Catholic Info, Snitched from Team Sarah Page

Dear CatholicVote.com member,

The following is a summary of the record and policy statements of Senator Barack Obama on the issues of life and marriage. Because we are sponsored by a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we are not permitted to endorse or advocate for or against a candidate.

We can however provide you with a candidate's record on the issues. Therefore, we present you with the following facts for your use to educate voters on the candidates and the teaching of the Church in these critical days prior to November 4.

The election is likely to be a subject of the homily for your parish priest this weekend. We encourage you to share this information with your priest soon so he can consider mentioning this information from the pulpit.

Make sure to pass along this information to your friends and family, too. Let's have an informed electorate on Tuesday.

We also have this Urgent Memo available online in flyer format for easy download so you can print it out and distribute this weekend. Download the flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/5a7mop

URGENT MEMO
TO: American Catholics
FROM: CatholicVote.com
RE: Barack Obama on the Issues of Importance to Catholics

1. Obama is undecided on whether life begins at conception - Saddleback Church Forum Aug 16th, 2008. Obama voted against born alive protections for abortion survivors four times, and voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion in the Illinois state senate
SOURCES: http://www.bornalivetruth.org
Audacity of Hope written by Barack Obama

2. Obama has pledged to Planned Parenthood to sign The Freedom of Choice Act, a law which would cancel every state, federal, and local regulation of abortion, no matter how modest or reasonable. It would even abolish all state restrictions on government funding for abortions. Catholics that pay income tax will be paying an abortionist to perform an abortion. It would also abolish state laws that protect Catholic doctors and nurses from losing their jobs if they refuse to participate in abortions. It would abolish requirements for parental notification and informed consent for mothers who consider the procedure. – Obama speech to Planned Parenthood, July 17, 2007
He is endorsed by pro-Abortion industry leader Planned Parenthood and has a 100% NARAL voting record. -
SOURCES: http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/campaigns/barack-obama-endorsement-111.htm
http://www.naral.org/elections/statements/obama.html

3. Obama would repeal the Mexico City policy, which bars federal funding for international nongovernmental organizations involved in abortion-related services and would pit the US against the Vatican on the international fight against abortion.
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

4. He strongly supports the 1973 Supreme Court decision on abortion rights and says he will oppose any constitutional measure to overturn it. -
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

5. Obama has pledged to choose Justices with a Pro Abortion agenda and he voted against Roberts and Alito.
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

6. Obama voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions and prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion.
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

7. Obama supports the destruction of embryos for experimentation and voted to expand research to more embryonic stem cell lines.
SOURCE: http://obama.senate.gov/press/070411-obama_renews_su/

8. He voted yes on $100M to fund contraceptives for teens and sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women.
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

9. Voted no on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP a program that gives funds to states in order to provide health insurance to families with children.
SOURCE: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/15942

10. He opposed the federal marriage amendment in 2006 and also favors repealing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which gives a state the right not to recognize same-sex marriages performed in another state.
SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080719_6257.php

PAID FOR BY CATHOLICVOTE.COM
A PROJECT OF THE FIDELIS CENTER FOR LAW & POLICY
Contact (312) 201-6559 or www.CatholicVote.com

John McCain Proposes Service to America Initiative

Building On His Long Commitment To Expanding National Service, John McCain Is Proposing A Service To America Initiative.

As President, John McCain will create a Service to America initiative to strengthen the teaching and understanding of American history, culture and core ideas, and to inspire Americans to serve causes greater than their own self interest. Civic participation by citizens over a lifetime, working in neighborhoods and communities, and service of all kinds -- military and civilian; full-time or part-time; and national or international -- can renew America's civic purpose and heal our fractured patriotism.

John McCain's Record Of Supporting Service To Our Nation

· John McCain Was An Original Cosponsor With Sen. Bayh (D-IN) Of The Bipartisan National Call To Service Act That Established A National Service Plan With Incentives To Enlist In The Armed Forces. Under the plan, participants must meet all eligibility requirements for military service and may choose one of the following incentives: $5,000, payable after completing 18 months of active duty; and 18 months of reserve service; repayment of student loans up to $18,000; educational allowance at the Montgomery GI Bill monthly rate for one year; or educational allowance of one-half of the GI Bill monthly rate for three years. The bill also expanded volunteer opportunities in civilian organizations, including AmeriCorps. John McCain reintroduced the civilian components with Sens. Bayh, Kennedy and Mikulski in 2003, after the military service component became law in 2002.

