"Hotsheet Live": Did the White House fold?

By: Chad Sinclair
Topics: Hotsheet Live ,; Obama Administration

CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer, chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell and The Atlantic's James Fallows joined CBS News' Whit Johnson Friday on Hotsheet Live to discuss President Obama's decision to modify a requirement religiously-linked employers pay for birth control for their employees.

Schieffer said the White House folded on the issue, calling it a "political blunder."

"This is something that should not have happened in a campaign year," Schieffer said. "The White House can call it whatever they want to, but they had to back down."

While Mr. Obama felt pressure to alter his decision, O'Donnell said, "[Officials believe] that this is an issue that will benefit them in the long-run."

Fallows, who has just published a high-profile essay on the Obama presidency, said the president wants to "position himself as the man who can listen to all reasonable concerns" as he campaigns for re-election and courts voters in the center.

Watch the entire discussion - including O'Donnell's explanation of why some religious institutions continue to offer contraceptive care - in the video above.

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by hhandyman February 10, 2012 7:23 PM EST: Fold No. Compromise yes, Its The example the Republican Congress should learn from so the nation is better for it but its doubtful they have the compassion to do so. the extremists are too stuck in the same rut as they have been for 3.5 years; Reply to this comment


by wfw3536 February 10, 2012 6:10 PM EST: He folded just like he did earlier this week on taking money for his super pack on campaign funding. He said he would never extend the Bush tax cuts and then folded.; Reply to this comment

by gep1955 February 10, 2012 6:08 PM EST

Will somebody tell me how any of this is supposed to get somebody a job, lower gas, food, housing costs, win wars, secure borders, boost the economy, or reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In other words all the things this Marxist/socialist fraud of a president is supposed to be doing.

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by catmomtx February 10, 2012 11:08 PM EST: It doesn't but it does give women some choices.

It is really funny seeing Republicans not understand what compromising is.


by gep1955 February 10, 2012 6:02 PM EST: The white house didn't fold anything. They just changed the wording of the message. Your headline is at the least deceptive and at most an outright lie.; Reply to this comment


by tsigili February 10, 2012 5:15 PM EST: Not at all. He is simply being totally deceptive, until after the election.; Reply to this comment

by nadelio February 10, 2012 4:14 PM EST

Truthfully, I don't know - or don't understand - why Obama got involved in this issue. I think it was not a right timing, but again...
Some enlightened readers may be able to clarify.

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by catmomtx February 10, 2012 11:11 PM EST: So, a President should only work for two years and do nothing else for fear that stupid people will only see it as a campaign choice?