At Digby’s place, David Adkins notes that the Obama’s “compromise” on birth control coverage with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has had the effect making opposition to birth control mainstream:

And guess what? As Digby points out, it’s working. What just a few weeks ago was considered so mainstream as to an afterthought (providing contraception) is now seen as some sort of controversial touchstone, even as “religious freedom” has become a buzzword in the press.

Democrats can high-five one another about Republican overreach and laugh hysterically at the increased number of votes Barack Obama will receive in 2012 over Mitt Santorum. But ultimately the joke’s on us. It’s been on us ever since the Obama Administration decided to concede an inch to the misogynist conspiracy of extremist fanatics that are the Bishops, rather than mock them immediately for being out of touch with their own flock, to say nothing of the mainstream American public.

The political ground on contraception has suddenly shifted to the right faster than I have seen on any social issue in my lifetime. It’s incredible.

The appropriate response to the outrage from the medieval set is, “Sorry, I live in the 21st century, if they don’t want to, then maybe they aren’t qualified to provide medical care or education.”