Where's Dudley Do-Right when you need him?

Before you start into this last piece, keep in mind that at no point are you reading from a copy of the book, 1984. Orwellian though it may be, this nonsense is all too real. What happened is this: earlier this week a bill making it harder for young women to receive reproductive health services (while of course addressing prevention measures not at all) passed the House of Representatives. This bill, which is now being sent over to the Senate, establishes criminal penalties for family members or other third parties who transport young women over state lines in order to access abortion, if the young woman's home state's parental notice or consent law has not been complied with. Doctors are also subject to criminal penalties and forced to learn the laws of all 50 states. Understand that in a number of states the closest reproductive health clinic is in the next state. There are also many instances where the most trusted adult to whom a young woman can turn to for help is not her parents but an older sibling, a grandparent, aunt, etc. While the bill was heard in the House Rules Committee, Democratic members offered amendments to the bill. All were voted down. As it stands, even a cab or bus driver who transports a young woman across state lines could be vulnerable to criminal penalties. Let's just say the bill overreaches just a touch and leave it at that. As is standard, when the bill emerged from the House Rules Committee, a committee report was issued. Nothing unusual so far... until people started to read the report. House Rules Committee leadership rewrote the descriptions of the amendments to make it look like... well, you should read this for yourself:As offered by the Democrats: a Nadler amendment allows an adult who could be prosecuted under the bill to go to a Federal district court and seek a waiver to the state's parental notice laws if this remedy is not available in the state court. (no 11-16)Republican rewrite: Mr. Nadler offered an amendment that would have created an additional layer of Federal court review that could be used by sexual predators to escape conviction under the bill. By a roll call vote of 11 yeas to 16 nays, the amendment was defeated.As offered by the Democrats: a Nadler amendment to exempt a grandparent or adult sibling from the criminal and civil provisions in the bill (no 12-19)Republican rewrite: Mr. Nadler offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution under the bill if they were grandparents or adult siblings of a minor. By a roll call vote of 12 yeas to 19 nays, the amendment was defeated.As offered by the Democrats: a Scott amendment to exempt cab drivers, bus drivers and others in the business transportation profession from the criminal provisions in the bill (no 13-17)Republican rewrite: Mr. Scott offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution if they are taxicab drivers, bus drivers, or others in the business of professional transport. By a roll call vote of 13 yeas to 17 nays, the amendment was defeated.As offered by the Democrats: a Scott amendment that would have limited criminal liability to the person committing the offense in the first degree (no 12-18)Republican rewrite: Mr. Scott offered an amendment that would have exempted from prosecution under the bill those who aid and abet criminals who could be prosecuted under the bill. By a roll call vote of 12 yeas to 18 nays, the amendment was defeatedAs offered by the Democrats: a Jackson-Lee amendment to exempt clergy, godparents, aunts, uncles or first cousins from the penalties in the bill (no 13-20)Republican rewrite: Ms. Jackson-Lee offered an amendment that would have exempted sexual predators from prosecution under the bill if they were clergy, godparents, aunts, uncles, or first cousins of a minor, and would require a study by the Government Accounting Office. By a roll call vote of 13 yeas to 20 nays, the amendment was defeated. This story's making waves in the blogosphere - Raw Story, Political Animal, and Obsidian Wings all have great commentary on it.Sometimes it's all we can do not to start rolling around on the floor. What sophomoric nonsense. It would be funny were it not part of the right-wing's power-mad mindset.They want total domination over everything from Supreme Court decisions to the most mundane legislative recordkeeping. Honestly, they're about one step away from carving out a secret lair in an old volcano somewhere, a la Dr. Evil. Although, if it were a secret lair...

There is nothing I can really add to this one.