Nuns Challenge Romney To Spend A Day With Them To Learn About Plight Of America’s Poor

[demmiblue]

Source: Think Progress

The group behind the Nuns On A Bus tour that highlighted the ill-effects of the House Republican budget in congressional districts across the country is now setting its sights on the party’s presidential candidate, inviting Mitt Romney to spend a day with the nuns to learn about the plight of America’s poorest citizens.

NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby, is inviting Romney to “spend a day with Catholic Sisters who work every day to meet the needs of struggling families in their communities,” according to a release. The group is specifically targeting Romney a day after his campaign released a misleading ad about welfare reform that Sister Simone Campbell, NETWORK’s executive director, said “demonize[s] families in poverty” and shows Romney’s “ignorance about the challenges” the poor face in America:

“Recent advertisements and statements from the campaign of Governor Romney demonize families in poverty and reflect woeful ignorance about the challenges faced by tens of millions of American families in these tough economic times,” stated Sister Simone Campbell. “We are all God’s children and equal in God’s eyes. Efforts to divide us by class or score political points at the expense of the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters reveal the worst side of our country’s politics.”

Romney has endorsed the House GOP budget plan authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). It was that plan, which includes deep cuts to food stamps and other safety net programs that benefit the middle class, that NETWORK’s Nuns On A Bus tour targeted, with Campbell and other sisters blasting it as “immoral” at the tour’s conclusion in Washington D.C. Romney has also proposed massive tax cuts for the rich that would likely come at the expense of lower- and middle-class families, which would see higher taxes or significant cuts to the programs they depend on.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/08/08/658741/nuns-challenge-romney/

[annabanana]

1. NUNS!! Those dangerous radical socialist marxist

darlings.

[Angry Dragon]

2. The Catholic Church thinks they are

[pnwmom]

8. The tiny hierarchy thinks they speak for the Catholic Church

but they don't. Vatican II, the sisters, and the Catholic laity say otherwise.

[Angry Dragon]

11. It is my understanding that the leaders do speak for the organization unless

the other members produce a coup

Still waiting for that to happen in the Roman Catholic Church

[WI_DEM]

3. of course if his campaign were smart they would accept the challenge.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Could you imagine the pics of Romney around poor people?

Think about it...yep, not a pretty thought, is it?

His campaign managers are so screwed. If not for the fact that they're working for such a repulsive cause, I could almost feel sorry for them.

[tclambert]

16. "Ha. Ha. One of the poor people shook my hand. They must like me. Ha. Ha."

Then he would walk around holding that hand out awkwardly, making sure it didn't touch any other part of him until he had a chance to wash it in antiseptic.

Meanwhile: "Oh, my. Your hair is quite unkempt. Perhaps you should make an appointment with the stylist at your country club. Ha. Ha." "I enjoy your outfit. I perceive you are going for the retro look." "You know, I actually know several poor people. Many of the people who used to work for me are now poor people."

And then his secret text message to his wife: "OMG, poor ppl wr lookin at me! Feel soild. Will need showr and exfoliatn."

[Lone_Star_Dem]

17. I love it!

This line was my favorite, "You know, I actually know several poor people. Many of the people who used to work for me are now poor people."

[renate]

24. Mine too!

That was really great!

[Brigid]

21. Ann's secret text in reply:

"I'll make an appt. for U at the spa."

[lunatica]

18. He'd run around in high kicking prancing circles brushing himself off

screaming, "Coodies!! Coodies! Oh God! Get them offa me!!"

[demmiblue]

6. With the gaffes that seem to tumble out of his mouth, I'm not so sure!

He might have a George Bush 'uniquely American' moment!

[cr8tvlde]

4. Blessed are the Nuns ...

Taken from the Sermon on the Mount ... the Foundation of Christianity...a good read, hard to do, but it's why I'm a Democrat. They try harder.

Blessed are the poor in spirit
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[freshwest]

9. +1. Thanks for that.

[MyshkinCommaPrince]

7. Love it.

This is great. Bringing the discourse down to earth, highlighting what should actually be important, while also scoring some political points. I hope this gets broader coverage.

[freshwest]

10. +1. And like your screen name, from one of my favorite books growing up.

[Quantess]

12. Kick!

[Richard D]

13. For a sociopath . . .

. . . such an experience wouldn't make a wink of difference.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. One took out the Y-12 building at Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

Would be hilarious if one topped her, and took out Romney's campaign.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

15. Peace be with them.

[lindysalsagal]

19. These nuns make me want to sign up

....almost

[ananda]

20. Good idea! And...

... they should take him to visit poor
people in their homes and neighborhoods.

[Brigid]

22. But don't the poor have enough problems?

Should Mitt Romney really be inflicted on them?

[Motown_Johnny]

23. Good luck, he admits he doesn't care about the poor.

http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/100306/romney-not-concerned-very-poor-safety-net-middle-class

^snip^


Even Mitt Romney’s defenders admit that he chose his words poorly when, on Wednesday morning, he told CNN that “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” But many of these defenders say the quote is innocuous once you read it in context and realize what Romney was really trying to say.

Well, I’ve read the quote in context and have a pretty good idea what Romney was trying to say. I would hardly describe it as innocuous.

The full exchange appears below this item. It’s long, so here I’m just going to quote the key passage:

I’m not concerned about the very poor; we have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of the America, the 90 percent, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling, and I’ll continue to take that message across the nation.”






If the nuns can pull off that miracle I just might start going to church once in a while.

[DesertRat]

25. Go sisters!

[RagAss]

26. ....and the nuns slapped my hands with a ruler ?