You're telling me a Washington Post columnist regurgitated "silly" Republican talking points -- the exact same, verbatim, scripted, focus-group-tested talking points that all the other bought-and-paid-for corporate-owned mouthpieces in the corporate-owned media are diligently reciting?

I'm shocked. Shocked, I say.

For the Washington Post to ask Gerson, a former Bush speechwriter, to offer anything intelligent, is like asking a vegan to come up with a new recipe for turducken.

Anybody who is paying attention knows that Catholics' views on abortion and related issues don't vary much from the population as a whole. The higher levels of the clergy are passionate, but don't actually carry much weight with the laity. (The same is true of many other religious dominations on this topic.) Let's get over being surprised that a person -- in politics or otherwise -- can be a baptized Catholic and pro-choice.

"...the coercion of those who disagree with it."

Isn't this the essence of the "pro-life" movement? Pro-choicers aren't trying to coerce those who disagree with them to go out and have abortions.

Another day, another WTF for the Washington Post 'opinion page'!

It is really difficult to determine, from among their many intellectual migets, who I find the most continuously disgusting.

Uh, Catholics are disliked nearly as much as Jews nation-wide. This is hardly political cover.

...Sebelius was his second choice for the cabinet spot.

Same difference; Tom Daschle is a pro-choice Catholic, too. Quick -- did anybody complain about "religious cover" when Daschle was the nominee??

Uh...Gerson likes coercion. He likes it a lot. The only thing we need to find out now is if he's a top or a bottom.

Really, the things some people tell you when they think they're on another topic entirely....

Maybe Gerson thinks I'm a white supremist since I grew up in Georgia. Then again, this "white boy" is a proud card carrying member of the NAACP.

I'm sorry to be rude, but is the WaPo running a program for people with "special needs?"
My cat could write a more insightful column than the entire cast of doofi they have over there.

I still can't imagine what people like Gerson, who should know better, are thinking when they are so gauche as to drag religion into our public square!

WTF Americans, keep your religions to yourselves and your private worlds. Until idiots like Gerson stop fanning the flames of fanaticism, our sedular society will suffer greatly! -Kevo

I was wondering what, if anything, Sebelius's church has done in reaction to her pro-choice views. If every Catholic I know had to live (and vote) by the actions that their church dictates, there would be a serious shortage of the faithful. Does anyone know her standing in The Church?

Gerson's an even bigger hack as a columnist than he was as a speechwriter. Who would have believed that was possible?

Actually, this make perfect sense to me - it's an echo of the criticism of Catholics for a long time, crystallized in President Kennedy - that Catholics are robots that take all of their orders from the Vatican. In that midset, Catholicism trumps everything else the person believes. Pathetic...

h/t to Grumpy - you didn't hear any of this when Daschle was up for this spot...

(Full disclosure - I don't subscribe to any of the Western religions)

I think Obama is a closet Catholic and is planning on turning our government over to the Pope! Think about it. Biden, Sebelius...I'm sure there a many many more.

We should be very worried about this.

Knucleheads abound!!!

Was the notion perhaps that the appointment of Sebelius would serve some Machiavellian desire to humiliate the Catholic Church itself?

Ken D speaks of "religious dominations." While I suspect he was thinking "denominations," I have to say "dominations" is a better word in context.

</snark>

PhaedrusOnBass: "In that midset, Catholicism trumps everything else the person believes."

That mindset more generally sees religious identity as paramount, or near paramount, among all the other roles we play. Not everyone shares that priority, of course.

I don't think Sebelius is as strict a catholic as the pope would prefer, but are any catholics?
The ones who are, are just plain nuts.
Women, not the church or gvmt, should have the ultimate say over their health and body!
Choice is only a hot button issue when applied to women, why?
Why don't the religious nuts go after urology clinics & protest men having vasectomies?

I am a true believer in zeitgeist (not the poster, though I often share their point of view). Religion is a crock & I couldn’t agree more withthe poster who asked if all those who believed in the rapture just got raptured! Although I live in a backwards southern state, I am bombarded with other peoples religion at disturbing levels in daily life. Take them away!

Lets be real,the world is going to Hell in a handbucket and the dems are carying it there thats all,what did you expect?God will be outlawed soon enough just you wait and see,as that is what most of you have been doing since mr.o took office.