Posted on 03/13/2006 5:16:12 PM PST by brigada
http://www.mediaresearch.org/BozellColumns/newscolumn/2006/col20060308.asp
You’d think Katie Couric would aspire to be an anchorwoman for all the American people, now that CBS appears to be wooing her for the Throne of Rather. So why did she have to be so rough on Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, for being a Catholic?
Monaghan has an extraordinary American story. After struggling badly with his brother in a failing pizza business, he bought his brother out in 1960 and by the 1980s had accumulated amazing riches. He was enjoying them too, all the gaudy trappings of success, and then he read the book “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. Reading about the great sin of pride, his life changed dramatically. He stopped concentrating on material things, instead focusing his energies, and his wealth, in pursuit of spiritual good. He poured millions upon millions of dollars into pro-life and Catholic philanthropy. Among other ventures, he founded Ave Maria University. After facing zoning problems with his first location in Michigan, Monaghan struck a deal in southern Florida, not to merely build a Catholic college, but a truly Catholic town, open to anyone aspiring to live in communion with traditional values.
And for that he earned the ire of Katie Couric. Monaghan and his developer partner Paul Marinelli appeared on the three network morning shows on March 3, but whereas ABC and CBS were calm, Couric’s performance on NBC was so harsh it was jaw-dropping.
Not once throughout the entire interview did she salute him, thank him, congratulate him for his philanthropy. Monaghan is putting up a whopping $400 million to create an island of peace in a world gone mad, and she had nothing nice to say about it. She only joked lamely he was spending $400 million of his own “dough” (get it? As in pizza?) – and moved straight to hardball.
As NBC dutifully plastered the words “Catholic Town USA” on screen, Couric began pestering Monaghan about his hope that pharmacists would not sell contraceptives there. She asked about it four times. After four denials, she started dropping the bombs. “Some people,” she claimed, think Catholic values might be “deemed wholesome, but in other ways, I think people will see this community as eschewing diversity and promoting intolerance.” Marinelli refused to take the bait, and instead calmly explained that this town was open to all people of all faiths with a “traditional family value perspective.” Couric was unconvinced and shot back, “Does that mean you would welcome Jewish residents?”
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It was an ugly question with the veiled accusation of bigotry lurking just below the surface. And when she was done, she switched gears, clumsily dragging in words that suggest racism to the audience: “But do you think the tenets of the community might result in de facto segregation as a result of some of the beliefs that are being espoused by the majority of residents there?” What in the world was Couric imagining in Ave Maria, Florida -- the great Catholic menace? After pestering the Ave Maria duo about whether the cable TV system will be smutty enough, Couric returned to touting the concerns of the “people.” It’s always “people” or “some people,” never a source identified. “At the same time you can understand how people would hear some of these things and be, like, wow, this is really infringing on civil liberties and freedom of speech and right to privacy and all sorts of basic tenets this country was founded on. Right?"
Like, wow, Tom Monaghan is now un-American? Somehow the concept of freedom of association, that people are free to build a community based on common beliefs, something American children learn about in their history books, from Amish communities to Shaker communities to Mormon communities to Jewish communities, is a frightening and alien concept to Couric –when conservative Catholics start talking about it.
Couric betrayed her secular liberal allegiances with her final shot when she concluded the interview: "Well, we’ll probably be following this story, because I know the ACLU is too." Then she laughed.
Other religions have started up communities founded on their beliefs. In southwestern Iowa, some New Age Hindus have created the town of Maharishi Vedic City, a religious center based on the principles and teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. There’s been no dire civil-liberties alert from Couric yet, even though the city has banned the sale of non-organic food and the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Stop the presses! Get Couric on the line! Civil rights at risk! Intolerance and bigotry afoot! Oh, wait....wait. You said Hindus? Oh, never mind.
Let's face it....Couric is one of the anti-Christ's
The second greatest corporate blunder ever committed would be for CBS to hire her to anchor the news.
The #1 by the way was the "new coke" campaign.
One of the anti-Christ's whats?
Hare core Libs hate Catholics with a foam at the mouth passion.
Yeah, but Coca Cola got the last laugh. They gradually made "Classic" Coke taste like "New" Coke over time.
The only place to get *true* "classic" Coke is south of the border. (or in a few Mexican groceries her in the US).
All Christians, not just Catholics.
I would be happy if Katie is promoted to chief Anchor.She would do a very fine job in that position for the network. Well, not fine for the stockholders but good for those of us who do not wish the networks well.
faces...
From what I have seen of Couric, her head is as empty as as Kent Brockman's,excuse me, Wolf Blitzer's. When she gets a few more years on her she will be discarded for another perky, clueless airhead - whose numbers are legion.
She's a moral ethical and public coward.. a bully..
Ok, real Christians then. Not the fake Lieberal ones that the lefties love so much. Those guys are in the pocket of the devil, of that I have no doubt.
same here. A gay Bishop? gay Weddings? Somewhere Satan is laughing himself silly.
"Hare core Libs hate Catholics with a foam at the mouth passion."
Wrong, many "hard core" liberals are nominal Roman Catholics (aka Ted & company). I would say that the hard core libs hate conservative evangelical protestants and strongly dislike true Roman Catholics (those that are true to RC doctrine and practice). If they had to pick a target of the two groups, the conservative evangelicals would get first priority of their ire. True Roman Catholics are a secondary target to them.
PS - The founder's of Domino's had every right to form his own ideal community. I agree that Couric is an anti-Catholic bigot. However, I will go a step further and say she is a bigot against anything trully Christian, regardless of which denomination it comes from.
Actually, Katie has turned being "cute" but brainless into a career. Too bad she doesn't use the ethnic pronounciation of her last name where the "C" is voiced as a W.
If CBS is stupid enough to hire her, they'll get exactly what they deserve, which is nothing. Unless they're able to hire Brent Hume away from Fox, I will continue to not watch them, just like I've not watched them for the past 20 years (except that one time in 2004 when Rather was forced to admit they're lying scum).
It will be like flushing 100 million down the toileto which is what she's asking. Its an embarrassment of riches.
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