Queen Takes Republican Bishop – Checkmate
While there were many lessens learned through the Komen fiasco the main one was: Stop messing with Women’s Health or face the consequences.
Republicans would be wise to study what happened to Komen, because their plan of going after contraception could very well destroy them in the same way it destroyed Komen. By moving contraception into the forefront of the abortion wars the GOP has not only revealed its true strategy, it has exposed its King. And everyone knows that the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. Lose your Queen, lose the… election?
Cassandra points out the assist given to the Bishops and GOP from the News Journal Editorial Board. Of course, they weren’t alone in their silliness. You couldn’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the television without hearing the “religious” argument – mostly by men, btw.
Obama took the religious argument off the table last week. The fight now is about contraception, no matter how much Republicans try and spin it. Unfortunately, for them, the Bishops aren’t helping them spin.
“The only complete solution to this religious liberty problem is for HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] to rescind the mandate of these objectionable services,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement.
Got that? The Bishops aren’t just speaking for their flock. They are calling for everyone to be subjected to Catholic Doctrine. If you aren’t Catholic and have no moral objection to contraception… too bad. This isn’t about religion anymore – of course, it never was. This is simply the next logical step in the Conservative’s desire to control women – after all, if you get rid of contraception it makes the whole Madonna/whore scorecard so much easier to read.
We’ve come a long way since JFK, who had to make clear that he wouldn’t take orders from the Vatican. Today, Republicans are perfecting their genuflecting.
And the fact that most Catholics disagree with their “moral” leaders gets lost in the noise.
Yet in his refusal to cave completely to the religious liberty campaign, Obama has illustrated the reality that the bishops no longer speak for most U.S. Catholics—the nation’s largest religious denomination and a critical swing-voter group—on a host of moral issues, according to polls.
Not on abortion or the death penalty (a majority of Catholics believe those should remain legal); on divorce or homosexuality (most say those are acceptable); on women being ordained as priests and priests getting married (ditto); or on masturbation and pre-marital sex (ditto again, Your Excellencies).
And especially not on contraception. Ever since Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church’s senseless ban on birth control in 1968, few doctrines have been as vilified, ridiculed and outright ignored by Catholics – evidenced by a recent study showing that 98% of American Catholic women have used some form of contraception. It’s hard to believe, as the bishops would have it, that those women simply succumbed to society’s pressure to do the secular thing. They’ve decided, in keeping with their faith’s precept of exercising personal conscience, that family planning is the moral and societally responsible thing to do—for example, preventing unwanted pregnancies and therefore abortions. And it explains why a recent Public Religion Research Institute poll found most Catholics support the contraception coverage mandate even for Catholic-affiliated organizations. Presumably most endorse Friday’s compromise.
These men have lost control of their flock. Seriously, this group of men is the last group of people to lecture anyone on morality. Their time would be better spent getting their own house in moral order. Sorry, but their positioning on this issue will reignite other issues.
But the interesting outcome of this debate is the Republican reaction. They seemed determined to go there.
Not satisfied with President Obama’s new religious accommodation, Republicans will move forward with legislation by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Sunday.
“If we end up having to try to overcome the President’s opposition by legislation, of course I’d be happy to support it, and intend to support it,” McConnell said. “We’ll be voting on that in the Senate and you can anticipate that that would happen as soon as possible.”
No more hiding behind fetuses for them. They are willing to rip off the mask and run with their real agenda. Openly. Oh, they’re still desperately trying to hide behind religious liberty, but that ship sailed last week. All they’re left with is coming out against contraception.
That’s a fight I’m willing to have.
Tags: Women's Health, Women's Issues
Santorum? Can you explain that?
This is the best thing that has happened for the President since he married Michelle:)
First of all, Mitch McConnell’s face is a potent contraception…. it promotes abstinence.
Is David Anderson around to explain the political calculation here? I dont want to hear why treating women like livestock is moral or why skydad likes it… i want to know why republican politicians, who dont care about right or wrong, just their next election….. think it is a good idea and think the people will respond positively to it. Is Fox News blasting anti-contraception propaganda and telling all their sheep this is what they want?
