How to Fake a Firestorm

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/2/8/115653/2024

How to Fake a Firestorm

by Steve M.
Wed Feb 8th, 2012 at 11:56:53 AM EST


The New York Times:

WASHINGTON -- Facing vocal opposition from religious leaders and an escalating political fight, the White House sought on Tuesday to ease mounting objections to a new administration rule that would require health insurance plans -- including those offered by Catholic universities and charities -- to offer birth control to women free of charge....

Please note that this is an "escalating political fight" even though polls show that clear majorities of Americans -- and Catholics -- support birth control coverage. The leadership of the Catholic Church is peeved, but rank-and-file Catholics aren't. So why is this a firestorm?

It's a firestorm, I think, because the American political elite teems with high-profile right-wing Catholics -- among them converts such as Newt Gingrich, Robert Bork, Sam Brownback, Laura Ingraham, Lawrence Kudlow, and Ramesh Ponnuru. There's been a concerted effort in recent years to win influential wingers over to the Catholic Church (Father John McCloskey, a prime mover in this effort, was described in a 2002 Slate article as "The Catholic Church's K Street lobbyist&quot ; the effort seems to be the political equivalent of Scientology's focus on converting famous entertainers.

When you combine all these wingnut Catholic converts with birth Catholics who are prominent right-wingers (William Bennett, Scalia/Thomas/Roberts), you get a Catholic-winger noise machine that can convey the sense within the Beltway that Catholics believe a certain thing when, in fact, only prominent right-wing Catholic pols and pundits believe it in great numbers.

This is a great mechanism for fooling easily spooked non-right-wing Catholics such as Cokie Roberts and E.J. Dionne -- both of whom have engaged in fretful hand-wringing about the terrible political misjudgment President Obama has allegedly made. Well, it really does looks like a terrible decision -- if the only Catholics you encounter regularly are your Georgetown cocktail party pals.

[auburngrad82]

1. This kind of bit them in the ass this week

They started in on "Obama's War on Catholics" and what happened? Santorum took all three primaries. So the debacle continues. The GOP is foundering. They can't find a message that will coalesce all of their voters behind one candidate and get them excited to come out and vote in November.

[annabanana]

2. The beltway in thrall to the RW Wurlitzer

It happens over and over...

(It's the ghost of Robert Novak!)

[bemildred]

3. At last! A meaningless issue we can feel comfortable talking to death." nt

[Spazito]

4. Yep, another faux outrage brought to you by...

the RCC hierarchy and their talking head pundit supporters, the rabid right wing fundies and the repubs. The polls on this issue prove there is NO issue, the majority of the public AND the majority of Catholics are on the side of the President.