Health care reform's mandating of free contraception for all women who want it was one of the first things I talked about here, so I'm taking a special interest in the recent ongoing blow-up regarding that very issue.
The latest development: the Blunt Amendment, an attempt by Senate Republicans to add a personal religious exemption to the mandate for any employers who feel disinclined to support contraception. This article describes it as one of those rare moments where both parties are keen to have a matter voted on, because regardless of the outcome, they see their opponents' votes as something that can be used against them later in the voting booth.
Well, after four days of debate, the Senate voted this morning and killed the amendment 51-48, with one-foot-out-the-door Olympia Snowe being the only Republican to vote against it (especially interesting after what I was saying about her yesterday).
It is funny that they're all so excited to inject this matter into the national debate at the expense of jobs and the economy, but given how weak the Republican candidates are, they were bound to sieze on a wedge issue sooner or later. It's telling that this is the best they can come up with.
(Side Note: for the next two weeks, I am conducting a survey of visitors to this blog. Whether you're a regular reader or this is your first time, I'd love to hear from you - just follow this link. This notice will accompany every post this month, with Saturday, March 3rd being the final day to participate. Thanks for reading!)
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