Listening to the first hour of CNN’s live coverage of the Obama-Biden unveiling in Springfield on Saturday afternoon, it was quite apparent that CNN and its cast of reporters and analysts didn’t find anything unusual about the liberal Democrats trying to counter-program the idea that they were elitists with the false notion that Joe Biden is a "committed Catholic."
Any reporter who’s doing fact-checking would find a problem there. The Catholic Church strongly opposes abortion, and yet NARAL Pro-Choice America honored Biden’s selection yesterday: "Sen. Biden has consistently expressed support for a woman's right to choose....Most notably, Sen. Biden has a strong record of opposing judicial nominees with hostile anti-choice records."
The blog Catholics Against Joe Biden is already up and running. But Obama strongly suggested twice that Biden was a committed Catholic:
His family didn't have much money. Joe Senior worked different jobs from cleaning boilers to selling cars, sometimes moving in with the in-laws or working weekends to make ends meet. But he raised his family with a strong commitment to work and to family, to the Catholic faith and to the belief that in America you can make it if you try....
He's that unique public servant who is at home in a bar in Cedar Rapids and the corridors of the Capitol. In the VFW hall in (Congress) and at the center of an international crisis. That's because he's still that scrappy kid from Scranton who beat the odds, the dedicated family man and committed Catholic who knows every conductor on that Amtrak train to Wilmington.
In his remarks, Biden was more circumspect, citing his Catholicism as part of his upbringing, not part of his political career:
I was an Irish Catholic kid from Scranton with a father who, like many of yours, in tough economic times fell on hard times.
CNN didn't really notice this right away, although Obama-hallowing analyst Roland Martin effusively touted the new ticket's appeal to "values" voters:
If you listen to both speeches, especially Senator Joe Biden, he kept dealing with the issue of values. Talk about the Freudian slip with Obama, but also, Biden made a Freudian slip when he said "Barack America". He said "Barack America."
He kept talking about Obama growing up, single mother, being on food stamps, working hard, him going to school, his own background. What the Obama campaign has failed miserably, I think, since winning the nomination, they have not been able to lay out, this is who he is in terms of his values. That's where the Republicans have been so strong in nailing Obama, and that is patriotism, judgment. So, that's why you heard a lot of that, those family values and how our values are the same as yours.
Millions of faithful Catholics would like to offer a rebuttal: pro-abortion values are the opposite of Catholic values.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Compared to what?
August 24, 2008 - 19:37 ET by SouthernRootsReminds me of the old joke about the difference between supportive and committed. For a bacon and egg breakfast, the chicken is supportive, while the hog is committed.
Ol' Joe may be supportive, but he sure isn't committed.
I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. - J.B. Books (John Wayne)
Joe will argue. . .
August 24, 2008 - 19:41 ET by WingletDriverthat he can't bring his Catholic faith into the public square. If that's his argument, why would he bring up that he's Catholic?
Also, why does he make a
August 25, 2008 - 07:59 ET by motherbeltAlso, why does he make a big deal out of the fact that he carries a Rosary?
Pro-choice Catholic is an oxymoron.
Easy answer
August 25, 2008 - 08:04 ET by Cool ArrowThe "Fruit of thy womb" isn't blessed until the liberals say it's blessed.
And king Harod would be bustin' out with pride for Obama.
I ♣ my seal
So he can shove them. . .
August 25, 2008 - 08:36 ET by WingletDriverdown some Republican's throat.
“The next Republican that tells me I’m not religious, I’m gonna shove my rosary beads down their throat!” - Joe Biden
The funny thing about this quote is that I've never heard a committed Catholic refer to the Rosary as "Rosary beads." It's the Rosary. I know that the Rosary is really prayers and meditation, but we still call the sacramental "the Rosary."
As for using it as a weapon, St. Pio advocated using the Rosary as weapon against the Devil. Joe just wants to choke anybody who questions his commitment to his faith based on his contrary legislative record.
By saying "Rosary beads"
August 25, 2008 - 08:53 ET by motherbeltBy saying "Rosary beads" Biden is just showing his age; we used that term when I was a kid. And I'm younger than Biden.
As I commented the other day...Biden is only 5-6 years younger than McCain.
Biden needs to pray the Rosary, not tote it as a lethal weapon
August 25, 2008 - 13:41 ET by lotrIf he "packs a Rosary," he certainly hasn't prayed it, for if he had he would've meditated on both the first and second joyful mysteries, the ones referring to Christ in the womb. The first mystery, the Annuciation, the soul meditates on "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary." (emphasis mine)
"Pro-choice" ideology is diametrically opposed to Christian Faith. No small wonder Catholicism and orthodox non-Catholic Christianity all speak out against it, the "committedness" of Mr. Biden not withstanding.
Tim I was just about to
August 24, 2008 - 20:17 ET by motherbeltTim I was just about to click on the "read more" button of the post above this one and this headline caught my eye...I did a double-take.
