Conservative Catholic Group Runs Ads Targeting Anti-SCHIP Lawmakers As ‘Not Pro-Life’
Conservative Catholic Group Runs Ads Targeting Anti-SCHIP Lawmakers As ‘Not Pro-Life’
In October, Catholics United, “a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition,” launched an ad campaign targeting “pro-life Christian” politicians who voted against expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
The ads criticized the members of Congress for saying they’re “pro-life,” but then voting “against health care for poor children.” “That’s not pro-life. That’s not pro-family,” concluded the ads.
One of the targets of the ads, Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI), the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, responded to the ads by accusing Catholics United of being the “devil” and acting in “sin”:
Catholics United, which demurs from airing similar ads against pro-abortion members of Congress, is not a Catholic Church sanctioned organization; it is a Leftist political front group. No one should be fooled when this devil cites Scripture for his own purpose. [...]
Through their duplicitous partisan S-CHIP attacks, this is (charitably) the sin which Catholics United has committed; and the sin with which Catholics United is coercively trying to tempt pro-life members of Congress.
Now Catholics United is taking to the Christian radio airwaves again. They’re still hitting McCotter, but are also adding four more members of Congress to their target list:
Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA)
Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA)
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS)
Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO)
Listen to the ad against Goode:
Rep. Goode responded to the new ads by digging in his feet, exclaiming “I’m opposed to the child health bill.”
If the four Congressmen are tempted to lash out at Catholics United like McCotter did, they should choose a different route than attacking the group’s Catholic standing as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, and the Catholic Health Association all hold the same position supporting the SCHIP expansion.
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Ah! Republicans eating their own.
I'm going to enjoy this. :o)
November 13th, 2007 at 1:16 pmReid: Dems wont approve more money
Pentagon contracting
dem track record: 0-40 on Iraq; estimates on war costs:1.5trillion$
November 13th, 2007 at 1:21 pmThis has got to get some lawmakers' shorts in a knot. By branding themselves "pro-life", they figured they would be the darlings of religious groups. I guess they didn't count on some religious groups being TRULY pro-life -- including life after birth.
Go ahead, "pro-life" lawmakers. Defend how you denied affordable health insurance to thousands of kids with the same tired soundbites of how you didn't want to pay for 25 years olds or kids whose parents made $80,000 a year.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:22 pmThe ONLY issue on which the Catholic church agrees with conservatives is abortion. Okay, maybe buggery of young boys too.
But on education, foreign policy, treatment of the poor, immagration, even on separation of church and state, the Catholic Church is profoundly liberal in the best sense of the word, as was Jesus Christ himself.
The Catholic Church is not without its serious problems, and there are of course many, many conservative Catholics of good conscience. (It's just a crying shame that they chose Bill Donohue to represent them). But without the issue of abortion (and maybe, ironically, gay rights) the Republicans could write off the Catholic voting block too. That's why they keep those two issues alive, and it's why they will NEVER do anything to end abortion in this country.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:24 pmGotta give the Catolicos a bit of credit. At least more consistent than pseudo "pro-life" politicos.
http://www.tshirtinsurgency.com
November 13th, 2007 at 1:24 pmthe neo-con credo:
"Life begins when you agree with me"
November 13th, 2007 at 1:28 pmOh this will be interesting to see how the candidates will spin their arguments around this bit of news. I don't want to hear them, I just want a list of their voting record, claims, agenda. That will make up my mind. Oh, how about the list of waffling as well.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:28 pmDevil went down to Georgia (and Virginia, Kansas, and Missouri)??? What goes around comes around. BOHICA
November 13th, 2007 at 1:31 pmIt would so nice if Churches went back to saving souls instead of choosing a candidate for their followers to vote for. Well, it does save on a lot of hard thinking when you just follow the Priest or the Pastor.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:34 pmIn regards to not lambasting pro-choice members of congress...
If you have no political saavy and just want to raise money donohue/falwell/robertson et al, you attack the issue that has no chance of changing.
That way, when you make no progress, you can hit people up for money again and again and again without even having to change your speeches.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:35 pmLong over due accessible heath care be included with pro life. Now how about pro lifer's start thinking about a legitimate system, universal health care - a system the CEO's can't pick and choose their clients for profit.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:40 pmGovernment paid healthcare is only good for government employees, they rest of us can just go die somewhere.
I'm sure McCotter and his ilk enjoy their "PAID" insurance.
I cannot ever change jobs because of a "pre-existing" condition, wasn't even my fault (minor surgery mishap that turned major) but now I'm screwed, even though I kickbox 4 times a week and am great shape I can't get insurance if I lose my job and with the BushEconomy getting ready to crash, I am not feeling all that secure about the furture.
Buck Fush
November 13th, 2007 at 1:41 pmVirgil Goode is my name and I drove on the prolife train
November 13th, 2007 at 1:44 pmTill Catholic United came and showed my hypocrisy again
In the winter of '07, we were greedy, not bound for heaven
I took the train to Washington, I fell
It was a time I remember oh, so well...
In other news: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that Democrats won't approve more money for the Iraq war this year unless President Bush agrees to begin bringing troops home.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:45 pm#14...or until Bush gets all huffy, and then Reid will give right in,
November 13th, 2007 at 1:52 pmBad Virgil Bad Bad Virgil
November 13th, 2007 at 1:53 pm#4 - Catholics did not choose Donohoe to represent them. The Catholic League is a private non-profit group that has no official standing with the Church. It was begun by a Jesuit priest in 1973, yes, but it's not any kind of official arm of the Church.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:53 pmBuck Fush
November 13th, 2007 at 1:54 pmWe are the only country that puts up with this insane system of health care. Share holders making profits because they look for ways to deny care....
I listen to Dave Ramsey at times... gives financial advice on the radio. I have no problem with the fact he is a devout Christian... but one day he starting talking on health care - advertising the fact we should go to savings accounts. Then he added "Well you have to be healthy, but oh well." I lost all respect for this guy.
Bottom line:
You can not be a practicing Christian and be for this bogus health care system we have.
It was a time I remember oh, so well…
Comment by PatrioticLiberalChristian — November 13, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
Nice work, and I have to wonder how many folks will know where you got this from... (one of my favorite, favorite, favorite songs of all time... that and J Hendrix playing "All Along the Watch Tower"...)
But I digress...
November 13th, 2007 at 1:55 pmThanks for the correction jayjaybear.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pmAs the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:01 pmYou can not be a practicing Christian and be for this bogus health care system we have.
Comment by had enough — November 13, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
Sorry but the sad fact is alot of "practicing Christians" are for the bogus health care system and voted for the bogus Bush (Mis)Administration, twice.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:01 pmI heard that too...but how much water does that hold as we are at the end of the year with another Congress recess?
November 13th, 2007 at 2:06 pmAny news towards a change of attitude to universal health care is huge...America desperately needs this. 18,000 die each year because of lack of access to health care....not the disabled or elderly as they have medicare.
This present For Profit system is absolutely immoral.
this is (charitably) the sin which Catholics United has committed
Okay, yeah, begging the question... what is the uncharitable description? Serious question to the theologists out there, what is he driving at? Is McCotter saying that Catholics United should be excommunicated?
Anyways, moral here is that these religious fanatics are dangerous. There is simply no reasoning with people who regard an opposing argument as sinful.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:08 pmHi Wayne ,
November 13th, 2007 at 2:09 pmthen they are not TRUE practicing Christians.
Hi Wayne ,
then they are not TRUE practicing Christians.
Comment by had enough — November 13, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
I like to call them performing Christians, as opposed to practicing Christians. They like to put on a big show of their faith but haven't rehearsed enough to understand it.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:14 pmS-chip is fine, the extra money to pay for non-children is bad.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:24 pmI love the dissonance of Republican Name Calling.
Conservative Religious group releases statement that voting against SCHIP is not pro life.
Republican (who has been more than happy to bask in the warm glow of religious group's support) : The group is the devil.
For that matter, how come a religious group is only allowed to voice an analysis of a moral situation according to the tenets of its faith only if the religious group agrees with you (a problem I see often from both sides of the political aisle)??
November 13th, 2007 at 2:28 pmS-chip is fine, the extra money to pay for non-children is bad.
Comment by Roger_Roger — November 13, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
So you believe that it's in the best interest of a child to have parents that go bankrupt and lose everything when they get sick? Wow, you really are retarded.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:28 pmHi Wayne ,
then they are not TRUE practicing Christians.
Comment by had enough — November 13, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
Yep, notice the quotes.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:31 pmThey are followers of cults that have bastardized the things Christ taught.
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. ---- Mohandas Gandhi
I love it when they eat their own these pathetic Republicans.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:33 pmOur current For profit health care system is evil... nothing but. Only in America do we have a system that denies care to those that need it the most. By now, most of us know of someone that needlessly died .... I do and this case is probably the most common: A man in his 50's loses health insurance and because of a pre existing heat condition no physician or insurance will get near him. His income is too high for VA, but when the heart attack starts, yes the ER will see him but it is too late. 18,000 a year die and I will guess most fit this case.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:36 pmOnly in America.
Glad to see Catholics standing up for the less fortunate. The hypocracy is making my head spin. Here's a group practicing their beliefs and along come the "religious" congressmen that attack the group for following their christian beliefs.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:37 pmAmerican Fundamentalist Right Wing Evangelicals are the antithesis of all a Christian should aspire to be. They are, at best, ignorant fools. At worst? They are the living embodiment of evil. Every time they accuse dissenters of "sin" they propel themselves towards the worst.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:39 pmThe Night They Drove 'Ol Dixie Down is a great song. I prefer The Band's version over Joan Baez...
