Obama’s Amazing Improvement Among Traditional White Catholics – Steven Waldman

“For years, pundits believed that the only Catholics a liberal Democrat could win en masse were theologically liberal, “Cafeteria Catholics” who don’t attend mass or listen to the Pope very often.While Obama did clean up with those lefty Catholics, a new survey by Professor John Green of University of Akron, shows that he also made stunning improvements among more traditional white Catholics.”

The Archbishop of Denver, speaking in Toronto, thinks that some of the President’s zealous supporters might need take a breath and ease off their hero worship. He told the audience, “in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs.”

A spirit of adulation bordering on servility already exists among some of the same Democratic-friendly Catholic writers, scholars, editors and activists who once accused prolifers of being too cozy with Republicans.  It turns out that Caesar is an equal opportunity employer. 

Archbishop Chaput said that Americans elected Obama to fix the economy, not to radical alter society.

Americans, including many Catholics, elected a gifted man to fix an economic crisis. That’s the mandate. They gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion. That retooling could easily happen, and it clearly will happen — but only if Catholics and other religious believers allow it.”

Read the press account of the speech, or read the whole speech. It’s gold.

Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University is, hands down, the most eloquent voice of the pro-life movement; and his latest essay, “Obama’s Abortion Extremism,” is nothing short of a masterpiece. Here is just a taste of Professor George’s must-read compilation of Senator Barack Obama’s radical views on abortion and embryonic stem cell research:

What kind of America do we want our beloved nation to be? Barack Obama’s America is one in which being human just isn’t enough to warrant care and protection. It is an America where the unborn may legitimately be killed without legal restriction, even by the grisly practice of partial-birth abortion. It is an America where a baby who survives abortion is not even entitled to comfort care as she dies on a stainless steel table or in a soiled linen bin. It is a nation in which some members of the human family are regarded as inferior and others superior in fundamental dignity and rights. In Obama’s America, public policy would make a mockery of the great constitutional principle of the equal protection of the law. In perhaps the most telling comment made by any candidate in either party in this election year, Senator Obama, when asked by Rick Warren when a baby gets human rights, replied: ”that question is above my pay grade.” It was a profoundly disingenuous answer: For even at a state senator’s pay grade, Obama presumed to answer that question with blind certainty. His unspoken answer then, as now, is chilling: human beings have no rights until infancy – and if they are unwanted survivors of attempted abortions, not even then.

Read the entire piece, and email it to everyone you know (especially those who claim to be pro-life and currently support Obama). Voters need to know just how extreme Obama is when it comes to abortion and other “culture of life” issues.

Watch the CatholicVote.com video below, and be sure to check out the other resources available at www.CatholicVote.com

From the NY Times:

As the Roman Catholic Church observes its annual “respect life” Sunday in this heated presidential election season, the unusually pitched competition for Catholic voters is setting off a round of skirmishes over how to apply the church’s teachings not only on abortion but also on the war in Iraq, immigration and racism.

The article mentions the CatholicVote.com video produced by the Fidelis Center for Law and Policy and how widely the video is getting play:

The Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington, Del., where Mr. Biden lives, is promoting a video produced by the conservative Catholic group Fidelis that is intended to persuade Catholic voters to put opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriage above all other issues when they go to the polls.

“Many issues are at stake,” a caption reads as the video displays a fetus and choral music swells. “Some are more important than others.”

Brian Burch, president of Fidelis, said the group had created the video as “a voter guide for the 21st century.” Many Catholic churches across the country have put it on their Web sites, and Mr. Burch said some statewide advocacy groups had been distributing it to their members.

At the Cathedral of St. Peter, the Rev. Joseph Cocucci has displayed the video prominently on the church’s [web] page, and at each Mass he is urging parishioners to view it. Father Cocucci noted that the video also features smaller visual references to Catholics carrying peace signs and marching for civil rights.

“The video does say life is the most important issue, but if you notice it isn’t only abortion,” he said.

