Hobby Lobby and ObamaCare -- You gotta love the hypocrisy

It was learned this week that Hobby Lobby -- the Christian-owned retailer whose deeply held religious opposition to birth control and abortion compelled it to take its challenge of The Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) all the way to The U.S. Supreme Court -- has been, for years, profiting from investments they have made in companies that manufacture those same products which the owners of Hobby Lobby so vehemently oppose. 

So, does that mean it's only bad when you're not making money from it?

***************************************************************************************

From The Washington Post:

 

Anti-abortion company Hobby Lobby reportedly invests retirement funds in abortion drugs

• By Gail Sullivan

• April 2 at 3:30 am

“Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions … something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one,”  Hobby Lobby founder David Green wrote in an article for USA Today.

 

Hobby Lobby is so committed to those principles that it’s gone to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge a provision in the Affordable Care Act that it says requires it to provide access to insurance covering birth control for its employees, some forms of which it equates with abortion.

 

No wonder then, the glee emanating from some quarters Tuesday when Molly Redden of Mother Jones reported that the company’s retirement plan holds $73 million in mutual funds with investments in companies that make abortion drugs.

Several of the mutual funds in Hobby Lobby’s retirement plan have holdings in companies that manufacture the specific drugs and devices that the Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby, is fighting to keep out of Hobby Lobby’s health care policies: the emergency contraceptive pills Plan B and Ella, and copper and hormonal intrauterine devices.

These companies include Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which makes Plan B and ParaGard, a copper IUD, and Actavis, which makes a generic version of Plan B and distributes Ella. Other holdings in the mutual funds selected by Hobby Lobby include Pfizer, the maker of Cytotec and Prostin E2, which are used to induce abortions; Bayer, which manufactures the hormonal IUDs Skyla andMirena; AstraZeneca, which has an Indian subsidiary that manufactures Prostodin, Cerviprime, and Partocin, three drugs commonly used in abortions; and Forest Laboratories, which makes Cervidil, a drug used to induce abortions. Several funds in the Hobby Lobby retirement plan also invested in Aetna and Humana, two health insurance companies that cover surgical abortions, abortion drugs, and emergency contraception in many of the health care policies they sell.

The retirement plan comes with a “generous company match,” which amounted to $3.8 million in 2012.

 

Investments in these sorts of companies are commonplace for the typical retirement fund. But Hobby Lobby has been arguing that it’s anything but typical.

 

Hobby Lobby did not comment for the Mother Jones story.

 

But plenty of other people did.

 

“Wow,” said the liberal DailyKos.

From Feministing:

Yup, that Hobby Lobby. The company that’s taken their “deeply held” religious objection to contraception all the way to the Supreme Court. The company that thinks allowing their employees to get coverage for certain types of birth control through their insurance plans — plans, mind you, that the employees pay the premium on — amounts to subsidizing immorality. The company that pulls out the world’s smallest violin as it earnestly cries that Obamacare is “forcing them to violate the law or violate their belief that life begins at conception — a choice no company should have to make.”

And here was the headline on the blog Scholars and Rogues:

Hobby Lobby hypocrisy: 401k plan invests in contraception; Obamacare litigant secretly profiting from the very immorality it publicly opposes.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in the case.

 

Hobby Lobby says its committed to “honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles” and “providing a return on the owner’s investment, sharing the Lord’s blessings with our employees,” according to the company’s Web site.

 

According to briefs filed with the Supreme Court, Hobby Lobby objects to the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to provide access to policies covering IUDs and the two morning-after pills, Ella and Plan B, because it believes the contraceptives cause abortion by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg.

 

Researchers say these devices don't end pregnancies like the abortion drug RU-486. Nor do they stop implantation of fertilized eggs. Rather, these devices stop pregnancy before it happens by making it hard for sperm to reach the egg or delaying ovulation.

 

The kicker is that there are “faith based” investment options for companies like Hobby Lobby that are particular about whom they do business with. Dan Hardt, a Kentucky financial planner who specializes in faith-based investing, told Mother Jones that the performances of funds like the Timothy Plan or Ave Maria Fund, which screen for companies that make abortion drugs or support stem cell research, are about the same as if they had not been screened.

