I don't think even the venerable water softener can dissolve all this contraceptive build-up: Evidently there's some kind of controversy about birth control and health insurance: The archbishop of New York called the president an promise-breaker, and Michael Sean Winters rejects compromise. I ask for sanity--too much? The Eternal Word Television Network is now suing the government over it--but I'm wondering if they bothered to apply for the exemption, for which they may well qualify (since they employ and serve mostly Catholics).

Meanwhile, an Oklahoma legislator has offered an amendment to a "personhood bill" (meant to recognize fetuses as legal persons) that would also cover sperm. Sounds like a hard one to enforce. Peter Nixon at dotCommonweal takes a look at Catholic support for Democrats and sees trouble for the president among white Catholics.

Speaking of white Catholics, an Episcopal blog has picked up overlooked news of how the Knights of Columbus spend their money, including a staggering $1.4 million for the National Organization for Marriage, and another $200,000 to fund Vox Clara, the Vatican committee that oversees English translations for the liturgy.

And from political hockey to the real thing: The Montreal Canadiens are in such poor shape that the Archdiocese of Montreal has taken out an ad asking everyone to pray for them. Do you think God understands the rules of hockey?