JULY 3 / That was then

WHAT Hillarycare had to say about the right of "any employer" to refuse to pay for an insurance policy that covers "abortion or other services":

Section 21223. Provisions Relating to Religious Belief or Moral Conviction. Nothing in this title shall be construed to . . . (2) prevent any employer from contributing to the purchase of a standard benefits package which excludes coverage of abortion or other services, if the employer objects to such services on the basis of a religious belief or moral conviction.

What Hillary Rodham Clinton had to say about Monday's Hobby Lobby case that did essentially the same thing:

"I obviously disagree," Clinton said about the 5-4 decision by the court in the "Hobby Lobby" case. "I disagree with the reasoning and the conclusion.

"It's the first time that our court has said that a closely-held corporation has the rights of a person when it comes to religious freedom, which means that . . . employers can impose their religious beliefs on their employees," Clinton said. "And, of course, denying women the right to contraception as part of their health care plan is exactly that. I find it disturbing that we are going in that direction."

. . . . 

"It is a disturbing trend that you see in a lot of societies that are very unstable, anti-democratic and frankly prone to extremism, where women, and women's bodies, are used as the defining and unifying issue to bring together people -- men -- to get them to behave in ways that are disadvantageous to women but whichc prop them up because of their religion, their sect, whatever," Clinton said.

She said America was still far from that, but she said the court's decision raises "serious questions." 

"I think there should be a real outcry against this kind of decision," Clinton said, adding that many more companies will now likely claim religious beliefs. "This is a really bad slippery slope." 

(Brent, Gardner-Smith, "Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and David Petraeus offer up views at Ideas Fest," aspendailynews.com, July 1, 2014)

So much for Hillarycare's "any employer," a category that includes the likes of Hobby Lobby.

So much for Hillarycare's exemption for "abortion or other services" that offend "any employer's" religious or moral beliefs. 

Who knew Mrs. Clinton was, herself, a slippery slopist, a patriarchal advocate of behaving in ways that are disadvantageous to women, of moving the country in the direction of the Taliban. 

Why would she turn 180 degress on this issue? The choices are that she changed her mind -- and she will never admit that she was ever on the what she now says is the wrong side of this issue -- or that she is unprincipled.  I go with the latter. One benefit of "unprnicipled" is that it explains so much about the Clintons. 

Comments

[Houbagger]

The difference is that the Hillarycare bill had a specific clause to allow businesses to opt out while the supreme court ruling allows a "closely held" business to nullify any law that they feel conflicts with their religious beliefs. The issue isn't about opting out of healthcare coverage; it's bigger. It's about allowing personal beliefs and opinions to trump the law of the land.