn't be forced to do so.

"In Connecticut, it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.

Well Joe, that's not very helpful. I mean, I know that you'll never need emergency contraception at two o'clock in the morning after having been brutally raped. So I guess it's easy for you to disregard any woman who is unlucky enough to have gone through that trauma.

But here's a suggestion: Why don't you provide maps for the victims, so they can walk out of the Emergency Rooms of the various Catholic hospitals around the state, hail a cab, and take that "short ride" to another hospital?

You know what, Joe?

Never mind.

I'll do it.

And knowing how difficult it is to even GET a cab at 2AM, I'll include the distance between the hospitals, in case the victims have to walk (or crawl) there.

So here ya go, Joe. Just print these out and send them to the Catholic hospitals Emergency Rooms. (Of course, we all know they wouldn't even give them to the victims, but it can't hurt to try...)

Maps from Mapquest.Com

New Haven - 1.37 miles; about a 27 minute walk



Bridgeport - 2.73 miles; about a 54 minute walk



Waterbury - 1.58 miles; about a 31 minute walk



Hartford - 2.43 miles; about a 49 minute walk



There, you see how easy that was, Joe? I thought that you would.

Oh, and Joe?...

You're welcome.

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the most wicked thing I've seen in the Lieberman campaign. Congratulations on the workings of your dark, twisted mind.

OrangeTownBlueDem

Anonymous said...

Can you riddle me this: Why do Republican love Joe Lieberman?


because they recognize their own.

justathought

aimai said...

Hi, I came on over from Atrios, I think, who linked to you. I just wanted to say that this is the most brilliant piece of guerilla protest I've ever, *ever* seen. Please mail this to NARAL, to Planned Parenthood, and to every woman in CT.

PS: I love you, Connecticut Bob.

aimai

Anonymous said...

i helpfully forwarded to lieberman's senate office. lol.

brilliant and inspired. good job.

Brendan said...

I lived in CT, New Haven to be exact, for 2-3 years. If the hood is still as it was, the walk from Yale New Haven Hospital could leave the victim open to even more violence. that was a very sketchy area.

And that goes double for Bridgeport.
Joe Lieberman is a jerk.

Ken Houghton said...

Nice to see the major cities, but how about Branford or Mansfield Center or Bethel or Bristol? Whoever sent this post to the Senator's office should make clear those are the best case scenarios.

boadicea said...

Mmmmmmmm, tasty. Like bitter dark chocolate.

Anonymous said...

Dude -- Sheer genius.

A humble suggestion to somebody out there with more modern skills then mine. Use Google maps, and make this into one of those nutty Web 2.0 AJAX thingies.

Then, superimpose crime data on it, a la chicagocrime.org. Imagine "helping" Joe tell a woman not only how far she needs to walk at 2:00 AM, but how many women were assaulted along the very route she is being advised to take.

Anonymous said...

Can we see the video? Perhaps superimposed with Joe's video of how he's supported women?

CT Bob said...

Oh man, I can see that this is gonna lead to a LOT more frickin' work for me now! Time to get my limited Photoshop skillz warmed up...

...and, uh...thanks!

CT Bob said...

And another thing...please read some of the other posts on this blog. I've only just started it, but I'd like to see it help spread the word about Ned Lamont. He's a genuine good guy...something that's sadly lacking in most candidates.

Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

what about for those too young to drive? Maybe Joe could submit a bill to waive the fine if you're too young to drive but you've been raped (and already had your period, which means in danger of being pregnant) and get pulled over.

Or, perhaps a law that when a girl gets her period, she can immediately get her driver's license.

Anonymous said...

I believe I've read that Plan B, doesn't kill a fertile egg, it prevents an egg from dropping, to become fertile.

CT Bob said...

Anonymous, yeah I think you're right, but that doesn't matter to Catholics...remember, they don't even allow condoms.

BTW, I'm "Connecticut Bob"...I know my blogspot handle shows "B.A.", but those are my initials, and I have two other blogs (in the Links area) that are much older.

Again, please read the other Connecticut Bob articles...there's a lot of info on Ned Lamont, along with some slams on Holy Joe.

Jeff Fecke said...

