White House struggles to contain uproar...

[BDKJMU]

A lot of donks are jumping ship over this:

White House struggles to contain uproar over birth-control mandate

The White House struggled Wednesday to contain the growing uproar over its birth-control mandate, with Democrats peeling off one by one in what has become an increasingly divisive election-year controversy.

Pressure to roll back the new contraception policy mounted quickly as the day wore on, driven by divisions among Democrats, mixed messages from President Obama’s advisers and a constant drumbeat from the GOP.

“It’s becoming a thorny problem for the White House and it appears to only be getting worse,” said one Democratic strategist. “The politically astute move would be to modify this thing, and quick.”
Asked if the administration should shift course, a former senior administration official said, “I don’t see how they couldn’t. It’s pretty bad.”

With the consternation rising to a fever pitch, Republicans announced a plan to move a bill soon that would repeal the mandate. And prominent Democrats are breaking with the administration over the policy, which requires some religious organizations to cover contraception in their employees’ healthcare plans.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) urged the White House last week to broaden the exception for religious employers. Several of their Democratic colleagues have piled on since.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department “misstepped” in adopting the new policy.

“I just don’t think this is a fight that should have been picked and I think it needs to be fixed,” Connolly said. “I have every confidence that the administration will do so.”

Tim Kaine, a former Democratic National Committee chairman running for Senate in Virginia this year, also said the White House should revisit the rule’s exemptions for religious organizations. The current policy does not apply to churches, but institutions such as Catholic hospitals and universities have to comply.

“I think the White House made a good decision in including a mandate for contraception coverage in the Affordable Care Act insurance policy, but I think they made a bad decision in not allowing a broad enough religious-employer exemption,” Kaine said in a radio interview, according to a transcript provided by his campaign.

Democrats who support the White House policy dug in Wednesday.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said there’s no need for the White House to adopt a wider religious exemption. Carving out churches and other strictly religious employers “was in itself a compromise,” she said, noting that eight states have contraception mandates without religious exemptions.

Twenty-three pro-abortion-rights religious groups also backed the White House policy Wednesday, saying it protects the individual choice of whether to use birth control.

Still, one senior Democratic aide said the plan has put some lawmakers in an “awkward position.”

“A lot of Democrats just don’t want to talk about it and be in the position of defending it,” the aide said. “It’s horrible timing.”

The aide said the issue has become “great messaging” for Republicans, especially those who want to court Hispanic voters of Catholic faith.

On Wednesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney indicated there might be some wiggle room to appease those who are most concerned. The press secretary said Obama is “sensitive” to the concerns expressed by religious leaders and others on the contraception issue and said the administration was trying to find a way to implement the decision that can “allay some of the concerns expressed.”

Obama, Carney added, “is focused on putting in place the right policies for women across the country. He’s focused on finding a balance that is sensitive to the concerns expressed by some religious groups.”

Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod seemed to suggest this past weekend that there was room to compromise on the exemption. But Carney told reporters there’s no change in the administration’s commitment to give women access to these services “no matter where they work.”

The spokesman also said the administration gave religious employers a one-year grace period so that it could work through their objections as it implements the policy. It’s a slight pivot from last week, when a senior administration official said the delay was included simply to give employers time to update their health plans.

At the same time, Carney would not answer a question posed about a news report by Bloomberg indicating that Vice President Biden and former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley had warned of a backlash from Catholic groups if Obama went ahead with the birth-control mandate.

“I’m not going to get into internal deliberations and who was on which side of discussions and debates internally,” Carney said. “I will say that, broadly speaking, the reports that line certain people up in some ways on this issue were inaccurate, both broadly and specifically in terms of some of the individuals. But I’m not going to engage in a guessing game about who thought which way on which issue.”

Republicans, meanwhile, are exploiting the Democratic divisions to turn the contraception rule into a campaign-season wedge issue. They pledged Wednesday to repeal the mandate through legislation if Obama doesn’t back down independently.

