The Democrats' Muck

Of all the results of last Tuesday's election, I think I was most disappointed by the reelection of Rep. Bill DeWeese by about 54 percent of the voters of Pennsylvania's 50th legislative district. For the second election in a row, DeWeese lost the Greene County portion of the district but won the parts of the 50th in Washington and Fayette counties.

Surrounded by scandal on all sides, the verbose Democrat is the majority leader of the Pennsylvania House. He has been a state representative since the year I was born.

This morning I learned that, in the waning days of the campaign, the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee sent out this disgusting piece of attack mail against DeWeese's opponent, Greg Hopkins:

As someone who chose to move out of Southwestern Pennsylvania to achieve greater success professionally, I am offended by this mailing.

As someone who thinks the professional successes of Southwestern Pennsylvanians should be celebrated regardless of where they take place, I am offended by this mailing.

Bill DeWeese was the ugly man in this State House race. And that had nothing to do with his opponent's good looks.

Note to all my Democratic friends: Please recall this one the next time you're apt to think of your party as enlightened and above this kind of muck. The Ds aren't all like Obama.

Big hat-tip: Checking the Balance

Our Father's Houses

Yesterday, since I was back in Western PA for the weekend, I had the chance to go to Sunday Mass at my hometown parish, St. Alphonsus Church in McDonald.

It was the first time I had attended my old parish's new 8:30 a.m. Mass -- the only Sunday morning Mass (where once there were two) since St. Alphonsus and the parish in the next small town over began to share one pastor.

Ironically, as I was dwelling on the changes that have taken place at the church building where I was raised, yesterday was the day when Catholics celebrate the "Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran" in Rome (pictured above). It's another one of those feasts that trumps the observation of "Ordinary Time" when it falls on a Sunday.

The Gospel at Mass found Christ fighting for the sanctity of his place of worship -- but, in the end, reminding us that His Body is really what's at issue.

I recently heard an interesting saying on this passage: "Remember that when asking 'What Would Jesus Do?', the answer on rare occasions may be to get a little angry and overturn some tables."

From John Chapter 2:

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there.

He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'

At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

Deacon Greg and A Concord Pastor have excellent homilies for this Sunday.

Wedding at the Warhol

I'm in Pittsburgh today for the wedding of my old friend Heidi Price and her guy. Heidi and I were once reporters together at the O-R.

The nuptials are taking place on the North Side at the Andy Warhol Museum. Heidi says it's the first time that they've hosted a wedding in the museum's main hall.

I wonder if there will be hor dourves among the silver clouds?:

Canon

In the wake of a hectic week marked by Election Day, perhaps it would be good to go with some reflective classical for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Here is the "Canon in D Major" by Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706). It's a piece likely known to most folks for its use during weddings.

Pax:

Offering Prayers

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., a native of Pittsburgh and its past bishop, today issued this post-Election prayer:

“We offer our prayers today for our nation and for our newly elected leaders, including President-elect Obama, as they take on their new responsibilities. We recognize that this election of the first African-American president is an historic moment in our nation’s history and we rejoice with the rest of our nation in the significance of this time.

"May our nation’s new leaders be guided in their decisions with wisdom and compassion and at the heart of all of their decisions may there be a deep respect for and commitment to the sanctity and dignity of all human life and support for the most vulnerable among us.”

Amen.

Hat-tip: The comments section of this post by Deacon Greg.

The photo above, from the NYT Website, is credited to Spencer Platt/Getty Images. According to the NYT caption, it shows people waiting for the election results last night in Harlem, NYC.

A Civic Duty

I voted today.

I did my civic duty sometime around 11 a.m., about an hour after arriving outside Coral Tower, the NYU dorm on 3rd Avenue that hosts (in its basement) some of the East Village election districts. (I'm a resident of the 57th District, myself.)

I can report that the line, while beginning down the block and slightly around the corner, moved quickly. I can further report that the good citizens in line were quite pleasant, resigned to the important task at hand. Some of them even greeted one another as if they were old friends. (Who says New Yorkers don't know their neighbors?)

The election workers, at least as of that late morning hour, seemed like they had a handle on things. I am very pleased to report that the young man working the 57th District table was wearing a Steelers #86 jersey (with a Yankees cap). I wanted to tell him "Go, Steelers!" but he was working on the "A - L" side of the table.

The only grump present was an older man with white hair and a trim white beard wearing a Sundance Film Festival hat. He complained repeatedly that there was no straight party lever and that he would have to "click" each of his chosen candidates' names. "I'm just going to vote for all the Democrats," he said in his cranky old man voice.

I wanted to turn around and point out to this man the utter stupidity of straight-party voting. But, still fighting that bout of food poisoning, I knew I wasn't at the height of my debating abilities.

