Pro-life Kentucky and the domino endorsement syndrome

I have put off posting because this primary has become farcical to me. For some reason, the great people of Kentucky believe this race is something so completely new and wonderful, unlike anything they have ever witnessed. It is 2008 part deux. Obama ran his campaign as a moderate, gave hints of his "redistribution of wealth" but played it clean and smooth. No one wanted us to look at his pastor, his Chicago "friends", his Acorn associates and union ties. Now we have this radical overhaul of life as we know it unfolding and everyone is scratching their heads.
Speed forward to KY, 2010. Rand Paul, who helped his father Ron in past elections, has close ties with friends in Code Pink, anti-war activists, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, The Liberty Movement and too many others to list here. Rand Paul is "running" as a conservative republican.
Because the damage done by two so-called pro-life groups, Concerned Women for America and NKRTL, he waves those as banners that he is pro-life. Paul has never worked for a pro-life group, a pregnancy center, a women's crisis center or voted on any pro-life legislation. Do these pro-life groups only go by the answers on their surveys? Must be. Paul has a history of flip-flopping on partial birth abortion and has a quote in the news that he supports the morning after pill. So you endorse him anyway and lead thousands of good Christians astray? Or produce a 24 page explanation of why you endorsed him. If you were so sure of the endorsement, NKRTL, you wouldn't need to explain in the newsletter, then again on the website. If you were truly worried about the lives of the unborn, you wouldn't be working so hard to discredit Kentucky Right to Life Association and their endorsements. They have different criteria and they do research and have a larger voting body to manage the checks and balances of candidates. You wouldn't be working so hard to "prove" you were right. And for the CWA, stalwarts of no exceptions for using the morning after pill, why would you endorse a man who supports this method of killing children? Maybe it's all about money, for both groups. I see no other logical explanation for these 2 endorsements.
If anyone watched the debate on KET last night, Paul is avoiding the abortion issue and going vague(again) because the more he talks, the more he has to cover his tracks. The latest was a nasty letter I received that appeared to have come from a "friend" of Grayson which turned out to be from Bernie Kunkel/Friends of Rand Paul with a Virginia presort stamp on it. After looking into it, "Bernie" cropped photos together of Trey and various democrats to make it appear they are all friends. Misleading and intellectually dishonest, is it not? Kunkel contributes to NKRTL and his employer, Bavarian Waste, is a large donor to the Paul campaign. The kicker was his use of Grayson's wife and children in this mailer, to lie about their involvement in a "clean parks" campaign in Boone County. The wording made it seem like they were in scandal. I was shocked. As far as I know, this mailer blanketed Northern Kentucky. And Paul had the nerve in the KET debate to call Grayson a liar. Telling people what you believe on issues and reiterating what was spoken by you which anyone can hear online in videos is not lying. Paul does not want people to find out that his abortion page has been scrubbed and re-worded 3 times(or more). The same with the page on the Patriot Act, the Gitmo page and others. He changes it to get more votes and "broaden his message". If you want to hide your libertarian roots, Dr. Paul, your disdain for the 14th amendment, go ahead. You may just win the primary doing this. It worked for Obama, right? Why wouldn't it work for you? Even the Daily Kos is predicting he will lose the general election. I wholeheartedly agree. I do have proof of the mailer from yesterday, the scrubbed abortion page on rand2010 and can back up everything here. That is healthy debate, based on research and multiple sources. The lies, the smears, the cover-ups will be democratic fodder that will go on for months. Then what?
I'm shocked how many people are not willing to research for themselves and go on ANY endorsement as a reason to vote for someone. I have met many. Stop trusting people who are playing political chess with money and favors and look up these things for yourself. I, myself, refuse to be anyone's lemming.

Will the real Rand Paul please stand up...

