Palin is backwards in more ways than one

The McCain camp had an absolute tizzy today when Joe Biden responded as follows to a question about whether electing Sarah Palin would be a step forward for women:

"Well look, I think the issue is what does Sarah Palin think? What does she believe? I assume she thinks and agrees with the same policies that George Bush and John McCain think. And that's obviously a backward step for women."

He's not talking about Palin personally, he's talking about her policies. A McCain spokesperson hysterically countered with insults about Biden and references to old-boys-club, old-style attacks. The truth is, Biden's statement is absolutely, 100 percent right on the money! Palin is a giant step backward for women and here's why: Palin and McCain oppose nearly everything the majority of women care about. Here's a sample:

• McCain and Palin Oppose a Woman’s Right To Choose - McCain states he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and Palin opposed abortion even in the case of rape or incest. McCain has a long anti-choice record and he even bragged about the consistent "zero" score he had received from NARAL Pro-Choice America. His campaign website says he "believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned."
• McCain Opposed Requiring Insurers To Provide The Same Level of Coverage For Birth Control That They Do For Other Prescription Drugs - McCain voted against requiring health insurers to provide the same level of coverage for contraception as they do for other prescription drugs. Palin favors abstinence-only sex education.
• McCain Opposed Legislation That Would Help Women Achieve Pay Equity -McCain opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which sought to overturn a recent Supreme Court decision making it harder for women to challenge pay discrimination. McCain even suggested that women get paid less because they need more education and training. In addition, McCain voted against a proposal that would have provided more effective remedies to victims of sex discrimination in the payment of wages.
• McCain Voted Against Extending Insurance Coverage To Pregnant Women And Infants And Opposed $214 Million For Breast Cancer Research - McCain voted against extending Medicaid coverage to pregnant women and infants up to one year of age with incomes below the Federal poverty line. He also voted against transferring $214 million from the Defense Department to fund breast cancer research.
• McCain Repeatedly Voted Against Funding To Fight And Prevent Domestic Violence - McCain has repeatedly voted against funding to fight and prevent domestic violence, including a $9 million increase for the Office of Violence Against Women. McCain even opposed authorizing grants to aid children who have witnessed domestic violence.
• McCain Has Repeatedly Voted Against Increased Funding For Child Care - McCain repeatedly voted against providing billions in additional funding for child care services. McCain even voted against a proposal to expand tax credits for businesses that provide quality child care centers.

With positions like those, Palin wouldn't just be a step backward for women, she'd be a gargantuan leap. McCain's views are certainly straight out of the dark ages. But as a 72-year-old ex-military, nearly all boys-club Senator himself, you can almost see how it happened. But what is Palin's excuse?

Attention women readers: Please forward the positions outlined above to every woman you know who's thinking about voting for McCain-Palin and politely ask them why they would vote against their own best interests.