Showdown at Notre Dame
An estimated 20,000 protesters are expected this weekend to oppose Catholic Notre Dame’s embrace of abortion militant Barack Obama.
Eighteen were arrested today at the gates of the university.
More than 360,000 have signed a protest petition.
The White House is pooh-poohing the controversy:
The White House has responded to opposition to President Obama’s appearance at the University of Notre Dame, claiming that only “one group” is organizing a boycott and pointing to other groups who support the president’s commencement speech and reception of an honorary degree.
“I think there’s one group organizing a boycott and, as best I can understand it, there are 23 groups that have formed in support of the president’s invitation,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, according to ABC.
The “one group,” ND Response, is a coalition of 11 pro-life groups including Notre Dame Right to Life, the Notre Dame Law St. Thomas More Society and the Notre Dame College Republicans.
…Gibbs claimed that 97 percent of the students supported the decision. However, ABC reported that this claim misstated an Associated Press story which said that of the 95 Notre Dame seniors who wrote to the student newspaper The Observer, 97 percent were positive.
Gibbs also cited a Pew poll reporting that 50 percent of Catholics supported Notre Dame’s invitation to Obama, while only 28 percent opposed it. However, that poll also reported that 45 percent of those who attend Mass at least weekly disapproved of the decision, while 37 percent approved.
Meantime: More Americans “pro-life” than “pro-choice” since Gallup first started asking the question.
***
Gibbs said today that Obama will “make mention of” the controversy in his commencement address:
“I think the president will obviously make mention of the debate that’s been had,” Gibbs said. “I think the president is somebody who has taught in a university setting, would understand that this is exactly the type of give and take that’s had on college campuses all over the country.”
Obama’s support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research puts him at odds with the Catholic Church’s teachings. His invitation to Notre Dame has sparked criticism from at least 74 Catholic bishops and protests which led to arrests Friday, including that of former Republican presidential hopeful Alan Keyes.
While the president will address how his positions on abortion and stem cell research differ from that of the Church, Gibbs noted the president will focus his remarks on the graduates.
“I think you’ll hear him address it, but I think you’ll also have a president and commencement speaker that’s quite cognizant of the fact that this is a commencement ceremony. This is a special occasion for families to celebrate the conferring of degrees in this ceremony and that the president will understand that’s the most important aspect of the day.”
If he truly understood that, he would have turned down the invite.
After Obama speaks on Sunday, he’ll get busy raking in the dough for Dems:
Obama will make two stops in Indiana on Sunday.
He will be in South Bend to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame. The second stop will be at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis for a fundraiser.
At the Westin, he first will headline a Keep Indiana Blue event. Tickets to that event range from $250 to $5,000 and benefit four of Indiana’s five Democratic congressmen: Ellsworth and Reps. Baron Hill, Andre Carson and Joe Donnelly.
The fifth, Rep. Pete Visclosky, is not expected to attend.
Obama then will attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, also at the Westin. Tickets to that event are $15,000 per couple.
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Trackbacks
- It’s about Time: Ave Maria University Commencement Speaker Rips Notre Dame for Having Obama as Speaker « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Obama & Christ Can’t Share Stage: White House Asks Georgetown to Cover Up Jesus’ Monogram for President « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- “Blame Bush and Buy a Puppy”: KFYI 550 NewsTalk’s Spoof on Pres. Obama’s ASU Commencement Speech « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Notre Dame is In My Blood; Allowing ND To Be “Used” Offends Me « Peace and Freedom Promises
- Pres. Obama to Speak at Arizona State University Graduation: Hot As Hades « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Poll: More Americans Now Pro-Life Than Pro-Choice : The American Pundit
- At least 20,000 protestors this weekend, 360,000 sigs on the petition to stop Obama’s appearance at the University of Notre Dame | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Friday, May 15, 2009: Daily Handpicked Headlines :: Daily Uprising :: Join the Conservative Counter-Revolution!
- The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Is the MSM Being Lazy or Malicious in It’s Notre Dame Controversy Reporting?
- Expected 20,000 Protesters this Weekend as Pro-Abortion President Obama Gives Commencement Speech at Notre Dame | Scared Monkeys
- Liberty Pundit | Gallup: More Americans Are Pro-Life
- Notre Dame Students Stand for Life « Jim Blazsik
- Obama; Why Notre Dame? « Peace and Freedom Promises
- BO at ND « Gunservatively!
