Sure, Let's Spend All Of 2012 Talking About Contraception

Republicans reacted happily to Barack Obama's Compromise last week on contraception -- the big political issue of the day, this day, this 2012 day -- in which religious employers were allowed to opt out of covering contraception in health plans and the insurer would pay for it instead. Not "reacted happily" in this sense that they were satisfied with this at all, mind you, but more that they could then push even further in their quest to end hot sex. Are we really going to see congressional votes in the near future on bills allowingallemployers to opt out of covering contraception in their health plans?

TPM reports on Turtle & Co.'s latest bold plan for creating jobs and repairing the beleaguered economy:

Not satisfied with President Obama’s new religious accommodation, Republicans will move forward with legislation by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Sunday.

“If we end up having to try to overcome the President’s opposition by legislation, of course I’d be happy to support it, and intend to support it,” McConnell said. “We’ll be voting on that in the Senate and you can anticipate that that would happen as soon as possible.”

The Blunt amendment he was specifically referring to would “ensure that health care stakeholders retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions” under the Affordable Care Act. Similar legislation was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) before the White House announced Friday that it would allow religious nonprofits such as charities, hospitals and universities to opt out of paying for contraception coverage and force the insurance company to do so instead.

Your Wonkette is excited with this new precedent, in which you can ignore federal mandates and laws that are inconsistent with your "religious beliefs and moral convictions." When's our tax rebate for all the money that's gone to imperial wars over the years coming in the mail, Mitch? Roy? Hmm.

Not sure if this is a political winner!

[ TPM ]