Spineless is the Word.
And the winner of the “Sir Richard Rich Award” for craven spinelessness…abject willingness to sell out his Church’s principles so that he can grub a little favor with the pro-aborts so as to make his reelections come easier…who else? Richard M. Daley, of course. And like the question Sir Thomas More asked Sir Richard Rich who has prostituted himself to continue in the King’s favor—and political power (dying as Lord Chancellor of England)—noticing by a medallion hanging from Rich’s neck that Rich has been made the crown’s attorney general for Wales:
You’re doing this—FOR WALES?
Truly nothing should be worth selling out one’s religious faith for political gain. In this case, Daley’s church grew from infancy in a Roman Empire where infanticide was practiced on a wide scale…unwanted live babies placed on one of the seven hills outside Rome, there to either starve to death or be devoured by wild wolves.
By the end of the 1st century infanticide was becoming a murder of the past but was supplanted by abortion for a practicable reason: Romans had decided to switch from murder they could see being carried out on the hillsides for what they inwardly knew was happening—but, as they were in denial, what they could not see.
It was then that the Church—Daley’s church—reacted by publishing the Didache which declared “You shall not procure abortion. You shall not destroy a newborn child.” It has continued throughout 2000 years. And its very condemning certitude must torture him now.
Always concerned only with his political survival, employing the knack of not endangering his well-being by adhering to moral and ethical conviction, Richard M. Daley has become the embodiment of Sir Richard Rich. Blustering, red-faced with denial, bristling with 11th ward fractured English, he announced he will sign legislation to create a protective zone round Chicago hospitals and clinics to keep; patients and employees from being “harassed” by those who protest abortion. It creates a protective zone within a 50-foot radius of the entrance to any hospital, medical clinic or health care facility. Within that zone no one can get closer than 8 feet to distribute materials, display signs, protest, educate or counsel persons without their consent.
This decision to sign the ordinance represents yet another political turn-about for Daley. In 1996 he ridiculed a similar proposal. But political survival at all costs is paramount for Daley. Frightened to death by the thought that he would have the Left against him and he might be defeated, he has decided to do anything…anything…to forestall that possibility.
Therefore he is indeed entitled to receive the Sir Richard Rich Award for flaccidity, moral evasiveness, cowardice and base motives—all covered up by the declaration that he cannot allow his supposed belief in his Church’s moral law to interfere with his mayoralty “responsibilities.” The excitable disjointed flow of speech, disrupted by repeating words, attempts to rephrase, have become manifestations of guilt—because Richard Daley knows that on this issue which he has long defended he stumbles out the sophism that everything one believes must be subordinate to his status with the city. Thus his excitability on this and lesser issues shows that he is bothered that by violating his conscience, the divine majesty is offended and the bonds by which humans are united in society are enervated. In his inner-self he must hope he will be spared before death to confess, or at least to breathe an Act of Contrition…but he knows that even so, the penalty will be harsh.
Because he doesn’t want to consider the question, he brushes away the question: Is the mayoralty so important and power so sweet as to violate the credo of your Church and hide under the easily-answered rubric that service as mayor rules all including conscience and morality? Nothing can transcend your continued service? Violation of lex aeterna is worth continuing to sit in twitching nervousness in your swivel chair on the 5th floor of City Hall? Daley knows it is not. But he doesn’t have the guts, the moral firmness to assert his own conscience because—horrors—he will engender political enemies. His Church has always viewed that no member can treat the fetus otherwise than as a human being since creation of the soul and its infusion take place at the moment of conception. But what is that stricture, reiterated by Augustine and Aquinas down through the centuries compared to the possible loss of the Chicago mayoralty?
Inside, he knows how base he is. He is pursued by Francis Thompson’s Hound of Heaven. All things, says God, betrayest thee who betrayest Me.
This is the classic sight of the usually sputtering Daley then—and why he sputters excitedly on all issues: buried in his unconscious abortion and his betrayal of conscience must be torture. He is no longer Richie the Princeling. He is a full 67 years old, having served six terms. He probably is in no serious danger of being defeated—at least not for standing up for what must be his true convictions as a Catholic on abortion. But it is clear he will not allow a thing—an issue, a view, a thought—to jeopardize this position. And so the stuttering and stammering shows his inner torture
Failing the first ultimate test of a public official whose first responsibility is his conscience, he is the embodiment of Sir Richard Rich.
