Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Republican presidential candidates are railing against what they describe as an attack on religion by President Barack Obama.

They're pointing to the administration's recent decision to require employers that are affiliated with churches to cover birth control for their workers.

Mitt Romney calls it a "real blow" to Catholics.

But Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich say Romney himself made Catholic hospitals violate their beliefs, requiring them to provide emergency contraception to rape victims when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Romney once supported abortion rights and is now an opponent, and has struggled to convince some cultural conservatives that he is conservative enough.

Meanwhile, President Obama political adviser David Axelrod says the administration didn't intend to "abridge anyone's religious freedom."

Press Secretary Jay Carney said the president's focus is making sure that women employed by Catholic church-affiliated employers like hospitals, colleges or charities are able to get contraception. At the same time, Carney said President Obama wants to respect religious beliefs and convictions.

Axelrod said that it's an "important issue," and that the administration wants to "resolve it in an appropriate way."