Pro-life Democrat helps Obama in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Primary is today. Hillary Clinton is leading in the polls, but the margin has closed in over the last few weeks. I feel that Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. made a dreadful mistake last month that has directly affected this contest. He endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States.

For a variety of reasons I do not support Barack Obama. In the presence of proportionate reasons, which I do think there may be some, I would consider a vote for Obama. But I highly doubt that the circumstances will arise in which I may choose to do so. I once said, I would take either candidate if Bob Casey, Jr. was their vice presidential running mate. But, even then, I couldn’t consent; it is unlikely with Hillary since he endorsed her opponent and not so likely with Obama because of remarkable differences in their abortion stances.

I think this tragic move invokes an old tale of the late Bob Casey, Sr., the last great national pro-life Democrat, who was denied a speech at the 1992 Democratic Convention because he wanted to deliver an anti-abortion speech. Naturally, Casey would not support Clinton.

But given our two choices left in the primary, I do support Hillary Clinton. It is unfortunate, a Democrat I truly admire does not agree me and he has hurt his image in the process of that disagreement. He could have remained silent and not have endorsed anyone. This move has had a polarizing effect for Casey in the pro-life community. A Roman Catholic endorsing the most left-leaning candidate in this entire election—a candidate who when asked his greatest regret as a senator and his reply is "voting not to euthanize Terry Schiavo"—looks really bad.

In fact, the idea of a pro-life Democrat is already becoming such a ridiculous assertion in America that apologetics for our political position is becoming so essential to everyday life. All of us now will have to pay for what Casey did. His predessor Sen. Sentorum, praised as one of the most pro-life Republicans, endorsed Sen. Specter and his dubious pro-life credentials over a manifestly pro-life candidate. This wasn’t criticized nearly as much as Casey’s move. This bias is unfortunate. But either way, it doesn’t change how terrible both decisions were.

Sen. Casey probably supports Barack Obama for what he considers to be "proportionate reasons." I don't condemn him for that. (I’ll eventually get around to talking about my personal issue with Republicans and the course of the pro-life movement). To vote for Obama in spite of not because of his pro-choice views in the general election (should he win the primary) is one thing, other Catholics might disagree with him, but we may understand Casey’s viewpoint. But to endorse Obama and actively campaign on his behalf as a public figure—as a Catholic, as someone who ran for office as a pro-life candidate—is entirely another matter.

To be sure, Casey did not endorse Barack Obama because he is pro-choice. I don’t think either Casey or Kmiec (a Catholic conservative who also endorsed Obama) have abandoned the pro-life movement. They could be convinced (rightly or wrongly) that the unification of this country is a means to an end of abortion. It isn’t as if Republicans have made ending abortion near the priority they have assigned to the War on Terror. How many speeches have we heard in the past seven years aimed at persuading us of the need to combat terrorism and defending the conservative stance? Countless. How many speeches have we heard using scientific facts, moral arguments, and political practicality for defense and dignity of unborn human life? Nowhere near as many.

Either way, the ‘consistent ethic of life’ is becoming a joke in politics. Democrats downplay abortion and over exaggerate everything else as life issues (they are) but the moral weight of those issues are not at the same level as abortion. On the other side, Republican politicians win elections off of the abortion issue alone and pro-lifers give a mindless stamp of approval to their policies often blind to the fact that there other positions might in fact be perpetuating the holocaust of the unborn and not pro-life at all, e.g. the war in Iraq.

We need to get our priorities straight.

Pennsylvania Senator, Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D) endorses Barack Obama.