Friday, June 15, 2012

Michigan Democrats stand up for women's rights, and immediately suffer the consequences.

A rather remarkable thing happened in the Michigan House the other day. This.

After those rather colorful and remarks were heard on the House floor, two of those female legislators were not allowed to speak on the floor the next day.

Brown said she had no idea when she arrived at the House chamber Thursday morning that she would not be allowed to speak. She was about to deliver a speech in opposition to a bill that involves teacher retirement, as the minority vice chair of the Education Committee, but Minority Floor Leader Kate Segal (D-Battle Creek) told her she had been banned from speaking for the day. 

"I'd love to know what I said that was offensive," Brown told The Huffington Post. "It was an anti-choice bill regarding abortion, which obviously involves a vagina, so, you know, I don't know what word I'm supposed to use otherwise." 

Byrum caused a stir when she marched through the House gallery Wednesday protesting that she hadn't been allowed to speak on her amendment to the anti-abortion bill that would have required a man to have proof of a medical emergency before he could have a vasectomy. 

"It's my impression that I'm being banned from speaking as a result of my use of the term vasectomy -- a medical procedure," Byrum told The Huffington Post. "Neither of us has been contacted by Republican leadership as to why or how long we've been banned. Talk about disrespectful, that they don’t have the common decency to tell us themselves." 

Ari Adler, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Jase Bolger (R-Marshall), said the lawmakers were banned from speaking because of their behavior, not because of their word choice. "They behaved in a way that disrupted the decorum of the House," Adler said. "For Brown, it was not the words she used, but the way she used them that resulted in her being gaveled down." In Byrum's case, Adler said, "I hate to put it this way, but she essentially had a temper tantrum on the House floor."

She had a "temper tantrum?" You know I have seen some incredibly  petulant and even immature remarks made by male Senators, and Congressmen, for years, I do not remember any of them being referred to as having "thrown a tantrum." Even though, I might add, that would have been  a very appropriate definition of their actions.

But having a female legislator stand up for her rights, and the rights of her constituents, that makes the men in the room uneasy, and well of course THAT is unseemly and SHE must be put back in her place.

Well gee it's certainly a good thing there's no War on Women going on right now, right?

You can see an interview with Rep. Lisa Brown on yesterday's Rachel Maddow Show.

25 comments:

  1. Olivia10:44 AM

    I love this..."I'd love to know what I said that was offensive," Brown told The Huffington Post.

    You stood up and talked back to a MAN, you uppity hussy you. I think you made him feel foolish. He certainly looked foolish and I know he will blame that on you.

    It was a beautiful thing to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:53 AM

    Go LISA!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:11 AM

    Unbelievable!

    Every wife, mother, daughter, & sister needs to reprimand this men. If my husband did something like that he would be sleeping on the street....

    And they claim there is no war an women BS!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous11:12 AM

    Silly woman!! You ain't suppose' ta talk.

    Now get in dar and make me a sammich!!

    And where's my turkey pot-pie!?!?!?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sally in MI11:19 AM

    Stamas is my Rep and I sent him an email about this and how disgusted I am at him for wasting time on this instead of creating all those jobs he promised. Do they think women don't vote, or is that next thing they will take away from us?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:49 PM

      Thank you Sally!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:04 PM

      Way to go Sally! These women are heroes and so are you.

      Delete
    3. Did you hear back from his office yet?

      Delete
  6. Anonymous11:22 AM

    OT but how cool is Meghan McCain?
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#47831836

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sally in MI11:42 AM

    Temper Tantrum? How about how the GOP leadership acts every single time they are asked to pass a bill to help Americans? How about shouting "You lie" at the President during a SOTU address? How about whining to the press day after day about the lack of bipartisanship, and lying about the President's attempts to work with the GOP? This party has devolved into a bunch of junior high bullies with about as much brain power. I think the only thing these men will pay atention to is if they are denied sex for about three years...from their wives, their mistresses and their hookers. If you don't abide by federal law, guys, we refuse to risk becoming pregnant. Bet we can last longer than you can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:39 PM

      Good idea! I simply cannot fathom the modern Republican Party; not that the old GOP was very good but Republican legislators, whether in state legislatures or in Congress, have all gone bonkers. Any woman who votes for a Republican in November 2012 is insane and a traitor to her sex.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:22 PM

      We can call it the Lysistrata Movement.
      M from MD

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:49 PM

      I don't think you *understand* hooking...

      it's *kind of* a sure thing!

      Delete
  8. eva marie12:42 PM

    O/T: Did anyone know that Levi is on Dr. Phil? I just tuned in and missed his segment but Dr. Phil keeps talking to him in the audience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:50 PM

      It's a repeat from last year; tied to trying to garner interest for B'dulls POS show.

      Delete
  9. I'm a life long MI resident as well. The only thing that tickles my funny bone here is that now the Michigan GOP can be the laughing stock of the ENTIRE country as they freak out over losing control of their wimmen folk.

    ReplyDelete
  10. eva marie12:59 PM

    So I now see that this must be a rerun. Dr. Phil held up Levi's book and announced that it is now available.

    Can I just say I never watch Dr. Phil unless someone has posted a clip on the internet.

    Sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous1:06 PM

    sexist bastards.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous2:14 PM

    American Taliban.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Carol3:20 PM

    What's the difference in saying "nose", "finger", "penis"".......... Oh, I get it-Puritan men!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Randall3:46 PM

    "Neither of us has been contacted by Republican leadership as to why or how long we've been banned."

    As are many bullies, they're cowards.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I guess these Republicans have a lot more success with women than I do. I need all the advice on getting into vaginas that I can get. Any pointers Rep. Brown can give are appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yeah. How dare they speak against anything the Repub1%can'ts want.

    They're just being....uppity.

    Now why didn't every last Democrat stand up and walk out, denying the Repub1%can'ts a forum so they couldn't do any business that day?

    What next? Deny them the right to vote on any bill in which they don't agree with the Repub1%can'ts?

    Just another example of Fascism come to America.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous4:33 AM

    While she made a good argument on the point of religion, she looks and sounds dumber and more annoying than Sarah Palin.

    And why does she constantly refer to him as "Mr. Speaker"? If a man spoke and talked like an angsty 10-year old, I'd want him banned too. It's not about her gender or argument, it's about her lack of class as Ari Adler says. As a Democrat and woman's rights advocate, I'm ashamed that people like her are allowed in any courthouse. The vagina comment at the end was also a facepalm moment.

    ReplyDelete

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