Archive for March, 2009

That’s why he is an Archbishop and I’m unemployed

Posted: March 5, 2009 by datechguy in catholic
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Via the corner and the Catholic key Archbishop Naumann bottom lines it:

I am also concerned personally for Governor Sebelius. Her appointment as Secretary for HHS places her in a position where she will have to make many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this intrinsic evil.

I am also concerned that the appointment of Governor Sebelius places another Catholic supporting legalized abortion in a prominent national position. She joins Vice-President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and unfortunately a host of Catholic Senators and members of the House of Representatives who support legalized abortion contrary to the clear and consistent teaching of their Church. It saddens me that so many Catholics, to gain political advancement, have chosen to compromise their Catholic faith by their failure to defend the most fundamental of all human rights – the right to life.

I am reminded of the powerful scene in A Man for All Seasons, the play about the heroic Catholic English Martyr, St. Thomas More. After Richard Rich has perjured himself in order to make it possible to convict Thomas More of treason, the Judge asks Thomas More if he has any questions for the witness. Thomas More notes that Richard Rich is wearing a chain of office and asks what it signifies. He is told that Richard Rich has been appointed Attorney General for Wales. Thomas More then paraphrases the Gospel saying to Richard Rich: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, but for Wales?”

This is where the rubber meets the road. The soul. If you are a Catholic Pol you have to decide if you actually believe in Catholicism or not. And if you do is your soul worth it? Ted Kennedy is near death. A knighthood won’t do him much good for much longer.

I may tweak these people with the ” …rest of your life after that it’s up to you” line. The Archbishop’s is actually trying to save their souls, to give the warning. May he succeed.

Update: The Curt Jester got there ahead of me.

Nordlinger on Rush

Posted: March 5, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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Jay Nordlinger does what he almost always does. Has the best commentary on the issue of the day. That issue being Rush. He starts with Colin Powell:

After November’s election, Colin Powell said that Republicans have to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh. Since when have they ever listened to Rush? For president, the Republicans nominated probably Rush’s least favorite politician (in the GOP, that is). And I’m sure most Rush fans voted for him, because they thought he was a lot better than the alternative, which he was.

Whom did Powell support, by the way? Barack Obama, the Democrat, and the most left-wing president we have ever elected, possibly. I’m not sure that Powell Republicanism is the Republicanism the GOP should want.

And let me say a further word about John McCain — whom I admire, and whom I voted for enthusiastically. He was almost perfect for the GOP moderate types, you would have thought. He was anti-Christian Right. He was Mr. Campaign Finance Reform. He was Mr. Amnesty. He was Mr. Global Warming. He was Mr. Reach Across the Aisle.

Except for being against abortion and for free trade, he was well-nigh perfect.

And if McCain isn’t good enough for the Powell brigades — who ever would be?

He gets to the bottom line in a hurry:

For eight years, we heard nothing but “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Those who did the most to block or undermine President Bush were exalted as the Great Americans, and People. But dare oppose The One (i.e., our 44th president) — and you’re one of the lowest life forms.

Well, nuts to that.

There are many things wrong with the Republican party today, and Rush Limbaugh, in my opinion, is not one of them. Donald Rumsfeld (another pet bogey) used to say, “America is not what’s wrong with the world.” That is true. And Rush Limbaugh is not what is wrong with the Republican party.

Frankly, Secretary Powell is more like what’s wrong: If he can’t discern the superiority of John McCain to Barack Obama, where the presidency is concerned, who needs him?

The whole column should be required reading for Republicans. If republicans aren’t willing to figure this out then we deserve all that we get.

“Sometime’s being Black isn’t enough” promoted from Morning Joe

Posted: March 5, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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For three days Morning Joe has been tweaking Rush and then tweaking Republicans who don’t stand up to him. Yesterday they Mocked Michael Steele for backing off of his attack on Rush.

Yesterday Rush now that the White House has elevated him to leader of the Republican Party challenged him to a one on one debate on his show. Blog reaction has been strong. I was interested in seeing what Morning Joe had to say about this today.

