By John W. Lillpop
In addition to reducing the vice presidential debate to a tawdry slap-stick comedy routine, VP Joe Biden further denigrated the process, and the dignity of the High Office which he holds, with tragic misrepresentations, or, as some have alleged, outright lies.
As reported at the reference, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement on Biden's comments during the vice presidential debate regarding the HHS mandate:
"USCCB Responds To Inaccurate Statement Of Fact On HHS Mandate Made During Vice Presidential DebateOnce again, the Obama-Biden team has been caught dealing in mistruth and chicanery!
October 12, 2012
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement, October 12. Full text follows:
Last night, the following statement was made during the Vice Presidential debate regarding the decision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to force virtually all employers to include sterilization and contraception, including drugs that may cause abortion, in the health insurance coverage they provide their employees:
"With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact."
This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain "religious employers." That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to "Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital," or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.
HHS has proposed an additional "accommodation" for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes as "non-exempt." That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations from the obligation "to pay for contraception" and "to be a vehicle to get contraception." They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.
USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.”
Perhaps the facial shenanigans by Biden were part of a more sinister ploy: By smirking, laughing, and grunting when Paul Ryan spoke, did Biden hope to distract attention from the mistruth coming from Biden's own mouth?
Whatever his objective, Biden just added to the Obama “October Demise,” and made an excellent case for NO MORE YEARS!
Ref: http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2012/10/catholic-bishops-statement-on-joe.html
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/12/Catholic-Bishops-Blast-Biden-for-Debate-Lies
