Real Catholic Speaker of the House: American Political Landscape Shifts

[Michie]

*Permission to post full text*


By Deacon Keith Fournier

11/3/2010

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

What a difference an election can make


The new Speaker of the House will be John Boehner of Ohio. He is a faithful Catholic who fully understands the teaching of his Church and has earned a consistent 100% Pro-Life score from the National Right to Life Committee. Just as importantly, he has also earned a 0% score from the National Abortion Rights Action League, an organization which promotes the killing of children in the womb as a "right".



Speaker of the House Designate John Boehner

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - What a difference an election can make. Like much of the United States, I have been watching the election returns for the Midterm elections this evening. There is no question that the results are a wakeup call to the Obama administration. Most of the networks are projecting that the Republican Party will now control the House of Representatives, having gained at least 60 seats. The Senate will stay in the hands of the Democrats.

However, the first thing I thought of as the results came in this evening was the immediate change in the leadership of the House of Representatives. As someone who writes frequently on Catholics in Public Life who openly reject the teaching of their own Church, thereby causing scandal to the faithful, there is little doubt that the now former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been one of the worst offenders.

She has been corrected by her Bishop and excoriated by Catholics around the Nation, all to no avail. She openly rejects the unbroken teaching of her own Church concerning the intrinsic evil of every procured abortion and even has the audacity of misrepresenting that teaching to the public. Her intransigence and intentional rejection of the teaching of the Church has been infuriating to watch. Worse than that, she has been one of the main enablers of the Culture of Death, while all the while claiming to be a devout Catholic!

The new Speaker of the House will be John Boehner of Ohio. He is a faithful Catholic who fully understands the teaching of his Church and has earned a consistent 100% Pro-Life score from the National Right to Life Committee. Just as importantly, he has also earned a 0% score from the National Abortion Rights Action League, an organization which promotes the killing of children in the womb as a "right". John Boehner is a truly Pro-Life Catholic and a champion of children in the first home of the whole human race, their mother's womb!

He did not back down in exposing - and opposing - nationalized health care or "Obamacare". He opposed it for many reasons. However, chief among them, he opposed it because it provides for funding for abortions. Even after the President signed the allegedly curative "executive order" claiming to prevent such funding, John Boehner was one of the strongest voices to reveal the subterfuge involved in the action stating " (N)o Executive Order or regulation can override a statutory mandate unless Congress passes a law that prohibits federal funding from being used in this manner."

He is a supporter of a bill sponsored by another real Catholic in the House, Congressman Chris Smith which will codify the Hyde Amendment and make sure no federal money is used to take the lives of our first neighbors under the guise of "Health Care". It is called the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act."

John Boehner is from a working class Catholic family of twelve. He was the first person in his family to go to College. He is a father of two daughters. He is also a man who prays, as evidenced by his open, comfortable and natural acknowledgement of the fact just this week in a radio interview with Mike Gallagher.

Senator Elect Marco Rubio is another example of a consistent Pro-Life Christian. Son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio was raised a Roman Catholic Christian. However, some indications are that he now worships at a non-denominational Church. If so, we need to pray for him to find his way back home. However, he, like John Boehner, is also clear on the fundamental human rights issue of our age, the Right to Life of all human persons from conception to natural death.

Back in February Marco Rubio spoke to my friend Deal Hudson who wrote, "For Rubio, his pro-life convictions are the "cornerstone" of everything else. "A society that does not respect the sanctity of life cannot make sense of anything else, and it leads to absurd and dangerous policies." Without a belief in protecting preborn life, "the entire society is endangered, and social justice cannot be the outcome of such an unjust system."

In his stirring acceptance speech this evening, Marco Rubio acknowledged his background and declared "No matter where I go, or what title I achieve, I will always be the son of exiles". With his family behind him he paid tribute to his father in a manner that should have brought tears to any father watching. It did to me. This is a good man whose Christian faith has obviously informed his public service. Even in a three way race, he sailed to victory with a 20 point lead.

Tonight's election presents a moment of hope and invites us all to focused prayer and persevering Catholic action.

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=39003

 

[Michie]

I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Pelosi bumped from that position.

 

[Romans 13:3]

Unfortunately Donnely will continue to be in the House.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

Nice.

It is unfortunate that Sen. Reid was not fired as well.

 

[Davidnic]

I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Pelosi bumped from that position.

