Birth-control fight turns into political tool
By Lisa Mascaro and Kathleen Hennessey, Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s new requirement that most health insurance plans provide contraceptive services has exploded into a high-octane political weapon, with combatants on both sides scrambling to score points among the electorate and gin up fundraising from their most ardent supporters.
In Congress and on the campaign trail Wednesday, Republicans attacked the rule as another example of government overreach, Exhibit A in the case against President Obama’s healthcare law, while Democrats asserted the GOP was trying to turn back the clock on women’s rights.
House Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, a Catholic, fueled the political firestorm by making a rare floor speech vowing to block the requirement that most faith-based employers, including Catholic ones, offer contraception, regardless of their religious beliefs. Churches and other houses of worship are exempt.
The campaign of Mitt Romney, a leading candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, said the rule “compels religious institutions to violate the tenets of their own faith,” and Romney vowed to strike it down.
Democrats and Republicans used the controversy to appeal for contributions from their traditional political bases, a strategy that carries risks as well as rewards. At a time when independents and moderates can sway general elections, turning up the heat on a social issue could prove distracting and annoying to voters who are more concerned about unemployment and the sluggish economy.
Amid the rising clamor, administration officials are exploring the possibility of implementing the rule so that religiously affiliated employers could offer supplemental policies, known as riders, for contraception or direct workers to insurance companies that sell such riders.
Even if Catholic voters and independents agree with the White House on substance, the administration doesn’t want to appear insensitive to the concerns of the Catholic Church.
Women’s groups would be likely to vigorously oppose any alteration of the rule.
“White House on substance, the administration doesn’t want to appear insensitive to the concerns of the Catholic Church”
Yes, they’re offering to “compromise”. This administration doesn’t understand, or care, that not everything is political, that some people believe in absolutes. Whether or not some Catholics and Christians use birth control is not the issue here. The issue is the State forcing the Church to disobey its own laws and beliefs by providing procedures and medications that cause abortion, which is MURDER. How can we compromise on THAT?
Taking birth control IS NOT MURDER!!!! Birth control does not cause abortions, it prevents the pregnancy from ever happening. With the way some talk, women should just constantly be bare foot and pregnant because no egg should go unfertilized or an innocent live is being lost. When people are employed and receive health insurance they should be able to have the option to be covered for the birth control of THEIR choice, not the church’s, or government’s.
Heather Cade
“life” not live
If your god doesn’t want you to take birth control, or have abortions, or be homosexual…
don’t do it.
Once again, dogwoman is completely out of their element.
Wrong argument, both of you. It’s not about whether or not people HAVE abortions. It’s about compelling the Church to pay for them. Different argument completely.
And Heather, the Church doesn’t officially permit the use of birth control pills, but I wasn’t referring to them as abortion. However Plan B, the Morning After Pill, which is also mandated to be covered, IS Abortive.
Birth control is not a health issue, it’s a choice, period.
Why should others have to pay for your choices?
And sure, you can legally use whatever form of contraception you choose to. But you can’t force me to pay for it. You want to use it? Why can’t you pay for it?
That’s my own personal opinion, but the situation between the Obama Administration and the Church right now is a Constitutional issue, and apparently beyond the Robot’s comprehension.
If men can choose to get pills for an erection, why can’t women get get pills to stop that seed from germinating?
Why birth control pills are even covered under health care or insurance is beyond me. Pregnancy is not a disease. Either is ED for men.
Let’s not have health insurance cover elective surgeries or immunizations either.
And birth control has and continues to be used for medical reasons beyond stopping a pregnancy; just as other prescriptions have multiple uses beyond the original intended use.
Shouldn’t all prescriptive medications be covered by health insurance? Otherwise, sell it over the counter like cold medicine and it shouldn’t be covered by health insurance.
Info,
how are elective surgury and immunizations even in the same thread of thinking?
birth control is a choice not a medical issue. That is the facts.
If being pregnant is a medical issue, then isn’t the prevention of that medical condition a medical issue?
Immunizations are a choice, too. Elective surgery, is a choice, too. Neither of them are life-threatening. They are as much of a choice as it is to not get pregnant.
Being pregnant is not an affliction it is the natural objective.
Frankly you’re either intentionally illogical which is intellectually dishonest or ignorant on the issues.
Either way I am not interested in discussing it with you further.
It is Pointless.
Would you argue against preventative medicine? Would you not get a prostate test? Would you not want your wife/girlfriend/daughter/sister not to get a mammogram or pap? Why can’t birth control be looked at as preventative medicine? And why attack me? Solutions are not found in name calling. Solutions are found by listening. We can even agree to disagree.
Info, more MISSING THE POINT.
This is a Constitutional issue, NOT an insurance issue. NOT a “women’s health” issue. It is the State trying to force the Church to break its own laws. Why does the Left refuse to comprehend that?
Don’t assume I’m on the left. The other issue beyond constitutional rights is choice in health care. Maybe reform of health care is the real issue.
You can have all the choice in healthcare you want. Buy it yourself!!
info,
Being pregnant is not an affliction.
You are being dishonest. You cannot have an honest discussion with a dishonest person.
I am being polite as I can be when I say it is pointless to continue this discussion with you.
What’s next? Forcing Jewish students to eat pork as part of a balanced diet? Probibiting the Amish from owning horses to stop global warming? This has to stop! Civil disobediance may be the only means to stop American socialism and tyranny.
Joe, I think info’s point is that your notion that sex is only for procreation is juvenile. Most adults recognize that sex serves multiple purposes in adult relationships and therefore there is a social benefit in reducing unwanted pregnancies. Most churches have come to terms with this. The notable exception is of course the Catholics, except most Catholics of course.
I have yet to find in the Bible where it say’s no birth control
any of you know where that scripture is ?
John,
Your points are meritless- did you read my posts? Better yet, did you comprehend my posts? Nothing I said equates to your points.
My position is clearly stated and don’t need some ignoramus’s interpretation of them.
Tahoe Needs Small Business, Did you mean Joestirumup’s posts? or maybe PubworksTV? or was it one of your many other nom de plumes? It’s really rather pathetic when “they” agree with each other on the same topic thread.
Smed. You know pathetic I am sure. Closeup and personnal when you wash up every day.
Cats outa da bag Joe is Tahoe needs small business.
So what!
The issue is the same. SL Tahoe / California is a dying town and unless people wake up and start understading why it will not change it’s course.
It’s not rocket science it’s a repeat of history.
This attacking of each other has to end. Move on now.
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
Chief Slowroller: Thou shalt not murder.
As aborting an unborn child is murder.
As far as birth control, look up Onan.
But, as I’ve said before, this not about the Bible. This is about the Consitution of United States of America. And the crushing under the heel of Obama of that document.
KAE; In the good old days women of means and some of no means never had an abortion. However the did have a proceedure known as Dialation and Curettage. On occasion when my mother’s bridge group got together i would hear talk about a D&C.I recall hearing poor Mary had to have a D&C then poor Theresa had to have a D&C.I recently mentioned this to a male friend age 65 his comment was “that’s what that means” Time marches on.