Birth control is obviously one of the least important issues in the US right now, yet its dominating public conversation. Honestly, I think it's an easy way to distract from the economy, etc while at the same time indulging conservative misogynists.

It's a fight for the GOP's heart and soul that the democrats are gleefully encouraging. establishment conservatives realize how idiotic this issue is to press and would like to back off, but social conservatives believe it's an issue that will win votes with the base. At the moment they're trying to create a truce by arguing this as a religious freedom issue, but polls suggest it isn't working. It doesn't help when Arizona is trying to pass a bill requiring that women demonstrate health reasons for BC if they want it covered by their (potentially private) insurance. Meanwhile it's understandable if some women feel alienated that the government is trying to say their private insurance cannot cover. It also doesn't help that limbaugh, not a member of the GOP of course, but a vocal conservative (that people actually listen to) castigated a private citizen who spoke in favor of covering birth control. Especially as there aren't any regulations saying viagra has to be for a medical reason and it is normally covered by insurance.

Democrats meanwhile are certainly fanning the flames, but who could blame them? The GOP stepped in it big this time. Besides, it's not as though anything would get done anyway. neither branch will cooperate and we're in the middle of an election. Unless there's an emergency, nothing ill be accomplished until next january and even then there will have to be single party government. long story short, whichever party you vote for resident, vote that party for congress. The days of spit governance working are gone at least for the foreseeable future.

There are more important topics than this. They have no idea how to solve our current issues, so they try to distract us.

This is beyond infuriating- not just because their opinions are taking away my freedoms, BUT WE IGNORE OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS IN THE PROCESS! Hot button issue topics, ARG!

Very much so.

Yes, I do as well

I don't know if the birth control debate is being specifically orchestrated to keep us from thinking about other issues, but I have a feeling that the timing on this type of legislation coming up has a lot to do with the upcoming election. Conservatives want to prove their credibility to the religious right and this is exactly the kind of stuff that does it.

I don't believe it's a smokescreen. I think that it is simply the religious right aka the Tea Party, taking advantage of the conservative congress. I think they are very blatant about the hatred they have toward anyone that isn't the same as them.

I just wish they would step the hell off the birth control and abortion issue and focus on more important matters...like things affecting the country NOW. Though I don't agree with every form of abortion I believe us women have the right to do as we chose with our bodies and to protect them. Go ahead and take away our right to contraception and abortion...then lets watch shit just hit the fan in that direction along with everything else not going so well around here. All I know is I won't be voting for those opposed to it.

BC and the related women's health issues are so so important to me. There are other worthy topics, for sure, but to say it's one of the least important issues is silly.

so perhaps they're focusing on one of those timeless debates a bit but not entirely.

I think it's an important issue, and it would bear a lot of weight in my vote. however, I know to look at more than just the hot-button issues with candidates, and that's how I make my final voting decision. I do think it's make or break for a lot of people, though.

The situation's revealed a lot of people who don't seem in touch with reality, such as the congressmen who wouldn't let a female testify about the medical reasons for birth control.

I voted possibly, but I think it is very likely that distraction is what is going on here. Birth control is a "hot topic", so when you mention it, everyone has an opinion, and, of course, theirs is the only correct one. This serves to anger people and further polarize them to one side or the other, so they don't even listen to the other side.

You know, I've never thought of it this way but it's quite probable.

Smoke screen all the way. Not an issue at all. Fifteen years of BC and never needed it covered by insurance. Has always been easly obtainable and at a reasonable cost.

Nobody cares about birth control right now and that's not going to change. It's 2012, not 1962. This whole thing started when a reporter asked Mitt Romney a *hypothetical* question using birth control as an example. The reporter (Gibson?) wasn't really being serious and former Gov. Romney practically laughed at him because it's so silly to think that any sane politician would actually advocate banning birth control (provided it's FDA approved). It would be political suicide and everyone knows it.

The GOP has stepped in it for sure this election period. Here's how:

1) Michelle Bachman
2) Rick Santorum

(Can I get a quick "hooray" that they're no longer running!?!)

3) Women's Health/Women's rights
4) Their overt campaign against LGBTQ rights, which is worse that it's ever been.

Keep stepping in it, I say! I'm not saying that the POTUS is the best president ever and I'm not saying that he hasn't made some mistakes, but he has been working hard, at least in my opinion, to make life better. How can people expect that we can recover from what happened to our economy under Bush in just 4 years? Unrealistic expectations, if you ask me. He deserves a chance to finish what he started.

It's probably meant to endear the Republican candidate to social conservatives and Christians and to endear the Democratic candidate to women and social liberals. Not that they need much help with that as these groups were probably going to vote for them anyway.

I think it's less a "distraction" and more an issue that is guaranteed to fly with a certain type of "values voter" that is otherwise also meh.

How the fuck is it not important, though? I guess everybody saying that either has a penis, or has good health insurance, or is married-with-kids and is beyond worrying about it? As someone who takes BC for totally legit medical reasons, I'd say access is important to me.

The birth control debate on it's own isn't even an issue. Birth control in relation to "Obama-care" (which is undoubtedly in the top 3 of relevant and important political issues of today with the economy and the wars) isn't something we should think is irrelevant. Abortion is slowly being taken away by severely limiting access and putting on restrictions. Who's to say the same couldn't happen with birth control during this health care debate?

Of course, seeing as how the people in charge clearly don't actually care as much as the citizens.

I'd say it's a big old distraction to keep us from focusing on bigger issues. The Pill is available for under $10 a month. Meanwhile, we have been killing citizens of a country we're not at war with with drone strikes. We've been spying on our own citizens with drones. We've been raiding legal medical marijuana distribution centers and private family farms with guns drawn (got to keep us safe from raw milk and stoned terminal patients!). We gave American guns to Mexican drug cartels in an apparent effort to tighten laws on American gun owners (figure that one out). A bill has just been signed that gives the President the right to usurp all electronic forms of communication in case of a national emergency.

And what are we arguing about? Whether the government can mandate that all insurance providers must provide birth control coverage. Never mind that this is more of the government regulating independent business after making a law that all American citizens must purchase the product that a private business is selling. Thank heavens insurance companies don't sell raw milk.