When the Republican Party’s promiscuity police stood toe-to-toe with science—arguing, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that contraception increases sexual indiscrimination—they won. Democrats sat on their unprotected thumbs as “abstinence only” replaced “sex education” in our nation’s schools.
It was not realistic or pragmatic. It wasn’t even remotely effective, despite the millions of taxpayer dollars spent teaching it. It was faith-based advocacy, the imposition of one’s religious views on an entire populace. And it was made into law via legislation supported and funded by Democrats. (Hence the common “spineless” prefix used when referencing the Democratic Party.)
And then there was Barack.
After two solid weeks of Republicans rapidly escalating attacks on contraception access under the banner of “religious freedom,” Obama finally announced what the White House is proposing an accommodation of religiously affiliated employers who don’t want to offer birth control coverage as part of their insurance plans. In those situations, the insurance companies will have to reach out directly to employees and offer contraception coverage for free, without going through the employer. …Obama just pulled a fast one on Republicans. He drew this out for two weeks, letting Republicans work themselves into a frenzy of anti-contraception rhetoric, all thinly disguised as concern for religious liberty, and then created a compromise that addressed their purported concerns but without actually reducing women’s access to contraception.
The rightwing rhetoric didn’t change. The extreme prejudice didn’t change. The targets didn’t even really change; they merely shifted. Whereas before it was slaves, Communists, pedophilic liberals, and infanticidal Wiccan lesbians, today it’s uppity black people, science, gay people, and half of the nation’s population: women.
But this time, when the churches started crying about “freedom of speech” and “religious liberty,” sanity fought back against fundamentalism.
Obama ended the practice of churches using “righteousness” to infringe on other people’s rights, and there’s little evidence to suggest that this was anything but a long-game strategy.
Under Obama’s plan, everybody wins: women, churches, and of course the president himself.
It’s likely that the “compromise” won’t satisfy Catholic bishops, the most vehement opponents of the law, but that doesn’t really matter. Obama’s olive branch to the Church gives him allies in 99 percent of women—and 98 percent of Catholic women—who’ve used contraceptives in their lifetime. And for those who would use this as reason to vote against Obama in 2012, it’s unlikely they’d have voted for him anyway.
The president isn’t losing supporters in this decision; 56 percent of voters support the provision, compared to 37 percent who oppose it. He’s not offending anyone except the most theologically rigid. He’s riled his base and once again maintained a calm demeanor amid another partisan storm, showcasing for all Americans how effective level-headed decision-making can be. Politically speaking, it’s ingenious.
As ABLC’s own Ian Boudreau so eloquently articulated already, the Catholic Church has no reason to fear that government agents will start hunting down pious Americans and shoving birth controls pills down their throats.
The claim is that Catholic employers will be forced – forced! - to pay for medical services they believe are immoral, and will therefore be placing their immortal souls in danger of estrangement from God’s grace.
Here’s why they don’t need to worry: The decision to use or not to use contraception is the individual’s. …Any moral culpability for the use of contraceptives…rests with the persons deciding to avail themselves of this coverage.
By law, a church organization operating as a business cannot deny service to a man because of his skin color under the guise of “freedom of expression.” The same now goes for such employers who wish to deny women access to health services.
We can thank the Affordable Care Act for that.
And we can thank Obama, who has fought for women and families of every creed, who has given the Democratic Party a spine, and who continues to be a source of pride for those of us who’ve watched in horror as our party waffled, tongue-tied and terrified, while Republicans riled the nation with emotional appeals of “morality” behind policies that were anything but moral.
Standing ovation for President Obama and to Nicholas for this beautifully written post.
Health care reform includes no cost office visits for cervical cancer screening. Should not the Catholic church also deny such screening on the chance that cancer, if found, my require a hysterectomy, eliminating the ability to have children?
Lets just make sure we get out & VOTE & offer to take your less fortunate neighbors or anyone else to Vote ! This is going to be a battle to get our people to the poles ! & be there to make sure they don’t get there right to Vote , because that is what there trying to do !!!!!
