Democrats Retain Arizona's Gabby Giffords' Seat | American Nuns at Vatican | Catholic Bishops Defeated in ND

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French Roast News

Anne is reading …

Then-representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) with Ron Barber in Tucson, Jan. 23, 2012. (Matt York / AP Photos)Democrats held their Arizona House seat in the special election to replace former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords with a win much larger than expected. Ron Barber, one of 13 people injured in the Tucson gun shots rampage that also severely injured Giffords, won his seat in an Arizona district that leans Republican.

Barber beat 30-year-old Tea Party Republican and former Iraq-serving Marine Jesse Kelly, who also lost to Giffords in 2010. The two will face off again in November. The Daily Beast writes:

Kelly, who in his earlier race against Giffords sought to diminish Social Security and Medicare, was endorsed by the controversial ALIPAC, an immigration PAC associated in news reports with extremism. In his first campaign, Kelly played to gun lovers, posing in camouflage gear and raising money by shooting a machine gun with donors who ponied up $50 each.

In his second campaign, Kelly changed his image to family man and Republican businessman who would grow the economy and kill Obamacare. He posed in ads with his grandfather, vowing to preserve Social Security and Medicare.

Busy Bishops Update

LCWR President Sister Pat Farrell and executive director Janet Mock at the Vatican yesterday. Both sides in the discord between American nuns and the Vatican described yesterday’s talks in Rome as open and cordial. But the Vatican wasted no time in reiterating that it expects the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) to change its way to energetically promote church doctrine “as Faithfully taught through the ages”, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Vatican charges that the LCWR has been “silent” on those issues that are most important to the church leadership: abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality and the ordination of women.

The LCWR has received an overwhelming demonstration of support from ordinary Catholics, theologians and many religious orders who praised the work of American nuns in helping the poor and sick and educating millions of youngsters.

Related reading:

Franciscan friars back American nuns in Vatican spat USA Today

Are Catholic bishops abandoning nonpartisanship in contraception battle? LA Times

Religious freedom measure soundly defeated Grand Forks Herald