Welcome to Coffee Hour, that daily space where we grab a beverage, a snack, and spend some time hearing about each other's day. Oh, and sharing what our lunch, dinner or other meal plans are :-).

I'm over here on the comfy chair, feet up after 5 solid days of walking all over Disney and Sea World...

Our sin in numbers New Census numbers: 37.3 million living in poverty; 45.7 million uninsured.

And so it starts

Denver's CBS affiliate reports that "at least four people are under arrest in connection with a possible plot to kill Barack Obama" and one of the suspects reportedly told authorities that they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle … sighted at 750 yards."

Hillary Knocks It Out of The Park: “No Way. No How, No McCain.” "It's fitting that John McCain and George Bush will be meeting in the Twin Cities next week, because it's getting pretty hard to tell them apart." -- Hillary

I've got to give Tim Rutten major ups for this column:

Every four years, an astonishing array of conservative commentators and Republican campaign strategists suddenly discover an intimate concern for Catholic consciences and an overriding preoccupation with the Roman church's sacramental and liturgical norms.

Last time around, for example, you couldn't toss a dart at the average Op-Ed page without hitting a right-wing columnist with a firm opinion on whether the Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, ought to be denied Communion because he's pro-choice. You could virtually feel the hunger for a good old-fashioned auto-da-fé and hear Karl Rove in the background disappointedly whispering, "Are you certain they don't burn people at the stake anymore?"

For a time, it looked as if war and recession would push "values issues" back into perspective in this election cycle, but abortion is too large a wedge issue to abandon casually. In the last few weeks, commentators began a campaign over the Democrats' failure to invite to Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput to their convention. Chaput was one of the handful of bishops who argued that Kerry and other pro-choice Catholic politicians should be denied Communion. More recently, Chaput's book, "Render Unto Caesar," argues that Catholics may not vote for pro-choice candidates. Under the circumstances, the Democrats' snub was graceless but understandable.

...

All this conservative crosier waving is about a simple set of numbers. Catholics constitute 25% of the electorate, and no presidential candidate in decades has won the popular vote without carrying Catholics. Obama and Sen. John McCain are in a statistical dead heat for the Catholic vote, with Obama leading 42% to 40% and 17% undecided, according to the pollsters' consensus. The Republicans think their margin of victory might be found in that 17%, many of them white, ethnic, swing-state voters presumed to be socially conservative. The bishops are desperate to demonstrate that their flock isn't ignoring them on abortion the way it has on contraception for half a century.

Really, as they say, read the whole thing. Rutten has a good feel for the political and religious dynamics at work here. Just to be clear about those: he's not accusing Chaput or any other bishop of being partisan tools. Rather, he's arguing (I think) that their desire to maintain their moral authority coincides with the Republican need to sway Catholic voters. It's a mutual admiration society, if you want to put it that way.

For what it's worth, I think the GOP is barking up the wrong tree here. It's true that Obama has had a tough time with Catholic voters, particularly older ones. The issue seems to be race, but perhaps abortion or "values" issues could be used as a proxy for that.

But it seems to me that ultimately McCain will come up short. My unscientific hunch is that with a united Democratic front, the union vote will come home just enough to tip the election to Obama. It might be closer in places like Michigan and Ohio than Dems would like, but in the end, I really do think Joe and Jane Lunchpail will realize which party represents their interests.

(And even if not, Obama's within ten electoral votes of walking away with the election. With ten states in the "toss-up" category, it's a pretty safe bet that he could make up for lost ground elsewhere.)

I'm interested in what other folks think. Does McCain have a reasonable play for that 17%? Show me the numbers, as they say.

Pee Ess: this story, on the other hand, is a perennial. Zombie lies never die.

Focus Action senior vice-president and clueless idiot Tom Minnery tries to mock the Religious Caucus at the DNCC:

One of the speakers actually carved a new road leftward, well away from that elusive common ground. The Rev. Jennifer Kottler of the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Coalition spoke glowingly of what she called a tradition in Celtic Christianity — the redistribution of property. She said God has made His gift of grace abundant to everyone, and His gift of nature should be no less available to everyone.

It's such fun to smear political opponents with charges of religious heterodoxy, don't you think? It's worked for authoritarians across the ages.

There's just one little problem with this particular attack. Apparently, Minnery has never read the foundational documents of the "Judeo-Christian tradition". He might want to start with Genesis. And Leviticus. And Psalms. And Proverbs.

