Lifesite reports that Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), congratulated President Barack Obama on being honored with the Nobel Peace Prize:
“In the name of the Catholic Bishops of the United States, I would like to offer congratulations to President Barack Obama on his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. As he has graciously said, much of the work of realizing a more peaceful and just world for all persons and nations remains to be done; but the prize was given because as President of the United States he has already changed the international conversation. In our own country, the remarkable and historic achievement of his election has changed the relationships between men and women of all races.
It always pains me to hear a man of the cloth praising Obama but in this case I have to agree with him that Obama has changed the national conversation. In fact, when my wife and I talk at night we often speak about the awful and ridiculous things the White House did that day.
But it’s changed international and national conversations everywhere. Here’s how:
Pre-Obama Ahmadinejad: “I will drive Jews into the sea.”
Ahamadinejad now: “I will drive Jews into the sea and the USA won’t care.”
Pre-Obama Abortion providers: “Must….kill….babies…”
Abortion providers now: (Singing) “We’re in the money…We’re in the money.”
Pre-Obama Israeli Prime Minister: “I’m dialing George Bush and…hey George, what’s up?”
Israel’s Prime Minister now: “I’ve been on hold for three hours waiting to speak to President Obama…No. No. I don’t want to speak to the undersecretary again…Please don’t put me on hold again…darnit…What is this song? Girl from Ipanema? That Burt Bacharach is one talented guy. It’s the third time I’ve heard this song and it doesn’t get old.”
Pre-Obama Taliban: Holy Cow. This Bush guy is crazy. He’s trying to kill us all.
Taliban now: “I’m dialing Obama and…hey Barack what’s up?
Pre-Obama Sarkozy: “The President is a cowboy.”
Sarkozy now: “The President is a boy.”
Pre-Obama Putin: “Muhahahahahahah”
Putin now: “Muhahahahahahaha. Ha. Obama’s talking about nuclear disarmament again. Well he’s certainly left Poland disarmed. Muhahahahaha.”
Pre-Obama John McCain: “I would’ve made a better President than this guy.”
McCain now: “I would’ve made a better President than this guy.”
Pre-Obama Czars in the White House: “Policy? Nobody’s ever asked me anything. I thought this job was just a resume enhancer.”
Czars in the White House now: “Hey, I’m writing our new healthcare policy. What’s a good word for eugenics that doesn’t sound so ‘death panely?'”
So yeah, Obama’s changed the conversation. That’s for sure.
HT Pewsitter
October 15, 2009 at 4:09 am
Maybe you should take a lesson from our bishops and tone it down a gram.
October 15, 2009 at 4:56 am
Is Card. Francis George an Obama supporter? It seems the Cardinal writes in the similar manner as the President… "change" in the conversation sounds nice but doesn't mean a darn a thing.
Or did the Cardinal tone it down (compared to Matt's humor) ,and he means that the 'change' is for the worse?
Joe K
October 15, 2009 at 5:32 am
Tone it down a gram…
Right….Would our Savior "Tone it down a gram? We strive to be more Christ like. Always, always, always, go with G-d.
Share "The Good News" and don't be shy about it.
October 15, 2009 at 5:42 am
Saying the Taliban has Obama on speed-dial is not being Christ-like.
Niether is anyone who writes "G-D", which is a Jewish custom based on illogic, and not a Catholic one.
October 15, 2009 at 7:34 am
Keep it up, Matt, that post was awe-some!
October 15, 2009 at 8:15 am
"Tone it down a gram…"
Yeah, don't dare speak the unvarnished truth…
Anonymous,
"But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. " Apocalypse, 3:16
"sed quia tepidus es et nec frigidus nec calidus incipiam te evomere ex ore meo"
October 15, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Anon- ever read the Inferno? I think you'd like the canto on how the lukewarm middling ground people are punished. Something about being incessantly chased by gadflies through swampy ground while desperately chasing some banner in the distance…
Good post Matt!
October 15, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Minor nit-pick.
"The Girl form Ipanema" was written and performed by Antonio Jobim.
Perhaps the proper Bacharach song to reference would be "Promises, Promises?"
Promises, promises
I'm all through with promises, promises now
I don't know how I got the nerve to walk out
If I shout, remember I feel free
Now I can look at myself and be proud
I'm laughing out loud
Oh, promises, promises
This is where those promises, promises end
I don't pretend that what was wrong can be right
Every night I sleep now, no more lies
Things that I promised myself fell apart
But I found my heart
[ Find more Lyrics on http://www.mp3lyrics.org/zkf ]
Oh, promises, their kind of promises
can just destroy a life
Oh, promises, those kind of
promises take all the joy from life
Oh, promises, promises, my kind of promises
Can lead to joy and hope and love
Yes, love!!
