On December 17, William Donohue wrote a letter to Democratic hopefuls for the presidency in 2004 asking them to oppose the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) association with an anti-Catholic organization, Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC); the DNC provides a link on its website to CFFC.
Donohue’s letter was sent to the following: Senator Thomas Daschle; Governor Howard Dean; Senator John Edwards; Congressman Richard Gephardt; Senator John Kerry; Senator Joseph Lieberman; and Rev. Al Sharpton.
The closing paragraphs of Donohue’s letter are as follows:
“The Catholic League is strictly non-partisan. I spoke out against George W. Bush on the Bob Jones matter and went on the “Today Show” to accept his apology. I led the fight against the Republicans when they unfairly treated a Catholic priest in his bid for the House Chaplain post (the priest did not get the job but another one did, thus becoming the first Catholic to hold this position). In short, we are neither Republican nor Democrat at the Catholic League: our job is to fight Catholic bashing whenever and wherever it occurs.
“You are in a particularly critical spot to help Catholics. By publicly opposing the DNC’s link with Catholics for a Free Choice, you could have a direct impact on its willingness to continue this affiliation. And it would certainly endear yourself to Catholics.
“Catholic newspapers all over the country have been following our protest of the DNC-CFFC link and I have garnered the help of many Catholics, Protestants and Jews on this issue. All we want is for the DNC to drop CFFC from its website. In a time when Republican notables are being questioned about their sentiments towards African Americans, it is more important now than ever before that everyone who either holds or seeks positions of high office stand strongly against bigotry of every kind.
“We will let our members know if and when we get a response.”