- Obama’s Record Speaks for Itself « The Lioness
- Why are more Americans Pro-Life than Pro-Choice? Barack Obama « Jim Blazsik
- Why shouldn’t Obama embrace an opportunity to be honored at Notre Dame? « My 2¢
- Blue Collar Republican » Blog Archive » Showdown At Notre Dame
- Abortion | NEOAVATARA
- Speech And Consequences « Around The Sphere
- Obama at Notre Dame, on Abortion: Can’t We All Just Get Along? « Quick Daily Hits — Politics and Such
- Progressive Obama Values vs. Conservative American Values? Abortions–Over 50 Million American Babies Killed vs. Waterboarding–Million of Americans Still Alive–Truth and Consequences « Pronk Palisades
- Progressive Obama Values vs. Conservative American Values? Abortions–Over 50 Million American Babies Killed vs. Waterboarding–Millions of Americans Still Alive–Truth and Consequences « Pronk Palisades
- Long Island Patriot Blog » Blog Archive » Media bias in the NY TIMES… (yawn… oh really?)
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One word for the Baby Killer in Chief:
DESPICABLE
Ya’ sure, He’ll mention the controversy….Let me guess, ” Those stupid religious freaks are retarded.”
Notre Dame should lose it’s religious tax exemption, now.
What does the Pope think about this ?
Let Notre Dame become a NFL franchise and quit pretending, it’s a religious school.
The one doesn’t have it in him to admit there are people who don’t want to prostrate themselves before him. They are wrong….he is right! Ram it down their throats Obama.
I hope the protest is HUGE and I hope the graduates turn their backs on him in protest. Wouldn’t THAT be a sight to behold.
May ‘ Touch-down Jesus ‘ smite him down.
Amen. Call it a late-term Obortion.
There was someone on Fox News earlier today that said since Obama used to work at a Rectory that he was well versed in Catholic dogma. HUH???
Think Notre Dame should have asked for his college transcripts before giving him an honorary law degree? Then they could have shared them with the rest of us.
Yeah – he’s as well versed in Catholic doctrine as I am in Klingon.
Funny that, the other day, Obama said he didn’t “deserve” an honorary degree from ASU because he hadn’t accomplished enough.
What’s more goring is the fact the text of the honorary degree from ND applauds Obama’s “human rights” work…but fails to acknowledge that his definition of human rights doesn’t extend to the unborn or just born if abortion is the alternative.
As for the Gallup poll, great. Good news. I’m very happy that glimmers of hope still exist.
It’s just ONE special interest group protesting.
Whoever heard of the Catholic Church, anyway?
Sheeese, he’s already he worst president ever! Talk about a downfall. Stay proud George!
How does BroBama even get invited to perform the commencement address at Notre Dame??
He probably double checked the Catholic Church’s stand on abortion with Pelosi.
Check out the Obama parody from KFYI in Phoenix,AZ
http://www.kfyi.com/pages/promo/obama_asu_2009/obama_asu_embed.php
He actually is more honest, during the parody.
WTF…how stupid do they think people are?
He got elected didn’t he?
I guess it was because only one group was against him?
A majority of ACORN, supports him.
And so does the majority of dead people…
I think this is typical of Obama and the democrats. If you have a reasoned disagrement with thier ideas you are not taken seriously, because anyone who thinks would agree with them. It never occures to them that they might be wrong and thier ideas are insulting to many.
I see dead people; in Chicago…
Use the term “pro abortion” instead of “pro choice” and the numbers would be better yet.
That the administration or student leadership chose to invite Obama says a lot about them-none of it good.
Yeah, keep Indiana blue, and keep Indianapolis violent and poor. Good idea Indiana. For people so interested in change you would think they might actually try real change. They get what they deserve.
thanks #8…that was good for an evening laugh or two…
My karma ran over his dogma !
“360,000 have signed a protest petition” hmmm, sounds like more than one group to me.
Z
Poll after poll reinforces the observation that Americans are getting more and more conservative. Yet both political parties insist on waging war against traditional American values.
It works like this:
1. Refer to all people who disagree with the bipartisan elites as “conservatives”.
2. Attack “conservatives” for being “right-wing extremists”
It is time to stop talking about “conservative values” and stop describing the struggle in terms of Republican vs conservative and Republican vs Democrat. “Conservative” values are mainstream American values shared by the vast majority of Americans and Republicans no longer matter and should be excluded from all discussions. They don’t need “listening tours”. They need to listen. Then they should go away.
The path for “conservatives” does not require the GOP. We are doing much better without them.
Only one organization objects – conveniently dismissing the fact that it has 20 THOUSAND members, while saying 23 groups support the award – conveniently forgetting to point out that each of those 23 groups likely has no more than 50 members each.
Yup – that’s fair.
