After a week of debates over religious freedom and the use of contraception, White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew declared the issue, "resolved," adding that, "we can now go forward."
Republicans, on the other argue that the issue is anything but resolved. GOP hopeful Rick Santorum told me this morning that "there is no compromise here. They're forcing religious organizations, either directly or indirectly, to pay for something that they find is a deeply, morally, wrong thing."
The former senator from Pennsylvania also said things are looking up for his campaign citing polls that show him ahead in upcoming states like Michigan and "closing in" in Arizona.
"This is a two-person race right now," Santorum said.
You can watch our entire show on our website, as well as our roundtable conversation that dug deeper in to the contraception debate as well as what lies ahead in this 2012 Republican race.
We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.
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Rick Santorum is so out of touch with the real world he calls himself a "proud Catholic" and sided with the church & the rapist priests instead of coming to the aid of the true victims - the children that were lied to and raped, tortured, serial Satanic rituals, etc. Catholic Brothers in Pennsylvania in the '40's & '50's went underground into the catacombs of universities and performed an abortion on a 13 year-old girl forcing her to eat her placenta and the remains (the aborted fetus itself) and told her never to speak of it again or they would kill her entire family. This is documented and is on police files and the Dominicans & Christian Brothers persuaded the police to squash it, bury it like it never happened. How dare Santorum call himself a "proud Catholic?" He knew of these heinous crimes and did "absolutely nothing at all." He called them the delusions of a disturbed woman and offered her no help or solace in charging those responsible. "Proud Catholic?" How about a perverted Catholic, that covers-up crimes, just like the criminal Bishops that transferred child raping priests, and YOU with your blinders on? Santorum, if you believe in your faith, then there will be a reckoning one day and when you go to meet your maker and try to explain why, why you did nothing to investigate these horrors? Luke 17:2 Matthew 18:6 "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Mr. Santorum - answer these facts and see if you will become the new POTUS. Peace Always,
Sincerely,
ODCLARK
A true American
Lew is an idiot like his boss!! David asks him why its over 1000 days without a budget, and Lew, the budget director at the time, blame the dems!@!!!? Correct me if I am wrong 1000= 3 years! Dems were in control then and had a mafority!!
Although the Democrats had a majority in the house, the slim majority in the senate made that control ineffective due to the largest use of the filibuster, by conservatives, in history. In fact, the Republicans have had an effective majority twice in the past 70 years (Reagan/Bush) and both created financial disasters and passed no real social laws that they always scream about. The Democrats haven't had effective control of government since FDR.
The lie that Lew passed off and that Gregory didn't jump on is that budget measures are not subject to cloture. It only takes 51 votes to pass a budget, which means that Sen. Reid only needs 50 votes because the VP will break a tie in the Dems favor if it gets to that point. Lew was OMB Director before moving to the Chief of Staff position. He knows this to be true. So he is lying to Gregory and the public in an effort to maintain a campaign bullet point for the President. You may like David Gregory, but I have to say that I can't imagine Tim Russert letting a whopper of a lie like that go without challenge. Gregory's MO seems to be to ask a question that has a veneer of toughness to it, but then to let the respondent spin, lie, and misdirect at will to make whatever points they were sent there to make without fear that he will call them out.
Rick Santorum needs to go home. He's a homophobic bigot. He's just as bad as the other politicians. They all make me sick these days.
Our country of religious based politics is no different then other fanatical religious bases regimes. I am surprised of how man made religion has such a strong-hold on our country. Worse off is the fact that we only say god bless American. Since we are such religious fanatics, how about for starters we at least say, and god bless all things and all people?
maybe, some day we can look at this the way we look at so many other things in the past and say to ourselves, "Can you believe we use to think that way, how archaic"
Why are so many of the (male) pundits on TV casting the issue regarding contraception as a "religious liberty" issue. At best it is a "women's rights" issue and at worst an issue of religion once again trying to take away those rights and subjecting women to second class citizenship. Around the world, and in the United States, women are denied their rights as equal humans by religious dogma. The current conversation is emphasizing "Constitutional rights" of religion, but, of course, women are known not to have Constitutional rights as this country rejected the amendment to the Constitution that would have guaranteed women equal rights.
