By David Martin Davies, Texas Public Radio News for Audio Texas
SAN ANTONIO – Governor Rick Perry’s Facebook page is normally a spot in cyberspace where the conservative politician pushes his anti-President Obama platform and states’ rights agenda. Perry supporters frequently click the “like” button on his posts supporting Voter ID and what a great presidential debater he is. But now Perry’s Facebook page is doing an about face.
Thousands of comments are being posted giving Perry grief over the cut off federal funds for the Texas women’s health program. Many of the comments are from women like Michelle Moon Reinhardt mockingly asking Perry for medical advice about reproductive issues.
MICHELLE MOON REINHARDT: “Dear Governor, can you tell me when I’m supposed to insert the aspirin between my knees to be used as contraception. I’ve already had two kids so clearly I’m doing it wrong.”
Reinhardt says she doesn’t normally get involved in protests but she felt a need to speak out. And Facebook seemed like the natural place to do it.
REINHARDT: “I found out about it through facebook when one of my friends posted the story that this was going on – so I went on and looked – and I think that it’s kind of a different way to register your opinion and perhaps get more attention.”
The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday that it cut off all Medicaid funding for family planning to the state of Texas, following Perry’s decision to exclude Planned Parenthood health clinics from the state’s Medicaid Women’s Health Program. Perry now says the state budget will make up the lost $35 million dollars in federal funds to keep the program operating.
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