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The Spectacle Blog
The Obama administration’s so-called “retreat” on its hyper-controversial refusal to give a waiver to religiously-affiliated organizations (but not actual places of worship, which do get a waiver) from having to provide health insurance covering birth control, the “morning after” pill, and sterilization services to employees, is more a step sideways than backwards.
Instead of having to provide that coverage within employer-funded insurance, institutions like Catholic or Lutheran hospitals and universities can opt out of that coverage being included. BUT, the health insurance company will then be required to contact each employee directly and offer that same coverage free of charge.
Liberal Catholics who were strong supporters of Barack Obama and Obamacare are desperate to find this result acceptable. From the LA Times:
“The framework developed has responded to the issues we identified that needed to be fixed,” CHA president Sister Carol Keehan said in a statement. “We are pleased and grateful that the religious liberty and conscience protection needs of so many ministries that serve our country were appreciated enough that an early resolution of this issue was accomplished.”
But the administration’s “retreat” is a distinction without a difference on multiple levels.
First, since the employee would not be contacted by this insurer without the employer having purchased an insurance plan, the employer is still paying for the health insurance coverage.
Second, the coverage is not actually “free.” There may be no further cost for the employee and no co-pay for getting the covered drugs or services, but pills and doctors are not free. The cost is built into the total cost of the policy, and therefore, again, the employer is still paying for the coverage.
Third, if for Catholics (and others) the use of birth control pills and other reproduction-related drugs and services is a sin, then this rule requires that any health insurer which provides insurance to a religious organization then go tempt that organzation’s employees into a behavior which the employer considers to be a sin. Again, the temptation offered to the employee is only possible because the religious organization buys the insurance policy.
Fourth, the new Obama position would be close to reasonable if the employee in question would have to pay for the additional coverage not included by the employer. In that case, the employer could have a reasonably rational and moral case that they are not paying for the coverage. But as my “Access This!” article notes, for the radical left, this isn’t about free exercise of religion, it’s about government domination and inculcating dependence through the destruction of personal responsibility.
Left-leaning Catholics struggling to find any fig leaf with which to accept the administration’s so-called retreat are fooling themselves and others if they believe this modification is substantially different in impact from the policy which they were rightly screaming about just hours ago.
Any government with the slightest respect for the Constitution or conscience, if they were to involve themselves where they have no business—such as in federal regulation of health insurance—would reach the exact opposite conclusion from the new Obama rule. Health insurance companies should be prohibited from, not required to, offer free contraception and sterilization to the employees of organizations which are morally opposed to the use of such products.
The new Obama administration rule is no less tyrannical than the old.
View all comments (37) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Ross Kaminsky
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/02/10/out-of-the-fire-and-into-the-f
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Simon Templar| 2.10.12 @ 1:46PM
I said early yesterday that this issue was really not solely about the mandate but a greater issue here.
Thinking that you have won because you got him to retreat on the mandate imposition on the Catholic church is rather sophmoric and misguided.
Once again, conservatives have been played. He had no intention of winning this debate, that was not the point.
As a former leftist I will explain exactly how this works.
You push an issue far to the extreme with boldness and a false position of fighting for people "rights" and present yourself as a courageous champion of the "little guy." You frame the situation.
You expect and count of the Right to react with gusto, heat, and intense reaction. You now have the opportunity to respond by painting them as one of any of the following, sexist, racist, classist, etc.
You deflect their criticism with rhetorical devices like "well, most catholics use contraception,' and "you people want to kill women and drive them back."
As the conservatives protest louder and do not control their message or recognize images and image making, or culture as a driving force under politics, this makes it easier to reinforce the myths and lies about their character and intentions that you created long ago.
You take the conservatives strength of logic and intellectual argument and turn it into a weakness as most people do not respond to complex arguments and lectures on law and the constitution.
So, you run with this for a short time and let the fireworks fly. Then you retreat and offer a "solution."
The solution is worse in realty then the problem first countered. You have actually gained the ground that you wanted in the first place.
In this case, you now have now acquired the power to force a private insurance company to do what you want them to do, what you tell them to sell or not sell, and how they will run their business. You get people to accept the new premise.
Now, the offended group thinks it won a great victory and see the offendor as becoming more sensitive to its needs, that he listened to you and now you are out of the equation. Your government is working and respecting you and appears not to be such the bad guy that the conservatives have "painted it."
So, you now have forced them to accept the premise and new precedent that you have created in your alternative and solution. You now have taken the political wind out of the conservatives as any further objections would look like straining the knat and protesting too much.
You have also accomplished getting the public and the focus off of the larger picture and your large scale hidden agenda. You boldly took 50 steps forward and retreated 25 steps back but gained 25.