And plus, it also showed us the type of people he works with. You had Dems like Kerry, and even Biden acting all wimpy, but he held firm.
And Barack Obama played these suckers, again
Even some of the conservative journalist were like “stop this now, its going bad for us”
And it was really funny when the news came before any details, you had Politico talking about “Bishops box in Obama”, then a couple hours later, change everything.
This made the media, especially Chris “Tweety” Matthews and EJ Dionne look like damn fools, Dionne was pissed at Obama for drawing this out, thus giving Dionne time to look mad foolish. All these dudes concern trolling on the lady parts was just magical.
Made the GOP look like god damn fools, and they’re still not taking the hint, and the professional left cant find a narrative to run on in their orgy of hate.
Checkmate
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that saw that. I see why Kerry lost the election. Why are they letting themselves be cowed by renegade bishops? Makes me miss Barney Frank. He would’ve said something smart.
What is sex education these days, anyway? In my day they talked about pregnancy, abortion, STD’s, and prophylactics. Why don’t they teach kids about the emotional consequences of sex, abortion, and STD’s? Make kids think deeply about how sex will affect their entire life, even if it’s “casual” and “safe”. Then maybe people will make wiser decisions about it. It’s no use to tell them what’s right or wrong. That has never worked, even in the strictest Catholic schools.
Well done, Chazz. Well done.
Hmmm, wouldnt this all be solved with single payer?
Maybe Americans will think of this fact more and more and demand their elected officials vote on it, and if not, vote for those who can.
Always Wrong Cenk said President Obama would “cave” and never defend a woman’s right to contraception around Feb 8, and I guess there will be an apology due, right?
Arrogant, I think cats like Cenk Uygur will bitch and moan no matter what happens. Look at the FDL lie where Obama winning 25b settlement for Robo-calling while reserving the right (and still pursuing) further criminal prosecution as a secret sellout to the banks.
Think about how the Firebaggers and their acolytes bitched about everything Obama has done, good or bad. Obama saved the auto industry, ended a war, brought to economy back, fought for gay rights, taking the banks to task and pushing us closer to single payer and these fools are still crying and wearing sackcloth. Huh? This President, through quiet resolved and strategy, has proven to be the effective hard nosed liberal the Right feared he would be, and these screwballs are whining?
Why? If Bush scored this many points on the conservative checklist – he’d be on Mount Rushmore now. Fox News would be calling for national holiday ala Reagan. Hell, even Red Ink Ronnie wasn’t this effective.
The reason is that the PL aren’t about backbone or winning, they’re addicted to complaining. The Professional Left is also addicted to political theater – showy actions that look cool but have very little substance. Whether its public shaming a bunch of Catholic bishops or making bankers walking out of a courtroom in handcuffs and orange jumpsuits, the PL are really more about punishing their perceived enemies than actually fixing things. Obama is the exact opposite. The President doesn’t care about ideology or embarrassing people – he cares about results.
The Firebaggers are fighting the same old battles using the old tired weapons. They’re too busy complaining about losing that they fail to realize that they’re winning with Obama.
Arrogant, You said it best over at The people’s view – The Professional Left haven’t made it past the 70′s and the Tea Party Right are stilling living in the 50′s. Obama is trying to drag the rest of us in the future.
You aint never lied, Cappadonna
They want the show, they want to feel good, instead of quietly doing the actions to get the results needed to help people.
I dont expect them to apologize for shit.
In California, they had a chance to vote on single payer, and it failed by 2 votes, where were these PLs bitching and complaining then? Where was the infrastructure of support? Oh wait, they rather sip lattes at Starbucks and complain via their laptops on the free wifi
They had a chance to make a victory in their favor, and they blew it, didnt even bother to mount up and fight, they they want to criticize and bitch from a blog about Barack Obama?
The most useless people are the most vociferous critics, what a joke