Bishop To Boycott Banquet If Michael Steele Speaks

Bishop Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger (right), of Evansville, Indiana, says he will not attend a pro-life dinner on April 16 if  RNC Chair Michael Steele addresses the crowd.  The other honoree that night is to be Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin, and 4500 attendees are expected. 

Nor will Bishop Gettelfinger be the only prominent area pro-lifer to shun the banquet over Mr. Steele. Evansville Catholic Charities Director Jim Collins also plans to boycott the gathering, saying he was “shocked” by Mr. Steele’s answers on abortion during a recent interview.

In an interview with GQ, published in the latest issue of the magazine, the reporter asked, “Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?” According to GQ, Mr. Steele said, “Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice.” The reporter then said, “You do?” and Mr. Steele said, “Yeah. Absolutely.”

However, he also said the Supreme Court “wrongly decided” the 1973 case that struck down state limits on abortion and made it a matter of individual choice. And on the day after GQ posted the article on its Web site, Mr. Steele backtracked, saying “I am pro-life, always have been, always will be” and reiterating his statement that the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling was flawed.

“No pro-life person could have answered the way he did,” Mr. Collins said. “I don’t care how he dances around it afterward, he is not a pro-lifer,” he added, contending that Mr. Steele’s presence would thus tarnish the event.

It’s unfortunate that religious groups expect politicians to favor codifying their views into law, something that reeks more of theocracy than democracy.  And politicians who don’t follow suit shall be punished.  The irony here is that Michael Steele isn’t even pro-choice, but because he used the “c” word in answer to a question he is being shunned by those who actually agree with him on this issue.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.