Republican senators are crying foul on Democrats for adding what they consider “poison pill” amendments to a bill financing domestic violence programs. By including gay couples and undocumented women in the bill’s protections, those crafty Dems have made it unpalatable to Republicans — who will be forced to vote against the legislation.

It’s part of a larger conspiracy to keep the “war on women” tag pasted to GOP hindquarters, an election year “kick me” sign that will cost Republicans dearly with women voters. Sen. Charles Grassley, the Iowa Republican, has lamented that Democrats are “manufacturing another partisan political crisis.”

Well, that’s what Republicans would have you believe. But by extending protections to gay couples and undocumented women, it’s a much better bill.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone — gay, straight, poor, rich, legal or illegal. The legislation would also increase protections for rural and tribal Native Americans. Why would we want to isolate domestic violence victims who live in any one of those communities and put life-saving programs out of their reach?

The Violence Against Women Act was last reauthorized in 2006, with bipartisan support — back when bipartisan wasn’t a dirty word. Five Republicans have bravely crossed the divide as co-sponsors of the reauthorization bill, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois and Scott Brown of Massachusetts. But they are minor voices in a Republican Party where the megaphone is controlled by the most rabid tea party adherents.

For the GOP to argue that it’s part of a secret plot to tarnish its reputation with women is ridiculous. For the past several months, the party has challenged a woman’s legal right to an abortion, health insurance coverage for her contraceptives and pummeled Planned Parenthood.

A recent Gallup poll found Obama’s approval ratings trending up among women. A Pew Research Center poll found women favor Obama over Republican front-runner Mitt Romney by 20 percentage points. The party has done a great job of alienating women without Dems having to lift a finger.