Joe the Plumber Wouldn't Mind Punching Bill Maher

He used to be just Sam Wurzelbacher. But after hitting Barack Obama with a tough tax question as the then-candidate passed through his Ohio neighborhood in 2008, he became Joe the Plumber, the McCain-Palin campaign's favorite stand-in for middle-class America.

Since then, Wurzelbacher has published a book, spent some time as a war correspondent in Gaza, spoken at tea party rallies, and, recently, turned against McCain, who he accused of trying to use him. And as of Tuesday, Joe the Plumber has a new title: Joe the Elected Official. In a 38-24 vote, Wurzelbacher won a seat on the Republican party committee in Lucas County, Ohio. Read more here.

I think Joe the Plumber is someone to keep an eye on. His interview here indicates he is someone I would really like to meet and talk to. I liked a lot of his answers, some made me laugh out loud.

106-Year-Old Obama-Supporting Nun Shocked by Fame

Poor thing! Her faculties are obviously slipping or she would be able to discern that a vote for Obama is a vote against what she has devoted her life to, all 106 years of it, Catholicism.

Food for Thought

Here is a fluff piece, sort of, about Sarah Palin from the Brit newspaper, The Sun. I call it fluff because it talks about her the way people talk about her, and they way most people, sadly, make their voting decisions. This article talks about her bucking the system because she's not one of the big boys of Washington, she is a pro-life feminist (seems a contradiction of terms if you ask me) and she allowed (OH MY!) a pregnancy to continue when she knew the baby would bear the burden of Down's Syndrome. Imagine! A feminist who chooses life, regardless of the inconvenience! She gets points there no matter how I feel about the party ticket and American politics in general, that is to be commended.

From the article:
A child with special needs. A daughter of 17 pregnant. A constant juggle between family and career. Compared to the career politicians dominating both parties here she seemed fresh, natural — one of us and not one of them.
Okay she's fresh and natural, but is having a pregnant teenage daughter to be commended? Should she be admired for juggling family and career? Let's look at those things a little closer.

Kids are kids, no matter what values we instill in them, they grow up and make their own decisions. On bended knee parents beg God that anything they've tried to instill in their children made it through the thick skulls that God gave them for their physical protection but often times those skulls are fortified by obstinance and rebellion. One cannot blame the parent for the acts of the teenager in this case, we can question the influences in her life, but it seems we cannot blame her for her daughter's pregnancy, the daughter has free will. In my opinion, a teenage daughter's pregnancy should have no bearing on the political career of the mother, except in the mother's reaction to the daughter. Here I can find no fault. She is definitely not just talking about valuing life, she obviously does. She may not embrace the fact the daughter is pregnant, but she does embrace the daughter. She is not sending the daughter out to be alone and face her very adult circumstance of a pregnancy alone, which, again in my opinion, causes a great many abortions. When parents are mortified their daughter is pregnant, and are too ashamed to face their family, friends, peers, co-workers, subordinates, parishes or whatever, that is when they either blatently or inadvertantly through their actions, encourage teen abortion. Sarah Palin got this right, she is choosing life, both her daughter's life and her future grand child's life.

Being a working mother, I do not feel is something to advocate generally, but society is what it is. I would rather see a mother working for a cause rather than working for a hummer and a McMansion. We have many female saints in our church who have managed motherhood and career. We have many female historical figures who have done the same. There are times when a mother is called into service. This may be one of those times. I have not fully formed an opinion on this, but surprisingly to me, I am leaning toward this conclusion. I am not sure we can compare an American politician of today with any saint given the corruption which permeates today's political system, but God can and does work in strange ways sometimes.

I have another article which I plan to post later today with another look at Sarah Palin.

Not His Paygrade?

Check out this link to A Thorn in the Pew...unbelievable...don't miss the comments written by her readers.


A thorn in the pew: His pay grade? WTH?

Voting with conscience

As I promised I found the document, Faithful Citizenship, which I referenced in an earlier post, because I wanted to read about Catholics not being permitted to opt out of politics. As is typical in the press, it seems the document was misquoted.

I refer you to the document, item number 36 which reads:

When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods.

