Monday, March 31, 2008

Senator's Endorsement of Obama is a Betrayal of Faith

Noted political scientist and author Paul Kengor says Senator Bob Casey, Jr.'s, endorsement of Barack Obama is a repudiation of what Pope John Paul II called a "culture of life."

Senator Casey (D-Pennsylvania) announced his support for Obama on Friday and is joining him on a 6-day bus tour through the Keystone State ahead of the state's April 22 primary.

Kengor, a political science professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, says he is a committed pro-life Catholic who cannot reconcile an endorsement of a candidate who is so radical on the issue of abortion.

"This Casey endorsement of Obama is really a total betrayal. I know this sounds harsh, but this is a total betrayal of his and his father's pro-life Catholic convictions," he criticizes. "Barack Obama might be a kind and gentle guy, a good speaker, seems like a nice person, affable. But on abortion, he is an extremist. Amazingly enough, he's actually to the left of Hillary Clinton on abortion."

Kengor notes that Casey Sr. has a history of disagreement with Bill and Hillary Clinton, much of which stems from the abortion issue. "It was back at the 1992 Democratic Convention, which was the Clinton convention that Bob Casey, Sr. – then the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania – was barred from addressing...," he reiterates. "[H]e wanted to give voice to the pro-life cause, and that created some very bad blood between Casey and the Clintons."

The bad blood between the Clintons and Bob Casey, Sr., may have spilled over to Casey, Jr., says Kengor. And he also states that Casey, Sr. was so angry then with the Clinton's position on abortion – particularly since Hillary Clinton's universal health care plan in 1993 was going to include federal funding for abortion services – that he considered running for president himself.

Jim Brown - OneNewsNow