What A Great Day!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Reality Check

"I love numbers, and today the number from the Congressional Budget Office that this health insurance reform legislation will save $138 billion in the first 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the second 10 years speaks very eloquently to the deficit reduction that is in our package."
-- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, March 18, 2010


The Reality: On May 11, 2010, the CBO reported that the health care reform legislation that was enacted in March could cost another $115 billion over the next 10 years in federal health care spending. The new estimates include up to $20 billion to enable federal agencies to implement the law, $34 billion for community health centers, and $39 billion for American Indian health care.

Pelosi Pushes Through Cap-and-Trade Bill in the House by Four Votes...

By this point, you have already read everything about the horrible Cap-and-Trade bill that passed the House of Representatives 219-211. With just four votes swinging the other direction, this middle-class tax bill could have been avoided.

The great Mike Pence of Indiana provided the following speech from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives shortly before the vote on climate change legislation:

“It's hard to know where to start. I got to think, Madame Speaker, a lot of people looking in on this debate, hearing about copies filed and esoteric process really don't care very much about all that, because this economy is hurting. American families are struggling under the weight of the worst recession in a generation. Families in my district are losing their jobs. Small businesses and family farms are struggling. And all they've seen out of Washington, D.C., so far is a gusher of runaway federal spending, deficits and debt and bailouts. They didn't think it could get worse.

“But here we go. In the midst of the worst recession in a generation, this Administration and this majority in Congress are prepared to pass a national energy tax that will raise the cost of energy on every American family. Now, my colleague sporting the green lapel button, who I greatly respect, said that there is a lot of dispute about how much the average American household will pay if this national energy tax becomes law and that's true. There are estimates ranging from a few hundred dollars a year to the Heritage Foundation's over $4,000 a year.

“The estimate I prefer was from candidate Barack Obama who said in January of 2008 to the San Francisco Chronicle and I shall quote with the deepest respect, ‘Under my plan of cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.’ That will cost money. ‘They,’ referring to the utility companies. ‘They will pass that money onto consumers.’ “Now I know earlier this week the President of the United States said that polluters are going to pay the cost of this national energy tax. That's not what he said last year.

“Now, I don't know how y'all define skyrocket. When the President said electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket under my cap and trade plan, but I’d be prepared to defer to you. I define skyrocket as a prescription for economic decline. There may be a dispute of the numbers of how much I’ll be paying in my electrical bill or how much the cost of goods and services are going to go up, but there's no dispute that this cap and trade legislation will cost millions of American jobs.

“Raising the cost of energy is a bad idea in prosperous times. Raising a national energy tax in the worst recession in a generation is a profoundly bad idea. But for anyone looking in, let me say we are in the minority as we have been reminded with some firmness in this debate on occasion today.

“We don't have the votes to stop this bill. But you do. If you oppose the national energy tax, call your congressman right now. If you think we can do better to serve the interests of the American people and achieve energy independence with an all of the above strategy, call your congressman right now. Alexander Hamilton said it best: ‘Here, sir, the people govern.’ We can stop this bill. We can do better, and so we must.”

The 2012 Pelosi GTxi SS/RT Sport Edition

This is a great video! Special thanks to Russ G. for sending it over..

Bailout Bill Fails to Pass House

This afternoon, the House failed to pass the most current version of the $700 billion+ financial bailout bill by a vote of 228-205. Kudos from the R.C. Blog to those Conservatives, led by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), as well as Democrats, who together saw the poorly-crafted and rushed bill for what it was -- a feeble attempt by the Bush Administration, the Democrat House leadership, and the moderate Republicans to keep the world's financial markets from falling further, not from solving the problem.

Today's defeat of the bill was a positive step and sent a message to the House leadership and the White House that most of America is not in favor of the government's plan to nationalize/socialize our country's leading financial institutions, at least not without some checks and balances and guarantees that once these firms return to strong performance, the taxpayers get the first rewards -- not the CEOs, lobbyists, or members of Congress.

The Congress and Federal Government need to get out of the business of providing unlimited financial support, bailouts, incentives, and plum financing to private enterprises. It has been going on for decades and is spiraling completely out of control with this latest problem. If Congress sets a precedent for federal bailouts of private companies that have a tremendous impact on the economy and stock market, who will be next? Ford? GM? United Airlines? The auto and airline industry already get significant "financing" and incentives from the government, but they'll come looking for much more after this bailout package passes.

Am I happy that the markets crashed and burned today? Of course not. But it was a small price to pay to be sure that the final version of the bailout bill, which will ultimately get through, has all the unnecessary "fluff" pulled out of it to ensure that my children and their children are not caught holding the tab for the greed of CEOs, traders, Congressional members, and citizens who got in WAY over their heads with mortgages and equity lines. Just because my neighbor decides to buy a $500K house and a $60K car with money he/she does not have should not put me in a position to pick up the shortfall.

Finally, I listened to House Speaker Pelosi both this morning and this afternoon (and laughed...)as she blamed the Republicans for (1) causing the entire financial mess and (2) voting against the bailout bill. Isn't she the leader of the Democratic party in the House? Today's vote only needed a simple majority, which the Dems hold comfortably. If she was doing her job instead of making excuses and blaming others, she should have been able to unify her own party and get this bill passed without even one Republican vote. Perhaps she should look in the mirror before throwing accusations at the other side (actually, she probably shouldn't...).

The real reason it didn't pass today is that the Dems are afraid, very afraid. They don't have the guts to attached their majority status to such an important and controversial piece of legislation. They loved taking over the majority, as long as it only meant getting basic and non-controversial legislation through the House. Time for Madame Speaker to stand up and lead her party. This should be fun to watch....

Bishop Slattery's Letter to Pelosi and Biden

A big thanks to one of my friends for getting me a copy of a letter from Bishop Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, regarding the erroneous and scandalous comments made by Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Joe Biden on the matter of abortion. This letter in particular stands out as being one of great evangelism on the dignity of human life and the need to end abortion in our society. See for yourself!

In recent weeks, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Joe Biden have been asked by Tom Brokaw on "Meet the Press" to explain their personal opinions on the question of “When does Human Life Begin?” The essence of their views, which they both claim are developed from their experience as Catholics, is first, that the tradition is inconsistent (Pelosi), and second, that even if it is clear, it is a matter of personal faith which, in a democracy, ought not be imposed on others (Biden). Having made their views public, and by presenting themselves as Catholics, both Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Biden have invited a discussion about the legitimacy of their views.

I, and other bishops, have already stated that Speaker Pelosi’s position is clearly inconsistent with Catholic teaching, and to promote such a view is scandalous. There are many witnesses in the tradition that clearly state the Catholic view in opposition to Speaker Pelosi.

In view of the absolute duty that we all have of protecting innocent human life, it is also necessary to respond publicly to Sen. Biden’s remarks. In his interview, Sen. Biden explained that although he was prepared as a matter of faith to accept the teaching that life begins at the moment of conception, it would be wrong in a pluralistic society to impose that judgment on everyone else, who may be just as ardent as he is in their own faith. He remarked that abortion is “a personal and private issue.”

Sen. Biden’s remarks reflect two erroneous beliefs. It is plainly false to assert that the answer to the question of when human life begins is limited to the realm of personal and private faith and that therefore there is no basis for preferring one position over another. While it is true that Christian revelation provides a framework for understanding human nature, there is also biological evidence on when human life begins, that all persons of good will, and not just Christians, may examine. Also, the division that Sen. Biden creates between privacy and social responsibility is tenuous. He supposes that social responsibility ends at the point that we turn the decision over to individuals.

Modern science clearly proves that human life begins at conception. At the moment when DNA from the mother and the father combine, a new, unique human being, who will develop continuously until death, is created. From then on, the early zygote functions as a human being. It has specifically human enzymes and proteins, and, over time, it develops complex human tissues and organs. After this genetic transfer, it can never develop into any other kind of being. Even as it develops through the process of pregnancy, the human nature of the zygote, embryo, fetus, or baby never changes. It is this nature that directs and causes the miraculous physical transformation that takes place during the pregnancy.

In fact, the desire of some persons to destroy embryos in order to harvest stem cells is dependent upon the reality that they are already biologically human. Sen. Biden’s support for increased federal funding of embryonic stem cell research would therefore be at odds with his stated belief that life begins at conception. Contrary to some misconceptions, the early human embryo is not a vague collection of tissues without specificity. In fact the exact opposite is true. The first cells of this new human being contain all of the information that will guide its development throughout life. The process of embryonic and fetal development involves “switching off” the complete power of the early cells so that they only take on one function, like being a heart cell.

While there are some members of our society who would like to define this biological human being as someone who does not share our basic human rights, such as the right to its own existence, this is a dangerous path. We, as a human society, have gone this way before, with disastrous results. Inevitably, it ends with the act of murdering those whom we objectify, as we have seen with the lynching of African Americans, or the Holocaust, or the countless other genocides of the 20th century. Whenever we treat another human being as an object, a thing, that we may do with as we please, rather than as a human person made in the image and likeness of God, we diminish, and inevitably destroy that being, and ourselves.

It is also paradoxical to suggest that by throwing the cloak of “privacy” over the act of abortion, that individual choice can transform an evil act into something that is good, or even tolerable. If, as Sen. Biden believes, human life begins at conception, it is difficult to see how that view can be reconciled with the position that we, as a society, should legally allow individual persons to decide on their own if murder is wrong.

The modern day notion of “privacy” assumes that there is a neat division between the individual who makes a decision, and the rest of the human community. A “private” decision is one that is limited to the individual. However, in the case of abortion, this decision has implications not only for the mother, but also for the father, both of their immediate families, and, in fact, for all of our society. The mother and the father lose a child, the family a niece or nephew, or grandchild, and the rest of us, a companion in life. How we protect, or ignore, these smallest members of our human community defines who we are as human persons.

A democracy, in order to flourish, must attend to the defense of the values that are essential to the human community. Ignoring this hard work and simply relegating abortion to the sphere of individual choice allows a cancer to eat at our very core, as we permit some human persons to sacrifice the lives of others for their own personal reasons. As Catholics, we cannot accept the premise that in the name of “privacy” all choices are equally right.Sen. Biden has opposed federal funding of abortions and backed the ban on partial birth abortions, and for that he should be commended. Yet, his justification for continuing to allow Roe v. Wade to stand as the law of the United States is incompatible with Catholic teaching.

Once an evil is truly seen for what it is, neither can an emphasis on “privacy” excuse one’s moral responsibility to act to stop it, nor can defining murder as a “right to choose” change what it is that is actually chosen.Trusting always in the protection of Our Blessed Lady, whose immaculate womb first tabernacled the Word made Flesh, and asking for your prayers, I am

In Domino

Edward J. Slattery
Bishop of Tulsa

Pelosi Agrees to Meet with S.F. Bishop Niederauer

Special thanks to Russ G. for forwarding the following article to the R.C. Blog from today's online edition of the San Jose Mercury News. Looks like Madame Speaker has some explaining to do about her appearance two weeks ago on Meet the (de)Press(ed)...


SAN FRANCISCO—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, under fire from U.S. bishops for comments she made about abortion, accepted on Friday an invitation from the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco for a private talk.

Pelosi said in a letter to Archbishop George Niederauer that she'd "welcome the opportunity for our personal conversation and to go beyond our earlier most cordial exchange about immigration and needs of the poor to Church teaching on other significant matters."

The proposed meeting stems from comments Pelosi made Aug. 24 on NBC's "Meet the Press." The Democratic congresswoman defended her support for abortion by saying "doctors of the church" have not been able to define when life begins.

She also cited the role of individual conscience. "God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions," she said.

Niederauer, who extended the invitation in the Friday column of the archdiocesan newspaper, and other bishops say that the church from its earliest days has considered abortion evil. Niederauer said Pelosi's remarks were in "serious conflict" with church teaching and it was his duty to explain clearly church teachings about faith and morals.

Several U.S. bishops have condemned the remarks made by Pelosi, a Catholic school graduate who repeatedly has expressed pride in and love for her religious heritage.

While Pelosi's letter said she was interested in speaking about "church teaching on other significant matters," it did not mention abortion specifically. Her spokesman has defended her comments, saying in a previous statement that the congresswoman "fully appreciates the sanctity of family."

Pelosi's Incompetent Discussion About Abortion

Another example of a liberal catholic (lowercase "c") making mind-blowing and incompetent statements about abortion and the Catholic Church. Read and see for yourself...


MR. BROKAW: Senator Obama saying the question of when life begins is above his pay grade, whether you're looking at it scientifically or theologically. If he were to come to you and say, "Help me out here, Madame Speaker. When does life begin?" what would you tell him?

REP. PELOSI: I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And Senator--St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose. Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child--first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester. There's very clear distinctions.

This isn't about abortion on demand, it's about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and--to--that a woman has to make with her doctor and her God. And so I don't think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.

As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this, and there are those who've decided...

MR. BROKAW: The Catholic Church at the moment feels very strongly that it...

REP. PELOSI: I understand that.

MR. BROKAW: ...begins at the point of conception.

REP. PELOSI: I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy. But it is, it is also true that God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And we want abortions to be safe, rare, and reduce the number of abortions. That's why we have this fight in Congress over contraception. My Republican colleagues do not support contraception. If you want to reduce the number of abortions, and we all do, we must--it would behoove you to support family planning and, and contraception, you would think. But that is not the case. So we have to take--you know, we have to handle this as respectfully--this is sacred ground. We have to handle it very respectfully and not politicize it, as it has been--and I'm not saying Rick Warren did, because I don't think he did, but others will try to.

MR. BROKAW: Madame Speaker, thanks very much for being with us.

REP. PELOSI: It's my pleasure. Thank you.

(Here's the video...)