President Barack Obama’s “senseless war on Catholics” is causing him to draw fire from both the political right and left.
Even the so-called voices of moderation are scratching their heads over the Obama administration’s decision requiring the Catholic Church and other religious groups “to buy contraception-related health insurance for employees at their hospitals, universities and charity groups, or pay heavy fines,” said New York Times columnist David Brooks.
During Friday’s PBS “NewsHour,” Brooks called the decision by the administration “under-reported,” warning it would have the effect of uniting Catholics and evangelicals with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, even with Romney’s so-called “Mormon problem”.
“I think that [the implication] is enormous … because you have Catholics who are upset. You have evangelicals who are really upset. And whatever problem they had with Mitt Romney that has now healed. They have now united with Mitt Romney because they are so upset about this story. And a lot of people think we are a diverse country, we have a lot of different values, that government should get involved — it gives money to a lot of these associations — but it should give different people with different values the ability to operate in a way they see fit.”
Brooks made the traditional conservative argument against the administration, suggesting it was a form of “bureaucratic greed”.
“When you have the government saying one size fits all … you are going to do it our way, or not, well, then that insults a lot of people,” he continued. “And so I think this is having resonance across the country. It was — statements were issued in a lot of masses, a lot of pulpits this past Sunday. And, you know, I think it’s going to have a significant lingering effect for a long time.”