John Kasich May Call Himself a Moderate, but Ohio Women Know the Lie

The Ohio legislature has passed a bill that will completely defund Planned Parenthood.  Previously, Governor John Kasich (R) signed a budget that severely reduced PP's funding, now he wants it gone completely.  Mr. Kasich has promised to sign the bill when it reaches his desk.  Planned Parenthood is standing up for the women of Ohio and fighting back.

"The secret is out: John Kasich is terrible for women's health," said Dawn Laguens, vice president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in a statement.  "He knows that his attacks on women's health are unpopular-that's why he never talks about them on the campaign trail."

Kasich has presented himself as a sensible alternative to the latest front-runner of the Republican pack, reality TV star Donald Trump.  But the Ohio governor has long come under fire by women's health advocates for his extreme views on reproductive care.

He has signed laws that ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and require women to obtain an ultrasound prior to an abortion...He approved a budget in 2013 that cut funding for Planned Parenthood, and allowed public funding for rape crisis clinics to be blocked if facilities told victims about abortion options... The number of abortion providers in Ohio has also plummeted while he's been in office...

..To paint a different picture of his record on prioritizing the health and well-being of women in our state is irresponsible and unfortunate, (Ms. Laguens) added.

In response to the Planned Parenthood ad campaign, Kasich's spokesman said, "Those in Ohio know that Governor Kasich has been a strong advocate for women's health issues."

eye'm thynkin':  That last statement should continue: "except for the uterus.  No woman can be trusted with decisions about her own uterus.  That's the government's job."

Yes, Mr, Kasich has expanded Medicare in Ohio giving more Ohio women access to health care, but there are still many women and families who depend on Planned Parenthood for their basic health needs.  There currently are 28 Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio--ONLY  THREE  PERFORM  ABORTIONS.  But Mr. Kasich will gladly sign this new bill and deny women at all 28 clinics services like pap smears, breast exams, wellness check-ups, sexually transmitted disease testing, HIV testing...  It's all worth it for Governor John Kasich, the self-proclaimed advocate for women's health.

Waving his "I expanded Medicare" credentials while keeping his thumb firmly on my uterus does NOT say pro-women's health to me.

Read more at Huffington Post Politics

More information on John Kasich's record on women's health:

1. A summary of the women's health restrictions added to the 2013 Ohio budget can be found here.  (These restrictions were added at the last minute, without public notice or hearings.  In 2014 Mr. Kasich refused to answer the Cleveland Plain Dealer's editorial board when they posed a question about his rape crisis center "gag rule."   He slouched in his seat and refused to acknowledge the question.)
2. A further list of doctor restrictions and the elimination of competitive bidding in an attempt to further strangle Planned Parenthood is summarized here.
3. When Ohio doctors continued to find hospitals willing to fulfill the legislature's partnering requirement, Governor Kasich went after the hospitals and signed a bill forbidding publicly funded hospitals from signing an admitting agreement with any abortion provider. (He never did explain how the admitting agreement he had signed into law the year before in order to protect women's health was going to provide even better protection by making it impossible to acquire.)
4. The Ohio legislature decided another fun wrinkle to the abortion argument would be to require a women to record a reason for her choice.  Mr. Kasich has not openly said he would sign this "motivation bill."
5. Another great idea from Ohio's Republican leadership involves requiring women who have an abortion to pay for the burial of the fetus.  This idea is still knocking around the state legislature. Governor Kasich has had nothing negative to say about the idea.

Mr. Kasich's disdain for women doesn't stop at those women who choose to have an abortion. He also demonstrates his lack of support for new mothers by voicing his disapproval for paid family leave.

And it's not just women.  Mr. Kasich's "moderate" label is the opposite of his stand on the environment, the economy, and LGBT rights too.  And in his world, public education and religion should go hand in hand.

Let's be clear:  John Kasich is NOT a moderate.