They played the challenge that Rush issued up front but pooh poohed it in 30 seconds. They then played a clip of Michael Steele on Hannity and said the following. This caused Joe Scarborough to say the following about picking Steele for party chairman:

6:14 a.m. “Sometimes being black isn’t enough.“

This is an amazing statement coming from a MSNBC show. The media has been grovelling all over Obama and the “historic” nature of his presidency. What is historic about it? His skin color. During the campaign the networks elevated him to messianic status, they proclaimed him JFK/FDR & Lincoln over and over again. CNN & MSNBC both have a first 100 days watch. And yet again today it is noted that no jokes are made about him. Meanwhile the economy continues to tank and in under 60 days more spending is proposed than for the previous two centuries.

All of this has happened and Joe Scarborough tells the RNC that Being Black isn’t enough for Michael Steele to lead them? And nobody says a word on it?

Let’s come out and say it: Being Black is apparently enough to immunize you from any critique serious or comic if you are this liberal president.

Being Black is NOT enough if you are a republican.

Being Black is enough if you are a liberal senator from Illinois who seems to have interesting connections to a disgraced ex governor or a liberal representative who keeps thousands hidden in his freezer.

Being Black isn’t enough if you would be the first Black Governor of Pennsylvania or Ohio and you are a republican. Or how about William Lucas:

A few years before, there was a black gubernatorial nominee in my home state of Michigan. His name was William Lucas. Not many said that he would be the first black governor since Reconstruction (he would have been). No one said that the election was a test of the racial maturity of Michigan voters. Nope — Lucas was a conservative Republican, and therefore he didn’t count, in liberal eyes, as black. He was denounced by all the usual forces, and in the usual ways: “sellout,” etc. And he lost — to a garden-variety white liberal (Jim Blanchard, who was later Bill Clinton’s ambassador to Canada). Ho-hum.

This is racism. Obama is their token who absolves them from their sins so he is celebrated. Steele, Sowell or Williams challenge them on their ideas, they are ignored or rejected.

If the media in general or MSNBC in particular isn’t ashamed, it’s only because they have lost the capacity to be ashamed.

Oh and BTW if anything happens because of Mr. Scarborough’s statement it will be because he is the sole Republican of any stature on MSNBC. He can be safely targeted. He is their token. They can always get another token.

Update: Like Meucci it’s not who is first it is who is quoted first.

Morning Joe will they call the president a coward?

Posted: March 5, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: , , , ,

Now we find out if the Morning Joe team that has been so happy to make fun of republicans for not standing up to Rush will challenge the president to do the same.

5:50 a.m. It is 10 min before the show. I’m predicting that they will pooh pooh the idea of the debate and only Pat will be there to ask why it is incumbent on Republicans to challenge Rush but it is not incumbent for the White House that attacked him to do so. Will I be right?

6:00 a.m. Ok lets see….They lead with the counterproductive quote.

6:02 a.m. Oh they’ve spent very little time on Rush says Barnicle, only what 4-5 news cycles now?

6:04 a.m. Apparently it’s mission accomplished for the White House, no comment on the challenge by Rush yet. Apparently the only thing that Rush has ever said is the 60 seconds of his 80 minute speech that they played over and over and the 30 seconds of his rebuttal to Michael Steele. Nothing else exists.

6:05 a.m. I’ve got to admit that is amazing that fellow lived.

6:07 a.m. They now show the debate challenge, they all dismiss it.

6:10 a.m. Barnicle brings up Tip, I loved Tip he was awsome and an honest opponent.

6:12 a.m. Apparently everyone who meets Rush likes him, he’s funny and not a hater, but I disagree with him.

6:13 a.m. They are still hitting Steele but they have still dismissed the challenge to President Obama

6:14 a.m. “Sometimes being black isn’t enough” says Joe. They are talking about Michael Steele, I wonder who else this could apply to?

6:18 a.m. Funny Rush Joke. Good point the late nights won’t attack Obama, but will now attack Rush.

