Catholic League: "John Edwards Tolerates Anti-Catholicism"
Today, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights issued the following press release:
February 8, 2007My Comments:
JOHN EDWARDS TOLERATES ANTI-CATHOLICISM
Presidential hopeful John Edwards issued a statement today explaining why he is not firing Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan for making obscene and anti-Catholic remarks.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responds as follows:
“John Edwards has apparently decided that there is more to be gained by aligning himself with the cultural left than by standing on principle and firing the Catholic bashers on his payroll. Had anyone on his staff used the ‘N-word,’ he or she would have been fired immediately. But his goal is to loot the pockets of the Soros/Hollywood gang, and they—like him—aren’t offended by anti-Catholicism. Indeed, they thrive on it.
“When Mel Gibson got drunk and made anti-Semitic remarks, he paid a price for doing so. When Michael Richards got angry and made racist remarks, he paid a price for doing so. When Isaiah Washington got ticked off and made anti-gay remarks, he paid a price for doing so. But John Edwards thinks the same rules don’t apply to him, which is why he has chosen to embrace foul-mouthed anti-Catholic bigots on his payroll.
“Edwards said today that ‘We’re beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can’t let it be hijacked.’ I have news for him—the Catholic League—not Edwards—will decide what the debate will be about, and it won’t be about the nation. It will be about the glaring double standard that colors the entire conversation about bigotry.
“We will launch a nationwide public relations blitz that will be conducted on the pages of the New York Times, as well as in Catholic newspapers and periodicals. It will be on-going, breaking like a wave, starting next week and continuing through 2007. It will be an education campaign, informing the public of what he did today. We will also reach out to our allies in the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist communities. They worked with us before on many issues, and are sure to do so again. What Edwards did today will not be forgotten.”
"What Edwards did today will not be forgotten."
What Edwards did today was make a political calculus that he needs the support of the far-left of the blogosphere more than he needs the support of Catholic voters.
Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Edwards Takes Stand in Favor of Anti-Catholicism
That Was Fast: Edwards Campaign Fires Bloggers
John Edwards Hires Anti-Catholic As His Campaign Blogmaster (Blogmistress?)
Labels: Anti-Catholicism, Democrats
posted by Pro Ecclesia 3:29 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I don't know what to think of this. Edwards never had my vote to begin with (and I am sure I am speaking for the vast majority of non-cafeteria Catholics.)
As for the Catholic League's response, my first thought was that this was an overeaction. I mean maybe if it was October 2008, all well and good, but at this point sticking it to Edwards is only going to benifit people like Hillary and Obama.
On the other hand, I admire the Catholic League for simply taking this battle up on principle. Furthermore, anti-Catholicism is a slippery slope. Sadly our society is very much on the verge of allowing anti-Catholicism to make a come-back in a big way, ala Brittan. Letting Edwards get away with this one would be opening some floodgates.
As for his math, picking the left-wing blogsphere over Catholic voters, he must be figuring that the only people paying attention to this one are left-wing bloggers, and the great bulk of Catholics isn't even thinking about the election yet.
As I've been saying on my blog, having once hired them, it doesn't matter whether he fires them or not. He cannot make amends for this. No way.
This hire is a clear indication of who John Edwards is. There's no way his staff didn't vet those women and read what they wrote before hiring them. Indeed, that's why they were hired.
It'll be Clinton/Obama for the Dems. He probably figured, what's he got to lose.
Bigotry is okay as long as you are a Democrat.
Because then your bigotry is "in good faith".
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