Libera - "All Things Bright and Beautiful"

Is A Vote for John McCain a Mortal Sin?

"Sometimes party loyalty asks too much."

For Catholics, more than one quarter of the American electorate, the possible nomination of John McCain, as with the Democrats, would pose a serious moral dilemna. According to the Catholic Answers Voter Guide:

"there are five non-negotiable issues in current US political discourse: abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and human cloning. Catholics are told to 'find out where each candidate stands on each of these issues. Eliminate from consideration any candidate who is wrong on any of the five issues. Vote for one of the remaining candidates.'

Despite his claims to the contrary, the record of John McCain on pro-life issues, like so many of his positions, has been spotty at best. In the following video the Editor of CNS News tells the Catholic cable network, EWTN, that John McCain opposes the Republican pro-life plank, which is consistent with Catholic teaching, because it does not include rape and incest provisions.

Secondly, John McCain has been an adamant supporter of federal funding for embryo-killing stem cell research. He not only believes in the killing of persons created in an in vitro fertilization clinic, he supports the taxing of Catholics and others opposed to such research to pay for it.

Finally, McCain voted against a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Run a Democrat Against a Psuedo-Democrat and the Democrat Will Win

I will always be very proud to have worked for Senator Herman E. Talmadge of Georgia. He was recognized, even by his ideological opponents, as a brilliant, principled legislator, of considerable power and influence, who in a quiet, gentlemanly way, defended the Constitution, the principles of small, efficient, republican government, low taxes, balanced budgets, freedom and common sense. He even returned a significant percentage of campaign contributions to donors after his reelection campaigns. He left office the year Ronald Reagan became President, but having worked for Senator Talmadge, it was easy for this former Democrat to support Ronald Reagan and eventually become a Reagan Republican, because that great President espoused everything Herman E. Talmadge had stood for over the course of twenty-four years in the United States Senate.

In this interview made long after he retired, Senator Talmadge reflects on party rules that force Democrats to run so far to the left to get their party's nomination, they become unacceptable to the general electorate in November. That has generally been the pattern since 1972. In contrast, the Republican Party has met with success by putting forward conservatives much more in line with middle America. But will that be the case if the Republican Party nominates a man who has consistently used the rhetoric of the Left to attack the Republican Party, has toyed with the idea of changing his party affiliation and serving as John Kerry's running mate, and has routinely defied his Republican colleagues and crossed the aisle to cosponsor the legislative priorities of the most liberal Democrats?

When given a choice between a liberal Democrat and a liberal Republican promising "less of the same," conservative Republicans and independents will stay home and the Democrat will win.

The Republican Party lost its ideological way during the Bush years. If political disaster is needed to recover bedrock principles and purpose, we could not do better than John McCain to drag all but our very best candidates down to defeat.

Dr. Dobson Endorses Mike Huckabee

Dr. James Dobson issues the following statement tonight, speaking as a private citizen.

I am endorsing Gov. Mike Huckabee for President of the United States today. My decision comes in the wake of my statement on Super Tuesday that I could not vote for Sen. John McCain, even if he goes on to win the Republican nomination. His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me.

That left two pro-family candidates whom I could support, but I was reluctant to choose between them. However, the decision by Gov. Mitt Romney to put his campaign "on hold" changes the political landscape. The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others. That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination. Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Sen. McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for President of the United States.

(NOTE: Dr. Dobson made these statements as a private citizen. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a reflection of the opinions of Focus on the Family or Focus on the Family Action.)

France Dies, The Dauphin Speaks

Prince Jean d'Orleans, Duc de Vendome

From The Brussells Journal

Jean d'Orléans, Duke of Vendôme, is the son of Henri, Count of Paris, one of the two major pretenders to the French throne, the other being Louis de Bourbon. Jean d'Orléans is therefore the Dauphin, the heir apparent from the House of Orléans.

