The conservative Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is attacking Barack Obama over his Catholic advisory board because some of its members take views at odds with official church positions on hot button social issues like abortion. Why the delay? Obama announced his National Catholic Advisory Council three weeks ago.
The Catholic League is the group that led the charge against John Kerry’s religious outreach efforts in 2004, so Obama has cause for concern. Here’s another question: Why has the Catholic League been so quiet about Hillary Clinton, who’s doing lots of Catholic outreach, is winning Catholics big time, and who is just as liberal on social issues as Obama?
Here’s the Catholic League’s release:

CATHOLIC DISSIDENTS ADVISE OBAMA
May 2, 2008
When Sen. Barack Obama recently announced the formation of his Catholic National Advisory Council, he said he was “deeply honored to have the support and counsel of these committed Catholic leaders, scholars and advocates.” Commenting on this group is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:
“The best advice I can give Sen. Obama about his Catholic National Advisory Council is to dissolve it immediately. Of the 26 Catholic former or current public office holders he has listed as either National Co-Chairs (5), or as members of the National Leadership Committee (21), there is not one who agrees with the Catholic Church on all three major public policy issues: abortion, embryonic stem cell research and school vouchers.
“Indeed, on the issue of abortion, their record is disgraceful. Consider the scorecard as issued by the most radical pro-abortion organization in the nation—NARAL. Of the two National Co-Chairs who have a NARAL tally, one agrees with the extremist group 65 percent of the time and the other agrees 100 percent of the time. Of the 20 National Leadership Committee members with a NARAL score, 17 have earned a 100 percent rating. Of those who have less than a perfect score, not one is in favor of school vouchers. [Click here for the evidence.]
“Practicing Catholics have every right to be insulted by Obama’s advisory group. What is the purpose of having an advisory group about matters Catholic when most of its members reject the Catholic position? If Obama wanted input from gay leaders, would he choose those who don’t reflect the sentiments of the gay community? In short, to choose Catholic dissidents to advise him about Catholic concerns is mind-boggling.
“If these are the best ‘committed Catholic leaders, scholars and advocates’ Obama can find, then it is evident that he has a ‘Wright’ problem when it comes to picking Catholic advisors.”

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