This is how it works. Push the envelop, shock em, get them to react, target them and polarize the debate, retreat slightly and back off a bit, set a new premise and get them use to the idea or ideas you are proposing, desensitize them, strike a false bargain because people generally do not like conflict. Let some time pass. Then start it all over again.
W| 2.10.12 @ 3:37PM
Simon,
Agree with you.
We discussed yesterday, with Al Adab, me, and others, how Obama has created an issue so he then creates a solution which increases the govenrment's power. As you state, the purpose is to empower the nanny state. Most here at AmSpec can see this but unfortunately too many voters refuse to or do not see it.
With his purported "compromise," which is no compromise, the MSM will report he is reasonable and accomodating the Catholic Church.
Simon templar| 2.10.12 @ 3:52PM
W,
Yes, you are right, most do see this here at spectator but I was not necessarily trying to imply that people did not. I have, however, read many comments throughout the blogsphere on other conservative sites including a few here that just do not get it.
My intention of writing what I wrote was to explain just how in detail the left plays us time and time again as well as the general electorate. Knowing this and being aware of it will help us mount an effective counter strategy..not paying attention to it will lead to being played and losing many arguments and debates and issues.
W, as I have said before you and Al are the reason that I still come out here.
W| 2.10.12 @ 4:02PM
Simon
Please keep writing and don't leave this site. We need you here. Your comments are always clear, informative, and well reasoned.
I also have moved from left to right, with right meaning a limited government, and not a compassionate big government conservative. I have dealt witht the lefties and understand their thinking.
Obama is smart and devious. He has his eye on the ball, government control, and everything he does must be seen as a means to that goal.
Again, keep the faith, and have a good weekend.
C Bowen | 2.10.12 @ 4:37PM
With all due respect, it's Bob Jones and VMI played over and over again. Take the government's money or use it's services and they own you sooner or later.
It's the egalitarian ethos (anti-human ethos) over and over.
Do either of you know how many Middle School and High School Health Centers (funded with the votes of Republicans year after year with votes from Santorum, Romney and Gingrich) hand out birth control pills in public schools? In Massachusetts, one school has the Pill for Elementary School.
These battles have been lost, lost a long time ago, when the various Big Churches went into business with the Federal Government. As noted, the Media will now tell Catholics they can vote for Obama as he solved this issue.
We have to get better at anticipating the next battle and throw any monkey wrench we can get our hands on.
A Pennsylvania state school just set up a morning after pill vending machine...Where is Santorum?
WL| 2.10.12 @ 5:36PM
W and Templar.
I also believe that your perception of the game is accurate.
My questions have always been these:
1. What is the real reason that our side never quite seems to get privy to it (the leadership)?
Is it because they are in on it? or just not bright enough?
2. What is the best defense against it? Or, is there any defense with an extremely un-serious and uninformed electorate?
I am afraid that the underlying problem for why this strategy is so effective is a result of years of recently completed preparation. I am convinced that for many years us true Conservatives and you Libertarians have been allowed to believe an illusion about our society and it's moral fabric. The fabric we have thought was there was actually destroyed long ago.
Now, as the execution phase of the strategy (which I believe started in the last decade) we are constantly surprised at how the "fundamentals" of our culture, doctrines, and values are crumbling with little notice.
In short, I only have one disagreement with you. I think the electorate is getting "tricked" far less than you presume them to be.
On the contrary, the vast majority of the population just simply do not have the values we have thought them to have.
WE are just finding out Now, and it's almost too late.
Thank you for the post.
WL| 2.10.12 @ 5:47PM
If my characterization if you as Libertarian is not accurate or in any way seems disparaging...it is just a mistake, nothing more.
I have seen your posts, but it's hard to keep everyone's viewpoint straight.
Also, I actually don't know that my thoughts are in disagreement...because I do agree..
W| 2.11.12 @ 3:33PM
WL,
In answer to your first question, I think Dems are better at politics because they make it a full time profession. Republicans have businesses and professions and seem to dabble in politics to serve the community.
Many lawyers who are Dems get into politics as part of their profession to make money. Look at all the local politicians who are councilmen, judges, legislators, etc. I know this is a generalizations and you can now find Republicans also making a living in politics, but this is my impression from local politics.
Dems also have a large number of people who work for unions as representatives and their jobs now are lobbying legislators and agitating for their members. These people are committed.
In short, the Dems have a lot of people in the party who are passioanate and committed such as the union reps, the black and hispanic civil rights people, the gay rights groups. animal rights groups, all people who view their beliefs as almost, if not, a religion.
