Birth-control fight unlikely to hurt Obama, his strategists say

[bemildred]

Reporting from Washington—
Even as angry Catholic leaders vow to fight a new federal requirement that most employers include contraceptives in their health insurance coverage, the Obama administration believes any political damage will be limited because it's on the side of women's rights.

Democratic strategists think voters who oppose President Obama because of the birth-control rule wouldn't have voted for him anyway. The strategists think most Catholic women — like most other American women — believe that birth control should be affordable and available.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation can attest to the volatility of family-planning politics. After saying it would cut off most funding to Planned Parenthood, Komen reversed itself last week in the face of public outcry.

"I think we saw with Komen that this is a country where voters, and particularly women voters, support affordable access to birth control, and that is true among Catholic women as well as women who are not Catholic," said Geoff Garin, a pollster for Democrats and Planned Parenthood.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-contraceptives-fight-20120206,0,2117906.story

[Drale]

1. Although the Church would never admit it

a great majority of people who say they are "catholic" don't listen to the church on matters like this. Thats one thing about America that is a double edged sword, we don't like being told what we can and can't do espiecally when it comes to sex.

[Ikonoklast]

14. Rome knows this.

The Catholics that use birth control do not like being lectured by those that don't, even if they are within the RCC hierarchy.

It is a good way to lose members, and they know it.

Piss off the RCC membership enough in this country, and Rome will have a big problem with funding, as American Catholics are the major source of all of Rome's income.

[renie408]

2. I agree. 77% of Americans are for abortion to some degree and many more...

are going to be pro-birth control. I can't understand why the GOP can't understand that this issue actually HURTS them. People may not stand up and say it for fear of being labeled a baby killer, but when you go into a voting booth you are all by yourself.

[demosincebirth]

3. Many Catholics are against abortion but favor a womens right to choose.

[bemildred]

4. Prev. thread, same issue:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12519937

[DCKit]

5. Affordable, accessible birth control eliminates many abortions.

Even greater access and affordability would decrease the numbers even further.

They don't have a leg to stand on in this "fight", and they know it. Unfortunately (for them) the only other issue they have is "Teh Gay", and they already got their asses handed to them on that one this week.

Obama's playing rope-a-dope again, and he's got some epic dopes to play with.

[treestar]

6. My question about this

How expensive can it be? I recall paying for pills and it not being anything near something that insurance needed to cover.

Has it gotten way more expensive?

[bemildred]

7. Cost is not the issue, availability is the issue. nt

[treestar]

8. But who uses insurance to cover the cost?

[bemildred]

13. Indeed, whom could it be? nt

[jeff47]

9. It's not astronomical, but it is significant. Especially to low-income people

It's more about the fact that a woman's paying $60/mo out of pocket for birth control pills, whereas any other drug would have a $5/mo co-pay.

[renie408]

11. Bingo. This recession has hit us HARD.

There have been plenty of times that by the end of the month, $55 +/- would have meant the difference between having gas money to get to work and not having gas money to get to work. I imagine its the same for many, many people right now.

[K Gardner]

12. Well, that was my question as well - how many people does this affect and what

is the cost we're talking about. It's already gotten so distorted that you'd think we're lining up women for forced abortions.

In reality, we're talking about women who work maybe as teachers, secretaries, etc., at Catholic Schools, right?

The only problem I see with it IS the fact that people WONT do their research, and this is going to become a nasty RW Talking Point, by men of course. I even saw one of the really left-wing commentators weigh in on it yesterday and just slammed Obama for it.

So we really need some Catholic Women's Groups to weigh in. And as a Catholic, I know they probably won't do that publically.

[treestar]

15. Yes, it doesn't seem amenable to insurance

It's not a "just in case" sort of thing. Better to fund it directly. It's not medical treatment for something wrong.

I already heard Catholic wing nut relative going on about "separation of church and state." As though same nutcase doesn't think there should be prayer in the schools!

If Catholics don't want to use Birth Control, or if anyone doesn't, they don't have to use it! What cracks me up is the Church apparently thinks that Catholics won't make the decision not to use it unless it's not covered by insurance! Way to admit failure.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

18. methinks they know that the jig is up

and that a lot of Catholics have stopped listening to a lot of what the Vatican has to say nowadays, particularly when it comes to birth control.

[jeff47]

10. 98% of Catholic women use birth control

If the Catholic Bishops can only get 2% of their own followers on board, I really don't think this issue is much of a threat to Obama's presidency.

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. I thnk that is true. I mean really - even most "pro-lifers" support birth control

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. My question

is why anybody not already inclined to vote Republican would suddenly vote for them over this single "issue". "Yeah, the Republican Party sucks donkey balls in all other areas but I'm going to vote for them so that Obama doesn't make non-profit Catholic organizations cover birth control! Really?

Any Democrat whom thinks like this and would suddenly vote for the Republican Party over this (THIS!) is a "fair weather" Democrat to begin with. Not to even mention the fact that if they vote Republican in the Presidential Election over this in November, they'll (likely) be voting for a guy who enacted the SAME policy in Massachusetts when he was governor!


Higher ups in the Catholic Church seem to be trying to manufacture a controversy over this new regulation where none should even exist- if the facts were properly presented that is.