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Subscribe to RSSCENTENNIAL, CO — Mitt Romney injected himself into a battle between religious groups and the Obama administration on Monday night, calling a new requirement that health care plans include coverage for contraception a "violation of conscience."
Before one of the largest crowds of his campaign, Romney decried the new rule, which requires religious institutions like hospitals, universities and charities to provide coverage for contraceptive services as part of their health care plans, regardless of the particular group's teachings on contraception.
While churches are exempt from the new requirement, it has quickly become a lightning rod issue for social conservatives, with the Catholic Church leading the charge against it.
"We must have a president who is willing to protect America’s first right, a right to worship God, according to the dictates of our own conscience," Romney said to an audience of nearly 3,000 people gathered in a high school gymnasium. "We'll either have a government that protects religious diversity and freedom, or we'll have a government that tells us what kind of conscience they think we ought to have."
Romney, who rarely discusses social issues unprompted on the stump, on Monday made his opposition to the mandate a major applause line at his rally outside Denver.
The issue has quickly become a part of the Republican campaign; Newt Gingrich has accused the Obama administration of waging a "war against religion" with the regulation.
Romney's comments echo a Washington Examiner op-ed piece he wrote last week, in which the former Massachusetts governor used even more forceful language to describe the new rule as "trampling" religious freedom.
"The Obama administration is forcing religious institutions to choose between violating their conscience or dropping health care coverage for their employees, effectively destroying their ability to carry on their work," Romney wrote, saying he "stands with" Catholic bishops opposed to the mandate.
Romney's focus on an issue of particular interest to Catholic voters comes on a day in which his campaign has focused its fire on Rick Santorum, a devout Catholic who has made social issues a cornerstone of his campaign.
The former Massachusetts governor's comments tonight could be seen as an attempt to try to peel away voters from Santorum, the Republican rival a Romney campaign senior adviser acknowledged could snap Romney's electoral win-streak with an upset in Minnesota or Missouri tomorrow.
Democrats called the attacks on the law hypocritical, and were quick to point out similar provisions in the healthcare law Romney passed in Massachusetts.
“It's the ultimate hypocrisy that Mitt Romney is hitting the President for the same birth control policy he oversaw and protected as Governor," Obama campaign adviser Stephanie Cutter said in a statement. "The problem for him is that women are on to him. The trust of voters is priceless in elections, and unfortunately for him it can’t be bought.”
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It is nice to see most of these posts see the stupidity and the politics of Mitt Romney and the GOP on this issue.
There is NO law that states one has to "take" any pill....so ?
my religon says I should take BCPs so I dont get pregnant, and the Catholic church wants to take away my freedom of religion!
This is a tough one on the surface. In reality, it's rather simple. Congress cannot make any law which gives preference to religions or the values of a particular religion over the individual. Forcing individuals to do without protection routinely provided to others because of someone else's religious beliefs is not equal protection under the law.
Churches are free to preach their values. They don't have the right to use force. Any church official who in good conscience believes contraception is wrong should not use it. For the government to allow them to use force on employees regardless of faith constitutes an establishemnt of religion.
Providing insurance coverage for contraception does not mean it will be used, and it forces no one to do so. That choice is up to individual conscience. It in no way connotes approval.
The fact is that the churches involved are living in the past. Catholic women use contraception with clear conscience every day- up to 90% use or have used contraception.
It's time to put the churches back in their place. They are private institutions that provide guidance. They do not have the right to force their values on others, and if they wish to be political, they should lose their tax exempt status.
By the by, Mormons don't believe in using birth control any more than Catholics do.
Put this bunch in charge and women will lose the right to vote, and they'll have the schools teaching geocentricity before long.
Obama just put Ohio and Pa. in play ain't that GRAND:)
LOL, not really, only the far far far right who already were not going to vote for President Obama are the only people this will piss off.
This issue isn't against the Church, its AGAINST WOMEN!!!! and their rights to control their body. 600 dollars is sometimes more than some women can afford, free birthcontrol on your healthcare plan does not mean you have to fill the prescription. geez have some common sense. The GOP is against abortion and welfare and food stamps, but don't want women who don't want to get pregnant to use birth control. Is the GOP trying to take us back to the middle ages, I mean this is a no brainer, common sense. To oppose birth control is NUTS!