Every night I sleep now, no more lies
Things that I promised myself fell apart
But I found my heart
Oh, promises, their kind of promises
can just destroy a life
Oh, promises, those kind of promises
take all the joy from life
Oh, promises, promises, my kind of promises
Can lead to joy and hope and love
Yes, love!!
October 15, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Matthew,
Although using "Girl from Ipanema" is funny, it isn't nearly as insulting as what Barack Obama actually played for the Rabbis on hold for his big health care conference call — "Deutschland Uber Alles." I am not kidding.
October 15, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Matthew,
You're not kidding! Why, oh why, oh WHY couldn't the USCCB (since it hasn't the decency to dissolve like a bad dream) simply keep its collective mouth *shut*, in this instance… and speak neither good nor ill? Does anyone seriously think that USCCB commentary was a crying need for this situation? It did no good, and it did some significant (though subtle) damage. God save us from ostpolitik and other soft-hearted and soft-headed approaches…
October 15, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Schmoosing is so undignified.
October 15, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Obama has changed the international conversation, and moved it from stopping terrorists as much as possible to nuclear disarmament. While the latter is a worthy objective, and something the Church has advocated for a long time, I'm not sure if it was a change for the better.
However, the Cardinal should make sure to praise the right people in the last sentence. Obama did not cause the "remarkable and historic achievement" that changed relationships between races (how much it has changed remains to be seen)….the voters did.
October 15, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Sorry, I do love 99.9% of what you post Matthew, but the Obama/Taliban bit was offensive.
I consider myself a conservative, but I really don't like the generally hateful and mean spirited commentary on the right side of the fence. The Tea Partys and such are scary, and not in line with conservative ideals, or even good politics. It's un-Christian and CERTAINLY un-Catholic. Coulter, Beck, Hannity, etc – they all have this desperation in their tone and rhetoric. What does it REALLY accomplish? I read CMR every day, and I know you like to push the envelope, I get that. But do you not think we need to focus on positive outreach instead of the petty name calling and associating the president with the Taliban?
October 15, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Obama's White House recently made it clear that they were open to negotiating with the Taliban. That's a fact.
October 15, 2009 at 7:23 pm
October 15, 2009 12:32 AM
Anonymous said…
Way to much nitpicking…and what is being Christ like???
And avoiding the horrible Jewish custom of honoring and fearing our Heavenly Father???
Holy Name Society…where art thou?
October 15, 2009 at 7:58 pm
This is what I was afraid would happen: while Cardinal George's statement came as close as USCCB "fluffyspeak" can come to damning with faint praise (and restricting his gratitude to things which Obama didn't cause, for the most part, and for which he can't reasonably take credit), people still hear Cardinal George and think, "Hm… he's giving approbation to Obama's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize". I know, full well, that the NPP is now (and has been for decades) a "liberal merit badge/promoter" and nothing more; but the general populace still attaches some of its old dignity to it… and many will be led to think that Cardinal George, et al., approves of that "recognition of dignity/esteem" for the greatest threat to innocent life who ever served as President. This is political correctness run amok, and taken as "normal" by the USCCB; it's a disease that seriously needs to be burned out of the Body of Christ.
"Nuance": the only 6-letter 4-letter word in the English language.
October 15, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I have the deepest respect and fondness for Francis Cardinal George as my Archbishop, a Prince of the Church, and successor of the Apostles when it comes to his word on faith and morals. But when he crosses the line into secular politics, and tries to be the Democratic Socialist Party's favorite "moderate" archbishop, he puts himself on the same playing field as every other man who puts his trousers on one leg at a time.
As for the milquetoasts who complain about rudeness among the owners and commentators on this blog. get up off the ground and start walking erect, folks. And Read Matthew 23…many times.
October 16, 2009 at 12:33 am
Anonymous – we do not honor our HEavenly Father by misguidedly omitting a vowel from the word "God". God is not our Heavenly Father's proper name, which is translitterated as YHWH or Jehova from the Latin. It is an errant Jewish custom, based on the idea that to say the name of God was punishable by death. If you believe this, then you don't understand Christianity at all.
Judaizers were condemned by the early church Fathers. And rightly so. This includes neo-Judaizers like yourself.
October 16, 2009 at 12:42 am
Oh, Winglet, that's awful. Do you have any resources to back that up? Talk about amatuer night at the White House.
And congrats, Matt! You know you've made it when you get more whining from a post than accolades.
You and Patrick are now internet famous! I'm so proud.
October 16, 2009 at 5:25 am
President is not a boy he is cow boy..