Is This, Always-Sometimes-Never, OK? Who Decides?

[teresaq]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33852621/

Catholic bishops shape health care bill

WASHINGTON - Catholic bishops have emerged as a formidable force in the health care overhaul fight, using their clout with millions of Catholics and working behind the scenes in Congress to get strong abortion restrictions into the House bill.

They don't spend a dime on what is legally defined as lobbying, but lawmakers and insiders recognize that the bishops' voices matter — and they move votes. Representatives for the bishops were in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Capitol suite negotiating with top officials last Friday evening as they reached final terms of the agreement. Earlier in the day, Pelosi, a Catholic and an abortion rights supporter, had been on the phone to Rome with Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Washington's former archbishop, on the subject.

It wasn't the first time a high-ranking Catholic had weighed in with a key player on writing strict abortion curbs into the health measure. Boston's Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley personally appealed to President Barack Obama about it near the church altar at the early September funeral for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. Bishops quietly called their congressmen and senators to weigh in.

.....

[phkrause]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33852621/

Catholic bishops shape health care bill

WASHINGTON - Catholic bishops have emerged as a formidable force in the health care overhaul fight, using their clout with millions of Catholics and working behind the scenes in Congress to get strong abortion restrictions into the House bill.

They don't spend a dime on what is legally defined as lobbying, but lawmakers and insiders recognize that the bishops' voices matter — and they move votes. Representatives for the bishops were in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Capitol suite negotiating with top officials last Friday evening as they reached final terms of the agreement. Earlier in the day, Pelosi, a Catholic and an abortion rights supporter, had been on the phone to Rome with Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Washington's former archbishop, on the subject.

It wasn't the first time a high-ranking Catholic had weighed in with a key player on writing strict abortion curbs into the health measure. Boston's Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley personally appealed to President Barack Obama about it near the church altar at the early September funeral for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. Bishops quietly called their congressmen and senators to weigh in.

.....

Ah, the heavy hitters.

pk

[phkrause]

PKARUSE

YES they are the heavy hitters of politics

dgrimm60

Looks like there wanting to push there weight around more in recent years. Very interesting indeed.

pk

[Dottie]

They get to push their weight around because so many of the Congressmen are Catholics.

It would be interesting for someone to do some research into just how many of them are Catholics; also, how many of the newscasters of any (ppoliticall) persuasion are Catholics.

[teresaq]

is it "always" ok for us to put pressure on politicians to make laws that support our views,

"sometimes", does it depend on what we are pressuring someone else to do?

or "never" ok, regardless of the consequences?