'War on Women'? Yes, But Democrats Are Waging It

Democrats accuse the GOP of waging a "war on women," but really it's the Dems who demean women and limit their opportunities, writes Meghan Clyne at The Weekly Standard. The liberal argument—that opposing abortion and federally funded contraception is "anti-woman"—makes women "reducible to ovaries," writes Clyne. "It was once permissible in American politics to view women as incapable of concerns beyond childbearing—but not in this century." Women today want jobs, health care, and self-determination, Clyne argues. Among the highlights:

• Under President Obama's policies, male unemployment has dropped from 9.2% to 8.4%, while female unemployment has risen from 7.3% to 8.1%. "Unlimited free birth control is poor consolation for not having a full-time job," writes Clyne.
• Obama supported the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which helps women sue employers who pay them less than men. But it has backfired by prompting employers to discriminate against women workers. It also prevents women from returning to the job market at a lower pay after raising children.
• ObamaCare will make health care less efficient, says Clyne, and that affects women—who are usually the ones waiting with sick kids or parents in the doctor's office.
• Obama has increased welfare programs, which are aimed mostly at single moms and their kids—"giving beneficiaries greater incentive to remain on the dole," writes Clyne. But "no little girl in America should say, 'I want to be a ward of the state when I grow up.' Increasingly, however, it seems this is what President Obama envisions for them."

Click for Clyne's full piece. (More war on women stories.)