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The GOP backlash against contraception

I thought I gave the opposition a fair shake with their view that religious affiliated organizations shouldn't have to pay for contraception for their employees. Unlike many arguments, I thought they had a fair point, even though I ultimately disagreed with their opinion.

But instead of accepting a concession from Obama, they decided to go all out and declare that Obama was waging war on religion. That's bad enough since it's ridiculous and false. But it wasn't surprising. That's been their thing since Obama entered the Democratic primary in 08. What is a bit surprising is that some Republicans in Congress want to take the legislative route in expressing their dislike of the contraception policy:

In their latest move in the battle over contraception coverage, top Republicans in Congress are going for broke: They're now pushing a bill that would allow employers and insurance companies to pick and choose which health benefits to provide based simply on executives' personal moral beliefs. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the top GOPer in the Senate, has already endorsed the proposal, and it could come to a vote this week. ...

But Blunt's proposal doesn't just apply to religious employers and birth control. Instead, it would allow any insurer or employer, religiously affiliated or otherwise, to opt out of providing any health care services required by federal law—everything from maternity care to screening for diabetes. Employers wouldn't have to cite religious reasons for their decision; they could just say the treatment goes against their moral convictions. That exception could include almost anything—an employer could theoretically claim a "moral objection" to the cost of providing a given benefit. The bill would also allow employers to sue if state or federal regulators try to make them comply with the law.

If Republican leaders get their way and Blunt's bill becomes law, a boss who regarded overweight people and smokers with moral disgust could exclude coverage of obesity and tobacco screening from his employees' health plans. A Scientologist employer could deny its employees depression screening because Scientologists believe psychiatry is morally objectionable. A management team that thought HIV victims brought the disease upon themselves could excise HIV screening from its employees' insurance coverage. Your boss' personal prejudices, not science or medical expertise, would determine which procedures your insurance would cover for you and your kids.

I don't feel the need to explain why this is ridiculous. I'll just ask, are these people like Blunt, McConnel, and Santorum just dumb or do they get that this type of thing is ridiculous but do it purely for political reasons? Frankly, between this and all of the crap that comes from Santorum and the rest of the GOP, and then the woman on FoxNews complaining about the Pentagon spending money to help rape victims, I'm too dumbfounded to give further analysis. Sometimes the insanity is too much and I have to clear my head.

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