REPUBLICANS IN TALKS TO UN-DO RYAN'S REVENGE: Fired Chaplain

[hlthe2b]

Interesting

REPUBLICANS IN TALKS TO UN-DO RYAN’S REVENGE

Lawmakers In Both Parties In Talks To Save House Chaplain’s Job
“I’ve never seen members so angry about something in this House in my 10 years,” Rep. Gerry Connolly said.

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Lawmakers in both parties have fumed about Ryan’s move. Many learned last month that Conroy was leaving, but didn’t know until last week that he had been forced out. And Catholics like Connolly have been suspicious that conservatives were pushing to relieve the urban Catholic Jesuit priest in order to replace him with someone more ideologically aligned with them.

Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, all but confirmed their suspicions last week when he suggested the next chaplain should have a wife and a family ― a requirement that would automatically exclude Catholic priests from the position. Amid outcry from Catholics, Walker later removed himself from a bipartisan committee to find a new House chaplain.

Connolly said despite Walker’s comments, some conservatives want to find a way to “restore dignity for Father Conroy” and to the House itself by keeping the chaplain on the job for at least the rest of the year.

“I know for a fact that some members of the Freedom Caucus felt this was handled badly and sends a signal of bigotry they don’t want to be associated with,” the Virginia Democrat said. “I’ve never seen members so angry about something in this House in my 10 years. Because it’s not only political and not only about your faith. It’s personal.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-chaplain-paul-ryan-patrick-conroy-gerry-connolly_us_5aea186de4b00f70f0eeb8a6


Guess Ryan's personal Ayn Randian form of 'Catholicism' isn't going over so well in this episode, at least.

[CatMor]

1. I find it hard to believe the republicans would do the right thing...

I hope they do for once. Ryan is such a little weasel.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I don't think the House should have a chaplain at all, but if there has to be one,

at least the position should be held by someone who tries to remind that collection of grifters that they have a moral obligation not to be greedy, mendacious dicks. This chaplain got sacked for having the gall to pray for the poor.

[hlthe2b]

4. Agree, but it dates back to Madison losing the argument. If they are going to have one,

and it is going to be Christian (we pretty obviously aren't going to get a rabbi or Imam or Buddhist monk...) they ought to be free from political indoctrination to support political policies counter to the actual tenets of Christ.

[politicaljunkie41910]

3. They must have received a lot of backlash from the Party. I don't think he would care if the only

backlash came from Dems, and it sure couldn't be them feeling any remorse. That is not an emotion they experience.

[Ilsa]

5. The next one should be female, and her wife should be of a different ethnicity.

But that's just me talking.

[spooky3]

12. Yes, it's interesting that the outrage over the proposal

Was NOT that the proposal would exclude most women and gay men. They were concerned only that it would exclude one religion.

[ProudLib72]

13. One denomination. nt

[a kennedy]

16. OMGOSH.......now that would be an awesome premis when more Democratic women

take over the US House.

[Ilsa]

17. I hope I live long enough. ;-) nt

[lpbk2713]

6. That was a petty move by a petty individual.

I hope Ryan ends up looking humiliated over this.

[gratuitous]

7. Harkens back to the bad old days of Kremlinologists

Because information coming out of the Soviet Union was so untrustworthy, Kremlinologists often tried to divine who was in, who was out, who was up, and who was down based on the minutiae of news reports. Who was standing next to the Premier on the dais? What order were the names of officials read off on the news?

House Republicans are a bag of badgers. Who knows what any of them are up to at any given moment? But there is definitely a faction that would love to deliver a swift kick in the rear to Paul Ryan. The dismissal of Father Conroy might just provide them the opportunity to publicly take Ryan down a peg. If the Freedom Caucus can flex their muscle and keep Conroy on the job, it would be a nice jab at Ryan, and be right in the Republican wheelhouse for a hollow victory in a meaningless tussle. If they can taunt Ryan - "We won, you lost" - they can make Ryan's last months taste like ashes.

Should the Democrats aid and abet Ryan's chastening by his own caucus? It's not like they have anything better to do. The House legislative calendar is pretty bare for the rest of the year.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

8. "...sends a signal of bigotry they don't want to be associated with..."

Since they are clearly bigots, why would they worry about sending that message?

Their brand of "christianity" is a stretch anyway - exclusionary rather than inclusionary - and is in direct contrast with the teachings and actions of Jesus.

[MontanaMama]

9. I don't like what happened

to the chaplain or the way it was done. However, maybe I’m naive, but why does Congress need a chaplain? If they’re Christian, and need a spiritual advisor, can’t they get their own? Most of them don’t act like Christians anyway so why all the hoopla hover this?

[NNadir]

10. Ayn Rand claimed to be an atheist, but nonetheless very stupid people worship her.

Obviously Paul Ryan fits in the class of very stupid people.

This was a very dumb fight to pick, but I guess mindless bigots have trouble seeing that.

[hatrack]

14. Which segues nicely to one of my all-time top ten quotes . . .

"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

[NNadir]

18. I like it...

I'm a chronic insomniac.

When I was a kid, some woman I knew insisted I read "Atlas Shrugged." I was a puerile kid and I must have thought she was beautiful because I tried to do it.

It was an excellent soporific. Three sentences by John Galt and you're out cold, snoring like a narcoleptic.

Later I switched to Ambien: Less toxic and better dreams.

I always imagined that people who still read Ayn Rand after their acne cleared up lived in their mother's basement and played "World of Warcraft" when not reading about John Galt or playing with themselves.

I was wrong.

It seems like Paul Ryan's mother kicked him out of the basement and somehow, the little Eddie Munster look alike ended up in the House of Representatives with a whole bunch of other kids who should have never left their Mom's basements.

That, um, was bad for our country.

I'll steal your quote if you don't mind.

[hatrack]

19. Oh, wasn't my quote to begin with - have at it!

I should have said "personal favorite quotes" or something like that.

[Qutzupalotl]

11. That will be awkward for Ryan.

Good.

[Scurrilous]

15. If Evangelicals want a war w/ Catholics I say let it begin here!!