Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:
No, this is not a news release about Rahm Emanuel, though it could have been. After all, he is the pro-abortion Jew who is working quietly to shape the health bill. But I wouldn’t have characterized his lobbying that way. Why? Because to do so would have smacked of Jew-baiting. NPR, however, ran an article today about Richard Doerflinger, the pro-life point man for the bishops, that read, “Powerful Catholic Quietly Shaping Abortion, Health Bill Debate.” The inartful headline marred an otherwise fair piece.
NPR looks innocent next to others. In the past week, Slate.com has questioned, “Whither Ecumenism? Catholics Interfere with a Rival Doctrine.” Newsweek ran a piece entitled, “When Bishops Play Politics: A New Generation Gets Righteous.” Examiner.com used this headline: “Religion Pollutes, Threatens Health Care Reform via Abortion, Catholic Bishops.” And RHRealityCheck.org posted an article beckoning readers to “take a good, hard look at just how the Bishops are cooking it up…Covering-up their real intentions with lofty sentiments about morality and justice while they cook-away, and deal-away, behind closed doors….”
“Jews Interfere.” “When Rabbis Play Politics: A New Generation Gets Righteous.” “Religion [Judaism] Pollutes.” “Rabbis Deal-Away, Behind Closed Doors.” Such bigotry would never be published by any of the aforementioned media outlets.
Now the inevitable. Connie Saltonstall, a Michigan activist, has decided to challenge Rep. Bart Stupak in the Democratic primary; Stupak is leading the fight against abortion coverage in the health bill. Citing his “personal, religious views,” she says it is “reprehensible” for him to “deprive his constituents of needed health care reform because of those views.” (My italics.) You guessed it—Stupak is Catholic.
