When Ideology Becomes Policy Women Lose

Major Update Linked Below and Here

Original Post (update follows): It didn't start with this statement, but it underscores the GOP philosophy about women, who they are in society, and their health care:

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), running for the U.S. Senate: "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

From CNN (by John Avlon is a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast): "But not wanting to talk about social issues is not the same thing as trying to bridge these divides. Being embarrassed by Akin's comments is not the same thing as condemning those policies. Akin was trying to articulate his opposition to abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. This is a position that vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan — primarily a courageous fiscal conservative — has supported throughout his career, even penning a 1,500-word essay on the subject with the eye-opening title "The Cause of Life Can't Be Severed From the Cause of Freedom."

"It is this position that led Ryan to co-sponsor a bill with Akin introducing the term "forcible rape" into the lexicon — the term Akin says he was awkwardly reaching for when he said "legitimate rape."

On the other side of the argument are facts -- namely that some 32,000 women conceive during rape each year, according to a study by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Summary: Akin policy proposals and Ryan signing on is the issue at hand. That cannot be disputed. That is what campaigns are about: Choices, Differences, and Consequences. A GOP take over would have dire consequences for millions.

Update (August 21, 2012): Great historical background on this subject showing GOP views on rape, pregnancy, abortion, and the whole nine yards as seen here (about 20 minutes but worth your time to watch).