ObamaCare’s contraception fight against the Little Sisters of the Poor

Though he’s had plenty of opportunities to compromise on his overreaching contraceptive mandate, President Obama has defiantly refused them all. Now he’s fighting a group of nuns in US Supreme Court.

The nuns are the Little Sisters of the Poor, and they run nursing homes for the elderly. The Little Sisters argue they should not be forced to offer coverage that violates their religious convictions.

The Obama argument is astounding. The gist is that the nuns really aren’t religious enough to qualify for the church exemption. The administration backs up that position with hefty fines for the Little Sisters if they don’t cave. For example, just for their home in Denver, where there are 67 employees, it could run to $6,700 a day. That’s money the Little Sisters simply don’t have.

Hours before she rang in the New Year here in Times Square, Justice Sonia Sotomayor — one of Obama’s own picks — issued a ruling enjoining the Obama administration from enforcing its mandate on the Little Sisters, and on Friday accepted papers from both sides explaining their positions.

Mark Rienzi is a lawyer for the Becket Fund for Liberty, which is among the groups representing these sisters. He puts the case for the injunction this way: “The Obama administration seems to be handing out exemptions to its friends every five minutes,” he says. “It seems only fair that the Little Sisters not be bullied into violating their consciences or paying fines they can’t afford, at least until we have a final ruling on the merits.”

Justice Sotomayor has many options before her. Here’s hoping she comes down on the side of the angels.

Obama despises the Catholic Church as much as he reveres Islam.

U.S. Cardinal-Designate: Obama Lied To My Face, Stabbed Me In The Back, Reneged On His Promise;

http://patdollard.com/2012/02/top-u-s-cardinal-obama-lied-to-my-face-stabbed-me-in-the-back-reneged-on-promise/

Pat Dollard
Feb 9, 2012

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan says President Barack Obama hasn’t kept his promise, when it comes to the new White House policy on contraception.

Sources told CBS 2?s Marcia Kramer that Archbishop Dolan feels betrayed after his meeting with the president on the issue late last year.

A Catholic group in Alabama filed the first lawsuit against the Obama administration’s new birth control regulations as the controversy got even more heated Thursday.

The president ducked questions about the contraception controversy that is bedeviling his administration. The reason may be the latest attack from Dolan, who, sources told CBS 2, feels he was stabbed in the back by the president after the two met to discuss the issue.

“He was worried about being at odds with the Church, especially when it came to health care and education and charitable outreach,” Dolan told Kramer.

Kramer: “He made promises to you that he apparently hasn’t kept?”

Dolan: “Well, yeah. I’m honest in saying I feel a bit let down.”

Sources close to Dolan told Kramer that the archbishop felt betrayed after a November meeting with President Obama to discuss the contraception issue. Sources said the president promised Dolan that he would “get most of what he wanted.”

Instead, the administration issued a directive forcing Catholic institutions like schools and hospitals to pay for things like birth control and the morning after pill for their employees. The nation’s 355,000 churches are exempt.

“He assured me my administration wants to work closely with you,” Dolan said.

But that experience has left Dolan leery of any compromises the Obama administration might come up with.

“You would not be surprised that I’m a little skeptical,” Dolan said.

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