Another dis to women
The photo screams disdain for any kind of equity in any sort of negotiation - but especially a negotiation over health care.
But there it is - a picture of a long conference table surrounded by only white men in suits, horse-trading over the planks of the GOP's American Health Care Act - aka GOPcare as a replacement for the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare.
There are no women. There are no African-Americans. Just a bunch of white guys, most grey-haired or balding.
The photograph was tweeted by none other than Vice President Mike Pence to record his part in this monumental discussion and negotiation with the House Freedom Caucus.
Washington U.S. Sen. Patty Murray drew attention to the absence of women in the room by retweeting the photo and sarcastically adding, "A rare look inside the GOP's women's health caucus."
Now, it's fair to note that there are no women in the House Freedom Caucus. It is made up of the most conservative of House members, and as a group it is, at the very least, sympathetic to the tea party movement. It would be easy to label it just another boy's club that excludes women, but truthfully, most female politicians simply have more sense than to join such a crowd.
Another photo that wasn't tweeted shows Kellyanne Conway in the room. But, no, she does not count. She was sent there to stand with Pence.
Yet even with no members in the caucus, wouldn't one think they would at least have a female voice in there to say, "Wait, guys, surely you don't really want to have a discussion in here about whether GOPcare insurance plans should exclude maternity services without hearing from some real women?" More than Kellyanne, whose job it is to represent the president?
Maternity and reproductive care was a primary point under discussion, euphemistically dubbed "essential benefits." Incredible as it may seem, repealing that maternity care requirement was among the concessions the Freedom Caucus was demanding in exchange for caucus support of the bill.
One wonders if GOPcare would including erectile dysfunction treatment. Or if the men in that room would be so interested in dropping maternity care if just one or two of them had a uterus.
Most of all, one wonders how Pence could be so tone-deaf. Of course this is far from the first time the Trump administration has dissed women. The White House also was criticized in January when President Trump signed an abortion order surrounded by men.
Watch out, ladies. The Stepford Wives Act may be next.
Munching in Chattanooga
Who knew Chattanooga is the sixth fattest city in America?
Ouch!
But it gets worse. We in Tennessee - with Memphis as the second fattest city and Knoxville as the 10th fattest city - are like our state map's likeness: We are wider than we are tall.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
A new survey looking at key elements of obesity, of weight-related health problems and of healthy environment indicators found that all 10 of the pudgiest towns in America are in the South - ranging from Texas to North Carolina. It must be all those foods that we call sweet southern fried comfort. And, of course, our favorite home-grown soft drink, Coca-Cola and those super-special cakes and cookies from Little Debbie help, too. After all, we do know how to eat good. Maybe not well, but certainly good.
Some 40 percent of Chattanoogans are overweight, earning ourselves the No. 1 spot in the category of "overweight adults" in this WalletHub analysis. If should come as no surprise then that we also took the No. 5 spot for high blood pressure.
The healthiest locales include the trendy lettuce-and-water cities of Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Denver and Colorado Springs - obviously places where you can't get country-fried steak with oozy macaroni and cheese. In those towns, they barely put water in noodles. And forget butter.
It's very depressing. Please pass the banana pudding.