I did not realize how lousy Gregory was, until I saw him read a long quote from a republican to Lew, introducing it by saying this is what the new york times is saying...it does not matter....this bishop thing where "we would rather see an increase in babies aborted than miss a chance to phuck with Obama" thing is not going to help republicans. The certain to grow gender gap might get big enough that the women start affecting the husbands........this is the most cynical, sickening group of candidates in a major party contest that I have seen in my 65 years.
How can the people (mostly Catholics) have a conversation about this controversy regarding contraception for women and not even mention the rights of women? I am truly amazed that their minds can be so closed to how many, many women feel to not even acknowledge it!!
It seems that everybody is looking at the 1st Amendment in the wrong way. It is not necessarily about the rights of organizations, sects, or cults. It is about the individual right to be free from both the establishment of a religion against their beliefs and also protect their freedom to choose belief in religion.
The Catholic Church operates in the public sphere. They get federal monies, along with their non profit tax exemption. The also are able to promote their religion. That is their benefits. They are competing against private interest therefore they are operating is secular space, and are required to follow federal law of equal protection. What ever the private industry law is the law they must also adhere to. They cannot discriminate against Women no matter what religious belief they may hold. Only in churches, Synagogues and other institutions wholly supported by their own members apart from secular view. Even then, they cannot violate the rights of individuals protected by the Constitution, under The Bill of Rights and the 14 Amendment.
This is correct. I wish one of those in the round table would have said it. Religious liberty is for individuals to practice any or no religion without the fear of persecution, prosecution, or emprisonment by the government (or anyone else for that matter). Not a religious idea BTW. It does not mean religious institutions have the liberty to impose their beliefs on those who don't share them. All too often that's exactly what relligious authorities whine about. This is why it is unconstitutional to teach creationism in public schools. A lesson the state of Indiana will soon learn at the expense of their tax payers.
I couldn't agree more.
First I want to thank David Gregory for the doing such a great job on Meet The Press. I still miss Tim but continue to be a loyal viewer of this show because of David. This is the first time I have posted a comment on Meet The Press. I would like to suggest that the issue of the "courts" over reaching their roles that was discussed today should have prompted the discussion of the Civil Rights Movement and court rulings. If my memory serves me correctly, the courts played a major role in over ruling what many of the southern members of the KKK and southern citizens felt was appropriate. I am a Caucasian 65 year old female and was stunned with what Rick Santorum said about the court system. I really wished David would have brought up the Civil Rights Movement, the courts involvement and questioned him on whether he felt it was wrong for the courts to get involved and overrule what the "people" wanted; segregation and discrimination to name a few. Keep up the great work.
Why does Gregory just ask fluff questions? He is not as good as Tim was! For one ask why the president and Reid and all the people in D.C. that live of our dime, why they dont use Obamacare and social security, but its good enough for us?
The USA is the only western country still debating contraception and abortion... You guys are 50 years behind socially speaking. The Catholics are trying to impose their values to their employees, and it is wrong. Freedom of religion? If you are a catholic and are against contraception, then don't use it. As far as legal issues, they have to obey the law like any other employer. This is a non-issue.
By the way, if I start a religion that prophibits my believers to have contact with Republicans, can I decide not to hire Republicans as employees??? What about Blacks? What about women? Move on you guys and join us in the 21st century.
Rick Santorum conveniently bends reality with his comments this morning about the 9th Circuit Courts recent decisions and shows his disdain for our founding fathers. Under the premise he hypnotized this morning, the voters of the sate of California could vote to expel anyone with a last name ending in ‘M’ and it would be untouchable by the courts. The whole purpose of the 3 branches of government is to have a safety check on ‘the crazy fringe’ of our society. In Rick Santorum’s world African Americans would still be discriminated against and women would not be able to vote.
Just goes to show that this candidate is a ‘one bud short of a six pack’.
How long will it take the American people to figure out David Gregory? He is shallow, ill informed and one of the biggest corporate newsmedia bought off people in the world! He doesn't ask tough straight forward questions because he would get fired! We talk about money in politics, which is the major problem, but something that gets little attention is money and corporate domination in the media! We have a 90% right wing news media and corporate owners on all of the cable television netwaorks, and people expect a good dialogue on the real problems facing America? When abortion and contraception is more important than job creation and raising taxes on the rich and the big corporations to help with Americas debt, you know that the game is rigged! David Gregory still hasn't figured out that this country has moved so damned far to the right over the past 30 years that he thinks President Obamas is a left wing moderate! He never asks the obstructionist party what their ideas are to move this country forward! Why do you suppose this is? When he has John Boehner on, the third person in line for the Presidency, he does not even ask him why it is that he is not responsible for helping move this nation forward and helping create jobs! The republicans have obstructed everything this President and the democrats have tried to do to get this nation out of the deep ditch the republican party put America in, and they want to use the same policies of tax cuts, deregulation and more defense spending to move this nation forward? Gregory apparently cannot even figure this out! This nation will never move forward as long as we continue to have idiots like Gregory and radical teaparty people in congress!