While some insist Louis is the true King of France, and others take the side of Henri, I think most will agree on the validity of this message from Jean d'Orléans, subsequent to the recent vote in Versailles:

Does the Europe they offer us correspond to the wishes of the French and European peoples? Does it respond, in its projected form, to the aspirations of young people in search of meaning? I have traveled a great deal, these past ten years, in France and in Europe. Not as a politician seeking a term of office, but as a citizen attentive to the everyday life of his compatriots, and concerned about the destiny of France and of this continent. I have taken the time to listen and I know - because we have discussed it together - that many Frenchmen do not understand where they are being led. This incomprehension creates anxiety throughout the land and confusion in the young. France is not bored, she is worried.

The French people tried to express it, when they were permitted to. In 2005, they rejected, through a referendum, the constitutional treaty that was submitted to them. This time, they will not be allowed to voice their opinion on a document that repeats the essential points that they had rejected. The Treaty of Lisbon provides for a president of the European Union and a vice-president in charge of foreign affairs. It extends the powers of the Union in numerous areas, to the detriment of the States. It assures the preeminence of European law over the laws of the nations. [...]

I am 42. I was 13 when John-Paul II became Pope. I belong to the generation of young persons who lived in step with this Pope of modern times. We saw him accelerate the fall of the Soviet Union, through the strength of his words and his actions. That empire, that was thought to be unshakable, was built on a Utopia. The bureaucracy that governed it disdained the human and spiritual exigencies. It promised men a material happiness that would never replace their profound aspirations. It forced them to worship idols, that they demolished as soon as they could. The Soviet Union was founded on a lie, at least by the omission of the cultural roots of the people whom they wanted to subjugate to their laws.

Because I am attached to Europe, like the majority of those of my generation, I want it to be spared from this dangerous presumption. The Union is too often ignorant of the culture and riches of the countries it wants to enfold. Even though it is responsible to no one, the Court of Justice imposes on the States its own jurisprudence. European law consecrates the power of a technocracy that desires to regulate people's lives in the smallest detail. Now the current Pope, Benedict XVI, sent a forceful reminder last year: "You cannot hope to construct a real common house if you neglect the very identity of the peoples of our continent." And this identity "consists of values that Christianity helped to forge."

This obvious fact did not convince the writers of the charter of fundamental rights, annexed to the Treaty. No reference, in the text, to the Christian roots of our Europe. Even though the Union says it is "conscious of its spiritual and moral heritage", the wording is vague enough to allow many interpretations. Anyway, it is enough to read it to understand: the inspiration of this charter is basically individualistic. It dissolves the natural solidarities and communities, just as the Treaty submitted to the French Parliament dissolves European nations. Can we really believe that this is what young Europeans want? If we want it to resist the storms, we must found Europe on something more solid. Not on a Utopia, but on Truth.

A Sin Not to Vote for the Godly Man

Dr. James Dobson:

"If you can find a politician who understands the institution of the family, who wants to protect children from immorality, who understands that we are at war with those who want to destroy us, and who understands that liberal judges are undermining us and need to be reined in...and if you can find a politician who lives by a strong moral code and believes in Jesus Christ ... if you can find such a person, it would be a sin not to vote for him."

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/02/is_not_voting_a.html

And thus a sin not to vote for (or endorse) Gov. Mike Huckabee?

Or if not, on which standard mentioned above does Huckabee fail the test?

Let Huckabee Speak, Let Huckabee Run… and Check His Pockets

David Slaying Goliath

by Peter Paul Rubens

From Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

By Deacon Keith Fournier

I arrived home late from Washington D.C. Thursday evening. So, I could only watch a portion of the Republican debate which was held in Florida only days before its 'winner takes all' primary.

I will leave to others to summarize who said what and why the Republican candidates did not attack one another this time. After all, we have to be kind to the chattering class these days; they need to make a living and their numbers seem to be growing.

