That is how America’s Michael Sean Winters begins his critique of the Chris Matthews-Bishop Tobin smackdown.
And Winters goes on to make some good points about how badly the Church deals with the media:

Sunday before last, the priest at my church here in Washington apologized to the congregation for the dreadful public relations job the Archdiocese had done in dealing with the impending fight over the same-sex marriage bill and its requirement that the Church provide same-sex partner benefits. Indeed, the Church was getting rolled in the press, and in speaking to reporters covering the story, it was clear that even after four or five days of covering the story, they were not clear about what precisely concerned the Church. I had a neighbor call me one morning after reading a front page story in the Washington Post that suggested the Church was closing down Catholic Charities. She was confused and distraught and deeply shaken in her confidence in the Church.

In my dealings with the press, almost all of whom are really bright people, it is always worthwhile to take your time and make sure that you explain how differently the Church approaches some issues from the way the mainstream culture approaches those same issues, that it is not mere disagreement about outcomes, although there is that, but more often a completely different point of departure for analysis and understanding. In explaining the Church to politicians, one of the things I find you have to say over and over again is “Yes, but you know they are bishops not politicians.” (The reverse is true, too: Sometimes I have to say to clergy: “Well, you know they are politicians not theologians.”) For too long, bishops wanted nothing more from a communications director than to keep the Church out of the news, but those days are gone. We need the media if we are to reach our people and spread the Gospel. We need the media if we are going to reframe the national debate on an important issue like health care reform or abortion. In my experience, the media are fascinated by the Church and eager to learn how and why the Church does what it does. I have encountered ignorance of the Church’s ways but never hostility. Bishops should draw the right lesson from their recent fiascos: Get it right, but don’t think it can’t be done well.

Check out the rest.