Presidential Questionnaire in 2004

Press Release: E-mail to ogl@USCCB.org (Catholic Conference of Bishops)Feast of St. Augustine, 8/28/04 (3:38:04 PM)
Presidential Questionnaire for All Political Parties
(Discerning the two major parties and their leaders)
In the L.A. Tidings, July 30, 2004, Rev. James L. Heft wrote, “When it comes to presidential elections these days, any thoughtful Catholic is politically homeless. Neither party shares fully the Catholic view of the value of life.” In his Orange County Catholic, August, 2004 letter, Monsignor Wilbur Davis states, “What we have are two flawed candidates representing two compromised political parties. Mr. Kerry is pro-choice which does not equal pro-abortion. Mr. Bush is anti-abortion, which does not equal pro-life…. Our conscience must be our guide.”
On the other hand, guest Columnist David Carlin, a former Democratic Senator in Rhode Island, and chairman of the Newport, R.I. Democratic Party, Our Sunday Visitor, Aug. 15, 2004, believes, “My party is hiding its radical anti-Christian agenda behind a mask of old-style liberalism…Moreover, they want to replace traditional Christian morality with a new morality that maximizes personal liberty and tolerance – a “do your own thing” morality. This explains why they are strongly supportive of abortion and same-sex marriage.” Where is the whole truth?
It seems we have a secular-religious divide in our country. We refer to the ANES and Pew surveys. “A ten on this scale indicates that the senator (Kerry) had a perfect secularist score; a zero indicates a perfect anti-secularist and traditionalist score. The average Democratic Senate score was 8.9; the average for the Republican was 0.95. Senator Kerry scored a perfect 10.” P.11, First Things (F.T.), May, 2004

“Kerry, who has a 100 percent approval rating from pro-abortion organizations, also on partial-birth abortions, has repeatedly and publicly taken his unequivocal stand with NARAL, Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood and other groups that have stridently declared for decades that they view the Catholic Church as their number-one enemy.” P. 89. F.T., Aug./Sept.04.(Richard J. Neuhaus)

President Bush spoke to the Knights of Columbus 122nd Convention in Dallas this month and stood up for his record. (www.kofc.org )
1) For the poorest of the poor, President Bush has expanded and built over 600 community health centers. 2) He signed an executive order ending unfair discrimination against faith-based charities in the federal grant process. 3) He signed laws ending the brutal practice of Partial-Birth Abortions, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. 4) He plans to triple the federal funds for abstinence programs, and support a Constitutional Amendment to protect marriage.

The crux of the matter is that there is a Catholic mindset that puts housing, immigration, minimum wage, farm subsidies, rural development, and programs for the poor; as morally equivalent to abortion, same-sex marriage, assisted suicide, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research (cloning). This is false. The first listed are prudential issues, the second listed are absolute intrinsic evils. There is no comparison. This is Veritas. Our Catholic Catechism teaches and explains it all.
The evidence is overwhelming. The Democratic Party is suicidal. It has committed spiritual suicide and has struck out with the evils of promoting abortion on demand, same-marriage, and embryonic stem cell research.
Respectfully yours, George H. Kubeck, (Appropriate for today. Duplicate and into Spanish.)