Think Progress has a troubling piece that links new anti-abortion regulations directly to The Family Foundation, an insidious Christianist organization that is the principal puppeteer of the Republican Party of Virginia. It turns out that the deputy secretary of health and human resources for Virginia who will lead the office that will interpret the regulations is none other than Matt Cobb, husband of religious extremist and theocrat Victoria Cobb who heads up the Family Foundation. While Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell may be trying to posture himself as a possible vice presidential pick for the GOP, Cobb's involvement in the department of health and human services suggest that Christianist extremism rather than competence is McDonnell's guiding principle in political appointments. Here are highlights from Think Progress:
Last week Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) released harsh new anti-abortion regulations that could shut down the state’s exisiting abortion clinics. Now the Huffington Post is reporting there may have been a conflict of interest in McDonnell’s administration over the regulations. Matt Cobb, deputy secretary of health and human resources, helps lead the office that will interpret the regulations. He is also married to Victoria Cobb, a prominent anti-abortion lobbyist in the state who has spent years lobbying for clinic regulations like the ones just released.
Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, told the Huffington Post that Matt Cobb sat in on meetings discussing the regulations with her and her colleagues: “People who have been dealing with these issues find it odd that he’s in those meetings about the regulations,” Keene told HuffPost. “I find it really intriguing to think that the premiere anti-abortion advocate is basically married to the person who’s now in charge of implementing the clinic regulations, and he’s involved every step of the way.” [...]
this is not about safety, it’s about politics,” said Jill Abbey, who oversees four clinics in Virginia, which she says would not be able to operate under the new regulations.
The regulations come after McDonnell signed SB 924 into law, which requires all clinics in Virginia performing first-trimester abortions to be regulated like hospitals.
I'm not a fan of abortion, but I am very troubled that Victoria Cobb - perhaps one of the leading hate merchants in Virginia - has this inside track to health and human services. Taliban Bob, WTF are you doing?
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