Deal W. Hudson

Father Marcial Maciel, L.C.

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@ marjoriecampbell.com

Please join the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi in prayer for their founder Father Marcial Maciel, L.C., who passed away peacefully yesterday.  [updated] Sadly, much coverage of Father's death seems dominated by the scandals that followed him through his entire clerical life in the order that he founded.  For a more balanced article that gives a brief account of the extraordinary fruits of his labor and the health of that order, see the article at National Catholic Register.

Is the Catholic Vote Giving John McCain the Gop Lead?

Deal Hudson

Is the Catholic Vote Giving John McCain the GOP Lead?

The Window for January 31, 2008

My article on the growing Catholic support for John McCain can be viewed by clicking here.

There are a number of interesting comments, some quite passionate about their opposition to John McCain. I understand their opposition, but do not share their advocacy of Romney or even Ron Paul. 

On Monday, I wrote an article entitled, "Why I Don't Trust Mitt Romney," which also elicited a predictably lively reaction. 

It looks as if McCain is going to be the GOP nominee unless something dramatic happens in the next few days to discredit the Arizona senator and revive Romney's chances on Super Tuesday. 

When all is said and done, I think McCain has a much better chance of beating either Clinton or Obama than Romney....by a mile.  Sen. Brownback believes the same thing, which was one of the reasons for endorsing McCain rather than Huckabee or Romney.  See my interview, "Brownback on the Case for Sen. John McCain."

Battle Plan

Marc Nadeau

Some of you may not know, but I'm also a military buff.  There's nothing I better like than a good WWII book or a new biography on MacArthur, Patton, Bradley or Eisenhower.

I've already written that I find similarities between President Eisenhower and John McCain.  This comparison goes to the extent that both are designers and managers of savvy battle plans.

Just look at the aftermath of the Florida primary.  In the aftermath of the impressive McCain victory against many odds, Mark Halperin wrote that McCain's über-strategist Rick Davis crafted a deal between Rudy Giuliani and the Maverick's campaign for the support of the former towards the latter.  And it happened that way.  Halperin also posted something to the effect that the Governor of Connecticut Jodi Rell may also come in the bandwagon.  Since yesterday, we read that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to do the same.  Actually, it may even happen today.

What do all these people have in common, apart from being (some potentially for the moment) McCain supporters?  They're an ideal lightning conductor to protect the Senator from the flashes of anger from some conservative voices who claim that McCain may not be as conservative as he should be.  But I'll come back to that with another post.

To advance, McCain needs to leave the left flank taken care of by surrogates of his campaign.  He has to move forward and enlarge his base.

On his right, he might well benefit from a potential and still speculative support from Huckabee in the near future.  You certainly remember when Huckabee's strategist, Ed Rollins, mentioned that "We like John.  Nobody likes Romney"?  That said it all.

Again, the second part of this strategy is still in a very speculative phase.  But I certainly would not be surprised if things would happen that way.  Covered on his left by the first group, John McCain would be provided with first-hand assistance to court and mobilize Evangelicals, who constitute a vital segment of the Republican crowd and are far from being a negligible percentage of the general population.  The nominee would then have all the latitude to plan his November landing.

"Dig your well before you're thirsty", said Harvey Mackay.  Over the years, Mitt Romney has accumulated lots of money.  And he likes to remind us about it.  "Can't buy me love", the Beatles sang...

On his part, John McCain built a reputation and  credibility among those who are now regrouping behind him for the next assault.

In politics as in war, a leader needs good subordinates.  Could Eisenhower have succeeded without Bradley and Patton just to quote these figures?  I doubt it.  In the same manner, Giuliani, Schwarzenegger and (potentially) Huckabee are called upon playing a very important role for success on D-Day.  People like MacArthur are also needed.  That's were the most conservative elements of the GOP have to come into play.

McCain is the only one who can win one for the Gipper on November 4th.  He might not be perfect (which candidate is), but the perils for the Republicans of loosing the White House without him are way bigger than the past grievances they may nurture against him.  If that man was savvy and determined enough to carry on and successfully pursue his objective till now, he certainly can do it to defeat the Democrats.

My Reaction to Florida Primary

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

I'm not asking your scotch preferences yet,  Marc.  Alright, I am setting aside some funds ... just in case.  But, until the deed's done, let's savor the entertainment, shall we?

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Calling Sodomy and Promiscuity By Name

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

There is a lot to be said about sodomy and promiscuity, from many angles.  I am not an expert in these sexual practices, but I want to say:  these admittedly icky topics are long overdue for mature consideration.  The mounting evidence against promiscuous sodomy recommends a reconsideration of Lawrence v. Texas (privacy right protects consensual sodomy) just as the "visibility of the fetus" has strained the reasoning of Roe v. Wade (privacy right protects abortion). 

First, I weary of attack articles and opinion pieces about the "500-pound homosexual activist gorilla and his yappy, apple polishing lapdogs" and "certain segments of the homosexual community" and "practicing homosexuals" - as if every man admitting to homosexual orientation engages in sodomy with abandon and is now personally and purposefully accountable for some pretty scary illnesses (the drug resistant MRSA/staph and neurosyphillis on which I posted in 2007).  These attacks, particularly from Catholic quarters which should know better (See "Always Our Children"), verge on mean-spirited and threaten stereotypes about the gay community.  Just as we are on the verge of responsibly considering the full incorporation into society of people with "disordered" sexual interests, why slam the entire community (again) with rejection and disapproval? 

Second, if you browse the Internet, you will find helpful tips on "safe sodomy" and "safer sex" for having multiple partners ("safe sex", note, has been abandoned).  I won't  link because I find the topics personally  gross and, more important, brimming with false promises and omitted consequences.  But this Internet wasteland of sex exploration only extends the Big Lie of the Culture of Adult Desire - that if we can think of it, and want it, it's an attainable good to be had.  And, yes, I know there is an active, aggressive gay contingent deeply invested in justifying and normalizing behaviors of sodomy and promiscuity,  just as my generation produced radical feminists who will go their grave insisting that abortion decisions should be fully entrusted to women.  But, they are wrong and Truth will prevail . . . and, by no measure, are these die-hard radical feminists representative of the "all women" group they ludicrously claim to represent. 

Finally, when you target "the gays" as the source of impending destruction by disease, you fail to hold accountable the government subsidized sex lies of Planned Parenthood (okay, I am linking PP's categorizing "anal sex play" as "outercourse" that prevents pregnancy ... ) and the promotion of multiple sex partners and anal sex among women.  Trust me, there is a thriving heterosexual culture that supports, promotes and celebrates sodomy and promiscuity.

Why not call the "problems" that worry us by name?  It's not gay men  To the contrary, many gay men have made, and continue to make, an unique, often loving and gentle, always cultural and polished, contribution to our communities.  Don't we all know chaste gay men in the clergy?  Sodomy and promiscuity, on the other hand, represent dangerous behaviors - no matter who is practicing them.

So, I urge particularly Catholic media to raise the bar.  Call the conduct what it is - and let the chips fall where they will. 

A Call for Pro-life Films

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

There's a new kid in town . . . opening in San Francisco on March 7, 2008:  the Cinema Vita Film Festival.   "The Cinema Vita Film Festival has been established to encourage young, emerging filmmakers and to showcase movies about contemporary issues concerning the meaning and value of life. Coordinated by the San Francisco Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy, the Oakland Diocesan Respect Life Ministry, Marriage for Life, and Ignatius Press, the festival is based on the recognition that art, especially the medium of film, shapes the popular imagination and has a tremendous influence on culture." (read more)

Inspired by the success of Bella, the organizers are putting their money where their hearts are and have established three categories for submission of 3-5 minute, original "visionary works that focus on the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death".  The categories are (1) high school (2) college and (3) open classification.  EVEN BETTER the prize in each category is $250 AND a Canon HG10 High Definition Camcorder (value $1100).  You can read the submission criteria here.  Entries must be postmarked by February 14. 

The winning films will be shown at the festival on March 7, 2008 at the Delancy Street Theater in downtown San Francisco, along with the award-winning feature film After the Truth, a provocative look at a fictional trial of Dr. Josef Mengele, the notorious Angel of Death at Auschwitz.

Off the record, I've heard a rumor that our very own Deal Hudson will attend and weigh in as a judge on the film entries.  Is San Francisco becoming the new hotbed of pro-life activity for the West Coast?  Maybe I can stay here after all!