· John McCain Sponsored The Troops-to-Teachers Improvement Act. The Act strengthened and extended the Troops-to-Teachers Program encouraging retired military personnel to become teachers, particularly in schools located in disadvantaged or rural areas facing a shortage of teachers.

John McCain Issues A New Call To Service -- The Service To America Initiative
Highlights

· Bolster volunteerism with an energetic and comprehensive national service initiative designed to increase opportunities for people willing to serve their communities and their country.

· Ensure coordination of all service efforts across the federal government and make certain that all these service programs are effective and on equal footing.

· Convene "Volunteerism Summits" so people can share with others the best ideas and most effective programs currently underway in their own communities.

· Increase focus of our volunteers on urgent situations such as the high school dropout crisis and job retraining.

· Boost opportunities for service overseas to increase understanding and communication among diverse cultures.

· Create opportunities for families to spend service opportunities together at home and abroad.
· Increase service opportunities for the disabled community.

· Coordinate a network of private sector "venture capital" funds matched with government grants to support job retraining or vocational training efforts in high schools and targeted communities where job loss persists.

· Allow faith-based organizations to improve their volunteerism numbers by allowing them to hire consistent with the views of the respective organization without risking federal funding.

Utilize The Wisdom And Experience Of Our Retirees And Veterans

· With Boomers entering the retirement ranks, provide more opportunities to senior Americans by expanding SeniorCorps with a focus on mentoring at risk students, assisting community-based homeland security programs, and overseas teaching of American history to bridge cultural divides.

· Develop opportunities for returning veterans to reintegrate immediately through a civilian service opportunity and continue to serve their country upon returning home.

A Call To Service Is A Call To Educate

· Engage more college students in community service through the Federal Work-Study program; current law only requires seven percent of recipients to perform community service.
· Engage Americans in disaster preparedness and response by providing education and training resources for effective community-based efforts.

· Use AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps volunteers as tutors and mentors to address the high school dropout crisis in America.

· Create a realistic teaching certification requirement for outstanding individuals with years of service and work so they have the opportunity to tutor or teach without jumping through unreasonable bureaucratic hoops.

· Strengthen the teaching of American history and civics education through volunteers in our communities and schools who are able to tutor and teach with a teaching certificate equivalency.

In The United States Senate, John McCain Is An Original Cosponsor Of The Hatch-Kennedy Service Bill That Includes:

· Service Learning: Authorizes new grant program to make direct competitive grants to eligible partnerships to carry out service-learning programs with disengaged youth in secondary schools and authorizes the Corporation for National Service to designate up 20 institutions each year as "Campuses of Service." While the grants authorized under this section come directly from the Corporation to the recipients, state service commissions and departments of education are listed as eligible applicants, allowing state agencies to compete alongside school district partnerships.
· Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Establishes a "Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions to America's Problems," Community Solutions Funds and Innovation Fellowships.

· Service Corps: Directs the Corporation to establish new accounts to fund grant programs including Education Corps, Community Health Access Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Opportunity Corps and Reserve Corps.

· Civic Health Index: The Corporation will establish a "Civic Health Index" and will provide data on the progress and effectiveness of various civic programs and initiatives.

· Serve America And Encore Fellowships: Serve America Fellowships are administered almost entirely at the state level, allowing the states to continue to be laboratories of innovation for volunteer service programs. Eligible organizations also include faith-based organizations. Encore Fellowships provide another incentive to Baby Boomers to utilize their experience in the volunteer sector. Reports indicate that the transferrable education award is a significant incentive for potential participants.

· Volunteer Generation Fund: Directs the Corporation to award competitive 3-5 year grants to support the recruitment, management, and training of volunteers to carry out activities benefitting low-income individuals.VGF will increase the capacity of smaller groups, including churches and faith-based organizations, to engage more Americans in helping their communities.

· International Programs: The bill will improve upon and expand the existing Volunteers for Prosperity Program, providing opportunities for international volunteer service. The bill will expand the Peace Corps, allowing for the improvement of its long-standing mission to provide service in developing countries.