In other words, he listens to craven liars.
Today, “60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns” sent a letter to federal lawmakers urging them to pass the Senate health care legislation. They decried the “false” information floating around about abortion provisions and said that the bill’ “historic new investments” for pregnant women are the “REAL pro-life stance.” The nuns’ letter was a significant and unusual break with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which continues to denounce the legislation. This afternoon, Stupak dismissed the nuns, saying that he listens to only male religious figures and far-right religious organizations:
Congressman Bart Stupak, D-Mich, responded sharply to White House officials touting a letter representing 59,000 nuns that was sent to lawmakers urging them to pass the health care bill.
The conservative Democrat dismissed the action by the White House saying, “When I’m drafting right to life language, I don’t call up the nuns.” He says he instead confers with other groups including “leading bishops, Focus on the Family, and The National Right to Life Committee.”
That a member of the Democratic Party is listening to groups like Focus on the Family or National Right to Life is pathetic. It would be one thing if he were a Republican, because you could at least say “Well, in that echo chamber, there’s probably not anyone smart enough to break through the paranoid wingnut version of reality and lead the Congressman along to smarter, more honest people.” But as a Democrat, Stupak has no excuse.
But as was pointed out when Bart Stupak became a household name among misogynists and those of us who fight against them, no one has ever accused Bart Stupak of being intelligent, and as long as he keeps listening to the windsocks at Focus, that accusation will likely continue to steer clear of him.
(h/t Chris Geidner)
UPDATE: Here’s a little perspective from Wonkette”s “Jim Newell” character, on the split between Stupak, Focus on the Family and the obnoxious Catholic bishops holding up healthcare reform, and the 59,000 nuns who support it:
Don’t know about you people, but we trust America’ old virgin nuns much more than we do the Catholic Bishops, who just run an ancient kiddie-rape cult, since they can’t have sex with the virgin nuns and are also pedophiles.
I know that’s right.
It’s funny how the NUNS aren’t all hot and bothered about the abortion provisions in healthcare reform (that don’t even exist unless you’re a liar, stupid, or on hallucinogens) the same way the bishops are, isn’t it? (No. It’s because the nuns are women and women don’t tend to support misogyny the same way men do. Crazy, I know!)
