GOP needs to move beyond women’s rights litmus test

>> let's get right to our panel. krystal ball, co-host of "the cycle" and msnbc contributor susan and nina turner of ohio . senator turner, i want to start with you. let's talk a little turkey -- sorry, i had to do that -- about the war on women , because republicans, you know, they raged this war on women . they lost. women spoke. they don't seem to get it. in your state of ohio , for example, we've got republicans pushing a bill that would defund planned parenthood and otherologic laother legislation looking at other legislation. what is going on in ohio ?

>> insanity. i mean, it's just maddening. these men pushing these bills and some misguided women , very few, they don't understand the intellect and import of women having the ability to make their own health care decisions. a lot of gop members talk about small government . they don't care about small government . maybe small government , small enough to fit into a woman's womb. they are using public policy to subjugate women and it's wrong, wrong, wrong all day long. they haven't learned their lesson.

>> it seems like -- it's like, let's use the abortion issue to get some votes. it's always on the backings of women they're trying to play games for cheap votes. can this be defeated in the legislature? are there votes to defeat it?

>> it did pass the health committee on a party line vote, all gop, including women voting to that bill, and democrats standing strong for women to be able to have access to preventive health care . you know, we can say till we're blue in the face that planned parenthood , 3% of what they do have anything to do with abortion. even then, federal fund don't pay for a lady or a woman to have an abortion. but 97% of what they do is preventive. i had a gentleman in ohio say, keep fighting for planned parenthood . he had a breast cancer scare and he went to planned parenthood . these folks need to get a grip. let's start working on issues that are germane to continue to lift the economy and lay off women . they are crazy. you know, they would -- they would be happy when women are barefoot, pregnant, back home by 5:00 to cook dinner.

>> well, that's not going to happen because despite what the republicans think, we won, by the way, and women were one of the loudest voices. krystal , the president's affordable care act requires employers to cover birth control for their workers. this week a federal judge denied a request for a company called hobby lobby which sells arts and crafts supplies, they wanted to exempt themselves based on religious grounds. so, the fight against obama care, the fight against women . how did they not get the memo?

>> well, i think some aspects of the party, some parts of the party did get the memo. the problem is, as you were pointing out, they rely on the religious right for votes. it's a key part of their party. so, they have really driven the agenda in terms of women 's issues for years now. i would point you to the state legislature , as you were looking at. if you look back in 2011 , we had historic year in terms of the number of antichoice provisions introduced and enacted in the state legislature . this year we've had a similar number introduced. fewer are actually being enacted but it's still, if you take 2011 away, it's still a record year in terms of the number of provisions enacted. so, you know, just like in 2010 we had all the rhetoric about jobs, jobs, jobs, bob for jobs, in virginia bob for mcdonald's. it seems like a similar thing, they talk about one thing but the agenda they push is another thing.

>> the thing that strikes me odd, particularly in the area of birth control , the u.n. this week say access to birth control is a basic human right. so, it seems like the united states is sort of lagging behind the rest of the world on such an important issue. susan, i'm going to have -- as my republican friend, what is going on with the republicans? why are we --

>> all right, it's not all republicans.

>> but it's not just ohio . we have a republican legislature in michigan now trying to say a fetus should have tax status. it's across the country. i have no doubt -- you have john boehner basically saying we're going to try to repeal obama care. have i no doubt we're going to come back to the anti- women measures.

>> one thing you and krystal touched on, and so did the senator, this seems as a way of making your political bones. this is a way to prove you're conservative enough, by using the issue of abortion. frankly, this is what hurts republicans. we don't need to have a litmus test on every issue. it is very important for us to move beyond this. when you do talk about the legislation, about tax credits for fetus, that's disturbing -- it's also not to discount people's beliefs and how they see it. half this country polled are pro-life. for example, when you look at legislation and states -- take new york, for example. you may get an abortion as a minor. under age 18 you can get an abortion without parental consent . if you to want go to a tanning salon, you need a note from your parents. it doesn't always reconcile for everybody.

>> krystal , john mccain essentially saying -- i'm going to talk about women . he saidings let's sill bill clinton to the middle east . quickly, how about hillary clinton , who actually had success?

>> who went to the middle east and was quite successful and happens to be quite respected and accomplished in her own right. and i also think, you know, his attacks on susan rice also to me bear some sexism. even attacks outside of john mccain , putting benghazi aside, she hasn't been nice enough. she's too ambitious. you would never hear that say about --

>> she's too tough.

>> too ambitious.

>> doesn't take guff from enough people. thanks and happy thanksgiving.

>> thanks.

>> happy thanksgiving.