Now, this has been tried and failed before, but the Bush administration is trying an end run around this time by attempting to pass this off as “protection from discrimination” in employment. Just how can I be so sure that this is an “end run” and not just protection of employment rights as it is “proposed?” To determine that, you only have to look at who is currently protesting the proposal, and who is backing it.

According to the New York Times article, three officials from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including its legal counsel has opposed the ban and also goes on to point out:

The protest from the commission comes on the heels of other objections to the rule by doctors, pharmacists, hospitals, state attorneys general and political leaders, including President-elect Barack Obama.

So, who has come out in favor of this? Not surprisingly, the proposal is supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Health Association, which represents Catholic hospitals.

Now before anybody says, “well they can just go somewhere else.” It is not always that clear and simple. This mandate could effectively wipe out existing State laws that require insurance companies to pay for contraceptives, could leave Medicaid patients without care within a reasonable area of their homes and other such problems. It could even in some cases be used almost as a weapon, as it was pointed out in this example listed in the same article

The Ohio Health Department said the rule “could force family planning providers to hire employees who may refuse to do their jobs” — a concern echoed by Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

So effectively those against Planned Parenthood could seek jobs there, refuse to provide the support that women used the facility for, and be protected in their jobs by the law, rendering thing inoperable. It may sound far fetched on the surface, but who would believe that a group that is supposed to put “family” first (like Focus on Family) would spend in excess of $500K in order to ensure two people who love each other can’t get married because they don’t “approve” of the lifestyle. In this case they could actually make money while doing their damage.

This can’t be allowed. We cannot allow this lamest of ducks to get this one last opportunity to slap women in the face on the way out the door.

The are also shuttering 4 of their 8 magazines and will instead turn to the internet as their main focus of spreading their messages discrimination to their followers.

But don’t think that this is going to slow them down any. They have already issued this year’s “Christmas-Friendly Shopping Guide” which is based, on what? Companies that have “family friendly” policies? Nope, why would they do that, what are they supposed to be, focused on families? Oh, yeah… well forget that. Companies that are making concerted efforts to not ruin and pollute our planet. Ha! No, I guess you can focus better on your family when we are all living in containment bubbles because the air is unbreathable outdoors. No, the only “criteria” that is important to Focus on Family? Making sure that the word “Christmas” is used on each and every ad the store runs.

So, today Focus on Family is smaller, but still showing that they can hate and discriminate as well as they always have.

Accorind to this story and Crooks and Liars, Dobson and Focus on Family are comaping Obama to The Nazis.  Who says mudslinging ends when the election does?  You know, for the first couple of days after the election, I wondered when people were going to go back to being civilized.  I wondered when they would realize that campaign smears are just that.  Smears.  And that even if he wanted to, that pesky Congress could stop Obama from turning us into a Communist State.  But they haven’t.  They continue to believe discredited lies and innuendo and smears as if these were cold hard facts.  Perfectly, otherwise reasonable and intelligent people continue to believe such silly things.  Some of them even sit there and get angry for being told that they are believing the rhetoric.  Of course, when you have “leaders” like Dobson, I guess it is easy to keep your blinders on, and continue on living in ignorace.