I simply want to call attention to one dimension of the event, the allotment of time given to the candidates. Perhaps someone can tell me why Mitt Romney, the newest favorite of the Republican Party establishment and elite since Giuliani made his strategic error, got 22 minutes to present his positions and Mike Huckabee, the new whipping boy of the same group, only got 11 minutes?

I suggest it may be for the same reason that Huckabee continues to be treated by so many party pundits, such as Charles Krauthammer, with condescension.

He is a threat to their long standing hold on power within that Party.

How often have we been told by one pundit after another that the former Governor from Arkansas is the “Evangelical” candidate with little chance of winning?

How many times has he been savaged by radio commentators for not being a “true conservative” because he does not carry the water of those who for so long have ruled the roost of a Party which rebuilt itself on the backs of pro-life religious voters but never really found a “place at the table” for them.

The annoying condescension directed toward Huckabee in the columns of conservatives and neo-conservatives and the inane comments from television pundits and panels are getting old.

The latest example of this condescension was Charles Krauthammer’s Jan 25th piece in the Washington Post. He came right out and told the readers that the former Governor from Arkansas was not going to win. He then offered him the written equivalent of a demeaning pat on the head and saying that he ‘meant well’:

“Mike Huckabee is not going to be president. The loss in South Carolina, one of the most highly evangelical states in the union, made that plain. With a ceiling of 14 percent among nonevangelical Republicans, Huckabee's base is simply too narrow. But his was not a rise and then a fall.

He came from nowhere to establish himself as the voice of an important national constituency. Huckabee will continue to matter, and he might even carry enough remaining Southern states to wield considerable influence at a fractured Republican convention.”

Frankly, I am tired of hearing the same talking points from the pundits against Governor Huckabee. It is no accident that the real opposition to his candidacy has come, not from Democrats, but from Republicans.

Perhaps they are afraid of him because he presents a fresh vision and a coherent worldview which calls into question their own confused approach. Perhaps he is also perceived as a threat to their control over the future agenda of the Republican Party at a critical time in its history.

Huckabee’s manner and his message, when he is allowed to speak, strike a chord with many people from a broad spectrum of increasingly disillusioned voters. Because of that, the elites try to marginalize him through condescension, like Krauthammer did.

Or , worse yet, they unleash vitriol against him, such as what Mark Levin stooped to in his Thursday talk radio program when he made himself small by crude remarks against this good man .

The attacks against the Governor from Hope, Arkansas, have followed a predictable pattern.

First, there was the way in which his “Evangelical appeal” was treated by these media personalities. I have been around for a long time, and I never accepted the idea that evangelical Protestants were ever really welcome in the ruling ranks of the Republican Party.

As a pro-life, pro-marriage and family, pro-freedom and pro-poor Catholic, I found myself by their side many times, simply because I had to leave the Democratic Party when that once great party of working men and women stopped up their ears to the cry of the poor in the womb.

I was never under any delusion that I was welcome in the Republican Party. However, I actually think that some evangelical Protestants really thought they had found, to use the rhetoric of Ralph Reed, one of the architects of the “religious right”, a “place at the table” among the party elite.

The way that Huckabee and his evangelical supporters are now being treated by the Republican establishment should expose the truth and calls this judgment into serious question. It also exposes the weakness in the garment which was hastily sewn together by combining pro-life religious people and the old blue blood fiscal conservatives of the old Republican guard.

The strategy against Huckabee’s candidacy emanating from what calls itself conservativism today has been an evolving one.

Second, he was attacked for being a “populist”, as if that is a bad thing. Frankly, I found his concern for real people, in their real struggles, a refreshing wind in a party filled with hot air and empty promises.

In addition, his genuine concern for the poor and his plans to help expand opportunity and make sure that the market economy was at the service of the person and the family and not the other way around, seems to this Catholic to be an example of good Catholic social teaching, even if it comes from a former Southern Baptist minister.

Finally, he was accused of being a “progressive”. Once again, as if “progressive” is a bad word. I would welcome a debate on just what really constitutes progress with those on the left, and particularly with those within the lunatic nihilist fringe who have usurped the word “progressive” using it as a banner under which to parade their increasingly bizarre social and cultural vision.