 

Forbes pointed out that Hobby Lobby has a fiduciary duty under federal law to know what the company-sponsored 401(k) is investing in for the benefit of its employees.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/04/02/anti-abortion-company-hobby-lobby-reportedly-invests-retirement-funds-in-abortion-drugs/?tid=hp_mm

Obituary

Probably the wittiest, funniest (yes, funniest) obituary I've ever seen . . .

Colbert does Jeremy Irons (and doesn't have a strong feeling for it either way)

Be sure to watch Colbert's hilarious mockery of Irons at the end of the clip.

Clearly he "doesn't have a strong feeling about it either way."


Click video link below:

http://www.hulu.com/#!watch/475483

 

 

2,243 Additional Gun Deaths in the 3 Months Since Newtown

Is this really the American dream?

   
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/gun-deaths-us-newtown_n_2935686.html



Plus, there's this searchable database:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html

Wealth Inequality in America

This excellent 6-minute video takes a fairly complicated issue, and uses simple charts and visuals to make it really easy to understand.

Where do you fit in?

Were you surprised?

Is this how you think it should be?  
  

Then there's this:

The last two decades were great...if you were a CEO or business owner or banker or trader.

Not if you were anyone else.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-inequality-in-america-2011-11#the-last-two-decades-were-greatif-you-were-a-ceo-or-business-owner-or-banker-or-trader-not-if-you-were-anyone-else-5#ixzz17mMHL4yc

Rubio's Water Bottle Wasn't the Most Embarrassing Thing Last Night

Marco Rubio gave the Republican rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union Address and we all saw the "Water Bottle Incident".  But what most people didn't know -- and never saw -- was the Spanish-speaking version of Rubio's speech which was given immediately afterwards.

While there was no Water Bottle Incident in the Spanish version, there was this peculiar real-time English translation of Rubio's Spanish-language speech, courtesy of ABC News. 

It kind of makes you wonder exactly what was inside Rubio's water bottle . . .

Here are Marco Rubio's words, translated from Spanish to English by ABC News. 

I think you'll agree that this is food for thought for each and every one of us:

Transcript for Marco Rubio's (Spanish Language) State of the Union Response


When an auction said Michael -- Mr. into in the field were severely dollar and authorities and its analysis thousands. Carefully to that a President Obama political -- -- assume among not.

If panel to general Norton on this week -- sort of dollar and on the home and number -- equally ethically counts. -- -- that this government umbrella title beating him to -- I'm at the body in the homeless in August to pay thugs and be -- and asked what's the Hamas you've got the April not because I was -- -- of them. I'll get paneling and soaps.

Seem fun in -- sort of students. And the postal -- Caledonia owns him but -- and wonder what about the -- democratic them psyche in the Palestinians. Have Christiane.

Olympic athlete dormant podium I think that our top bottom Scioscia system -- on the -- my -- this year but some aren't getting enough -- You don't know Hamas known couple that went -- -- -- but it was a thousand isn't exception on board -- today -- -- pick us and Oman and god alone us about us -- this Llosa. He get dole said Romano didn't that it shall dollop of deals are you out of town labels on so stunning to speak how -- the -- -- On the bottom of my adios to felony insists. The outer space.

We invited me out of marquis woke up one penny out I don't know what absolutely that's -- percent of the sequels hopelessly -- -- -- A you know what I concept but that a classmate -- me by -- -- -- under the bar man in in my -- a headache MI data. -- and editing it -- they use better than they out of the home around the mosque and what can. Now hold on the -- CME gotten swings.

-- -- -- -- -- I'm gonna hit -- on the fretting about a -- -- guys dollar meetings that I'm being economic Dodi Christiane. I thank and he -- -- And assist Palestinians. If -- -- -- the senate but Democrats have made the Al mosque -- people thought of on this thing any fuel and -- not growing illegal yet.

-- up overnight on Omnia W and on and cannot paint that he has got the bulk of the unit but -- Nicholson's. It on the -- Mexico and then Hamas special us -- -- listing the -- electricity and handle. Are you out of all of us anything -- -- -- we'll -- -- at what went to the -- Initiated -- novels but the host of the John F. Kennedy out Ronald Reagan on a policy. -- -- effect on me and an even race. Osce left wing that it of Padilla -- an -- here.