And...well, you get the point. God's generosity and his call to redistribute property as part of a macro-Sabbath are well-rooted in more than just Celtic Christianity. They're a part of the Old Testament, including some of the very books the creeps at Focus on the Family like to cite in justifying their bigotry against gays and lesbians.

Which they would know, if, you know. They actually read the damn thing they cite as normative.

[editor's note, by PoliSigh] sinus headache this morning--yuck.....

Today's Meditation: thanks to americancatholic.org

August 26, 2008
St. Joseph Calasanz
(1556-1648)

From Aragon, where he was born in 1556, to Rome, where he died 92 years later, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph Calasanz. A priest with university training in canon law and theology, respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise, he put aside his career because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children. When he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome, he and several companions personally provided a free school for deprived children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for larger facilities to house their effort. Soon Pope Clement VIII gave support to the school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V. Other schools were opened; other men were attracted to the work and in 1621 the community (for so the teachers lived) was recognized as a religious community, the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools (Piarists or Scolopi). Not long after, Joseph was appointed superior for life.

A combination of various prejudices and political ambition and maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the poor, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks for society! Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for instruction to Galileo (a friend of Joseph) as superior, thus dividing the members into opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions, Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally recognized as a religious community.

Comment:

   No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming, and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness.

Quote:

   Even in the days after his own demotion, Joseph protected his persecutors against his enraged partisans; and when the community was suppressed, he stated with Job, to whom he was often compared: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; /blessed be the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21b).

(This entry appears in the print edition of Saint of the Day.)

God, help me, I pray, to admire what is fine in other people and to make my admiration known. Keep me aware that human hearts are ever hungry for encouragement. I know that even people who seem so confident can be strengthened in their work. May I develop the art of searching out kindness, generosity and courage, and then, by word or letter, show my admiration. Amen.


— Catholic Prayers for Every Day & All Day

Stay with us!

That's the title of a new blog post up on the Texas Freedom Network's Blog covering Texas Governor Rick Perry's new invitation to evangelical pastors to attend the Texas Restoration Projects' Pastors Policy Briefing. From Governor Perry's written invitation :

Both our nation and our Judeo Christian heritage are under attack by a force that is more dangerous than any threat our world has faced in recent memory. I am convinced that our ability to defeat the radical jihadists who threaten our nation will be significantly impacted by the prayers and leadership of America’s evangelical pastors...

...While Congress occupies its time trying to legislative defeat in Iraq, we hope you will attend a Pastors’ Policy Briefing that will equip you to walk point in the war of values and ideas.

Rediscovering God in America-Austin is intended to remind us that excuses are not the proper strategy when facing evil and confronting enemies...

(emphasis is mine)

The Texas Freedom Network warns us that this is all

part of a web of organizations seeking to mobilize conservative evangelical pastors in support of far-right candidates and causes across the country. They encourage pastors essentially to turn their houses of worship into campaign tools.

Among the attendees will be Mike Huckabee, the head of the Texas Republican Party, the head of the Texas affiliate of Focus on the Family and of course Governor Perry. Look for an event like this to be coming to a state near you. The theocrats came close to having control of our government... they are not going to let go without a fight.

Like Amanda Marcotte, I've noticed how shrill the right-wing shrieking has been about the Democratic Convention in Denver. Again like Amanda, I've noticed that the shrillness seems to be primarily aimed at the abortion issue:

Values voters are, by and large, evangelicals, as well as orthodox believers in mainline Protestant churches, and a growing number of Catholics. They are people who are long past the point of listening to a politician who says, “I am personally opposed to abortion, but I can’t impose my views on everyone.”

...

One wonders just how many of these people the Democratic Party even wants. One of its well-recognized consultants on outreach to religious people is Burns Strider, who formerly advised Hillary Clinton’s campaign. He has said, “If we create or become a mirror image of the religious right, we have failed. If we have increased the number of chairs around the table, we have succeeded.”

In other words, the party wants the voters, but not the values.

