All Lobbied Out

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who does not believe that women's rights (and so many other rights) are enshrined in the Constitution, has always said that if you want to certify specific rights for a specific segment of the population, well, just pass a law.  Great idea, too bad Congress can't do that.  The Senate debated a law that would reverse the Hobby Lobby decision that allowed "closely held" corporations to deny contraception coverage for female employees, and the Republicans blocked it - with some glee, with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (KY)  calling it a stunt to win elections.  No worry, the Republicans said, contraception coverage is guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act (which they're trying to repeal), so these women just have to find another way to have it paid for.

My mother says the women of this country are going to revolt.  No, they won't.  That would put their jobs at risk.  They need the money from their jobs for second incomes in their households . . . and to pay for the contraception coverage that their insurance plans won't.

Democrats say they can capitalize on Republican intransigence by pressing the issue in the fall midterm campaigns.  No, they can't.  Foreign affairs have already pushed the contraception issue so far off the front pages that even Ed Schultz hasn't had time to address it on his MSNBC show while he continues to help report on the Malaysian jetliner that went down over Ukraine.  Progressives shouldn't fool themselves into thinking they can win back power.  Because I've said it before and I've said it again; when the GOP took over the House and most statehouses in 2010, the period of "hope and change" was over.  So, incidentally, was the illusory idea that America could become civilized.