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Promises to keep—on both sides of the aisle

11 Nov 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Christ “will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation,” this Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews attests. Now that the campaign is over and voters have spoken, both parties promise to bring a bipartisan spirit to politics. And it is up to citizens to keep them to their promises in the days ahead and help bring together a divided nation.One of the big stories on election night was the role played by minorities in giving President Barack Obama a second term. Strong turnout from Latinos, African Americans, and Asians as well as a decided edge among women and younger voters propelled him to a convincing win. In his victory speech, the president offered an early olive branch. “In the coming weeks and months,” he said, “I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together.”Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called on Republicans to cooperate with an expanded Democratic majority Wednesday, a day after the Democrats picked up at least one more seat in that chamber. "It is better to dance than to fight," said Reid. "It is better to work together. Everything doesn't have to be a fight."For his part, Republican House Speaker John A. Boehner offered a potential path to compromise, saying Republicans are “willing to accept new revenue” to tame the soaring national debt and avert an ugly battle over the approaching “fiscal cliff,” a series of severe tax hikes and program cuts scheduled to take effect in January if Congress and the president cannot find a better path forward on fiscal issues.Boehner said Tuesday’s election amounted to a plea from voters for the parties to lay down their weapons of the past two years and “do what’s best for our country. That is the will of the people. And we answer to them.” Sources: Articles by Ted Barrett, Catherine E. Shoichet, and Ashley Fantz for CNN, Lori Montgomeryfor the Washington Post, and Paul Taylor and D’Vera Cohn for the Pew Research Center

barack obama harry reid congress democrats republicans john boehner minorities fiscal cliff presidential election
The politics of health and financial disclosures

18 Sep 2016 - Preaching the News for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Accountability for a steward accused of dishonesty is the theme of this Sunday’s gospel: The steward is ordered by his employer to “prepare a full account” of his stewardship. Voters are calling both presidential candidates to account this week on medical and financial issues as disclosure and trustworthiness emerge as a key theme of the presidential election. Health has suddenly vaulted to prominence in the race between the oldest pair of presidential nominees in history. And both reacted as they typically do, say commentators—Donald Trump with the misdirection, flair, and controversy of a reality-television reveal, and Hillary Clinton with a reluctant document release Wednesday following days of growing demands. Neither has circulated the type of detailed and extensive medical records that voters have come to expect in a modern campaign. A new letter from Clinton’s doctor, Lisa Bardack, explained the pneumonia diagnosis that prompted the candidate to pause campaigning this week and otherwise offered mostly the same information about Clinton’s health that Bardack shared in a letter more than a year ago. The new letter says the physician has evaluated Clinton several times since she nearly collapsed Sunday after becoming overheated, dehydrated, and dizzy during a Sept. 11 memorial event in New York City, and that her overall health is fine. Trump, 70, has been eager to raise questions about Clinton’s health, frequently questioning her strength and stamina on the campaign trail. But his disclosures have been even less specific. In December, he provided a much-ridiculed letter, drafted in just five minutes by his physician, Dr. Harold N. Bornstein. He declared that Trump, if he wins, would be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” After Clinton left the campaign trail to recuperate from pneumonia, Trump said he had taken a physical exam last week and planned to release the results this week. But the plan for releasing the results was chaotic. Trump scheduled a taping of The Dr. Oz Show for Wednesday, suggesting he would discuss the results there. Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose promotion of products and unfounded advice has made him controversial in the medical community, also promoted the show with that in mind, saying in a Fox radio interview that he planned to ask Trump pointed questions. But just before Wednesday’s taping, Trump’s staff tried to downplay expectations, saying that he would instead discuss broader health topics and that Trump’s exam results would be released later. On the financial front, a close examination by Newsweek of the Trump Organization, including confidential interviews with business executives and some of its international partners, reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians, and even criminals, although there is no evidence the Trump Organization has engaged in any illegal activities. It also reveals a web of contractual entanglements that could not be just canceled. If Trump moves into the White House and his family continues to receive any benefit from the company, during or even after his presidency, the report claims, almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires. The Trump Organization is not like the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the charitable enterprise that has been the subject of intense scrutiny about possible conflicts for the Democratic presidential nominee. There are allegations that Hillary Clinton bestowed benefits on contributors to the foundation in some sort of “pay to play” scandal when she was secretary of state, but that makes no sense because there was no “pay.” Money contributed to the foundation was publicly disclosed and went to charitable efforts, such as fighting neglected tropical diseases that infect as many as a billion people. The financials audited by Price Waterhouse Coopers, the global independent accounting company, and the foundation’s tax filings show that about 90 percent of the money it raised went to its charitable programs. (Trump surrogates have falsely claimed that it was only 10 percent and that the rest was used as a Clinton “slush fund.”) No member of the Clinton family received any cash from the foundation, nor did it finance any political campaigns. In fact, like the Clintons, almost the entire board of directors works for free. On the other hand, the Trump family rakes in untold millions of dollars from the Trump Organization every year. Much of that comes from deals with international financiers and developers, many of whom have been tied to controversial and even illegal activities. None of Trump’s overseas contractual business relationships examined by Newsweek were revealed in his campaign’s financial filings with the Federal Election Commission, nor was the amount paid to him by his foreign partners. Trump’s financial filings also indicate he is a shareholder or beneficiary of several overseas entities, including Excel Venture LLC in the French West Indies and Caribusiness Investments SRL, based in the Dominican Republic, one of the world’s tax havens. Trump’s business conflicts with America’s national security interests cannot be resolved so long as he or any member of his family maintains a financial interest in the Trump Organization during a Trump administration, or even if they leave open the possibility of returning to the company later, says Newsweek. The Trump Organization cannot be placed into a blind trust, an arrangement used by many politicians to prevent them from knowing their financial interests; the Trump family is already aware of who their overseas partners are and could easily learn about any new ones. Lessons drawn from the readings Jesus drops some profoundly simple wisdom into this Sunday’s gospel story of the wily steward: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” It is incumbent upon voters to look closely at the record of candidates for high office. “The devil is in the details,” as the saying goes. Final thought in light of the news Great leadership demands great integrity. The key decisions any leader will face are grounded in moral and ethical questions: Is it right to go to war? To what budget should scarce dollars be allocated—education or defense? Who should get a tax break and who should pay more? Who do you trust to answer these questions with integrity—and why?

