Just like this thread, the debate surrounding this issue is now completely removed from reality. As usual, Rush has handed a political victory to the Democrats and completely shifted the focus of the debate to women's rights, which it was never about. Instead of standing up for religious freedom, the GOP is now perceived to be standing against long established women's rights and even women in general. For their part, Ms. Fluke and the Democrats are milking this for all it is worth. By not accepting Rush's apology, Ms. Fluke is seeking to prolong the bleeding and has transformed herself from a victim into a full-fledged political shill/women's rights icon. It's almost not even worth mentioning the rank hypocrisy in the Left's outrage as the damage has already been done. I cannot imagine a worse political outcome.

On principle, too, the Right got this wrong from the start. Lemur is largely correct. This is not an attack on religious freedom. What it is is another example of the kind of runaway entitlements and government overreach that have characterized this administration. Subsidized contraception may be a great thing and supported by many women's groups, but it goes beyond the Obamacare mandate and is emblematic of a government that is asleep at the fiscal wheel. Bridges are falling apart, schools are stuck in the 80's, our technological grid is falling behind many second world nations, and we cannot ask women to contribute even a dime to their own contraception? (It still has yet to be established whether men will share in this boondoggle.) This stuff can get very expensive beyond the pill.

Obamacare was sold as a measure to save Americans from unforeseen and catastrophic medical expenses. This ruling goes far beyond that premise. I suppose more emotional arguments about religious freedom or women's rights play better to the respective bases, but they are both missing the point in my opinion.