Gun Control: A Republican Lashes Out at His Party

My heart is broken. The Senate killed even the most modest gun legislation, something that is desired by the majority of the American people (front page, April 18).

Additionally, the National Rifle Association gave up all semblance of moral authority.

Only the Republican senators Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, John McCain of Arizona, Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine acquitted themselves well by voting yes to expand background checks.

There is no doubt in my mind that Republicans, under political pressure from Wayne LaPierre of the N.R.A., will be marginalized to the point of irrelevancy, as the American people move inexorably to force the adoption of reasonable gun legislation.

I just wish that our Republican leadership had done the right thing. We just handed President Obama the perfect way to defeat many Republicans in the next election.

ALFRED HOFFMAN Jr.
North Palm Beach, Fla., April 19, 2013

The writer is a Republican fund-raiser and a former Republican National Committee finance chairman.

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Letters: Conservatives value control over compromise

How funny to listen to a conservative such as commentary writer Jonah Goldberg defend conservatives' willingness to compromise ("Column: 'Compromise' is not a dirty word").

By J. Scott Applewhite,, AP

Republican leaders: Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, right, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

By J. Scott Applewhite,, AP

Republican leaders: Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, right, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

After Barack Obama was elected president, I remember Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying his priority would be to work on getting Obama out of office. And I have seen many federal legislators on the right do nothing but dis just about every single thing the president has tried to do in his first term.

Clearly, conservatives don't care about our country. They just want to take over.

Lastly, I ask Goldberg, what about George W. Bush? Conservatives have buried the former president because they are hoping the voters will forget what he did to us during his two terms.

Patricia Alexander; Marietta, Ga.

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GOP right to push debt solutions

Jonah Goldberg's Forum piece on compromise was right on! I could not agree more with his point that Republicans must hold the line against the Democrats to stave off our soaring debt. They cannot condone or risk higher taxation for fear that money, too, will be squandered.

Perhaps there used to be more compromise in Congress, particularly during the Clinton administration, when there was more wiggle room on our debt levels. Today, the situation is too dire to be pushed any further. What is the debt solution offered by President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi?

This election is not about race (I would vote for Condoleezza Rice in a heartbeat) or religion. It is about economic policy and our inability to meet our debt obligations.

The Republican Party is the party of personal responsibility and believes in offering everyone the opportunity to succeed, but not giving handouts.

David Dale; Dover, Fla.

Obstructionist goals from start

How can Jonah Goldberg ask us to consider that the Democrats and, more precisely, President Obama are no more interested in compromise than Republicans?

As I recall, almost from the moment Obama was elected, the Republicans made it clear their agenda and priority would be to see to it that this president is limited to one term.

Given this, how can anyone with an ounce of political awareness really believe today's Republicans want anything other than to present obstacles to any deal that might give the impression that this president is an effective leader?

Richard Seidel; Chicago

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U.S. House GOP look to reshape birth control debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Republican leaders are looking for a way to reshape the debate over the administration's new rule on birth-control insurance coverage before moving ahead with a bid to nullify the requirement.

Representative Jeff Fortenberry, who has introduced legislation on the issue, acknowledged hesitation by some fellow Republicans to take on the incendiary issue. But he said a delay could give Republicans time to recast the issue as a question of religious freedom rather than women's rights.

We'll keep trying to appropriately frame the debate about this core American principle," Fortenberry said.

Representative Pete Sessions, who heads the House Republican campaign committee, said party leaders are not backing off. “We're not hesitant to do anything," Sessions said. The successful rain dance has a lot to do with timing."

House Republicans have taken a cautious approach after the Senate, mostly on party lines, rejected a measure that would have allowed employers with moral objections to opt out of birth control coverage and other services.

The administration's plan would require employers, including charities and other religious institutions, to provide contraception coverage at no extra charge.

Senator Roy Blunt, who offered the Senate measure, said Democrats' framing of the issue as a women's rights question proved to be a problem. We're not going to win that debate on birth control," said Blunt. But the debate over religious liberty is not going to go away."

The issue has made some Republicans cautious in an election year, when most voters are concerned about U.S. economic growth and job creation, said one aide.

A spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Republican leaders were still discussing with members how best to move forward.

