The president of the United States has just ordered private companies to give away for free a service that his own health and human services secretary has repeatedly called a major financial burden.
Charles Krauthammer
The Washington Post
2/16/2012
Nonetheless, the accounting device worked politically. It took only a handful of compliant Catholic groups — Obamacare cheerleaders dying to return to the fold — to hail the alleged compromise and hand Obama a major political victory.
Before, Obama’s coalition had been split. His birth control mandate was fiercely opposed by such stalwart friends as former Virginia governor Tim Kaine and pastor Rick Warren (Obama’s choice to give the invocation at his inauguration), who declared he would rather go to jail than abide by the regulation. After the “accommodation,” it was the (mostly) Catholic opposition that fractured. The mainstream media then bought the compromise as substantive, and the issue was defused.
A brilliant sleight of hand…
…This constitutional trifecta — the state invading the autonomy of religious institutions, private companies and the individual citizen — should not surprise. It is what happens when the state takes over one-sixth of the economy…
The complete article is at The Washington Post.
Related: Pelosi: Government Should Require Churches Themselves to Knuckle Under to Obama’s Mandate
So much for conscientious objection. Nancy Pelosi doesn’t believe it should exist, at least as abortion/contraception is concerned.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday morning that the government should require self-insured religious institutions, such as the Catholic church in Washington, D.C., to directly pay for contraception and abortifacients.
Read that again. The Catholic church in DC itself, not just a hospital affiliated with it. No state law anywhere mandates that. Yet.
At a press conference, Leader Pelosi was asked by THE WEEKLY STANDARD: “The Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., is a self-insured institution. Should the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., be required to pay for these morning-after pills and birth control if they find that morally objectionable?”
Pelosi talked about the importance of women’s health, and then said, “Yes, I think that all institutions who cover, who give, health insurance should cover the full range of health insurance issues for women.”…
…We’re a long way from 1993, when Rep. Pelosi co-sponsored the Religious Freedom Restoration Act…
Disgusting: Democrat Connolly Scolds Faith Leaders Who Came to DC to Discuss Religious Freedom
…The Rev. William Lori told the committee, “It is absurd for someone to come into a kosher deli and demand a ham sandwich. But it is beyond absurd for that private demand to be backed up with the coercive power of the state.”…
Also, Amicus curiae brief challenging constitutionality of Obamacare filed by watchdog
A top “Inside the Beltway” group that investigates, exposes and prosecutes government corruption filed an amicus curiae brief on February 13, 2012, with the United States Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare (United States Department of Health and Human Services, et al., State of Florida, et al.).
The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for the Obamacare case on March 26, 27 and 28, 2012.
With its amicus curiae brief the non-partisan Judicial Watch maintains that the “individual mandate” provision of Obamacare, which requires every American citizen to purchase health care insurance or pay a penalty, is unconstitutional, whether considered under Congress’ commerce power or taxing power…
You had to know this was coming: Dem Sen. Frank Lautenberg: Republicans Want Women “Barefoot And Pregnant”…
Thankfully, Ron Paul stands up for raw milk and Health Freedom in New Hampshire
…Not only has Ron Paul introduced legislation to repeal the FDA’s prohibition of interstate sales of raw milk, he consistently reminds everyone that Government should not have control over our food choices.
The loudest applause came when Ron Paul spoke about the regulations on raw milk sales. He explained how the FDA does not “take care of us” but rather interferes with our choices by collaborating with special interests…
We saved the best ’til last: DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz: Religious Groups “Shouldn’t Be Imposing Their Values on Employees”… That’s the Governement’s Job Worth the minute and a half just to watch Megyn Kelly’s face.