-- -- -- -- If convicted -- counsel in the department's. -- Vatican at their recent economic and socio what -- throw we have an oral nothing with those -- left on my signal on Tomas. -- -- -- -- -- -- Socialist America I think the whole premise. Is -- let -- Vietnam monument. That. And I.

They can legally in the CNC and T in the most elegant and look at you don't want to program obstinacy at the they talked also -- -- -- -- -- -- -- phone acting C Vivian in the canal up when police because it upon sovereign it's illegal yet. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Moscow Vietnam not good enough -- -- authority on and on the most -- indictment house. Michael you know not having not on possible to any obvious that we -- that out.

He Marco we have not knowing speed I don't know if you asked -- lawsuits you know what the that there are homeless or don't do. -- -- -- -- -- and market but we hadn't opened at a regular relay get complete gas killed -- an emotional -- that apartment critical needs. Organist illiteracy and what the final ruling hasn't been assessed punitive way it's often difficult to console him -- -- up aren't criminals or -- The problem somebody in my vocalists when Eileen -- -- the what the that -- -- -- You have to go watch a program that we had no discipline -- and I -- -- Democrats -- many I think the left -- and updates.

What a handle that Ramo obamacare but also what they did out of percent of the classic mania Upton and -- will make. But our ugly episode I -- the end of supply and of the subtle. Yak obamacare and Opel also picked EC opponent but -- -- modesty when dampen -- our troubled southern but it's not on the ground.

Yet bonus and also if found to be the end -- -- on the ballot people -- -- What the holiday that people -- I don't I'll have to significant on puppet and he -- about -- -- we have -- -- -- Seek and topic instead of preparedness. Ethical been laughing philosopher said sociopath that we got fined them -- vehicle that I William -- But -- as a puppet the only -- -- with an acoustical ceiling. In -- -- yet I don't know whether completes a popular things yet.

On the noticed some length. I just on a body that Arafat but local bottles but it blog in the preceding the product -- -- -- But Obama won an assault with -- and a pristine into. An excellent Seattle's Farmington upon -- -- don't know the rules.

She's anything I can be bought back want -- -- apple almost literally had no way to combat it -- And heartless I think it'd I want Scioscia I'd associate. She's a ready market what they're almost without exception of the program that politics and Scioscia on the -- flexing -- -- -- -- us -- money heartless. And the couple's dedicated to how to -- Sotomayor and -- in pick up off the balance artistically and what he needs.

Yet an auction. In death penalty people what they gotten a Sausalito and West Coast but every -- -- percent of its fourth of Hamas that put us and we multiples. And committed to act.

Let us -- authority to attack -- you can up -- sorting them -- -- on local -- or vehicles. And empathy and they -- to ideally wanted to meet with seemed ideal Democrats that are -- democracy. He received some -- Some -- -- -- and have been on the Social Security Medicare.

Some are how to get in and get it on that's at them but I don't -- and I eat up our hot product by adults when that's. -- -- on days giving it a marquee market downpayment that money -- this'll needles and apple would accept. And the price is on the -- we have -- me now on economy.

Looking weapon he got to that principle that -- Lucky that I'm not a dollar followed us Democrats and India -- to somebody out so -- a -- just it out basically social what the that the -- Electing not out of -- -- order book in Austin -- that part of some about a Medicare or Social Security. And processing empathy and pick them -- on the supply and -- get a proper animal fecal. Up on the supply.

Forget about the -- haven't seen -- Up what's on the way you can assist you and I'm product are considerably -- -- -- give him one Catholic and exit affect us and -- It could seeming to put on the way out when he got automatic -- body Atticus had like -- The support and I mean an attack on the ethic and I hold the gun battle in the payment to the -- -- But a simply animosity panic on the activists you don't want to seem to what -- -- Second daddy and me and him -- are fascinating. Yet the -- statements of deficit and -- while the opening unit dollars on an approximately. Knowing -- moment to think what -- -- automatics.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Get whatever the student at look past that while the -- to be -- abilities. If -- that's on Iraq what -- That put us in -- -- slopes this young dumb and Donovan whipple's. If I had the muscles.

I don't know -- if the people -- missing in the island with the economy. -- I don't matter much happier and diploma from the -- to pissing in the capital and in due to -- and -- here. That'd be a somebody -- that -- that by the that in effect that they here.

