The Republican War on Women, Michigan-style
Ari Adler, spokesperson for Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger, sent a letter to the Capitol press corp saying the Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic House Representative Barb Byrum threw “temper tantrums” on the House floor this week. That’s what Republican men call it, I guess, when female legislators dare to speak out.
To the Capitol Press Corps,Just to be clear, despite the misinformation being spread by Reps. Brown and Byrum, and Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, there are two representatives not being recognized on the House floor today because of their actions yesterday. It has nothing to do with their gender, their religion or the topic they were discussing. All day today, we have had representatives of both parties, both genders and several different religions passionately debating important issues that will significantly impact the future of Michigan. I would urge you not to become too distracted by temper tantrums designed to score political points.
Regards,
Ari
This insulting characterization is the result of Byrum uttering the word “vasectomies” and Whitmer speaking out on her behalf. In addition to this published insult, House Rep Lisa Brown and Byrum were both banned from speaking indefinitely. Brown had the audacity to say “vagina”.
As my friend Imani Gandy at Angry Black Lady Chronicles put it in a tweet:
Vagina? Bad. Cunt? GOOD. | Michigan GOP – Rep Foster calls nurses union staffer a c**t http://t.co/bWBQKlmc – @eclectablog #TeamUterati #TFY
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) June 15, 2012
She’s referring to Republican Rep Frank Foster calling a nurse a “cunt” recently.
Decorum!
Progress Michigan Executive Directory Zack Pohl is calling for Adler’s dismissal (as are many others):
The actions of House Republicans yesterday were distasteful and offensive, and we encourage Speaker Jase Bolger to demonstrate the kind of decorum they claim to uphold on the House floor by exercising professionalism off the House floor,” said Zack Pohl, Executive Director of Progress Michigan. “Speaker Bolger had an opportunity to display leadership and common sense by reprimanding or dismissing his spokesperson, Ari Adler, after he described two female lawmakers who were defending women’s rights as throwing ‘temper tantrums.’ Bolger should do the right thing and immediately dismiss Adler to prove to his constituents that the Speaker of the House will not tolerate these kinds of immature and uncivil attacks on women.
There’s hypocrisy and then there’s this, something I like to call “GOPocrisy”.
You’d be hard put to find a bigger group of GOPocrites than in the Michigan legislature.
You can tweet your feelings to Speaker Bolger directly using this convenient button:
I know you have something you’d like to say to him, don’tcha, folks?
