Death After Dishonor - The Catholic Bishops Inaction

We've heard it before under Clinton, who promised to make abortion "safe, legal, and rare". Back then, Democrat Catholics (which is to say those voters whose allegiance to the Democratic Party takes precedence over their loyalty to the Catholic Church) latched onto the last word. ("See, he said rare!") During the election, nominally pro-life Obamabots parroted the campaign propaganda point that Obama is pro-life since his policies would motivate people to have fewer abortions, at the same time he erases all legal restrictions on doing so. But as things already stand, any mother in need can now get all the aid she wants to raise a kid, and McCain wasn't going to eliminate it.

The sad truth behind these Catholics and others who claim the pro-life label for themselves is that they're insincere. They must be since they latch onto Obama's empty promises of lessening the abortion rate while simultaneously removing every extant vestige of legal protection for the unborn. If they cared a whit about protecting the unborn, they wouldn't settle for empty rhetoric and opposite actions. It would seem that this self-defeating stance is relegated to the pro-life cause and no other. No sincere pro-gun advocacy group is touting Obama as the pro-gun candidate since, though he would ban many types of guns now commonly owned and in use, he is going to send out checks to every American after tax time which, if you want, can be used to buy a new gun before the ban goes into effect. Gun-totin' yokels are neither as apathetic nor as easily duped about the Second Amendment as the American Catholic left are about abortion.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops must share the blame for the looming threat of the FOCA (Freedom Of Choice Act) to close hospitals. The members of the conference are of two minds. Conference president Cardinal Francis George is exemplary of the first, that which opposed electing a pro-abortion President from the outset (see interview below), while vice president Bishop Gerald Kicanas is of the second, to be complicit in Obama's being elected President (see interview below the first). The sharp division in the conference led to the issuance of a directive before the election to voting Catholics that was so weak and vague as to be non-committal.

In an October interview after the synod, Cardinal George of Chicago indicated that abortion correctly took precedence in importance over all other issues in play:

Q: Therefore, while you would presumably support better health care and anti-poverty measures, in your mind that’s not an alternative to efforts to outlaw abortion?

A: Absolutely right.

In his interview, Bishop Kicanas expressed quite the opposite stance:

Q: If I’m hearing you correctly, you’re saying that for a Catholic who
wants to approach his or her vote in three weeks with the mind of the church,
it’s not a slam-dunk which way that vote should go. Is that right?

A: Yes, and I think that’s what “Faithful Citizenship” is saying. As a disciple, as a citizen, you have to weigh issues, you have to consider the character of candidates, what you think they will be able to do in terms of affecting the society and the culture in which we live. Clearly, the document is saying that to vote for someone who is proposing actions that are intrinsically evil, because of their position on those intrinsically evil acts, is certainly problematic for someone who is a believer in Christ. You don’t believe in Christ and then vote for a person simply, or primarily, because they hold a position that’s contrary to the church. You have to take those positions into consideration, and then make a choice. These are never easy choices.

Sez him. The choice is clear and easy for every voter who cares about ending the intrinsic evil of abortion.

Only God knows whether the bishops' inaction delivered enough critical votes to Obama for him to win the election. Now that abortion extremist Obama won the election, it's come to this:

Along with their theological opposition to the procedure, church leaders say they worry that any expansion in abortion rights could require Catholic hospitals to perform abortions or lose federal funding. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Chicago said the hospitals would close rather than comply.

Now that the time to put the weight and muscle of the Catholic vote behind defeating Abort-O-rama in the election is lost, the weapons available to the American bishops are issuing statements, pleas, requests, and recommendations, but the real power now resides with Barack Obama and both houses of Congress heavily in control of the Democrats. The bishops conference passed at the first call, and they've raised this round by betting the pot: our hospitals, irreplacable, built with centuries of work and sacrifice. We'll see whether they win, lose, or bluff. But they should not have waited this late to begin to push back.

Humanist Group Tries To Rain On Christmas

A humanist group, who does not revel in the Christmas spirit due to their inability to relate to Christianity or any God in general, has chosen this Christmas to post ads on buses in Washington D. C. with the following slogan: Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake.

The American Humanist Association spent $40,000 on this holiday ad campaign to reach out to those "agnostics, atheists, and other types of nontheists" who feel isolated and alone during the Christmas season. The organization's website is posted on the ad so that the God-haters can congregate together online and discuss their revulsion toward the rest of us having a great time.

This is not how other non-christian groups act. I became aware while living in Chicago that many Jewish people felt left out at Christmas, but the Jewish people didn't try to rain on our parade with provocative ads. They simply came up with the annual Oy Vey party and the Matzo Ball, a Jewish singles party held on Christmas. Fair enough.

So instead of trashing Christmas and attacking Christian faith, why can't these party-poop humanists create their own celebration? Perhaps their beliefs, or lack thereof, constantly remind them of their ever-looming mortality which dampens their spirits. After all, how festive can one feel when one believes he is on this earth for no reason or purpose, and that he is some sort of accidental combination of cells that will die off and rot someday? Some people are not happy unless they share their misery with others.

