all the wrong lessons from Massachusetts.<\/a><\/p>\n Torture is now as much a fixture of GOP doctrine and as much a hallowed core value among Righties as abortion is on the Left. \u201cProlife\u201d my ass.<\/p>\n Till that changes, they\u2019ve lost me completely.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, sane Catholics <\/a>who actually listen to the Church and not to talk radio and GOP shills like Thiessen will continue to shout into the wind.<\/p>\n The more significant point to make is that Thiessen completely misreads the April 2009 Pew Poll. He thinks the fact that 71% of American think \u201ctorture,\u201d and not merely \u201cenhanced interrogation,\u201d should be safe, legal, and rare is a good sign about what Americans think about what he sees as a position that is part and parcel of political conservatism.<\/p>\n In fact, it is a sign that a great majority of Americans are gravely immoral.<\/p>\n That the population is morally depraved in a direction that helps your candidates win elections is not something to celebrate. \u2013 Tom Kreitzberg<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Catholics are called to be leaven *against* this kind of evil in the public square. Instead, those who claim the mantle of \u201cFaithful Conservative Catholic\u201d and vaunt their fidelity over the dread liberal dissenters are cheerleaders <\/a>for it. Shameful.<\/p>\n PS. My reader <\/a>sums up the Thing that Used to be Conservatism:<\/p>\n Did you see the NR editorial? <\/p>\n It praised the GOP for not being held \u201chostage to extremists who would rather lose than support a pro-choice candidate.\u201d Then it praised Brown for supporting \u201ctough interrogations of terrorists\u201d (wink, wink). Bottom line: The Thing That Used To Be Conservatism now seems at peace with electing pro-aborts \u2014 as long as they\u2019re also pro-torture. Ugh.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is what comes of being a stooge for power. You become a stooge<\/a>.<\/p>\n