GOP Seeks Catholic Parish Directories

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (news - web sites) has asked Bush-backing Roman Catholics to provide copies of their parish directories to help register Catholics to vote in the November election, a use of personal information not necessarily condoned by dioceses around the country.


In a story posted Thursday on its Web site, the National Catholic Reporter said a GOP official had urged people who attended a Catholic outreach event in January to provide parish directories and membership lists to the political party.


"Access to these directories is critical as it allows us to identify and contact those Catholics who are likely to be supportive of President Bush (news - web sites)'s compassionate conservative agenda," wrote Martin J. Gillespie, director of Catholic Outreach at the RNC. "Please forward any directories you are able to collect to my attention."

~snip~

Susan Gibbs, the spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., which oversees 140 parishes in Washington and Maryland, said parish directories publish information only for use among church members and not for use by outside organizations no matter what their purpose.

~snip~
more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=9&u=/ap/20040723/ap_on_el_pr/gop_catholics

[Democat]

1. More of the GOP trying to divide Americans - even churches are political

The Republicans are doing everything they can to get Americans to hate each other.

They do not want to, nor have they ever wanted to, unite America - they want to divide the people and rape the country for their own benefit.

[Gman]

2. Karl Rove complained after 2000 that there were over

2 million evangelicals that did not vote and that's why the election was so close.

Again, its obvious that Rove is has written off the undecideds and is letting everything ride on get out the vote.

[yardwork]

37. Maybe they'll vote this time - against Bush

[Timefortruth]

3. The demographics of Catholics aren't a slam dunk for

chimp&co. In fact Catholics are as likely to be Democrats as Republicans.

[w4rma]

4. Many (most?) protestant fundamentalists see Catholicism as Satanism.

Why a single solitary Catholic would want to help them out makes no sense to me.

[yardwork]

38. I know one. I know a Catholic freeper who loves Rush.

All that proves is that anyone can choose to be willfully misinformed - even Catholics!

But I agree that the Catholics are not likely to vote as a bloc in this election. For one thing, wouldn't most of them tend to view a Catholic candidate more favorably?

[noonwitch]

5. The Catholic Church should never go along with this.

Of course, the GOP has the audacity to request this, but I would think going along with it would not be the usual catholic response.

[dflprincess]

22. The official church reply may be no

and the priests may tell their parishoners not to send in the parish list, but it sounds like they're asking individuals to do this and they will, no doubt, find at least one person in a parish willing to do this.

There's only a couple Republicans in my family (the rest of us can't figure out what happened to them) but there are more Catholic Republicans than there use to be. Go over to the political forum at http://forums.catholic.com It's like 90% anti-Democrats because of Gay Marriage, stem cell research and abortion. Of course, some of them don't like Bush either because he's willing to allow abortion when the mother's health is a factor or in cases of rape of incest. I think most the people posting there have yet to hear about Vatican II and I don't think they're representative of most Catholics. I had pre-Vatican II nuns teaching me Catechism who were more liberal than these folks.

[mama]

6. An informal poll of my family and Catholic friends shows zero Republicans

American Catholics are of a pretty independent mindset, but we are compassionate toward all humankind. Most of the Catholics I know are appalled by the Bush administration and would not vote for shrub under any circumstances. I think the republicans are wasting their time with this effort.

[calimary]

31. Welcome to DU! I HOPE the republi-CONS are wasting their time.

But then again, why are they bothering with an organized religion whose world-renowned leader was one of the sharpest critics of the war in Iraq? Maybe they want the pedophilia vote?

By the way, I was born and raised Catholic, and put in 12 years in Catholic school, but regardless which religion I'd follow, I would be ARDENTLY against bush. I'd find him appalling if I were an atheist.

By the way, did you check the comments to the Yahoo story? Out of 54 or so of 'em, there were maybe 2 or 3 who were okay with this. Everybody else was (properly, I think) disgusted by it.

[yardwork]

39. Welcome to DU, mama!

I wish I could put you in touch with my friend who is Catholic and totally bought into the Rush/Fox News mindset. He's determined to support Bush no matter what. When I try to talk to him he essentially puts his fingers in his ears and sings la-la-la.

I'm feeling kind of discouraged.

[shanti]

7. they tried this with the protestant churches

and they told them where to shove it. i hope the catholics do the same!

[wishlist]

9. This outrageous invasion of privacy will backfire for sure on Republicans

I feel personally violated to think that church rolls can be used politically but I guess if the Repubs waste their time contacting me or my Catholic (or formerly Catholic) family and friends who all despise Bush, that is less time and money they spend on more effective campaign activities!

[XNASA]

8. In the US, 40% of the Catholics are Hispanic.

And in today's Sun-Times, I read an article that says Hispanics are voting for Kerry 2-1.

Wanna bet that when they try to register Catholics, they ignore names like Ramierez, Martinez and Lopez.

[colonel odis]

10. i don't know. i think this bunch will pander to anyone. n/t

[Beware the Beast Man]

13. So much for the "Cafeteria Catholic" rhetoric.

A 2:1 margin just doesn't support that. :eyes:

[calimary]

32. NO they won't do that. They'll just declare them felons.

Hey, it worked in Florida four years back...

[SoCalDem]

42. They better be careful.. That new "privacy law" might bite the GOP

Even my silly bowling league has to have yearly, signed "permission to contact" forms on file..

That would be a hoot, if someone sued them..:)They would sue the church too, for letting that information get into "the wrong hands"..:)

[JohnKleeb]

11. So Bush speaks at an anti Catholic university and now they want votes

They can go to hell. Too bad Kerry will win the Catholic vote by a larger margin than Gore did. Is this Martin Gillespie related to Ed at all? the only Catholics they'll get are opus dei nuts. It's shameful after Bush speaks at Bob Jones, they try to reach out to Catholic voters, and their fundy allies often insult the church.

