The Sadra Fluke episode hasn't done much for Democrats in terms of public opinion -- Obama has slipped a bit with women since it occurred -- a little-appreciated truth about their social issue portfolio more broadly. But when it comes to fundraising, there's no better way of opening liberals' wallets for their campaigns.
The Dems clearly get this, and they've left no drop unmilked with the Fluke incident. I noted yesterday that I've received 23 fundraising emails on the topic from just the two Democratic congressional committees (the DCCC and the DSCC). You know that silly game Republicans play with flag-burning amendments? The Democrats' version is the "war on women."
Today I've received the 24th, and it is a hysterical wonder to behold. Supposedly penned by Rep. Diana Degette -- more likely by some nameless staffer at the DCCC, and that's giving Degette the benefit of the doubt -- this email manages to use the phrase "Republican war on women" or a close variant four times in just 254 words.
You want to talk about a real war on women? Here are some facts:
1. The percentage of black mothers who are unmarried in 2009 was 72.8%
2. Studies consistently show an almost direct correlation between unwed motherhood and poverty.
3. In 1970, the percentage of black mothers who were unmarried was only 37%.
4. In 1960 (extrapolating from the data for all mothers), a rough estimate would be that something like 15% of black mothers were unmarried.
5. What intervened? The massive intervention of liberalism in the black family through AFDC and the "Great Society" programs instituted in the 1960s.
6. What else could have caused it? Bad public school education systems in large cities (run by Democrats). Bad and corrupt city governments in large cities (invariably run by Democrats, see, e.g., Detroit). Loss of good manufacturing jobs due to bad economic policies (environmentalism, hyper-regulation, high taxation... all instituted by Democrats).
7. Anything else? Well.... there also was this little thing called the Sexual Revolution with the Pill, abortion on demand, etc. Again, pushed by Democrats.
You get the picture. There has been a war on women and, worse, a war on black women in particular. But it isn't Republicans who've been waging that war. It's Democratic hypocrites.