By Tony Mauro and Marcia Coyle

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s pointed critique of the “blind spot” her male colleagues suffer when it comes to women’s issues highlights a simmering gender divide on the nation’s highest court.

What her comments will mean for the justices’ relationships with each other is harder to discern.

Ginsburg made her statement during an interview released Thursday with Katie Couric of Yahoo News regarding the court’s June 30 decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that certain employers could, on religious grounds, ignore the government mandate to provide contraceptives as part of company health plans for female workers…

…Elizabeth Wydra of the liberal Constitutional Accountability Center said it is too early to tell, but she hopes Ginsburg’s comments will have an effect. “Knowing there are women on the court who will challenge preconceived notions or ‘blind spots,’ I think that would create greater attention to the issues even among the conservative majority.” 

Wydra added, “I wouldn’t say she is a lone warrior; she is the general on the field.”….