Obama vs. Catholics

The Brian Williams MSNBC debate in Florida was not only dreadfully boring -- I never thought I could ever long for commercials -- it was pathetic. Freed of the fear of triggering an avalanche of applause against loaded questions, Williams and his co-moderators couldn't bring themselves to utter one single question asking the Republican candidates to respond to Obama's mistakes. For almost two hours, not one Obama failure was cited. Apparently, his record is spotless.

Instead, the candidates (especially Rick Santorum) were thrown four questions surrounding the 2005 legal battle in Florida over pulling the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, which pushed all the liberal media hot buttons about "far right" religious conservatives throwing their religion around where it didn't belong. This isn't breaking news. But like the ABC debate fixated on contraception, it's evidence that liberal networks are focused on their agenda, not on the voters' concerns.

Let's reverse the conversation. How do these same reporters deal with the outrageous left-wing extreme on social issues? They don't.

Take the order promulgated by Obama's Department of Health and Human Services on Friday to require virtually all employers to offer insurance coverage of sterilization, abortifacients and contraceptives without deductibles or co-pays in their employee plans by Aug. 1. Churches are exempt, but not religiously inspired hospitals, schools and other charities that hire outside their faith tradition.

"The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs," insisted Archbishop (and Cardinal-designate) Timothy Dolan of New York, head of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops. "Historically, this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty."

That's putting it mildly. What it means is that the Catholic Church is faced with closing down its hospitals, universities and charities -- or committing mortal sin.

Amazingly, the major media found nothing historic about this. ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC all ignored it. NPR covered it on Friday night -- with a positive tone. The headline on their website was "Administration Stands Firm On Birth Control Coverage." The Washington Post editorialized that Team Obama had made a mistake, but Brian Williams can't seem to acknowledge that Obama has ever made a mistake, even when Obama boasts of his travels to 57 states.