A Probing Issue

October 28, 2012 1:42 PM

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.

posted by flarbuse (30 comments total)

That second ad is phenomenal.
posted by eugenen at 1:54 PM on October 28, 2012 [8 favorites]

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).
posted by easily confused at 1:56 PM on October 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Someone should do an ad on any Goolsby flip-flops in which his nose grows into one of those probes.
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:03 PM on October 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

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.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:42 PM on October 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Those ads are excellent.
posted by shoesietart at 2:42 PM on October 28, 2012

Here is his response with his wife.
posted by Brent Parker at 2:44 PM on October 28, 2012

Using pissed-off masculine men to deliver the choice message is starting to become more common, see this DCCC ad in New Hampshire.
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 2:47 PM on October 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

She is a damn genius. Love.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 2:48 PM on October 28, 2012

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."
posted by Benny Andajetz at 2:56 PM on October 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

When Crist talks, people should listen.
posted by lobstah at 2:59 PM on October 28, 2012

Any sane, respectable man...would simply say, "It's none of my business."

Two words: Martin Niemöller.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:34 PM on October 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

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.
posted by skepticbill at 3:35 PM on October 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

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

YES. GOOD.
posted by triggerfinger at 3:38 PM on October 28, 2012

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.
posted by hippybear at 3:42 PM on October 28, 2012 [12 favorites]

Thanks, hippybear. I was trying to come up with a better explanation but your post came up and it explained it nicely. Thanks.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:45 PM on October 28, 2012

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.
posted by arcticseal at 4:06 PM on October 28, 2012

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?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:12 PM on October 28, 2012 [14 favorites]

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.
posted by benito.strauss at 5:17 PM on October 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Good God I hope Butler wins that race.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 5:40 PM on October 28, 2012

"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?"
posted by Relay at 7:52 PM on October 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

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."
posted by rosa at 7:59 PM on October 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

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."
posted by ostro at 9:06 PM on October 28, 2012 [21 favorites]

This makes me proud to be from North Carolina. :) Thanks for posting this.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 4:06 AM on October 29, 2012

Wow, never heard "I paid for this ad" instead of "I approve this message" before
posted by floatboth at 6:38 AM on October 29, 2012

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."
posted by kyrademon at 6:45 AM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

Call them what they are: State Rapists.
posted by srboisvert at 8:09 AM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

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.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:54 PM on October 29, 2012 [2 favorites]

This election has really activated my face-slapping gland too. I should probably just buy a Gingrich punching bag and let it all out.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:21 PM on October 29, 2012

Anyone have mirrors of the videos? HuffPost is having problems due to the weather.
posted by mrbill at 7:59 AM on October 30, 2012

Arizona’s Bad Science: Why the state’s 20-week abortion ban is unconstitutional.
posted by homunculus at 5:36 PM on November 5, 2012