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A House Republican lawmaker likened the implementation of a new mandate that insurers offer coverage for contraceptive services to Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R), an ardent opponent of abortion rights, said that today's date would live in infamy alongside those two other historic occasions. Wednesday marked the day on which a controversial new requirement by the Department of Health and Human Services, which requires health insurance companies to cover contraceptive services for women, goes into effect.
"I know in your mind you can think of times when America was attacked. One is December 7th, that's Pearl Harbor day. The other is September 11th, and that's the day of the terrorist attack," Kelly said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I want you to remember August the 1st, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. That is a day that will live in infamy, along with those other dates."
Republicans cried foul when the Obama administration first announced the new rule, reasoning that it would force employers with a religious affiliation to act in a way that contradicts their beliefs. The outcry included criticism from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and President Obama subsequently announced a compromise in which employers wouldn't be forced to offer insurance plans that cover contraception, but insurance companies would be required to offer coverage to women who wish to purchase it.
Republicans rejected the compromise, and subsequently attempted several times to advance legislation to reverse the mandate. The imbroglio contributed to Democratic charges of a GOP-led "war on women."
"This is a right that every American should be outraged, outraged about what this administration and Secretary Sibelius has set forth here on August the 1st," New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R) said at the same press conference as Kelly. "And as Mike said, August the 1st is a day that we as American will look at as the largest assault on our First Amendment rights."
*UPDATE* Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, a veteran of World War II, condemned Kelly's comments in a statement.
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What a shame this law will force women to take birth control pills. When they get older, their fate will then be in the hands of death panels. SMH.
george, are you being serious or just silly, post made no sense.
Obama 2012
I am still confused as to why people think that Obama is pushing his religious views on us. This has nothing to do with religion you silly people. This is more than that. People do use contraceptives for more reasons than simply preventing pregnancy. And even if it is just that, why shouldn't it be covered? You still are given the right as to whether you want to use it. So what is the problem here?
And this is not another subject to "avoid the real issues", it is a real issue. Unemployment is not the only issue. And they are STILL trying to fix that problem. Obama did not go into office with a clean slate either. So give him a break. I believe he is trying to help the country, so give him time.
Now there's a great example what life would be like under theocratic rule by these zealots. Women should especially beware of these people.
Moralistic high road, huh? Just wait until the conventions. I'm betting the Republicans outspend the Democrats on prostitutes 2 to 1. 3 to 1 on the kinky stuff, including S&M. Don't let your unfulfilled wives out of site...they are eyeing the pool boys. "Sorry, I can't hear you above all those conservative politicians toe-tapping wide-stance in the restroom stalls."
I think it is more likley to be remembered with date 08/20/1920, the day the 19th amendment was ratified and women were allowed to vote. Something we should all do this Septmeber to show the Republican party that neither they nor fox news are the majority.
Opps I ment vote in November.
IDIOT!!
When are people going to realize right wing Republicans are the nativist al-Qaeda who won't be satisfied until American women wear burkas and we ensconce ourselves retroactively into the 19th Century.
Refusing to have birth control at a hospital is forcing the hospital's beliefs onto the employees. This is not religious freedom. Birth control is also a medical stardard of care for certain issues, including just birth control. Are you going to allow that hospital to not practice standard of care?
Let's look at it in another way. If a hospital exists and gets federal funds, it has to practice the same way as all the other hospitals. What is a hospital did not believe in blood transfusions? Or thought synthetic antibiotics were evil? Come on guys! Religious hospitals all over the USA are forcing their religious views on their patients and employees all the time! All Obama's law does is reverse this wrong doing.
Last, for people who say if you don't like it, find another job. Well, given our piss-poor education system that doesn't prepare you for any real job, most people are lucky in this recession to have ANY job. People who make the "it's your choice" are usually people who have many choices and hence no compassion or understanding for people that only have a choice of a job, or no job! Then they get pregnant, have to drop out of school since they can't work and care for their baby, etc. I've seen this many, many, many times.
Really last: to whomever is running against this dolt, please send me a request for donations! I'll be glad to reach deep to get this insane politician out of office. These people are ruining America with their insaneness to the point where only mildly insane people are looking pretty good. We need to get back to the days when Republicans stood for America, not for hateful crazy right wing interest groups!
So they don't want women to have abortions, but they don't want to provide an option for them to NOT get pregnant in the first place OR do anything about the broken child welfare system in this country. These idiots care more about people who haven't been born yet than the ones that are right here NOW who need help! It's inexcusable. If they care so much about children... Go donate your time & money to children in need that are living right now. Is this moron going to personally adopt every child that is born to women who shouldn't have children or were raped?
I'm one who is generally anti-abortion. And I'm all for religious freedom.
But wouldn't one think that a good step in PREVENTING abortions would be to PREVENT pregnancy in the first place? I get the religious idea that in part contraception leads to a more promiscuous livestyle for some. But that ship has sailed. Save the children by preventing the pregnancy.
And furthermore, is it an attack on YOUR religious belief by providing contraception to OTHERS? It's still a free country. YOU are free not to utilize such things according to your beliefs. And is it a good religious principle to force people to follow your way, instead of teaching them, or their wanting to follow that way?