It is an embarrassing time to be male.
btw, did anyone notice how the powers finally were able to crown Mittens over the weekend? (unless the Tbags are ready to say Cpac is too liberal)
CPAC is still the elite. None of my teabag neighbors were at CPAC.
Meatball, Santorum is the latest “Not Romney” candidate. He’s simply the true conservative protest vote – mainly because he’s all that’s left. Romney hurt Newt in Florida – altho he may have one last surge, because… If Santorum stumbles I expect Newt will rise again.
Basically the Santorum vote is the Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Trump, etc. vote consolidated. If those others had stayed in the race Santorum wouldn’t be surging and Romney would be winning primaries with his stagnate 25%. Romney wept every time a candidate dropped out of the race.
Granted, Santorum is the poster child for the anti-contraception campaign. I still can’t believe the GOP wants to pick a fight over this non-controversial issue. Just like the payroll tax stunt, the GOP finds itself lost in the weeds of policy.
SB – you must have been speaking to Elaine Chao (Mrs. McConnell). And here I thought the rhythm method was all about having the right music playing when you had sex.
And about that rhythm method…
Other than its lack of effectiveness, how is the rhythm method different from contraception? All are conscious decisions to not procreate.
exactly! It seems the catholic (and now official republican) position is that unless your intention is to get pregnant, you shouldn’t be allowed to have sex. I really cant believe they are fighting this battle either.
One possible positive for straight women anyway..(switching to humor mode).. I watched a program over the weekend about sex’n’stuff on Discovery… findings show that women are more likely to get pregnant if they have an orgasm. Perhaps legislation requiring male sexual potency is in the works.
“No more hiding behind fetuses for them.” Well said.
Once again the Republicans have provided President Obama with a cudgel, and once again President Obama seems unwilling to use it.
He used it, Jason. He gave them what they claimed they wanted, and now everyone knows the bishops and republicans lied. That’s the story.
1. Obama administration covers contraception, except in certain religious institutions.
2. Bishops freak out and say that they want all catholic institutions exempt.
3. Obama says okay and gives them exactly what they claimed they wanted.
4. A moment of silence from the bishops.
5. Bishops resume freak out over… what? The coverage of contraception for non-Catholics? Why yes. The existence of contraception? That’s where they’re heading, because Republicans have to say everything they’re against is evil. So get ready.
Now, I have no idea if Obama planned this – since freaking out over lady sex has been the GOP’s #1 pastime for the last two years – or if he’s the luckiest man on earth. Take a look at my list above. Religion left the debate at #3.
No contraceptive more potent than watching George Will and Peggy Noonan opine about prospective coitus.
And yes, it’s mostly dirty old men, but let us not forget that old barren hags who’ve not been outside of a five-mile radius of Bethesda in 25 years have a say on your holiest of your holy too!
Not unless you firmly believe that religious freedom extends to being able to force your religion on others. That is the catch-22 with a missionary faith. If they (christians) are practicing their faith, they are forcing others to be christians. In these bishops minds, being told they cant for an agnostic girl to get pregnant, married, and carry the baby to term if she wants a roll in the hay, they are being oppressed and must have liberty.
…. see also “why the pilgrims really came to the new world”
possible compromise? female hysteria being re-validated as a medical condition and only Catholic bishops will be approved “therapists”
The House GOP seems hellbent on creating and voting on a bill to roll back this contraceptive rule — what is needed now are a bunch of legislative amendments to highlight how silly this is. We already talked about the VA legislator who tried to amend a bill requiring ultrasound prior to abortions to make sure that men getting viagra would have to submit to a cardiac stress test and digital rectal exam first.
Now we have a legislator in Oklahoma who is amending their proposed fetal personhood law with one that criminalizes the wasting of semen (ahem) as an action against an unborn child.
More like this, ladies!
question for conservatives
should a company owned by a muslim be allowed to require all women to wear burkas to work?
Full personhood for gametes. I love it.
LOL! All semen must have a chance to reach an egg!
…or all men need to undergo and ultra sound of the nutsack before they are allowed to spank it.
And now the Virginia GOP is waging war on abortion rights.