The whole article is worth reading.

Time magazine is asking the question.

Is it snidy to say, “I told you so?”

Well, we did.

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) sent Fidelis the following statement regarding the anti-Catholic campaign mailings distributed by the DCCC against Catholic candidate Keith Fimian:

Left-wing Democrats have expanded their litany of anti-Catholic bigotry.

This latest leftist smearing of Catholics was launched by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which repeatedly mailed vile attacks upon Republican Congressional candidate Keith Fimian (VA-11) for his Catholic faith, and upon a noble Catholic organization, Legatus.

Here are the facts.  Mr. Fimian is a member and officer of Legatus, an organization for Catholic business owners and their spouses that is dedicated to bringing Christian ethics into the field of business, and strengthening the faith of its members.  Unlike some purportedly “non-partisan” secular organizations, Legatus takes no formal positions on public policy issues, such as abortion, stem cell research or contraception; nor does Legatus suggest public policy be adopted based on St. Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians in Chapter 5.  

Yet, the official political organization of United States House Democrats is attacking Legatus and Mr. Fimian over website links on the Legatus homepage to an organization devoted to defending and advancing the sanctity and dignity of life, and another that encourages husbands to love their wives in a Christ-like fashion.  Neither organization opposes contraception, as the mailings suggest, and not surprisingly, the House Democrats are also twisting St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which instructs men to love their wives like Christ loved the Church. This is the height of left-wing gutter politics.

Sadly, Fimian’s opponent, Gerry Connolly – the intended beneficiary of this Democrat smear attack – supports this anti-Catholic bigotry and refuses to call for its end.  Disturbingly, like Mr. Fimian, Mr. Connolly is Catholic; however, unlike Mr. Fimian, Mr. Connolly subscribes to the teachings of Nancy Pelosi, not the true teachings of the Catholic Church.

Perversely if not surprisingly, this vicious assault on Mr. Fimian occurs at a time Democrats are engaging in “Catholic Outreach” to lure back voters disgusted by the Democrats’ dominant left-wing’s virulent secularism and moral relativism.  

True, a spirited debate can and should happen on all public issues, including the topics of abortion and embryonic stem cell research.  But to mask these issues regarding the culture of life behind fliers laden with anti-Catholic bigotry provides another example of how today’s left-wing Democrats have destroyed the moral foundations of the party that once gave America her only Catholic President.

This is, hands down, the most powerful and moving issue ad I’ve seen in quite some time.

God Bless you, Gianna, for your beautiful witness to a culture of life.

One News Now has this report, which includes an interview with yours truly.

You can also listen to the report by clicking the button next to the “hear report” caption off to the right.

The Fidelis Center for Law and Policy announces the launch of a new website – CatholicVote.com – to educate and inspire Catholic voters this fall and beyond.  The site includes a powerful video designed to encourage viewers to prioritize the issues of life, faith, and family.  In addition to the video, the site contains resources on how to register to vote, research on candidate positions, documents from the Bishops and an invitation to join in prayer.
 
The highlight of CatholicVote.com is a powerful 3:30 minute documentary on Catholic contributions to American public life. The video connects the fight for civil rights, human dignity, and the family throughout the history of our country.  The dramatic conclusion of the film urges viewers to “Vote Your Conscience.”
 
“The U.S. Bishops have stated that ‘responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation,’” said Brian Burch, director of CatholicVote.com. “We launched CatholicVote.com to provide Catholics and all people of good will with the tools to both educate and inspire their fellow citizens as they prepare to vote in November.”

To watch the amazing video, visit CatholicVote.com. 

Charlie Spiering has this report for National Catholic Register. Here’s a taste, which includes a quote from yours truly:

Catholic Democratic activists believe that Biden’s faith will be an asset to the Obama campaign — particularly in Pennsylvania, his native state.

Chris Corzen of Catholics United stated, “Senator Biden’s selection as vice presidential candidate is a positive development for Americans who respect leaders who have strong religious, family and personal values.”