Someone needs to remind this stooge that over 350 THOUSAND people signed the petition against this disgraceful situation.
Polls, polls, polls…the man don’t take a poop without consulting a poll.
And we doubt Bill was the first black president? Junior is trying his best to imitate the best, and it just isn’t working. Check out the blame he deflects to congress about the “unsustainable budget“…as if he had NO hand in it!
All I can say to Notre Dame is…hide the crucifix! Obama be comin’ to town!
BS! It’s all lop-sided…liberal or nothing.
ABORT OBAMA…
while he’s still “early term”
Eighteen were arrested today at the gates of the university.
I saw a bit of that on Hannity and maybe I’m missing something but it’s quite shocking that they were arrested. What I saw could not have been more docile. Was it for trespassing?
Why is it that the Stalinist pie throwing goons who show up at colleges to protest whenever a conservative dares to speak are not arrested? Many of them are not students at the university where they protest.
Silly – it works like this … The liberals are trying to write anti-gun laws that would deny 2nd amendment rights to anyone who has every been arrested for any crime. Therefore – by arresting every conservative/libertarian protester, that’s all the more people you deny the right to every possess a firearm.
No firearms – no threat to liberals/socialist governments!
Liberals believe they hold the rights to the education of all mankind.
Ambassador Alan Keyes was arrested for the second time and will spend a long weekend in jail.
Alan Keyes and J.C. Watts are two black men that I as a white american indian (cherokee) would vote for in a heartbeat with no questions asked. These are true men of conservatism!
Ya got that right. I am amazed that Gibbs could even form that sentence with a straight face.
And they say WE’RE the ones who are “brainwashed!”
I suspect close to half of all African-Americans, and most church going Catholics, are pro-life, yet a large minority to a large majority voted for the most anti-life man ever to run for President.
Oh well.
-
But we need to marginalize Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal and ignore Rush Limbaugh and those crazy Christians, and listen to Obama voters like Colin Powell and embrace the ‘Big Tent’ and run more Arlen Specter pro-abortion politicians.
I’m a practicing Catholic, Catholic schools Gardes 1 to 12 (but The University of Texas at Austin for my BS)-
Rule of thumb- any ‘Catholic’ school that is either Jesuit and/or has a well known athletic program is only tangentially tied to teaching Catholic morality or faith.
‘Touchdown Jesus’ is a relic from decades ago.
IIRC, ND recently hosted ‘The Vagina Monologues’ on campus. Approval from other academic elite, those who follow ‘The Ruler of This World’ rather than the Lord of Creation, is what they crave.
Gee…being Catholic as well as 3rd Degree KofC, I can tell you that their little numbers concerning how many Catholics are not happy about this is WAAAAY low. It has been a pretty big issue, actually, and one that the College has, for the most part, ignored.
This is pretty much a big thumbing of the nose at Catholocism and the Catholic Church. It is nothing more than political garbage…the same as any other issue involving those that support abortion and other issues in direct opposition to Catholic teachings.
However why anyone would be surprised by Der Fuhrer’s response is beyond me at this point. After all, what else would the guy who thumbed his nose at the National Day of Prayer amongst other issues, have done?
Democrats: Brave enough to kill our unborn children, just not brave enough to kill our enemies.
It seems to me to be contradictory that Obama and congress are for abortion, these days. All those future taxpayers gone. Recind abortion and remind those in 18 years, how “The One” saved them…future democrat votes, too.
And their collecting Social Security checks.
Got that right. Liberalism is a disease of the mind and heart. In its extreme, it is a godless void.
Present company excluded of course. Nothing diseased about being godless.
Notre Dame could get out of this easily if they wanted to. Just put up several symbols of Christianity , maybe a cross, a statue of the Virgin Mary, a painting of Jesus ascending into heaven, an IHS monogram and when Obama’s staff wants them taken down or covered up, like they did at Georgetown, University recently, just say. . . no. Hey, this is a Catholic university. Catholics=Christians=Jesus=Our Savior=what we believe in. If this makes you uncomfortable, please stay at home and do not ask us to embarass ourselves by covering up images of Christianity in order to support your enormous ego.
Yes, the One will mention it in his speech, but it shall be awashed with hyperbole such as “We as Americans can live side by side with our differences and work together to seek a common ground…”, which only serves to mitigate the criticisms of him and the University.
In other words, he will “teleprompter” his way into a better light with those who are weak or have no regard for human life, while making those who are strong in their conviction to life less relevant.
He may just bring a large banner to cover them up with the words “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”?
