Politics does make strange bedfellows. The Democratic activists overlook their criticism of the church’s social conservatism. But if liberals embraced the entirety of the church’s influence, the American political landscape would be much different. Feminists would not take to the streets to tell the clergy to get their “rosary beads off my uterus.” Liberal lawmakers would have praised Catholics who spoke out against the death-by-starvation of Terri Schiavo. Senate Democrats would not question how the Catholic faith of Supreme Court nominees John Roberts and Sam Alito might affect their judicial decisions. The left-leaning media wouldn’t defend pro-abortion Catholics when they were denied communion by Catholic bishops for breaking with Catholic doctrine on abortion. But we know better. Liberals will support the church when it’s only politically convenient.
This is a marriage of political convenience for the church as well. Liberal leaders and Catholic bishops are seeing their flocks dwindle and immigration presents an unprecedented recruiting opportunity. The church is looking for new members. The Democratic Party needs new voters, proven by its lack of electoral success since 1994.
Illegal Immigration Unites Democrats, Catholic Church
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The opening keynote was given by Judge Stanley Birch, of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, who is most well known for his decision in the Schiavo case. Judge Birch stressed the need for judicial independence. Other notable speakers included general counsels Teri McClure of UPS, Joaquin Carbonell of Cingular, and Javade Chaudhri of Sempra Energy, who spoke to a packed audience on the diversity practices of their companies, especially in the area of legal services.
Like Prof. Katyal and Ms. Khatri, other South Asian attorneys are clearly “influencing the network.” Hoping to extend that influence into the public arena is Shyam Reddy, a corporate lawyer at Atlanta-based Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, who is a candidate for Georgia Secretary of State; Neera Walsh, an attorney in the Cook County, Illinois, State Attorneys office; Rohit Kirpalani, general counsel at Atlanta-based CompuCredit Corporation; and Monica Desai, a bureau chief at the Federal Communications Commission.
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Which border did Jesus sneak across, senator? I must have missed that.