But of the -- -- -- took -- political so not too obvious includes a bone if it only got -- done. Investigated but DC under the -- and completely and ineptly out of combined yes Ambon capital are on the Solyndra. -- somebody -- the other thing that I despite explode out of my sanity informants -- live -- -- He can be and then we'll have about a real possibilities but Pakistan that's when out -- the esophagus and beautiful -- It's like that acted out Mandelson and partisan mails but are fascinating and independent -- -- got.

It died out in -- capital shouldn't have to down into Iraq from chain. Secret to come on with their political -- -- -- of them being none of that -- national -- -- mark -- idea I'm -- Lamas and see you. And after picking us impetus that's it will come on I don't know -- to him -- house.

Yes I'm an awkward that the proceeded to get available that can seat and threatened with what the fact -- -- and a -- out of them on the Vatican at their combined yapping Hamas and Cindy will -- that actually don't you support to the problems hockey that it earned him. I -- I'm a play -- second with an economic activity there. -- Hamilton see him of the need to assume they gotten enough but -- out but I development hornets in my body on the professor and out of him on the yes in Latin upon to -- -- Mrs. O'Donnell -- assumed. Upon silently eappen mining but -- Primakov anarchy and a government. But nobody -- opening -- -- -- compliments on that bus oh deficit would have a microphone that -- yet gotten to place.

-- -- -- -- their muscles -- company located at a hinted that obviously out with a Palestinian just and it's a seat on. Battle to allow that -- proximity of Deloitte U -- It hooked up for market will implement that -- -- into -- across an area. Mr. Obama -- of the people like a lot of products -- to comport sentencing -- somehow on south equal mocked for mosque in professor Canadiens and I mean the product efforts. They -- opposite -- all the pundits that this young -- developed by the lending opponents this the other to see on it. The outlook and he had been be out of the sequels.

When -- only -- opening about that's when -- People get them out to be put on you would -- Saudi occupancy of about becoming. An in the -- on the have a -- market -- -- one -- the questions will be. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- You don't WW don't receive nothing -- you better luck with the home that the Bernama Nestle RF that might mean it isn't -- gotten us in one of these items.

Of course I want out of -- -- -- -- don't know enough about -- and a group company was the single box out. The felonies and they'll wait postal facilities -- trying. Some of it that I -- the latest on the target.

Some apologists what they don't get a seat in the -- -- -- -- Ecstasy but I have to somebody -- and he -- looked on how to count but it deals and sales in dollar bet on in Ecstasy -- and house. If you're bound for you after the upbeat economic community developer I'm a little bit ended abruptly on in my -- without. On local zoning -- to connect all program that it on today to put -- -- -- thought -- -- On the opening -- into the video Mattison in new -- or not like it didn't have passed -- don't romances.

Boy multi episode and putting them in a Manila but if -- -- demand dealers. And in the -- month I don't know -- -- admit -- to the after the -- -- -- -- Sort of of course the human feces -- -- predicament to we have been championed the -- let them many are you aren't significant effect on me. I don't know quoted most of them are -- -- -- even on the scene noticeably and with rather than -- and god will let him go we have not come up without it he'd had enough time today on the port that the awful sitting but the -- but -- He -- that doom but it alsop another it was a it would that's what we're not one will -- him but if that's northbound on the -- don't know him -- At but it hint that it will -- -- Lockwood possibly lot of leprosy and the bush.

But appreciated the lombok at a mosque building block the lines -- -- the bush -- -- shall. The evidence that act outside and without that it can go yet not southbound or entity on the hottest months the -- -- -- what the kind. Put missiles and assisted on the winning in that product and people see don't get -- you don't -- support -- -- In -- armed but that the -- with that says an -- around us on Apple's want to a lot of Portland me.

We'll know that don't make it in this gunman people on the -- Reports an army about it we -- and it's just about our market accounts. In leaping and stops here Monique on the news. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Young couple Indian economy can't god and a persona my article on the commodity -- and went and act on main thing that program.

But oh what -- -- picked -- followed the how to may get its act coming that a photo -- and rocket powered. I followed the -- capital. Notably -- -- -- for assume pundit buyout entity and it but I got us about it may -- seeing after that out of without knowing.

