Friday, March 02, 2012

Blunt Blunt Blunder Blunted

by Edd Doerr

It is astonishing that the Senate had to waste time dealing with Sen Blunt's idiotic amendment to allow bosses to restrict any kind of medical insurance coverage that might offend their "moral" values, beginning with health care for women. Fortunately it was defeated 51 to 48, with every Republican but Olympia Snowe voting for the war against women.

At the heart of the controversy is the flimsy claim by male clerics and their GOP toadies that having to provide coverage for women's health care, including contraception, somehow violates their religious freedom, something they shy away from talking about when their hands are out for tax support for sectarian endeavors. But their religious freedom claims fade to insignificance beside the far stronger health and freedom of religion and conscience claims of the vast numbers of Catholics and non-Catholics employed and/or served by church-related hospitals, colleges and social service agencies which are -- importantly -- generously subsidized by taxes extracted from citizens of all religious persuasions.

The clerics and their political allies, in my opinion, have triggered a revolt by moderate voters this year. Voters, I hope, will suggest in November that these guys use their craniums for auto-colonoscopies.

No comments: