Heinz squeezes blame from pope (Teresa)

TRIBUNE-REVIEW ^ | April 22, 2005 | Eric Heyl

[bitt]

Were it not for the man now known as Pope Benedict XVI, Teresa Heinz might already have installed new drapes and carpeting in the White House. Or so she seems to believe.

Based on remarks Heinz made recently at a Seattle money-raiser, the Pittsburgh ketchup heiress -- a practicing Catholic -- appears to have little fondness for the new pontiff.

You can almost understand why. He did, if you buy her argument, indirectly help keep her husband, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., from becoming president last year.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported last month that Heinz blamed Kerry's inability to unseat President Bush on anything and everything but Kerry himself.

She implied votes might have been improperly tabulated because most optical scanning devices used to count votes in many parts of the country are owned by two "hard-right" Republicans.

She also suggested the Kerry campaign was brought down in part by Catholic bishops who assailed the candidate's pro-choice view on abortion.

"You cannot have bishops in the pulpit -- long before or the Sunday before the election, as they did in Catholic churches -- saying it was a mortal sin to vote for John Kerry," she said. "The church has a right and obligation to teach values. They don't have a right to restrict freedom of expression, which they did."

I assume the Post-Intelligencer's Joel Connelly did his best to accurately quote her. No reporter wants to have to ask Heinz to clarify her remarks immediately after she finishes speaking.

We've heard it can be dangerous.

Last summer, American bishops received a letter from the Vatican advising that Catholics who condone abortion are committing "a grave sin."

[bigsigh]

If this is true, we have much to thank the pope for already. He helped save 300 million people.

[scott says]

[SmithL]

And not only did the Pope NOT serve in Vietnam, he also has NO Purple Hearts.
So There!

[Tuba Guy]

Don't Bogart them brews !!!

[the invisib1e hand]

dude. that graphic was a hoot, so I checked out your homepage. It was in my mind for years to do a bumper sticker that said, 'the sixties are over!. I got this idea during Clinton campaign #1.

And you know what, don't be afraid to express your opinion on your truck! you'd be surprised how many people agree with you. the ones that don't, if you're a FReeper, are probably quite the minority. And if not, all the more reason to speak up.

The Public Square is where the change begins, bud -- the marketplace of ideas. Be tasteful and respectful, but be bold and true. And funny. Like that graphic.

And if lunies can "come out," how much more the normal folk?

[Dallas59]

Who's John Kerry?

[davisfh]

"I think she is "12 Gin soaked" rasins away from 2 scoops."

Excellent observation. She reminds me somewhat of a drunk dominatrix I once knew.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Teresa, since you're new to this country, let me try to explain how our Constitution and Bill of Rights work.

People have freedom of speech. That means they can say what they want. The fact they are members of a religious organization does not deny them of that right.

For example, the REVEREND Jesse Jackson has the right to be highly critical of George Bush. The REVEREND Al Sharpton can even run for President. And oh yes, this also applies to people who belong to the Catholic Church. They're allowed to express their opinions too.

Got it?

Tomorrow: the Second Amendment.

[scott says]

Thanks, I appreciate your feedback.I have no problem expressing my views,normally.The concern I have is that potential customers will be turned off and not call me.If I was in Omaha or Cleveland, no problem.But I am in the SF Bay Area and am outnumbered, about 10 to 1 ! But I like your attitude and maybe your right- I should just do it!!

[devolve]

John Kerry-Heinz is driving his gas-electric hybrid Ford now I assume - waiting period is only 1-2 months for a Toyota Prius hybrid - but the $10,000 over list price is more than Kerry-Heinz can afford I guess.

[warsaw44]

That I can understand.
It just drives me nuts the way the press comes running to listen to this woman as if she is some wise yogi dispensing life lessons.
If some blood shot broad at the local ' sip and spew ' were calling a press conference I'd expect no one to notice or care.

[Bernard]

Did somebody - anybody - actually say that it was a mortal sin to vote for John Kerry? I don't remember hearing or seeing that.

[Faith]

Re: #6

That was exactly the line that smacked me in the forehead. Does she listen to the words coming out of her mouth?

[Smartass]

Imagine, if it wasn't for Teresa's big mouth, "Hanoi John" might have been prez.   Keep talking Terry.

[bitt]

this newspaper seems to be trolling for Kerry/Heinz stories to bust them on...it is a pleasure to read them.

[Meldrim]

"She also suggested the Kerry campaign was brought down in part by Catholic bishops who assailed the candidate's pro-choice view on abortion."

To an extent she is probably correct.

[reformedliberal]

I agree.

I think the left is experiencing extreme cognitive dissonance. For those of us over sixty, we can recall when everyone declined to either discuss their faith or to bring it into the workplace or politics. Politicians, especially Catholics and Jews, used to have declare that they would not allow their faith to influence their vote. Times have changed. People of faith are speaking up and holding themselves and others to the values they have just mouthed, up til now. The *outrage* over this that we see expressed repeatedly by the left may simply be that they think the old rules still apply and that believers are still too intimidated to continue to speak up.

As to the black churches: again, the left is still assuming that white Christians and Jews will feel guilt from the pre-civil rights era and will never criticize anything done in the name of black Americans. I am not sure yet if they understand that most Orthodox Jews and practicing traditional Roman and Orthodox Catholics and the majority of black Christians agree on basic traditional values.

They have to have seen the analysis showing Jews, Catholics and black Christians voted GOP in much higher percentages than previously. From their actions, they seem to assume that they can still jawbone these issues and shut us all up. They also are continuing to attempt to set us all against each other on the basis of presumed sectarian differences. That isn't working, either.

[OpusatFR]

""You cannot have bishops in the pulpit -- long before or the Sunday before the election, as they did in Catholic churches -- saying it was a mortal sin to vote for John Kerry," she said. "The church has a right and obligation to teach values. They don't have a right to restrict freedom of expression, which they did."

Does this sincerely limited woman understand that the Dogma was stated from the pulpit and the Church is not the public sphere?

[FRactional]

Huh, exactly where are the cart and the horse?

Seems to me Kerry's loss was REALLY due to the preference of the MAJORITY of voting Americans - including the majority of Catholics AND their bishops - who just happen share the same 'culture of life' as GWB.