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Edwards Blogger Flap Discomforts Religious Left
The Politico ^ | February 9, 2007 | Ben Smith

Posted on 02/09/2007 8:18:56 AM PST by george76

As the flap over alleged anti-Catholic writings by two John Edwards campaign bloggers devolves into a shouting match between conservative religious voices and liberal bloggers, some members of the "religious left" say they feel – again – shoved to the margins of the Democratic Party.

"We're completely invisible to this debate," said Eduardo Penalver, a Cornell University law professor who writes for the liberal Catholic journal Commonweal. He said he was dissatisfied with the Edwards campaign's response. "As a constituency, the Christian left isn't taken all that seriously," Penalver said.

Democrats -- and Edwards in particular -- have embraced the language of faith and the imperative of competing with Republicans for the support of religious voters. His wife, Elizabeth Edwards, even sits on the board of the leading organization of the religious left, Call to Renewal. But in private conversations and careful public statements today, religious Democrats said they felt sidelined by Edwards' decision to stand by his aides.

"We have gone so far to rebuild that coalition [between Democrats and religious Christians] and something like this sets it back," said Brian O'Dwyer, a New York lawyer and Irish-American leader who chairs the National Democratic Ethnic Leadership Council, a Democratic Party group. O'Dwyer said Edwards should have fired the bloggers. "It's not only wrong morally – it's stupid politically."

O'Dwyer e-mailed a statement to reporters saying: "Senator Edwards is condoning bigotry by keeping the two bloggers on his staff. Playing to the cheap seats with anti-Catholic bigotry has no place in the Democratic Party."

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: breckgirl; catholic; catholicism; catholics; commonweal; democrats; edwards; fauxchristians; johnedwards; persecution; religiousleft; silkypony
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the comments made by Edward's aides were so hateful and vile ...

Their Plan " B "

.

1 posted on 02/09/2007 8:18:59 AM PST by george76
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To: NYer; sionnsar
Edward's stance towards Catholicism puts the exclamation mark on hypocrite. He'd never allow these things to be said about Muslims, or ...
2 posted on 02/09/2007 8:21:05 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

"Religous Left" -- isn't that an oxymoron ??


3 posted on 02/09/2007 8:21:06 AM PST by EagleUSA
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To: george76
Playing to the cheap seats with anti-Catholic bigotry has no place in the Democratic Party."

Well, yeah, it does.

4 posted on 02/09/2007 8:21:08 AM PST by kellynch ("Our only freedom is the freedom to discipline ourselves." -- Bernard Baruch)
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To: george76
some members of the "religious left" say they feel – again – shoved to the margins of the Democratic Party.

Hello? They hate you guys! Can't you figure it out? I guess not since you are liberals.

5 posted on 02/09/2007 8:21:14 AM PST by Seruzawa (Marx's Das Kapital never could compete with the Sears catalog.)
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To: george76
"As a constituency, the Christian left isn't taken all that seriously," Penalver said.

Why would they be? Political Correctness is the opposite of the 10 Commandments. The Christian left is more like an Antichrist cult.

6 posted on 02/09/2007 8:24:11 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal.")
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To: kellynch
What they do best.

Playing to the cheap seats with anti-Catholic bigotry has no place in the Democratic Party."

7 posted on 02/09/2007 8:24:37 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: EagleUSA
The Catholic Church is socially conservative but economically liberal. Libertarians are economically conservative but socially liberal.
8 posted on 02/09/2007 8:26:00 AM PST by Borges
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To: george76

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responds as follows:


“John Edwards has apparently decided that there is more to be gained by aligning himself with the cultural left than by standing on principle and firing the Catholic bashers on his payroll. Had anyone on his staff used the ‘N-word,’ he or she would have been fired immediately. But his goal is to loot the pockets of the Soros/Hollywood gang, and they—like him—aren’t offended by anti-Catholicism. Indeed, they thrive on it.


