George W Bush's autobiography; Decision Points

George Weigel thanks President Bush

I am not alone in thinking that George Bush may be the most Catholic-friendly president the US will ever have. He may even become a Catholic now, as others have speculated, including myself.
He certainly was a great Christian, unashamed to admit that Jesus was his inspiration and Saviour, despite biting ridicule. Some day he will be repaid by that, and it won't be by Time Magazine.
"I should like to praise him for his steadfast support of the pro-life cause, domestically and internationally. Thanks to President Bush, we have two more Supreme Court justices who likely know that Roe v. Wade was terrible constitutional judging, and dozens more federal district court and appellate court judges with similar convictions. Thanks to President Bush, the U.S. government drew an important moral line in stem cell research, even as the administration accelerated bioethically sound research strategies that have produced real results. Internationally, the Bush administration stood firm against the Gadarene rush to use international law to declare abortion an international human right and a necessary component of the emancipation of women; as one senior Vatican official put it to me, a year ago, “We know we’re never going to have another American administration as supportive of our core issues as the Bush administration has been.”
Read the entire story in the Georgia Bulletin.

President Bush designates this Sunday "Sanctity of Human Life Day"

As a parting gift to the pro-life movement, our President (yes, he still is our president) has designated Sunday Jan 18 as "Sanctity of Human Life Day". God bless him, so many who are villifying him now will someday realize what a great man and good president he is.
I remember the mockery President Reagan received inthe media, yet when he died, they lionized him in ways I never anticipated. Time will tell us that President Bush was the most pro-life president we have ever had, a good and decent man whose deep Christian faith informed all his decisions.
“The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.” Bush is scheduled to deliver a farewell address Thursday night which White House counselor Ed Gillespie described during the morning briefing as “optimistic and future-oriented.”
Read more from the Politico here.

The Pro-life Legacy of President Bush

Here's an excellent article from the National Catholic Register which sets the record straight on the pro-life accomplishments of George W. Bush.

“The most lasting and significant progress made under President Bush is represented by the two Supreme Court justices [John Roberts and Samuel Alito] that he nominated and the Senate confirmed,” said Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.
“That was the motivation for so many voters who elected the president both times. And it has already paid off, as the Supreme Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion,” he said. “Other federal courts, too, have been given men and women who for decades will issue decisions consistent with the moral law, thanks to President Bush.
“Legislatively,” Father Pavone added, “it’s only in the years ahead that we’ll fully appreciate the significance of the progress that was made by the pro-life laws the president signed.”

Unfortunately, many won't realize how great he was until these horrific pro-abortion appointees of Barack Obama take office. His adminstration is looking more ominous by the day.
Let's greet our new president at the March for Life, Jan 22,2009.
We are here, we're loud and we're not going anywhere, Mr.Obama!

President Bush's parting gift to pro-life health care workers

Last night I saw a CNN special on "What Bush Did Right" yet the entire show was nothing but Bush bashing. They even blamed him for choking on a pretzel. Poor President Bush, who never did a selfish thing while in office, was indordinately modest, naming a litany of regrets which CNN jumped on mercilessly.
I disagreed with the Iraq war, but no one can say that President Bush was immoral or supported immorality while in office. Conservatives who have savaged him will be very repentant next January. We have only begun to miss President Bush, a decent, honest, imperfect leader who always sought God's will for our nation.
He left us a gift in this final action of his presidency.
Focus on the Familys Citizen Link encourages us to send President Bush thank you notes with this easy form.

from the Catholic League

RIGHTS OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS
GET A BOOST

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services today issued a regulation that considerably strengthens the rights of health care workers to practice according to their conscience; it affects those who work in federally funded health care institutions.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue applauds the decision:

“This regulation builds on the conscience rights for health care workers that was first broached in the 1970s by the Church Amendments, and later enhanced in 1996 by the Congress. It gives these men and women the right to be free from discriminatory edicts invoked by those who have no respect for their conscience rights. No one in the health care field should ever be compelled by law to perform or assist in a procedure that violates his or her conscience. This should be an elementary right, yet there are those who want to trespass on it.