donald trump hillary clinton stewardship presidential candidates health medical records politics presidential election
A national time of transition and trial

13 Nov 2016 - Preaching the News for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

The people ask Jesus for guidance in times of trial in this Sunday’s gospel. He warns them, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” While Donald Trump’s supporters are rejoicing in the wake of his stunning presidential victory, those who opposed him fear the nation has been misled and that a time of trial lies ahead for a sharply divided country. The American political establishment, as well as a good portion of the electorate, was reeling from shock of the electoral outcome—predicted by few polls or pundits—as leaders in both parties began coming to grips with four years of President Donald J. Trump in the White House, a once-unimaginable scenario that has now plunged the United States and its allies and adversaries into a period of unprecedented uncertainty about the policies and impact of a Trump presidency. President Obama, a longtime foe of Trump’s, and Hillary Clinton, the president-elect’s vanquished opponent, held separate news conferences Wednesday to urge people to put aside whatever bruised feelings and disappointment they have and come together for the sake of the republic, and for the good of Trump’s presidency. Obama, addressing the nation from the Rose Garden, said he had called Trump with congratulations and to invite him to meet at the White House on Thursday to discuss a smooth transition to the Trump administration. “We are all now rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country,” Obama said. “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. And over the next few months we are going to show that to the world.” Clinton, in her first remarks to supporters after the election, said that she hoped that Trump “will be a successful president for all Americans” and said she was “sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.” “This is painful, and it will be for a long time,” Clinton said, standing beside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in a tableau that underscored the end of a nearly 25-year era when the Clintons dominated American politics. Noting that the country was “more deeply divided than we thought,” Clinton added: “We must accept this result and look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president—we owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.” While her speech largely dealt with politics, Clinton choked back tears at times, and turned personal at one point. “To all the little girls who are watching this,” she said, “never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” For millions of voters, a sense of excitement and even euphoria coursed from coast to coast as they celebrated the election of a true political outsider who had promised to reverse policies of the Obama administration and be a champion for “forgotten Americans.” But millions of others felt a sense of dread and even fear as they tried to fathom how Trump could win the presidency when so many polls suggested otherwise, and to prepare themselves for the consequences of a new leader who has no experience in government or world affairs. Anxiety was particularly deep among Hispanics, African Americans, Muslims, immigrants, women, and others who had felt disparaged or demonized by Trump, who at times used harsh and racially charged language in ways that upended mainstream politics. The very idea that Trump had been endorsed by a Ku Klux Klan newspaper—even if he rejected it—symbolized the sense of shock that he would now lead a vibrantly diverse democracy. Asked how they would feel about a Trump presidency, more than a third of Americans said they would be frightened, exit polls found. Among those who voted for Clinton, the feeling was almost unanimous and reflected a deep divide: 92 percent said Trump scared them. Elsewhere, the transition of power seemed to be unfolding in an orderly fashion. Word came from the Pentagon on Wednesday morning that Trump would be receiving the same classified intelligence briefings as the president. The defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, issued a statement declaring that he was committed to an orderly passing of power to the next commander in chief. Not all were as accommodating in the streets, however. In cities from Boston to Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators gathered Wednesday night in protest of election results that mean the billionaire real estate developer will be the next president. And vigils and protests against Trump spread from coast to coast early Thursday as crowds burned effigies of the president-elect, blocked highways, and warned of wider backlash—underscoring the difficult task Trump faces in uniting a fractured country. Despite Clinton and Obama urging their backers to accept Trump’s victory and support his transition into power, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets decrying his crude comments about women and attacks on immigrants. Lessons drawn from the readings In Prepare the Word’s Sunday Summary we learn that in the first reading the "prophet predicts devastation but also promises justice and healing,” while the gospel suggests that “bad times are on the way. But the faithful have nothing to fear.” For believers, the lesson of the election comes down to placing our ultimate faith in a higher power than any president or politician. We can hope and work for the best of outcomes, but ultimately our destiny is in divine, not human, hands. Final thought in light of the news White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said President Obama called president-elect Trump from his private residence in the early hours of Wednesday to extend his congratulations and invite the Republican candidate to the White House Thursday. Earnest said the meeting would focus on the presidential transition and “what steps we can take as a country to come together after this hard-fought election season.” This is the question of the hour—what steps, if any, can bring the nation together now and in the months and years to come? How that question is answered will mark the road ahead for a troubled democracy in turbulent times.

donald trump politics presidential election divided country transition of power
Fact of the week

13 Nov 2016 - Preaching the News for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Eight in 10 self-identified white, born-again/evangelical Christians say they voted for Trump; Catholics also supported Trump over Clinton by a wide, 23-point margin, 60 percent to 37 percent. Pewresearch.org

donald trump presidential election evangelical christians