The right wing’s disturbing obsession with controlling women has actually had an effect on the crazy House Republican spending bill charade — the GOP has added a “conscience clause” that would let employers and insurers deny birth control coverage on “religious grounds.”…. If nothing else, this shows the influence of the extreme Calvinist religious right on today’s Tea Party Republicans. They know this crazy bill is never going to pass the Senate and is only intended as theater, so they’re lettin’ it all hang out.
Time was when politics was about “the art of the possible” (apologies to the late Tip O’Neill). Congress, despite whatever posturing and bluster may have been the order of the day, eventually got around to doing what needed to be done. It may not have been pretty, and perhaps the results weren’t what one may have hoped for, but at least things got done. In many cases, as in any successful negotiation process, no one left completely happy…but everyone got at least something of what they’d been looking for. These days, Congress is in thrall to a small but vocal minority of intolerant far-Right Christian zealots who care about nothing save for their narrow, intolerant agenda. No longer does it even matter if they can muster the votes to make their Calvinist repression the law of the land. They’re convinced of the absolute and undeniable righteousness of their cause, and so they’re ready, willing, and able to burn America to the ground if the don’t get 100% of their demands met.
Most of us grew believing in the separation of Church and State. Now America is increasingly being held hostage by those who believe that Church should BE State, that America is a Christian nation and should by rights be a dominionist theocracy. People like Ted Cruz care more about political theater than governing. They know they can’t win the war, but the battles they fight place them front and center in the consciousness (and checkbooks) of their base. Their victories may be purely Pyrrhic in nature, but I suspect their intentions have nothing to do with governing and everything to do with ensuring their continued employment after the next election cycle. These people are as corrupt as the day is long and as heartless as Simon Legree…if Legree had been a far-Right Christian zealot who believed the social contract is the product of Godless socialism and compassion is for losers and Liberals.
What Would Jesus Do? He’d get rid of the socialist anti-American abomination that is Obamacare. If 30 million uninsured Americans can’t afford health insurance, that’s their problem.
Congratulations, America. You have exactly the quality of leadership you deserve.
