From the diaries by Erick

We don’t have all the specifics. But it is pretty apparent that Obama’s “deal” on contraceptives is a trick.

As to Catholic institutions, Catholic hospitals and universities would pay insurance companies premiums, which would pay for contraceptives and abortifacients. Evil doesn’t become good because it’s laundered through a third party.

But, says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, premiums would go down because, inter alia, you would not have to provide health services to those pesky babies who would have been born, had you not aborted them.

But if this was a theological defense, it would have applied, whether or not contraceptives and abortifacients were specified in the insurance policy.

Incidentally, the 98-99% contraception usage figure which is being thrown about unchallenged?  It is from the virulently pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Finally, what about individual Catholic or fundamentalist or other employers who have religious objections to abortions and contraceptives? The “deal” would throw them under the bus.

Unlike some in the Catholic hierarchy, I vigorously fought against ObamaCare and predicted the abortion-related problems they are now facing.  Am I now to go to prison for exercising my conscience? And does the First Amendment apply any less to my religious beliefs.

by Michael E. Hammond, former General Counsel Senate Steering Committee 1978-89 and a Dunbarton, New Hampshire resident.

From the diaries by Erick

We don’t have all the specifics. But it is pretty apparent that Obama’s “deal” on contraceptives is a trick.

As to Catholic institutions, Catholic hospitals and universities would pay insurance companies premiums, which would pay for contraceptives and abortifacients. Evil doesn’t become good because it’s laundered through a third party.

But, says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, premiums would go down because, inter alia, you would not have to provide health services to those pesky babies who would have been born, had you not aborted them.

But if this was a theological defense, it would have applied, whether or not contraceptives and abortifacients were specified in the insurance policy.

Incidentally, the 98-99% contraception usage figure which is being thrown about unchallenged?  It is from the virulently pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Finally, what about individual Catholic or fundamentalist or other employers who have religious objections to abortions and contraceptives? The “deal” would throw them under the bus.

Unlike some in the Catholic hierarchy, I vigorously fought against ObamaCare and predicted the abortion-related problems they are now facing.  Am I now to go to prison for exercising my conscience? And does the First Amendment apply any less to my religious beliefs.

by Michael E. Hammond, former General Counsel Senate Steering Committee 1978-89 and a Dunbarton, New Hampshire resident.

Holton, Kansas, Rep. Trent LeDoux – “My concern is this contract with Accenture, which, in my opinion, is an illegal contract.”

Shawnee, Kansas, Rep. John Rubin, former federal judge and FDIC Regional Counsel — “The darn thing [ObamaCare] is unconstitutional.  Why would we take steps in Kansas to implement anything?”

Topeka Capital-Journal:

A small, defiant group of House Republicans joined forces with the tea-party flavored Union of Patriots to pressure Gov. Sam Brownback to cancel a $135 million contract for a computer system designed to track applicants for state social services.

…

Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, said he met with Brownback in an effort to convince the governor the state should have nothing to do with computer system changes that played into mandates for health insurance reform crafted by Democrats.

“The darn thing is unconstitutional,” Rubin told a Statehouse gathering of about 10 House and Senate Republicans. “Why would we take steps in Kansas to implement anything?”

…

The state entered into a five-year contract with Accenture calling for expenditure of $85 million for technology acquisition and implementation of the database and $50 million to operate and maintain the system.

Meanwhile, Accenture agreed in September to pay $63 million to settle a suit tied to a scandal involving acceptance of kickbacks after recommending certain hardware and software to the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice also accused Accenture of fraudulently increasing prices and rigging bids on government contracts.

…

“My concern is this contract with Accenture, which, in my opinion, is an illegal contract,” said Rep. Trent LeDoux, a Holton Republican.

…

Rumbling from the likes of Shute, Rubin and others within the Republican Party played a role in Brownback’s decision to return a $31.5 million federal grant earmarked for IT systems directly related to implementation of national health insurance reform.

Brownback, while governor-elect in November, didn’t object to Kansas’ application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the grant. The award was approved in February, but Brownback unexpectedly decided to send the money back to HHS immediately prior to the August meeting of the state GOP that was shaping up to be a forum for rebellious Republicans unhappy with the grant.

…

“It undercuts our legal argument before the Supreme Court,” [Rep. John Rubin] said. “The only remedy is to cancel the contract.”

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Kansas Attorney General Steve Six was appointed by far-left Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius, now a cabinet member in President Obama’s administration.  Six is making his first state-wide election effort in 2010, running against moderate Republican Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt.

The Associated Press:

In a letter Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Six expressed disappointment with Holder’s decision to sue Arizona over the new law.

Gavin Young, a spokesman for Six, says the Kansas attorney general believes Arizona had the right to pass the law and that it doesn’t appear to encroach on the federal law.

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