Wait...Hobby Lobby's previous insurance carrier covered the SAME contraceptives they now object to?!

[Roland99]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/27/obamacare-contraception-supreme-court-religious-freedom

Notably, the Hobby Lobby used to have an employee insurance plan that covered the very same birth control methods it now claims violate its religious freedom. It wasn't until the GOP raised a stink about the contraception rules in Obama's healthcare legislation that the Hobby Lobby "re-examined" its insurance policies. Is the religious belief sincerely held? Probably. But it's as much political and cynical as it is faith-based.

Is there more detail on this previous carrier? That's all I've been able to find so far.

[NightWatcher]

1. This is all about hating the black guy in the White House.

Everything they've done from Day One until the next inauguration is just about that.

Obama Hating IS their religion

[Ikonoklast]

6. I heard that David Green once bought a clunker from a piece of hit used car salesman, years ago.

Been pissed about it ever since, so he's taking it out on the president.

[demigoddess]

7. + 1

eom

[krawhitham]

2. K&R

[progressoid]

3. Was this brought up at the Supreme Court?

[Roland99]

5. Not that I'm aware of...

but, then again, I haven't found any other details on this.

This would certainly blow this case right out the front door.

[B Calm]

10. You would think so!

[Lurker Deluxe]

14. Of coarse they have

The case is not about all forms of birth control.

Regulations issued under the Affordable Care Act require the companies to provide their female employees with health insurance that includes no-cost access to twenty forms of birth control. The families, however, object on religious grounds to providing four of those forms – two brands of the emergency “morning after” pill and two kinds of interuterine devices (IUDs) – that prevent embryos from implanting in a woman’s uterus. Because they believe that human life begins at conception, the families therefore believe that if the corporations were to cover those four forms of birth control, they would in essence be “complicit in abortion.”

http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/03/birth-control-business-and-religious-beliefs-in-plain-english/

[freshwest]

15. Eric Holder excoriated them on this issue. Near the end of this post I made, here is part of it:

Answer to your question:

The Justice Department brief, authorized by Attorney General Eric Holder, emphasizes that the company formerly allowed “preventive services” within employee health insurance plans, dismissing the “alleged religious beliefs” of the company’s owners...

I like the 'alleged religious beliefs' part of that. Some more of my post on the case:

Kagan Throws Scalia's Own Religious Liberty Arguments Back In His Face - TPMDC

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024724945

Women Justices Rock the Hobby Lobby Argument

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024726315

Re: the Obama administraion's defense of the ACA on this issue, and this is not from a purely liberal source, but you can see the Hobby position, which is dishonest, and our defense against their lawsuit:

Analysis: Hobby Lobby case -- Matters of principle or “alleged religious beliefs”?

Ryan Kiesel of the American Civil Liberties Union, Oklahoma chapter, told CapitolBeatOK the U.S. government will succeed in its defense of the ACA provisions, including the “HHS” (Health and Human Services) mandate requiring the coverage.

He said, “For decades courts have held that religious liberty does not grant secular employers a license to discriminate against their employees or customers. Whether that discrimination is based on race or gender, courts have routinely held that claims of religious liberty by the owners or managers of a company are no justification.”

In mandating coverage of “preventative medicine with no co-pay,” Kiesel believes, Congress was “taking steps to address the inequity felt by women in the workplace. If Hobby Lobby were a church, this would be a different story altogether. However, as a private, for-profit company they do not have the right to impose their beliefs upon their employees...”

The Justice Department brief, authorized by Attorney General Eric Holder, emphasizes that the company formerly allowed “preventive services” within employee health insurance plans, dismissing the “alleged religious beliefs” of the company’s owners...

http://capitolbeatok.com/reports/analysis-hobby-lobby-case-matters-of-principle-or-alleged-religious-beliefs

[Roland99]

17. Ok...so it *has* been brought to the SCOTUS's attention. Should be end of story right there!

and Kennedy...ugh...becoming too much of a wildcard anymore.

[freshwest]

19. The OK ACLU says Hobby will lose. And the blowback is building:

to MrScorpio:

No Moral Ground...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024741559

[Dawson Leery]

4. Wheaton University (the "sane" face the talibornagains) did the same thing.

Once they realized they are part of the Destroy Obama mafia, they changed their policy.

[mindwalker_i]

8. Contraception likely has nothing to do with why hoblob is throwing a hissy fit

I probably can't articulate the reasons clearly.

[DiverDave]

11. It's about tiny steps to get power

to have everyone doing what 'they' want you to do.

I can see a time where there are no liberties left, and it isn't
far down the road unless we push back, hard.

[Judi Lynn]

9. This needs more attention. Thank you. n/t

[Lurker Deluxe]

12. It seems confused

Even John Stewart hit on it the other night and I was disappointed. I got into a heated debate at the local watering hole and I was disappointed.

One of the sources on this is not correct, I know not which.

On one hand Hobby Lobby says they already pay for contraceptives in the standard sense, preventative. They object to the "morning after pill" because in their view that is paying for abortion. They also object to the IUD, citing the same reason.

On the other hand, some people are saying they are refusing to pay for any contraceptive.

If the first case is true, the court case has merit although I disagree with their stance. If it is the second case, they have no case.

[Vinca]

13. I find it curious that most of the merchandise they make profits from comes from China . . .

and we know how the Chinese government feels about too many babies.

[JoePhilly]

16. The GOP's insurance plan covered abortion until around 2004, if I recall

correctly.

[Berlum]

18. Hypocrisy is a core Republicon "Family Value"

Sheesh.