6 Surprises From Obama's Sit-Down With the Catholic Press

US News & World Report ^ | July 06, 2009 | Dan Gilgoff

[presidio9]

President Obama's 45-minute sit-down with reporters from the Roman Catholic news media came just as the Fourth of July weekend was about to open, the only reason I can see that it hasn't gotten a lot more attention. I counted a half-dozen surprises from the interview, occasioned by the president's first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI this week.

1. Obama appeared to buck the White House line on abortion.

As they've met with abortion-rights supporters and opponents in crafting a "common ground" plan on reproductive issues, Obama aides have been careful to say that the administration is not trying to influence a pregnant woman's decision about whether or not to have an abortion. They insist they're aiming to help only pregnant women who've already decided they want to carry their pregnancies to term.

That's been key to reassuring the abortion-rights movement, which doesn't want the administration to stigmatize abortion as an option for pregnant women.

And yet on Thursday, Obama cast the decision to have an abortion in a decidedly negative light. "I don't know any circumstance in which abortion is a happy circumstance or decision," Obama said, "and to the extent that we can help women avoid being confronted with a circumstance in which that's even a consideration, I think that's a good thing."

It will be interesting to see how abortion-rights advocates react to this.

2. Obama said he's struggling to reconcile his religious faith with his acceptance of gays and lesbians:

For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it's clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they're often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally. And as a Christian, I'm constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians.

This is trademark Obama, seeming to effortlessly appeal to cultural conservatives and social liberals in the same breath. Religious folks, cultural conservatives included, will appreciate that Obama takes his faith seriously enough that he's struggling with how to reconcile it with his commitment to gays and lesbians. Social liberals and the LGBT community will appreciate that he's unequivocal about that commitment.

3. Obama revealed that he gets a daily devotional reading on his BlackBerry:

Joshua [DuBois, head of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships] does a wonderful service for me and he actually sends me a devotional on my BlackBerry every morning, which is actually something that he started doing I think when I was really having a tough time during the campaign. And it was just such a wonderful practice that we've continued it ever since. So every morning I get something to reflect on, which I very much appreciate.

There are a fair number of conservative Christians who question Obama's personal religious commitment. There are a fair number of secular liberals who think Obama's secretly one of them. But these kinds of personal details of Obama's daily faith life help establish him as a genuinely religious person.

4. Obama suggested that he shared some social conservative notions about what makes good and bad policy.

Reaffirming his support for a conscience clause for medical workers who object to abortion or other procedures, the president knocked critics who alleged that he'd undo such a clause:

There have been some who keep on anticipating the worst from us, and it's not based on anything I've said or done, but is rather just a perception somehow that we have some hard-line agenda that we're seeking to push.

Of course, what social conservatives fear will be "the worst" from the Obama administration is what many liberals would consider "the best." The president suggests that enacting liberal policies around abortion would constitute a "hard-line agenda." Abortion-rights groups aren't going to be happy with that kind of framing.

5. Obama denied a press report that he'd given up looking for a church in Washington but laid out a couple of alternatives to joining a congregation:

How we handle church when we're here in D.C. is something that we're still figuring out. And I think that in the second half of the year we will have made a decision. We may choose, rather than to join just one church, to rotate and attend a number of different churches.

. . . throughout the campaign we had a collection of pastors who were close friends and supporters who pray for us, a pretty eclectic group of people from the Catholic Church, people from mainstream Protestant, Evangelical. And so having some of those friends come in and pray with us is something that we're potentially looking forward to.

6. Obama showed a strong grasp of recent Catholic Church history—and of the ambivalence many American Catholics feel about how the abortion issue should affect their politics:

When I was first becoming interested in social justice issues, the American bishops were talking about nuclear freezes and sanctuary for illegal immigrants, and protesting U.S. policy in Latin America. And there was, I think, a very different set of perspectives that were represented, arising out of the Second Vatican. And then there was a decided shift that I think took place within—among church officials. And in some ways, that tracked changes in American society at large, or at least American politics. So there's no doubt that I think responses to my administration mirror tensions within the church as a whole . . . Cardinal [Joseph] Bernadin [former archbishop of Chicago] was strongly pro-life, never shrank away from talking about that issue, but was very consistent in talking about a seamless garment and a range of issues that were part and parcel of what he considered to be pro-life, that meant that he was concerned about poverty, he was concerned about how children were treated, he was concerned about the death penalty, he was concerned about foreign policy. And that part of the Catholic tradition is something that continues to inspire me. And I think that there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it's gotten buried under the abortion debate.