“In imposing this requirement, the federal government is violating a First Amendment right that has stood for more than two centuries,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a floor speech Wednesday. “And it is doing so in a manner that affects millions of Americans and harms some of our nation’s most vital institutions.”

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said his panel would begin working on a bill shortly. Senate Republicans also said they’ll try to repeal the mandate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/he ... ol-mandate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SeattleGriz]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

[kalm]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

I agree, and this is classic Obama. Test the waters and pull back at the first sign of trouble. Of course that flies in the face of the conk meme of Obama being decisive and uncompromising.

97% of woman are pro-birth control and many of them are catholic. Too bad they can't talk the church into the 20th century.

[danefan]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

I agree, and this is classic Obama. Test the waters and pull back at the first sign of trouble. Of course that flies in the face of the conk meme of Obama being decisive and uncompromising.

97% of woman are pro-birth control and many of them are catholic. Too bad they can't talk the church into the 20th century.

I see what you did there......

And I do agree.....

[polsongrizz]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

Oh please, your party is the party whom the phrase "Chicken Hawks" was coined for.

As far as fucking Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

[Wedgebuster]

Playing right into their hands. How do you manage to really piss off 50% of the vote without even knowing you did?

Answer- Have a bunch of old men start wanting to restrict women's access to health care.

Perfect

[dbackjon]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

[Cap'n Cat]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

I agree, and this is classic Obama. Test the waters and pull back at the first sign of trouble. Of course that flies in the face of the conk meme of Obama being decisive and uncompromising.

97% of woman are pro-birth control and many of them are catholic. Too bad they can't talk the church into the 20th century.

[Cap'n Cat]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

[Cap'n Cat]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

Oh please, your party is the party whom the phrase "Chicken Hawks" was coined for.

As far as fucking Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

[Vidav]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

[andy7171]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

I agree, and this is classic Obama. Test the waters and pull back at the first sign of trouble. Of course that flies in the face of the conk meme of Obama being decisive and uncompromising.

97% of woman are pro-birth control and many of them are catholic. Too bad they can't talk the church into the 20th century.

Cappy approves of this post.

[CAA Flagship]

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

The Dems already have 2/3's of the WH. The other 1/3 is controlled by paralysis.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

There wouldn't be anyone left working to pay for anything if that happened.

My kid's kids really can't afford this either, they can't pay for the bills they have been given already....................

[89Hen]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal.

They don't call you the King of Hyperbole for nothing.

[dbackjon]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal.

They don't call you the King of Hyperbole for nothing.

And they don't call you Queen of Denial for nothing

[89Hen]

They don't call you the King of Hyperbole for nothing.

And they don't call you Queen of Denial for nothing

Denial over what? Your partisan off-the-wall assertation? Don't tell me you really believe what you typed above.

[SeattleGriz]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

Oh please, your party is the party whom the phrase "Chicken Hawks" was coined for.

As far as fucking Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

Just in case you didn't know, my role here is partisan political hack!

[AZGrizFan]

Democrats are fucking pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

Oh please, your party is the party whom the phrase "Chicken Hawks" was coined for.

As far as fucking Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

That's the comical part. D1B actually believes Catholics follow church "doctrine" on this issue.

[GannonFan]

Oh please, your party is the party whom the phrase "Chicken Hawks" was coined for.

As far as **** Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

That's the comical part. D1B actually believes Catholics follow church "doctrine" on this issue.

He has to. If he didn't ignore reality his whole theory that religious people are unthinking automatons would have no basis to rest on. Ironic, for certain.

[BDKJMU]

Democrats are **** pussies who won't stand for anything but getting reelected. They are just following the precedent their illegal President is following.

Pussies.

I agree, and this is classic Obama. Test the waters and pull back at the first sign of trouble. Of course that flies in the face of the conk meme of Obama being decisive and uncompromising.

97% of woman are pro-birth control and many of them are catholic. Too bad they can't talk the church into the 20th century.

Nothing wrong with being pro birth control. The church & its institutions shouldn't be FORCED to pay for it.

[89Hen]

As far as fucking Catholics go, was one and not a one I know doesn't take birth control.

