Politics

Lawsuits over the Obama administration's ruling requiring employers to pay for contraception, abortifacients and sterilization in their health coverage, without a broad religious exemption, have already begun. Based upon previous Supreme Court rulings, it is unclear how the courts will rule in these cases, a legal expert told The Christian Post.

Ambassador Douglas Kmiec, professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University School of Law, does not agree with the president's decision, but his analysis of Supreme Court rulings suggests that it is uncertain how courts will decide these cases.

"I would have to tell [President Obama], that my honest answer about the law is that I think it is unclear as to what is required here," Kmiec said, because of the Supreme Court's ruling in Employment Division v. Smith (1990). more >>

In stark contrast to most mainstream Christian leaders, especially those of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., a coalition of 22 Christian, Jewish and Muslim institutions has emerged expressing support for President Barack Obama's controversial contraception mandate that affects many faith-based institutions.

Catholics for Choice, Episcopal Divinity School, Jewish Women International, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board, and several others said in a Wednesday statement that the Obama administration was correct in requiring institutions that do not have purely sectarian goals to offer comprehensive preventive health care.

National leaders have the responsibility to "help improve the health of women, their children, and families," the groups wrote in the joint statement. "Hospitals and universities across the religious spectrum have an obligation to assure that individuals' conscience and decisions are respected and that their students and employees have access to this basic health care service. more >>

After winning the GOP primary in three different states and rejuvenating his campaign, presidential candidate Rick Santorum confessed at a prayer meeting with 175 pastors at a Texas church Wednesday that the institution of marriage turned his whole life around. 

Despite his notable victories in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado the night before, the former Pennsylvania senator did not focus very much on his presidential campaign during the meeting at Bella Donna Chapel in McKinney, Texas. Instead, Santorum talked about what he credits as one of the main reasons behind his success – his faith, which he admitted had not always been very strong, The New York Times reported.

"Your prayers are the reason I am here and I encourage you and your congregations to continue to pray," Santorum revealed to the pastors, before admitting that religion was not always the most important thing in his life. more >>

Some of Capitol Hill's leading Catholic Democrats are breaking with President Obama and arguing that a health care reform rule mandating Catholic hospitals to hand out contraceptives should be removed, if not significantly altered.

"I think the White House made a good decision in including a mandate for contraception coverage in the [health care act] insurance policy," said Obama's former DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, in a WHRV radio interview. "But I think they made a bad decision in not allowing a broad enough religious employer exemption."

Kaine, along with Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson, are the core of a chorus who are encouraging Obama to find an alternative solution. Other Democrats who have expressed concern include freshman Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois. There are reports that Vice President Joe Biden also agrees with the group but is publicly silent on the issue. more >>

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was once seen as the main contender to Mitt Romney. But Gingrich finished in third or fourth place in each of Tuesday's three contests, signaling a collapse in support that Rick Santorum was able to capitalize on.

Santorum swept Tuesday's contests, winning all three states: Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota. The former Pennsylvania senator's victories flies in the face of Gingrich, who had prematurely declared after his distant second place finish in Florida that, "It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate, and the voters of Florida made that clear."

A Santorum campaign official sees Santorum's rise in terms of Gingrich's loss, according to Byron York, chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Conversations with politicos in Minnesota became "more of an assessment of Gingrich that if we really want a conservative who is the whole package, Santorum is our guy," the official stated. more >>

Rick Santorum's stunning wins last night may change the trajectory of the GOP presidential race, say campaign watchers, but the key is whether Santorum can leverage his momentum into gaining delegates in the face of a disciplined Mitt Romney campaign ever focused on the end game.

Can Santorum leverage his momentum into delegates?

Although the victories were well received by Santorum and his supporters, he still didn't immediately walk away with any delegates for his efforts. The delegates in the three states posting Santorum wins – Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri – will be decided at a later date and may not completely reflect last night's vote count. The Santorum camp will be hard at work to convert their momentum into tangible GOP convention votes. more >>