The national Republican Party seems pretty well positioned now as opposed (and rock-ribbed, about it, too!) to birth control. Way to go, guys. It's not like that gender gap was as wide as it might be.
It was one thing for religious universities and hospitals to see contraception as an unconscionable violation of their faith (and I ain't gonna wade into a debate on religions that claim to own the mortgage on every woman's womb). The president pulled the rug out from under that huff-'n'-puff fit the churches were throwing: Under the president's revision of the rule, women will still get guaranteed access to birth control without co-pays or premiums, no matter where they work, and those religious institutions can refuse to cover it. But, insurance companies will have to step in and do what they should have been doing anyway.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party, led by its presidential candidates and certain members of Congress, most of whom were marinating in self-righteousness all weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), found themselves waaaay out there on that untenable limb -- on the record opposing birth control. (Madam Virginia Foxx sent out her own "I'm-a-good-Catholic-er-Baptist-and-don't-you-forget-it, Bitch" press release. Madam Foxx is not one to pass up an opportunity to pile on.)
The avatar of the Newly Theocratized Republican Party (sorry, Rick Perry): Rick Santorum. He has said abortion doctors should be jailed. He insists birth control is bad. He vehemently opposes gay marriage. He firmly believes religion has a central place in government.
And he's driving Mitt Romney into the same Culture Wars ditch.
It is the biggest Valentine kiss the GOP could give Barack Obama.
you go Jerry!
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