We conservatives/libertarians/Republicans want to be left alone by the government, want our taxes cut, and the deficit reduced.
The Dems want to govenrment to do more to advance thier quasi-religions. They want us to act like them and believe like them. We just want to be left alone. This does not make for great speeches about bold, new, grandiose programs.
We don't want to be like them, but we have to keep fighting to keep them from increasing government control over our lives.
Our best bet is to do everything possible to shrink the role of government in our lives. You start with cutting taxes , require a balanced budget, never agree to new government programs and agencies (such as No Child Left Behind, MedicareD,Homeland Security).
You have to starve the beast, as Reagan said.
Ross Kaminsky | 2.10.12 @ 7:37PM
Simon, I like your analysis but I think it's early to say that conservatives have been played on this one.
We haven't yet heard whether conservatives are going to fall for this sham. I bet they won't, and I know I won't (though to be clear I am a libertarian and not a conservative.)
C Bowen | 2.10.12 @ 8:02PM
Ross, who supported a debt financed invasion of Iraq a libertarian--even called it a Just War?
The term to describe you is liberal.
Bill| 2.10.12 @ 2:47PM
This issue is not a religious, but the 1st amendment matter. Obama is a Muslim and hates Catholics.
Jack in Wi.| 2.10.12 @ 3:19PM
I agree Ross: Obama is just digging his hole deeper. The problem is the mandates. How are Romney or Gingrich going to fight them, when they have pushed them most of their political careers?
Simon Templar| 2.10.12 @ 3:36PM
Jackboot, Ross did not explicitly say he is digging his hole deeper. He described the shifty deceptive game being played here and what Obama has done to shift and refocus the debate. This is no retreat as Ross states. It is a crafty, manipulative move. You forgot to mention Santorum and did not lecture us how Ron Paul is going to save us.
Once again, it is not solely the mandates but you seem incapable of grasping that. Not surprised.
A true libertarian, other than a neo-liberal, can think a little deeper than that.....
Clint| 2.11.12 @ 12:21AM
" LAKE JACKSON, Texas– Congressman and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul issued the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s announcement that religious organizations must pay for contraception and sterilization under the national health care law:
“Forcing private religious institutions to pay for contraception and sterilization as part of their health care plans is a direct assault on the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty. On my first day as President, I will reverse this policy. Repealing the unconstitutional monstrosity known as ObamaCare is a major part of my Plan to Restore America.
“I am the only GOP presidential candidate who has consistently opposed the federal promotion, funding, and mandating of contraception and abortion. Unlike Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, I never voted to provide taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood. And unlike Mitt Romney, whose Massachusetts health care plan contained a contraceptive mandate similar to the one contained in ObamaCare, I have never supported any government health care mandates."
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In Maine.
Dai Alanye | 2.11.12 @ 9:59AM
RonPaul always talks a good game but is mighty shy when it comes to specifics. If you think of it in bird terms, Ron is a political chickenhawk.
Clint| 2.11.12 @ 11:24AM
And You're An Israel Firster Smear Bund Crybaby, Dai Job
Ronald Reagan,
"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.
Hoser| 2.10.12 @ 3:40PM
Actually, the problem is the Republicans "leaders".I'm hearing a lot of talk on the issue but no real action.
I give it 10 to 1 that if the church accepts this bogus solution then the Republican "leaders" will go on about how they stood up and won a fight on the peoples rights.
Oh, about those mandates that were part of the "solution".The Republican "leaders" will just not know of one thing they can do without them controlling the White house and Congress, friggrin weak, self absorbed Nancy's.
Basically, it will be the same old thing, they will just sit there and wait for a freebee opportunity for some personal political gain but when it comes back to fighting against this garbage, not a molecule of real action and what I mean by action is a knock down drag out, cave man hit for hit styled brawl.
Simon Templar| 2.10.12 @ 3:55PM
Hoser, great comment and observation. We need to think about these issues and how the left plays these issues a lot deeper than the superficial. We won nothing here.
Windy City Commentary| 2.10.12 @ 4:11PM
The Bishops cannot accept this bogus solution. It won't happen.
JP| 2.10.12 @ 4:52PM
I had the same thoughts yesterday. Boehnner seems to be generally afraid to do more than offer up a very weak statement of disapproval. One would think the GOP would be all over this. Even Rubio in the Senate can do no more than make symbolic gestures. There's a lot more to this situation, and none if it gives conservatives comfort. Perhaps a 3rd Party is unavoidable. Even in 1993, in the wake fo Clinton's victory, Dole showed more fire-in-the-belly than McConnell. It seems the GOP really just doesn't care much about anything outside of being the Beltway lapdog.
