Rep. McCotter - Pro Life apparently does not include poor children

Either Rep. Thaddeus McCotter is just another flip flopper or a Catholic who is simply not familiar with what his Church advocates.

In a 2002 Michigan Catholic Conference candidate questionnaire, candidate McCotter answered “Support” to the following question:

Health Care
14. Access to services. Will you support or oppose Legislation to provide government-subsidized health-care services to individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid, but who live below the
poverty level (e.g., $15,020 for a family of three)?

McCotter recently voted no for SCHIP and then again no to over ride the Presidents veto of a piece of legislation that over 80% of Americans including an overwhelming number of Catholics support.

In a recent article penned by McCotter , he stated:

“The insidious result is that pro-life Representatives, who supported S-CHIP’s extension but not proposed expansion, are smeared by Catholics United as being neither pro-life nor pro-family. Ergo, these Catholics United ads constitute a lie spoken publicly to establish false public criteria that abets their powerful Leftist friends within the state.”

BUT!

McCotter is a Catholic from Michigan. On its website, the Michigan Catholic Conference lists under its Public Policy section the following advocacy regarding Health Care.

From the Conference:

Health Care

Equitable, accessible and ethical health care is an essential safeguard of human life. Health care is a basic human right, and genuine health care reform, recognizing the dignity of persons and the unique needs of the poor, is a matter of fundamental justice. The Conference supports:

• Expansion of health coverage for low-and moderate-income uninsured individuals and families,

• The protection of adequate Medicaid funding, and

• Opposition to legislation that threatens the institutional integrity of faith-based providers.

It would seem to that SCHIP would fit nicely into this advocacy. Apparently according to McCotter’s thesis, the Michigan Catholic Conference is among those powerful Leftist friends of Catholics United. In his article McCotter notes that Catholics United is not a Catholic Church sanctioned organization. We are guessing the Michigan Catholic Conference is sanctioned by the Church.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, another organization "sanctioned" by the Catholic Church, has supported SCHIP reauthorization that includes higher levels of funding, provides flexibility to cover more immigrant children, allows states to serve more youth aging out of foster care, expands eligibility and income thresholds, and makes it easier for all eligible children to apply.

Clearly McCotter is out step with our Catholic Bishops, the Michigan Catholic Conference and the Catholic Social Teaching we are sure he was taught at Catholic Central High School in Detroit.

Are Romneys flip flops on Pro Life issues running down the GOP ticket now?