Many on the far right think using contraception is actually killing babies. I have seen posts that said condoms kill heartbeats, This is so crazy its funny. I guess the other day when some of my sperm fell on the bed I just killed a baby with this kind of logic. Simple minded people. Live and let live.
PDug19, Hot daddy is right.
The churches employees are American citizens, not Vatican citizens. Maybe they don't agree with all the rules Catholics are supposed to follow, and somehow I'm sure no bishop asked them for their opinion.
men will just have more affairs with women who are on the pill. guys have to have their sex.
I would still vote for Romney over Obama, but this is just plain stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..............stupid!
Actually a condom prevents sperm from entering the uterus and possibly creating the beginnings of a fetus. Funny how ignorant some people are. But, the choice here is with women and not men who have not a clue about the bodies of a woman with the exception of love making. So, Mitt is buying into the protests by those who wish to strip women of their inalienable rights, men much like the Taliban and the Evangelicals who also are male dominated and have not a clue about the rights of a woman's body. And, by the way, how will this reduce the deficit? How will this restore an ailing economy? Its pure BS folks, pure BS, and is designed to wean yu away from the real issues alive in this country.
This is ridiculous. So what if the Catholic church would be forced to cover contraceptives. First of all, no nun will be taking them anyway for purposes of birth control, so what's the problem?
Second of all, the Catholic religion does not prevent nuns from taking oral contraceptives for purposes of regulating menstruation. Or to reduce their risk for "nun's blight". Romney's conscience would be troubled by paying $20-$40 dollars a month per woman for THAT?
Third of all, the more I hear Republicans speak in this campaign, the more ashamed I am to call myself a Republican. They are saying anything they can to contradict Obama. No matter that they are talking in circles or have no idea what they're talking about.
Working during the night as a nurse, you unfortunately see a LOT of campaign speeches, commentary, and interviews on patients' tv's. The more I hear, the more ridiculous and wild it gets. And frankly, I ask, are these Republicans our best candidates that we can put forth? They're jokes, all of them.
who is he to judge? doesnt he know that its not for him to judge others? “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:12).”he is such a phony, people of faith need to look deeper their holy book and see what the bible says about issues, they may be suprised to find out that their actions donot match that of what is written
Why are these MEN concerned with women's reproduction choices? Sex will not go away nor will people stop having it. Times have changed. We aren't working the land and we don't need a dozen children as a source of labor and security in our old age. Also, we don't need to pop out children every second of the day just to ensure that enough will survive childhood. The RCC and Mormon church encourages having a lot of children so it will keep their pews and temples AND COFFERS full. We do have to practice controlled population grow because this planet will not be able to support an ever increasing population -- there will be more instances of starvation, land wars, water struggles, oil wars. The Republicans raise the cry of TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT but they want to creep into my bedroom and my medicine cabinet? I say NO WAY! I just watched the recent Roe v. Wade demonstration in DC. Children and teenagers were bused in to hold signs as they giggled, skipped around, and were cheerful. Why? Because they got to miss a day of school. Then they dumped their signs in the streets and on sidewalks and skipped on home. What a joke! Want to end abortion...make it so that every pregnancy is wanted. I am sick and tired of my reproduction rights being of concern to people who I DON"T KNOW or WANT TO KNOW!
There is the "my-way-or-the-highway" managerial approach to personnel and even personal relations. There is increasingly the "my-way-or-the-highway-to-hell" managerial approach to congregant/communicant religious relations. Within the Catholic Church, the legacy of Pope John XXIII has all but been expunged, and those in the American church hierarchy who wish to retain their authority or advance within that hierarchy know that it can only be done by advancing --if that can be seen as proper phrasing -- an increasingly anti-secularist position. If the hierarchy is truly committed to such a way "forward," the church hierarchy should then likewise reject the secularism explicit in accepting Federal monies. By rejecting Caesar's funding, the hierarchy may then reject Caesar's regulations.
As an aside, it will be interesting to see the effects of the Church's recent marketing campaigns to re-enlist the strayed members of its flock. The struggle for perceived relevance is not always pretty.