That is correct, Anonymous, Plan B is an abortofacient the way Dr. Pepper is an abortofacient. But the wingnuts and Bob Lieberman weren't getting anywhere arguing that if a woman finds herself raped, she should just have to carry the child to term, the dirty slut.

ctblogger said...

Look at you...front page of Kos!

Good post! Genius.

Anonymous said...

CT Bob,

Your visuals work, they made me sad.
Joe Lieberman is such a cad.

Good luck in Connecticut.

Samay said...

Following up on what Brendan said, the last time I was regularly in Hartford, that path goes through some SUPER-sketchy areas as well.

Anonymous said...

It was Lieberman's imperious use of the verb "ride", as opposed to "drive" or "walk", (or even to passively or helplessly), "be driven", that disgusted me about his feckless attitude. This is a man who has been coddled like an egg.

Great call, Bob!

Anonymous said...

Great work, Bob.

(may I presume to suggest props to Redd as well?)

Anonymous said...

Oh, and Joe?...

fuck you, Lieberman

pity you won't be the one getting pregnant, however...

guess it's time to send a little more $ to Ned Lamont.

Thanx, Bob (via atrios)

Anonymous said...

Good post.

Hmmm... somebody needs to break out the Google Maps API and make an emergency contraception finder.

So, if Lieberman raped me in a Republican-fueled rage at his house, how far would I have to crawl?

Anonymous said...

Talk about the power of the blogs. You've single-handedly gotten the message across in a single post much more bluntly and clearly than years of lobbying and whatever the hell else NARAL and the National Democratic Party claim to do have done for the pro-choice movement. More power to you!

C. (via Firedog Lake)

Anonymous said...

I think the whole goal of Lieberman, as well as the Theocratic Right, is that sex should equal babies. If it doesn't, it should be because GAWD WILLS IT, and women should be punished for having sex, even if it's against their will.

So it doesn't matter if a contraceptive prevents conception, or causes an egg not to drop, the problem for them is the possibility that someone might have sex secure in the knowledge that it could actually be risk-free fun.

Come to think of it, that explains their opinions on masturbation, too.

B. Muse said...

Brilliant! Just brilliant.

Anonymous said...

And if the woman has other injuries that make leaving for another provider dangerous or impractical (or if she's not conscious)?

And if the hospital admits her for those injuries and refuses to sing her out in a timely fashion.

Joe, you are not a mensch.

mj

Anonymous said...

Wow, as a visual person, this really made sense to me...and made me incredibly sad and angry.

I can't believe this is the same man who ran with Gore...

Pax
Xois

Anonymous said...

excellent post Bob - Congrats on your well deserved FDL Front Page - sorry I missed the late night thread - Go Ned !!!

CT Bob said...

Met00, you're on! If you've seen my profile picture, that IS a cigar clamped in my teeth. I'll be in touch.

(Las Cohibas de Cuba?)

Anonymous said...

Here's another helpful guide for Leiberman:

Israel = $

Anonymous said...

Will you marry me?

Richard said...

Bob

Really good post. You have been referred to on my blogroll Politics Plus Stuff.

I have been wondering how I could use a blog to support the sacrificial Democrat in my Congressional District up against a well-funded two term Republican who replaced Dick Armey - and was a major beneficiary of Tom DeLay's redistricting. You have given me some idea. I'll be checking back to see what you do that I can steal and adapt, if you don't mind.

The walking maps are great, though. Keep it up. [No pressure - just don't let the quality of the snark drop. [Grin]]

Anonymous said...

Hi Bob! Congratulations!

As a Ny'er, I have been paying close attention to this (as goes Joe , so goes Hil?)

timewarp

maurinsky said...

Great work, Connecticut Bob. As a fellow Connecticutian (Manchester), I look forward to casting my vote for Mr. Lamont.

Anonymous said...

Connecticut Bob, I love you.

Anonymous said...

Nice work! This definitely deserves to be kept high on the awareness list going into the primary, and your detailed approach hits very hard. Hopefully we'll all enjoy inaugurating Senator Lamont in January!

Thanks.

Mr. 618 said...

