The political battle over a new rule dealing with contraception and religious groups under the Obama health law continues to roil the waters both in Congress and in the 2012 race for President, as both political parties dig in for an unexpected election year scrap on cultural issues.
"I woke up this morning in the 21st century not in the Middle Ages," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), who joined other Democratic women lawmakers in calling on the White House to stand fast behind the plan.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said on the Senate floor that this was just an effort by Republicans to "change the subject" away from the economy, denouncing the GOP call for the new regulation to be shelved by the feds.
"So let's remember who this controversy is really about—the women of America," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who accused Republicans of running "an agressive and misleading campaign...in the name of religious liberty."
But there were cracks in the Democratic front, as key lawmakers began to publicly call for the Obama Administration to backtrack.
"Government should not compel religious organizations to provide services contrary to their beliefs," said Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), often seen as a bellwether on key issues.
"I believe that women should have access to preventative health care services," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), "but I also support going about that in a way that protects religious freedom."
Rockefeller joined fellow West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) in breaking with the White House on the issue, along with Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) - both Manchin and Casey are up for re-election this year.
Besieged by reporters in the hallways of the Capitol, Casey minced no words.
"I've said very clearly that I oppose the White House decision," Casey said after a vote on Thursday.
The semantics of the debate were very interesting, as Democrats who supported the White House move focused on access for women to contraceptive coverage, while Republicans stitched together a message that fused opposition to the Obama health law with worries about big government and religious freedom.
"What it does is it gives the lie to Obama's argument that ObamaCare poses no threat to the moral beliefs of religious Americans," said conservative activist Ralph Reed to applause at the CPAC convention.
The issue came up repeatedly in CPAC speeches, drawing huge cheers.
"I know what the U.S. Constitution says about it," said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). "And what it is says is that federal government does not have the power to force religious organizations to pay for things that that organization thinks is wrong."
Republicans took the fight one step further on the Senate floor, as they tried to offer an amendment to a pending highway bill that would repeal the new Obama rule related to the contraception issue.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blocked the effort, accusing Republicans of playing "senseless" political games.
In the hallways of the Capitol, some were convinced the White House would cave on this matter in coming days - while others don't see any common ground emerging in this election year.
One thing was very clear - both sides were digging in on this issue, a wholly unexpected ingredient in Campaign 2012, and a fascinating one to watch from the sidelines.