My wife and I were talking about that same thing this morning. Not only am I happy for us, but in all honesty for my daughter. I hate it when women like Pelosi are held as role models when just about anyone else is better.

 

[Vendetta]

Too bad California's 8th District will never vote for a Republican. Pelosi still retained her role as representative by a ridiculous percentage of votes.

 

[Fish and Bread]

All this talk of "real Catholics" as if others are "fake Catholics" makes me upset. Speaker Pelosi was baptized and confirmed, and she's communed at the masses she attends in both her home diocese and in Washington. She's stood up for Catholic teaching on issues like government's responsibility to the poor and the elderly, and the right of all people to health care.

For people to speak of "real Catholics" as though they are the arbitrators of who is and isn't a part of that category is at best obnoxious and at worse extremely arrogant. It's God who'll decide who is instead or outside of the Church and who is or isn't saved in the end, and until then it's not your place.

As for John Boehner, despite my political disagreements with him, which are legion, I would not even dream of questioning his faith the way so many seem to do so freely in regard to Nancy Pelosi. There would certainly be grounds for similar criticism of Boehner if I wanted to make it -- this article itself mentions that he opposed health care for various reasons, rather than simply because abortion, even though Catholic doctrine states that health care is a basic human right that everyone has. One could also question his support for cutting funds from programs that are for some poor folks the only thing starving between them and starvation. One could also question his support for the Iraq War, which two Popes have said isn't a just war. There are other things. But in the end, I don't question his Catholicity, because it's not my place. And it's not anyone here's place to question Nancy Pelosi's Catholicism.

As far as politics go, I am not going to sit here and bash John Boehner too much the day after his party won the House and made him Speaker. They won fair and square, and I want to give him a chance to pleasantly surprise me. However, he has big shoes to fill -- Nancy Pelosi was a wonderful Speaker of the House, who got a lot of great legislation through effectively. She's left behind a strong legacy.

 

[Davidnic]

Nancy Pelosi was a wonderful Speaker of the House, who got a lot of great legislation through effectively. She's left behind a strong legacy.

You and I will disagree on that.

 

[St. Columcille]

You and I will disagree on that.

I agree with you. Nancy Pelosi was genuinely a bad Catholic, having to be corrected by the Colorado diocese concerning Catholic teaching when she spoke at the DNC. I don't care if she is baptized or attends Mass every chance the door is open, the moment she supports abortion makes her a "fake" Catholic. Perhaps if Hitler won WWII, perhaps he would have been hailed as a great hero, Thank God he didn't; Even if Pelosi passed great legislation, which I think was rushed and reckless, does not give her a pass at being a good Catholic.

 

[Fish and Bread]

You and I will disagree on that.

And it's reasonable to disagree on things like how good someone's legacy was in office. I just think when things like this article implicitly refer to someone as a fake Catholic, it crosses a line. There are just places where people aren't supposed to go. It would be like making fun of someone's child or making negative comments about their spouse's appearance. It's just sort of beyond the bounds of civil conversation.

I don't know where in this country we somehow seemed to lose the idea of agreeing to disagree in a civil manner, and being respectful towards one another. I'll grant, I lose my head sometimes and cross some lines on occasions, too, so I understand where it comes from, but I know in my heart that it isn't truly acceptable. So, it's still odd to me when I see articles in publications that have editors saying these kinds of things, because someone not only had to think it, he had to write it for an article and get it through an editing process and probably several other people who had to approve it, and then the website had to publish it. Then, even if gets to that point, they could apologize for it or retract it after having some time to reflect, but they usually don't, and they don't stop saying these sort of things.

I don't understand why people always have to attack each other like this. I'm watching MSNBC right now, and some conservative guest just referred to Harry Reid as a cockroach. Seriously? Why can't people stick to the issues and stop making these sort of personal attacks?

 

[St. Columcille]

I don't understand why people always have to attack each other like this. I'm watching MSNBC right now, and some conservative guest just referred to Harry Reid as a cockroach. Seriously? Why can't people stick to the issues and stop making these sort of personal attacks?

First of all you are watching MSNBC.

There is not much conservativism there in the first place, so I wonder how they vented their guest.

 

[AMDG]

*Permission to post full text*


By Deacon Keith Fournier

11/3/2010

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

What a difference an election can make


The new Speaker of the House will be John Boehner of Ohio. He is a faithful Catholic who fully understands the teaching of his Church and has earned a consistent 100% Pro-Life score from the National Right to Life Committee. Just as importantly, he has also earned a 0% score from the National Abortion Rights Action League, an organization which promotes the killing of children in the womb as a "right".