Hey, CT Bob, as a former CT resident myself (basically Clinton down to Bpt over 25 years), I applaud your efforts to demonstrate Lieberman's idiocy.

Of course, there are smaller facilities -- Griffin (Derby), Shoreline Clinic (Essex), Milford -- that are not Catholic, but they may also refuse, on "highly-principled grounds".

Unless downtown New Haven has cleaned up considerably in the last five years, I wouldn't walk from St Ray to Yale if my life depended on it. Those neighborhoods aren't "sketchy", they're downright dangerous. You'd be safer walking in Baghdad.

Anyway, a great service to the effort!

(via BlondeSense... man, you're gettin' some press here!)

Anonymous said...

OK. So you've been raped, it's 2 AM, and you go to the emergency room for help. You get none because they don't believe in it. Holy Joe now wants you to spend an extra half hour minimum on the street, (did I mention that it's 2 AM?) to get to a hospital that gives a shit. Call Joe and ask for a ride.
I'm serious! Call Joe's office, say you've been raped and need a ride to a hospital that gives a shit!

Anonymous said...

It was Gore's nomination of Lieberman that swung me to the Nader camp in 2000. (Admittedly, I live in California so my vote didn't man anything.) I'll note that of my fellow progressive democrats out here, 5 of 6 either dropped their support, or became lukewarm as a result of that VP nomination.

Perpetual Beginner said...

Forget Joe's office. Call his friggin' home number to come give you a ride. Least he can do, since he's the reason you need one.

TripleJ63 said...

The way I remember CT there are alot of towns and cities along the coast and up along the CT River, but other than that the population tends to get a little sparce. What if you are in one of the smaller towns in the northwest or northeast part of the state? I bet there are some places where it is a 20 to 30 minute ride to a hospital...ride, not walk, and who knows how far it will be to the next hospital if you are turned down for emergency contraception?

You did good here showing how difficult it would be if the CT woman is in one of the cities, it would be much worse if she is not. I was raised in Wallingford, it's a long walk to the hospital in Meriden.

Anonymous said...

Now all you need is the google maps covering the best route for those rape victims to walk to get to Lieberman's office for the sit-in.

Wicker baskets with dolls in them left on the steps of his office building might do the trick (make sure they're small baskets and that the baskets aren't weighted down -- don't want to give DHS a heartattack).

Anonymous said...

And this from a guy who pats himself on the back for being involved in the Civil Rights movement as a young man. That was Young Joe. Young Joe has been replaced by Old Joe. Old Joe would've gone to Selma and told 'em it's a short train ride to Harlem.

Anonymous said...

This was a stroke of genius, my friend. I'm tempted to print this out and mail it to Lieberman's office too.

Rock on.

Roguefem, here from LiberalRage LJ

Anonymous said...

I believe the term used by New Englanders for something really great is "wicked good". Wicked good, Bob.

Anonymous said...

I already pimped this post on LiberalRage, but I wanted to express my appreciation to you as well. Not only for your deft skewering of Lieberman, but for your evident outrage at his trivialization of rape. It's refreshing to see a man call another man out on such attitudes. Thank you.

Grayson: Atlanta, GA said...

F-in brilliant, CB hon!

If it was Zell Miller here in GA, he could hand-out a map of Gov. Sonny Perdue-inspired 23 lanes of congested Atlanta freeway to navigate towards a less doctrinaire facility.

By the time anyone got to her available Plan B point though, the fetus would be fully gestated. Then all the Fundys running our state could zip on over, via our mostly-aborted/underfunded public transportation system, to help raise it. A perfect rape crisis plan for the Peach State!

CT Bob said...

Yeah, we're already referring to Holy Joe as "Zell Lieberman", because we're all pretty certain that he'll abandon the Democratic party as soon as Ned Lamont makes either a significant showing at the state convention in two weeks, or immediately after Joe loses the Democratic primary in August.

Either way, we have no doubt that his party loyalties only run deep as long as he's their chosen boy. If he loses, he'll do whatever he has to keep his suckling spot on the Congressional teat, rather than endorse the candidate his party rightfully chooses and bow out gracefully.

He's completely disconnected from the people and feels that he knows what's good for us, rather than listening to his constituents.