He richly (pun intended) deserves the Sir Richard Rich Award.
And God help him.
Huckabee Pro and Con.
The clear indication is that the Huckabee plebiscite says that a majority like him…a very small minority won’t vote for him under any condition—his strict religion being a factor…and that a fairly sizable chunk say he has to change his prior ways as Arkansas governor (neither a spender nor a high taxer be). Here are some representative excerpts from the many communications I’ve received about his possible run for the presidency in 2012:
NANCY J. THORNER, Lake Bluff. “My impression of Mike Huckabee was of a huckster-type politician from the moment he entered the political arena. I never trusted him…The fact that Huckabee is a Southern Baptist minister…looms uppermost in my mind as to my distrust and dislike of him. I had an experience at Bethel Baptist Church in Schaumburg which to this day is very hurtful. As a Southern Baptist minister, Huckabee believes that all religions should be considered cults but his own. Romney was crucified for being a practicing Mormon; Huckabee would surely be sabotaged for being a Southern Baptist minister…
“Another factor about the Southern Baptist church is the idea of heaven and hell. Unless you are baptized by submersion you have not been saved and will end up in hell. I was told that I would go to hell because I refused to be baptized again. As a child, I was baptized by sprinkling. I was not about to go in front of the Bethel Baptist congregation, give my testimony, don a white robe and then be dunked backwards into a pool of water. What a rigid and exclusive religion this is!”
MIKE YOUNG: “I can and will support anyone that is both a fiscal and social conservative. Here’s the hook: I want both and if the Republicans don’t field that candidate, I will vote Libertarian. I am tired of being led by the so-called country club liberals…”
DAN DEENY: “I support Gov. Huckabee for president. He has been a governor which is good training for being a president. He is knowledgeable and effective in public education…His support for pro-life…is a plus. His postcard tax is a corny gimmick and he should give that up. Instead, he should propose no federal taxes on incomes up to and including $40,000 and should tax incomes up to and including $200,000 and 20% on incomes over $200,000. No deductions for anything: husband, wife, children. That would keep it simple and would be a reduction in taxes!”
CHRIS MORRISON: “As a Huckabee supporter I am encouraged by the well-known fact that Republicans typically nominate the `next in line.’ As such, Huckabee and Romney have the best immediate shot for the nomination. ..In the end, I don’t believe Romney is electable. Against Obama what does he offer but canned conservatism. He offers talking poins that he learned from Reagan…Huckabee has the experience, the ideas and the demeanor to be an American president…”
MILDRED MALLEK: “You asked for our opinion on Mike Huckabee. He is pro-life and against gay-marriage. This is a good start. If he has good advisers on other issues, experts who have the same basic moral background, I think he could be a good president.”
GLEN BISMARCK: (Paraphrase): He’s a big spender. Yes, if he clearly states he will reduce the size of government).
GLENDA L. ROSENBERG:l “I, my family, all my friends and every true Christian in this country will vote for Huckabee if given the chance. It’s my prayer God will give us that chance. God bless you for all your wonderful columns.”
MIKE O’BRIEN, Rollingstone, Minnesota: “Tom—stick with Huckabee. You are right that the country is waking up. I think his social issues are correct and are not liabilities. I suspect McCain lost largely due to trying to straddle the fence. It will be a new ballgame in 2012’s presidential race and a spokesman like Huckabee will be an asset in the 2010 midterms. Americans are tired to thin gruel.”
GRACE BURNS: “Huckabee is absolutely a complete executive statesman package!...I really believe that now that America has had the chance to know him better and more people are supporting him he has the best chance of all of them to win in 2012!.”
G.J.P.: “He is an evangelical so he is pro-Israel to the point of insanity. It is a religious value for him. It is not for me. I would be reluctant to vote for any Evangelical. The hate Catholics for the most part, Don Wildmon, American Family Association being a notable exception.”
ROSE KEHOE: “Re Huckabee, I think I remember reading he was too much a believer in raising taxes and growing government in Arkansas and that gave me pause for thought about backing him.”
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