He's Not Blinking

John Aravosis on the contraception regs. There's a clear majority in support of the administration position, according to the latest PPP poll (Aravosis includes numbers).

What I particularly like is this: "I voted for President Obama, I didn't vote for the Pope."

David Atkins has, I think, the right take on this, and one that you've heard before (probably from me) but one that bears repeating:

[T]here is no reason to ever attempt to accommodate people like this. They will never be happy, and the person doing the accommodating will always be seen as more weak than reasonable.

Second, it's fairly clear that the Bishops don't really care all that much about this issue. They haven't raised this much of a stink about the subject at a state level, even though they're required by many state laws to provide contraception.

This is a political move by the Bishops to damage the President, and to rally support among the most extremist elements of an organization that lost its way and true calling some time ago. They're acting purely as an attack arm of the theocratic Republican Party, and they should be treated accordingly.

That's my take, on all points -- it's a power-play by the bishops, and I think Obama's absolutely right not to give ground -- we've already given to much to these "religious" extremists, who are nothing more than cheap politicians waving Bibles. Think about all the "conscience" clauses that allow people like pharmacists, NY state county clerks, nurses and doctors and the like to refuse to do their jobs. These are areas that are regulated by the state, and these people have no business giving their "religious" beliefs precedence over the needs of their constituents.

And it's about time.