Team Obama is really emphasising the collective-over-the-individual theme recently. The hundreds of thousands who oppose the Obama commencement sermon at Notre Dame only comprise “one group,” while supporters come from 23 unspecified groups of unspecifed numbers. But 23 groups are more than 1 group, so Obama is the winner! Then, Obama’s ASU speech was all about sneering at individualism and encouraging graduates to find their identity and salvation in some group, rather than working to build rewarding lives for themselves and their prospective families. So, at Notre Dame, Obama will likely continue on that same theme, but he’ll get to mix in a little self-praise for his support of baby-killing. Go ahead and let the Obots believe that 97% of the graduating class favors this. Of course, the ones who don’t support him likely won’t be there to register their dissent; Obama is probably counting on it, too.
By the way, who might some of these 23 groups really be? The AAC (Abortionists Advocating Compassion)? ALIA (Arugula Lovers for Israeli Annihalation)?
gco- Rush Limbaugh had an excellent analysis of the Obamanations ASU speech, and yes, it is all the collective versus the individual, and the assertion that work for profit is inherently wrong.
Absolutely correct. I find it strange how President Obama is all for education and steadfastly against one’s ability to make money plying one’s trade. Unless, I suppose, you educate yourself in the ways of political corruption. That seems to be ok.
A fine use of our mother tongue there Jeff, excellent!
After President Hussein’s address at Arizona State University the other night, preempting Michael Savage, I hate the man more than ever–who would have thought it?
The Patriotic Resistance
As a Catholic, I am extremely upset that Notre Dame would allow him to even set foot on the campus. How could someone be given an “honorary ” law degree, when he believes that waterboarding is “torture”, but yet abortion is no big deal. This is a very sad time for our country. For all the seniors who walk out of graduation tomorrow, GOOD FOR YOU, I am proud of you!!!
zero supports abortion, the one who gave him birth didn’t.
When I was a kid, Republicans were for law and order. Now they’re for anything that gets them in the news.
my exact same thoughts, not being Catholic not sure how the members look at this other than the School just told you to bite it…your opinion does not matter, just keep sending the money.
Now that’s something he knows about.
democrats have never been for law and order, but have always been for anything that gets them in the news.
no2pcbs1:
Wrong. My mother and father are both pro-choice, and always have been.
no2pcbs1:
Oh wait, were you talking about Obama?
/me confused.
I think CONSERVATIVES are just sick and tired of what liberals have done to them since the 60’s and are finally willing to give it back just as much as they received.. (tit for tat so to speak)
Frail 81 year old priest arrested for peaceful protest at Notre Dame campus.
The man can barely walk, not sure why the police flexicuffed his hands behind his back.
This is by authority of the president of ND, a Father Jenkins. I suspect he isn’t troubled a bit, except for the possibility of donations from faithful Catholics drying up.
Non-violent protest and civil disobedience is fine, as long as its liberals protesting.
lgm,
That is too funny coming from a lib. Although we have learned a lot about these tactics from you guys.
When I was a kid, Republicans were for law and order. Now they’re for anything that gets them in the news.When you were a kid, you were an idiot, apparently by choice.
Same same now your are an adult.
Was Rosa Parkes a common criminal?
Everyone that attends the commencement should be sure and wear a nice symbol of Christianity that will show up for the cameras.
Hmmm, I’m a bit confused. Is the Catholic church not against the death penalty? Why not the big protest for Bush, as he allowed to be commencement speaker. Also, didn’t Pope John Paul II call the Iraq war a defeat for humanity. How come Bush spoke at Notre Dame without this uproar? I can respect people with differing opinions on abortion, but not hypocrisy. Also, calling Obama baby killer in chief are just as bad as those who called Bush a mass murderer.
A man, expressing his refusal to support so-called “torture”…making someone gag for a few minutes, save some lives, and then head back for a dinner and a movie… but support partial birth abortion…subjecting a small unborn child to terrible pain and death…is a master hypocrite. Kill the children, save the terrorists.
That “free mind” of yours ain’t working very well if it sees no difference between taking the life of an innocent unborn baby and the execution a convicted murderer after due process.
First, the Catholic Church is NOT against the death penalty. Read the Cathechism (I doubt you will). The Church teaches that abortion is ALWAYS an INTRINSIC evil, while capital punishment is NOT intrinsically evil.
Obama is a baby killer, pure and simple. Any comparison to President Bush is idiotic.
Really, Obama is a baby killer? What baby did he kill? All I’m saying is that this is a hypocritical position, if you supported the Iraq war or any war for that matter you too could be considered a baby killer. No doubt this war killed at least hundreds of baby’s and thousands of other innocent people. If you really believe in the sanctity of human life, why did you not protest this war?
