![\"\"](\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/5\/51\/Mike_Leavitt.jpg\/225px-Mike_Leavitt.jpg\" "\\"Michael")
<\/p>\n[digg-reddit-me]<\/p>\n
The Bush administration has been praised often for doing their part to ensure a smooth transition to an Obama presidency. At the same time, many leading Republicans have said that they – like the rest of the country – are rooting for Obama to succeed. The consequences of him failing, especially on the economic front, are just too dire.<\/p>\n
Yet, someone in the Bush administration hasn’t gotten the message. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt recently instituted a new regulation expanding the right of various health care workers to refuse to refer a woman to an abortion provider, to refer a woman to any service that might counsel an abortion, or to provide emergency contraception.<\/p>\n
This regulation is set to take effect on Obama’s inaguration day<\/a>. Leavitt could hardly think that such a regulation would survive past the inaguration of a pro-choice president. And for some reason, he had not instituted the regulation before this point despite being secretary since 2005<\/a> – so he obviously didn’t see it as a priority.<\/p>\n But it’s hard to think of a better way to drag Obama into the culture wars and reduce his political capital as he attempts to tackle our looming economic crisis.<\/p>\n
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