More trademark Obama. He manages to criticize his conservative Catholic opponents by lifting up a cardinal as a model for Catholic political engagement. What in the hands of a lesser politician would have been an insult to the Catholic Church comes off instead as a high compliment.

[theDentist]

"I don't know any circumstance in which abortion is a happy circumstance or decision," Obama said, "and to the extent that we can help women avoid being confronted with a circumstance in which that's even a consideration, I think that's a good thing."

Talk is cheap. His actions do not match his words.

[kjo]

Once again...Obama being all things to all people. It depends who he’s talking with at any given time.

[YankeeReb]

Typical BamBam he says a lot of nothing. Everyone hears what they want to hear. He's great on vague generalities but says nothing that he can be pinned down on. The ultimate snake oil salesman. Slick Willie has nothing on this guy because the Slickster never had the race card ready to be pulled out if he got into trouble.

[presidio9]

"and to the extent that we can help women avoid being confronted with a circumstance in which that's even a consideration, I think that's a good thing."

I actually like what he's saying here. It only completely stops being a "consideration" for women when it's against the law.

[HiTech RedNeck]

weasel word zero

[presidio9]

Once again...Obama being all things to all people. It depends who he’s talking with at any given time.

When reading this it helps to remember that Mr. Obama voted "PRESENT" on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Just to keep your bearings.

He only stops lying when his mouth is closed.

[BigBobber]

"I don't know any circumstance in which abortion is a happy circumstance or decision," Obama said

Why? If's just a lump of flesh, like a tumor, why not be happy it's gone?

Libs don't even lie well to themselves. They know abortion is wrong but they still promote it.

[kidd]

I’m not sure that there are any “surprises” here.

[catbertz]

Let’s see...
1. Lying
2. Lying
3. Lying
4. Lying
5. Hmmm yep lying
Etc.

[Zathras]

Translation: “Bambi votes Present”

[fortunecookie]

Is he speaking to his audience or speaking from his heart? Time will tell. Sadly, the Doug Kmiec/Nancy Pelosi Cino crowd will eat this up.

[Mom MD]

Needs a barf alert. Maybe even a two bagger.

In regards to Obama being emailed a devotion every day, it does not say he actually reads it. And even if he does, remember even satan can quote scripture.

I’m almost as tired of hearing about how wonderful the O is as I am of hearing about Michael Jackson (and thats saying a lot!)

[GBA]

Does he really believe what he is saying or does he just what you to believe him as he says it?

I'm sure he'd also like a donation in addition to the Catholic vote and support.

[SirAllen]

I pray he’s truly saved and wants to do what’s right, however consider me a skeptic because the fruit he is producing shows me otherwise.

[joe fonebone]

as curly says...” are you givin’ me the double talk”?

[silverleaf]

Uncle Screwtape would be proud of his nephew

[presidio9]

As the only church the Obamas attended for the past 20 years was Jeremiaha Wright’s, and they have only been to any church once since they are elected, I have no indication that they are even Christians.

[george123]

Having lied six times, now he will have to go to confession.

[bert]

Forgive me father for you have heard my lies

[vaudine]

these kinds of personal details of Obama's daily faith life help establish him as a genuinely religious person.

---"By their fruits ye shall know them."

vaudine

[CdMGuy]

I NEVER believe one word this fraud says.

[Nosterrex]

Who knows what Obama actually believes. He doesn't even know what he believes. He is an empty suit, and he says whatever his puppet masters tell him. There is no there, there.

[GloriaJane]

obama has proven himself to me to be a liar and thief of the truth right along beside our msm. At this point I believe nothing the man or the msm says about him.

So to me, he is what he’s already shown himself to be, and no amount of colorful writing can change that.

[OpusatFR]

Buck the White House line on abortion?

What the heck is this?

OBAMA IS THE WHITE HOUSE! What comes out of the WH is what comes out of Obama’s mouth.

Geesh.

