Mannix?
Posted on 10/17/2003 7:03:19 PM PDT by Salvation
Four Names You Should Know
CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter
October 17, 2003
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Dear Friend,
First, I'm very sorry I didn't send you an e-letter last week. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, and just wasn't able to sit down long enough to write anything.
As it is right now, I'm in Rome for John Paul II's anniversary, and the beatification of Mother Theresa. It's been amazing, and I'll give you a full report as soon as I get back next week. (A couple things have happened that I think you'll find very interesting...)
Today, I wanted to bring something else to your attention. Don't worry, it's good news.
But to get there, I'll have to start with a little bad news...
If I asked you to name the first Catholic politician who came to mind, who would it be?
Most people would probably say Sen. Ted Kennedy, since he's the biggest "Catholic" name in politics today. It's pretty sad, really. The most recognized Catholic politician in our country is one who has sold out his faith for anti-Catholic and pro-abortion legislation. Not very encouraging for the future of Catholics in politics.
That's why I wanted to tell you about a few up-and-coming Catholic politicians who you'd be proud to know were on our side. They don't have big names -- yet -- but what they do have is a commitment to their faith that equals their political enthusiasm. These are men of principle, energetic and articulate leaders who could change the way we think about Catholics in politics.
And best of all, these men are young -- they'll be around a long time after Kennedy's star fades. So without further ado, here are a few names to be watching in the months and years to come...
You may have already heard of Bobby Jindal. A 32-year-old Louisiana native, Jindal already has an impressive list of accomplishments under his belt. He served as the head of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals at the ripe old age of 24 and is widely credited for solving the state's Medicaid crisis while in office. He was a Rhodes Scholar, president of the University of Louisiana system, and an assistant secretary for planning and evaluation of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Not bad for someone barely into his 30s.
Currently, Jindal is running for governor in Louisiana, and people are impressed with his enthusiasm and original ideas for dealing with everything from education to the economy, infrastructure to health care. He has a highly developed plan for implementing these ideas. (Right now, the governor's race is a dead heat.)
But perhaps the most impressive thing about Jindal is his faith. Raised a Hindu by his Indian parents, Jindal began exploring Christianity while in college, eventually making his way into the Catholic Church. He's now a member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Baton Rouge (along with his wife and one-year-old daughter). But Jindal doesn't attempt to separate his religion from his day-to-day life in politics, and he's made faith and family issues an important part of his platform. "Religion is not an exclusively private matter," Jindal explains, "and people of faith should not be required to separate their faith from their daily lives, their professions, or from public discourse."
To that end, Jindal promises to advance a number of important causes for faith and family, first among those being the protection of life, from conception to natural death. And more than just mouthing pro-life beliefs, Jindal has a number of plans in the works to shore up the distance between faith and practice: promoting adoption instead of abortion, offering crisis pregnancy assistance, and supporting abstinence education programs.
While Jindal is certainly one rising Catholic political star, there is another: the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Michael Steele. A father of two and devout member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Landover, Steele has been widely recognized by his peers as a man of sterling character and an effective politician. He was selected as Maryland State Republican Man of the year and the Chairman of the Maryland State Republican Party. President Bush appointed him to the Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy. Even his Catholic parish honored him as their Man of the Year in 1998.
In addition to these honors, he's made numerous media appearances, where he's displayed a commanding presence and a wickedly quick wit.
Steele isn't afraid to speak out on tough issues, even if it means going against the status quo. In March of this year, Steele broke with convention by attending the Annapolis March for Life rally. Those involved in the rally said it was one of the only times a political figure has ever publicly supported their cause. The fact is, Steele has shown a great commitment to stand up for the truth, no matter what the cost.
I was lucky enough to see this myself at our meeting with the bishops on September 8th. Steele was present and really impressed me with his courteous nature and insightful comments. He stood up before the bishops and told them that real leadership means proclaiming the truth and fighting for what is right, even when it seems unpopular. This is exactly what he called the bishops to do... to act like leaders.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Michael Steele in the future.
Two others who belong in the company of Steele and Jindal are Washington state senator Dino Rossi and chairman of the Republican party for Oregon, Kevin Mannix. Both are strong pro-life Catholics. I had the opportunity to meet them during my recent travels in the Northwest, and was truly impressed with both.
And of course, these aren't the only signs of hope among Catholic politicians. In fact, just as younger Catholics tend to be more faithful in their beliefs than their parents, so too do the younger Catholic politicians tend to be more Catholic in their political positions.
This bodes well for the future.
So while it might be easy sometimes to despair when "Catholics" like Ted Kennedy actively oppose the teachings of his Church, just remember that there are plenty of faithful Catholics working outside of the spotlight who, with God's grace, will be around long after Kennedy leaves the scene.
I'll write more next week,
Deal
P.S. By the way, if you know of other faithful Catholics involved in politics (particularly if they're not well known) please drop me a quick email. I'd love to hear about them.
St. Mary's was my parish for most of my life. I went to school at St. Mary's and was an altar boy in the church for 3 or 4 years. Although I so not know Michael Steele persaonally, I have followed his career here in Maryland. After a couple of impressive but unsuccessful bids for office, he became the Republican Party Chairman in Maryland. As a black Republican, he worked tirelessly to help grow the party in a state full of Dummycrats. He's a down to earth guy and certainly a rising star ... We're happy to have him here as our Lieutenant Governor!
Aye to that.
Mannix?
I wish he'd run...
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