When you vote against women and then openly mock them on the House floor, you can’t pretend you’re not waging a War on Women.
Do they not have actual work to do? Michigan Republicans Peter Pettalia, Roger Victory and Ben Glardon posed for a photo today on the House floor with women’s fashion magazines.
The photo was tweeted out by Jake Neher, State Capitol Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, who added the quote which he attributed to Rep. Pettalia. “He said it a couple times, jokingly,” Neher said in response to a question on Twitter.
The look on the Representatives’ faces is worth a thousand words.
@MIHouseGOP members Victory, Pettalia, and Glardon: "Don't say we don't understand women." #mileg pic.twitter.com/zsifsqrZ1N
— Jake Neher (@GJNeher) June 5, 2014
“Don’t say we don’t understand women”? Really?
The photo pretty much makes it clear these legislators don’t. Especially when you consider that all three of them voted for the “rape insurance” law that prevents Michigan women from getting insurance coverage for an abortion without a separate rider — even in cases of rape or incest.
In a statement issued by Progress Michigan, Democratic Rep. Vicki Barnett had a few choice words for her conservative colleagues.
A group of anti-choice Republican men pose with fashion magazines and claim they understand women? On the Democratic side we women work hard and do our jobs everyday to fight for issues that are of dire importance to women – we find this to be insulting, especially considering the fact that all three of those male lawmakers voted to pass the rape insurance law in Michigan. These legislators need to apologize to their female colleagues and constituents.
Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, anticipates that the GOP representatives will claim their actions were just a joke taken out of context.
“Issues like access to women’s health care and equal pay for equal work are not a joke, but to these legislators that doesn’t appear to be the case,” Scott said. “These representatives should immediately apologize for their sexist behavior.”
Meanwhile, the Michigan House Democrats sent a very clear message of their own on Twitter:
Real Women read bills not fashion mags… @GJNeher @RashidaTlaib @RepVickiBarnett @MIHouseGOP #mileg pic.twitter.com/9Tq9fBLm1a
— MI House Democrats (@MIHouseDems) June 5, 2014
[Read my follow-up post HERE. -ALS]
[Graphic by Anne Savage for Eclectablog.]