WL| 2.10.12 @ 6:01PM
I think the Republicans are in on it. The "compromises" are never genuine...
They are gimmicks for the GOP to save face...while they absorb our energy like a net or the water...
Essentially, the GOP is just running interference.
JP| 2.10.12 @ 3:46PM
“We are pleased and grateful that the religious liberty and conscience protection needs of so many ministries that serve our country were appreciated enough that an early resolution of this issue was accomplished."
Unreal. This person is so cowed that he is grateful that the Anointed One is allowing him to excercise his non-negotiable rights.
Kathy| 2.10.12 @ 4:34PM
Wonder how this is going to play out when many Catholic institutions self insure. Who's gonna pay those premiums????
JP| 2.10.12 @ 4:53PM
They are forbidden to "self-insure" per the ObamaCare directives. Thier only option is to drop health insurance as a benefit and then pay stiff fines.
Floyd Looney| 2.10.12 @ 5:00PM
This was a delcaration of war against freedom and a declaration of dictatorship.
Floyd Looney| 2.10.12 @ 5:04PM
This was a declaration of war against our freedoms. This was also a declaration of dictatorship. He now claims the power to make law, change law and issue waivers to laws at a whim. Congress is nothing?
A state of war now exists. So, what will we do about it?
WL| 2.10.12 @ 5:50PM
We vote. Hopefully, that will be enough. If not, God help us all. We could be in for a tough future.
In the end, I don't see the Union surviving much longer anyway.
jon metro| 2.10.12 @ 5:32PM
I would add that this "response" is no less cynical than the original rule, the animus of which toward all opponents but especially Catholics is demonstrated by the timing of its release: at the end of a week of marches against Roe v. Wade and the beginning of a weekend dedicated in many Catholic churches to a 48-hour prayer vigil for unborn children.
WL| 2.10.12 @ 5:54PM
That does seem to be the modus operandi of just about everything this Administration does....
It's almost like THAT is the strategy...
Like maybe...getting our side so mad that we destroy the Union ourselves?
Hmmmmm.....
Tom Butterworth | 2.10.12 @ 10:10PM
Sibelius was asked today whether the cost of the compromise would be borne by the employer in any case (ergo, sham), she said there would be no cost. This is because preventing childbirth is cheaper than paying for medical care for childbirth. Presto change, no sham, therefore no assault on religious freedom. Now there's a rationale that should win over conservative Catholics!
martin j smith| 2.11.12 @ 7:50AM
Oh thank G-D you do get it. That is exactly why Romney is the wrong one. Is that no so ?
W| 2.11.12 @ 9:25AM
No
martin j smith| 2.11.12 @ 9:59AM
W--wrong answer the answer is DA!!!!!!!!!!! And by the way W how do you think Romney will defend his record againt the onsalught of the Obama's attack machine ? Will he attack Obama ? __I mean on his record. Will he highlight Obama's dismal record and show how Obama is trying to change the nature of our Nation--which he TOTALLY disagrees with ? Especially given his reord I can say is good luck to him and his followers.
W| 2.11.12 @ 11:44AM
Anyone can attack Obama's record. Romney will point out Obama's record on Supreme Court picks, disclosing in 2009 our interrogation methods, Obamacare, spending, deficit, ban on drilling, disclosing Isarael's plans about Iran, 10 unemployment, Rev Wright, Bill Ayers, etc.
So Obama's "attack machine" will attack us. So what, what do you expect. You don't think Obama will attack Santorum or Newt ? Are supposed to just give up because Obama will attack us.
Romney has attacked the record of Newt and will attack Santorum's record, so why do you think he is not going to attack Obama's record? He wants to win, as do Newt and Santorum, and all three will attack Obama's record. Obama is an attack-rich target.
As for Obamacare versu Romneycare, is Obama going to criticize Romney for trying it out in Massachussets? No, best he can do is say why are you criticizing me when you tried it as governor. Romney will answer, the plans are different and because we tried it we know Obamacare is a bad idea.
Also, the Court will probably rule Obamacare unconstitutional this summer, so it won't even be an issue.
Can you state your case for either Newt or Santorum?
martin j smith| 2.11.12 @ 10:00AM
Oh and W ,Ron Paul my answer is NYET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clint| 2.11.12 @ 11:28AM
That's Because You're An Israel Firster Smear Bund RINO-CINO, Smith.
The Tea Party Rebellion Heads To A Brokered Convention.
linda| 2.11.12 @ 11:41AM
The bishops will stand tough and the conservatives would be fools to let this one rest. I only worry that Obama will take it off the table by dropping the demand.
Free birth control as a right is Maxine Waters worthy. Independent will see that.