“It is imperative that President-elect Obama resist the appeal of pro-abortion extremists to overturn this regulation. These fanatics would literally force objecting Catholics, and others, to perform abortions and other morally objectionable procedures, if they could. Consistent with the prudence he has shown so far, Obama would be wise to ignore the zealots and allow today’s regulation to stand.”

We're gonna miss ya W!

For those who complained that Bush was not prolife enough check out the lame duct move he makes here.
A last-minute Bush administration plan to grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections, including a strenuous protest from the government agency that enforces job-discrimination laws.
The proposed rule would prohibit recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or to assist in the performance of abortions or sterilization procedures because of their "religious beliefs or moral convictions."
It would also prevent hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices and drugstores from requiring employees with religious or moral objections to "assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity" financed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Clinton used the end of his presidency to pardon terrorists drug dealers and money launderers, and those were just his relatives. Bush uses the end of his presidency to save babies.
We will miss you President Bush, for all your flaws, you are a devout Christian and decent moral man. No president did as much as you for the unborn, and we thank you on their behalf.
As the Obama administration looms ahead, I am more afraid for the future of the innocents of this nation than ever.
HT International Herald Tribune

What the UN Populatin Fund is doing with it's money

President Bush refused to fund the UN Population Fund because of horrific stories like the one I cite here. Our money would be used for forced abortions in China. Obama has promised to fund the UNFPA.
from the Family Research Council
Reinstating UNFPA -- Over China's Dead Bodies
Newspapers from cities as far away as Melbourne, Australia are anxiously awaiting word on a Uyghur woman in China, six months pregnant with her third child. According to local reports, government officials tracked Arzigul Tursun down in her village and escorted her to a hospital where authorities ordered her to abort the baby against her will. Although guards had been stationed at the hospital, Arzigul managed to escape. After the police interrogated her family, the mother-to-be was recaptured yesterday in the home of some relatives. Her plight has sparked outrage in the international community, which is demanding her release. In the past, the U.S. government -- at President Bush's insistence -- has withheld funding from groups like the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) for its supporting role in these coercive abortion policies. President-elect Obama has said he will restore U.S. funding to UNFPA. America will no longer be an innocent bystander of tragedies like this one. Instead, the U.S. will be knowingly funding forced abortions like Arzigul's with millions of taxpayer dollars. In an interview with the Obama campaign before the election, RH Reality check asked, "If elected President, would Sen. Obama, overturn the Global Gag Rule or reinstate funding for UNFPA?" A spokesman for the campaign responded, "Yes, Senator Obama would overturn the global gag rule and reinstate funding for UNFPA." The new administration plans to funnel millions of dollars to UNFPA despite its support of China's savage one-child policy. Contact your leaders and tell them that terrorizing pregnant women is not the "change" America voted for. Urge them to oppose Obama's anti-woman agenda.

Predsident Bush provides freedom of conscience for health care workers

The Bush administration proposed stronger job protections Thursday for doctors and other health care workers who refuse to participate in abortions because of religious or moral objections.
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt says the new rules are not meant to end services.
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said health care professionals should not face retaliation from employers or from medical societies because they object to abortion.
"Freedom of conscience is not to be surrendered upon issuance of a medical degree," Leavitt said. "This nation was built on a foundation of free speech. The first principle of free speech is protected conscience."
This is a perfectly reasonable protection of Americans freedom of conscience. Naturally, Planned Parenthood Federation, who is not only America's largest provider of abortions but funded by your tax dollars, is suing.
Read the entire story at CNN.com who, by the title, doesn't sound at all pleased.
Oh, yeah, they're NOT the "we report you decide" channel, you can tell by their ratings!