Fortenberry said it is unclear whether his legislation will be the bill that moves forward in the House. But he believes he has the votes to ensure passage.

FIRST OBAMA, THEN REPUBLICANS

Obama faced an uproar from religious groups over the administration's birth control requirement. But he moved quickly to quell it by altering the rule so employers with religious affiliations would not be required to offer free birth control to workers.

Insurers would instead bear the onus to provide coverage.

Republicans said the compromise did not go far enough and announced plans to move forward with measures that would override the ruling.

Incendiary comments by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “slut" and “prostitute" for speaking out in support of the Obama policy, helped Democrats reframe the issue to their political advantage, analysts said.

Limbaugh, who has lost advertisers who found his comments objectionable, has since apologized.

It looked like an attack on women and women are the majority of the electorate," said Jennifer Lawless of the Women and Politics Institute at American University.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey last week of 1,500 adults showed nearly two-thirds of Americans favor Obama's policy, including clear majorities of Catholics and evangelicals.

A number of religious groups have filed lawsuits challenging the new rule.

Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a former congressional aide, said House Speaker John Boehner has good reason to schedule a vote on a measure to overturn the rule.

While jobs and the economy are the number one issue, this is one of those niche issues that can really make a difference in the election among Catholic voters," he said.

They respond well to the issue of religious freedoms," he added. If Catholic congregations hear that Republicans are on their side, that can only help them in November."

View the original article here

House Republicans look to reshape birth control debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Republican leaders are looking for a way to reshape the debate over the administration's new rule on birth-control insurance coverage before moving ahead with a bid to nullify the requirement.

Representative Jeff Fortenberry, who has introduced legislation on the issue, acknowledged hesitation by some fellow Republicans to take on the incendiary issue. But he said a delay could give Republicans time to recast the issue as a question of religious freedom rather than women's rights.

"We'll keep trying to appropriately frame the debate about this core American principle," Fortenberry said.

Representative Pete Sessions, who heads the House Republican campaign committee, said party leaders are not backing off. "We're not hesitant to do anything," Sessions said. "The successful rain dance has a lot to do with timing."

House Republicans have taken a cautious approach after the Senate, mostly on party lines, rejected a measure that would have allowed employers with moral objections to opt out of birth control coverage and other services.

The administration's plan would require employers, including charities and other religious institutions, to provide contraception coverage at no extra charge.

Senator Roy Blunt, who offered the Senate measure, said Democrats' framing of the issue as a women's rights question proved to be a problem. "We're not going to win that debate on birth control," said Blunt. "But the debate over religious liberty is not going to go away."

The issue has made some Republicans cautious in an election year, when most voters are concerned about U.S. economic growth and job creation, said one aide.

A spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Republican leaders were still discussing with members how best to move forward.

Fortenberry said it is unclear whether his legislation will be the bill that moves forward in the House. But he believes he has the votes to ensure passage.

FIRST OBAMA, THEN REPUBLICANS

Obama faced an uproar from religious groups over the administration's birth control requirement. But he moved quickly to quell it by altering the rule so employers with religious affiliations would not be required to offer free birth control to workers.

Insurers would instead bear the onus to provide coverage.

Republicans said the compromise did not go far enough and announced plans to move forward with measures that would override the ruling.

Incendiary comments by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" for speaking out in support of the Obama policy, helped Democrats reframe the issue to their political advantage, analysts said.

Limbaugh, who has lost advertisers who found his comments objectionable, has since apologized.

"It looked like an attack on women and women are the majority of the electorate," she Jennifer Lawless of the Women and Politics Institute at American University.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey last week of 1,500 adults showed nearly two-thirds of Americans favor Obama's policy, including clear majorities of Catholics and evangelicals.

A number of religious groups have filed lawsuits challenging the new rule.

Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a former congressional aide, said House Speaker John Boehner has good reason to schedule a vote on a measure to overturn the rule.

"While jobs and the economy are the number one issue, this is one of those niche issues that can really make a difference in the election among Catholic voters," he said.

"They respond well to the issue of religious freedoms," he added. "If Catholic congregations hear that Republicans are on their side, that can only help them in November."

(Reporting By Donna Smith; editing by Marilyn W. Thompson and Todd Eastham)

View the original article here