Miguel José Ernst-Sandoval at Philadelphia Roamin’ Catholic quotes from an editorial by Chuck Baldwin (a presidential candidate for the Constitution Party) in Pro-which? An excerpted version follows:

Once again, “pro-life” Christians are doing back flips to try and justify their compromise of the life issue by trying to convince everyone (including themselves) that John McCain is truly pro-life. However, these same people know in their hearts that John McCain shares no fidelity to the life issue in any significant or meaningful way. Like many in the Republican Party, McCain’s commitment to life is about as deep as a mud puddle.

Dare I remind everyone that the “pro-life” GOP controlled the entire federal government from 2000 to 2006 and nothing was done to overturn Roe v. Wade or end legal abortion-on-demand? When George W. Bush took the oath of office in January of 2001, over one million innocent unborn babies were being murdered in the wombs of their mothers every year via legal abortions in this countryNot technically correct. The CDC’s Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2004, the latest volume published in November 2007, indicates that abortions have been steadily declining since 1990. A total of 839,226 “legal” abortions were performed in 2004 – horribly sinful, but accurate.. And when George W. Bush leaves office in January of 2009, over one million innocent unborn babies would still be murdered in the wombs of their mothers every year via legal abortions in this countryibid.. Eight years of a “pro-life” President and six years of the “pro-life” GOP in charge of the entire federal government and not one unborn baby’s life has been saved. Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land, and abortion-on-demand is still legal in America.

Had John McCain and his fellow Republicans truly wanted to end legal abortion, they could have passed Congressman Ron Paul’s Sanctity of Life Act. Year after year, Dr. Paul introduced this bill, and year after year, it sat and collected dust in the document room on Capitol Hill.

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How can John McCain, and his fellow Republicans in Washington, D.C., look pro-life Christians and conservatives in the eye in 2008 and expect that we take them seriously when they say that they are “pro-life”? If the GOP had truly wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade and end legal abortion-on-demand, they could have already done it. They controlled the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives for six long years, for goodness sake. The reason they did not do it is because they did not want to do it. They merely want to use “pro-life” rhetoric as a campaign tool to dupe gullible Christian voters every election year. And the disgusting thing about it is–it works.

The vast majority of notable “pro-life” leaders in the country are now trumpeting the candidacy of John McCain…

John McCain openly embraces embryonic stem cell research. In 2000, he boldly said he did not favor the overturn of Roe v. Wade. John McCain was a member of the infamous “Gang of 14” senators from both parties whose purpose was to oppose pro-life, strict constructionist judges.

Speaking of judges, John McCain voted for the pro-abortion justice, Stephen Breyer, and the radical, pro-abortion, ACLU attorney, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So much for the argument that we need John McCain for the sake of appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court. For that matter, Republican appointments dominated the Court that gave us Roe v. Wade and the one that later gave us Doe v. Bolton. Proving, once again, that the Republican Party, as a whole, has no real commitment to the life issue.

John McCain also gave us McCain-Feingold. This is the law that keeps pro-life or pro-Second Amendment organizations from broadcasting ads that mention a candidate by name 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election. This proves that John McCain believes neither in the right to life nor the right to keep and bear arms. (This is one reason why the Gun Owners of America gives McCain a grade of F.)

In a debate with George W. Bush in May of 2000, John McCain attacked Bush’s support for the pro-life plank in the Republican Party. Still today, John McCain believes that babies who are conceived via rape or incest should be murdered. I remind readers, however, that there are no “exceptions” in the womb, only babies.

If all of the above is not enough, as a senator, John McCain has repeatedly voted to fund pro-abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood with federal tax dollars. In fact, McCain has voted to use federal tax dollars to support abortion providers at home and overseas. Yes, this “pro-life” senator (along with “pro-life” President, George W. Bush) has significantly increased federal spending for abortion providers to levels eclipsing even the appropriations authorized by President Bill Clinton and his fellow Democrats.

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Tell me again, Mr. Christian Leader, how “pro-life” John McCain is. What a joke!

Bishops and their clergy should make bold statements, about the Gospel. Preach and teach. Catechize. Do not embroil yourselves in earthly politics, but proclaim the heavenly kingdom. Learn from history. Tying oneself to the fortunes and foibles of political leaders is a sure road to hell. Tie yourself to humanity, to the salvation of souls, to lifting up the sinful… Instead of encouraging the vote, ask the faithful to spend that hour or two helping in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Heaven knows, those will proliferate as the global economy continues to sour. Get into gear and touch others with the love of Christ rather than the seeds of division.

For all the Roman Catholic bishops, priests, and Evangelical leaders out there making bold political statements, and a specific bishop doing radio ads discouraging votes for the other major party candidate, believers might as well put their feet up and stay home. You haven’t done the simplest research on these candidates, but selected one as “better” than the other? Really?!?

I previously pointed out Mr. McCain’s horrid track record on life issues. As the Young Fogey repeatedly points out – don’t get played. No one running is a champion of moral courage on life issues. They are simply using issues to corral votes. It really is about money and power for its own sake. If you are voting for a platform based on promises, or based on a bishop’s choice of candidate, as you can see from the editorial above, that and about $2 will get you a Starbucks – and you can enjoy that in less than 4 years.