# I think the Congressional Republicans have lost their minds re the contraception issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194 "2012-02-17T22:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/21 "2012-02-18T21:24:24Z")
If you were only reading this thread, you would think that Republicans want to outlaw contraception. Is there not a difference between allowing religious organizations to opt out of subsidizing rich women’s birth control at a 100% rate and some of the nonsense in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/22 "2012-02-18T21:31:30Z")
> [@Batfish](#): > > However there is a puritanical segment of the Christian Right who think that if they can outlaw abortion and at least make contraception less available then everyone will stop fucking and American society will return to the “golden age” of the 1950’s. Why doesn’t anyone ever point out that one of the reasons things were so great in the 1950’s was because rich people had an up to 90% marginal tax rate? So there was plenty of funding for schools, roads, police, etc. My county just announced that they can’t afford to keep the jail open, and they are laying off all but a skeleton crew of deputies. They won’t respond to a 911 call unless a life is at stake, and anybody convicted of less than a major felony will probably get probation. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/23 "2012-02-18T22:22:51Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > If you were only reading this thread, you would think that Republicans want to outlaw contraception. > > Is there not a difference between allowing religious organizations to opt out of subsidizing rich women’s birth control at a 100% rate and some of the nonsense in this thread? [http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-08/catholics-contraceptive-mandate/53014864/1](http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-08/catholics-contraceptive-mandate/53014864/1) > [@](#): > > The White House is “all talk, no action” on moving toward compromise, said Anthony Picarello, general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “There has been a lot of talk in the last couple days about compromise, but it sounds to us like a way to turn down the heat, to placate people without doing anything in particular,” Picarello said. “We’re not going to do anything until this is fixed.” > > That means removing the provision from the health care law altogether, he said, not simply changing it for Catholic employers and their insurers. He cited the problem that would create for “good Catholic business people who can’t in good conscience cooperate with this.” > > “If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I’d be covered by the mandate,” Picarello said. [http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/02/13/gop-backs-moral-conviction-waiver-for-all-insurance-coverage/](http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/02/13/gop-backs-moral-conviction-waiver-for-all-insurance-coverage/) > [@](#): > > Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) introduced an amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would allow an employer to deny health services if they conflict with their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.” > … > The National Women’s Law Center said the Blunt amendment creates a loophole that allows employers and health insurance plans to use religion or moral conviction to eliminate services, and that it undermines the Affordable Care Act’s guarantee that preventive and essential services be covered. > > The NWLC also said the amendment undermines the basic principle of insurance, since it would let an individual claim a particular item or service is contrary to his or her religious or moral beliefs, allowing insurance not to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/24 "2012-02-18T22:56:43Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > If you were only reading this thread, you would think that Republicans want to outlaw contraception. > > Is there not a difference between allowing religious organizations to opt out of subsidizing rich women’s birth control at a 100% rate and some of the nonsense in this thread? This thread is about raw, arrogant PR stupidity on the part of the Republicans. Whatever your beliefs if the face you present to the public in a discussion about the public policy funding parameters re contraception is a mugs line up of middle aged men you are an arrogant fool. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/25 "2012-02-18T23:12:23Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > If you were only reading this thread, you would think that Republicans want to outlaw contraception. > > Is there not a difference between allowing religious organizations to opt out of subsidizing rich women’s birth control at a 100% rate and some of the nonsense in this thread? Santorum says that he personally doesn’t want to outlaw contraception, but he is fine if a state chose to outlaw it. Close enough for the average voter. Attacking contraception is the next planned step for the anti-choice crowd also - even some of the personhood begins at conception laws would outlaw some forms of contraception. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/26 "2012-02-18T23:14:02Z")
> [@Batfish](#): > > The Democrats line on this should be, “The Republicans not only want to take away your access to abortion, they want to prevent you from avoiding pregnancy.” > > or > > “The Republican’s attack on Planned Parenthood is not only about abortion. They don’t think American’s should have access to contraception.” > > If I were a Democrat campaigning against a Catholic Republican I’d talk about the Catholic Church’s stance on contraception every day. No reason to even mention abortion. Plenty of women who are against abortion use birth control all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/27 "2012-02-18T23:15:34Z")
I think [Foster Friess](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/foster-friess-rick-santorum-contraception_n_1282466.html) summarized the whole contraceptive issue on Andrea Mitchell. It’s hardly about religion. The Repubs simply think women are inferior, ESPECIALLY Santorum. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/28 "2012-02-18T23:18:01Z")
Ah, yes, The Bayer necessities. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/29 "2012-02-18T23:20:50Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > No reason to even mention abortion. Plenty of women who are against abortion use birth control all the time. The point is to promote the message that they won’t stop at outlawing abortion, that it’s a more comprehensive control of your reproduction they want. The Republican crusade against Planned Parenthood if successful will have as much or more of an impact on women’s access to contraception as it will abortion. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/30 "2012-02-19T00:44:41Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > The Repubs simply think women are inferior, ESPECIALLY Santorum. Santorum got a sex change? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/31 "2012-02-19T03:07:37Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ah, yes, The Bayer necessities. That’s what you need between your knees To prove that you’re nostalgically pro-life ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194/32 "2012-02-19T03:29:27Z")
Okay, first of all, that was brilliant, and I want to bear your children. That said, please don’t encourage him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-the-congressional-republicans-have-lost-their-minds-re-the-contraception-issue/613194.md?page=1)