Senators Harkin, Specter inaccurately blast medieval pope during stem-cell debate; Schumer remarks also criticized (5 links)

From Catholic World News:

Jul. 21 -

Sen. Harkin inaccurately blasts medieval pope, Renaissance saint (Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights)

Sen. Specter also criticizes medieval pope (Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights)

National church leaders demand Schumer apology (National Clergy Council)

Catholic League criticizes Schumer remarks (Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights)

Columnist accepts at face value senators' inaccuracies about medieval pope (Houston Chronicle)

My Comments:
Regardless of the historical inaccuracies involved, the REAL question is what the hell do the actions of medieval popes have to do with the decision of President Bush to veto a bill providing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?

The fact that 3 different Senators have dragged the medieval Church into this stem cell debate, coupled with the Associated Press' decision to run a completely unrelated photo of the President standing with prominent Catholic prelates in its coverage of the stem cell veto, smacks of a coordinated effort at "Catholic baiting", as the Catholic League refers to it.

Actually, I'm surprised these politicians bothered going all the way back to the Middle Ages and Rennaissance to criticize the Church. How long before some politician drags the abuse scandal into the stem cell debate?

I can hear it now: "Given its recent history, I'm not sure the Catholic Church is in a position to be lecturing the nation on the ethics and morality of stem cell research ..."