Virginia State Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says that disabled children are God's punishment to women who have aborted their first pregnancy.  He offered up that sick and insulting observation at a press conference to oppose his state funding of Planned Parenthood on Thursday. 

He didn't stop there, Marshall said:

• "The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps have increased dramatically.  Why?  Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children." 

and, to put even a finer point on it;

• "In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord.  There's a special punishment Christians would suggest."   

Marshall and 20 others, most pastors and clergy, came forward to call on Virginia to stop funding the "unethical, immoral and racist practices" of Planned Parenthood.

This is why we think you are crazy. 

Marshall went on to claim, erroneously, that Planned Parenthood receives "about $500,000 a year" from the state.  Surprisingly, he got this figure way wrong. 

According to Jessica Honke, Planned Parenthood director of public policy for Virginia, the state dolled out a whopping $35,000 in 2009 from Medicaid reimbursements.   That's right, $35K for an organization that offers a lot more services than just abortions, things like simple check ups, pap smears and cancer screenings.  

I don't know if Bob Marshall knows this but in 2005 27,259 women died from a gynecologic (ovarian, cervical) cancer.   We wouldn't want to fund the "unethical, immoral and racist" organization that provides procedures — at an affordable price — for early diagnosis, screening and education about lady-part cancer.

This is why we think you are crazy.

And, boy oh boy, is this guy funny too:

• "Looking at it from a cultural, historic perspective, this organization should be called 'Planned Barrenhood' because they have nothing to do with families, they have nothing to do with responsibility."

A real rib-tickler huh? 

Then, Dean Nelson, executive director of the Network of Politically Active Christians, also in attendance, chimed in with this gem — "they should be called Klan Parenthood," saying Planned Parenthood has shown a "willingness to take donations from people who are racist." 

Their petition was signed by other wacky Christian leaders:

• Rev. Jonathan Fallwell 
• Rev. Pat Robertson 

This is why we think you are crazy.

All of this would be laughable if the brand spanking new Republican, State of the Union rebutting Governor Bob McDonnell didn't support their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.  He does.  

This is why we think you are crazy.

And you know what's more?  You are dangerous.  Women's healthcare IS NOT up for debate.  Back off.  

Sources, more reading: 

• Governor McDonnell 
• Rheality Check
• Bob Marshall
• Gainesville Times article
• Planned Parenthood - had your pap smear lately?