(h/t: CNN and Wild Thing)

Happy Veterans Day... And Happy Birthday, Marines!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the vets who have served our country throughout the ages. And also a slightly belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the US Marine Corps.

F.Y.I., Applebee's is giving free dinners to vets TODAY ONLY during business hours at select locations. Click HERE for more information, first!. In other words, take your vet out to dinner today/tonight to say thank you for serving our country.

(h/t's: Brutally Honest for Marine Corps video, Malkin for Applebee's info)

Now Your Retirement Savings Are Their Toybox

You probably remember how Congressional Democrats and their amplification network in the MSM had a cow when President Bush proposed an exciting proposal to shift workers' Social Security contributions to private investment. The worker would benefit from growth on his investment by retirement, and the government would have a lessened obligation to support him. At that, the worker's private investment would have been only a portion of his Social Security taxes, and only if he opted to participate. Yet, the Dems went ballistic at the very idea of privatizing any Social Security monies whatsoever. The Bush proposal died a quiet death, and your FICA payments are under federal control.

With the Democrat takeover of Congress and the White House coming in January, hearings now taking place in the House already point to the sad fact that they can't wait to sink their meathooks into your private retirement savings, because now that the American electorate stripped themselves of effective Republican checks and balances, the FICA taxes you and your employer pay aren't enough to feed the Democrat beast.

Discussions are underway regarding the money you've earned, sacrificed to set aside for your future, made your own cost-benefit decisions as to where to invest it - and take it all away from you to put in an account run by the Social Security Administration.

What's your stock fund making you annually over a 10 year average? Probably in the ballpark of the average return on the stock market from 1926 to 2005, which was 10.4%. Your confiscated retirement funds would be removed from the private sector and deposited in government accounts, for which they would pay you a piddling 3% interest.

If you have loved ones who are depending on your retirement funds as their inheritance, don't drop dead. The government is raking off half of it.

Read about it here.

In the leadup to the last election, the Democrats scored higher than the Republicans on the economy why?

Hat tip: Lisa Graas at Why Mommy is a Republican

This Helps Assuage The Sting...

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are


From Freeman Hunt, who got it from Instapundit, who got it from The Onion. Pardon the ads.

Overreaching Already?

There are some disturbing reports about the Coleman-Franken Senate election re-count coming out of Minnesota, a state which prides itself in vote-count accuracy. It seems that with 100% of the vote counted, Senator Norm Coleman defeated challenger, Al Franken, by a slim margin of 726 votes, which prompted a re-count by Franken. Since the recount started nearly all the gains in votes have been for Franken, a Democrat, cutting the lead down to 221 thus far. Coincidentally, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who is in charge of the re-count is not only a Democrat, but also an ally of ACORN, and a close friend of liberal troublemaker, George Soros. Why am I not surprised? Incumbent Senator Norm Coleman issued this press release:

[As improbable and statistically dubious chunks of votes appear and disappear, overwhelmingly benefiting Al Franken, the Coleman for Senate campaign today filed a data practices request with county auditors and the Secretary of State requesting data related to Election Night results, records related to ballot security and information relating to all revisions made to the results since being reported on Election Night.

"Minnesota has a history of fair and clean elections, and we are committed to ensuring that this election is no different. That is why it is so troubling to us that instead of the normal slight changes in vote totals one would expect during this process, we are now seeing huge chunks of votes appearing and disappearing - statistically dubious and improbable shifts that are overwhelmingly accruing to the benefit of Al Franken. And, as many of these unexplained and improbably vote swings are taking place on the Iron Range, we're asking that local and state election officials provide us with the necessary data to reassure the public that the canvassing process has not been tainted," said Cullen Sheehan, campaign manager.

It has been reported that during the night, 100 new ballots were reported to the Secretary of State's office from the Mountain Iron area. These previously unreported ballots contained 100 votes for President-elect Barack Obama and DFL candidate Al Franken.]

The Democrats have their majority. They are so comfortable with that majority that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is risking the loss of Senator Joe Lieberman to the Republican Party by removing Lieberman from his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, simply for backing his long time friend, Senator John McCain, in his presidential bid. So with all this comfort, why cheat? Why steal yet another election? Is it hubris? It has been expected that the Dems would engage in overreaching sometime before the next election. Has it already started before this one ended? We will keep an eye on Mark Ritchie and Al Franken, and hope you do, too.

(h/t: Power Line)

No Congratulations From Us

We here at St. Blogustine believe in congratulating politicians for an honest (or reasonably honest), hard fought, campaign whether or not we agree with them politically. We also consider ourselves "good sports," good Christians, and truthful bloggers. Hypocrisy is not something Kevin or I indulge in to advance our cause. That is why we are offering absolutely NO congratulations to the Obama campaign for their "clear victory" over McCain-Palin.

