Divide and conquer

It seems that the White House was instrumental in orchestrating a public statement by a group of 55 religious women in support of the administration's proposed health care bill in a break with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. (story here)
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs disclosed that President Barack Obama actively promoted the Catholic Health Association's public break with the American Catholic bishops to support his health care legislation.
This group purported to represent 59,000 religious women in the US. However Mother Mary Quentin Sheridan, president of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious which represents over 100 congregations of women religious was quick to step up to affirm their opposition to the legislation as currently proposed and support for the USCCB in their stance. (story here)
It is amazing how elusive and malleable truth can be in the hands of experts.