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Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal Harming Pope's Poll Numbers
Tweet Share on Facebook April 19, 2010 Comment (24)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Everybody has been talking about it. But now we have quantified data proving the point: Most Americans and most Catholic Americans think the Pope has done a terrible job dealing with the priest pedophilia scandal. CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey results released Friday also indicate that recent revelations about that matter have hurt the pope's standing with the public:
Fifty-nine percent of American Catholics questioned in the poll have a favorable view of the pope, down 19 points from February. Among all Americans, the slippage is even greater: from 59 percent in February to just 35 percent today. "Only a quarter of U.S. Catholics have an unfavorable view of the pope, but they don't seem satisfied with his track record on the growing and persistent scandal within the church," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.
Now, does anyone really think the Church or the Pope might re-think how to handle this ongoing tragedy and the public relations disaster it has created for the Church? Of course not!
This is an institution, governed as it always has been, by fallible and often corrupt human beings. If anyone still believes the Pope has any sort of connection to God, I would like that person to explain how he or she can possibly continue to believe that such a connection exists under current circumstances. Please avoid using excuses for what the Church leadership has done. They provide no insight to those of us outside the church as we try hard to understand what keeps people in the church. -
Is Fox News Raising Money For Tea Party Movement?
Tweet Share on Facebook April 16, 2010 Comment (38)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Remember when the Fox News Channel used to advertise itself as "Fair and Balanced"? I guess Fox executives have decided the ratings are better if they drop the pretense of objectivity. According to the New York Times, the network was either helping to fundraise or setting up fund-raising apparatuses for the uber-conservative Tea Party at anti-tax rallies across the country on tax day:
Fox News sent two of its biggest stars, Neil Cavuto and Sean Hannity, to be the hosts of hourlong programs from some of the rallies. Mr. Cavuto was in Atlanta, and Mr. Hannity was in Cincinnati. Seats beside Mr. Hannity’s stage were sold for $20 to $100, with the money going to the Cincinnati Tea Party.
In a related and equally entertaining development, President Obama stopped in Florida this week to raise money for the Democratic Party. According to ABC News, he suggested tea party supporters owe him a debt of gratitude:
Speaking at a Democratic fundraiser tonight, President Obama touted his administration’s tax cuts and said that the recent tea party rallies across the nation have “amused” him. “You would think they should be saying thank you,” the president said to applause. Members of the audience shouted, “Thank you.”
At least President Obama meant to be funny.
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Gov. Pawlenty's Offensive "Abortion Recovery Month"
Tweet Share on Facebook April 15, 2010 Comment (23)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Here we go again. Just when you thought the religious right couldn’t come up with any more outrageous behavior designed to offend mainstream Americans and accomplish nothing of worth, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty proclaims April, again, “Abortion Recovery Month.”
The proclamation, first cited by the Minnesota Independent, “encourages and promotes healing opportunities and raises awareness of the aftermath of abortion experienced by individuals and families,” according to the document signed by the Republican governor and Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.
According to Politico, the proclamation also recognizes that “many Minnesota organizations offer support and recovery services to those who have had abortions or who have been impacted by abortion" and that “many organizations in Minnesota promote policies that reinforce a culture of life and hope.”
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David Brooks Was Wrong on Sandra Bullock
Tweet Share on Facebook April 12, 2010 Comment (13)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
I highly recommend a new blog I just stumbled onto by one Maddy Dychtwald who calls herself a demographer, author and keynote speaker (curious combination, that, but a good blog nonetheless) which tracks women's progress and influence as women gain power and wealth in society and culture. Dychtwald writes about a New York Times Op-Ed column of last month, written by David Brooks and starts out by quoting from it:
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Palin-Bachmann in 2012? Don't Be Surprised
Tweet Share on Facebook April 9, 2010 Comment (53)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
The GOP's two best-known conservative women appeared in tandem at a Midwest rally this week for the one of them who is running for re-election. Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, of Minnesota, appeared together at a Wednesday rally and the Kansas City Star's website called the event a winner for Bachmann's re-election campaign. I saw her on CNN today and she said she's in a tough race, so this should have been a big help to her. According to the Star:
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Virginia's McDonnell Offends With Confederate History Month
Tweet Share on Facebook April 8, 2010 Comment (42)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
You've got to love those folks down in "real Virginia," so named by former Republican Sen. George Allen, who actually lived in the "unreal" northern part of the state.
Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell, he, too, a denizen of the north but with the soul of a southern or "real" Virginian, declared April Confederate History Month. As the Washington Post reports:
The two previous Democratic governors had refused to issue the mostly symbolic proclamation honoring the soldiers who fought for the South in the Civil War. McDonnell (R) revived a practice started by Republican governor George Allen in 1997. McDonnell left out anti-slavery language that Allen's successor, James S. Gilmore III (R), had included in his proclamation.
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Horse Slaughter Is Cruel, and 'Bute' in the Meat Kills Humans
Tweet Share on Facebook April 5, 2010 Comment (51)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
If you can't persuade them for the right reasons, then scare them with the facts.
A new paper in the journal Food & Chemical Toxicology shows how dangerous American horse meat is for human consumption.
Americans should stop selling horses for slaughter abroad because we love our horses and do not treat them as livestock. That's the right reason to stop this incredibly cruel practice. Still, millions of greedy horse owners and breeders send horses off to slaughter because it's more remunerative than not breeding at all or even having them euthanized.
But according to this new paper, humans who consume horse meat (most often overseas and especially in France, Italy, Japan and Belgium) are at risk for being poisoned by Phenylbutazone or "bute." It's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug originally developed for treating severe cases of arthritis, but it was later found to...
"cause serious and lethal idiosyncratic adverse effects in humans. Sixty-seven million pounds of horsemeat derived from American horses were sent abroad for human consumption last year. Horses are not raised as food animals in the United States and, mechanisms to ensure the removal of horses treated with banned substances from the food chain are inadequate at best."
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Can Voters Change the Two-Party, Democrat-Republican System?
Tweet Share on Facebook April 2, 2010 Comment (18)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Here we go again, battling politicians putting us through yet another spin cycle. This time both parties are trying to make points over the latest jobs report released today. How tiresome! President Obama went on the road to, in part, tout his job creation program. According to CNN:
The president claimed credit for a nascent economic recovery, while Republicans argued the administration has stifled stronger potential growth.
March was only the third month with job gains since the recession began three years ago, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Last month's national unemployment rate, however, held steady at 9.7 percent.
GOP members of Congress, meanwhile are claiming that the president's economic stimulus programs are not working as well as he claims they are.
Our two-party system creates this type of point-counterpoint so typical in American politics. If we Americans and voters are tired of it, it's up to us to change things.
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Obesity Research Must Find a Cure for Junk Food Addiction
Tweet Share on Facebook March 29, 2010 Comment (25)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
We now have scientific proof that something most of us suspected for a long time actually exists: an addiction to junk food. According to an article on foodconsumer.org:
"...The worst part is that the rats became so addicted to the junk food, they began compulsively eating it, despite the fact that they received an unpleasant electric shock to their feet if they consumed more than was allowed.
In contrast, rats that were given a healthy diet and only limited access to junk food did not gain much weight; more impressively, they knew when they needed to stop to avoid a junk food hangover.
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Catholic Sex Scandal Raises Question: How Do You Remove a Pope?
Tweet Share on Facebook March 26, 2010 Comment (133)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
The pope's involvement in and even sanctioning of the priest pedophilia scandal continues to grow, as reporting by the New York Times of formerly secret church memos shows. According to the U.K.'s Times Online:
Contrary to statements released by the Church in Germany, a memorandum uncovered by The New York Times suggests that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was told that a priest had gone back to pastoral duties in Munich a few days after he started psychiatric treatment. The priest went on to commit further offences.
The latest child abuse scandal to hit the Catholic Church involves a German priest, Father Peter Hullermann, who was convicted of molesting boys in 1986. Victims have complained that repeated warnings were ignored by the Church over decades of abuse.
Bonnie Erbe
Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.
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