I can't believe they are going to try to push this "Biden is a committed Catholic" line of B as in B, S as in S. "Pay no attention to that 100% rating from NARAL....Biden is a life-long committed Catholic" Right. He's a Catholic committed to abortion on demand.
Callin' a tail a leg doesn't make it one -Abe Lincoln
And this from the Catholics Against Biden website:
Kmiec [a Catholic, former Reagan official and supporter of Obama] 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.
You mean if women can get help they won't abort? Help like Welfare, Medicaid, ADC, Food stamps, WIC? That kind of help?
If Bo and Joe think they are going to fool Catholics with this, they are sorely mistaken.
Sunday Gallup poll
August 24, 2008 - 20:18 ET by matthewleonmartinYesterday (Saturday) Gallup showed McCain with 44% and Obama with 46%. That poll was done before the Joe Biden news happened.
Today's poll was the first indication of what people think.
Obama 45% McCain 45%
Nice.
I was watching Fox Biz and
August 24, 2008 - 20:23 ET by Free StinkerI was watching Fox Biz and one analysts there is estimating a 5 point (maximum) poll bounce for Obama after the convention.
And on August 29th it is expected that McCain will annound his V.P., and the GOP convention begins the following week.
Not so good for Obama.
"They're both doofuses!" --Mark Levin (speaking of Obama and McCain)
upstage
August 24, 2008 - 20:38 ET by dmntd1Although it's expected that Sen McCain will announce the Friday after the nomination of the Messiah, it would tickle me half to death if Sen McCain upstaged Sen Obama with his VP announcement a half-hour into the nomination speech. The MSM would show their true colors by maintaining their focus on the Messiah.
Fascism is a religious conception in which man is seen in his imminent relationship with a superior law and with an objective will that transcends the particular individual - Mussolini
Maybe it's Kay
August 24, 2008 - 20:46 ET by Cool ArrowI know she joined in on the McAmnesty conspiracy against the American people. And she's not running for Senate again.
Is it Kay Bailey Hutchinson?
I ♣ my seal
dmn.......which they
August 24, 2008 - 20:48 ET by bigtimerdmn....
...which they very well would do...they are not about to interrupt Barack Amerika for one cotton pickin' second....
It would be hilarious though....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Pelosi was asked about this
August 24, 2008 - 20:36 ET by bigtimerPelosi was asked about this subject today on nbc with Brokaw...it is really a good thing not many people here heard her interview (I am taking that for granted I know)..on this subject alone, along with her $$$ in with Boone Pickens, drilling ect. she was shown what Obama said when he said it's above my pay-grade ect...all of it was absolutely infuriating with her responses...to say the least.
The majority of the Catholic vote is something they may as well forget as far as I am concerned...with reps like her and Biden let alone sock puppet Barack America they are in deep doo-doo.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Committed Catholic
August 24, 2008 - 22:32 ET by KC MulvilleI'm Catholic. I would never presume to judge Joe Biden's personal life. I'll say the same thing I said about Kerry: his personal faith is for God, his bishop, and his pastor to judge, and since I'm not included in that list, I keep my mouth shut. However, this isn't about his personal life. This is about his public support of a position the church considers objectively sinful. To be clear, Biden doesn't have to oppose abortion because the bishops say so. Instead, he has to oppose abortion because it is objectively wrong.
Now, let me blow off some steam. I have never been as angry at a politician than I was at Bill Clinton, when he was trying to rally support for partial birth abortion. At a press conference, he trotted out some women who had undergone the procedure, and he made certain to tell the audience that the women were Catholic. The pundits and the Clinton staff were perfectly happy to point out that this was Bill Clinton's assurance to Catholics that it was OK for them to support this.
So when I hear Barack Obama (from the radical church) pick a token for a running mate, hoping to trick voters into becoming comfortable with him even though his views on abortion are virulently opposed to the Church's teaching ... I feel yet another slick Democrat trying to manipulate Catholics. I resent it. I despise it. It is the lowest of low roads.
And now I'm just as angry at this bastard Obama as I was angry at that bastard Clinton.
I agree, KC! Any day now
August 25, 2008 - 08:06 ET by motherbeltI agree, KC!
Any day now they will trot out Catholics for Free Choice.
And they will tout the percentage of Catholics who disagree with the Church's stand on artificial contraception.
They seem to think that if Catholics disagree with Church teaching, that teaching is wrong.
(I'm guessing that 90% of teenagers think their parents rules are too confining....does that make their parents wrong?)
As I said above, if they think they can fool Catholics by touting "Rosary Joe"...they are sorely mistaken.
wedges
August 25, 2008 - 09:33 ET by KC MulvilleThey're trying to drive a wedge between bishop and believer. For purely political reasons, for their own advantage, they're telling Catholics not to listen to their bishops on a key moral issue. This is the modern day version of the secular state interfering in religion. A political party is deliberately encouraging Catholics to ignore the teachings of the bishops, not to mention the pope.
