The media feels that Obama has been attacked enough so now they’re gathering their forces to defend The One and his healthcare plan, even if it means lying.
Case in point, Newsday is claiming that Bishop William Murphy supports ObamaCare based a letter he penned for the USCCB. Oddly, when Inside Catholic covered Murphy’s letter they entitled it: Bishops Blast Obama Health Care Plan.
Newsday wrote:
A variety of Long Island religious leaders expressed support for President Barack Obama’s national health care reform efforts Wednesday…
Bishop William Murphy, the head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, could not be reached for comment. But in a letter he sent to all of Congress last month on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Murphy said the bishops support “comprehensive health care reform that leads to health care for all, including the weakest and most vulnerable.”
Murphy’s letter also opposed not treating immigrants or using public funds for abortions. Murphy says abortion goes against church teachings.
Obama’s preferences for a health care bill don’t include public funding for abortions or health care for illegal immigrants.
This claim by Newsday of Bishop Murphy’s support is nothing short of a lie.
The closest thing their is to an endorsement is this:
“The bishops want to support health care reform. We have in the past and we always must insist that health care reform excludes abortion coverage or any other provisions that threaten the sanctity of life.”
And as we all know the healthcare bill does indeed threaten the sanctity of life.
How can Newsday possibly say that Obama’s preference for the bill doesn’t include abortion when the bill itself does include funding abortion?
I mean, let’s just pretend for a moment that Obama really didn’t want abortion to be covered (which he does). The question remains – who cares what Obama wants? The legislature is writing the bill and they’ve included abortion funding and Obama hasn’t said (and won’t) that he’ll veto it if it includes public funding of abortion.
You can read the text of Murphy’s letter here.
The funny thing is that, Newsday doesn’t only lie about the Catholics supporting the bill. There’s this quote from Rabbi Anchelle Perl, the head of Congregation Beth Sholom Chabad in Mineola:
“Health care reform needs to be done in a balanced way, along a middle ground, so you don’t destroy the present infrastructure,” he said. “This is a capitalist society.”
Does that sound like he supports the health care bill? Not to me.
The media is pulling out all the stops for their man Obama. I think it’ll only get worse as the polls worsen.
August 21, 2009 at 4:44 am
Maybe it's me, but it looks like Newsday got it right there with regards to the Bishop's letter. Their quote comes straight from the letter. And their summation of the bishops supporting "special concern for poor and inclusion of legal immigrants" seems correct. And they later qualify that the bishop's letter opposes funding of abortions. So, which part of Newsday's assessment of the bishop's letter do you feel is a lie?
August 21, 2009 at 7:34 am
I don't know…how about the fact that the bishop's letter specifically precluded support for abortion funding and Obamacare includes abortion funding.
That's a pretty big part, don't you think?
August 21, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I think Anon is missing the tone of the Bishop's letter, which I think Matt has correctly assessed. It is not an endorsement of Obamacare, but an admonition that there are areas where the politicians need to be careful. Abortion is a big issue, but note the Bishop says sanctity of life from conception to NATURAL death. No death panels here… let's not put euthanasia on the table or other technological methods (in vitro, possibly?) I think most people want to see health care reform, and so do the bishops. But the bishops seem to want to approach more judiciously than Obama is doing.
August 21, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Issues like this require leaders to speak in no uncertain terms about the Church's position against Obama's healthcare plan. They should not preach their personal opinions in this matter. So even the mere appearance or perception of support to this plan must be avoided because the opponents will pick up on that and use it to confuse others – just like the last election. If their positions were clear, people won't have to evaluate the tone and parse their words. I think the Church need to take to task these clerics that sow confusion or openly support the healthcare plan because of the injury that they cause to the Mystical Body. Enough is enough.
August 21, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Matthew the article says specifically that the bishops don't support any abortion funding. You quoted that part. So the Newsday article is correct. YOU are saying essentially, "the newsday article says the bishops don't support abortion funding! So, they are wrong, because the bishops REALLY don't support abortion funding!" Odd little man you are.
August 22, 2009 at 8:30 am
Matthew got it right' Newsday is tilted left on all life issues and will stop at nothing to push it's liberal agenda. It really is a shame tha Anon could be swayed so easily and that Rick listens to the"tone" more than the" message"
That's how Nancy Pelosi would'ved handled it too.