Fox's Peter Johnson Jr Pimps Catholic Bishops War On Contraceptive Mandate In Health Care Reform

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is in full battle mode against the Obama administration over HHS's proposals to mandate that all employers, with some exceptions related to strictly religious organizations, provide contraception with no co-payment. But Catholic hospitals and colleges would not have an exception and the members of the world's oldest men's club are fighting mad. They claim that these regulations threaten their "religions liberty" and are actively lobbying the Obama administration and congress to change these rules to give them special protections. As part of their lobbying effort, they have secured the services of Fox News and it's very own "Knight of Malta" Peter Johnson Jr. to promote their agenda. That Fox is on board with the bishops is suggested by the title of the two segments, "Prescription for Truth," in which the USCCB's positions were pimped by Johnson who had an echo chamber from fellow Fox Catholics Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. But rather than "truth," the "prescription" was for propaganda (and a gratuitous smear of Nancy Pelosi) with very little relation to the truth which, in the case of the bishops, isn't a war on Christmas but a war on the reproductive rights of American women. Nice to see that America's Newsroom is part of the fight!

On 11/22, Peter Johnson Jr.,with Steve Doocy as his wing man, promoted the bishop's message that they are being unfairly treated. Doocy quoted Democratic minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, out of context. On last Friday's Fox & Friends (12/2), Johnson, backed up by Doocy and Brian Kilmeade (don't ya love it when Fox's Catholic guys talk about women's reproductive rights!), continued the same whining about attacks on so called Catholic "religious liberty" - along with another Pelosi smear. After the "prescription for truth" opening, Catholic Brian Kilmeade set the Fox message in the form of a question about whether the new health care law "discriminates against Catholics." In reporting the back story, he claimed that the law will require Catholic employers to provide contraception that causes abortion. After video was played of Obama's press secretary saying the final decision hasn't been made, an almost hysterical Catholic Doocy blithered about government mandating that Catholic hospitals "perform abortions, contraceptives, and all sorts of stuff." Catholic Johnson said that this is a "dangerous environment for all Americans who believe in religious liberty." He cited how Nancy Pelosi claims she's a Catholic but she's saying that the Catholic bishops are "merely lobbyists on a political issue." Demonstrating that he's really an idiot and just doesn't play one on TV, Steve Doocy, at the mention of bishops as lobbyists, loudly shouted "what?"

Johnson claimed that the new health care regs require that "all" health care plans must cover sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortions." When Johnson stressed how the bishops are saying that they have "unique institutions" and that "this is against our religion, Doocy said "absolutely" and screamed "she should know that, she's a Catholic." Johnson yelled that the government says that they have a "compelling interest" to "override" the bishops' right to religious freedom. When he predicted that this will go to the Supreme Court because it's "a core American issue," Doocy responded "it certainly is."

Comment: Despite the name of the segment, the first casualty was "truth."

1) The health care, which requires a full array of reproductive services to be included in the health care plans, does NOT require that Catholic hospitals perform abortions. Johnson and Kilmeade are pushing the bishop's Catholic belief that morning after pills, which prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, are abortion pills. The medical field, however, defines a pregnancy as beginning at implantation.
2) The mandate does NOT apply to all religious institutions. It does, however, apply to hospitals and colleges (which also receive federal subsidies) that employ and have, as students, non Catholic women.
3) Some Catholic colleges and hospitals already cover contraceptive coverage. (Guess they're not in compliance with their faith!)
4) While not technically a lobbying group as it is a non-profit, the USCCB is the second highest spending advocacy group. The first is AIPAC. The USCCB spend $26.7 million/year. It has been very active in lobbying against reproductive choice. They were actually in Rep. Bart Stupak's office during the debate on his amendment to health care reform. Doocy is truly an idiot if he doesn't believe his bishops aren't up to their roman collars in lobbying.

Fox's "prescription for truth" is written for the Catholic bishop whose "religious freedom" is being violated. Meanwhile the reproductive rights of American women aren't part of the Fox "scrip." This is a dangerous environment for all women who believe in reproductive rights.

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