[Beware the Beast Man]

12. Terrible.

The thing that gets me is that most of the Catholic Bush-backers don't realize that he's in league with many evangelists and fundamentalist figureheads who hate Catholicism.

[DaveClearwater99]

14. I don't think it's just to get out the Catholic vote

They'll be mailing tailored propaganda to the names they get on those lists.

[bullimiami]

15. Fair trade.

No problem. They can be as political as they want and they are no longer tax exempt.

Local, State and Federal Govt will rake in a windfall in new taxes and we can all be happy.

[DaveClearwater99]

28. What pol is going to lead the charge to tax them ?

God Country and Apple Pie

[skooooo]

16. WTF is going on with the GOP??!

This is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard of.

[Beetwasher]

17. Another Sign Of INCREDIBLE DESPERATION!!

This tells me they are losing their base and are having to scrape the bottom of their base "barrel" in order to firm it up. (I do not mean to imply that catholic's are the bottom of the barrel or imply any negative connotation, just using it as a colorful metaphor)

[calimary]

34. No offense taken! It may indeed signal how soft their base is.

At this point, THIS late in the game, the political parties should not be focusing so hard on playing to their base. That should already be all locked in. You'd think it'd be especially true for the republi-CON base. Maybe they're realizing there isn't enough of that base to go around. Or maybe that base really is wavering as badly as some suspect. Whatever. I guess bush forgot the anti-war scolding he received the last time he and the missus went to visit the POPE...

[yellowcanine]

18. Last week - Protestants: This week - Catholics: Next week - Orthodox Jews?

The Republicans have no shame. Not only is this unethical - it is downright unseemly and fails the "smell" test. Who is pushing for this and why hasn't Bush put a stop to it? All it would take is one phone call from Rove and you can bet it would be halted in its tracks. That makes me think that Rove and Bush think this is ok which shows how out of touch they are and why they are going to lose. This will lose them many more votes than they could possibly gain.

[Shallah Kali]

19. I wonder what religious groups get hit up for directories next

The GOP already has Senator Norm Coleman trying to improve the Jewish vote. According to this article here Bush/Cheney got 19% of the Jewish vote in 2000:
Coleman wooing Jews for GOP
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/8976038.htm

In addition to seeking private church directories the GOP has a Catholic Outreach Tour going on:

GOP seeking Catholic inroads
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4859164.html

[sjgman9]

20. Bush and Catholics?

Bush can go bite himself. That protestant bastard spoke at Bob Jones University. If anyone in my parish get solicited by the GOP, I'm going to raise hell.

Bush wont win many Catholic votes, period

[LordActon]

21. abortion

I have a few Catholic friends who hold their nose and vote Bush only because they are anti-choice when it comes to abortion. Otherwise, they agree that he is a complete imbecile. I often wonder that if Roe v. Wade was overturned how many red states would turn blue...

[bleedingheart]

23. nothing like giving up a woman's right to appease the control freaks

a priest I know said that a pro-life stance should include more than abortion...e.g. living wage, healthcare, education..etc and in that regard Bush is not pro-life.

[abburdlen]

36. bumper sticker

I saw on an SUV pulling out of one of our local catholic churches read
"War is not Pro-Life"
next to it was a Kerry sticker also

the bonus is that's here in NC

[yardwork]

41. I agree with that priest.

And while we're on the subject, how is it pro-life to support executions?

I'm not fooled. Even if the abortion were made illegal, the Republicans would find another wedge issue. And they'd still see to it that their girlfriends got abortions.

[Mountainman]

24. My brother is a Catholic priest and pastor of his parish, he would not

support Bush in any way.

[DaveSZ]

25. The Republicans will never overturn Roe vs. Wade

It gives them too many votes.

Don't make me pull out my list again showing how Republican presidents have nominated over twice as many pro-choice SC justices as Demo presidents have.

:P

[noahmijo]

26. As a Catholic I still remember Bush's little trip to Bob Jones University

And I think all Catholics should be aware of this pandering to such an anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-gay basically anti-everything.

[BrotherBuzz]

27. A Catholic should also remember the sterling reception Bush*

received at the Vatican.

[hyphenate]

29. I wonder if AU knows about this

Or the IRS who would surely look into the records of any church group providing said info to a political party.

[hunter]

30. Hah. I can't wait to get my letter from the GOP.

Bring it on!

[Joanne98]

33. Isn't this illegal?

The Republican party doesn't represent God. This is an outrage.

[PATRICK]

35. desperate madness backfiring

I hope this will appear in every diocesan newspaper. This can't help but LOSE Catholic votes. I bet the Catholic Church never thought they might get treated like the pro-Bush cheerleader Churches(who also objected to this trolling). They have crossed a big line and yes it will be noted.

They already were under fire for their religion trolling. This pigheaded continuance of an arrogant disastrous idea seals the deal.

In the constant drive to find ANY base to expand, Bush is instead offending and shrinking it. Any attempts to cheat and steal are also there but being exposed and beaten back.

Of course they have power, but if they go ahead like they always have the
GOP will remember 11/4/04 more than 9/11 as an infamous disaster once more due to the choices of their champions in charge.

70/30 barring unforeseen madness that DOES pay off for Bush. And I am being generous. Like Goldwater or Mondale at Convention time, it is twilight for the GOP.

[BattyDem]

40. If Catholic churches ...

start providing their parish directories to the Republican Party ... or any political party ... that should be enough to revoke their tax-exempt status. :mad: