In their responses to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl and the US bishops commented on their interpretation of what Speaker Pelosi said, not what she actually said. Speaker Pelosi was correct in noting that Catholic teaching has changed over the years, even on the issue of when life begins. But Archbishop Wuerl and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops used the occasion to bang the drum on their issue sine qua non in American politics: abortion. In doing so, the bishops ignored many relevant issues, including the importance of conscience, what Catholics themselves actually believe, and the role of religion in politics.

On conscience, Catholic politicians need no reminding that Catholic teaching requires them to follow their own consciences—even if it is in conflict with church teaching. In addition, Catholic teaching requires at least tolerance, if not respect, for other people’s decisions. Speaker Pelosi and the many other prochoice Catholic politicians are following this teaching to the letter when they recognize the proper place for personal religious convictions in the political arena, and support policies that help ensure affordable contraception, safe and legal abortions, comprehensive sexuality education, and affordable health care for all people in this country. Read the rest of this entry »

During the Democratic YouTube Presidential debate last July, Senator Joseph Biden expressed some concern about a man who submitted a video question asking whether the candidates would protect his “baby.”

His baby happened to be a semiautomatic assault rifle.

Senator Biden said, “If that’s his baby, he needs help.”  Then he went on to say, “We should be working with law enforcement right now to make sure that we protect people against people who are not capable of knowing what to do with a gun because they are either mentally imbalanced and/or they have a criminal record.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dilettante Democrats broke from their convention’s hectic feting to huddle for hundreds of seconds to solve America’s energy crisis. But, alas, when these “Super Delegates of Done Nothing” emerged for the media, it was to pump mile high hypocrisy about American energy.

In sending this Colorado convention postcard to Americans, these vacationing, pro-lethargy Democrats once more insulted working families, many of whom cannot afford a family vacation.

Charitably, though, let us not hastily underestimate the publicly loathed House Democrat majority’s disingenuous undertaking, for it was also the height of arrogance. Read the rest of this entry »

Sen. Joe Biden’s (D-DE) foreign policy experience may have led to his selection as Barack Obama’s running mate, but his fiscal record is less than stellar.

Biden has received “F” grades on the National Taxpayers Union’s past 10 Ratings of Congress, which analyze every Roll Call vote affecting fiscal policy and assign members of Congress a “Taxpayer Score” and letter grade. (Most recently, Biden received a Taxpayer Score of 4%, ranking him 94th out of 100 Senators.)

Since NTU began assigning letter grades for its Rating in 1992, Biden has received “F” grades 81 percent of the time and no “A” grades (his highest grade was a C- for the 1996 Rating). Read the rest of this entry »

The basis for confidence in our elections has been shattered by suspicious election results in recent years and the current conditions in election systems throughout the nation. Standing For Voters, launching today at StandingForVoters.org, calls upon candidates for public office to prepare now to demand recounts, file lawsuits, or take other actions necessary should election processes or results raise suspicion. We call on candidates to take the “Standing For Voters Pledge.”

Candidates routinely ask voters to stand up for them by donating money, volunteering, casting their votes. Now it’s time for candidates to commit to Standing For Voters. In some states, only candidates have standing to request a recount, yet we’ve seen candidates shy away from challenging even obviously incorrect election results reportedly because they don’t want to be called ’sore losers.’ Signing the Standing For Voters Pledge is a clear way for those who want our votes to tell voters that they care that all votes are counted ‑ and counted accurately ‑ and that they will do everything in their power to ensure that the elections are held to the highest standards. Read the rest of this entry »

The highlight of Tuesday–indeed, the most widely-attended presentation at the Big Tent so far–was longtime newsman Dan Rather giving a powerful, and at times emotional, talk that Jon covered in more depth earlier.

His key message at our symposium on media and democracy is that we NEED citizen journalism, we NEED owners with the guts to take any heat from talk radio, and we NEED to stop media consolidation. I caught a few minutes on video that don’t do it justice, but hopefully they give a sense of his passion, including a moment of choking up about a minute and a half in.

But the day was about much more than Dan Rather. Indeed, that was the whole point — that a healthy democracy depends on a diverse and free media that prods, questions, and educates the public rather than a small handful of networks controlling what people see and hear and what constitutes “news.” Read the rest of this entry »

Idahoans want the government—and politicians—stay out of their personal lives. My opponent, Jim Risch, recently violated that trust.

In an effort to sink Independent candidate Rex Rammell, operatives for Risch spied on more than 1,000 Idahoans who signed a petition. The signatures, verified by county clerks, were needed to allow Rammell to drop off the Republican ticket and run as an Independent.

The Associated Press noted the Idaho GOP joined a lawsuit brought by a group seeking to discredit the petitioners, and they hired a private investigator and former police officer to do it.

In plain language, these Idahoans signed a petition and were then spied on by political operatives working on Risch’s behalf. Read the rest of this entry »

With so much of this year’s political debate revolving around energy, we can’t lose sight of the fact that this is only one of the economic issues on which the American people are counting on elected officials to fight for them.

When Americans sit down at their kitchen tables and talk about their concerns, those concerns include health care costs, job security, paying for their children’s education, and in some cases, keeping their home. These are all part of the economic picture we’re struggling with today. And people in my district – Minnesota’s 2nd – like all Americans, are seeking real, achievable, practical solutions that move us forward on the challenges we face – not ideologically driven discussions where the only proposed answers come from the “left” or the “right” and politicians are unwilling to give ground in the middle.

During my campaign for Congress, I’ve conducted more than 30 listening sessions with people looking to see these concerns addressed. I’m about to embark on another round – a “Kitchen Table Tour,” where I’ll join Minnesotans in their homes to talk about these issues. Read the rest of this entry »

Twenty-five days ago, an arrogant act by Speaker Pelosi as she exercised her iron-fisted control over the House resulted in the initiation of our ‘Speak-In’. She cut off the microphones, turned off the cameras, and shutdown the House in an attempt to silence the voices of representatives of millions of Americans. Pelosi stopped debate because she knew she would lose if she allowed a vote. Unfortunately, what the Speaker continuously forgets is that her position is entrusted to her by all citizens, not just by extreme-left special interest groups.

Over the last four weeks, we have stuck to our mission of advocating a comprehensive energy policy that includes conservation, new energy technologies, and developing American resources for Americans. We have continued to give voice to the American people to anyone who would listen – relating the harmful effects of incomprehensible inaction and dangerous obstruction by Democrats in Congress.

In this advocacy, several points have been demonstrated: Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, the Bush Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a proposed rule that will harm women’s health by impeding access to care and by denying vital information women need to make responsible decisions about their health and lives.

The rule follows an earlier leaked draft that incited a firestorm of public outrage over language which defined many common forms of contraception as abortion. The most controversial language has been removed, yet – even with the edits – the new version of the rule expands the universe of providers that can refuse contraception and other health care services, including abortion. Read the rest of this entry »