Hard Not to Chuckle: Son Fools Father

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

It's a tad early for April Fools' jokes, but I am perennially entertained by the efforts my sons undertake to fool their Dad with fake award notices, false calls for help and phony messages.  For some hidden, gender-related reason, the telephone remains their tool of choice.  So, it's hard for me not to chuckle at Matt Romney's call to his Dad, posted on YouTube.  Cut and paste if you cannot pull up the video below or here.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW-ecNxaycg

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Walk for Life West Coast 2008

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

On Saturday, January 19, we joined the 4th Annual Walk for Life West Coast, winding by the downtown piers of San Francisco, parading through Fisherman's Wharf, finally cresting at Fort Mason for an easy drop onto Marina Green.  Fair estimates put the crowd this year at 25,000-30,000 - a number hilariously referred to in local media as "at least 10,000 abortion opponents . . .  bused into the city from all over California, and from outside the state."  The Walk's receiving great Internet coverage.  Try Blog-by-the-Sea and A Shepherd's Voice for photos and loads of links, and the entertaining photo essay at PipeLineNews.org. 

Numbers aside, another measure of success impressed my gaggle:  the sad state of the roughly 300 counter-protesters.  These edgy folks, typically anxious to engage the happy, pro-lifers in verbal and even physical confrontations, have lost a lot of ground since their initially organized, aggressions against the then-small crowd have been firmly rolled back by an effective police corps.  In 2006, for example, the aging ladies of Code Pink felt so perky they attempted to block a San Francisco police motorcycle brigade which was clearing the road for the Walk for Life.  This is the same Code Pink, btw, which holds anti-war  wine and cheese parties for peace outside my house, across the street from Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Apparently, the old gals cherish peace and life for all Iraqis - but become hanger toting, police defying advocates of slaughter in the womb when someone mentions abortion.   This, of course, is my generation of radical feminist - and demonstrates the sort of flawed thinking that drove so many of us to recoil and re-evaluate.  It's no wonder that their ranks, and enthusiasm continue to thin.  Here it is, only 2 years later, and the handful of fading pink ladies who showed up for the 2008 Walk for Life seem downright gloomy, comfortably caged behind the police barricade, without enough steam to rattle their bars.

Well, the dulled dames were not alone trying to combat the joy, enthusiasm and Truth so vivid in the crowd for life this year.  My marching group made great sport trying to decipher the meaning of some of the opposition.  One man shouted relentlessly "life enslaves women" and another sign read "I am alive thanks to Roe v. Wade".  Hmmmm.  Later down the road, we had a lively debate among ourselves over this fellow's sign:  "Ronald Reagan Died for Your Sins."  Consistent with this confused contrariness, we noted only a few condom-toting, drag-queen Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence showed up this year, seemingly signless and silent.  The cross-dressing, anti-Catholic dears seemed so lethargic I wondered if they were hung-over or simply overwhelmed by the sheer size and joy of the march. 

Here's what we learned from the Walk for Life West Coast 2008:  the youth of the life movement is suffocating the opposition.  Surrounded by lively, happy babies, religious, families, hordes of youth groups, the opposition literally witnesses their own darkness and death.  Margaret Cabaniss hits this point today at the InsideCatholic blog where she quotes a Washington Post article:  ". . . the antiabortion movement is becoming predominantly youthful while the abortion rights movement is aging."    The appeal of truth draws their energy and spirit to the light.  Life can be beautiful and we can save the baby humans.  Thanks be to God.

Getting the King You Want

Marjorie Campbell, marjorie@marjoriecampbell.com

Today's reading gives me the encouragement I need to butt in here among the parsing posts directed at Mr. Romney.  "When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him, “Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”   It's one of God's tricky tools - to give us what we beg for.

God's done this to me so many times I've developed a reflex against myself which I tend to extend to discussions like the one at hand about Mr. Romney.  For example, when I find myself extolling the pure virtues of one of my three children by lengthy dissertations on the faults of the other two, my reflex sounds the alert . . . "take care what you wish for, girlfriend."  Or, at least, "hush up for a few minutes and get some balance."

Now, call me silly, but the compounding, pounding posts on "he's no Reagan" Romney have started to seem more like a tirade against the candidate, in favor of the seemingly above-question, non-pandering, Churchillian Mr. McCain.  Perhaps I read too much into your fuss, or got lost in the length and detail, Deal and Marc, but I detect a tilt that some might call "one-sided".   