President Bush protecting freedom of conscience for Medical Profession

The release of the new regulations on Thursday offering more protection for doctors, medical personnel, and medical centers that refuse to participate in abortions received hearty applause from pro-life groups nationwide. They noted how pro-abortion groups have moved from "choice" to forcing abortions.
The U.S. Catholic bishops’ spokesperson on abortion, Deirdre McQuade, welcomed the proposed regulations as a way to protect medical personnel from being coerced to violate their consciences in federally funded programs.
“Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel face pressure to participate in abortion – a practice that many find abhorrent in good conscience,” McQuade said. “The enforcement of federal laws designed to protect their freedom of conscience is long overdue.”
Read the entire story on Life News.

Be a pro-life witness for the Presidential Election!

John Zogby polled Catholics right after the revelations of Barack Obama's support for infanticide became public, and support for him dropped 11% among Catholics, a key demographic for the election. Obama is courting Catholics and Evangelicals, but he won't fool us if we become Pro-Life Witnesses by downloading the fliers on Ruben Obregon's website Pro-Life Witness for distribution at churches nationwide.
I want to remind you that I distributed thousands of pro-life fliers in two states during the Bush-Kerry election of 2004 with a broken toe. President Bush has been the most pro-life president we have had in office. I am not crazy about McCain, but he has a 100% pro-life voting record, and clearly promised at Saddleback Church that he'd be a "pro-life President".
He even knew the answer to Pastor Warren's trick question:
"When does human life begin?" McCain answered immediately, "At conception".

Obama is still working on an answer to that one, which will sound, but not be pro-life, fool the Christians, and pacify the radical pro-aborts who fund his campaign.
That is why we must educate believers about the truth: Barack Obama supported infanticide every chance he got. He is the most extreme candidate ever to run for office in the USA.

HT CNA, Jill Stanek

ACT NOW to protect freedom of conscience for health care workers!

This is an alert from The Population Research Institute, please call the HHS Secretary today, I did and it took one minute, and they were very polite.
INFO BELOW

New Conscience Regulations Under Active Consideration at HHS

Earlier this week we sent out a Weekly Briefing explaining how the Department of Health and Human Services has come under fire for even considering strengthening their conscience regulations. These regulations would refuse HHS funding to health care providers who discriminate against employees on the basis of their pro-life beliefs. If an employee, or potential employee, says that he will not provide contraceptives or abortions, the bill states that the provider cannot fire them, or refuse to hire them, on that basis.HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt is giving every signal that he wants to do the right thing. Mr. Leavitt is a friend to the pro-life cause on this issue, and he is in a position to do what we want. We need to back him up as much as possible, especially since the opposition is increasing the pressure against him.
How do we know this? On August 12 Secretary Leavitt wrote this in the HHS blog: "I want to reiterate. If the Department of Health and Human Services issues a regulation on this matter, it will aim at one thing, protecting the right of conscience of those who practice medicine. From what I've read the last few days, there's a serious need for it."
Earlier, on August 8, Secretary Leavitt wrote this in the HHS blog: http://secretarysblog.hhs.gov/my_weblog/2008/08/physician-con-2.html "Several months ago, I became aware that certain medical specialty certification groups were adopting requirements which potentially violate a physician's right to choose whether he or she performs abortion. I wrote to the organizations in question, protesting their actions. Frankly, I found their response to be dodgy and unsatisfying. I sent another letter, more of the same.Not only are there clear provisions in three separate laws protecting federally-funded health care providers' right of conscience, but doing otherwise undermines the most fundamental moral underpinning of freedom of expression and action. I asked that regulations be drafted which would enforce these long-standing laws protecting a medical practitioner's conscience rights.An early draft of the regulations found its way into public circulation before it had reached my review. It contained words that lead some to conclude my intent is to deal with the subject of contraceptives, somehow defining them as abortion. Not true.
The Bush Administration has consistently supported the unborn. However, the issue I asked to be addressed in this regulation is not abortion or contraceptives, but the legal right medical practitioners have to practice according to their conscience and patients should be able to choose a doctor who has beliefs like his or hers.The Department is still contemplating if it will issue a regulation or not. If it does, it will be directly focused on the protection of practitioner conscience.Many have provided comments on this subject and they will all be included under this posting."
Please contact Secretary Leavitt at his office and urge him to prepare regulations to guarantee freedom of conscience for medical providers. As I mentioned above, you can calling his office and leave this message with his staff at 202-690-7000.
Or you can fax your letters directly to his office at 202-690-7203.

