Comments on: A Probing Issue

A Probing Issue

flarbuse — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:42:54 -0800

North Carolina State Senator Thom Goolsby is running for re-election against Deb Butler. Last year, Senator Goolsby voted in favor of NC House Bill 854. Among other things, this bill requires that women must undergo an ultrasound and a waiting period before having an abortion. Using a prop, Deb Butler ran this ad. And this ad.

Senator Goolsby has responded with an ad featuring his wife declaring that the law "did not require new intrusive medical procedures for women." I am not able to find that ad online.

By: eugenen

eugenen — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:54:09 -0800

That second ad is phenomenal.

By: easily confused

easily confused — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:56:19 -0800

I wish I was in North Carolina, just so I could vote for Ms. Butler (and I know who I'd pick for my doctor, too).

By: snuffleupagus

snuffleupagus — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:03:54 -0800

Someone should do an ad on any Goolsby flip-flops in which his nose grows into one of those probes.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:42:03 -0800

Even if Republicans are doing everything they can to drag this country to a Handmaid's Tale-like future, at least good people are speaking out.

By: shoesietart

shoesietart — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:42:57 -0800

Those ads are excellent.

By: Brent Parker

Brent Parker — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:44:14 -0800

Here is his response with his wife.

By: Hollywood Upstairs Medical College

Hollywood Upstairs Medical College — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:47:16 -0800

Using pissed-off masculine men to deliver the choice message is starting to become more common, see this DCCC ad in New Hampshire.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:48:10 -0800

She is a damn genius. Love.

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:56:34 -0800

Any sane, respectable man (regardless of political party), when questioned about anything regarding limitations on women's right to control their own bodies, would simply say, "It's none of my business."

By: lobstah

lobstah — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:59:47 -0800

When Crist talks, people should listen.

By: Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:34:53 -0800

Any sane, respectable man...would simply say, "It's none of my business." Two words: Martin Niemöller.

By: skepticbill

skepticbill — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:35:01 -0800

I live in NC and when I drive around the more rural areas I see a lot of Romney/Ryan signs in front of run down double-wides. It amazes me that people can be led so easily to do things that are so personally damaging. I live in an island of blue in a pretty red state. Which is why I am so damn impressed with Deb Butler taking this argument so forcefully back to Goolsby. More courage like this is truly needed if we are going to turn back the rise of the Christianist-Corporate state.

By: triggerfinger

triggerfinger — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:38:14 -0800

Using pissed-off masculine men to deliver the choice message is starting to become more common YES. GOOD.

By: hippybear

hippybear — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:42:05 -0800

Any sane, respectable man...would simply say, "It's none of my business." Two words: Martin Niemöller. I'm pretty sure that Benny Andajetz' point wasn't that the imposition of limitations was none of the man's business, but that rather when faced with the concept of limitations, men should say that they aren't part of the equation, that it's between a woman and her doctor, and thus is "none of his business" what personal limitations each individual woman chooses to consider when it comes to her health matters. I may be wrong, but that's how I read his comment. Not as a "I won't say anything when others try to impose limitations" thing.

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:45:28 -0800

Thanks, hippybear. I was trying to come up with a better explanation but your post came up and it explained it nicely. Thanks.

By: Angharad

Angharad — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:02:07 -0800

That's great that she ran those ads, and I wish Dr. Crist had been my OB/GYN when I lived in NC. That said, it's a shame she had to be so moderate - even in attacking an ultraconservative - that neither ad used the word "abortion". The rebuttal that Brent Parker linked is just a flat-out folksy homespun lie, and I hope it does absolutely nothing. Sure, he's a family man - unless my idea of family is terminating an unwanted pregnancy so I can keep feeding the kid I already have. And now my blood pressure is telling me to stay off the internet for the next nine days.

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:06:36 -0800

That second ad nails it. For shame Republicans, there are enough problems in the world that need fixing, yet you choose to focus on pointless tilting at sexist windmills.

By: Horace Rumpole

Horace Rumpole — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 16:12:40 -0800

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that prostate problems can be linked to impotence. It seems to me that it would be prudent to require a transrectal ultrasound procedure for any man who's going to his doctor for a Viagra prescription. Would that help? I don't know, but it sounds plausible, doesn't it?

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:17:00 -0800

Virginia state Senator Janet Howell agrees with you, Horace. Although her law would only require a rectal, not a trans-rectal, exam. Thinking about what the difference might be is making me sit funny.

By: scaryblackdeath

scaryblackdeath — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:40:07 -0800

Good God I hope Butler wins that race.

By: Relay

Relay — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:52:53 -0800

"Hello Senator Goolsby's office!" "Yeah. Hi, this is Jim, Deb Butler's press coordinator?" "Yes ... " [icily] "... Right. Well, see Ms? ... Ms?" " ... Stotes ... " [more icily] "Right, Ms. Stotes. Anyway. We've got both the left and right testacies of your candidate over here, and we were wondering which one you'd like back." "Uh, which one?" "Yup!' [brightly] "What do you mean which one?"

By: rosa

rosa — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:59:04 -0800

I hope that, when asked, any man would respond, not "It's none of my business" full stop, but, rather, something like, "It's none of my business what any person and her or his doctor decide, so I am opposed to litigating the form or content of those conversations in any circumstance."

By: ostro

ostro — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:06:53 -0800

This was very good. But not quite as good as what I was expecting when I saw the headline "Deb Butler Uses Transvaginal Probe To Attack Thom Goolsby."

By: Ms. Moonlight

Ms. Moonlight — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 04:06:29 -0800

This makes me proud to be from North Carolina. :) Thanks for posting this.

By: floatboth

floatboth — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:38:16 -0800

Wow, never heard "I paid for this ad" instead of "I approve this message" before

By: kyrademon

kyrademon — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:45:52 -0800

Goolsby's response ad was so ... weird. "Hi. I'm a woman. I can prove it! I do all sorts of woman-things! And I assure you that Thom Goolsby NEVER did [oddly narrowly worded and highly specific thing]. And I should know - reader, I married him!" "And I'm Thom Goolsby and I spent money on this."

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:09:20 -0800

Call them what they are: State Rapists.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:54:10 -0800

She is not in my district, so I could not vote for her but it was good to see that not all of North Carolina's candidates are fundamentalist Christians putting God before humanity. I had a trans-vaginal ultrasound a few months ago. It was extremely unpleasant but I needed it as part of a series of lab tests. The idea of some guy legislating the use for punitive reasons is sickening to me; it is simply a way to torture women. It makes me want to get physical with Goolsby (and slap that smile off of his wife) and I am not a violent person.

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:21:59 -0800

This election has really activated my face-slapping gland too. I should probably just buy a Gingrich punching bag and let it all out.

By: mrbill

mrbill — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:59:16 -0800

Anyone have mirrors of the videos? HuffPost is having problems due to the weather.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:36:29 -0800

Arizona's Bad Science: Why the state's 20-week abortion ban is unconstitutional.