Religious Congressmen is an oxymoron, but most congress critters are morons, anyway.
Q: If Republicans had to choose between politics & religion, which way would they go?
A: Doesn't matter, they're all going to Hell, regardless.
November 13th, 2007 at 2:46 pm#35 - Well, it IS after all the Band's song to begin with...
It is nice to see a "pro-life" stance that includes the right of those already born, instead of ONLY fetuses; and it's very revealing that someone has the audacity to claim that it's an un- Christian concept.
November 13th, 2007 at 3:23 pmI take it back, it's not audacious at all, claiming providing health care to children is not "Christian". It's the basis of the Republican party, and the conservative agenda. After all "right to life" ends when you're born, in their philosophy.
November 13th, 2007 at 3:25 pmWhat song this reminds me of is:
You call yourself a Christian
November 13th, 2007 at 3:30 pmI think that you're a hypocrite
You say you are a patriot
I think that you're a crock of sh!t
--- SWEET NEO CON -- (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) -- 2005
S-chip is fine, the extra money to pay for non-children is bad.
Comment by Roger_Roger — November 13, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
If by "non-children" you mean "college students who are still their parents' dependents", note that SCHIP would only pay for young people who fit that category, and they put that provision in to match what most standard family plans allowed for.
It was NOT a bonanza for 25-year-olds to make out like bandits -- even though this was the common spin from the right.
November 13th, 2007 at 3:31 pm"Dissent is a sin"!
Puhleese!
November 13th, 2007 at 3:33 pmIf by “non-children†you mean “college students who are still their parents’ dependentsâ€, note that SCHIP would only pay for young people who fit that category, and they put that provision in to match what most standard family plans allowed for.
It was NOT a bonanza for 25-year-olds to make out like bandits — even though this was the common spin from the right.
Comment by missmolly — November 13, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
And it's pretty well-established as a standard for private coverage, as well. My kids are covered as long as they're under 24 and enrolled full time in school.
It's actually not much of a burden for the carrier because people in this age group tend not to get sick and don't require much in the way of preventive care. My son did end up using his care when he had a bicycle accident, but that's nothing like the care that little kids need (or us old folks).
November 13th, 2007 at 3:42 pmComment by gummitch — November 13, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
I was glad for the standard insurance rules covering while my kids were in college.
November 13th, 2007 at 3:50 pmSCHIP was designed to follow current Insurance Industry standards. Notice who funds the loudest detractors......
#4--I agree wholeheartedly.
November 13th, 2007 at 4:08 pma must see:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/edwards-takes-on-congress-in-new-ad/
This ad will win Edwards the presidency!
November 13th, 2007 at 4:55 pmWonder how the Catholics feel about the posting of the Ten Commandments on the Texas State Capitol grounds?
Quite likely, few are unaware that several differences exist between the Jewish, Orthodox, Lutheran/Catholic (even some differences between those two), and Anglican/Other Protestant groups. Even the equivalent with regard to the Islamic faith bears remarkable similarities, as detailed in the Qur'an.
The version on the Texas State Capitol grounds seems to be attempting to avoid some of the controversy by not numbering the commandments. Depending upon your interpretation you can count up to twelve commandments. You may note that the version in Texas refers to a prohibition against killing (favored by Catholics), while most other versions make reference to murder. The Texas version seems to make separate reference to coveting the neighbor's house and the neighbor's wife/servants/possessions (apparently, a woman would be incapable of coveting her neighbor's husband). Listing the house as #9 and the others as #10 (as is the case in Texas) is a convention followed by some branches of the Lutheran faith.
If you are at all curious, try reading the passages from which the commandments are derived and try counting them as you read. The two most frequently cited sources are: Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. This may not be as easy as you might think.
In any event, you may wish to check the commandments displayed at your local courthouse (should this apply) and then determine which version is being used. It would seem impossible to use one that is completely in synch with one group's beliefs without slighting another.
For further details, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:09 pmFor what it's worth, I don't think Catholics United is a particularly conservative group. The organizers seem to come out of Pax Christi, which is in the "peace and justice" tradition.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:18 pmNot many folks, let alone Catholics, are aware of Catholic Social Teaching.
Many of the ideas are very liberal, and I agree with. I'm not Catholic.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:43 pmPeace & Justice are certainly NOT conservative ideals...
November 14th, 2007 at 12:56 pmLeo's right. Catholics United is hardly conservative. I know their work and their staff; they definitely wouldn't self-identify as conservative, and they work on progressive issues. From the "who we are" graf on their web site:
November 14th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Keith Olbermann named Thad McCotter 'worst person in the world' for his attacks on Catholics United.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:30 pm