If you have not heard the SC just ruled that some companies may be required to provide only 16 of 20 kinds of birth control in their employee health care. Obama care cannot be required to provide the other 4 on the grounds that they are too close to happening after conception and therefore contrary to some peoples religious beliefs. This means that if you want one of the other 4 kinds then you would have to get it from charitable group or pay for it your self. I think that this is a close call and a hard case. However, as usual, the rhetoric goes way beyond the reality.
I also heard Rachel Maddow describe this in a way very similar to the following.
"The Supreme Court basically ruled that bosses can tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. They can control our reproductive health care. This has nothing to do with religious freedom."
Donna Brazille, ABC news, Sunday morning show
The hostess did not caution her that she was over the top. Someone needs to.
It is time that we start to call this kind distortion what it is.
What she said is not true.
SHE IS LYING.
I agree that the Hobby Lobby ruling is a close (and tough) call.
ReplyDeletePartisan rhetoric on both sides of the political spectrum is, to a large degree, divorced from reality so my criticism here applies to both sides of the isle.
On this particular issue we got to this point through a torturous set of assumptions and “by ins”. i.e.
1. Birth control is a health issue – I have no problem with insurance covering birth control, but it is a health issue only in rare instances.
2. If birth control is not free (paid for by someone else) you are being denied birth control.
3. All “acceptable” insurance policies must provide birth control.
4. Your employer is responsible for providing the means to prevent you from getting pregnant.
Ms. Maddow’s statement is, as you point out, untrue. It is also reasonable to assume that she knew it was untrue when she said it making it a “lie”. Like you, I find it very troubling that the host did not point this out.
Big surprise?
ReplyDeleteTalking heads left right and center lie all day long on those shows...
But there is a shading of things and this is well beyond that.
ReplyDeleteOn MSNBC and FOX I would agree that most of them do. But Brazille and This Week with G. S are presented as being more serious.
Fareed, PBS news and even Fox's Special Report at 5 PM central do better than this.
Not to worry – the Dems are fast tracking legislation to override the SCOTUS decision on Hobby Lobby. See the article here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/08/hobby-lobby-override_n_5568320.html
ReplyDeleteThe legislation will, of course die in the Republican controlled house. My guess is that the Ds want the Rs to NOT pass the bill in the house because they can then perpetuate the “war on women” mantra.