President Bush to China: "Don't be afraid of religion"

I'm not above changing my opinion on something. When Rep. Chris Smith, a true Catholic politician, introduced a motion to boycott the Olympics in China, I was incensed that President Bush would be attending the games in a country with such an abominable record on human rights.
Now I see that perhaps his gentle but persistent efforts towards encouraging greater freedom of religion in China may be more effective when spoken directly versus through a boycott.
We'll know by the fruits if this approach was effective. There's such a long way to go.
"Sunday morning in Beijing, President Bush attended the Beijing Kuanjie Protestant Christian Church. After the government-established church service, the U.S. president gently encouraged the Chinese government to consider granting religious freedom to its citizens, telling them not to fear Christianity.
The president expressed that he and his wife experienced “great joy and privilege of worshiping here in Beijing, China.” Bush explained that the service showed “that God is universal, and God is love, and no state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion.”
Read the entire story here.
HT CNA

Christians arrested for the second time protesting human rights abuses in China

from Operation Rescue
Rev. Pat Mahoney, Brandi Swindell, and Michael McMonagle were arrested and forcibly dragged away as they knelt in prayer outside the Mao Tse Tung Mausoleum. The group was in Bejing speaking out against China's forced abortion policies, religious persecution, and other human rights abuses.
Plain clothed policemen were filmed dragging Rev. Mahoney and Ms. Swindell by the arms as other men, presumed to be additional plain clothed officers, attempted to shield the arrest from cameras with large umbrellas.
The three Christian activists were detained and released earlier in the week as they stood in Tiananmen Square with a banner that read in English and Chinese, "Jesus Christ is King."
It is unknown if or when the group will be released after Thursday's arrest.
In the wake of the arrests, President Bush today issued his harshest statements against human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government.
"We stand in support of Rev. Mahoney and the other two brave Christians who have been arrested again for speaking out on behalf of the oppressed. The human heart yearns for freedom and truth. The truth of the Gospel and the sanctity of life cannot be silenced forever. As the eyes of the world focus on Beijing for the Olympics, we pray that those truths will be emblazoned in the hearts of all who hear of this courageous and prophetic witness," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We pray for their immediate release and safe return to freedom."

Bush demands human rights abuses end in China

from the Catholic League

BUSH TO CHINA-GRANT RELIGIOUS LIBERTY;
McCAIN AND OBAMA DUCK THE ISSUE

Before leaving for Beijing tomorrow, President George W. Bush will give a speech in Bangkok, Thailand that cites the lack of religious liberties, as well as other human rights, that exist in China.

In his speech, Bush will say that "America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists." Moreover, Bush will say that "I have spoken clearly, candidly and consistently with China’s leaders about our deep concerns over religious freedom and human rights."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue applauds what President Bush is doing and draws a contrast with what Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama have said about this matter:

"This is good news. In addition to President Bush's statement on religious freedom that he is expected to give following a Beijing church service, the president is now going to call attention to China's human rights deficit shortly before he arrives for the Olympic games. And Bush well knows that the first liberty is religious liberty, without which all freedoms are meaningless. His comments on this subject come on the heels of a plea by Pope Benedict XVI to Chinese leaders 'to open [China] to the Gospel."

"By contrast, Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama look weak. For example, McCain recently implored the president not to be 'confrontational' with Chinese officials about the issue of human rights. Should he be obsequious? Obama has spoken out about the rights of Tibetans (as has McCain) but has been singularly silent about the religious rights of the Chinese people. Will he now say something?

"Bush has shown the way. The ball is now in the court of the presidential candidates."

