Democrat Leader Bolts Over Marriage

Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Jo Ann Nardelli became a Republican last week, and made headlines in the process. Nardelli wasn't just any registered voter switching parties. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee; president of the Blair County Federation of Democratic Women; vice president of the Pennsylvania State Women's Caucus; and first vice president of the State Federation of Democratic Women.

A committed Catholic, Nardelli was always pro-life and hoped to change her party from the inside. But, according to a report in the National Catholic Register, Nardelli realized she was in the wrong party when Joe Biden and Barack Obama publicly embraced same-sex "marriage."

After consulting with her priest, she made the decision to join the GOP. Like Ronald Reagan decades before her, Nardelli said, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me." Not surprisingly, she has been barraged by phone calls from angry liberals accusing her of betraying her party and being a bigot.

From time to time, I request action items. But I don't think Jo Ann Nardelli needs any more phone calls. That said, I hope she gets three more -- from Mitt Romney, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.

Values voters are a key constituency of the Republican Party, and there are more folks out there like Jo Ann Nardelli. They may not agree with the GOP on marginal tax rates, but they know marriage is between a man and a woman.

Marriage Matters: Our friends at The Weekly Standard observed that last week's debate between Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) was largely uneventful. But Barrett may have doomed his chances in the recall election when he endorsed same-sex "marriage."

In 2006, 59% of Wisconsin voters supported a constitutional amendment preserving the meaning of normal marriage. In a campaign almost entirely focused on economic issues, Barrett just highlighted the Democrat Party's extremism and gave values voters a reason to turn out in droves.

Bishops Prepare For Civil Disobedience: From June 21st to July 4th, Catholic churches across America will take part in the "Fortnight for Freedom," described as "special period of prayer, study … and public action [to] emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty." Church leaders are taking this extraordinary action in order to draw attention to "concerns over threats to religious freedom."

And the bishops are preparing to go beyond prayer and protests. Taking their inspiration from the civil rights movement, Catholic leaders are warning their congregations that civil disobedience may be next. In a bulletin prepared for nationwide distribution next month, church leaders write:"Some unjust laws impose such injustices on individuals and organizations that disobeying the laws may be justified. Every effort must be made to repeal them. When fundamental human goods, such as the right of conscience, are at stake, we may need to witness to the truth by resisting the law and incurring its penalties. …This is a matter of whether religious people and institutions may be forced by the government to provide [certain medical services] even when it violates our consciences."

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Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, marriage, religious freedom, Catholic churches, Bishops Prepare, For Civil Disobedience, Marriage Matters To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!