In spite of The White Houses’ best attempts at muddying the waters and shifting the contraceptive controversy to one of “women’s health” from “religious freedom” (and, frankly, some success with this, albeit in cahoots with their progressive brethren in the press, not to mention Democrats in Congress, who excel at press conferences masquerading as committee hearings) in order to get the public on board with his free birth control mandate, Mr. Obama is signaling that, like most anything else he decides he wants, he’ll say whatever he knows the press will echo loudly while doing exactly the opposite – namely, mollifying the religious community with worthless platitudes while giving them absolutely no real reason to think that anything has changed.
Not so fast, say Catholics.
Frankly, to this observer it almost appears as if… is it possible?.. the Prez really wants the Catholic Church and any other religious organization that provides health care of any kind, and objects to unconstitutional mandates that impact their religious freedom, to get out of the business of health care, completely and forever. And, close the door on your way out. To those who scoff at such a notion: the reason given for cutting the guts out of Tricare, the military health care system for active duty and retired military, is to move more people into the (Medicaid-style) Obamacare. So, I think it’s entirely plausible that the Prez isn’t interested in what the Catholic Church or any other religious organization that provides health care thinks: he just wants them out of the way.
As an aside, let me say to the Church: hey, I know exactly how you feel: I’m a health insurance agent.
Let’s recap: The Obama Administration announces the most restrictive definition of religious exemption possible, thereby guaranteeing him a collision course with anyone with a religious objection to mandatory contraceptive coverage. After a day or so of Catholic weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, the President decides that, rather than the Church, insurance companies can pay for it. Problem solved, The One has spoken.
Problem is, Mr. Obama apparently either doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or doesn’t think the press will report on the most important fact of all: the Catholic Church is, for the most part, self-insured. There is no “insurance company” to pay for it, as they provide and pay for their own care for their employees, a fact pointed out by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a letter to his fellow bishops.
The rest of the letter is illuminating, most of all because the good Cardinal accurately points out that, as we have now seen demonstrated over the last week in excruciating detail, Democrats are busy painting the entire issue as one of “women’s health care” and abortion-inducing drugs rather than one of religious freedom, as evidenced by the vote on the Blunt Amendment. And obviously, there is little evidence in the “mainstream” media that the religion issue is even an issue, or even important. Why, the temerity of those Catholics, to attempt to discuss religious freedom when we all know that women need free contraception, if only to keep the nations’ birth rate down and help hold those health care expenses in check.
The fact that this Administration is doubling down on their position, by publishing the decision in the Federal Register, etc., points out that, on matters of ideology (as in, progressive action), there is no room for any accommodation that deviates from long-held and cherished policy goals of the left, no matter who they have to skewer. And Catholic Bishops, who stood by and actively supported Obamacare, have now learned that very important lesson. They have been used, and others should heed this warning. Republicans in the Senate, take note.