This is What All the Fuss was About?

We know all the hand-wringing in Congress for the last two weeks over budget cuts was pure theater.  Not only did President Obama and the Democrats in Congress agree to the numbers John Boner originally requested days before the government shutdown deadline approached, they then went further and agreed to deeper cuts.

But once the numbers were met, it became about something else.  It suddenly was all about killing programs that Democrats have always supported and Regressives hated.  They demanded the defunding of Planned Parenthood, NPR and the Environmental Protection Agency.  So, in essence, the Regressives are against clean air and cancer screenings.

For the record, no government funding ever pays for abortions through Planned Parenthood, although it should, since abortion has been perfectly legal for four decades.  Rightwingers don't "approve" of taxpayer funds going toward abortions.  Too bad.  I don't approve of my tax dollars supporting illegal wars, funding military animal experiments or picking up the slack for churches getting away with tax-free status.

Nonetheless, it bears repeating: Government funding does not ever pay for abortions.  Most of what Planned Parenthood does has nothing to do with abortions.  Take a look at the graph and see that 97% of what Planned Parenthood does includes cancer screening, education and contraception.

So what was all the fuss about?  Oh yeah, theater to placate the far rightwing Regressive base and the Teabaggers.