But Stephen Dillard, the founder of a new blog, Catholics Against Joe Biden, disagreed. “I think Obama’s selection of Biden may help him with cultural or cafeteria Catholics,” he said, “But I don’t see faithful Catholics voting for the most pro-abortion presidential ticket ever simply because Biden grew up as a Catholic.”

Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has issued a statement related to the controversy over Speaker Pelosi’s comments on Church teaching on abortion.

The good Cardinal confirmed the constant teaching of the Church saying:

“Laws that place unborn children outside the protection of law destroy both the children killed and the common good, which is the controlling principle of Catholic social teaching. One cannot favor the legal status quo on abortion and also be working for the common good.”

Echoing the teaching of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, His Eminence once again confirmed that political leaders who publicly support the right to abortion forfeit any claim to defend the common good on other issues.  Put simply, you can’t pretend to care about the poor, the worker, the environment, or health care, if you defend the right to kill innocent human beings.

His statement also reminded faithful Catholics of the need to uphold Church teaching with charity saying, “There is no room for self-righteousness in Catholic moral teaching.”

His statement seems a good reminder that in the midst of publicly responding to Pelosi’s clear errors, we must be unceasing in our prayers for her conversion, as well as many of our fellow Catholics, especially those whose scandalous behavior often elicits our disgust.

Cardinal George Statement 9-2-08

A new Zogby poll shows that Catholics like McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin:

At a rate of 54 percent, Catholic respondents believe McCain’s choice of Palin would help the Republican ticket, while 31 percent believe it would hurt the campaign. Seven percent believed it would not make a difference.

McCain’s decision to go with a strong pro-life candidate will likely help him in Catholic states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

(Hat tip: Margaret Cabiness)

Kathryn Lopez at NRO calls it the “Chaput Effect.”

Blue-collar (Catholic) Democrats in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, who voted for Hillary out of concerns over Obama, are moving into the McCain camp. And McCain’s decision to talk-up abortion is the major reason why.

A new Gallup poll finds pro-life Democrats are abandoning Barack Obama now that more evidence has been presented that Obama takes a hardcore pro-abortion position. The drop in his support from pro-life Democrats also comes as John McCain has been more active promoting his pro-life views.

Keep it comin’ Mack!

Democrats for Life noted that support for abortion brings in money, but not votes for the Democrats.

LifeNews.com reports:

Emily’s List raised $52.3 million for female candidates who support abortion in the 2004 elections, yet, the states where Emily’s List ran an extensive Voter Mobilization Project, none of their Senate candidates won.

“Our Party gets a lot of money from pro-choice Democrats. But as this analysis shows, it is not converted into votes for a pro-choice presidential candidate,” says Kristen Day, executive director of the group.

“The choice for our Party is not about abortion, but the choice to either have money or have votes. Obama needs to decide which is it going to be?”

Obama won’t drop his support for abortion. But he also won’t talk about it much at all. He desperately needs the votes of blue-collar Catholics Democrats in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. (Hello, that’s why he picked Joe Biden!)

There’s a clear message here: Democrats know they need to downplay the issue of abortion. I wonder why? It would suggest that John McCain might gain by bringing the issue forward more often.

It was only a matter of time:

Douglas Kmiec, a former Reagan administration official and a Catholic who is supporting Obama, portrayed Biden as a Catholic not just by belief but by culture, someone who can connect with people at a gut level.

“You can’t find a more regular guy than Joe Biden,” said Kmiec, a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University. “He would be the kind of guy you would expect to find in the parish hall, in the neighborhood. That kind of personality, when combined with the kind of reflective Christianity Barack Obama has demonstrated, is a winning combination.”

Kmiec argues the Obama campaign is “ultimately premised upon Catholic social teaching” like care for working families and the poor and foreign policy premised on peace over war. Democratic efforts to tackle social and economic factors that contribute to abortion hold more promise, Kmiec said, than Republican efforts to criminalize it.

