Jivin J’s Life Links 9-17-10
by JivinJ, host of the blog, JivinJehoshaphat
- The Archbishop of Manila has issued a pastoral letter on abortion after a couple of aborted children were left outside churches in the Philippines.
- Ramesh Ponnuru writes in Politico about how social issues like abortion still matter in elections:
MS Gov. Haley Barbour says that the social issues “ain’t going to change anybody’s vote this year.” Sen. John Cornyn, who is running the Republican Senate campaign this year, said that many independent voters tell him that the party’s social-issue stands turn them off and praised the tea parties for emphasizing fiscal issues.
- But somebody forgot to tell the voters. The Republican primaries suggest that while, of course, economic issues are at the top of most people’s minds, conservative voters still care a great deal about social issues….
- Formerly pro-life (he’s voted in favor of removing restrictions from federal ESCR funding and in favor of the health care law which opens the door to abortion funding) Congressman Dale Kildee is now lying about health care reform:
“I am proud of my voting record, and I stand behind my vote for health reform legislation, which contains fully the Hyde Amendment protecting the life of the unborn,” Kildee’s statement reads.
That’s utterly ridiculous. Kildee is well-aware that the Hyde Amendment isn’t even partially contained in the health care reform legislation. Even President Obama’s executive order doesn’t assert that the Hyde Amendment covers the entire legislation. It only mentions the Hyde Amendment with regards to “newly created health insurance exchanges” and community health centers.
It should not be surprising, given the state of the economy, that voters do not rate abortion or same-sex marriage one of their top issues. (Most voters never do.) But don’t confuse cyclical changes for structural ones. The relative importance of social and economic issues alters as circumstances, especially economic circumstances, do. But there is no reason to think that the social issues are in long-term decline.
I respect your right to your opinion, but you are wrong. I’ve known Dale for 30 years, and I can assure you he has never and will never compromise his beliefs in the rights of the unborn over party politics. He simply does not operate that way.
Your argument implies Dale is lying (your words) about his support for the unborn. If that were true, why would he spend decades fighting his own party on this issue? The fact that he doesn’t support the Democratic party position on abortion costs him votes every election.
The fact that he is being smeared by RTL on his position tells me it isn’t really about the unborn. The children have become pawns by RTL to forward their own political agenda. That is the real lie.