Speaker of the House Designate John Boehner

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - What a difference an election can make. Like much of the United States, I have been watching the election returns for the Midterm elections this evening. There is no question that the results are a wakeup call to the Obama administration. Most of the networks are projecting that the Republican Party will now control the House of Representatives, having gained at least 60 seats. The Senate will stay in the hands of the Democrats.

However, the first thing I thought of as the results came in this evening was the immediate change in the leadership of the House of Representatives. As someone who writes frequently on Catholics in Public Life who openly reject the teaching of their own Church, thereby causing scandal to the faithful, there is little doubt that the now former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been one of the worst offenders.



[URL="http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=39003"]http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=39003[/URL]

Good article, Michie. So glad that Boehner is such a strong Catholic.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

He is a faithful Catholic who fully understands the teaching of his Church and has earned a consistent 100% Pro-Life score from the National Right to Life Committee. Just as importantly, he has also earned a 0% score from the National Abortion Rights Action League, an organization which promotes the killing of children in the womb as a "right". [/B]

You can know just as much about someone by who hates them as by who are their friends. Anyone who the "National Abortion Rights Action League" is against is a friend to the Pro-Life cause. Thank God the fake Catholic Pelosi is out.

 

[Michie]

You and I will disagree on that.

I think most of us do.

 

[Michie]

People that claim the title Catholic yet do not follow Catholic teaching are no longer Catholic. Catholic Christians are known by their actions & obedience to the Catholic faith. You will know them by their fruits.

I can call myself anything but if I don't have the goods to back it. It is fake.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I'm happy to see Nancy Pelosi gone. I believe she did more harm to Obama than anyone else.

At the same time, I'm concerned about Boehner as being speaker of the house.

He is a big reason why we got The lousy Health Care bill we got.

Instead of working with the President for the good of the American people to have access to health care, his goal was merely to have Obama fail.

Obama wanted a government option, which would've kept the private insurance companies at bay from raising their premiums, as we see them doing.

Obama did not want a mandated health insurance clause.

Instead, because Boehner and the Republicans only goal was to see Obama fail, they opposed everything he proposed. The result was, the democrats in the house, under Nancy Pelosi, removed the government option, put the mandate clause and created a far less than ideal bill which the President was seeking.

Now, Boehner won't have to courage to get rid of the health-care bill altogether, so they'll just gut it to where its a costly but useless government program.

I hope I'm wrong, but Boehner comes across as nothing more than a anti-democrat/Obama politician, who will do nothing and hopefully won't do more harm than Pelosi did.

Although he's supposedly pro-life, he didn't behave very much like a Catholic Christian the past couple years.

Jim

 

[Miss Shelby]

bye bye nancy pelosi. you botox nightmare.

 

[JoabAnias]

Pelosi is CINO.

 

[Fantine]

To see his ratings from other organizations, look here.

"0" from Americans for the Arts Action Fund--why am I not surprised that he has no artistic soul?

"0" from Americans for Fair Taxation and Citizens for Tax Justice. (What, tax organizations gave him a zero? Oh....I see....they have the word "FAIR" in their names.)

Business loves him.

"0" on campaign finance...well, no wonder why, since big business bought the last election.

Civil Rights--wow, here he scores less than "0"--he got a minus 57 from one organization.

Energy issues---here he ranges from 0 to 13%.

Foreign aid--D, D, F, F, 0--well, I guess he'd rather bomb countries in the name of democracy than do the one most effective thing to combat terrorism.

Family and Child Issues---ranges from 0 to 100---with the rating going down based on whether the organization is focused on the pre-born or the already born.

Not good on Veterans Issues, either....I wonder if he was a draft dodger.

Well, in any case, Deacon Fournier barely scratched the surface or presented anything remotely near a wholistic portrayal of Boehner's morality.

The single issue commendation is about as fake as Boehner's tan.

Project Vote Smart - Representative John A. Boehner - Interest Group Ratings

 

[Fantine]

My wife and I were talking about that same thing this morning. Not only am I happy for us, but in all honesty for my daughter. I hate it when women like Pelosi are held as role models when just about anyone else is better.

That's exactly how I feel about Sarah Palin.