Archives for September 2015

Today, Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, made history by becoming the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. The Pope delivered a message of hope, renewal and inclusion; not one steeped in religious dogma. As a prime example, when he spoke of the sanctity of life, he did not go on to discuss the rights of the unborn but those of the living. The Pope strongly spoke of his opposition to the death penalty.

The Pope praised politics as a noble calling but challenged the lawmakers to find their “better selves” and work together for the good of all. “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics,” said the Pope.

Speaking not only of a divided Congress but a divided world, the pontiff said, “Our response must be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises.”

In his strongest exhortation, the Pope stressed,” We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good. The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United Sates.” The Pope said this could be accomplished while at the same time respecting “our differences and our convictions of conscience.”

When the Pope spoke of his own experience as an immigrant, it seemed to bring a tear to the eye of Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican presidential candidate and son of Cuban immigrants. “In recent years,” said the Pope, “millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.”

One of the more recurring themes throughout the Pope’s address was the need to work towards the “common good.” He warned that this cannot be accomplished if the world is seen through Bushonian lenses of black or white, “as only good or evil; or, the righteous and sinners.”

Will the Pope’s message of hope, renewal and the moral imperative of working towards the common good sway a divided Congress? Will the Congress of nope heed the Pope of hope? Only time will tell, as our country seems headed towards another government shutdown over the funding of a health service for the poor and marginalized among us.

Photo | Zach Gibson/The New York Times

Today Pope Francis gave his much anticipated speech to a joint meeting of Congress.

Pity poor John Boehner. Because of his speakership position, he, along with Vice President Joe Biden, is required to sit behind the speaker’s podium. With his face on constant display,  there was no place for the man known for his blubbering to hide.

Watching Boehner give frequent use to his white hanky, you could just sense the two thoughts going through the devout Catholic’s head -“What the hell was I thinking inviting this liberal Pope to speak” and, “I am surely going to hell.”

What I can only describe as an amazing repudiation of the Republican credo, the Pope presented a well thought-out, well-reasoned version of the American progressive manifesto: the belief in social and economic justice; the dignity of all humans; the caring for the less fortunate, the belief in compromise, the rejection of greed. The Pope, as anticipated, did speak of the sanctity of all life, but he carried that thought through to his opposition of the death penalty.

While the Pope’s speech touched on specific hot bottom items such as immigration, income inequality, climate change and the horrors of war, his sermon was mostly inspirational. The Pope’s loudest applause came when he reminded the audience of the Christian “Golden Rule”: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Will the Popes speech change the hearts of Republican conservatives? Unlikely. Will our nation’s political discourse become less shrill? Probably not. But the Pope’s speech undoubtedly put the fear of God into many a conservative, fundamentalist heart … “I’m a hypocrite and I’m going to hell!”

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During the final death throes of his hapless candidacy to become the Republican presidential nominee, Rick Perry took what many likened to, “a hail Mary pass.” He systematically and viciously attacked the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump. He slammed the reality TV star’s presidential bid as dangerous and claimed, if left unchecked, it could bring about the demise of the Republican Party.

“He offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued,” warned Perry during an address at the Willard Hotel in downtown Washington. “Let no one be mistaken: Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded.”

The attacks on Trump, however, didn’t work. On what could not have been a more somber day, September 11^th, the former Texas Governor was forced to suspend his latest bid for the presidency.

Of course, Perry was spot on.

A Trump nomination as Republican presidential standard-bearer could be the end of the Republican Party as we now know it. But even if Trump does not become the nominee or this is all a hoax by the man, the damage he has inflicted on the Republican brand may be irreparable. By being forced to play Trump’s game of hate and division, Republicans have alienated just about everyone; gays, blacks, women, Hispanics, Asians, the poor, immigrants, and anyone who believes in science, education, justice, fairness and equality.

Anyway you slice it, the numbers do not work for the Republicans. While they may do well in state elections by sticking to their well-honed playbook, they have very little, to no, chance in a national election, regardless of whom the Democrats pick as their nominee.

No matter what happens, the damage has been done … but Trump will be a winner. For a great analysis of this point, read, Donald Trump Has Already Won by William H. Harwood, instructor of Philosophy, The University of Texas-Pan American.

The much-anticipated moment finally arrived today. Pope Francis landed to a red-carpet welcome at Andrews Air Force Base, greeted by a throng of supporters and well-wishers. In a rare move for a U.S. president, Barack Obama greeted His Holiness on the tarmac. The two shared a brief conversation as the Pope headed to the small Fiat 500 awaiting him.

“So glad to have you here, Papa,” said Obama. “What a reception. You’re like a rock star!”

“Doesn’t quite match the reception the Beatles got in 1964 when they arrived at JFK,” quipped the Pontiff. “It was only a few days ago I was greeted by the Communist leader of Cuba and now the Muslim leader of the free world.”

“No, your Excellency,” replied Obama. “I’m actually a member of your flock. That Muslim stuff is just some nonsense my political opponents have concocted to energize their followers.”

“You know I will be the first Pope to address a joint session of Congress,” said Francis. “But before I leave for Rome, I would like to talk with you about the evils of your faith’s Sharia law.”

“Excuse me, your Holiness,” pressed Obama, “but I do not believe you heard what I said. I’m Christian.”

“But I spoke to my host, Speaker John Boehner,” said a puzzled Pontiff, “he assured me I would be meeting a Muslim … you.”

“No, Mr. Boehner is only calling me a Muslim so he can keep his Speakership job,” replied Obama. “He knows I’m not a Muslim.”

“So my host is a liar?” snapped the Holy Father, “I will advise him to confess to me. Sounds like a case of two “Our Fathers” and five “Hail Marys.”

The Pope, who makes a point of rejecting symbols of wealth, got into the backseat of the tiny black Fiat and was rushed away to his lodgings, Motel 6 Washington.

Photo | Andrew Harnik-AP