Brownback Urges Catholic "Whole Life View" for GOP

From National Catholic Reporter:

One of the most prominent Catholics in the Republican Party says that it is time for his party to stop conceding the social justice message to Democrats. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., a Catholic convert who ran for his party’s nomination for president last year, told NCR that his party is still hesitant to passionately embrace some aspects of Catholic social teaching.

“There is a bit of a philosophical difference,” Brownback says of his party. “Catholics really are more given to the whole life view. But I see that changing.”

The GOP has embraced Catholics themselves as part of the faith-based leadership, Brownback says. Despite his own short run as a presidential hopeful -- Brownback pulled out before the first primary -- he says there’s no doubt a Catholic could be a Republican president.

“It could happen now,” Brownback says. “I don’t think there’s any blockage there.”

***
But there is a list of issues, once considered the domain of progressives, that Brownback says his church could teach his party to better embrace without equivocation.

“I want to say, (Democrats) are wrong on life and marriage,” Brownback says, “and here is our social justice agenda. We haven’t gone that distance. We’ve said, you get the social justice agenda, we get the life and marriage agenda. And I’m pushing at this cloth of being pro-life and whole life, and that applies to the immigrant, the person in prison, to those is poverty and those in Darfur.”

***
He says it’s a good sign that John McCain has been an advocate for several of these issues.

“So here’s a guy that is opposed to torture,” Brownback says. “He is for immigration reform, has a heart for the developing world.

But it’s not always been easy for McCain. Taking on President Bush over the issue of torture and, on the other hand, taking up the president’s cause on immigration reform nearly derailed his candidacy. [ED.: Where is Sen. Obama's record of bucking his party and taking political risks on issues of importance to Catholics? See, e.g., life issues, where Sen. Obama marches in lockstep with his party leadership and hand-in-hand with NARAL and Planned Parenthood.]

[More]

(emphasis and editorial commentary added)

My Comments:
Brownback was my choice for President, but I think I'd rather have him on the Supreme Court.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Sen. Brownback on Catholics and McCain-Palin

Sen. McCain, Pick Sen. Brownback

If Elected, McCain Should Nominate a Senator to Fill a Supreme Court Vacancy (cough ... Brownback ... cough) [UPDATED]

Brownback: "End the Welfare Marriage Penalty"

Catholic Teaching and Political Risk Taking: When Credit Isn't Given Where Credit is Due [UPDATED]

Sen. Kennedy Joins Sen. Brownback on Pro-Life Legislation

Sen. Brownback: "Serving God, Saving Humanity"

I Want to Vote for Sam Brownback ...

Sam Brownback Lobbying John McCain on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Sam Brownback on "The Place of Religion in Public Life"