Gregory's job is to play to the audience. If the topic on everybody's minds is abortion and birth control, it's got to be his lead story. That somebody asks your questions is entirely appropriate, in the right forum, but not here.
I liked Peggy Noonan when she was a speechwriter for Reagan , "points of light," etc. But if you've see the movie The Time Machine, wouldn't you agree she's turned into a Morlock?
What kind of Republican is Rick Santorum?
A. Conservative
B. Weasel
C. A$$hole
D. More than 1
How is it possible that every one of these candidates for the 2012 election fail to mention the issue that americans care about most? Thats right, it's because they're using the same ploy they have for years. Contraception, birth control, women's rights issues. Never mind the collapsing economy, and massive job loss, lets focus our attention on something none of the american people care about at all, unless social media tells them to care about it. When will we finally have a candidate that puts those tired old speechs about values and playing baseball in the front yard with crosses on their Harvard shoulder lapels in the closet, and talk about real legislative action to protect our economy?
I agree the conversation should be about the economy and that is where the conversation should start... the Media is only trying to distract us from the important issues and polarize society.
I will leave you with one important fact regarding Oral Contraceptives, since I am tired to hear that the government is doing this because they are looking out for Women's health:
Oral Contraceptives are Group A Carcinogenics that increase the probability of a woman developing breast cancer.
I am going to speculate here but I suppose that this decision is made more in support of the Pharmaceutical industry and not looking out for women. It is a vicious cycle... women take contraceptives (spend some money), then try fertility treatments to remove some of the effects (more money) and then seek treatment for breast cancer ($$$$$). No wonder why insurance premiums are so high.
I agree that any woman should have access to contraceptives however saying that the government should mandate insurance companies to "provide" a carcinogenic to all women for free it is like saying that the government should subsidize smoking because it can help control obesity. I think that we all can agree that this is plain wrong independently of whether you are a democrat, a republican, a religious person, agnostic or atheist.
I agree the conversation should be about the economy and that is where the conversation should start... the Media is only trying to distract us from the important issues and polarize society.
I will leave you with one important fact regarding Oral Contraceptives, since I am tired to hear that the government is doing this because they are looking out for Women's health:
Oral Contraceptives are Group A Carcinogenics that increase the probability of a woman developing breast cancer.
I am going to speculate here but I suppose that this decision is made more in support of the Pharmaceutical industry and not looking out for women. It is a vicious cycle... women take contraceptives (spend some money), then try fertility treatments to remove some of the effects (more money) and then seek treatment for breast cancer ($$$$$). No wonder why insurance premiums are so high.
I agree that any woman should have access to contraceptives however saying that the government should mandate insurance companies to "provide" a carcinogenic to all women for free it is like saying that the government should subsidize smoking because it can help control obesity. I think that we all can agree that this is plain wrong independently of whether you are a democrat, a republican, a religious person, agnostic or atheist.
I agree the conversation should be about the economy and that is where the conversation should start... the Media is only trying to distract us from the important issues and polarize society.
I will leave you with one important fact regarding Oral Contraceptives, since I am tired to hear that the government is doing this because they are looking out for Women's health:
Oral Contraceptives are Group A Carcinogenics that increase the probability of a woman developing breast cancer.
I am going to speculate here but I suppose that this decision is made more in support of the Pharmaceutical industry and not looking out for women. It is a vicious cycle... women take contraceptives (spend some money), then try fertility treatments to remove some of the effects (more money) and then seek treatment for breast cancer ($$$$$). No wonder why insurance premiums are so high.
I agree that any woman should have access to contraceptives however saying that the government should mandate insurance companies to "provide" a carcinogenic to all women for free it is like saying that the government should subsidize smoking because it can help control obesity. I think that we all can agree that this is plain wrong independently of whether you are a democrat, a republican, a religious person, agnostic or atheist.