A better argument for Senatorial term limits I've yet to see.

Anonymous said...

loserman is an effin misogynist

NOW should turn your maps & related crime stats into a TV ad

go lamont go

Anonymous said...

I certainly hope Connecticut Progressives work their butts off dumping Lieberman. If Lamont beats Lieberman in the primary will Joe run as a Republican in the general election?
Bob
Bellingham, Wa.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see one from Sharon Hospital (Sharon, CT) to the next nearest hospital. I'm betting the next nearest hospital is in Torringon, if it's not somewhere in NY state. And, well, good luck walking because a) distance and b) changes in elevation.

Granted, Sharon Hospital isn't a Catholic Hospital, but still.

Anonymous said...

Nicely done, BA. A graphic's worth a thousand votes, no?

Anonymous said...

I worked at Trinity College in Hartford until 1999 and unless that neighborhood has changed *a lot* since then I can confirm that you do not want to be making that walk through Hartford, especially at night, especially alone, especially if you're a woman.

CT Bob said...

Bob from Bellingham, Wa - I doubt that Joe can run as a Republican; they're having their convention this coming weekend, same as the Dems.

If Joe loses the primary August 8th, he has until 4PM the next day to produce 7,500 signatures to qualify to run as an Independent. I don't know how his people can collect that many valid signatures in so short a time, unless they start collecting them earlier than the primary, while he's still a Democrat.

Oh boy, if something like THAT ever got out, Lieberman would get fried in the local media...

Anonymous said...

Did it ever occur to Lieberman that a woman might not be in any condition to walk, ride, or be transported? Rapists can use knives, baseball bats, bullets. The woman might be in the ICU hooked up to a life support machine -- and the hospital will tell her to get up and leave if she wants to prevent a pregnancy? She has to be moved, at risk of her life, to take a PILL? That doesn't abort a zygote, but simply prevents one being created?

If the hospital doesn't want to provide services to the injured, they can forfeit their non-profit statuses. At the very least.

Anonymous said...

Fuck YEAH, Connecticut Bob! Lieberman and the rest of the Patriarchy Guard can go to hell, we won't accept ANY MORE POLITICAL PANDERING at the price of women's lives! Kudos on the awesome map, very nice touch including walking times, by the way :-)
love, feministlindsy

Anonymous said...

JOEseph, some one should glue your foreskin back on. Thats not Jewish thinking, as I know it, it's right wing christian-consrvative Republicanism.

Anonymous said...

Lieberman's stance is completely insensitive to women: rape-hospital statement, behaviour during the Alito filibuster, etc. I say no more before I get worked up.
New Haven is very walkable. I walk all the time. The point is that one should not have to drag oneself anywhere in excruciating pain like two-bit baggage, which adds insult to more insult and injury. Now I stop.

Anonymous said...

You know - I had somehow missed this comment of Lieberman's. I am really glad you posted this. I knew I didn't like him anyway, but this just gives me further ammunition.

(Found you via a text ad on Blog$hares.)

Anonymous said...

I had occasion to cite this post today in reference to a nasty local incident in which a local ER doc refused on account of his apparent shifting principles:
http://badattitudes.com/MT/archives/004019.html

Anonymous said...

That was an *amazing* post. I've posted a link to this entry in my own blog to illustrate my entry on why Lamont should be elected. Keep fighting the good fight and I will be down in CT campaigning for him in the fall!

-Shannon

Anonymous said...

Good thing I live equidistant to both the Waterbury hospitals. Hopefully were I ever to be raped I would be closer to Waterbury than St. Mary's.

Great post.

Anonymous said...

congrats. you have been farked. and deservedly so.
keep up the stirling work!
[signed, a long ago rape victim]

CT Bob said...

Thanks for the nice words, anonymous.

Wow, I've been Farked! I'm so thrilled I had to put up a post about it.

Plus, it gave me the excuse to use Drew's famous picture of the squirrel with the jumbo nuts. I've been wanting to do that for ages!

Mike said...

Where I live there is a button you can push if you think someone is coming after you. Some women like to have cell phones because they feel safe with them. I dunno if the response time would be good enough to protect them though.