Catholics Shouldn't Trust McCain's Abortion Rhetoric

For many Catholics, one of the key moments in the presidential debates came Wednesday, when moderator Bob Schieffer asked the candidates whether they would choose judicial nominees based on their views about overturning Roe v. Wade. Catholic voters who plan to vote for John McCain because of his opposition to abortion need to take a serious look at how he responded to this question.

For many conservative Catholic voters (like many associated with my alma mater, Franciscan University of Steubenville), abortion is the fundamental moral and political issue of our time. For these Catholics, the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade symbolizes our nation's fundamental disrespect for human life, and thus overturning Roe is our primary political responsibility as citizens. What are the economy, or poverty, or labor rights, or equal pay for equal work, or the war in Iraq, in comparison to the plight of the unborn? For these Catholic voters, since the next President will be choosing at least one if not more Supreme Court Justices, it is crucial to make sure that those Justices will be committed to overturning Roe. According to this thinking, if the fight to overturn Roe means choosing a presidential candidate whose other views contradict Catholic teaching, then so be it. It is that important to get the proper judges into the Court.

Keeping these concerns in mind, these Catholic voters should note the following key exchange in the October 15 presidential debate. Moderator Bob Schieffer asks the candidates about whether their views on Roe v. Wade will be reflected in their judicial nominees (Source: NYtimes.com).

SCHIEFFER: Senator McCain, you believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Senator Obama, you believe it shouldn't. Could either of you ever nominate someone to the Supreme Court who disagrees with you on this issue? Senator McCain?

MCCAIN: I would never and have never in all the years I've been there imposed a litmus test on any nominee to the court. That's not appropriate to do.

SCHIEFFER: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned?

MCCAIN: I thought it was a bad decision. I think there were a lot of decisions that were bad. I think that decisions should rest in the hands of the states. I'm a federalist. And I believe strongly that we should have nominees to the United States Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test...I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we're talking about.

In other words, John McCain says both that he will NOT choose judges based on their views on overturning Roe, and also that he has an established record of voting to confirm judges who in fact SUPPORT Roe. Thus as President, he may very well nominate more judges who will maintain the status quo on Roe - which is no surprise, seeing as 7 of 9 Justices currently on the Court were nominated by Republicans. In addition, Sen. McCain tells us that for him, the principal issue at stake is states' rights - not the unborn. What this means is simple: according to his own words, there is absolutely no assurance that as President, John McCain would in fact nominate anti-Roe judges.

What does this mean for Catholic voters? Quite frankly, it means that Catholics should not vote for John McCain simply because of the judges he will nominate. There's no reason to suppose those judges will represent Catholic values. Instead, voters must look at the candidates' entire platforms, and determine which platform is in fact more "pro-life." Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Nigeria put it nicely in an October 11 interview with National Catholic Reporter. The archbishop said that, if he had a vote, he would support Sen. Barack Obama for President. Interviewer John L. Allen, Jr., asked how the archbishop could support a pro-choice candidate, and Onaiyekan responded thus:

Let me put it this way: The fact that you oppose abortion doesn't necessarily mean that you are pro-life. You can be anti-abortion and still be killing people by the millions, through war, through poverty, and so on...If my choice is between the person who makes room for abortion but who is really pro-life in terms of justice in the world, peace in the world, I will prefer him to somebody who doesn't support abortion but who is driving millions of people in the world to death.

What the archbishop points out is that it takes more to be pro-life than to simply support overturning Roe v. Wade. Pro-life means all life - the unborn and the born alike. To vote pro-life may sometimes mean supporting a candidate, like Barack Obama, who is pro-choice.

Further Reading:
Canon and civil lawyer Nicholas Cafardi: "I'm Catholic, staunchly anti-abortion, and support Obama"
Conservative Catholic constitutional scholar Douglas Kmiec: "Barack Obama, Man of Faith"
Senior fellow at Woodstock Theological Center Fr. Thomas Reese: "Abortion, Rhetoric or Results?"
Q&A on Abortion from Catholic Democrats

Comments

[ScreaminLib]

Hear yea, hear ye:

Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., vice president-elect Joe Biden's home town, called on his brother bishops to be more punitive against Catholic officials who are "stridently anti-life."

"I cannot have the vice president coming to Scranton and saying he learned his values there when those values are utterly against those of the Catholic Church," Martino said.

[PDidy]

Hear ye, hear ye:

Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., vice president-elect Joe Biden's home town, called on his brother bishops to be more PUNITIVE against Catholic officials who are "stridently anti-life."

"I cannot have the vice president coming to Scranton and saying he learned his values there when those values are utterly AGAINST those of the Catholic Church," Martino said.

[BobEnyart]

Wow. Fascinating that McCain refuses to commit to nominate pro-life judges. The pro-life organization that is in competition with Nat'l Right To Life has a devastating report on John McCain's abortion record. The group which I am a member of, American RTL, has their McCain report online at http://artlaction.com/release/20081012/john-mccains-tragic-pro-abortion-record

Thanks Kari Lundgren for calling attention to that critical exchange.

[Einstein44]

A very interesting article to say the least.

[turtle bay]

Kari,

Excellent article! The Obama campaign should hire you when they take office!

P.S. red states = socialist welfare states: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/211080_sciglianomoney.html

[littlejohnpa]

I just don't understand these pro-life people voting McCain just because he says he's pro-life when he's not going to do anything - indeed those pro-life people have been duped for 8 years about that.

[drsimon]

For goodness sake. When will you americans realise that voting for a president on the basis of a single issue is just dumb. You are voting for a leader and will never find someone who agrees with you on every single issue. So think about who can inspire and lead and, crucially, regain your sad country's prestige overseas where you are currently the biggest laughing stock after Christiano Ronaldo's hairstyle (he's a soccer player, Yank)

You have the logical situation of voting for a senate and house of representatives to debate and pass legislation, and then you allow a bunch of very old supreme court judges to play god with people's lives by messing around with the big stuff. You really messed up there didn't you, having the ultimate say dictated by a tiny groups of superannuated oldies, out of touch with society and bound to the party line.

So stop this stupid debate about "let's' have an anti-abortion, pro-death penalty" president and start thinking about how the hell you are going to get the world's economy out of the big mess your greedy, republican bankers have got it into. Take some responsibility, twits

[KayCo]

Thank you. As a Catholic, I have often felt that I had to defend my being a Democrat in a predominantly RED state. I have followed this election so closely and have heard speeches from both sides and am proud to say that I am supporting Obama/Biden. They may be pro-choice but their policies and visions for America are more positive and "life affirming". I truly believe that when you address the issues such as health care, education and workers rights, you are supporting a "culture of life". When people feel their basic needs are met, then people will possibly not choose abortion. I also think that when responsible sex education is taught, there will be less unwanted pregnancies, therefore less abortions.

I have also heard that there is a statistic and I will need to research it, but that there are more abortions performed during a Republican administration than during a Democratic one.

Also, if someone wants to terminate a pregnancy bad enough, whether it is legal or not, they will find a way to do so. Sadly, it has been going on since way before Roe V Wade. I think the emphasis needs to be on providing a support network for the woman in a crisis situation so that she can bring the baby to term. With the cost of living and health care skyrocketing out of control, it can make the thought of bringing a child in the world daunting.

[desertbloom]

Joe Biden, the true Catholic, is far more honorable and trustworthy than John McCain.

[KayCo]

I agree with you. I was ecstatic when Obama picked Joe Biden to be his running mate. I have always liked his straightforward way of talking and his stance on the issues. Since I am Catholic, i have always felt the Joe Biden shared my views more than than the GOP.

[peacegurl48]

I am a Catholic and even the Deacon of our Parish is supporting Obama. Obama cares about working towards peace and social justice which is very important to Catholics.
I think that Obama also embraces a culture of life that honors all life, not just the life of the unborn.
I am a pro-choice Catholic but even those who remain against abortion are supporting Obama because of his humanity and desire to uplift America.

[access2narnia]

As disability advocates, my husband and I are deeply pro-life, but there is no question our votes will be for Barack Obama, Joe Biden and straight Democratic on toward morning........

We have had our lives threatened by "right to lifers" who believe youth and adults with disabilities are worthless because they are "not productive" .....often we have had to stand alone in opposition to laws permitting withholding of treatment or food/water, or promoting assisted suiced, or even euthanasia.

Even when the Right-wing conservatives have supported the right of citizens with disabilities to live and fully participate in society, they have alienated the entire disability rights community by doing so, and often actually interfered with or sabotaged major Court cases, even at the Supreme Court level, to protect the vulnerable SO THAT THEY COULD RAISE MORE MONEY BY PROMOTING THE URGENT NEED FOR MORE FUNDS FOR THEIR OTHER CAUSES AND POLITICAL CANDIDATES.

This is a repeated pattern on all pro-life issues since the landmark cases of the 80s and 90s ----success would mean doing themselves out of their jobs and lucrative fund-raising and give up an effective "hot-button" issue. WE FEAR THE HYPOCRITS OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT FAR MORE THAN THE LIBERTARIANS who at least allow individuals the same "free will" choices God allows all of us.

[rj610]

i like the archbishop's comments. i've felt that i just don't trust mccain's pro-life status. many things he does is to get the vote--sarah palin being the prime example of that. but what i believe is sad is that he doesn't want abortions but will have no problem sending 18 y/o's to war. heck, why terminate them before they have a taste of life--let them live 18 years and then take their life away from them. also i feel that palin's strong right to life stance doesn't go well with her views on others in the animal kingdom. hunting defenseless animals from the air doesn't sit well with me. those people say you can't have abortions becaure you're playing God but it's okay to kill any other lifeform.

[Enigma2008]

It is encouraging to hear from Catholics who don't see governance through only the lens of the abortion battle. Within anyone's religion, or lack of religion, I have no quarrel with any belief as long as it does not limit my rights to practice my own beliefs.

There have been and still are countries controlled by one or another religion. The United States is not one of them. This is a country that must be governed by consensus. No one gets everything in a democracy exactly as he would like it. My beliefs are just as sincerely held, just as ethical and just as thoroughly developed as those of any religion---because they don't include worship of a diety, should they be dismissed. What about Scientology---should we outlaw psychiatrists and anti-depressants?

We could never incorporate all the belief traditions into laws. We have compromised our ability to govern by the party of the rich throwing crumbs to religions and buying support. They give lip service, all the while violating every other tenet of the religion with executions, wars, greed and distain of the poor and sick. I have wondered if all those "values" voters ever prayed for any of the forgotten except those lost to abortion. Welcome to the real world!

"I will run no more with this lawless crowd,
while killers in high places say their prayers out loud.
They have summoned, have summoned up a thunder cloud,
They're going to hear from me."
--Leonard Cohen

[drsimon]

Hey enigma 208

If you are not governed by a religion, then why does every speech end with "God bless america"? Why the heck should you get special attention from him upstairs? Although you do need it at the moment!

[meredith465]

An interesting and necessary perspective on the issue at hand. I think it also emphasizes why Obama resonates so well with liberals, moderates, and many conservatives: he's a compassionate human being. What a refreshing turn it would be to see the war between pro-choice and pro-life end and a new discussion start that is pro-prevention and pro-health. Successful family planning and education strategies, health insurance coverage for birth control (not just Viagra), and programs that make it easier for young mothers to continue/finish school can be supported and implemented by both conservatives and liberals. I would like to see the abortion rate drop because fewer unwanted pregnancies occur not because harsher anti-abortion legislation has been passed. Let's hope this November we will be closer to that goal.

[CatoTheCensor]

"What are the economy, or poverty, or labor rights, or equal pay for equal work, or the war in Iraq, in comparison to the plight of the unborn?"

The plight of the born, perhaps? Are we really saying, here, that we're going to protect the unborn for all we're worth, but once you've been born, you're on your own? Less important? Sorry, but this rings seriously hollow, both logically and ethically.