6:30 a.m. They point out the distraction factor on the Rush story.

6:40 a.m. I did miss this, they hit Geithner on hypocrisy. Good!

6:45 a.m. Apparently Patterson doesn’t enjoy the president’s immunity. That was funny. Note the joke had nothing to do with race.

7:00 a.m. Hey the 7 figure offer for the birth tape is better than the 7 figures for the sex.

7:06 a.m. They play Rush’s challenge again followed by the counterproductive quote from Gibbs. That is interesting.

7:08 a.m. Carlos says there is only so much time you can distract from the issues.

7:10 a.m. Watson says Steele can recover by organizing actual alternatives.

7:11 a.m. Again we see the Steele is a coward and looks weak, but apparently the president isn’t cowardly or looking weak not answering Rush’s Challenge.

7:12 a.m. They are right about the grass roots stuff.

7:13 a.m. Now lets attack Palin as a token and bring back the Being Black is not enough line, Mika tried to head it off. They still don’t get the irony of all of this.

7:15 a.m. This has the potential to be an Imus moment for Morning Joe, it will not be because Mr. Steele is a conservative Republican.

7:17 a.m. “Why does Rush Limbaugh hate children?”

7:20 a.m. Lets make something clear. If Michael Steele was the DNC chairman instead of the RNC chairman this would be Morning Joe’s Imus moment.

7:30 a.m. Now the topic is Iran. Actually a good question from O’Donnell does the worldwide downturn give us leverage against Iran. Haass says yes and praises diplomacy. The problem that these guys have is that they forget dictators don’t care what the standard of living is for their people.

7:32 a.m. Cuba is doing ok according to Hass, but apparently retreats in Syria, Russia etc are all positive things.

7:39 a.m. Is there anything in the advice that Smiley and Scarborough said about Steele that could not be said about the president?

7:41 a.m. Limbaugh challenges the president to a debate and is the lead story so the topic of discussion is the fecklessness of Michael Steele, amazing! Is there an actual conservative that they are willing to talk to or have on for more than 60 seconds.

7:43 a.m. Smiley is asked the “black enough” question in different words. He says symbolism is important but substance matters more. This is what is called “projection”.

7:44 a.m. OMG Smiley says that Obama has to be held accountable to deliver! This is a seminal moment!

7:45 a.m. Annoying doctor: “Leaders don’t grovel.”

7:53 a.m. They are talking healthcare, they are now asking about costs.

7:55 a.m. The Doc is talking about a dark underside on this stuff dealing with coverage.

7:56 a.m. Did you hear anything out of their mouth?

8:01 a.m. Now they are laughing at Gibbs, Good!

8:05 a.m. Obama is just like any other pol looking for advantage says Ari Fleischer as a guest.

8:07 a.m. Barnicle says they aren’t really worrying about Rush in the Whitehouse is he. I say look at the news cycle.

8:07 a.m. Would you have gone after Michael Moore? Would you go after Moore.

8:09 a.m. “Are you going after Democratic candidates for not denouncing Keith Olberman?” Zing! Fleischer is cleaning their clocks.

8:14 a.m. Defensive medicine, they are really talking solid sense now. This is the best non-Rush topic they have done today.

8:16 a.m. 50k is what this doc pays for insurance. This is a solid topic, I’m sure they would LOVE to talk about this instead of Rush on the radio today.

8:20 a.m. I think Tavis Smilley might have saved the day for Morning Joe.

8:29 a.m. How can this argument concerning a “fundamental change” be true when gay marriage wasn’t legal in California until the last year or so. Correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t California been a state before the civil war?

8:50 a.m. Breaking Bad interesting show.

8:57 a.m. What did I learn today. Being Black isn’t enough if you are a black Republican who won’t oppose Rush. That’s being a grovelling leader. Being Black IS enough if you are a liberal first term senator who wants to be president and doesn’t want to engage Rush in debate. At least that is the case on Morning Joe.

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