Sure, there is a lot more to being Catholic than just abortion, and a lot more people oppose abortion than just Catholics. But when Obama uses Joe Biden specifically to appeal to Catholics (while knowing that Biden won't stand up for Catholic teaching), he's just trying to manipulate Catholics -- who, by the way, should be paying more attention, and not get suckered into this charade.
You hear some pundits claim that Putin's invasion of Georgia is what made Biden inevitable, because Biden added "foreign policy heft" to the ticket, and you scratch your head. You know that explanation is a joke, because Biden has been wrong about everything over the last decade. His proposed breakup of Iraq still gets the Iraqis angry. He blew the surge. And if you're a lefty, you remember that he voted in favor of the war, so that's not why Obama picked him. So why would Obama pick Biden, of all people?
Pro Choice Catholic
August 25, 2008 - 07:09 ET by allanfA Pro-Choice committed Catholic is a little like a non Kosher Orthodox Jew. It doesn't fit.
Exactly.
August 25, 2008 - 11:19 ET by Sergeant ROCKExactly.
Tim, are you that stupid?
August 25, 2008 - 09:52 ET by RolandSMartinSo Tim has a problem that I stated what was said: that Biden focused on their values, and focused on that during his speech.
Maybe your columns should be fact-checked.
Roland
August 25, 2008 - 10:03 ET by Cool ArrowHow's the fishing in your neck of the woods?
But Obama could have done worse. He could have picked Robert Byrd. Most likely would have if there weren't an age limit on the VP slot.
But Biden will do for y'all I guess. Speaking all that truth to the powerless about how smart Iowa kids are and how dumb DC kids are, and the reason for the discrepancy.
I ♣ my seal
I'm not convinced (and this may lead to flames...)
August 25, 2008 - 10:11 ET by sarcasmoWe're seeing the "real" Roland Martin in this entity which claims to be him. In fact, I'm beginning to strongly doubt it. Everyone knows that people have different views on abortion. Often, knowing those views affects their judgment of others' values, especially politicians. I think a troll would call it "stupid," but I don't think a real journalist -- even a CNN reporter -- would.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Good point sarc
August 25, 2008 - 10:21 ET by Cool ArrowBut he's been here a while, and I think I've seen his wife on TV a couple of times. I wouldn't have pegged her to be pro abortion. But if it's the same lady, she's definitely smarter than the guy singing the the same old Democrat song that keeps getting the poor the same old runaround.
I ♣ my seal
Being here a while
August 25, 2008 - 11:11 ET by sarcasmoMakes the entity, IMO, a subtle and therefore more entertaining class of troll than average (isn't our friend Blonde always asking for that?) but I hereby officially don't think that this is the "real" CNN reporter Roland Martin we've all seen on TV. At least, for CNN stockholders' sake, I sure hope not! :)
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Maybe sarc
August 25, 2008 - 11:14 ET by Cool ArrowBut it seems he's been on here before, and only when his name appears in an article.
I ♣ my seal
True
August 25, 2008 - 11:26 ET by sarcasmoI've seen his comments and had my suspicions before on these articles, and I could certainly be wrong -- maybe he's more of a hothead online than on TV -- but even someone who totally disagrees with him on abortion would not call Tim "stupid" for the conclusion of his post because it's logical. Well, IMO anyway.
Anyway, this conversation about abortion brings up the unrelated idea of "how could the 'real' Roland Martin ever prove he's the CNN reporter and not just an unusually entertaining troll with a specialty of one CNN reporter, for some reason?" And my answer is that I have no idea*, only my suspicions...
JMR
* A PMer kindly points out the real Roland could change that Roland Martin webpage at will, and presumably could reference this conversation, if I'm wrong in my suspicions. I suspect "our" Roland is perhaps a relative of the real one, but not him.
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Mmmm, as a "commited
August 25, 2008 - 10:06 ET by Jack BauerMmmm, as a "commited Catholic" who supported the teachings of his church in the 1980s, Biden was AGAINST abortion.
Now as a "committed Catholic" Biden is gung-ho-pro-abortion. So did his church change, or did he change?
Well, that's a rhetorical question, because clearly HE changed. How does it happen, that at a time when massive advances in prenatal baby care increase the viabilty of babies surviving outside the womb, that you change your mind?
Oddly enough, at exactly the same time as it became IMPOSSIBLE to get on a Democratic Presidential ticket unless one was gung-ho pro-abortion. Funny that.
Jack
August 25, 2008 - 13:50 ET by lotrIs this true? Biden was pro-life at one time, like Algore?
lotr -- yep, Biden went
August 25, 2008 - 14:07 ET by Jack Bauerlotr -- yep, Biden went along to get along as an enthusiatic gung ho pro-aborter.