Is Obama Anti-Woman?

In light of the recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that women not get mammograms until the age of 50 I pose this question.

Is President Obama anti-woman?

I'll withhold the suspense. Absolutely not.

He's no more anti-woman than was President Bush.

Yet if such a recommendation had been made during the Bush Administration all hell would break loose. Organizations like NOW would declare the Bush Administration as "anti-woman."

Of course, the Bush Administration (as did the Clinton Administration before it) supported the recommendation of the American Cancer Society that women get annual screenings beginning at the age of 40. Not that NOW would ever acknowledge such a thing. In fact, NOW has not criticized the Obama Administration for this recommendation. They are preoccupied with defeating the Stupak Amendment with the slogan, "Save Abortion Stop Stupak." In fact, NOW states, "It is not acceptable to achieve health care reform by pushing women into the back alleys to die." But apparently it is acceptable to achieve health care reform by pushing women to put mammograms on the back burner.

If President Obama has any sense he will distance himself from this recommendation with a forty foot pole. Yet given his actions with regard to health care reform thus far I cannot say with any certainty that he will.

Assuming President Obama does act on the recommendation of the task force it will not be a demonstration of any animosity towards the fairer sex but rather that his plans to reform of our health care system will result in rationing. Such rationing of health care will be harmful to men and women alike.