I see so many of the religious people spout off about the failures of other religions, then they behave in much the same attitude, if not the same actions.
Republicans need to be ousted.. the whole damn lot. their greed and hate mongers, liars and cheaters.. lets use them for target practice on the Mexico - American boarder. Pay the cartels a dollar per kill
What s**t hole did this piece of crap ooze out of? I don't even know where to begin with this level of stupidity, ignorance and insanity. All I can say is someone needs to smack him upside his pointy little head and tell him to shut up and get out of the way because America is moving forward. He's free to have his beliefs but he's not free to force his foolishness onto others.
Whoever elected this idiot is responsible for giving him a platform, therefor, it's your responsibility to get rid of him. Unbelievable, how does someone like this get elected in the first place?
Often, if not more than often, members of religious groups act out in everyday life behaviors contrary to their religious beliefs. Especially so Mondays--Saturdays. And maybe also the latter half of Sunday. No news here...
The scarey part of all this is that some of your neighbors might be the idiots that voted the other idiots into office.
TAKE BACK AMERICA!!
...one congresswoman and progressive at a time! ALL the way back----before LBJ, RFK, JFK, FDR, and Lincoln...when things were 'perfect' and only white male property owners had any rights, or had in any role in governing [before ‘government’ became the boogeyman..].
A 'restoration' of The 'Golden Glory' days....it’ll be just like a Tea Party all over again, with all the disenfranchised, unprotected women, children, immigrants and FREE slave labor we could rape, murder and exploit at will!
Oh Jesus, deliver us all the way back!!
***Brought to you by the GOP (Greed Over People), Coalition for the Racist GOP Backfire Machine, and Springer Rejects for a United Yee, Hee & Haw!
And I thought Palin was stoopid!! If this Bozo is against abortion then he should support BC.
Obama/Biden kick Repub/TP azz in Nov!!
I heard republicans are busy drafting a bill to stone adulterers.
Have you ever noticed how all these pro-life people are in favor of the death penalty?
- George Carlin
Good point, Tom. That's why the term "pro-life" is basically meaningless and self-congratulatory. "Anti-choice" is more accurate.
You're absolutely correct Coloradan. It is about choice.
The lack of choices being given an unborn child. And the choice a person made to commit a heinous crime worthy of a death penalty.
Ya keep talking about everything BUT the economy. The president hasnt met with his jobs council for over 7 months now and has been campaining this whole year. You guys keep talking among your selves about a stupid story like this but let me tell you, your president will be cleaning out his closet and going back to Chicago this November.
Romney keeps telling us that he "knows" how to fix the economy. But he never tells us just how he's going to do it. Maybe it's a secret, like his tax returns.
brian, get a grip, its not stupid, just symptomatic of the right wing republican party's real agenda. The party of no has certainly demonstrated their attempt at derailing the President. W's glorious years just about sent the United States into a catastrophic depression and not to mention nearly 5,000 Americans Body Bagged on a bogus adventure to get Daddy's bad man. For the rest of the fox howlers, AFFILIATED religious institutions that accept any form of federally funded $$ and refuse to abide by the law of the land deserve all funding cut off immediately. Stay out of my bedroom, body and my daughter's body, our choice not theirs, or some dirty old prelate facilitator for child molesters, or slut fame limbaugh.
Obama 2012
Yeah, run with this Righties....lol. This is too funny! Sad also...the Right wing has gone over the cliff of responsibility. They have been absolutely no help to the nation for the last two years.
Vote straight Democrat if you want a better life for yourself and your children! The President can do great things for America, but he needs your help to remove the cancer inhabiting the House and the Senate.
All right GOP! Way to fire up the base!
The base of women voters who will flock to vote Democratic, that is.
Another brilliant campaign year blunder by The Gang That Couldn't
ShootThink Straight.Sometimes I read these things, and I feel like the guy in the CenturyLink commercial, saying, "Where AM I?"
Someone please explain to Mike that he doesn't have to take them.
The, mike didn't get his GED upgraded, incapable of rationsal thought.
Obama 2012
If this moron is so "anti-abortion", then why didn't he put the date of the Roe v. Wade ruling right up there with 9/11? I'm sure the survivors of the latter would appreciate their ordeal being compared to the availability of birth control.
I am not shocked easily...but comparing contraception to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor is an outrage, especially to the victims' famiies.
On religious freedom: What about my Religious Liberty to NOT have THEIR religious rules imposed on ME?
On "forcing" employers to do something: What about OSHA regulations that make sure people don't DIE working for a company? What about regulations that prohibit religious discrimination in the workplace? What about food-safety regulations? Each of these require companies to do or buy something they wouldn't normally - whether it's safety equipment, an employee on leave for a holy day, or refrigerators to prevent spoilage (or equipment to sterilize their facility).
The bottom line is we have a line of religious conservatism that is the Christian and Catholic equivalent of Sharia Law that is being pushed on the rest of us, and any law that contradicts it is an "attack on religious liberty" - and I say this as a Catholic man.
Yes - Liberal Catholics: We Really Do Exist!