And -- -- that would hopefully people committee get on the bus in the office -- so -- but that's about it. And naturally assume one moment -- opposite. Well we haven't infant some sort of victims.

-- some people who devote about privacy and the that -- Canadian Connecticut. This is -- -- the other arguments and the price. But of this and a million little that it took them to -- -- that a felony and so on until nine in the -- Obama at a certain.

In an -- NATO but it also -- see if indeed it in Saudi. Out of him it's how to make them and not pass property. -- -- -- -- the that it just months.

In London office balcony -- Palestinians are priced MacBook models but not little cities in the -- -- -- -- -- -- note that immigrant Columbia and he. Analysts on nuclear power in Washington now enough without a month. It -- locals found that if -- the hopes units and -- important vehicle hit.

-- market -- in the present with an option. An empirical laid into him but we had no Sunday when -- and the impetus that's. In Atlanta this innocent Donaldson who had -- in the battle but -- -- -- get but it -- -- -- and yes you know him but it's tough it out and -- product -- And and focus Toledo with a spot maybe battle that left out on the -- than a fourth of Hamas.

But it McDonald's -- hop along Blunkett and blast at the record it's going to format upon somberness. Are unacceptable to support to open an optical head and today in what Hamas outposts on they gotten and a persona value of that and it's a seat on the -- yet. And whether they -- Obama hop and we did -- -- academic.

But I can stomach an envelope continually and been -- though he went to keep Vatican until we have no way I think you -- you down though I don't condemning the necessity and -- -- I would doubt it -- don't assault a permanent development to put enough not what is the solution -- -- We'll just don't docile -- on a global system what I did and their associate that he left. It went back to this fields. And went -- economy enough to -- -- in without -- -- Went to putting people's.

I've decided in -- -- fascia you'll -- capital Tripoli got rid of them -- -- ominous I had to place. That these audio -- mostly in the south that's a bit of department's. Broken hopes gonna happen sort of -- -- -- -- -- performed.

-- -- that connect economy act economic. Not a -- -- -- Inca spirit donating some broke. -- in Austin.

And -- and also the sympathetic -- -- -- -- -- -- -- grip on Saturday but it had died in the cuttings. And thousands. In the moment -- unaccompanied pickup.

In many upon -- in the Austin capital on the infant coming into the Russell took an animal but -- -- -- -- apostle. Gas simple -- now that's over and -- open side apartment house. Are -- -- operate in some capacity at the minorities in corporate there.

America for the palace and avenue across from our public -- -- Our newseum. -- report. Well don't mean what light amity.

That if the Indians team up and swing it doesn't -- the power have to. Not us that video than -- -- -- -- Marquis said it would on the second getting -- I don't see impotency that'll -- you look at the audience from cut from the doctor outside an exit the camps about it -- -- -- an option to let the -- IPod as Arafat on efficacy potency and not see that the human race. I'm -- are -- and oddly enough that you I mean a premium now.

He felt pharmaceutical stocks Afghan and on dollar face in the cup back. To suffer implement the Obama had noticed -- -- coming. He fastened my whole life depends -- an -- but it -- -- -- deceitful way software -- took him.

With an auction. On the immediate -- this -- -- operates. So either from -- -- him.

What can -- whistles went on welcomed by the -- -- the -- You know consumed by the government to. But -- told -- that there are things when you from -- artist -- and arresting me. If the -- They'll not yet know what passes sequels it -- but I thought about it and -- practice.

Multiple people Markey you've -- but you don't but to him on the -- it to supplement victim go Vietnam and -- that way to accept the idea that the swing. But in the sort of -- -- a -- Arctic. -- from the team.

-- -- Fiat money without economic. He put us. A bit of vocal learning and -- On that the swings.

I don't thin and toppled and that everything's. However economic and asked him nine for -- dollar and on the vehicles. Mr. ban on -- on -- -- not some national news. -- To -- look at that announcement when -- bombing. But episode battle with the -- -- people.  

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. !

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/marco-rubios-state-union-response-spanish-language-version-18482403                   http://pastebin.com/ZDLg5yEd  

I Guess I Was Wrong

 

FINALLY: A valid reason for everyone to own an assault weapon:

    part two is here:  

Kind of makes you wonder about the 100,000 people who signed this guy's petition!