What is your position on WWII? Lots of babies died in that war, many thousands in Japan and Germany. So…tell us about your position on that.
Obama has killed…is responsible for killing…babies as a matter of policy. Not as a matter of unavoidable consequence.
See any difference…????
Why not use a fairer choice of words, such as “pro-choice” and “anti-choice”?
Oh, because that wouldn’t look so good for the anti-choice side.
The way the question is worded in the poll is completely loaded anyway.
“Pro-life during the embryonic stage” is what pro-life really means.
I mean, you’re not pro-life in every situation, right? Do you believe in the death penalty? In wars that have not been subjected to just-war theory, as prescribed by centuries of christian tradition?
The term “pro-life” has been co-opted in this instance, because usually the “pro-life” belief ends once the child is born.
A weak argument used by all too many before; you do not impress. Does rather remind me of the fall of the Soviet Union: They released hundreds of thousands of letters from Gulag prisoners telling Stalin the terrible things happening in the camps-”Oh if only Stalin had known”.
Then again Karl Adolf Eichmann never pulled a trigger or opened a can of Zyklon-B. But we waste our breath- between Left and Right there really isn’t anything to talk about, not really.
We have no common interests.
That is one of the great lies of the pro abortion lobby and has been for forty years-a lie, just a lie. Most of the pro abortion people I have talked to have no idea at all of the help and services, adoptions and such the Pro Life people provide-none at all. But they have bought into the out and out lie the “pro-life” belief ends once the child is born big time and chant it like some demonic prayer. Be they liars or fools I do not know and care less.
“Support massive Federal Social Spending Programs are you are not really Pro Life”.
As I said earlier-we have no common interests.
The terms are apt. No Pro-Life proponent wishes to strip anyone of a legitimate choice. We merely recognize that their are myriad choices up-stream of the “choice” to kill another human being.
And what of the choices of the father? They are of no concern whatsoever in your calculus of death.
What of the choice of the child? Of course, you must deny that any such person exists. Very like the Dred Scott majority, in defining a class of extra-constitutional human beings in order to arrive that that morally bankrupt line of “reasoning”.
Consider the price that the nation paid for that horrific wrong.
The CHOICES one entrains when they willingly engage in the processes that we all know lead to procreation are many. No one is asking that those be denied to a woman.
Pro-life advocates merely state that, if a woman is irresponsible in the way she chooses to use the power of procreation, she should responsibly deal with the consequences of her choices. One of them is the invitation into life of a new human being.
I think certain lefties around here are forgetting how many people Saddam Hussein murdered and how many children were in his prisons and killed during his sadistic regime. Not to mention the REAL torture that went on against men, women and children.
Wonder how many lives have been saved by removing Saddam from power?
Notice that “pro choice” only applies to killing an unborn baby, but not to education, such as vouchers or homeschooling? And then they say pro lifers don’t care about babies after they are born?
Who is the one neglecting post birth children here?
Oh, and yes.
Obama is a baby killer by policy, just as Hitler was a Jew killer by policy.
That’s a bit of an disingenuous equivocation, isn’t it? One could make the same argument as to why more Americans did not join Katherine Hepburn and the anti-war Republicans of the 1940’s in protesting the bombing of civilian innocents during our elected involvement in both the European and Pacific theaters of WWII, couldn’t one?
Anyway, here’s a response.
Because abortion is target specific: its focus is the unborn and its outcome unalterable – the destruction of life.
War is political: it’s purpose being the destruction of an enemy’s military apparatus and ability to conduct offensive and defensive measures; that innocents are too often harmed in the process is neither the intent nor purpose of war.
Ill allow Pope John Paul II to respond to your remark:
“When war, as in these days in Iraq, threatens the fate of humanity, it is ever more urgent to proclaim, with a strong and decisive voice, that only peace is the road to follow to construct a more just and united society,” John Paul said. “Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of man.”
“Authentic religion preaches neither terrorism nor violence, but rather seeks to promote peace and the unity of the entire human family,”
Just to put it on record here. A 12 week fetus is not a sentient person. Most anti abortion people really are anti sex — they also oppose birth control.
Put up your proof.
That human being will be a sentient person (in all probability) if simply left alone to develop.
Do you advocate killing people you consider “non-sentient”…?
I could suggest a large population on which we could start…
Actually, there is good evidence to show that pro-abortion men are essentially satyrs who don’t give a flying fig about women…or their own issue…and want to cover their behavior without responsibility, but, hey…
reasonable minds, and all that….