It may sound like sour grapes to some. But when someone cheats in cards or steals money from the bank in Monopoly, we do not shake hands and say "good game." That, in our view, would be hypocritical at best and/or horribly naive. It would also cheapen the many posts we made about Obama's illegal fundraising, ACORN's illegal multiple voter registrations, the major TV network's supreme lack of objectivity, and general pro-Obama thuggery at polling stations and elsewhere. These were not exaggerations made in order to get our guy in power. They were documented, legitimate reports meant to both warn and enlighten voters about the choices before them. Although some questionable behavior during a campaign is to be expected by either side when there is so much at stake, this election saw the Press, Obama, and Obama supporters go beyond the pale and literally sell their souls in order to get their candidate into power. We will not even offer cleverly worded, backhanded (*snicker*) congratulations for that. Instead, we will continue to tell it like it is, as always, until someone shuts us down.

Election Day in Cook County

I just voted while my two preschoolers were fawned on and given slices of poundcake by the pollworkers. My four year old son gazed all around the place hoping to spot McCain and Obama somewhere in the room, greeting all the voters.

Here in Obama's home state of Illinois, the political winds are blowing in such a way that voting for McCain has about all the effect of voting against Castro. From my small sample of mass going Catholics I've spoken with, I think if McCain wins it'll be by the grace of God that resides in the Protestants. Or maybe that's just the Chicago regional Robocratic hue that stains the Catholics of the Chicago Archdiocese.

In the conversation I had last night with our friend, a mass going Catholic mother of four whose husband is trying to nose into Obama's victory bash in Grant Park without a pass, I brought up the subject of Obama's stance on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act and the promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act.

1.1 million babies are aborted each year here, and this election is a pivotal moment to change that. She replied, "I'm not a one-issue voter," which translates to "I don't give a crap about the 1.1 million babies."

God help us. If He is, I haven't been shown it in my parish.

Update:
When I went to pick up my kids at the parish school this afternoon, an announcement came over the PA with the final count in the mock election, which no doubt correlates with how the children's parents will have voted.

The score: McCain 55, Obama 149. A loud cheer erupted throughout the school. Catholic kids in their uniforms scurried and whooped about the parking lot, cheering and giving each other high fives. I seethed. My two fine sons, raised right, voted for McCain. They know enough about abortion to be against it. The oldest felt sensitive about the defeat on the ride home.

The "Catholic" vote in my home parish is an abrogation of moral responsibility, an abuse of citizenship. God save our country!

Eight Reasons To Vote NObama

Sadly, I cannot take credit for either of these. I found the Obama one last month, but forgot who originally published it. The other is from Dr. Slogan.

It's NOT About Race, Stupid!

An outstanding You Tube video in which several reasons for voting NObama are listed, one by one. What the Main Stream Media doesn't wish to highlight,...we will.

(h/t: Paul, who gets me great material regularly)

Obama Admits He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry (In Hidden Interview)

I wonder if McCain knew this was coming. It would certainly explain why he and Sarah Palin have been hitting my state of PA so hard. This is quite a November surprise sprung on Obama and in his own words, too (read more about it HERE). But if the San Francisco Chronicle had done its job and reported this stunning admission by Obama when he made it in JANUARY, it would be no surprise today. But the Chronicle covered up the story! Click HERE for the story that omitted the admission. Yet another corrupted news outlet.

(h/t: Paul and Newsbusters)

It's All About Freedom And Obama Doesn't Get It

This is the You Tube video everyone is talking about. Pay close attention to the ending.

I couldn't agree more with this war hero that freedom is a concept which Obama doesn't seem to quite grasp. To us, freedom means making our own decisions about our lives and then taking responsibility for the consequences; then utilizing our freedom to make more choices and changing said consequences, if necessary.

But to Obama, freedom is not the means to an end, but rather the end itself, requiring some form of government imposed intervention to achieve it. In other words, to Obama one must be successful in order to be free rather than free in order to be successful. But the government intervention doesn't go away once success is achieved. For in Obama's world, the successful must be heavily burdened with the responsibility of those who are unsuccessful. This is the whole idea behind his plan to "spread the wealth around."

To Obama, freedom is success engineered by authorities who give very little flexibility in the outcome. And it stands to reason that if everyone is "successful" to the same degree then the high end of success is reduced, along with our incentives to achieve. One merely has to look at history. From each according to his ability to each according to his need. Although Obama's intentions may not be quite so rigid, that Marxist quote seems to be the foundation upon which his fundamental views rest. And history has proven that this does NOT work in the long term.

My own view and the view of most Americans is that while I am working to acquire riches and/or success in life, I do not expect to be bailed out by my government when I'm wrong anymore than I wish to have my pocket picked when I'm right. And this is only part of why the war vet in the video above was willing to risk his life (and lose his leg).