The Contraception Files

Does it seem that contraception has taken an unrepresented front and center role in the GOP presidential nominee campaign?

I think so. What I don't necessarily know for certain is why. I've read articles in the last few months that claim all sorts of political motivation as to why contraception is the talk of the town with the Republican candidates. Some have indicated that it is the Democrats who are putting birth control front and center-you know, to hide the actual issues in the campaigning by igniting fury over any attempt to limit women from accessing their pill.

But really it is the GOP here that is shooting itself in the foot by making it painfully clear that their leading man isn't as head over heals in love with talking about religious freedoms promoting the denial of contraceptive

As Mitt Romney so eloquently put it the other evening, "Contraception is working fine, leave it alone."

He also responded to the Ohio News Networks Jim Heaths question about supporting the "Blunt Amendment" which aims to reverse the Obama administrations requirement that all employers, including religious-affiliated institutions, provide health coverage that includes contraceptive care at no co-pay with this statement-

"I’m not for the bill, but look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a women, husband and wife, I’m not going there."

Romney later insisted that he would indeed support the bill and that the question was put to him in a confusing way.

"Of course I support the Blunt amendment. I thought he was talking about some state law that prevented people from getting contraception so I was simply — misunderstood the question and of course I support the Blunt amendment,"

Thankfully the amendment failed: 51-48

And Rush Limbaugh, national treasure that he is, called a law student testifying in a congressional hearing, a "slut" and a "prostitute" because she was explaining the burdensome cost of contraception.

Overall-

I'll take the failure of the Blunt Amendment as an overwhelming win; at least for today.