10 June 2008
Press Inquiries: Bill Roth, Communications Director, 408-876-0111
roth@catholicdemocrats.org
The Catholic League issued a press release yesterday, announcing that they were having trouble navigating the website of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama. Their President, Bill Donohue, was frustrated at not being able to find information on the Obama campaign's website regarding the inner workings of the Obama National Catholic Advisory Council.
It's not clear why a non-profit organization with a noble mission like that of the Catholic League -- founded to defend Catholics in public life -- would pay someone like Mr Donohue over $340,000 a year to launch repeated partisan attacks that actually smear fellow Catholics. When he's not taking shots at those who don't share his partisan loyalties, Mr Donohue seems to dedicate much of his time to electioneering for John McCain--for instance, by taking it upon himself to absolve the bigotry of anti-Catholics like John Hagee on behalf of all Catholics.
"It's shameful that authentic efforts by the Obama Campaign to reach out to all Catholics should be attacked like this," said Dr Patrick Whelan, President of the Catholic Democrats. "Senator Obama is far and away the best candidate for Catholics of all political stripes. Whether ending the pointless killing in Iraq, addressing the glaring economic disparities and rising gas prices left behind by the Bush Administration, or finding common ground on issues like abortion, Senator Obama is poised to stand up for Catholics and all people of faith in a way that hasn't been seen in the halls of power for years."
"To paraphrase Mark Twain," Dr Whelan added, "the news of the Obama Catholic Advisory Council's demise has been greatly exaggerated."
It may come as a surprise to the Catholic League's president, but the information he's looking for can be found easily in hundreds of newspaper articles and online references to Senator Obama's Catholic Advisory Council, including our own on the Catholic Democrats website. The Obama Campaign itself has a blog with thousands of posted articles and testimonials from Catholics and other people of all faiths who are supporting Senator Obama.
"Bill Donohue's perpetual bullying serves to remind us that he has no official capacity in the Catholic Church," said Dr Whelan. "The crudeness of the criticism he levels every week at the millions of Catholics who support Senator Obama is the starkest illustration of the fact that Bill Donohue really speaks for no one but himself."
