# Texas gives Obama the middle finger
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [February 24, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852 "2012-02-24T16:49:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/1 "2012-02-24T16:49:05Z")
[Figuratively speaking, of course](http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/state-issues/212301-texas-defies-obama-administration-bars-abortion-providers-from-state-medicaid-program).
Texas said they were going to bar Planned Parenthood and other affiliates of abortion providers from participating in Medicaid. Obama said no, or the administration would take away Texas’ funding, which would hurt 130,000 low-income women. Texas goes ahead does it anyway. Now what?
Who blinks first? And who wins if _no one_ blinks? To me, this seems like a no-win situation for the Obama administration and one of those deals where you cut off your nose to spite your face. I would be surprised if he doesn’t back down.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/2 "2012-02-24T16:50:46Z")
It would surprise me if he doesn’t back down, but this would be the right time to not back down.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/3 "2012-02-24T16:53:21Z")
Sounds more like Obama giving Texas the middle finger. I doubt he’s counting on Texas to send electors his way, so he doesn’t have any reason to back down. Texas on the other hand is going to get hurt by their own actions, and as usual back down. I wish they’d go through with their secession plans, or we just give the state back to Mexico.
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### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/4 "2012-02-24T16:54:55Z")
It’s interesting that Texas is willing to hold 13,000 low income women hostage for what usually boils down to religious reasons.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/5 "2012-02-24T17:03:30Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> It’s interesting that Texas is willing to hold 13,000 low income women hostage for what usually boils down to religious reasons.
It’s Interesting, but completely unsurprising.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/6 "2012-02-24T17:03:38Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> It’s interesting that Texas is willing to hold 13,000 low income women hostage for what usually boils down to religious reasons.
They’ve decided chemistry can’t be a hobby, and there was the furor over science books. Basically nothing surprises me about Texas anymore.
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### Author:  [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/7 "2012-02-24T17:12:09Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> It’s interesting that Texas is willing to hold 13,000 low income women hostage for what usually boils down to religious reasons.
Texas actually is not holding any woman hostage, as they will be referred elsewhere. What Obama is proposing is to say that if funds don’t go to the organization he wants them to go to, then he’ll take away the funding of for all low-income woman. He is literally willing to hold the funding of 10x more woman hostage for no other reason than he’s pretty much buddy-buddy with one of the organizations to be cut off. You can say whatever you will of that organization, but it’d be hard to paint Obama’s decision, if he goes through with it, as prudent or even remotely intelligent.
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### Author:  [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/8 "2012-02-24T17:12:15Z")
> [@erislover](#):
>
> They’ve decided chemistry can’t be a hobby
Say what?
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/9 "2012-02-24T17:14:11Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> To me, this seems like a no-win situation for the Obama administration
I don’t find that surprising. I’m also not really surprised by the “anything to screw Planned Parenthood” stance Texas seems to be taking here.
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/10 "2012-02-24T17:14:47Z")
Really not seeing any reason for Obama to back down on this one. He’s not going to get any electoral votes in Texas anyway, caving might cost him support in states that are actually in play. Holding the line might help swing some Texas congressional races to the Dems. Looks to me like he’s negotiating from a position of strength.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/11 "2012-02-24T17:14:51Z")
Nothing about Texas surprises me any more. If it wasn’t for Lockhart, the whole state would be useless.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/12 "2012-02-24T17:28:22Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#):
>
> Say what?
[Precursor Chemical Program](http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RegulatoryServices/narcotics/narcprecursor.htm)
> [@Texas Department of Public Safety](#):
>
> In 1989, the statute was amended and requires anyone who sells, transfers, furnishes, or purchases certain precursor chemicals or certain laboratory apparatus to be regulated by DPS.
You can never be too careful in Texas. Someone might accidentally get interested in science.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/13 "2012-02-24T17:51:59Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> Texas actually is not holding any woman hostage, as they will be referred elsewhere.
It’s pretty well recognized that virtually any Federal money comes with certain strings.
> [@](#):
>
> What Obama is proposing is to say that if funds don’t go to the organization he wants them to go to, then he’ll take away the funding of for all low-income woman. He is literally willing to hold the funding of 10x more woman hostage for no other reason than he’s pretty much buddy-buddy with one of the organizations to be cut off. You can say whatever you will of that organization, but it’d be hard to paint Obama’s decision, if he goes through with it, as prudent or even remotely intelligent.
Everything you say here, with a couple of minor word changes, applies equally to the State of Texas. The state is willing to end health care for large numbers of people simply because of a grudge against one organization that does not use Federal or State tax dollars for abortions.
What do you think of the argument that the Texas defunding of Planned Parenthood violates the Social Security Act?
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### Author:  [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/14 "2012-02-24T17:57:47Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> Everything you say here, with a couple of minor word changes, applies equally to the State of Texas. The state is willing to end health care for large numbers of people simply because of a grudge against one organization that does not use Federal or State tax dollars for abortions.
So why can’t it be both Texas and Obama giving Texas women the middle finger?
And with the title I thought it wa a 50/50 chance it would be a literal middle finger.
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### Author:  [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/15 "2012-02-24T17:59:33Z")
> [@erislover](#):
>
> They’ve decided chemistry can’t be a hobby
I had to look that up. Wow. :mad:
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/16 "2012-02-24T18:01:25Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> And with the title I thought it wa a 50/50 chance it would be a literal middle finger.
That’s more of an Arizona thing. 😉
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/17 "2012-02-24T18:06:44Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> It’s pretty well recognized that virtually any Federal money comes with certain strings.
Which is why Obama won’t back down. The principal that the Feds can make federal funding incumbent on State programs meeting certain standards is more important then who gets Medicaid money, I can’t see Obama (or any President of either party) giving in on that.
Also, when these programs are denied federal funding, I suspect the people complaining won’t be woman, but their doctors, who will keep trying to bill Medicaid for womans health exams and either get less money back or will rip a hole in Texas finances by having the whole thing covered despite less federal money to cover it.
Prediction, Texas waits till after the election and then either Obama looses and the point is moot or Obama wins and Texas cuts a deal for the program to be funded retroactively.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/18 "2012-02-24T18:10:39Z")
If Texas is indeed giving Obama the middle finger, they’ve chosen a particularly lousy and immature reason for it.
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### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/19 "2012-02-24T18:39:01Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Nothing about Texas surprises me any more. If it wasn’t for Lockhart, the whole state would be useless.
Bar-B-Q. Willy Nelson. Emmylou Harris. 'Nuff Sed.
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### Author:  [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-gives-obama-the-middle-finger/613852/20 "2012-02-24T18:43:24Z")
> [@erislover](#):
>
> [Precursor Chemical Program](http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/RegulatoryServices/narcotics/narcprecursor.htm)
> You can never be too careful in Texas. Someone might accidentally get interested in science.
Ah, I see. Regulating 19 chemicals that are used to make narcotics means that chemistry is outlawed. I get it. :rolleyes:
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