Obama tries to placate Catholics over contraception plans

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Published on Saturday, 11 February 2012 02:41

Written by Joseph Kelly

President Barak Obama has moved to contain a growing US political crisis by altering a new birth control rule that had angered Catholics and ignited a debate across the political spectrum about the bounds of religious freedom.

The move represented an effort by the White House to walk a careful middle line that would retain the support of women’s groups and liberal lawmakers, who back the original rule, while easing tensions with Catholic critics, who reacted with cautious optimism and even praise to the shift.

Republicans are vowing to reverse President Barack Obama's new policy on birth control, blasting the rule that religious schools and hospitals must provide contraceptive coverage for their employees as an attack on religious freedom.

The new policy did little to quell criticism from Republicans, who have been rallying opposition to the rule and using the issue on the campaign trail to paint Obama as hostile to religion.

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