This week the Democratic party made clear its total support of abortion on demand.

Gone is the “safe, legal and rare” rhetoric of the past few years and in is this:

“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.”

The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, clearly ultra liberal on the abortion issue — look at his Senate record — is surely pleased.

Less clear is whether the conflicted electorate will be.

And now, as of three days ago, we have new charges from the National Right to Life organization about candidate Obama’s  abortion obfuscation as well as his well known abortion extremism.

NRL accuses Barack Obama of being a whole lot less than truthful when he defends his opposition — three times as…

(1) The English newspaper The Independent thinks President George W. Bush is contemplating becoming a Catholic.

(2) Democratic candidate Barack Obama scolded absentee fathers on Sunday, Father’s Day. According to the NYTimes, Mr. Obama noted that

“more than half of all black children live in single-parent households,” a number that he said had doubled since his own childhood……”

(3) Meanwhile, black pro-life advocates will be protesting outside the upcoming Cincinnati, Ohio annual NAACP meeting. Rev. Clenard Childress, a New Jersey pastor, said

“Because 2008 is an election year, the presidential candidates will undoubtedly speak at the convention. This gives us a national stage to make our case to the American people, as a whole, as well as the convention delegates.”

The NYTimes published an article A Life of Quality: Harriet McBryde Johnson:

“…..What many saw when they looked at her was a scrawny woman with a twisted spine who got around with a power wheelchair…

I’ve been down and out with a vicious flu bug and have had the chance to watch some TV (not usually an option with two small children). And, I totally expected to see a bunch of chatter about Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright. Doesn’t anybody have anything to say about this?

OK. So I read Scott’s post and I totally agree with the fact that Wright has been inconsiderate and destructive (to say the least) to Obama and his campaign. Wright’s recent media tour makes it obvious that he wants his fifteen minutes of fame. And his fame, or infamy you might say, could very well last much longer if he derails Obama’s historic campaign.

That being said, here’s the question: Should one be judged based on their spiritual mentor? I know I don’t agree with everything I hear in synagogue. I don’t share all the same views as my rabbi. So…

Wow! There is a lot of buzz in the “religion & politics” news this week regarding Barack Obama and his pastor former pastor Jeremiah Wright

I understand that a pastor feels a burden to show courage and boldness in the face of hostility towards personally-held beliefs, but you’ve got to be amazed at his absolute inconsideration to his friend Barack, knowing the impact his statements might have on Obama’s campaign.

Ok, that ends my armchair-politics talk (an area I know little of, and care even less about).

Now, onto what I find even more interesting about all this – the theological element.

Liberation theology is getting a lot of air time these days (see here for today’s Google news search of the term). I’m not so sure all the pundits know what they are talking about when they use the term.

Nevertheless, there is a lot of talk about Wright’s own liberation theology. As…

In Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary, Roman Catholics in the state sent a clear message to the two Democratic candidates. By more than a two to one margin, according to exit polls, Catholics chose Sen. Hillary Clinton over Sen. Barack Obama.

The 70 percent to 30 percent Catholic beat-down of Obama was even larger than the 63 percent to 36 percent trouncing the Illinois senator took from Ohio Catholics in that state’s primary last month.

What’s going on here?

It’s not like Clinton is picketing outside Planned Parenthood next to Catholic bishops. Abortion-rights group Naral Pro-Choice America gives both Clinton and Obama 100 percent ratings, a designation Clinton has maintained every year since 2002.

Non-Catholics saw things differently in Pennsylvania. Obama actually bettered Clinton among protestants and other in Pennsylvania, and among non-religious voters he nearly reversed the Catholic numbers - 64 percent to 36 percent.

Obama is expected to win the May 6 North…

“I don’t presume to know the answer to that question.” - Barack Obama in Sunday (April 13, 2008) CNN Compassion Forum on Faith and Politics

At first glance it could have seemed to the casual observer that Senator Barack Obama was refusing to answer or parsing answers to a few questions on religious issues at CNN’s Compassion Forum dealing with issues of faith and politics on Sunday. But, when measured against author Derrick Bell’s 2002 work, Ethical Ambition, the presidential aspirant was engaging in what is required of all true ethical agents and (I would add) interfaith dialogue. He was displaying a little humility. This is the same humility he illustrated when responding to the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners question [read challenge] to make a commitment to cutting poverty in half in the next ten years.

Bell, a law professor and former attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, suggests that…