Voters, PLEASE remember in 2012 as one of the MANY reasons the gop rammed through legislation in the states they control to suppress voters-(voter ID laws), union busting laws, went on that witch hunt to destroy Acorn and they're trying to destroy PP, dstrict gerrymanderng in states, even in blue states and now this poison pill in the FAA bill about to be passed that had Reid and repubs do it behind closed doors-(SHAME ON YOU Reid and dems for this CRAP and it's only FEB!!!), they're on track to steal these elections by every dirty law that can be passed unabated, cheating, fear tactics and the bullying. How else could Daniels in Indiana get insane legislation passed that makes PUBLIC SCHOOLS teach creationism but the "right is screaming our President has declared a "war on relgion"?
We're becoming a religious theocracy faster then we KNOW in the good ol' US of A and sure ain't no "muslim" one like the tea party was shrieking at all those rallies when holding up all those signs warning the people of the "Kenyan muslim terrorist in the WH who was coming for your Medicare, SS and GUNS". Feeling stupid yet 3 pointed hat crowd as hasn't it sunk it yet HE is not the one you need to be afraid of?
Glad I was able to get my tubes tied when I DID!!! I only for the rest of you gals, 2012 gets here FAST!! My poor girls as I am really afraid for THEM on so many levels as we march straight into FASCISM.
The fact that he equates America with "a right to worship God" shows why religious people should not be president. In his mind, there is only one god, his. His religious freedom apparently doesn't cover polytheist religions like Hinduism, or religions that have no deity whatsoever like Buddhism.
Christianity does not represent America's values, it has always represented the values of were it was born, the Middle East. The only really American religion would be what most of the founding fathers were, Deism. They didn't care what god you professed to worship, as long as you kept it to yourself.
Don't complain about religious freedom, if you are only wanting to push your own on everybody else.
I have no doubt these same institutions protesting the birth control availability requirement have no issue with providing Viagra or Cialis as part of their health care benefits.
"We'll either have a government that protects religious diversity and freedom, or we'll have a government that tells us what kind of conscience they think we ought to have."
Well, Mitt, that about says it all doesn't it? It's called being given a choice to either use a contraceptive or not use a contraceptive and having access to the contraceptive. If you don't have access to it, aren't you telling the minions that the idea of using it is wrong in the eyes of the church and therefore you should NOT have access to it.
Mitt is a hypocrite and can't have it both ways. Access to everyone for contraceptives is all it is and is not a religeous issue. By you saying that your minions should not have access is just you dictating what the people should think, which is you arguement for not having access.
heres an idea... how about we let the employees determine their own religious beliefs.
Funny, I'll bet every one of those that complains this type of legislation violates their religious freedoms think nothing of outlawing abortion. No one is more hypocritical than religious nut jobs.
So the only people that should have kids are rich people. Poor people should just abstain. No abortion and no contraception = no sex. The only other option is to give them more welfare to support the child they didn't plan for. Is that what you want?
More preaching to the choir, Mitt. While you're coddling the far right extremists, you're losing the middle-of-the-road Independents (especially women) you'll need in November. Keep on keeping on, Mitt.
What a steamy pile! Hey Romney, what if I don't want to pay for your Viagra??! If THAT doesn't work, it is kinda hard to get someone pregnant... stay away from my prescriptions and I will stay away from yours!
Keep big govt out of people lives. There is enough intrusion already. Leave women alone. Let them decide for themselves. Freedom. That's what is needed. The facists mr grover, gop, & rushbo have gone too far pushing their religious beliefs on women in this country.
Born and raised a Catholic, I'm increasingly dismayed with their stand on issues. To require a poor woman to choose between having sex with her husband and risking pregnancy or earning a living cleaning restrooms at a Catholic hospital is really pathetic.
I'm glad Obama is standing up for the rights of US citizens over the 13th century dogma of Catholicism.
Hey Mitt - why are you such a liar? You know darn well that the morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion - it prevents a pregnancy, which is why it can only be given a short time after intercourse. Mitt knows this but prefers to lie because he knows he'll get a knee jerk reaction from thr far right. I'm a nurse and worked for years in labor & delivery in a catholic hospital, so you can't fool me, Mr Flip-Flop!