Surely, you neither intend to deflect the blogging world's discomfort with Mr. McCain by sheer din directed at Mr. Romney.  Whether you tap into Senator Santorum's recent expressions of concern about Mr. McCain ("John McCain looks at things through the eyes, on these kind of domestic policy issues, looks at it through the eyes of the New York Times editorial board, and accepts that predisposition that if you are not, if you stand for conservative principles, there’s some genetic defect."); or Michael Gerson's reservations (I don’t think he buys the kind of supply side ideology that has really determined American economic policies the last 25 years, particularly under both Reagan and the current President Bush. And so that is, I think, the real problem. I mean, he has a soft spot for regulation in his record."); or Judge Bork's warning ("“I don’t think that Senator McCain or Governor Huckabee deserves to be called a conservative.” );  or even speculations about Mr. McCain's commitment to pro-life ("McCain is campaigning on pro-life issues in South Carolina but he's not helping his cause by stoking the fires of speculation that he could pick pro-abortion Sen Joe Lieberman as his running mate if he wins the GOP nomination."),  there's no fair assertion that Mr. McCain is above question among conservative, church-going Catholics.

And talking about questions, I have two.  What do you think about a Mr. McCain-Mr. Lieberman ticket?  And, doesn't Fred Thompson warrant some cyberspace here?  ("The issue for us -- and for the conservative community -- boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson.")

R = M + L?

Marc Nadeau

“I don’t have lobbyists running my campaign”, said Mitt Romney in a comment that aides later mentioned was directed at John McCain. McCain’s Strait Talk Express air traffic controller, Rick Davis, is a former lobbyist.

The pandering governor also said that he thinks “it’s time for Washington – Republican and Democrat – to have a leader who will fight to make sure we resolve the issues rather than continuously look for partisan opportunity for score-settling and for opportunities to link closer to lobbyists.”

Hummmm! So lobbyists don’t run Romney’s campaign? And he wants to distance himself from them. Fair enough, but let’s see the facts before judging too quickly…

1. Ronald Kaufman, who is the chairman of Dutko Worldwide (more about him later), “regularly sits across the aisle from Romney on his campaign plane, participates in debate strategy sessions and just last week accompanied Romney to a lunch in Myrtle Beach with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C

“Kaufman was personally listed as the lobbyist for New Balance Athletic Shoe, HNTB COS, American Pacific Corp., Worcester Business Development Corp., County of Los Angeles, State of Utah, CNS Inc., Americans for Democracy, West Orem Group, Globalcast LLC, and Global Demandwidth.”

2. “Former representative Vin Weber (R-Minn.), is chairman of Romney’s policy committee. He also is chief executive officer of Clark & Weinstock, and his corporate biography says he “provides strategic advice to institutions with matters before the legislative and executive branches of the federal government”.”

3. And “former Senator Jim Talent of Missouri, who was at Romney’s victory party in Michigan on Tuesday, is co-chairman of Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations and also is a registered lobbyist, according to federal compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.”

4. We could also mention Al Cardenas who’s “representing some of the nation’s biggest industries, including defense, health and energy, according to CRP” and Eric Tanenblatt  who’s a senior managing director at a firm that “made almost $4.8 million last year [2006] lobbying for finance, health and other interests, according to CRP.”

Last Spring, both men were reported as also shouldering the presidential effort of Mitt Romney.

Can you get closer to lobbyists?

But that’s not all, for it was also reported that “on the campaign trail, Republican Mitt Romney has been harshly critical of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. But that hasn’t stopped his campaign from taking donations from lobbyists who receive millions of dollars from a Venezuelan government-linked oil company.”

Of course, we’re still talking about “Dutko Worldwide, a lobbying firm whose chairman, Ronald Kaufman, is a major Romney adviser. The firm is the only registered federal lobbyist for Citgo, a US-based subsidiary of the Venezuelan government-owned Petroleos de Venezuela, according to the Senate Office of Public Records.”

The same Romney nevertheless claimed that “we must stand just as firm against caudillos like Hugo Chavez, tutored by Fidel Castro.  Chavez and Castro are brothers in blood, intent in personal gratification at the expense of their people.”  You can’t see me, but there’s a tear rolling down my cheek.

Excellent in terms of pandering and not so bad for a bunch that claims to be anti-lobbyists and anti-Washington…

There’s nothing bad or wrong receiving support from lobbyists. So why the pandering candidate try at all cost to distance himself from his natural allies? Would it be because more and more people start realizing that Romney equals Money and Lobby (R = M+L)?

Let me borrow it from somebody else, for it is so revealing: "he is the anti-populist candidate, if you are looking for one."

Pander, pander, pander...