What about the non-fucking Catholics? We really don't need birth control.

[BDKJMU]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

If you believe that then you're a lot dumber than I think you are.

Obama Contraceptives Mandate Losing Senate Democrats
A handful of Senate Democrats have split with President Obama's controversial birth-control mandate and slammed the administration's requirement that church-affiliated employers cover contraceptives.
The five Democrats in the Senate expressing concern about some parts of the administration's policy include, most recently, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Bill Nelson of Florida, who have spoken publicly about their unhappiness with the mandate.
"This was a bone-headed decision by HHS," Sen. Ben Nelson said of the new Health and Human Services mandates, according to the Nebraska Radio Network.
Nelson agreed with state Attorney General Job Bruning's decision to file a legal challenge to the mandate.
Florida's Nelson has also raised concerns. "My position is that church-affiliated organizations should be exempt, not just churches," Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times Buzz Blog, adding that he has called the White House to express his concerns.
"It's a matter of religious freedom," Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin told ABC News.
The senators' statements follow other Democratic senators who voiced concerns this week.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut who caucuses with Democrats, tweeted Wednesday, "I am opposed to the Administration's new requirement that religious org.'s must offer employees contraception benefits."
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wrote a letter to President Obama last week calling on him to reverse the new ruling. "I have strongly supported efforts to provide greater access to contraception," Casey wrote. "I believe, just as strongly, that religiously affiliated organizations like hospitals and universities should not be compelled by our Federal government to purchase insurance policies that violate their religious and moral convictions."
Meanwhile, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, up for re-election, has teamed with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida on legislation that would repeal the administration's mandate.
In a letter sent to Obama last week, Manchin called the mandate "a direct affront to the religious freedoms protected under the First Amendment of our Constitution."....................."
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-contracepti ... -news.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Catholic Democrats Criticize Obama for Too Broad a Contraceptive Mandate
"...Kaine, along with Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson, are the core of a chorus who are encouraging Obama to find an alternative solution. Other Democrats who have expressed concern include freshman Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois. There are reports that Vice President Joe Biden also agrees with the group but is publicly silent on the issue....."
http://www.christianpost.com/news/catho ... ate-69083/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Joe Biden, Bill Daley warned of contraceptive backlash
Two top advisers to President Barack Obama — both Catholics — warned him of the potential for controversy over his decision to require religious organizations to cover contraceptives in their health insurance plans.

Vice President Joe Biden and former White House chief of staff Bill Daley both told the president that the decision would be cast as a government intrusion on religious freedom and that it could alienate Catholic voters in swing states, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The decision has whipped up a frenzy of criticism for the president that he’s been battling since the move went public.

Biden, the first Catholic to serve as vice president, isn’t known for being reticent. But he hasn’t yet spoken publicly about the Jan. 20 decision. His office declined to comment.

The advice coming from Biden and Daley also represented a division among the president’s top advisers,......."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72612.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BDKJMU]

This is going to kill the Republicans. The wacko-right wing, led by Santorum, are trying to take the US back to the Comstock Law era, where any type of contraception was illegal. The uproar from the non-wacko wing of the Republican Party is about to crash down on them.

Keep this up, and the Dems will have 2/3's of the House, Senate and the WH.

If you believe this then you are as dumb as I think you are.

[JohnStOnge]

My thoughts as I've watched this unfold have to do with the definition of "rights." Those on Obama's side say women have a "right" to birth control products.

It goes back to the old idea that, if something is something someone else has to give to you, it can not be a right.

A right, properly defined, is something you have innately that no one should be able to take from you without cause. You have a right to life. You have a right to liberty. You have a right to pursue happieness. Those are things you innately have.

But birth control products? Obviously, if we say a woman has a "right" to such things we introduce the possibility that someone must be forced to give it to her if she is not able to obtain it for herself.

And that is fundamentally wrong. We are really, really on the wrong track in this country. Whether Obama prevails on this particular issue or not, there is no doubt that a critical mass of people has accepted the idea that people have "rights" to things other people potentially must give to them.