Much of my attention has been devoted to local politics lately. Today is no exception. I wanted to make sure I wasn't posting from my emotions so I waited until most of the coverage and press died down from the KRLA vs. Rand Paul/David Adams saga. Those in the state of Kentucky and beyond may have received word that Rand Paul, running for senate, has been caught lying about his pro-life credentials. He faxed over an incomplete questionnaire in February to Kentucky Right to Life Association. He left the question blank that asks the question regarding stem cell research and cloning. PDF here This would have been a non-issue if Paul wasn't sending out campaign materials claiming he filled it out 100% pro-life. This has now made national news. This is not about being 100% pro-life or not. This is about can we trust a candidate that can't admit the truth, that he doesn't believe in a national stem cell ban or that he made a mistake. Instead, he goes about spreading lies about KRLA thinking he has no accountability. David Adams, his manager, has even went so far as to call for Paul supporters to dig and investigate further any lead possible into anything questionable that his opponent, Trey Grayson, might be framed for(I suppose to take the focus off this).
Here are a few links for more information on this:
Dan Riehl
David Horowitz's Newsreal Blog
Cincinnati.com

I feel Dr. Paul is not the man he is presenting to Kentucky voters. He is being disingenuous by not being forthright about his libertarian views on abortion, the 14th amendment, what he said prior to seeking office and so much more. He hasn't brought up his support for Adam Kokesh, radical ex-marine who sympathizes with Code Pink and tells our soldiers to leave battle and protests anything war related. Paul has big supporters in the white supremacist movement and followers of Alex Jones. It is shocking to me that Kentuckians can't research such things on their own. If they are that desperate to change Washington, so we really want a radical replacing what we currently have?
In the end, this does not bode well for Northern KY Right to life, who not only endorsed Rand Paul but called him in for special questioning. Was he honest on their questionnaire? What was the real purpose of the questioning? Did the committee at NKRTL take everything he said at face value without researching his comments pre-circa May 2009 were apposed to his answers on the questionnaire? He has been caught in a lie that has statewide repercussions and is now a case of honesty and integrity, not even his pro-life stance. Can KY voters believe anything he says when he has tried so hard to prove KRLA wrong? If you are, as you say, Dr. Paul, 100% pro-life, why would you want an organization such as KRLA to be drug through the mud and ruin their reputation with your lie when they have done so much good at saving the lives of countless babies? How does that benefit you or them? He even put the form he "meant to send" on his website. This is after the fact and after he calls them liars. The whole thing is bizarre and to be honest, I didn't even think he would go to such lengths to prove a point that has been shown to be a lie in multiple news outlets.
So we have a few weeks before the primary here in Kentucky. I pray we make the right choice. If Rand Paul makes it though the primaries, I believe the democrat nominee and their minions will have Rand Paul's question of honesty and radical ideas for lunch. It has not made national news that is this scenario comes to fruition, the GOP seat in KY is greatly at risk this November.

NKRTL and Rand Paul endorsement nonsense

I have been following different outlets on the so-called pro life endorsement of Rand Paul. There are troubling "connect-the-dots" events that override this endorsement. I am a firm believer that they should have left well enough alone, singly endorsed the true pro life candidate Buckmaster(D) and let this go. When, in the history of NKRTL did they have to call a candidate in for questions and a sit down? A Kentucky blogger has tied the some of the money trail to a company in NKY that also donates to NKRTL. The "family" also has a bit of cross pollination going on with campaigns.

"He’ll also speak at a fundraiser for Rick Brueggemann, who’s running for Boone/Gallatin District Court Judge in the May 18 primary."

So you can connect the dots and look at the landscape and come to your own conclusions. I'm not saying you cannot have candidates support each others campaigns but I have felt this NKRTL endorsement is far from typical. It is dangerous and as Graas has surmised, even Judie Brown has recently stated the Paul brand of support for the cause is "pro-abortion", allowing the federal government to call the unborn "persons" but then states can allow them to be killed anyway. This would also allow for more widespread late term abortions.
This talk in Cothran's article of "allegations" is unfounded. There are actual quotes of Rand Paul's that can be found online, which I have put here(on this blog) of his questionable stance on life issues(not to mention gay marriage, etc.) An allegation is a claim or accusation. Rand Paul's own words in print to media outlets prove his stance on the life issues.
I have talked with the diocesan Pro-Life Commission and they are even taken aback by the behavior of NKRTL and they are worried because the confusion still exists that NKRTL is part of the Diocese of Covington. They have reason to worry. This PAC organization has definitely gone rogue and it is a blessing that our bishop had the discernment to distance NKRTL from the people in the pews. As a local catholic, I am feeling the fallout from this mess. Do you know that people are unaware of any other candidate because the blindly trust NKRTL's endorsement? To be honest, their endorsements have never been questionable to me in the past. This is truly a departure from the way they have operated in prior election cycles.
If you have any questions regarding Paul's dangerous stance on the lives of the unborn, you can find his quotes on social issues, partial birth abortion ban, Plan B, the falsely termed "states rights" argument for the unborn and more.
Anyone can answer the NKRTL and give 100% pro life responses. Are they genuine? Are they truthful? Does NKRTL really want to take a new direction on the life issue and align with the Ron/Rand Paul brand and dismiss Judie Brown of ALL, who has been a guest at their pro life events? Again, should have endorsed Buckmaster and stayed out of the rest.

Political switch and Northern KY Right to Life

I have been in "mourning" since Bill Johnson withdrew from the senate race here in Kentucky. I have been quietly doing some research and became quite appalled when I saw that my local pro-life organization, Northern Kentucky Right to Life(NKRTL) is endorsing Rand Paul for senate. This was quite shocking since Trey Grayson received an endorsement from Kentucky Right to Life recently. NKRTL has been a hotbed of controversy here in recent years. I have generally supported them(both here and financially) but after this endorsement, I will no longer do so. I am dismayed that good Catholics and pro-life activists from Northern Kentucky can support such an individual. I will be voting for Grayson in the primaries(yes, my heart is still with Johnson but KY needs our votes since primary turnout is usually quite weak).
For those in Kentucky that will have a voice in the primary, here is the deal. Did you know Rand Paul supports women using the morning after pill?

Middlesboro Daily News: What about instances of rape or incest or where the outcome may not be death, but severe medical problems for the mother or child. Do you think that in these cases the decision should be left to the government rather than the families? Paul: In cases of rape, trying to prevent pregnancies is obviously the best thing. The morning-after pill works successfully most of the time. Ultimately we do better if we do have better education about family planning. With partial-birth abortion, there were five women who testified that it threatened their life. It wasn’t completely true in all cases. They were non-viable babies. They were babies with awful genetic mutations that were not going to survive, and I tend to think we let nature take its course. (Lorie Settles, "US Senate Hopeful Rand Paul Visits Middlesboro," The Middlesboro Daily News, 1/26/10)

This disgusts me. Next, he has a socially liberal agenda. He can't even tell us how he will vote on social issues once in office:

"Libertarian would be a good description," Rand Paul told CNN, "because libertarians believe in freedom in all aspects of your life – your economic life as well as your social life as well as your personal life." (CNN’s Political Ticker, 5/4/2009)

Standard libertarian fare is freedom on recreational drugs, prostitution, gay marriage, free speech(to the extent that our national defense would be vulnerable) and the list goes on. Paul knew he couldn't win a race as a libertarian in KY so hijacking the GOP here as if he owns it has become the norm. He has also flip-flopped on The Patriot Act, closing Gitmo and other items that threaten our national defense.
I hope others who are likely voters in the Kentucky primary will research this well. We need to take back the senate and have KY well represented. As a conservative catholic and American patriot, I have to say thumbs down to Northern Kentucky Right to Life, Sarah Palin, FreedomWorks and all the other organizations who believe they are endorsing a conservative pro-life candidate. If you are going to be throwing endorsements around like free candy to kids, have the sense to do the research, listen to what the "candidate" has said(in print and old interviews) BEFORE they threw their name in the hat. It speaks volumes, people. Rand Paul is a wolf in sheep's clothing and I will not be voting for him(even in the November election). I hope Grayson stays true to the conservative views of his constituents and does us proud. For those out-of-state(readers), make sure you know who you are voting for. Don't just read what they are saying now, look into what they said to the media prior to seeking election. Trust me, it's very telling.

I hope if Johnson comes out to support another candidate that he chooses Grayson.


More tidbits and quotes:

"And on abortion, Paul expressed discomfort with federal laws but said he "probably" would have voted for a federal ban on a procedure that has been called partial-birth abortion by its opponents." (Joe Gerth, The Courier-Journal, 10/19/2009)

"I would introduce and support legislation to send Roe v. Wade back to the states." (Rand Paul Speaking in Paducah, 5/9/2009)

"But he [Paul] was more evasive when it came to some social issues like abortion and gay marriage. He said he believes marriage is between a man and woman but wouldn’t say how he’d vote on such issues in the Senate, instead saying such matters should be left up to states." (Ronnie Ellis, "Paul Touts Fundraising Success, Stakes Positions On Federal Issues," The McCreary County [KY] Record, 10/20/09)

Rand Paul spokesman resigns as controversy swirls over writings

Anyway, you get the picture.

St.Elizabeth Advance Directive, Abortifacients and NKRTL

Here is the link to the "Advance Directive" on the St. E's site.

Living Will and Health Care Surrogate Designation

It is a form, you need to check certain lines, it is as simple as that. Food and water CAN be taken away at a Catholic hospital so the patient would die from dehydration and starvation. It is a CHOICE. It is one thing to stop food and water if the organs are shutting down and they are near death and can no longer take nourishment. This is an entirely different matter. This can be done if the patient is terminal or not. Food and water should never be considered medical care. If it is, then my insurance should be covering my trips to Kroger's(I will need to look into that).
Here is the details of this issue and can also be found on the NKRTL website:

"The Diocese of Covington shall fully implement the papal teaching on the administration of food and water as a moral obligation to sustain and comfort those persons who are in a terminal condition. The moral obligation to provide nutrition and hydration is clearly and eloquently expressed in Pope John Paul’s papal address, March 20, 2004." (Gospel of Life/Respect Life Policy Statements, No. 52). This Synod document also states: "The Diocese shall publish a model Durable Power of Attorney Form for use in health care-related situations, in complete accordance with Vatican directives on nutrition and hydration." But the contrary anti-life documents are still being used at St. Elizabeth Hospital, authorizing the withdrawal of food and water.

And on the abortifacient drugs that can be administered at St. Elizabeth, the Bishops of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky (CCK) issued a signed public statement approving the administration of the abortifacient drug (denominated as "emergency contraception") in Catholic hospitals. How is this moral? How is this building up the Church and what she teaches?
You may have noticed this topic strikes a cord with me. Don't call a hospital "Catholic" when you are providing death services masked as "not all patients are Catholic" or whatever the reason may be. There is never a reason to kill the weak or defenseless. I used to be a die-hard feminist in my college years so it took me a long time to get to where I am now. If some of these issues have been settled and are now in line with the teaching of the Magisterium, I would love that information and would be glad to hear it.
From another perspective, I found this article: End-of-life teaching more than 'dilemmas, controversies,' priest says
I think it is much more healthy and christian to look at the human as the image and likeness of God before we turn end-of-life treatment into political spin. Comfort and kindness are simple enough measures to decide what someone needs.

More trouble for Covington KY diocese and our Catholic hospital

We have a pot that is about to boil over in our diocese with a merger of our Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals(it will form a monopoly, there are only 2 in our area). St. Elizabeth Medical Center, part of the Diocese of Covington, currently allows emergency contraception in cases of rape but ONLY if the woman is not pregnant. The Catholic Conference of Kentucky, the lobbying group for the state's four Catholic bishops, approved the use of emergency contraception in Catholic hospitals for this reason of "rape"(which any woman can say she was raped to get it).
The other problem is St. Elizabeth has a policy of withdrawing food and water from some patients and this violates Catholic teaching(which the linked article below clearly points out). On the St. Elizabeth website, there is a link to fill out a living will which if you are admitted to this hospital, God forbid, you run the risk of having food and water taken from you and very well may starve to death as Terry Schiavo did.
Death Without Dignity: Starvation and Dehydration
An amazing article written by Robert C. Cetrulo that outlines the clear teachings of Holy Mother Church on end-of-life moral obligations.

So now, with the merger, our Catholic hospital may plunge even further into the culture of death with the details of the merger unknown. Regardless, death is not just from the wages of sin but also the lot of those of us who have no alternative hospital in Northern Kentucky. While this is being worked out on paper, our bishop has remained silent on the matter.
Allowing such things to happen at a Catholic hospital is intrinsically evil. As Catholics, we must be pro-life from conception until natural death and not starve our weakest citizens and chemically kill them before they implant in their mother's womb.
For more information on this saga you can go to Northern Kentucky Right to Life website HERE.