Durbin Releases Catholic Scorecard

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/49_132/news/5763-1.html (subscription required)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) pushed back Wednesday against Catholics who advocate withholding communion from abortion-rights lawmakers, releasing an analysis that contends Democrats are more likely to align themselves with the church on legislative matters than their Republican counterparts are.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, supported the Catholic Church 60.9 percent of the time — the highest of any Senator — according to the vote analysis, which was conducted by Durbin’s staff. Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.), with 33.2 percent, supported the church less frequently than any of the Senate’s 24 Catholic Members, Durbin’s staff concluded.

Durbin acknowledged that Kerry did not vote on all of the issues that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops declared a position on. But he said he did not expect it to affect the results.

“When you take a closer look at the votes that he missed, you will find an almost equal number of votes he was very likely to vote for as those he was very likely to vote against the Catholic Bishop’s position,” Durbin said. “So, I don’t believe that has skewed the result in any one way or another.”

[maddezmom]

1. love that man.... :)

[metisnation]

2. atta boy

roll up those chicago blue sleeves and swing back with a vengance...this man fights for peoples rights I have watched him for several years and he does what is morally right.


:kick:

[diamond14]

3. Great work !!! next up is rating the HOUSE on Catholic issues

I think there is a Catholic House member in charge of that report...
and the pResident should be rated also...

since bush* started his little 'religious' government approach to everything...America should rate the shrub on HIS OWN religious actions in policy positions of his cabal....

is KILLING 20,000 innocent Iraqis follow Catholic teachings?

is assassination of sovereign foreign leaders children follow Catholic teachings?...

How about putting DEAD OR ALIVE bounties on people?

Is it Catholic teaching to slam missiles into suspect's cars and murder everyone inside?

[NewJerseyDem]

4. There already did one

Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) made a report for the House and I think she did it with Nick Lampson of Texas. It came out maybe a month ago.

[diamond14]

5. so, hopefully, there will be a simple, easy to understand scorecard

for Catholic voters?

please keep us informed...I'll pass the scorecard around a LOT at my Catholic Church and to my Catholic on-line friends...

Catholics are a BIG voting block....

I'm against bush* and his WARS....

I've been working on Kerry's Campaign since before Christmas....

It'll be real hard to stop Irish Catholics from voting for a JFK with a last name Kerry....it's just thrilling to see the JFK again on the ticket....

[saigon68]

9. HOW ABOUT KILLING UDAY HUSSEIN

AND DISPLAYING HIS AUTOPSY PHOTOS ON THE 5 O'CLOCK NEWS???


NO I WON'T POST THEM HERE UNLESS SOME PUKE WANTS TO ARGUE W/ ME

[kysrsoze]

6. I want Dick Durbin to be our next Speaker of the House

He's excellent. BTW - I left a clue in the title above. I think we're going to take both houses this year, or at least one of them.

[lastliberalintexas]

14. Majority Leader of the Senate, maybe?

He's not in the House.

[JI7]

7. Kerry was smart to appoint Durbin to high DNC post

i'm sure kerry was impressed by watching durbin in the senate. durbin is really good in that he comes across as a moderate while defending and taking liberal positions.

[JI7]

8. kick

[Maeve]

10. Results only prove what some of us have said all along

The Democratic Party platform is closer to Catholic social teachings than that of the Republicans. And those social teachings are more "liberal" than "conservative"; a preference for the poor and fair treatment of the oppressed, justice, equality...little things like that.

[JNelson6563]

11. Durbin rocks

I have seen that man obliterate the Repubs without n'ary a name-called or voice raised. He's quite something.

Julie

[cap]

12. US Conference of Catholic Bishops platform is very Democratic

once you get off of abortion/contraception....

Take a look at their website...
http://www.nccbuscc.org:8765/

[John_H]

13. Once again, Dick Durbin shows why he's the most effective Dem in America!

On Edit: Why, God, couldn't he be from MO, WI, or MN?!? He'd be the best VP and then the best Prez of the 20th century.

[dsc]

15. a slight quibble

Durbin is wrong about one thing. If Kerry's missed votes are around 50/50 then they would lower Kerry's average. The more votes he missed the more the average would be lowered. An example:

If he missed 1/4 of the votes then his average would be 3/4(60.9) + 1/4(50%) which is 58.175%. If he missed half the votes his average would be 1/2 (60.9%+50%) which is 55.45%. If he missed 3/4 of the votes it would be 1/4(60.9) + 3/4(50%) 52.725%. I would imagine that would make a difference in his ranking.