Tribune's Seeker Seeking Seekers Who Seek Same: Manya Brachear's Catholic Health Debate is a Monologue

Manya Brachear* is never a disappointment. The earnest, really, really, really interested Religion columnist and Lloyd Garrison Level No Popery Here Medill Mouthpiece has offered another of her very special earnest pieces on the Obama Care Bill.

Manya is from the school of journalism ( Progressive Doctrinaire) that likes to get every one with the exact same point of view for thematic and narrative issue overkill.

Catholics ( Catholics United and Sister Donna Quinn and Liberation Theology Marxist Bob Bossie) are trotted out to help Manya.

On Saturday, Catholics United , a non-profit that promotes social justice, launched a television campaign to counter claims that the legislation, if approved, will provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. The ad is airing in, among others, Illinois Democrat Dan Lipinski’s congressional district.

“As a lifelong advocate for health care reform, I call on Congressman Lipinski to do what’s best for hard working people of Illinois and support reform,” said the Rev. Bob Bossie, a religious order priest in Chicago. “The reform bill before the House will save lives, support families and uphold existing laws which prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions.”

Bossie concedes he is “quite unhappy” with the legislation. But he finds the cardinal’s hard line unfortunate.

“I respect the cardinal’s position, but at this particular juncture on the road something is better than nothing,” he said. “I think it’s just the beginning.”

Meanwhile, 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns side with the Catholic Health Association, saying a yes vote is imperative.

“It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women,” the nuns wrote. “This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it.”

But there’s one nun that does not support the bill.

Dominican sister and activist Donna Quinn said restrictions on abortion go too far. She said national health care must include “Medicaid funding for a woman on Medicaid … who chooses this legal medical procedure.”

“If this Health Care ‘Reform’ does pass we all know that gender discrimination was necessary to do so,” Quinn said. “Women deserve better.”

What do you think?

Let's see here. Bob Bossie is a Marxist. Sister Donna Quinn works for Planned Parenthood and is a goofball. Catholics United are a PAC paid for by George Soros.


Gee, Manya, thanks for asking! I think that you are not all that good at your job, but that is Okay! Neither are your editors!

* Manya Brachear joined the Chicago Tribune in June 2003. As one of the paper's religion reporters, she has helped chronicle the papal transition from Rome, the Dalai Lama's visit to Chicago, Protestant debates about gay clergy, progress and pitfalls of interfaith dialogue and the emerging role of religion in American politics. Brachear earned a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University and masters' degrees in journalism and religious studies from Columbia University. She also has written for Time magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Beliefnet.com and the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.