Nowhere in those statements does anyone affiliated with the Catholic Church advocate denying everyone contraception (which actually would be oppression) or any kind of theocracy. They just do not want Catholics forced to directly pay for something they morally oppose, any more than you would want to be forced to pay for their next new church. That is a reasonable position.

The problem is that healthcare, of which contraception is undeniably a part, is a basic right. Even Santorums comments imply warped agreement (they suggest he thinks healthcare a right of businesses and institutions, to extend to employees—or not—as they please.) It is entirely possible Obama erred in recognizing healthcare as a right but leaving it to private institutions to maintain as much or as little as they wish. Seems to me anything the public possesses only so far as private institutions and individuals grant is not much of a right. That makes it no less vital to their survival. If healthcare is only available to the 80% of US adults with full time employment, only to the extent their employers underwrite it, either it is not a right or America has a serious civil rights crisis. Three guesses which is the case.

This is why Obamas healthcare "reform" is unworthy of the name, and why so many of us said it was worse than nothing: Because it is. What is covered at what rate is still entirely at the discretion of private employers and private insurers. All that has changed is that 1) all Americans must purchase private insurance, whether or not they can afford it, or pay a tax penalty, 2) the bloated private insurers driving up costs for both patients and doctors are guaranteed a $900 billion taxpayer windfall and 3) insurers cannot refuse coverage to 50 year old diabetics with heart disease (they are, of course, free to charge them $2000/month knowing most of them will simply pay a $750/year tax penalty instead.) This is why we needed a public option, and still do; we can expect plenty more arguments over whether the feds are unreasonable to expect sick people get medical care.

I will get back to you tomorrow in that other thread, incidentally; now I must sleep (sorry.)