The Obama administration has recently set a policy requiring Catholic institutional employers, except churches and church-affiliated secondary schools, to provide contraceptive coverage and other women's reproductive health services as part of their health insurance plans. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, herself a Catholic, made the plan public. The administration plans to give the institutions a one-year grace period and has said it will work with them to reach some sort of accommodation.
Up until this week, the Republican who has looked the strongest to become the presidential nominee is Mitt Romney. Has the Obama administration intentionally created a "Catholic controversy" to bring out religious voters who favor Rick Santorum, who has now made a largely unexpected leap to the head of the most recent primary elections? Has the administration used the issue to advance Santorum over Romney, thereby advancing a nominee it may consider an ultimnately weaker presidential candidate?
This Skeptical Examiner predicts that the administration will back off its stance on the reproductive health coverage for Catholic institutions long before the November elections, and given the very short memory of the electorate, the issue will be long forgotten by the fall. But there is an outside chance that it could derail Romney's advance and put Santorum in the position of presidential nominee. In terms of money, message, and mentation, Santorum would be a weaker candidate than Romney against Obama. On the other hand, in terms of mendacity, Romney beats them both.
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