What We're Reading This Morning -- February 8

Good morning everyone! Planned Parenthood Federation of America had a wonderful event last night with the national premiere our new documentary, A Vital Service: African-American Stories of Reproductive Health Care. It was a great event, and a great way to kick off Black History Month! Meanwhile, last night Rick Santorum swept the three Republican primary events with wins (but not necessarily delegates) in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. With three candidates having claimed victories at some point, it’s clear that GOP voters have failed to coalesce around one candidate. Away from the polls, here’s what we’re reading this morning….

Still up for debate? Despite being overwhelmingly popular, even among Catholics, birth control is still something women have to fight for. The Washington Post writes: “Catholics support White House contraception mandate” – “Many of Obama’s conservative opponents have seized on the president’s decision not to offer a broad religious exemption to the contraception coverage as chance to rally religious voters — Catholics in particular — against him. Mitt Romney, the front-runner for the GOP nomination, has said that he would repeal the HHS mandate on his first day in office. But the poll indicates that contraception might not be as much of a rallying point as conservatives would hope.”

Mitt Romney decides to weigh in on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation situation — three days after the decision had been reversed. CBS News has the story: “Romney: Komen shouldn't fund Planned Parenthood” – “When asked by talk radio host Scott Hennen in an interview whether he thinks Komen should provide funds to Planned Parenthood, Romney said ‘I don't think so.’ The candidate, who has in recent days taken a much more aggressive stance on issues like contraception, went on to call for the government, as well as Komen, to pull its funding from Planned Parenthood.”

Republicans continue to play politics with women’s health, taking the fight to the Senate floor. From today’s POLITICO: “Senate GOP ramps up drive against contraceptive rule” – “Senate Republicans late Tuesday stepped up their assault on the White House’s politically volatile contraceptive coverage mandate, vowing to find some way of striking it if the administration didn’t roll back the rules itself. Using unusually strong language in a floor speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the new policy ‘abhorrent’ and said the administration had crossed a ‘dangerous line’ with its decision to require employers to offer birth control for free as a preventive health benefit in health plans, a decision that was part of the implementation of the 2010 health care reform law.”

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