John Kerry

..The last segment, an interview with a lady from NOW. Ed flatly described it as the Senator "breaking rank" with the President on this altogether. The NOW lady said she wanted to "sit down" with JK and "find out what he's thinking about".

I am less disheartened after reading this thread. I really wish Ed would've reported this more carefully! Though I still think the Senator walks a very fine line here when it comes to "compromise" on this. As does ultimately the Admin. I am frankly a bit "nervous" as to what this "compromise" may entail. That's why I was,quite frankly,rather surprised JK got in on this in this way though I feel better about it after seeing what he actually said,in context. However I do agree that they all need to be careful not to let the fringe, Santorum type extremists get the upper hand here, forsaking the interests of women and their health in the process.

The current provision by the Admin is where the mainstream or most of it is already(even most Catholics according to poll after poll!). Any "compromise",however arguably inevitable, must be gone about very carefully so as not to fold for the sake of pandering to certain segments who are,I'm sorry, on the ideological fringes-and if this is about politics-how can it not be,this year especially?-and will stay that way,irrespective of any said "compromise".

But then again, I am a non specifically religious Separation of church and state liberal (though I was raised Catholic-and with all due respect,know at least on one level the pressures more progressive minded Catholics like JK can and often do face from the more rigid set) I do agree that this is a great case for Single payer,which would effectively neutralize such dilemmas.

I stand with the President, and beg to differ with my favorite Senator and political hero on this one,though I do think his stance is much more reasoned than presented on Ed and in the press (surprise,surprise! I do hope the Admin doesn't "compromise"-this is simple labor law,imo not religious-but if they do I hope it's more in the direction of Kerry than Santorum!