[ZULU]

?????????????????????

This guy is a chimera - a shape-shifter. He twists, dodges, shucks and jives to get what he wants out of his audience.

But nothing he says or does deters him from his ultimate goal: a statist socialist government intruding into every personal and business activity of each and every citizen.

If he were meeting with a group of people opposed to global warming hysteria he would feed them the same kind of ambivalent political pap he spooned out to representatives of the Catholic Church. This guy doesn’t just support abortion, he was Mr. Abortion in the U.S. Congress. I sincerely hope the representatives of the Catholic Church were shrewd enough to see through this viper's duplicity.

[vpintheak]

LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Elsie]

 

For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it's clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they're often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally.

 

What will HURT them, in the end, are their ACTIONS!!    It could be worse!!

 

Genesis 13:13       Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

 

Psalms 12:8      The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

      More?

 

Isaiah 3:9   The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b  Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

 

 

Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

---

---

2 Peter 2

 1.  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 2.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
 3.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
 4.  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,  putting them into gloomy dungeons  to be held for judgment;
 5.  if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
 6.  if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
 7.  and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
 8.  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
 9.  if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
 10.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature  and despise authority.   Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
 11.  yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
 12.  But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
 13.  They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

---

---

 

But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

 9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
     Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

---

If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape.....

Genesis 13:13       Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

 

Psalms 12:8      The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

      More?

 

Isaiah 3:9   The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b  Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

 

 

Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

---

---

2 Peter 2

 1.  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 2.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
 3.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
 4.  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,  putting them into gloomy dungeons  to be held for judgment;
 5.  if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
 6.  if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
 7.  and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
 8.  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
 9.  if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
 10.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature  and despise authority.   Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
 11.  yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
 12.  But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
 13.  They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

---

---

 

But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

 9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
     Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

---

If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape.....

[FastCoyote]

Chameleon man!
Yes he’s the, chameleon man!
He’s doin whatever it takes
To be everything to every man!

(sung to “Secret Agent Man”)

[Liz]

This calculated pandering to Catholics is nauseating.

The fact is Rahm "Uriah Heep" Emanuel has a checklist of voting blocs the Democrats lost and now need to to build a permanent majority.

David Copperfield's ingratiating scoundrel fits Rahm to a tee. Uriah Heep was notorious for wielding undue influence, a manipulative bounder who was always planning and plotting, ingratiating himself into the confidence of others. Uriah Heep was obsequious, manipulative, and wormed his way into positions of influence. Uriah was a consummate con man, and not to be trusted.

Translated into the language of the popular culture, Uriah Heeps, like Rahm, position themselves as amenable to American qualities, but are insincere in these feelings; he uses important issues to advance his hidden agendas and political ambitions.

Like Uriah Heep, power-hungry Rahm feeds on others, and deploys self-serving strategies for his own self-absorbed purposes.

We conservatives are on to this. Conservatives are aware of Whom they serve and watch carefully to see if government promises made to them are empty.

We know this-----Rahm evinces an utter contempt for our culture and is obsessed with party politics. Watch him on TV---Rahm coyly speaks the language to appeal to American values, but he is not a true believer, he is a calculating conniver----a latter-day Uriah Heep.

[Liz]

[hinckley buzzard]

Only an idiot would believe a word of any of what he said. Half is unverifiable and half is deniable. I fear the credulous leftwing pseudoCatholics like Kmiec will suck it down nevertheless..

[TXBlair]

Surprise number 7: Obama didn’t incinerate upon spewing all his lies to the RC reporters.

[gogeo]

I think it was Emerson who said, “Who you are towers above you, thundering so that I cannot hear what you say.”

[narses]

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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment

Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

[jmaroneps37]

Zelig.

[netmilsmom]

>>Uncle Screwtape would be proud of his nephew<<

Post of the Day!

[MaggieCarta]

Talk is cheap. His actions do not match his words.

Beat me to saying it, thanks. I am tired of parsing politician's statements.

Wonder what daily "devotional" material he is getting on his Blackberry? Does this qualify?

[Antoninus]

This guy and Mitt Romney are basically clones of each other, politically speaking. They are all things to all people, depending on who they happen to talking to at the moment.

[stevem]

This is trademark Obama...