Plus, I was loathe to create any tension in an operation that seemed to be running so steadily -- especially considering the potential drama of the historic day.

The image above is from here.

Food Poisoning & Prayer

Sometime early yesterday, I came down with food poisoning. My guess is the culprit was either mushrooms on some yummy pizza or a strawberry garnish on a delectable Margarita from a great bar in Nolita.

Regardless, the ferocious attach on my digestive system has kept me from following the news as closely as I would have liked in these important hours leading up to the big vote tomorrow.

For instance, I totally missed the news that the legendary Studs Terkel had died at the age of 96. If memory serves, I heard him speak once at the NYU J-Department.

In the haze of recovery, I have managed to watch John McCain's appearance on Saturday Night Live. Funny. But, I'm not certain if it did him any favors in the vote-getting department.

I also caught the audio of the prank perpetuated on Sarah Palin by a comedian in Canada. I actually don't think the guv did too bad -- it was certainly less damaging than the Katie Couric interview.

I must say I don't mind being down for the count as some of my usually-favorite bloggers continue to hyperventilate in favor of their preferred presidential candidates, i.e. Sully on behalf of Senator Obama and The Anchoress for Senator McCain.

My guess is that, however the people vote tomorrow, they will both come to regret some of their verbosity this campaign season -- on Wednesday morning and in the years ahead.

These final hours before the polls open seem to be more suited to prayer than attack. Thanks to Deacon Greg and to Rocco for reminding us of that:

Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city, state, and country, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.

We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.

We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Faithful Departed

For Catholics, today (November 2) is the "Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed" or "All Souls Day." The day falls on a Sunday in 2008 so it trumps what would normally today be a "Sunday in Ordinary Time."

Today, there are a few different passages which may be chosen for the readings at Mass. The Gospel below is one of those options.

From John Chapter 6:

Jesus said to the crowds:

“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

The image above is "Lost and Found" by Ira Thomas, who I found through A Concord Pastor.

Homestretch

It's conventional wisdom among politicos that these final days prior to Election Day are a critical period for the success of campaigns. Many campaigns even have "72-hour plans" designed to win over the remaining undecided voters.

In that spirit, here's my down-the-homestretch pitch for some excellent candidates:

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett

Attorney General Corbett is standing for re-election to his second term. He has been a strong public servant for the people of the Keystone State, actively working to eliminate pubic corruption. He previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

I was proud to have Attorney General Corbett's support during in my '06 State House race and am pleased to give him my backing now.

Monica Douglas for Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Monica is seeking to represent PA's 39th Legislative District which includes parts of southern Allegheny County and northeastern Washington County. She is currently president of Elizabeth Borough Council and executive director of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County. She is seeking to oust a longtime incumbent far past his prime.

Monica has been a friend of mine since our first State House races in 2002. I can bear witness that she is a strong and determined person who would work tirelessly to make the 39th a better place.

Greg Hopkins for Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Greg is running in PA's 50th Legislative District, which is literally the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. The district includes small towns, villages and rural areas in all of Greene County and parts of Fayette and Washington counties.

Greg first sought this seat in 2006, coming up short by just a few percentage points. He again is working to oust a corrupt longtime incumbent who is a cancer on the Pennsylvania state government. Greg is a native of the 50th and would serve it well.

John Chromczak for New York State Senate

John is seeking to represent New York's 25th Senatorial District, which includes parts of lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn. A medical technologist by profession, John is a brave and tenacious person with the dedication and drive necessary to be a success in public life.

The good citizens of the 25th would do well by going against type in this open-seat race and giving John their vote.

Bill Buran for New York State Assembly

Bill is running in New York's 72nd Assembly District, which includes Inwood and Washington Heights in northern Manhattan. I first met Bill one day when he was working a table in Union Square Park for Congressman Ron Paul's presidential bid.

A small businessman, Bill is incredibly knowledgeable on the issues and is an excellent organizer. We are fortunate to have him as part of the democratic process in NYC.

Pray For Us

Many Christians celebrate today (November 1) as All Saints Day. It's a day set aside for celebrating those who we think with certainty are now in the warm embrace of God in heaven -- both the canonized saints and those who are unknown to us.

Deacon Greg has a memory of Thomas Merton in his All Saints Day post.

The painting above is by Fra Angelico (d. 1455).

A Fuller Wine

I am almost a week late in mentioning that I went on a one-day retreat last Saturday. Organized by Busted Halo, the gathering was held at the Paulist Fathers' house on Manhattan's West Side.

At each of the Busted Halo retreats, there are three or four "talks" that begin and end with songs selected by the talk presenters. Last Saturday, one of the presenters used a good song I had never heard before: "A Fuller Wine" by Abigail Washburn and The Sparrow Quartet.

Here it is for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Peace:

"Everywhere I go I look for you.

Do you look for me where you go too?"

The Imminent Arrival

In her final Wall Street Journal column prior to Election Day, I think Peggy Noonan has well-summarized how many a reluctant Republican likely feels right now about the presidential election.

The beginning and end are best:

The case for Barack Obama, in broad strokes:

He has within him the possibility to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy, which need changing; his rise will serve as a practical rebuke to the past five years, which need rebuking; his victory would provide a fresh start in a nation in which a fresh start would come as a national relief. He climbed steep stairs, born off the continent with no father to guide, a dreamy, abandoning mother, mixed race, no connections. He rose with guts and gifts. He is steady, calm, and, in terms of the execution of his political ascent, still the primary and almost only area in which his executive abilities can be discerned, he shows good judgment in terms of whom to hire and consult, what steps to take and moves to make. We witnessed from him this year something unique in American politics: He took down a political machine without raising his voice.

A great moment: When the press was hitting hard on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, he did not respond with a politically shrewd "I have no comment," or "We shouldn't judge." Instead he said, "My mother had me when she was 18," which shamed the press and others into silence. He showed grace when he didn't have to.

There is something else. On Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, Mr. Obama won the Alabama primary with 56% to Hillary Clinton's 42%. That evening, a friend watched the victory speech on TV in his suburban den. His 10-year-old daughter walked in, saw on the screen "Obama Wins" and "Alabama." She said, "Daddy, we saw a documentary on Martin Luther King Day in school." She said, "That's where they used the hoses." Suddenly my friend saw it new. Birmingham, 1963, and the water hoses used against the civil rights demonstrators. And now look, the black man thanking Alabama for his victory.

This means nothing? This means a great deal.

...

And there is this. The past few months as the campaign unfolded, I listened for Mr. Obama to speak thoughtfully about the life issues, including abortion. Our last Democratic president knew what that issue was, and knew by nature how to speak of it. Bill Clinton famously said, over and over, that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." The "rare" mattered. It set a tone, as presidents do, and made an important concession: You only want a medical practice to be rare when it isn't good. For Mr. Obama, whose mind tends, as intellectuals' minds do, toward the abstract, it all seems so . . . abstract. And cold. And rather suggestive of radical departures. "That's above my pay grade." Friend, that is your pay grade, that's where the presidency lives, in issues like that.

But let's be frank. Something new is happening in America. It is the imminent arrival of a new liberal moment. History happens, it makes its turns, you hold on for dear life. Life moves.

A fitting end for a harem-scarem, rock-'em-sock-'em shakeup of a year -- one of tumbling inevitabilities, torn coalitions, striking new personalities.

Eras end, and begin. "God is in charge of history." And so my beautiful election ends.

Over at Beliefnet, Rod Dreher highlights two other graphs from this column.

All Hallows' Eve

Happy Halloween!

Over at Busted Halo, there's a new video by Fr. Jim Martin, S.J., and Mike Hayes that explains the connection between Halloween and the Church's celebration tomorrow (November 1) of All Saints Day:

Intrinsic

A few days ago, I mentioned the October 27 edition of America magazine, the national Catholic weekly (published by the Jesuits).

The issue has two other articles I found interesting:

-- A very touching essay by Lyn Burr Brignoli on the theme "A Case for God."

-- A look by M. Cathleen Kaveny at the technical meaning of the phrase "intrinsic evil" as it is used by the Catholic Church. The piece asks, "Is the concept of intrinsic evil helpful to the Catholic voter?"

Illustration at right is from here (uncredited).

Tenacity

Last night, I headed to St. Francis College in Brooklyn for a debate between the candidates standing for election on November 4 to the New York State Senate from the 25th Senatorial District: John Chromczak and Daniel Squadron.

The event was sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Blog. The 25th District includes parts of lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn.

John Chromczak argued the issues with knowledge and passion. He demonstrated he has the tenacity to take on the power brokers in Albany. I was particularly impressed by his determination to see real progress on the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site.

Chromczak stressed that New York State government needs better management -- not additional tax dollars.

Daniel Squadron defeated the district's longtime incumbent in the September Democratic primary. I give him much credit for seeking the office and putting together the organization needed to bring down one of the old guard. I liked what he had to say in the debate about mass transit -- notably the creation of the Second Avenue subway and the extension of the 7 line farther into the West Side of Manhattan.

But, Squadron greatly troubled me with a repeated argument that the solution to New York State's problems is to put both houses of the legislature into the hands of the Democrats. The state senate is currently majority Republican, the state assembly currently Democratic. Squadron stated they both pass lots of one-chamber bills that never become law.

Squadron repeatedly stated that the divided legislature was hindering progress and that good government would be speedy with the Ds in charge.

Sorry, Dan. We all want government to be efficient. But, one-party rule is not the answer.

As Chromczak aptly rebutted, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Update: You can now watch the full debate on-line at this post.

Photo of John Chromczak above, from the Booklyn Heights Blog, is credited to Marc Hermann.

Preferences & Evaluations

Final call for help:

Researchers from the NYU Psychology Department, supported by the National Science Foundation, are investigating the cognitive causes of voting behavior, political preferences, and candidate evaluations throughout the course of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.

They are looking at information voters use to inform evaluations during the last few weeks before the election.

Their on-line questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete if you would be willing to participate. It's anonymous.

Bellwether

My old stomping grounds in Western PA continue to get significant national press in the run up to Election Day. The New York Times, to name one, has been traipsing around Beaver County ... again.

And, Washington County received a mention in the October 27 edition of America, the national Catholic weekly magazine, in an article entitled "New Hues for the Electoral Map."

In the piece, author Robert David Sullivan of the blog "Beyond Red & Blue" places Western Pennsylvania into a region of the country he calls "Chippewa" (along with eastern Ohio, western New York, the West Virginia panhandle and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri).

Here's that graph:

A win in Pennsylvania also hinges on McCain’s at least breaking even in the Chippewa part of the state. One bellwether is Washington County, just outside Pittsburgh, which Kerry carried by less than one point in 2004 and where Obama got only 29 percent in this spring’s primary.

Loading Dishwashers

This afternoon, we caught the new movie "Rachel Getting Married." The film looks at a few days in the life of a young woman named Kim, played by Anne Hathaway, who leaves a drug rehabilitation clinic to attend her sister's wedding festivities.

Directed by Jonathan Demme of "Silence of Lambs" and "Philadelphia" fame, "RGM" is a well-done movie that I never need to watch again -- only a voyeur would want to see one dysfunctional family's problems laid so tragically bare. (I've got enough of my own, thank you very much.)

I particularly never again want to watch the tension-laden rehearsal dinner scene in which Kim gives a drawn-out and painful toast.

There is a bit of Oscar buzz surrounding Hathaway's performance and it's somewhat deserved. In this role, she shows her more serious acting chops. At one point, I thought she was channeling a late-in-life Judy Garland.

The great actress Anna Deavere Smith had a bit part in "RGM" as the wife of Kim's father. It would be great to see more of Smith on the big screen -- in her own starring role.

Kim's father was portrayed by Bill Irwin, who is probably best known for his work as a mime. It was an unusual casting choice that worked quite well. He was the energy in a good scene in which he loaded a dishwasher. (Symbolism likely, I guess.)

Of Aliens & Neighbors

The Gospel at Mass today contains "The Great Commandment."

Coupled with the upcoming election and a first reading from Exodus that begins "You shall not molest or oppress an alien," I suspect many a homily today may mention Catholic teaching on immigration policy.

From Matthew Chapter 22:

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking,"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

A Concord Pastor has a good homily on this Sunday's readings. He ended it with "The Summons":

American Catholics: "Politically Homeless"

John Allen, the respected Vatican observer, today came out with what has to be the smartest commentary yet on American Catholics and the dilemma they face in the 2008 presidential election.

Some graphs:

First, a disclaimer: This is not one of those nod-and-a-wink exercises, technically phrased in non-partisan language but obviously crafted to support one candidate or another. There's plenty of that already in Catholic discourse, from a handful of bishops on down. Instead, I'd like to try to think for a moment beyond Nov. 4, to the long-term implications of these elections for Catholicism in America.

Political Homelessness

Most analyses of the "Catholic vote" presume there are three basic camps: pro-Obama Catholics, pro-McCain Catholics, and the undecided. For purposes of electoral handicapping, that's a natural way of slicing the pie, but it neglects another important constituency. This block has no candidate, no network of think-tanks and advocacy groups, and it only registers indirectly in the polls: Catholics alienated from both parties, who aren't undecided but rather disenfranchised.

I was in Baltimore earlier this week for a speaking engagement, and fell into conversation with a bright young Catholic theologian who offered a terrific sound-bite for this camp: "I can't help thinking that both parties are addicted to preemptive strikes," he told me, "whether it's in the womb or on the battlefield."

John Carr, a veteran policy expert for the U.S. bishops, has said that Catholics who take the church's social teaching seriously wind up "politically homeless" in America. Just like the real homeless out on American streets, the politically homeless are often forgotten, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

If you want proof of the point, just look at the data from the Pew Forum about the preferences of religious sub-groups. The results for white Evangelicals, white mainline Protestants and black Protestants form flat lines since June; their attitudes haven't really budged in statistically significant fashion. White non-Hispanic Catholics, on the other hand, have oscillated dramatically. In July, they were going 47-44 for Obama; in late September, it was 52-39 for McCain; and by early October, it was 54-39 for Obama. One obvious reading is that there's a sizeable chunk of the Catholic population that simply isn't persuaded by either guy.

Here's a thought exercise: In the abstract, what would the political fortunes be in America of a candidate who actually embodied the full range of Catholic social concerns? What would happen if a serious candidate came along who's pro-life, pro-family, anti-war, pro-immigrant, anti-death penalty, pro-sustainable development, and a multi-lateralist in foreign policy concerned with religious freedom and a robust role for believers in public life? My hunch is that such a candidate could be attractive to a broad cross-section of moderates and independents. The machinery of both major parties, however, appears almost designed to prevent such a person from ever being nominated.

Agreed. And it bugs me.

In a post today, Deacon Greg said he too falls into this "politically homeless" category.

Appreciated for Simply Showing Up

Today's New York Times carries a high school sports story out of the foothills of western Washington County, Pennsylvania.

The story tells the tale of the Avella High School Eagles, a varsity football squad down to 10 or 11 players.

From John Branch's well-done article:

At practice earlier this week, only 10 boys and a girl were willing and able to put on pads. Against the powerhouse Clairton last week, Avella dressed 11 players, leaving not a single substitute on the sideline. One player was hurt in the second quarter, and the Eagles played the rest of the game with 10. They lost, 56-0. It was Avella’s 26th defeat in a row and the 50th in 51 games dating to 2003.

Coach Frank Gray sent a thank-you note this week to his Clairton counterpart for showing class and restraint.

People around town are rather embarrassed by how far the program has fallen. They bemoan a teenage culture in which playing for the high school team has lost its allure in western Pennsylvania, of all places, where football and coal long represented toughness and resilience, where names like Joe Namath and Joe Montana were forged. But slowly this season, the remaining Eagles have come to represent something completely different from losing. They are being appreciated simply for showing up.

Hat-tip: Cousin Luke

The photo above is credited to Jeff Swensen for the NYT.

Autumn in New York

I have never been one to welcome the cooling temperatures and falling leaves -- I'm really a sumer person. But, there is one part of the fall routine the I do enjoy: hearing the soulful tune "Autumn in New York."

Here are some variations on that piece for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Paz:

Billie Holiday:



Charlie Mariano:



The Stuart Mindeman Trio:

The 39 Steps

I've been remiss in mentioning here that, on Sunday afternoon, we caught the matinee performance of the Broadway play "The 39 Steps" at the Cort Theater.

The winner of two '08 Tony Awards (one for sound design, one for lighting design), the play is a take on the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock.

The play was pleasant and humorous -- an enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a fall afternoon.

When the play premiered in January, the headline of Ben Brantley's positive review in The New York Times was "Spies, Blonde and a Guy Go North by Northwest." Two notable lines from the review:

But the appeal here is ultimately more to theater aficionados than to movie buffs, and you don’t need to have seen the movie to appreciate the accomplishment of the show. Ms. Aitken and company are using their cinematic template to celebrate the art of instant illusion making that is theater. Much of the show’s pleasure comes from being in on the magician’s tricks even as, on some primitive level, you accept them. ...

For in addition to providing the relief of being committedly silly in a season of fine dramas about unhappy families, “The 39 Steps” stands out for its plying of minimal resources to maximal effect.

Faithful Citizens in Fairfield, NJ

A word of thanks to the pastoral council, pastor and parishioners of St. Thomas More Church in Fairfield, New Jersey, for asking me to join them earlier tonight for a presentation on "Faithful Citizenship."

It was a good gathering centered around the issues facing Catholics headed into the voting booth in just two weeks. The presentation was preceded by an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (perhaps the hardest act to follow ever).

Thanks also to the evening's co-sponsors, the West Essex Catholic Young Adults -- and to Chris Hrycyshyn, a St. Thomas More Church pastoral council member and young adult leader, who very graciously got me to and from the bus stop.

The stained-glass window shown here is from the parish's Website. It depicts the parish's patron saint, St. Thomas More (1478 - 1535). The chancellor of King Henry VIII's England, he lost his head for being faithful to his beliefs in difficult political times.

Eskimos!

LOL:

What Belongs To God

The Gospel at Mass today is the well-known "Render unto Caesar" passage.

From Matthew Chapter 22:

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.

They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax."

Then they handed him the Roman coin.

He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"

They replied, "Caesar's."

At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

The image above is from here.

Racism in WashPA

The lead anecdote in this post out of Washington, PA, doesn't exactly make me proud of my old stomping rounds. It's from the blog FiveThirtyEight.

Hat-tip: Sully

The Great Schlep

Advisory #1: I do not necessarily agree with the premise of the video I am posting below. In posting the video, I am not lobbying for Senator Obama.

Advisory #2: I AM NOT endorsing the language used in the video. If you are offended by the "a" word or the "f" bomb, do not click play.

But, I am posting this video because I find "The Great Schlep" original. It's the kind of creative, Internet-based, niche-group political activity that has helped propel Senator Obama to where he is today. I don't think thousands of young Jews are actually buying plane tickets to Florida. But, I do think it may have them picking up the telephone.

Here's Sarah:

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

It's dismaying that the Republicans aren't doing similar kinds of niche outreach in key states and beyond. And, they should.

Confidential to the McCain campaign: my own grandma called me on Friday asking for advice on the prez vote. She's a strong pro-lifer who has yet to be inspired by either candidate. So, there's at least one GOP super voter senior citizen in Western Pennsylvania you have yet to lock up.

Chicago

I am outside of Chicago, Illinois, where later today and tomorrow we will be exhibiting at the Archdiocese of Chicago's annual religious education conference. It's my second time at this one.

In honor of the visit, here is Sufjan Stevens with his mellow song "Chicago" for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

Pax:



Here's a cool a capella version of the tune:

Jealous of Joe

I'm rather jealous of "Joe the Plumber."

What about Paul the Marketing Manager?

Paul the Marketing Manager has opinions. He's worried about tax rates, too.

Worthy of the Moment?

The last of the presidential debates between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama is slated for tonight at Hofstra University on Long Island. My tentative plan is to watch it at a YR debate watch party at the Houndstooth Pub in Midtown Manhattan.

I'm hoping the senators are truly respectful of each other and keep it issues-based. I'd love to be inspired and come out of it feeling better about both men and the American democracy. But, if past is prologue ...

In her column in last Friday's Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan expressed thoughts similar to my own on the last debate and what the two campaigns have been saying recently:

Both campaigns, in the closing stretch, seem not fully worthy of the moment. We are in crisis—a once-in-a-century event, as we now say. And what we got from the candidates, in this week's presidential debate, was a bunch of gummy meanderings—smooth, rounded sentences so full of focus-grouped inanities that six minutes in viewers entered a kind of trance in which we almost immediately gave up on trying to wrest meaning from what was being said and instead focused on mere impressions. The look of things. The men on the plane, the pseudo-tough political operatives who surround both candidates, sometimes grouse, in private, that it's all symbols now, all mood, all about the visual.

But they have some real responsibility here. They send their candidates out to speak such thin gruel, such spat-out porridge, that we are struck dumb, and left daydreaming about the fact that Mr. Obama's suits are always slate gray and never seem to wrinkle, and Mr. McCain tonight seems like a rabbity forest creature darting amid the hedgerows.

As to what they will do about the crisis, Mr. Obama will raise taxes on the rich and help us weatherize our homes, while Mr. McCain favors "energy independence" and buying up mortgages. On the causes of the crisis they spoke of insufficient regulation, or high spending.

But these were not the great causes. Neither party has clean hands. Or rather, both parties have dirty hands. Here is the truth, spoken by the increasingly impressive Sen. Tom Coburn: "The root of the problem is political greed in Congress. Members . . . from both parties wanted short-term political credit for promoting homeownership even though they were putting our entire economy at risk by encouraging people to buy homes they couldn't afford. Then, instead of conducting thorough oversight and correcting obvious problems with unstable entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, members of Congress chose to . . . distract themselves with unprecedented amounts of pork-barrel spending." That is the truth.

And yet at the debate, when one citizen-questioner invited both candidates to think aloud about the responsibility of our representatives in Washington, they both gently suggested she was cynical.

She was not cynical. She was informed.

Why would anyone trust either candidate to help dig us out of this if they can't speak frankly about what got us into it?

One had the sense this week that our entire political class is playing Frisbee on the edge of a precipice, that no one is being serious enough, honest enough, that it's all too revved, too intense, and yet too shallow. I have grown impatient with the strategists from the campaigns, the little blond monsters who go on cable TV to give us their bouncy, aggressive, tendentious talking points. They are like the men on the plane, the gargoyles with BlackBerrys who think the race is about them and their personal win/loss ratio, who think history is their plaything, who stay up with the press in the bar sipping Perrier and calling it seltzer, and who advise their candidates, in essence, to talk down to the voters, to the American people. They treat every crisis as if it is a political fact to be used for gain or loss, and not as a real crisis, something that deserves a response of gravity and seriousness.

It is asking a lot to ask a political animal to be thoughtful, because they find meaning in action. They are propelled through life by the force of their hunger. But now and then you want to see them think. You want to see them speak the truth. This is one of those times.

The photo above is from Gothamist.

Pie

Campaigning makes you hungry:



Hat-tip: The Anchoress

Infinite Playlist

I have been remiss in doing a post on the new movie "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," which we caught last Thursday evening.

While I don't think it's destined to be a classic, "N&NIP" was a decent, enjoyable flick. (As of this writing, it has a 72 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.)

The story follows two New Jersey teenagers (and some assorted friends) during a long night in Manhattan. The big name in this one is Michael Cera of "Juno" and "Superbad" fame.

Note to my crew in Pittsburgh who have not yet been to NYC: go see this movie if you want a sense of my current surroundings. A number of the scenes were filmed in my neighborhood.

One late-night scene was shot at Veselka, a Ukrainian restaurant on Second Avenue at 9th Street. It's a place I often take out-of-town guests for an affordable dinner that's different yet safe and homey.

The Feast is Ready

I went to Sunday Mass yesterday during the Pilgrimage of Hope in Boston. The solemn liturgy was celebrated by Boston's archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley. Cardinal O'Malley brought his diverse, humble and intelligent approach to his homily on the Gospel, a challenging (and rather violent) passage containing "The Parable of the Wedding Feast."

From Matthew Chapter 22:

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying:

"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

"A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’

"Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

"The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

"Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’

"The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?'

"But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

"Many are invited, but few are chosen."

On Pilgrimage

Today, I am heading to Boston where this weekend my gig is hosting a two-day "Pilgrimage of Hope." On Saturday evening, the program includes a concert of sacred music that will conclude with Bach's "Magnificat in D."

For this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," below is a sample of that stirring work.

Peace:

Cognitive Causes

A reminder:

Researchers from the NYU Psychology Department, supported by the National Science Foundation, are investigating the cognitive causes of voting behavior, political preferences, and candidate evaluations throughout the course of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.

They are now looking at information people use to inform evaluations during the last few weeks before the election.

Their on-line questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete if you would be willing to participate. It's anonymous.

Fundamental Architecture

David Brooks had some good thoughts today in his NYT column on the economic crisis. Key graphs:

At these moments, central bankers and Treasury officials leap in to try to make the traders feel better. Officials pretend they’re coming up with policy responses, but much of what they do is political theater. In reality, they’re trying to cajole, bluff and calm their audience of global money-sloshers.

This is more than a mortgage problem. We live in a world in which trillions of dollars can move instantly, but they are in the hands of human beings who are, by nature, limited in knowledge, and subject to self-deceptions and social contagions. By one count, financial crises are twice as prevalent now as they were 100 years ago.

In his astonishingly prescient book, “The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy,” David M. Smick argues that we have inherited an impressive global economic system. It, with the U.S. as the hub, has produced unprecedented levels of global prosperity. But it has now spun wildly out of control. It can’t be fixed with the shock and awe of a $700 billion rescue package, Smick says. The fundamental architecture needs to be reformed.

Coates & McWhorter

I find myself more and more a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates, an author and now a blogger for The Atlantic. I was especially drawn to his September 26 column on Governor Sarah Palin -- even though I don't agree with his conclusion.

Below is a recent bloggingheads.tv discussion between Coates and John McWhorter of the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. It's a strong, wide-ranging conversation on hip hop, Senator Barack Obama and more.

It's 52 minutes long but worthwhile viewing:

Time for Some Campaignin'

For some Monday morning levity, here's JibJab's offering for the 2008 election:

Time for Some Campaignin' Funny Jokes at JibJab

Hat-tip: Haze

Jews & Cuban Food

Saturday Night Live nailed it last night with their take on the VP debate.

LOL:

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

I WENT to sleep; and now I am refreshed.
A strange refreshment: for I feel in me
An inexpressive lightness, and a sense
Of freedom, as I were at length myself
And ne’er had been before. How still it is!
I hear no more the busy beat of time,
No, nor my fluttering breath, nor struggling pulse;
Nor does one moment differ from the next.

I had a dream; yes: — someone softly said “He’s gone;”

and then a sigh went round the room.
And then I surely heard a priestly voice
Cry “Subvenite;” and they knelt in prayer.

-- John Henry Newman, "Dream of Gerontius"

Some of these words of Cardinal Newman (1801 - 1890) were recalled Thursday by Fr. Paul Chavasse, provost of the Birmingham Oratory and postulator of the cardinal's cause for beatification and canonization.

He recalled the lines after announcing that no physical remains of the great 19th Century English churchman were found in his grave in a small secluded cemetery. The discovery means Cardinal Newman's casket did not have a lead lining as had been expected.

The body of Cardinal Newman was to have been exhumed and moved to a prominent location in the Birmingham Oratory in anticipation of his beatification -- a not uncommon practice for Saints of the Church.

The inscription plate of Cardinal Newman's coffin was found in the grave:

From the Archdiocese of Birmingham statement:

"During the excavation the brass inscription plate which had been on the wooden coffin in which Cardinal Newman had rested was recovered from his grave. It reads:

'Eminent [issimus] et Reverend [issimus] Joannes Henricus Newman Cardinalis Diaconus S Georgii in Velabro Obiit Die XI August. MDCCCXC RIP'

English Translation:

'The Most Eminent and Most Reverend John Henry Newman Cardinal Deacon of St George in Velabro Died 11 August 1890 RIP'

Somewhere in heaven I think an old Englishman may be smiling at our earthly presumptuousness.

Hat-tip: Whispers in the Loggia

"This is the Heir"

The Gospel at Mass today brings us another parable set in a vineyard in which Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God.

From Matthew Chapter 21:

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

"Hear another parable.

"There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.

"When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.

"Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'

"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’

"They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?

"Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Deacon Greg has an excellent homily on today's Mass readings in which he reflects on the financial crisis and the example of Dorothy Day. (BTW: prayers for Deacon Greg as he begins a new segment of his journey.)

The image above, called "The Wicked Tenants," is by Austin artist James B. Janknegt.

Debate Watch

Speaking of Governor Palin, I was pleasantly surprised Thursday evening to get a call from one of the long-time readers of this blog looking for me to be live-blogging on the vice presidential debate.

Unfortunately for the blog -- but fortunately for my sanity and social life -- I watched the VP debate at a debate watch party, one of several held in Manhattan that night.

My overall impression? First of all, it was great television -- much more engaging and lively than the first presidential debate.

And, while I wish Governor Palin had not skipped a number of questions posed to her, I thought she came off fairly well. She seemed strong and determined. As Peggy Noonan said yesterday in her Wall Street Journal column, "There were moments when she seemed to be doing an infomercial pitch for charm in politics."

It wasn't a bad night for Senator Joe Biden either. He seemed to be having a good time. I loved his smile when Governor Palin threw zingers his way. It almost looked as if he wanted to congratulate her (in a grandfatherly way) for being in the ring and holding her own.

My friend and fellow NYU Journalism alum Sylvan Solloway captured two of the Manhattan VP debate watch parties on video for the New York Post.

Her report is here.

The photo above is from here.

Seeing Old Problems with Fresh Eyes

I am late in posting this but felt it was still a relevant aspect of the presidential campaign to remember:

For the September 15 edition of America, the magazine's editors penned an excellent editorial called "Young Americans" in which they praised a particular shared biography point of Senator Obama and Governor Palin:

What now seems like eons ago, the presidential race began with arguably the most diverse cast of candidates in our nation’s history. As we enter the fall stretch, the field includes an African-American and a woman, a heartening display of the diversity that is now acknowledged as a fact of life by most Americans. The ascendancy of both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin was unexpected, and in many ways they are unlikely representatives of their respective demographic groups. Unlike most African-American leaders of the last 40 years, Obama did not take part in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, nor is he is a descendant of American slaves. Palin is a pro-death penalty, pro-drilling-in-the-Arctic-Reserve member of the National Rifle Association and Feminists for Life. She has little in common with Hillary Clinton, much less with Gloria Steinem.

Perhaps because of their unusual biographies, both Obama and Palin have proved able to confront divisive issues and mend longstanding rifts. In a speech delivered on Father’s Day, Obama called for African-American men to play a greater role in their children’s lives, a neuralgic issue in the black community, and under his leadership the Democrats have started to bring some pro-life Catholics back into the tent. Sarah Palin targeted members of her own party suspected of corruption, and her rise to prominence is proof that the term anti-abortion feminist is not an oxymoron.

Much has already been made of the youth of these candidates (both are in their 40s) and their relative inexperience. Yet could it be that their youth is an asset, that it allows them to see old problems with fresh eyes?

Laser Monks

Here at the end of another week of uncertainty for our financial systems, it is nice to see that there is another way of operating in the market:



Hat-tip chain: The Anchoress via Deacon Greg via Padre Steve

t-time

Tiffany Boardman, a friend from the years of my PA State House races, has started her own Christian inspiration blog called "t-time."

From the new blogger:

"About five years ago, when our church started its “Contemporary Service,” I would send out the weekly 'order of worship' via e-mail to those that attended so they would have a clue about what was coming up on Sunday morning. Because I couldn’t just send out the order by itself, I started adding my own little bits of inspirational messages to go with the week’s theme. After much prayer, I felt it was time to 'go public' with my messages. Well, the time is now and “t time” is alive and running. Check it out!"

"t-time" includes a player with Christian contemporary music (starts automatically) -- great for those days when you need a lift.

An aside: I met Tiffany through Michael Wallace.

Prayer of St. Francis

Saturday (October 4) is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. So, for this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend," here are a few settings of "The Prayer of St. Francis."

Pace: