White House fights Catholic Church subpoena on birth control

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

The Obama administration has gone to court to try to block a subpoena from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York seeking White House documents about the government's requirement of insurance coverage for birth control.

The subpoena requesting documents from President Barack Obama and his senior advisers would be burdensome to fulfill, the administration said in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the suit also argues that civil subpoenas of the president's executive office are inappropriate except in extraordinary circumstances.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday and released on a court website on Friday.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/white-house-fights-catholic-church_n_3024899.html

[Arugula Latte]

1. Can't wait to hear from DUers about how great the Catholic Church is...

[Kolesar]

5. At least this Pope didn't campaign against John Kerry

and doesn't luxuriate like a French king.
Nonetheless, these clowns just don't know when to wrap it up.

[graegoyle]

2. They should be ignored until they end their little...

"In Jesus' name we rape."

[JDPriestly]

11. And make it clear to the world that they do not assist tax cheats

or money launderers.

[Demeter]

3. Not to mention a pointless exercise

If there's any logic behind such a request, beyond wasting govt. time and money, I'd like to hear it.

[quadrature]

4. how many mouse clicks would be needed to comply? nt

nt

[randome]

7. Depends on what, exactly, they requested.

But there is a principle at stake here, too. The Executive Branch does not need to jump through hoops for the Catholic Church.

[24601]

13. But the WH should jump for any citizen regardless of their faith or lack thereof. What's needed

is the WH living up to the President's promise of transparency. The only exception should be to protect legitimately classified information.

[Deep13]

6. Assume the diocese can show that this is material to their case...

...I think the WH should comply. I've never believed in executive privilege because there is no mention of it in the Constitution.

[PSPS]

8. I don't see how they have any standing

This isn't supposed to be a theocracy subject to an imprimatur from any church.

[quadrature]

9. is that what the WH is claiming? .nt

nt

[Dawson Leery]

10. The RCC has no standing.

We are not a theocracy.

[defacto7]

12. The RRC will grope, strain and squeal about anything

to take attention off their own very real and well documented crimes.

[Sunlei]

14. such a huge profit on birth control items.

I can see the insurance/drug corps lobby working hard to keep all that inhouse and not connected to Obamacare max-profit rules.