Obviously this document allows for a conscientious voter to reject all candidates and not vote, or to opt out. This is what I'm considering doing. I may have only a few readers, but the intelligence of those readers is very high. One comment I found in the comm box suggested that I write in a candidate rather than do nothing. I like that suggestion...I wonder how you do that, I will have to find out. The same commenter also remarked that we have been fooled into thinking we have a two party system, the two parties are the same. I do believe there are differences but the philosophical differences amount to very little in actual job performance of the candidates. Or do they? I don't know. If Bush hadn't been elected would we still be in a war right now? I don't know. If an oil man was not in office would gas be $4.21 a gallon? I don't know. If we elect Obama, do we have to worry about abortion survivors being legally murdered despite surviving once, against all odds? Can you compare war with abortion? Can you compare the economic crisis with the loss of human dignity? Or, is the economic crisis a loss of human dignity in another form? Initially it is less shocking, the murder of babies seems more critical than the price of gas. But when you consider that people are losing their homes or are unable to heat their homes because they cannot afford the cost of gas and oil, will we see people freezing this winter? What about the people who cannot afford to buy food because food prices are escalating due to gas prices, and the cost of getting to and from work is so high, yet, paychecks are the same? Is this not still a loss of human dignity in a disguised form?

I can see that voters can, with a clear conscience according to the teaching of the Catholic bishops, opt for the 'lesser of two evils' but I detest that as a basis for voting. I'm not sure, in this day and age we can say we will not vote for Obama because his policies are intrinsically evil (which they are) and by casting a vote for him we are guilty of formal cooperation in a grave evil (which we would be) is any different than voting for a politician who will continue the war in Iraq and keep the price of oil so high that people will be destitute come winter. Is that not also a formal cooperation in a grave evil which compromises human dignity?

This post has more questions than statements. Again, any opinions or guidance would be welcomed. Meanwhile I will continue my research into these questions.

Obama's Mad World

Click on the title for a link to You Tube. It is a video about Obama's stance on abortion. Hat Tip to Katherine for this one. How can any Catholic, or any human in good conscience vote for this guy? Just wondering.

Let's talk about politics

I am so far from political, I used to follow politics, but now I'm a busy mom. I know I lost many of my readers because of my computer issues. But if anyone has any advice for a mom who lives under a rock, any advice about what to do this Novemeber, send me an e-mail, give me a call, write in the combox with links about what I should read when I can get on the net and provide some advice for the less-than-interested-yet-desperate-over-the-economy voter, like me.

Oh, let me add, only respond if you can be respectful and kind in passing on the information. If you cannot understand how someone can be so busy raising a large family to care about politics, and the thought of someone like me infuriates you, then you may not be the best one to offer advice people like me.

Catholics must NOT opt out of politics

Opting out of politics not option for Catholics, says church official

TORONTO (CNS) -- Opting out of politics is not an option for Catholics, despite the messy, partisan fray, said a U.S. bishops' official. Participation in the political process is a moral obligation and faithful citizenship is a virtue, said Joan Rosenhauer, associate director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Both opposing evil and doing good are essential," she said. Even though the church itself is never partisan, individual Catholics can and should register with political parties and stay involved -- not only during elections, she said during a May 30 panel at the Catholic Media Convention, an international gathering of journalists and communications professionals. She stressed the importance of a conscience well-formed by Catholic social teaching, referring to the U.S. bishops' 2007 document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility."


Funny thing is, I was going to skip voting for the first time ever this year. I'm so disgusted with my choices and disenfranchised with the entire political process. What kind of president allows this to happen to a nation? What kind of president leads us straight for a depression, throws around stimulus checks like they are salve and will heal all the wounds of the last two terms, and doesn't release the oil reserves when his people are being bled dry? Uh, an oil man perhaps? What kind of system would allow for this to happen? What kind of congress, which is supposed to be the checks and balances for the president, what kind representation do we really have when we can suffer so? Look around you! People who are not yet suffering, the average folk not the Richie Riches of the world but the average rat in the rat race, if they are not yet suffering they are soon to be. One need only look at the profile of the people whose houses are in foreclosure these days to see. Also talk to car dealers, the ones who are cash dealers, and ask how many keys they are getting back these days. Then go to the average person's new car dealer and ask them as well. Go ask your banker how many people are defaulting on their home equity loans, or their revolving credit. I don't read the papers and I don't have television, perhaps this information is plastered, but for me, I know this because I talk, listen and feel the pain of those around me. Talk to the school nurse and ask her how many families are in need in her school. Talk to Catholic Charities or your priest. If you have money, spread it around.

My plan for this election was to let my inaction speak for me. I tried to look up the actual document referenced in the article above but my computer virus and internet connection keeps crashing and I cannot read it. I shall try at the library this week to see if this document influences my behavior come November. Meanwhile, all that good Catholics can really do is pray, pray, pray. Oh, and speak up about the injustices we are experiencing. There are so many people, like me, who know very little about politics and care even less these days because we are so upset. But, maybe those wiser than me can tell me how I can really make a difference. I'm not sure my vote can do it. As a housewife and mother my place is with my family, what can I really do? Someone, let me know. Meanwhile, I will pray.