After discussing the press conference held earlier in the day with students from Catholic University and other local campuses, held at the National Press Club who wanted to bring attention to the fact that a large number of Catholic universities and hospitals already cover contraception in their health plans, Rachel Maddow responded way too kindly in my opinion, to this:
In the “closed circuit world on the right,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow is often the subject of ugly denigrations. Whether it’s being mocked for her sexual orientation, her name, or even her education, right-wingers can’t get enough of slamming her.
During a political discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) today, Fox News pundit and conservative columnist Cal Thomas continued the ugliness. After the Heritage’s Genevieve Wood played a quote of Maddow eloquently debunking the conservative argument on contraception, Thomas said:
I’m glad that you played the Rachel Maddow clip because I think she is the best argument in favor of her parents using contraception. I would be all for that. And all of the rest of the crowd at MSNBC, too, for that matter.
No one on the panel condemned the comment.
As Rachel noted in her segment, the thing that has Republican's in an uproar now with their feigned outrage, was supported by six of their own a little over ten years ago -- Six Republican Senators — Including Snowe And Collins — Co-Sponsored Federal Contraception Mandate In 2001.
MADDOW: Their rules are a compromised measure, trying to be super sensitive to religious institutions. Their rules are precisely what was proposed by Olympia Snowe and other Republicans in 2001, but yet they were being denounced as some sort of liberal abomination. It is in fact such a liberal abomination, that anybody who disagrees with Republicans' position on this today, according to the folks at Fox News, should never have been born at all. [...]
That happened at CPAC today, at the Conservative Political Action Conference today. Mr. Fox News person speaking there, I am sorry that you feel that way about me that you wish I had never been born. Personally, I'm glad that you were born.
Otherwise how would Republicans get the special Fox News bat signal that it's time to be outraged now, about what used to be Republicans' own policy idea.
UPDATE: Rachel Maddow reported tonight on her show that Cal Thomas called her personally and apologized to her and said he wished he had not made the remarks. Maddow graciously accepted Thomas' apology.
