The White House went after Mitt Romney on Wednesday, saying the former Massachusetts governor is an “odd messenger” to criticize the president on a rule that would require insurance plans to cover contraceptives. The Obama Administration’s policy, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, is “virtually identical” to a policy in Massachusetts when Romney was governor.
“… the services that this rule would provide for women around the country are the same that are provided in Massachusetts and were provided when (Romney) was governor,” Carney said. “Including contraception.”
As the economy continues to show signs of life, Romney has used the growing firestorm over the contraception rule as an opportunity to attack the president. In his Nevada victory speech, Romney vowed to “defend religious liberty” by overturning any mandate that “tramples on our first freedom, our right to believe as we choose.”
Wednesday wasn’t the first time Democrats pushed back on the issue. The Obama campaign turned a February 3 Boston Globe story into an infographic and pumped out the story in an attempt to paint Romney as a hypocrite. Eventually, Romney’s Republican rivals also grabbed onto the attack line against Romney.
The White House insists that it is “very sensitive” to concerns in the religious community. “We’re concerned about making sure that women get access to these important services, that women are treated equally around the country regardless of where they work,” Carney said. “But we are very sensitive to and understand some of the concerns that have been expressed.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) on Wednesday made a rare floor speech, threatening legislative action if the rule isn’t overturned. “This attack by the federal government on religious freedom in our country cannot stand, and will not stand,” Boehner said.
Watch the video from Carney’s briefing below:
