Mitt Romney’s campaign calls gay teen bullying report ‘exaggerated’

[oldcelt]

I was wondering if this was getting much TV play, since I don’t watch. It sounds like it’s only of interest to political wonks.

None that I have seen…let’s face it…it’s a non-issue.

John

 

[qui_est_ce]

A friend of mine who is very wealthy, and his wife, have adopted four children. Because of their religious beliefs they only wanted to adopt children of mixed race, and particularly those who were at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. Well, children of mixed race when one of the races is black, can be a problem. They have definitely run into problems where Black organizations attempted to block their adoption, and, really, if they did not also opt for at least the potential for disabilities, I think their problems might have been insurmountable. But does the government have a problem with the difficulty white parents sometimes have in adopting black or partially black children? No.

I have white friends who are foster parents for babies born drug dependent or abused. Of course they get very attached to the children they ended up adopting three of them. But what a struggle it was because the babies were black. One of the babies was brought to them when it was about five months old. It was in a body cast from toe to hip. The boyfriend had beaten the baby and it had two broken legs. The mother was in drug rehab. It was pathetic watching that adorable little baby trying to hoist itself up on your lap like babies do. After a few months, the mother wanted the baby back. But she would constantly fail the drug test. It was heart wrenching to watch the emotional roller coaster. The baby finally went back to the grandparents.

The three they got was because there were no black families to adopt them. These three are very dark children.

But even so, it has to be admitted that the Mormons take no government money for their organizations. They’re not even tax exempt. The Amish don’t even take government money as individuals. No Social Security, no Medicare, no nothing.

But do they run hospitals and other social services? Can you imagine a Catholic hospital turning away an indigent or elderly patient because they “don’t accept government money?”

So, I believe, at least in part, that the Catholic “romance” with government has come to a bad pass. Religious institutions received government money, never realizing that their charitable funding was going away precisely because the governments at all levels were taking that money. And now, governments have those institutions exactly positioned so that they must either become “arms of the government” not only in providing services, but in ideology as well. The only further thing required was a government willing to insist on the ideology, and now we have one.

Great analysis as usual. Would that more people respond thoughtfully.

 

[rlg94086]

Just not “juicy” enough. Now if Romney were wearing a chicken suit when he cut the other kid’s hair- maybe with a giant novelty pair of scissors. - BINGO! PRIME TIME!!

 

[SamH]

I was wondering if this was getting much TV play, since I don’t watch. It sounds like it’s only of interest to political wonks.

I was watching CNN this morning and it was getting played opposite Obama’s “support” of gay marriage claim. Maybe they’ve already dropped it since its falling apart.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But do they run hospitals and other social services? Can you imagine a Catholic hospital turning away an indigent or elderly patient because they “don’t accept government money?”

Yes, Catholic hospitals are in a box, including those that still want to follow the teachings of the Church. (Whether that’s the majority or not, I do not know.)

Personally, and given the propensities of the current government, I don’t have a lot of optimism for Catholic hospitals in the future. I think the trend toward de facto secularization may be irresistable, and I expect that’s what Obama has in mind, at least in part. If he gets a second term, I think the game is up for them. Obama has only begun to exert the pressures the government has in its arsenal to bring them to heel, ideologically and morally. The entanglement with government is, for them, too great.

Adoption agencies are another matter. Unless at least a majority of states require that Catholic adoption agencies place children with homosexuals, people can still go from one state to another to adopt from a Catholic agency. It’s still possible.

It may be, though, that Catholic charitable organizations are going to have to undergo a paradigm shift. Frankly, I think that shift ought to begin with the USCCB. For too long, it has been entangled with the government in the other direction. In other words, it ought to get out of the “social change” business where there is always government entanglement as well as entanglement with dubious organizations, and redirect its resources to direct, and totally Catholic, charitable enterprises.

I might mention that my own bishop discouraged people from giving to the USCCB-CCHD drive, suggesting, alternatively, that they give the money to a diocesan direct charity organization which he started. People were quite receptive to that. I will admit that I responded to it, whereas I had refused to donate to USCCB for decades, under our former bishop. Remarkably, it started being funded shortly before the devastation of the Joplin, Missouri, tornado in our diocese, and was very active in providing food, water, clothing, shelter and other aid to victims.

 

[qui_est_ce]

None that I have seen…let’s face it…it’s a non-issue.

John

Why is Jerry Miah making such a big deal about it?

NPR had a >3 min story on it this morning. They said Romney’s campaign must be worried about it because the campaign is in “high gear damage control.”

The only damage control I’ve seen is where he addressed the issue, apologize for it and move on. <1 minute.

And that’s all the attention it should have gotten.

 

[Jerry_Miah]

Why is Jerry Miah making such a big deal about it?

NPR had a >3 min story on it this morning. They said Romney’s campaign must be worried about it because the campaign is in “high gear damage control.”

The only damage control I’ve seen is where he addressed the issue, apologize for it and move on. <1 minute.

And that’s all the attention it should have gotten.

I would rather you not get personal. I will say that I don’t let the media tell me what to care about. If that’s how you determine what’s important, that’s fine for you.

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

Yes, Catholic hospitals are in a box, including those that still want to follow the teachings of the Church. (Whether that’s the majority or not, I do not know.)

They’re going out of business because they’re not being paid for the services they provide. There isn’t even a single Catholic hospital in NYC because of all the indigent patients and the burdens they put on the facilities.

I noted in a post some months ago that when Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC was going down the tubes, rich Jews opened their wallets and put up enough money to keep the hospital solvent, and it’s doing well now.

Where are the rich Catholics - and there are many such - to open their wallets to help the Catholic hospitals?

 

[qui_est_ce]

I would rather you not get personal.

I can see why you took it that way, Sorry. Let me rephrase the question. Old Celt said it was a nonstory, and I wondered why some (you the example) made such a big deal of it if it is really a nonstory.

I will say that I don’t let the media tell me what to care about.

I agree

If that’s how you determine what’s important, that’s fine for you.

You must admit if the media pays a lot of attention to something, a lot of people will tell you they think it’s an important story.

If the media is portraying things inaccurately, I feel compelled to make corrections.

Which is the only reason I joined this thread.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

They’re going out of business because they’re not being paid for the services they provide. There isn’t even a single Catholic hospital in NYC because of all the indigent patients and the burdens they put on the facilities.

I noted in a post some months ago that when Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC was going down the tubes, rich Jews opened their wallets and put up enough money to keep the hospital solvent, and it’s doing well now.

Where are the rich Catholics - and there are many such - to open their wallets to help the Catholic hospitals?

Still sending contributions to Obama’s campaign, I’m afraid.

 

[Holly3278]

Someone mentioned something about Republicans hating gays. Well, I am a Republican and I definitely don’t hate gays. I do hate “gay marriage” and gay adoption though.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They’re going out of business because they’re not being paid for the services they provide. There isn’t even a single Catholic hospital in NYC because of all the indigent patients and the burdens they put on the facilities.

I noted in a post some months ago that when Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC was going down the tubes, rich Jews opened their wallets and put up enough money to keep the hospital solvent, and it’s doing well now.

Where are the rich Catholics - and there are many such - to open their wallets to help the Catholic hospitals?

Perhaps somewhere they’re going out of business because they’re not getting paid. Around here, at least, and as far as I know, in Missouri generally, they are not. The Catholic hospital/clinic complexes in my part of the state are actually the most prosperous. Quite prosperous, in fact.

So, apparently it varies from place to place.

Interesting about Mt. Sinai. I can understand why rich Jews would come up with money to rescue it. I have been in a Jewish hospital a long time ago, and it’s entirely understandable. It was my observation that while at least that Jewish hospital was not as “Jewish” in its trappings as Catholic hospitals generally are “Catholic” in their physical presentation, Jews tend to use them exclusively and the dietary requirements are scrupulously followed.

But Catholic hospitals are not Jewish hospitals, and Catholics are not Jews. Catholics are nowhere near as “tribal” as Jews are, and dietary practices are of no great consequence to Catholics. Would Catholics do the same in the way of support if there was no moral difference between them and a secular hospital? I really do have my doubts. I presently prefer the Catholic complex in my area. But if it started, say, allowing abortions, I would no longer prefer them in most things, and would definitely contribute nothing to them.

 

[rlg94086]

Someone mentioned something about Republicans hating gays. Well, I am a Republican and I definitely don’t hate gays. I do hate “gay marriage” and gay adoption though.

Ditto. We are lampooned as “hating gays” because people believe you must hate gays if you are opposed to gay “marriage” and adoption.

 

[Cider]

Washington Post Romney Hit Piece Implodes

breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/10/Washington-Post-Hit-Piece-Implodes

What a completely bizarre choice of words out of that article to quote. You left out the most important parts of Brietbarts report, and chose to post the inaccuracies from the WAPO’s original article?

The important info:

Tonight, Christine Lauber, John Lauber’s sister, said that she didn’t know anything about the bullying incident. More importantly, she said that the story had factual inaccuracies. Betsy Lauber, another of John’s sisters, told ABC News, “The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family.” Said Christine, “If he were alive today, he would be furious [about the story].” Jason Horowitz, the reporter on the Post story, did speak to both sisters and quoted them in the story – but apparently still botched the facts.

The original Washington Post piece stated the following:
“I always enjoyed his pranks,” said Stu White, a popular friend of Romney’s who went on to a career as a public school teacher and has long been bothered by the Lauber incident. [emphasis added]
Yet in an interview with ABC News today, White disowned that characterization:
While the Post reports White as having “long been bothered” by the haircutting incident,” he told ABC News he was not present for the prank, in which Romney is said to have forcefully cut a student’s long hair and was not aware of it until this year when he was contacted by the Washington Post.
White didn’t know about the incident until this year, but the Post reported that he had “long been bothered” by it. We demanded a correction.

 

[Jerry_Miah]

Just not “juicy” enough. Now if Romney were wearing a chicken suit when he cut the other kid’s hair- maybe with a giant novelty pair of scissors. - BINGO! PRIME TIME!!

Or if was about his birth certificate, then maybe we would hear about it constantly (not). But Romney only led a gang to assault a kid, personally handling the (regular) scissors as the kid wept and screamed for help. No big deal! Let’s report what big Sheriff Joe is saying about the birth certificate today!

 

[gilliam]

The Washington Post finally gets around to admitting they changed the story:

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that White “has long been bothered” by the Lauber incident. White later clarified in a subsequent interview that he has been disturbed by the incident since he learned of it several weeks ago from a former classmate, before being contacted by The Washington Post.

washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romneys-prep-school-classmates-recall-pranks-but-also-troubling-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_print.html
They don’t look too good here since they inferred in the article that he was bothered by it for 48 years and now they are saying “several weeks ago.”

 

[TheRealJuliane]

One venerable English teacher, Carl G. Wonnberger, nicknamed “the Bat” for his diminished eyesight, was known to walk into the trophy case and apologize, step into wastepaper baskets and stare blindly as students slipped out the back of the room to smoke by the open windows. Once, several students remembered the time pranksters propped up the back axle of Wonnberger’s Volkswagen Beetle with two-by-fours and watched, laughing from the windows, as the unwitting teacher slammed the gas pedal with his wheels spinning in the air.*



Oh My, he also bullied a Beetle! How cruel is that man! The poor little car must have been…wait for it…

exhausted.

 

[CMatt25]

It is possible to remember a person, but not remember an incident.

I suppose and I agree with those who say no one is perfect and everyone can’t be held to things they did 50 yrs ago in high school. But that misses a broader and deeper question. I remember a lot about my high school yrs still after many decades. And 5 people are able to remember this stark incident but supposedly Mitt Romney, the one with the scissors in hand, can’t. And then he was laughing about it in clips (no pun intended) of interviews I saw. Why laugh about such a thing even if he can’t remember? Couple this with the gay staff member, a foreign policy advisor I believe, who more recently is no longer with his team, and questions about the man today who wants to be our next POTUS arise which go deeper than something happening 50 yrs ago in high school.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Wow, so MANY people knew and remember Mitt Romney!

I do wonder where are all the people who knew and remember Barack H. Obama…Don’t you?

 

[Jerry_Miah]

The Washington Post finally gets around to admitting they changed the story:

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that White “has long been bothered” by the Lauber incident. White later clarified in a subsequent interview that he has been disturbed by the incident since he learned of it several weeks ago from a former classmate, before being contacted by The Washington Post.

washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romneys-prep-school-classmates-recall-pranks-but-also-troubling-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_print.html
They don’t look too good here since they inferred in the article that he was bothered by it for 48 years and now they are saying “several weeks ago.”

I hope you are not participating in the typical right wing disinformation technique that I predicted – to find the tiniest mistake in an article and then to say the whole thing didn’t happen.