In the front lines of the Republican War on Women are the standard issues of abortion and birth control, and they serve two valuable purposes for the Republican Party. First they keep Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians goose stepping without realizing that Republicans do not represent their well being. Second, they detract attention from what Republicans want to avoid: the economy. However the seamiest side of the Republican War on Women, the side that should provoke as much outrage as the standard issues, receives very little attention.

What Republican war on women? The Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized in 2005 by unanimous consent in the Senate and with 415 votes in favor in the House, and signed by George W. Bush. It’s up for reauthorization again now, and of course, this time, Republicans have a problem with it. The bill—which is actually cosponsored by Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo—received no Republican votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Oh, they’ll tell you they want to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act … but of course, they want to do it their way. "The Republican opposition seems driven largely by an antigay, anti-immigrant agenda," a New York Times editorial explains:

The main sticking points seemed to be language in the bill to ensure that victims are not denied services because they are gay or transgender and a provision that would modestly expand the availability of special visas for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence — a necessary step to encourage those victims to come forward.