HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Biden Visits With the Sisters

Vice President Joe Biden stopped to visit with the Sisters of Mount St. Francis during a campaign stop in Dubuque, Iowa last week.  Press travelling with the Vice President were wondering where Biden was taking the ice cream and cookies he bought.  Told it was to a gathering with some old friends, it turns out those friends were the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Francis.

Vice President Biden is old friends with many of the nuns at the Motherhouse and in previous social visits had brought them treats.  About 150 of the sisters enjoyed ice cream with the Vice President.

Romney Profiting from Abortion

ROMNEY INVESTED IN THE ABORTION INDUSTRY

This is a little gruesome. We have noted in the past that conservatives seem to have a high degree of tolerance to abortion in the private sector. Romney invested $75 million in Stericycle, making him a major owner of the medical-waste disposal firm that has been attacked by anti-abortion groups for disposing aborted fetuses collected from abortion clinics. Pro-Life groups compared Stericycle to German firms that provided assistance to the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The company had other woes as well. According to press accounts it accumulated a troubling safety record along the way. In 1991, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited its Arkansas operation for 11 workplace safety violations. The facility had not provided employees with sufficient protective gear, and it had kept body parts, fetuses, and dead experimental animals in unmarked storage containers, placing workers at risk. In 1995, Stericycle was fined $3.3 million—later decreased to $800,000—by Rhode Island for knowingly exposing workers to life-threatening diseases at its medical-waste treatment facility in Woonsocket.

More here: 
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/romney-bain-abortion-stericycle-sec

Through the Intercession of St. Luke, Patron of Health Care, We Thank You, Lord

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVCZbyP2Wj8



Sr. Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA):


"We are pleased that, based on an initial read of the ruling, the ACA has been found constitutional and will remain in effect. CHA has long supported health reform that expands access and coverage to everyone. We signed onto amicus briefs encouraging the Court to find in favor of the ACA’s individual mandate and the Medicaid expansion. As the ruling is examined, Catholic-sponsored health care providers will continue to lead health care transformation — finding new and better ways to provide compassionate, high-quality care while strengthening the communities we serve."


Kathryn M. Lohre, president of the National Council of Churches:


"The member communions of the National Council of Churches have supported readily available health care since we were formed in 1950 during the Truman Administration. We as churches follow the bold example of Jesus, who healed the sick, sometimes breaking the religious law that governed society. Our members have always believed that health care is not simply another worthy cause to which we lend our name."


Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism:



"We are pleased that today’s historic ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) affords the law the opportunity to be implemented to its fullest. We have long maintained that we cannot afford to wait any longer before fixing our broken health care system. Every other advanced country has managed to provide all its citizens with essential health care, and we must do the same. The ACA now still has the chance to help the nearly 40 million currently uninsured Americans receive coverage and the millions of underinsured see their situation improved."


Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice advocacy ministry:


“We are elated. The Supreme Court has affirmed that the law is constitutional, and we know that this prolife decision will save many, many lives. This is a win for the entire nation. Knowing that people with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage and that young people can continue to stay on their family healthcare policies is wonderful news for every family and individual.”


James Salt, executive director of Catholics United:


“Today’s ruling is a victory for the soul of America. As a nation built on the principles of community, personal responsibility and solidarity, this ruling affirms the moral fiber of this nation is strong. Catholics United is grateful the Supreme Court overcame the politics of division to serve the least among us.”


The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ:



"The Supreme Court decision today is a clear signal that we as a country are moving toward the realm of God on earth – the realm of this merciful, compassionate God, full of love for all.


"Our country was founded on the ideal of caring for one another and tending to the welfare of others. Today's ruling indicates a willingness on everyone's part to be in community with each other and not allow people to be abandoned by the health care delivery system."

Federal City Fortnight Flops

Fortnight Flops

Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington were invited to join with 4,000 of their fellow Catholics in a celebration of freedom event as part of the campaign against the HHS mandate on insurance companies to pay for contraceptives when large employers do not. The Archdiocese spent tens of thousands of dollars to rent the Smith Center at George Washington University to hold the 4,000 person rally. Paid television and radio ads were purchased. Color printed flyers were included in the parish bulletins to reach out to the 600,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese as well as those in neighboring Arlington. Bus rental, video production, speaker fees and travel costs could push the total costs to well over $100,000.

Yet by the event, the Archdiocese was forced to admit it did not make any more than half the expected turnout. Even the anti-Obama EWTN reported the crowd at a mere one thousand. Unoccupied seats ringed the auditorium.

The Archdiocese has lowered the cone of silence as to the exact costs of the event and the reasons why the expected attendance failed to materialize. It would however, be a fair guess that the Archdiocese spent over $100 per attendee. Truth be known, while not a fan of the Fortnight phoniness, if they had just offered me a C-note in cash to go there, I would have accepted.

Next time, Cardinal Wuerl, just pay people to show up. It will be cheaper.

(Stock photo used above since the Archdiocese is not providing any of the flop).

"Faith Direct" - Right Wing Front Group?

Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington and many other places are being encouraged (pressured?) to enroll in a commercial enterprise called "Faith Direct, Inc." instead of placing their tithe in the collection basket.  On its surface, this is an interesting way for Catholics to use electronic means of contributing to their parish.  Obviously, FD, Inc. makes money off this arrangement.

But who is "Faith Direct, Inc."?  It is a for profit company owned by Brian Walsh, a conservative Republican political operative.  Walsh's other clients, (Warfield and Walsh) include the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Heritage Foundation, the New York State Conservative Party, the Fred Thompson Presidential campaign, and Senator Trent Lott's PAC.  He also raises money for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation (we know how conservatives love their horses).

As parishes direct the lay faithful to enroll in "FD", they are also given the opportunity to sign up for FD's Twitter messages, thereby giving Brian Walsh the ability to communicate his views and opinions directly to enrollees. Nice way to assemble a Twitter list to push the GOP agenda.

Use of "Faith Direct, Inc." is, of course, a personal decision.  We just feel the lay faithful are entitled to full disclosure.

NUNS ON THE BUS

Support Nuns on the Bus

Catholic Sisters are travelling the country to oppose the anti-Catholic, anti-poor, anti-elderly "Ryan Budget".  This budget also is the core of Mitt Romney's economic agenda. Support the nuns.

http://nunsonthebus.com/