I for one believe that true progress passes through the two parent marriage bound family, the first vital cell of any healthy society. Marriage and family are not an antiquated institution. They frame the path to the future. Also, true progress will only occur when we recognize in law the inherent dignity of every human person, at every age and every stage, from conception to natural death. There is nothing progressive about killing children in the womb and failing to care for the disabled and the elderly.

I think a real debate on just what constitutes real and true progress is just what is needed in the arena of public policy.

Now, Huckabee is once again being parodied, painted as some kind of ignorant “fundamentalist” Christian who will force all Americans to believe like he does. This is one more despicable effort to disparage this intelligent and good man by playing on old bigoted stereotypes.

How many times must he be wrongly accused of wanting to amend the Constitution so as to somehow force “the Bible” on people as if he were a theocrat? It happened once again this morning when he made the rounds of the morning talk shows. Again, he handled it with dignity and exposed the lie.

When you read or hear what he actually says about both his support for a human life amendment to the US Constitution and his support of an amendment to protect authentic marriage against encroaching counterfeits seeking a legal equivalency, he is in line with most Americans. I am one of them. And, I am not an Evangelical Protestant. I am a Catholic.

When this new former Governor from Hope, Arkansas is allowed to speak, the words that come out of his mouth make sense, reveal an intelligent set of political ideas, inspire and continue to win the support of many more people than Charles Krauthammer thinks. In fact, Mr. Krauthammer has paid little attention to the growing appeal of this candidate across socio-economic, racial, religious and even party lines.

I have written about the Governor's candidacy at length. He has been kind enough to give me two excellent interviews for Catholic Online. Frankly, I found him to be the most clearly pro-life, pro-family and pro-poor candidate in the current Republican field.

There is no doubt that he does not fit the mold of either the Limbaugh “conservative” wing of the Republican party, or the “neo-conservative” wing of the Republican party. Though, to his credit, Bill Kristol has recently begun to speak well of Huckabee. Finally, he worries the establishment wing of the Republican Party.

I, for one, find all of this quite exciting not disturbing. Perhaps it is time for just such a shake up in a party that has stumbled a lot lately.

I have one request of the media for the rest of this short primary season. Let Huckabee speak. Then, let the American people decide.

Friday morning when he made the circuit of talk shows I once again found myself glued to the screen at his articulate responses. As usual, they revealed him to be a kind, affable man who makes good sense. One of the commentators noted that she had been told that the Governor was training for the Boston marathon.

In response, Governor Huckabee smiled and confirmed that what she had heard was true. He noted that the training was hard, particularly given the schedule he must keep campaigning. Finally, he acknowledged that he did not know how well he would do, but told the interviewer that he knew that he just wanted to finish.

I could not help but think of the current Presidential campaign. I, for one, want to see him continue in this race to the finish. Who knows how it will all turn out? This has been a race which no-one could have even predicted two months ago.

This week, our Old Testament readings at the daily Catholic Liturgy have followed the exploits of David, from his unlikely selection through his anointing and, on Wednesday, we heard of his heroism and triumph against the giant Goliath.

It is all recorded in the Biblical book of Samuel. Wednesday’s reading told of David’s preparations to take on the giant Goliath. The scriptures record that he selected five smooth stones from the Wadi which he placed in his pouch. He would later slay Goliath with those stones and a small slingshot.

The likelihood of the Governor from Hope taking on the Goliath of the Republican establishment and winning the Republican nomination seems minimal.

However, has anyone checked his pockets? Oh, I know, the new line of he media is that his campaign is "running out of money". You hear it from the chattering class. What you do not hear is how, with very little spending, this candidate has stood up against the most well heeled candidates. His campaign seems to be fueled by ideas and helped most by human capital, deeply committed people.

However, while you are checking and commenting on what is in the pockets. Look down deep.

There just might be five smooth stones in there.