I'm mostly kidding with the title.  And of course all I have is one uncorroborated source, who may be biased.  But here's the story:

Basically, droogie6655321 wrote a piece yesterday, which the gonof deleted, alleging that the AP's business model doesn't work without the unwitting collusion of member newspapers.  In that diary, as it turned out, droogie made at least one factual error, claiming that "75% of the AP's news stories come from newspapers."  The real number appears to be 45% local pickups.  The AP sent him a note suggesting that his piece was riddled with error.  

droogie is a print reporter by day (who, I don't know, nor with what publication), and the AP did enough searching and discovered who he actually was.  And then the AP sent its letter not only to droogie, but to HIS EMPLOYERS.  

This is roughly equivalent to any particular WOTD sending a note to the Dean of the Law School: "FYI, Mr. Krell called (say) Jerry Weller a wanker for disagreeing with raising the federal poverty threshold."

Sure, that's true.  And yes, the error in droogie's piece was factual, and not an opinion like my example.  But seriously?  Search out the damn blogger and out them to their employer because they got a fact wrong and suggested a market plan for (legally) putting you out of business?

Yet more proof that the AP is rapidly swirling 'round the drain.

Are you watching?  Are you listening?  Are you avoiding the whole thing?  How are you handling the events in Denver?  I find myself torn between feeling inspired by the speeches and spectacle and feeling ready to rip off the head of the next pundit who finds the lowest, most dramatic way to spin it down to keep company with their bottom-feeding selves.  But I save most of this frustration and scorn for anyone out there who is NOT watching, NOT paying attention, and who will still dare to walk into a voting booth in about 2 months, scratching himself and saying, "Well, I just don't know but McCain was in a war and Obama's a funny name."  If driving while intoxicated is a crime, we ought to do something about voting while willfully ignorant.

We have an open house at kidlet # 2's school tonight and lots of homework & housework on all our collective plates.  I'll be in & out all evening, checking back to say hello and finding out, as always, what you are drinking and what's for dinner. This is an open thread!

Promoted by Andy

At crosswalk.com, Cal denies reality:

They had an “interfaith service” here in Denver to kickoff the Democratic Convention. Whenever I hear the word “interfaith” I am reminded of how radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger defined that word. She said to her, interfaith means interfaithless.

Whether he likes it or not, and whether or not he even acknowledges their existence, other faiths besides True Christianity ®™ exist in America, and have Constitutionally guaranteed equal access to the political process. Adherents of other faiths do indeed have "faith", you moron, so by definition the service MUST have been about faith, NOT faithlessness.

The Wiccan who is also a delegate from Maine has a review in of the first ever interfaith gathering at a Democratic National Convention. Rita Moran, the delegate in question had her doubts about just how "interfaith" the service would be:

I approached today's interfaith service with a grain of salt. OK, let's be truthful...a bucket of salt would be closer to the way I was feeling. Knowing that several folks in Pagan leadership had sent e-mails to the Obama "people of faith"outreach, and that none of us had received a response, I was prepared for disappointment.

The good news is that she was pleasantly surprised. The symbols chosen - a globe, a mandala, and some stars - were universal in nature and not associated with one faith or another.

Rita summed it up:

Led by convention CEO Rev. Leah Daughtry, who is pastor of a church in Washington, DC, the service stressed equality, peace, social justice, and free speech...

The high point for me, where Rev. Daughtry proved how inclusive she had planned the service to be, came when she stated, "We are created in the image of our Creator, whatever we call Him or Her." Acknowledgment of the feminine divine truly demonstrated how inclusive the Democratic Party is, and made me proud to be a Democrat.

in other religious news related to the convention, apparently Chris Matthews (??) delivered the smackdown on Pat Buchanan's allegation that Michelle Obama neglected faith in her speech - I am so profoundly grateful that other Kossacks watch this crap so that I don't have to.

Personally, I'm proud of my party and I can't wait to have Michelle Obama as First Lady. Your reactions?

Yesterday in Denver, Matt Stoller caught an ad for a party given by AT&T for Blue Dog Congresspeople.

Recognizing a golden opportunity, a bunch of progressive bloggers led by Glenn Greenwald, with press credentials all, tried to attend the party to do interviews.  But the press was excluded, they were told, and they could not enter.  This was not exactly acceptable to a group of people who have all spoken up for Constitutional freedoms in the recent FISA controversies and who consider warrantless wiretapping to be a very serious issue.  Here was a wiretapping telecom courting Congresspeople with no press coverage whatsoever.  Interview they must.

So they stood outside and did the best they could to see who was attending and to speak with them as they entered the party.

From Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake, Party Crashing AT&T and the Blue Dogs: The Best Government Money Can Buy: