Joanna is right about this: The story about Rush's obscene comments have distorted the issue. Liberals jumped on this like kids at a free candy store. Of course, the same liberals remain silent when the Lettermans and Bill Mahers use similar language against conservative women. NEW PARAGRAPH: The real story is not even about whether birth control saves money. I think we can all agree that birth control is a wonderful thing. The issue is government control. The issue is why should government mandate what is covered in a health insurance policy at all? What Joanna forgets, is that this COSTS money, and is the reason why health insurance premiums will skyrocket under Obamacare, just as they did under Romneycare. NEW PARAGRAPH: Part of the liberal dogma is the belief that the cost of something can magically vanish by waving the magic wand of government mandate. This is simply false. By adding many, many additional required services to a healthcare plan, the cost of insurance can only go up. The premiums can only go up. This is simple math. NEW PARAGRAPH: The free market is the ultimate arbiter of what saves money. The government cannot play this game and be successful. By giving consumers freedom to choose what they want covered, and insurance companies the freedom to find ways to meet that demand, competition will lower cost. I am sorry this debate has focused on the merits of birth control, because it is missing the point entirely.

Did you even read the article? Half of your comments are at odds with the facts represented in it.

Be careful, Joanna and Lizzy. This is a Malthusian argument that could be used to justify dropping the elderly down mine shafts to cut Medicare costs and drowning disabled children to reduce special education costs. Do you really think that aborting fetuses is the way to prosperity? If so, that's sick.

"But in their blind hatred for Obamacare"--LMAO!!! Joanna, were you in a coma when Obamacare passed? The Dems controls congress and they still could not get the votes to pass it. Don't you remember all the bribes and back door deals that were done to get the vote? Don't you recall they did a special vote to get it passed? The polls showed Americans did not want it. What kind of Koolaid are you drinking?????????

Here is what the left and Joanna don't want you to know.."But Fluke's testimony was very misleading. Birth control pills can be purchased for as low as $9 per month at a pharmacy near Georgetown's campus. According to an employee at the pharmacy in Washington, D.C.'s Target store, the pharmacy sells birth control pills--the generic versions of Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Ortho-Cyclen--for $9 per month. "That's the price without insurance," the Target employee said. Nine dollars is less than the price of two beers at a Georgetown bar."

1) Bill Maher responded to Sarah Palin. Palin calls liberals traitors and makes load your gun type references to shooting them in speeches on national TV. He responded in kind. Their is no comparison. 2)"I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE BIRTH CONTROL IS A WONDERFUL THING", Have you listened to what Rick S. is saying about birth control. 3) Government control is the issue. We the people, elected the government. You are in a minority of people that don't have any ideas, but know the government is the problem. 4) "The free market is the ultimate arbiter" is a polite bit of fiction that should start with "Once upon a time" We are blessed to be living in an age when we have a global communications network in which idiots and total and complete wastes of $%^&* human life alike can come together to give instant feedback in an unfettered and unmonitored online environment -The Onion

Nice to see Joanna joining her fellow doctrinian Levenson in trying to put GOP candidate Romney down. Imagine, her suggesting that he use the word 'trollop' for Ms. Fluke... Personally, I think the word "strumpet" is more musical and thus more pleasant-sounding...

I am not talking about Rick Santorum, and Kate, please elaborate. I think my point is clear-the issue ought not be about birth control, but about the wisdom of government mandates in the confines of a private insurance contract.

It never ceases to amaze me that Romney keeps getting held up as the "sensible choice".the one who's moderate and good at business and management*the Big Dig?Bain Capital? etc,etc and he keeps shocking people when he shows that he is not. Even more shocking is that people keep expecting him to care re issues inportant to the lives of Americans,including women.

You don't get it. This is not about getting rid of the 90% now covered by insurance, it's about not requiring those opposed to contraception from paying for other's pills, etc., especially since birth control measues are available so readily asnd often free. It's forcing particular values from the liberal establishment on those who are opposed to them - unnecessarily. It is an act of hate. A few years back, radical gays forced Catholic Charities out of the adoption business in Massachusetts unnecessarily. The gays already had options for adoption available to them and what did that gain them? Another act of hate - and yet the providers of those Catholic adoption services were the ones labeled as the ones hating - how ironic! Next will be the forced closing of Catholic Hospitals - how loving!

This was - by far - the most intelligent article written this weekend. Imagine how much better our society might be if there were a "contraceptive miracle drug," given to children at birth (or that was just part of the water supply) -- designed to wear off at age 25, (or after a graduate degree, whichever came first), that prevented "children having children," before they could properly support, educate and nurture them? It might be the single most productive/helpful thing we could do for our society!

skierdave wrote: it's about not requiring those opposed to contraception from paying for other's pills, etc., especially since birth control measues are available so readily asnd often free. It's forcing particular values from the liberal establishment on those who are opposed to them - unnecessarily. It is an act of hate you seem to fundamentally misunderstand the idea of "insurance." Everyone pays into the same pool, that's how it works. It would be a nightmare to have everyone selectively restrict funding from various procedures. What if I disagree with breast augmentation, sex changes, excessive end of life treatments, etc. It is the same principle, the fact that it is birth control does not make a difference, as medicine is a science and not based on religion or "values." Also, where do you think women get birth control? They get it from their insurance provider, and if they don't have one they get it from some sort of women's clinic like planned parenthood, which conservatives are ALSO trying to shut down.

LuvUSA1 wrote: The Dems controls congress and they still could not get the votes to pass it. Don't you remember all the bribes and back door deals that were done to get the vote?The polls showed Americans did not want it. As a med student who is knowledgable on these issues allow me to inform you. First, the Dems couldn't pass it because it was continuously filibustered. There were 60 dems and 39 republicans and 1 independant (i believe), and the final vote was 60-39. While the polls show americans do not want "obamacare," they are actually largely in favor of the individual pieces of the legislation when asked about them separately, showing that most people are simply ignorant of what the ACA actually is. For example, some provisions include: 1. people with preexisting and newly aquired conditions can no longer be denied care 2. young adults can stay on their parents insurance until 26 3. women cannot be charged higher premiums because of their gender 4. reducing unisured by 32 million (without insuring illegal imigrants) 5. contraception is universally covered free of charge (highly popular despite overblown media debate) 6. preventative care is mostly free of charge 7. quality and cost effectiveness analysis of treatments (actually a really big deal that will save lots of money. 8. development of pilot insurance groups to figure out better systems of payment. ACO's (accountable care organizations) are one such example that will soon become prevalent Basically my point is before you get all emotional and blindly bash something learn a little about it..you may change your mind.

Richmond12: you think that allowing patients to order skin and bones insurance plans will save money? First, if you are business minded, you should be familiar with return on investment. Birth control has a positive return on investment, for all the reasons Ms. Weiss mentioned. This is indisputable. Now, if patients can "choose" their health plan, which essentially means that poor and young people receive worse care, conditions that could be caught early become worse, and end up costing even MORE money. It is called prevention, and is such a simple concept that I am constantly baffled that Republicans do not seem to understand it. Costs of insurance are going up, but it is NOT due to prevention. It is due to overuse of the ER by uninsured people, increasingly expensive high-tech treatments, poor continuity of care, and overuse of expensive health services by the elderly (did you baby boomers will use 3x more in medicare than they paid in, and that 1/3 of ALL of health expenditures in a patient's life are spent in their last MONTH of life, when they are essentially on their deathbed and cannot be saved, subjecting them to a painful, overmedicated death)?