Obama Administration to cave on birth control

The birth control “firestorm” this week that resulted from the Administration’s new rules requiring all employers to cover birth control for women free of charge was in actuality a complete nontroversy. The rule already exempted a large number of religious organizations and fell right in line with many states that already have more rigorous requirements for providing birth control.

The American public overwhelming supports the measure. Even a large majority of Catholics support the measure. The only folk who don’t support it? The Catholic hierarchy, who don’t want anyone using any birth control ever, and the Republican leadership, who wouldn’t support Obama if he cured cancer while winning $50 quadrillion for Earth in the Space Lottery.

This is a complete win for the President politically and a win for anyone who wants a sane health policy in this country. (Oh, yeah, and providing more comprehensive birth control would lower the number of abortions).

That’s why this is so frustrating and annoying:

President Barack Obama will announce a plan to accommodate religious employers outraged by a rule that would require them to cover birth control for women free of charge, according to a person familiar with the decision.

…

The shift is aimed at containing the political firestorm that erupted after Obama announced in January that religious-affiliated employers had to cover birth control as preventative care for women. Churches and houses of worship were exempt, but all other affiliated organizations were ordered to comply by Aug. 2013.  Link

So the Administration puts forward a reasonable policy that a majority of Americans support, the usual suspects generate all kinds of fake outrage, and the Administration compromises. I had hoped that the Administration was finally beyond this. You can’t negotiate with those who don’t compromise and you can’t win when you play their game.

(I readily admit that I don’t know the details of this yet. Maybe they aren’t so bad. Whatever they are, it’s doubtful those against it will be placated in any way.)