Free Republic

We have long assumed that the infestation of special interest money in Washington is at the root of so much that ails our politics. But what if we’ve had it wrong? What if instead of being bribed by wealthy interests, politicians are engaged in a form of legal extortion designed to extract campaign contributions? Consider this: of the thousands of bills introduced in Congress each year, only roughly 5 percent become law. Why do legislators bother proposing so many bills? What if many of those bills are written not to be passed but to pressure people into forking over cash?...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick is open to meeting a group of Catholic Democrats critical of bishops who would deny Communion to Catholic legislators favoring legalized abortion, said Susan Gibbs, the cardinal's spokeswoman. The request for a meeting was made in a letter signed by 48 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives, several of whom oppose legalized abortion. Most of the signers favor legalized abortion. The lawmakers said that public statements made by some bishops about withholding Communion fuel anti-Catholicism in society, lead to division within the church and involve the church in partisan politics. Cardinal...

<p>Forty-eight Roman Catholic members of Congress have warned in a letter to Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington that U.S. bishops will revive anti-Catholic bigotry and severely harm the church if they deny Communion to politicians who support abortion rights.The letter's signers, all Democrats, include at least three House members with strong antiabortion voting records.</p>