Skill, to a large degree, the developing schism within the Catholic church is similar to the schism with the Republican party.

A large proportion (probably a solid majority here) of Catholics are NOT supportive of the birth control diktat of the church. Also a fair proportion don't support the Churches absolute position on abortion. Further, on issues regarding women's role within the church, celebacy of priests, protection of predators within the church, and a number of other issues, the Church is doing itself more harm than help. These plus a retreat from social justice positions have meant that large numbers of Catholics have left the church -- either to become non-observers, or to join in increasing numbers some evangelical church.

The Republican party is faced with somewhat similar dilemmas - the antipathy toward the poor, toward immigrants, toward gays is attracting far right advocates who previously might have been outside of the party, while losing moderates, gays (who might well support rational fiscal conservatism), hispanics and the young.

Agreed. If you ever go to Mass you'll note that most families have 2 or fewer children and the parents seem quite happy with that number. Now one can assume that the parents stopped having sex after the children were born or reality where the parents are being responsible to themselves and the rest of the world by not popping out 12+ kids that they cannot afford or support.

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

Skill, to a large degree, the developing schism within the Catholic church is similar to the schism with the Republican party.

A large proportion (probably a solid majority here) of Catholics are NOT supportive of the birth control diktat of the church. Also a fair proportion don't support the Churches absolute position on abortion. Further, on issues regarding women's role within the church, celebacy of priests, protection of predators within the church, and a number of other issues, the Church is doing itself more harm than help. These plus a retreat from social justice positions have meant that large numbers of Catholics have left the church -- either to become non-observers, or to join in increasing numbers some evangelical church.

The Republican party is faced with somewhat similar dilemmas - the antipathy toward the poor, toward immigrants, toward gays is attracting far right advocates who previously might have been outside of the party, while losing moderates, gays (who might well support rational fiscal conservatism), hispanics and the young.

actually the Conservative Catholic is a modern product. 50's and 60's Catholics were very liberal and supported Democratics ideals(house and feed the poor, take care of those that cannot take care of themselves). Modern Catholics are all about the abortion issue. They've seem to have forgotten own to look after those that are already alive and worry about those that aren't, yet. Noble as that is it still is a deep change in philosophy for the Catholics

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

John, in terms of the cultural battle, it is interesting that the Teapublican partisans which dominate the Republican Party today are largely older white men.

These folks were the younger folks who were part of the Nixon 'silent majority' of the 1960's. Today, the culture war that broke out in the 60's is being revisited.

But demographics and values have moved forward.

Frankly, the Democrats really NEED a legitimate center right party (let's call that party the Republicans) to work with in order to effectively govern. The Teapublican partisans who dominate the Republican Party today are bad for the Republican Party (those demographics are going to increasingly undermine its voice). (I'd note as an aside that the only reason the Teapublicans didn't get pushed back big time in the House, like they did in the Senate was the control Republicans had in critical state houses during redistricting which happens every 10 years). But that Teapublican dominance is also bad for governance in general as the Democratic party doesn't have a moderating partner for bipartisan governance -- and they seriously need that.

From the analysis of the two parties after the election on BBC's NewsNight, it appears, from the consensus, that the USA has moved on culturally and religion is holding back the Republicans. Stuck in a 1950s early 1960s time warp on attitudes and policies.

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It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

They probably can't face up to reality......

"This will be an acid test for the Republicans. The old guard won't give up so easily. You only have to watch Fox News, a virtual land of denial where many commentators refused to acknowledge the results late into the night. Above all Rove, who kept resisting even after his network had called the race for Obama."

The New America flexs its muscles

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You won't see this story on Fox, and you won't read it in the Wall Street Journal.

But it really happened. And if you recently voted Republican, more of this sort of political propagandizing by the most powerful elected Republicans is what you have voted to help enable. Whichever policy you support, suppressing the facts and suppressing non-partisan, professional analysis as Senate Republicans just did, is simply un-American.

Nonpartisan Tax Report Withdrawn After G.O.P. Protest
By JONATHAN WEISMAN
Published: November 1, 2012

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Research Service has withdrawn an economic report that found no correlation between top tax rates and economic growth, a central tenet of conservative economic theory, after Senate Republicans raised concerns about the paper’s findings and wording.

The decision, made in late September against the advice of the agency’s economic team leadership, drew almost no notice at the time. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, cited the study a week and a half after it was withdrawn in a speech on tax policy at the National Press Club.

But it could actually draw new attention to the report, which questions the premise that lowering the top marginal tax rate stimulates economic growth and job creation.

“This has hues of a banana republic,” Mr. Schumer said. “They didn’t like a report, and instead of rebutting it, they had them take it down.”

Republicans did not say whether they had asked the research service, a nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress, to take the report out of circulation, but they were clear that they protested its tone and findings...

Decide for yourself whether Senate Republicans had any legitimate complaint about the "tone" or the "findings" of the CRS report that they have tried to suppress.

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