Tony Snow the Catholic Journalist, dead at 53

He addressed the graduating class of 2007 at Catholic University with these words.
“When it comes to faith, I’ve taken my own journey. You will have to take your own. But here’s what I know. Faith is as natural as the air we breathe. Religion is not an opiate, just the opposite. It is the introduction to the ultimate extreme sport. There is nothing that you can imagine that God cannot trump.
As Paul said “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” And once you realize that there is something greater than you out there, and then you have to decide, “Do I acknowledge it and do I act upon it?” You have to at some point surrender yourself. And there is nothing worthwhile in your life that will not at some point require an act of submission.”
Spoken like a true Catholic.
Eternal rest grant him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him,
may his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
Amen
Read the entire story here.
HT Catholic Online

Why the UN can't wait for George Bush to leave office

Front Royal, VA, 07/02/08--The Bush administration has once again withheld nearly $40 million from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), marking the seventh consecutive year that the U.S. government has refused the organization. The Population Research Institute applauds this decision, which honors the Kemp-Kasten amendment of 1985 forbidding tax dollars from going to programs of forced abortion.
The groundwork for this decision was laid by the Population Research Institute, headed by Steven W. Mosher, which has sent teams of investigators to China over the years. These investigations have found that the UNFPA was deeply involved in programs of forced abortion and coercive sterilization in that country. The evidence presented to the U.S. Congress and the White House, left no doubt that the UNFPA was operating in China in violations of the Kemp-Kasten Amendment.
Reacting to PRI's findings, President Bush in 2001 decided to redirect $34 million away from the UNFPA's coercive family-planning programs into child survival programs, anti-trafficking programs, and other programs. The UNFPA's subsequent efforts to cover-up its involvement in China, have been to no avail. No U.S. population funds have gone to the UNFPA for the past seven years, costing the organization a total of $235 million.
"The evidence demonstrates that the UNFPA continues to aid and abet China's barbaric one-child policy," says PRI's President Steven Mosher. "It doesn't deserve one penny of U.S. money."
Mosher is the author of the newly published Population Control--Real Costs, Illusory Benefits, which documents the undeclared war that the Chinese government has carried out on its own population. His book is available at PRI's web site: www.pop.org, and at bookstores everywhere.

The Holy Father gives an insider tour to President Bush

"The usual protocol for heads-of-state is a meeting in the pope's library in the Apostolic Palace, but a spokesman for the Vatican said Benedict wanted to reward Mr Bush for the "warmth" of his reception at the White House earlier this year. "
Read the entire story here.
HT UK Telegraph
Oh, how I wish to have been privy to that intimate chat!
Didn't I post about Bush being close to converting just a few days ago?!
"Catholics have noted that during the contested election in 2000, Jeb Bush travelled to Mexico and prayed to the icon of Our Lady of Guadelupe. His victory was announced by the Supreme Court on December 12, the feast day of the Lady of Guadalupe."
I went to Washington DC with my family to attend Bush's Inauguration in 2000 for the express purpose of reminding him of this. While I didn't realize how Jeb went to Our Lady's Basilica, I certainly asked her as the Patroness of the Unborn, for Bush's election. My Catholic friends and I prayed and fasted so hard during that month, it was like Lent. Fr. Frank Pavone said, " God saw how much the election was making us pray and fast, and decided that this was such a good thing, that he pressed the HOLD button!"
The day after the Inauguration, I stood in line in the snow at 5AM for ticket to a special reception at the White House the day after to remind him that since Our Lady put him in office, he'd better live up to her standards. When we entered the White House, President Bush and Laura had stopped shaking hands.
It seems that somehow, he got the message,
"Mr Bush has filled the White House with Catholic speech-writers and consultants and is also thought to have asked a Catholic priest to bless the West Wing.
Before he became president, Karl Rove, his former political adviser, invited Catholic intellectuals to Texas to lecture the candidate on the church's teachings. Mr Bush appointed the Catholic judges Samuel Alito and John Roberts to the Supreme Court. "

The President and the Pope are very close

Some say George Bush is the second Catholic President. He certainly has given a better moral example than womanizer JFK, who, in case you have forgotten. was the president who started sending troops to Vietnam, yet is nearly worshipped by some Catholics who can't resist re-electing his brother Teddy, and various other Kennedys who have all but abandoned the faith.

