One of the bad things about "identity politics" is that the purveyors of identity politics love to claim that they are speaking for the entire group.  Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) engaged in a little identity politics of her own earlier this week.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) said that both Republican and Democratic women members of Congress understand how to care for relatives and thus want the healthcare system to change.

"We go to the ladies room and the Republican women and the Democratic women and we just roll our eyes," she said. "And the Republican women said when we were fighting over the healthcare bill, if we sent the men home..." at which point she was interrupted by loud applause.

One problem here Ms. Shea-Porter, and I say this as someone who is currently in the process of caring for a sick elderly relative, YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ME!

My mother is one of those people that will be impacted by these health care "reform" bills the most.  She is 77 and has been in ill health for many years.  Thanks to a "compromised" immune system, she is susceptible to any and every bug that comes down the pike and she can not shake them off easily.  The slightest cold turns to pneumonia (pneumonia that requires hospitalization) in short order.  She has not gone 12 consecutive months without a major hospitalization in the last 5 years (this year she was 7 days short of the 1 year mark).  She uses more than her "fair share" of health care resources and the current bills in the House and Senate would DRAMATICALLY reduce her access to much needed health resources.  As a retired RN, she took one look at these bills and was concerned about her access being restricted and my sister and I (my sister is primary care giver) lived in dread of either of these bills passing for the same reason.  For Rep. Shea-Porter to presume that we (my sister, mother and I) want these bills passed just based on our gender is highly insulting.  As intelligent, independent thinking women we do not need Ms. Shea-Porter or Rep. Michele Bachmann (who also does not agree with Rep. Shea-Porter) to tell us what to think about these bills!  For either side to presume to claim that they speak for us is the height of arrogance and presumption.

Another insulting aspect of Rep. Shea-Porter's remarks is the rampant sexism of the remarks.  Oh sure she tried to soften the blow with the trite trope "I'm not trying to diss the men but..."  PLEASE - that is like David Duke saying "I'm not racist, but..." as he launches into one of his usual racist tirades.  That phrase simply does not hold water.  You may SAY you are not "dissing" men, but by uttering that statement you are acknowledging that you are doing JUST THAT!

This is just one more indication that the Democrats can't defend either of these bills.  They have to engage in misdirections and straw-men to make the argument.  It just goes to show that the American people have hit the nail on the head with their concerns about the bills.