“When Mel Gibson got drunk and made anti-Semitic remarks, he paid a price for doing so. When Michael Richards got angry and made racist remarks, he paid a price for doing so. When Isaiah Washington got ticked off and made anti-gay remarks, he paid a price for doing so. But John Edwards thinks the same rules don’t apply to him, which is why he has chosen to embrace foul-mouthed anti-Catholic bigots on his payroll."


9 posted on 02/09/2007 8:26:27 AM PST by ex-snook ("But above all things, truth beareth away the victory.")
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To: george76
""As a constituency, the Christian left isn't taken all that seriously," Penalver said."

No need to, where else are you going to go?

Kind of like certain other groups that the Democrats don't have to take seriously because there is nowhere else to go.

Kind of like how the Republicans don't take the Christians seriously because there isn't anywhere else to go.

Kind of like that...

10 posted on 02/09/2007 8:28:00 AM PST by GourmetDan
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To: george76
"We're completely invisible to this debate," said Eduardo Penalver, a Cornell University law professor who writes for the liberal Catholic journal Commonweal. He said he was dissatisfied with the Edwards campaign's response. "As a constituency, the Christian left isn't taken all that seriously," Penalver said.

Well, Eduardo, you silly goose. Watch which head the multi-headed hydra talks out of. You will easily see that you are a little more than slightly out of the mainstream in the motley gaggle of tiny little interest groups that the Democrats pander to.

They will drag you out of the closet when the need suits them, and put you back after your sound bite. Just like they do to blacks...

11 posted on 02/09/2007 8:28:16 AM PST by Kenton (All vices in moderation. I don't want to overdo any but I don't want to skip any either.)
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To: Kenton
They will drag you out of the closet when the need suits them, and put you back after your sound bite. Just like they do to blacks...

I see a parallel here to the National Republican Party and conservatives. Anybody care to disagree?

12 posted on 02/09/2007 8:33:13 AM PST by Night Hides Not (Chuck Hagel is the Republican Joe Biden!)
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To: george76

The "Christian" left is ignored, because it doesn't exist, it isn't possible.


13 posted on 02/09/2007 8:33:21 AM PST by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked)
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To: george76
O'Dwyer said Edwards should have fired the bloggers. "It's not only wrong morally – it's stupid politically." O'Dwyer e-mailed a statement to reporters saying: "Senator Edwards is condoning bigotry by keeping the two bloggers on his staff. Playing to the cheap seats with anti-Catholic bigotry has no place in the Democratic Party."

Someone send O'Dwyer a memo and tell him that the Democratic party of 40 years ago which got a Catholic elected to the Presidency is long gone, replaced by socialist/communists who disdain religion of any kind and Christianity in particular.

14 posted on 02/09/2007 8:33:51 AM PST by Tamar1973 (Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
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To: george76
The "Christian Left" has to be an all time classic oxymoron.

It's like J Carter's book, in which he argues for discarding all traditional American values, and he terms it as protecting our traditional values. The left seeks the elimination of all religion. People who were involved with left wing groups have told me they have a particular hatred for religion.

15 posted on 02/09/2007 8:36:52 AM PST by Williams
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To: EagleUSA
"Religous Left" -- isn't that an oxymoron ??

Yeah, it seems to be another invention of the secularists and Dem-sympathizers, like "progressive" and fill-in-the-blankphobia. Essentially it's a nominal Christian church that's really just a front for liberal causes. In reality, CNN is the "religious left".

16 posted on 02/09/2007 8:38:07 AM PST by workerbee (Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them.)
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To: george76

Nothing worse than a liberal female.

Those are some nasty girls.


17 posted on 02/09/2007 8:39:38 AM PST by GourmetDan
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To: EagleUSA
"Religous Left" -- isn't that an oxymoron ??

"Christian Left" is - but Leftists are hyper-religious. Unquestioning adherence to party ritual and doctrine are everything to them.

18 posted on 02/09/2007 8:40:56 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("When the government is invasive, the people are wanting." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: EagleUSA
Yes.

"Religous Left" -- isn't that an oxymoron ??

19 posted on 02/09/2007 8:43:29 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

Excellent distinction, you're exactly right.


20 posted on 02/09/2007 8:44:04 AM PST by workerbee (Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them.)
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