My friend at Vive Christus Rex says he thinks that President Bush will convert to Catholicism after he leaves office. I have suspected this for some time. He'd be most welcome, his record on life issues is far superior than my Catholic Congressman Tim Bishop. THAT's why, in the 2004 campaign, I hobbled on my broken toe and handed out thousands of National Right to Life pamphlets on Bush's pro-life stance. He hasn't let me down on life issues, even though I consider Iraq a mistake.
Read this article from Religion News Service on to see just how close the Pope and the President are.

He's been speaking with Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, himself a convert, who may be guiding him into the Church. Will President Bush do as Tony Blair did and convert after his term is up? I'm expecting it.

I welcome you home to Rome, President Bush.

UPDATE:

The following comment was left after the article:

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Air Force One arrived at Pittsburgh and a Catholic priest had the honor of greeting the president. At that moment, the president knelt on the tarmac and asked for a blessing. The priest then entered the building and 12 of us prayed that if it is God’s will, may the president be re-elected. I suspect that George W will eventually become Catholic.
God Bless+++

Gerard Beer

Pittsburgh

HT Spirit Daily

Governor Schwarzenegger forgets his Catholic faith

from Family Research Council.

The weekend gave many of us an opportunity to digest last week's thunderous attack on traditional marriage in California's high court. While we are no more comforted by the decision, it does provide some crucial insight into this radical agenda. It is clear now that the homosexual movement will not accept some middle ground. Domestic partnerships are a way station toward the destruction of marriage. The other side is cleverly using these stepping stones as a way to soft sell social moderates on their agenda.

So far, the tactic appears to have worked on California's Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). In applauding the ruling, he managed to insult the intelligence of voters on both sides of the issue by saying, "When the people vote, the people are not legal experts, constitutional experts, or any of that. I think that's why we have the courts. People may vote with good intentions, but then the court says, 'This is not constitutional.'"

Fortunately, not every member of the court agreed with Conan the Barrister. In the dissenting opinion, the three justices who voted against same-sex "marriage" shared their disgust at the majority's political agenda. Equating the court's decision to "legal jujitsu," Justice Baxter writes, "...[A] bare majority of this court, not satisfied with the pace of democratic change, now abruptly forestalls [the democratic] process and substitutes, by judicial fiat, its own social policy views for those expressed by the People themselves... [The majority] simply does not have the right to erase, then recast, the age-old definition of marriage, as virtually all societies have understood it, in order to satisfy its own contemporary notions of equality and justice."

In addition to California, Florida voters have the chance to enshrine the definition of marriage in their state constitution this November. Voters in Arizona, Delaware, North Carolina, and Iowa could have a similar chance if they persist in contacting their leaders and encouraging them to pass the amendments out of their state senates.

Is this the same Governor who did not want to override the wishes of the people of California and vetoed a gay marriage bill in 2005?
"The former actor said this was a "constitutional issue" that should be decided by voters and the courts. The bill vetoed by Mr Schwarzenegger said marriage was a civil contract between "two persons".
"I do not believe the legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California," Mr Schwarzenegger wrote in a statement.

What happened to the wishes of the people?

HT BBC News

President Bush and the US bishops voice their dismay over the ruling here.

HT Life Site News

Even the Holy Father mentioned homosexual marriage specifically without mentioning California, but his timing was noted by the media. "The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions," he said.

HT Reuters

This sounds like the perfect time for Cardinal Mahony to step up to the plate. We're praying for you, Cardinal, THIS is your moment to do the right thing!

My impressions of the Papal Youth Rally at Dunwoodie

Are in an article I published at Catholic Exchange.