This says it all. Listening to Obama talk makes my skin crawl.

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Uncle Screwtape would be proud of his nephew (for WRITING such a propagandist mantra of fopping adoration ... “these kinds of personal details of Obama’s daily faith life help establish him as a genuinely religious person.”

Nonsense! Obama - and the writer! - are both lying to deliberately deceive the reader into believing Obama has any morals or Christian beliefs. Just the fact that, after 6 months he has not been going to church (with his family or others) and then claims to choose after looking at Catholic, protestant, ... - what , and will he add Buddhist and Shinto shrines to his “search” as well?

If you cannot even pick a church, you are no Christian.

But it is the WRITER who is deliberately aiding Obama in this propaganda of listen to my lies, ignore my actions.

[presidio9]

Which is why Romney would have been president right now (instead of Obama) if Huckabee had dropped out like he should have.

[presidio9]

If you cannot even pick a church, you are no Christian.

I hope its a condolence that God is not deceived by any of this. And He's the only judge that counts of course.

[Antoninus]

Which is why Romney would have been president right now (instead of Obama) if Huckabee had dropped out like he should have.

Not a chance. There are enough people like me who wouldn't have voted for Romney who did vote for McCain (albeit with nose held).

[presidio9]

In that case, you would have deserved Obama when you got him. History will say that Obama was elected because of his overriding popularity. The truth is that McCain/Palin was leading up until the moment the press realized that the economy was in trouble. McCain lost because he never gave voters a compelling reason to chose him. Obama won because he never gave voters a compelling reason to vote against him. Romney would have won, because he would have been the only man standing with any credentials for fixing the economy. That being said, I’d be shocked if you could tell me one major issue that Romeny would have approached differently than McCain. Given George Bush’s unpopularity, this whole election needed to be about making sure Obama or Hilary Clinton did not become our next president. We failed. McCain/Palin failed.

BTW, I was a Thompson man myself who finds himself defending Romeny because a lot of starry-eyed Palin supporters are suddenly crawling out of the woodwork without a working knowledge of how national elections really work. That’s a general observation, I have no way of knowing who your own horse is.

[Antoninus]

BTW, I was a Thompson man myself who finds himself defending Romeny because a lot of starry-eyed Palin supporters are suddenly crawling out of the woodwork without a working knowledge of how national elections really work. That’s a general observation, I have no way of knowing who your own horse is.

I have no horse yet for 2012, but I know that Romney would be a disaster. He is a fraud and his so-called credentials are weak at best. There's no chance he would have won against Obama as the Republican brand was in the toilet in 2008. He would have caused a lot of us who witnessed his destruction of the Massachusetts GOP to simply throw up our hands and give up on the Republican party all together.

[presidio9]

He would have caused a lot of us who witnessed his destruction of the Massachusetts GOP to simply throw up our hands and give up on the Republican party all together.

This is a close as you have come to a specific accusation against the man, so I'll have to settle for it. That "Massachusetts GOP" was a disaster long before anybody there had even HEARD of Mitt Romney.

I'm not even a fan of the guy, but this animosity is pointless. You don't have to confess your agenda to me if you don't feel like it.

[presidio9]

He would have caused a lot of us who witnessed his destruction of the Massachusetts GOP to simply throw up our hands and give up on the Republican party all together.

This is a close as you have come to a specific accusation against the man, so I'll have to settle for it. That "Massachusetts GOP" was a disaster long before anybody there had even HEARD of Mitt Romney.

I'm not even a fan of the guy, but this animosity is pointless. You don't have to confess your agenda to me if you don't feel like it.

[Antoninus]

I'm not even a fan of the guy, but this animosity is pointless. You don't have to confess your agenda to me if you don't feel like it.

Knock it off. You know full well why those of us who oppose Romney do it. My only agenda is that I'm a conservative and I don't like phonies. Mitt Romney is a gold-plated phony.

I oppose him because I watched him debate Ted Kennedy in 1994 when I lived in Massachusetts and he seemed like a very convinced liberal then--even drifting to the left of Teddy on some issues. He was pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, pro-gun-grabbing, anti-Reagan, etc. He conveniently changed all his positions only when his presidential aspirations kicked into high gear.

I don't trust the man--not even a little bit.

I'll never vote for him.