Why do Republican Candidates Want to Take Away Your Condoms and Pills?

The Republican party likes to say it is the party of small government. Well, that is true when it comes to reducing pollution controls on factory owners, but when it comes to the nation's bedrooms, they are all for a war on sex.

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who has compared two gay men having sex with sex with animals (yes, he actually did say that) is saying that people shouldn't take contraceptives and maybe the government should ban it. In his own words:

"One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country, it’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be."

Santorum is all for the usage of the government to regulate the sex lives of consenting adults, including if their usage a condom. See, JFK was the first Catholic president but he believed he wasn't taking marching orders from the pope.

Santorum also a Catholic, doesn't seem to believe that he should take marching orders either from the pope. Rather he seems to believe he is the pope. If he becomes president, than the leaders of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey (all very religious Islamic nations) would have much more secular leaders who respect government/religion separation, than Santorum.

A president who not only thinks it is ok for condoms or other birth control to be banned, will not rest there. His Justice Department will not only pursue obscenity charges against pornography producers, he might very well have them pursue prosecutions against Playboy magazine. Indeed, he signed such a pledge before. See, Santorum doesn't like people having sex in ways he disapproves.

He is like other Republicans, such as Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry and maybe Newt Gingrich on this score. Indeed, Mitt Romney (who is a much more moderate theocrat type) hedged and hawed when asked at a debate if states should have the right to ban birth control. Romney stated it wasn't likely to happen (probably true) but didn't answer the question. He didn't simply because if he did he would have turned away religious right-wing voters who very much want the government to do just that.

On the other hand ,those on the left believe that if there is no compelling interest for the government to regulate or ban something, it should not. Not only just as a matter of policy, but inherent liberty. The 9th Amendment guarantees rights not already listed in the Constitution, including an obvious right to privacy from your own government.