...then it is high time for someone (maybe Salon?) to write an in-depth profile of him.

You know, like the kind that revealed Dr. David Hager (a Bush FDA appointee) for the abuser and hypocrite that he was to his former wife... in addition to his way outside-the-mainstream views on women's reproductive rights.

How many times do we have to see one Republican hypocrite after another inadvertently revealed as undeserving of the role of self-proclaimed moral arbiter before we just start looking for the contrary evidence?

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050530/mcgarvey

The whole point of Catholicism is that YOU DON'T GET A FREE CHOICE. It's, like, the entire underpinning of the concept.

You will never, ever have a "free choice" so long as you believe in childish superstitions, rituals, and holy objects. Grow up and stop being stupid.

Johnalive,

Please don't imagine that I support either the first Gulf War incursion or the second. I don't care that Syria found it to be in its own best interest to align with us in 1991, or that Iranians engaged in sympathy theater in 2001. The fact is that Catholics and other Christians seem to be fair game for progressives, while the infinitely more dangerous Muslims are treated with kid gloves. I do agree with you that Bush's Middle Eastern policies are incredibly pernicious and wrongheaded, and I absolutely do not support Gulf War II. But standing up to Islam is necessary unless you want to see America go down the same path as England, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark (in particular) in dealing with Muslim aggression.

Salonite,

Well that's an interesting formulation. I'd caution you to be careful about what is really the bully religion though. Western Europe is giving us a nice glimpse of what a significant Muslim population can be like (for a story you probably haven't seen check out http://catholiclondoner.blogspot.com/2006/09/very-rushed-post.html). Certainly the swaggering intimidation displayed by the imams who tried to terrify that airplane full of passengers recently is more typical of Muslim behavior in the West.

Having said all that I am utterly opposed to the war in Iraq - I could care less about Iraqi freedom - so please don't misconstrue my position. I do think that we liberals are making a pact with the devil by giving philosophical shelter to Muslims as a way to score points against Republicans.

Not that it is entirely relevant to the story at hand (liberals displaying anti-Catholic sentiments), but if you want to see an interesting blowblack on Clinton's awful war in Bosnia, google Sulejmen Talovic.

Oh lookie, a new Hate Monger Preacher. Another one. My my, don't they ever get tired?

Jimmy Baker, Jimmie Swaggart, Ted Haggard, it's just a matter of time before Bill Donohue gets hoist just like the others. What will he be, a child molester, a panty-sniffer, a tax cheat, a homo crank addict? It's just a matter of time.

What if a presidential campaign hired bloggers who constantly slagged off homosexuals or women? Would all the noses at Salon be so bent out of shape if he wound up firing them?

The hypocrisy here stinks.

Bill Donohue sounds like a bully and it's unfortunate the blogger felt she had to resign. John Edwards needs to convince her to come back and not let media hounds like Donohue call the shots! I would admire him if he did so. Whatever happened to critical thinking and having different views about religion? Not everyone in this country is a Christian! I'm sick of politicians bowing down to the rightwing Christians. I am not going to vote for anyone who panders to them.

I didn't like Amanda Marcotte's remarks, but I am thoroughly disgusted with Bill Donohue, his combative style, and his claim to represent Catholics. As a Catholic, Bill doesn't speak for me, and he doesn't speak for other Catholics I know. Unfortunately, he does speak for some members of the hierarchy with clout, and his particular take on Catholicism and authority is in vogue under the current Pope. The Catholic League is also well-funded, and it includes on its board such right-wing luminaries as Dinesh D'Souza, Kate O'Beirne, Linda Chavez, and L. Brent Bozell. Bill is a bully, and he has managed to put another notch in his belt. About the only time I agreed with Bill was when he went after Opie & Anthony for their disgusting "Sex for Sam" stunt, although I put it down less to anti-Catholicism than to media consolidation encouraging radio hosts to pander to the lowest common denominator.

Frances Kissling mentioned that Bill might have problems with women. There was a recent article in Women's Wear Daily (February 2, 2007) in which Donohue mentioned that he had been divorced for 10 years. I don't know if the two issues are connected, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out they were.

You fail to distinguish between attacking someone's adopted opinion (religious belief) and attacking someone's intractable self (sexual identity and gender). The former can and should be rigorously scrutinized; the latter cannot. Criticizing women and homosexuals for who they are is like criticizing a groundhog for being a groundhog. Religious opinions are just that, opinions -- and grownups take responsibility for their own opinions. It's time that all these religious right-types stopped being such prickly crybabies. Let them stop crying foul over false outrages and start being adults.

Gee, I wonder if that'll happen...

You state,

"Nothing stupider than "Catholics for a Free Choice"

The whole point of Catholicism is that YOU DON'T GET A FREE CHOICE. It's, like, the entire underpinning of the concept.

You will never, ever have a "free choice" so long as you believe in childish superstitions, rituals, and holy objects. Grow up and stop being stupid."

Would you care to post the same thing about Islam?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Traister found Marcotte's vile passages "humerous".

And I'm not surprised that Marcotte and other feminists are so astonished that she is being held accountable for grotesquely bigoted language with which she expresses her views. Marcotte was in her own immature little world on her blog and is now tasting what happens when her warped narcissism is subjected to the scrutiny of sane public discourse. If Donohue hadn't raised the issue someone else would have. Good riddance to her.