Ah yes, Obama and Biden are quite the dynamic duo. Obama’s “reflective Christianity” leads him to oppose legislation that would provide basic medical care to children who survive botched abortions, and Biden is vocal champion of Roe v. Wade. It’s easy to see why a “conservative” Catholic like Kmiec would sing the praises of this “dream ticket.”

Denver’s Archbishop Chaput offers more excellent commentary on the responsibilities of Catholics in public life today over at FirstThings.com.  Anytime I hear Catholics complain about “those darn Bishops,” I usually respond with two words: Charles Chaput.

A must read:

“First, surrounding a bad social policy or party platform plank—for example, permissive abortion—with religious people doesn’t redeem the bad policy or plank. It merely compromises the religious people who try to excuse it.”

…

“Obviously, we have other important issues facing us this fall: the economy, the war in Iraq, immigration justice. But we can’t build a healthy society while ignoring the routine and very profitable legalized homicide that goes on every day against America’s unborn children. The right to life is foundational. Every other right depends on it. Efforts to reduce abortions, or to create alternatives to abortion, or to foster an environment where more women will choose to keep their unborn child, can have great merit—but not if they serve to cover over or distract from the brutality and fundamental injustice of abortion itself.”

…

“Our leaders should inspire us; they should stir our hearts and call us to live the ideals that make America great. But sometimes the answer to the realities we face is not “yes, we can,” but “no, we can’t.” No, we can’t spend money like hedonists and outrun our debts forever. No, we can’t ignore the poor of the Third World and expect to be loved abroad. No, we can’t allow the killing of roughly one million unborn children a year and then posture ourselves as a moral society. No, we can’t make wicked things right by spinning them in a clever way.”

Carl Anderson has a wonderful article at NRO:

It’s time Catholics stop accommodating pro-abortion-rights politicians and it’s time to start demanding that they accommodate us. This is the only decision that offers the real chance for real change, because no candidate or political party can withstand the loss of millions of Catholic voters in this — or any other — election. In this election, if a Catholic cannot vote for the pro-life candidate, then not voting for that office may be the sincerest expression of faithful citizenship.

The only way to toss abortion into the dustheap of history along side slavery, child labor and Communism, is for Catholics to stand tall and reject anyone who supports this barbaric practice of chopping up children like their onions.

Rick Warren: “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?”

Barack Obama: “Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is, you know, above my pay grade.”

(For alternative images, see below the fold) Read the rest of this entry »

Father Kavanaugh wrote an open letter to Barack Obama in the Jesuit magazine, America, where he noted that many Catholics might be inclined to support the Illinois Democrat because of the war and poverty issues, but are turned off by his support of abortion. Fr. Kavanaugh made special note of Obama’s refusal to support legislation protecting infants born after a botched abortion attempt.

From the Catholic News Agency: 

Father Kavanaugh acknowledged that some Catholics will never vote for a Democrat, but emphasized that there is another group trending away from Obama “because they think you not only defend partial-birth abortion but also are against lifesaving therapy for newborns surviving an abortion attempt.”

Saying Obama’s attempts to explain his stand on partial birth abortion and treatments for abortion survivors “seemed evasive,” Father Kavanaugh asked: “Can you just simply affirm your conviction that any newborn, even after an abortion attempt, should be given effective life-sustaining treatment?”

Makes you wonder, if Obama were to recant his position on infanticide, then would you support him Fr. Kavanaugh? Talk about low expectations!

I appreciate that Fr. Kavanaugh is trying to have a conversation with Obama on this topic. And Fr. Kavanaugh is admittedly no conservative. But he’s asked the wrong question. He should ask Obama to throw overboard his support for partial-birth abortion now that the Court has given the ban its approval. Obama’s refusal to do that, coupled with his support for infanticide is inexcusible.

At what point does dialogue become pointless? Barack Obama is an unapologetic support of abortion and also infanticide. He must not be elected President of the United States. Period.