Bill Donohue, blog critic
By some measures, Bill Donohue and the Catholic League have spent a fair amount of time during the presidential race complaining about one thing or another
, but they’ve actually had some success. Donohue and the Catholic League shamelessly went after John Edwards’ campaign for hiring Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwen, and both, regrettably, stepped aside. Donohue and the Catholic League demanded that John McCain distance himself from John Hagee, and sure enough, McCain did.
But I have a hunch Donohue is just pushing his luck at this point. The headline on the latest Catholic League press release reads, “Democrats Must Nix Offensive Bloggers.”
As the release explains
, more than 120 blogs have been credentialed for the Democratic National Convention. Donohue is demanding that two of them lose their credentials.
“The list of credentialed blogs include radical sites like The Daily Kos. Worse are blogs that feature anti-Catholic and obscene material. The two most offensive are Bitch Ph.D. and Towleroad.
“On the home page of Bitch Ph.D. there is a picture of two children: one of them is shown flashing his middle finger. Today’s lead post, which was written August 17, is called ‘Jesus Christ’ It begins with, ‘I’m a really crappy Catholic who hasn’t been to mass in ages because most parishes around here ‘will’ insist on being aggressively anti-abortion….’ The writer then objects to some children’s toys on the grounds that they are more offensive than desecrating the Eucharist. The toys are actually balloons that have been made to depict Jesus in various poses, including a crucified Christ; one of these images shows Jesus with a penis. Several who commented on this image made patently obscene comments.
“Towleroad describes itself as ‘A Site with Homosexual Tendencies.’ Accordingly
, it shows men in jock straps and underwear. It also has a post on Pope Benedict XVI that takes him to task for wearing a cape with ermine. Some of those who commented on this described the pope in a vile and profane way.
“Both of these blogs should be cut immediately from the list of credentialed sites. Neither functions as a responsible media outlet and both offend Catholics, as well as others. To allow them access to the Democratic National Convention sends a message to Catholics they will not forget. We look for Leah Daughtry, CEO of the Convention, to nix them ASAP.”
I’m reasonably confident the DNC will ignore Donohue, who clearly needs to find some kind of hobby.
I’d just add one question: Did the Catholic League go through all 120 blogs, looking for something that would offend them so they could do this press release? By the looks of it
, I’m pretty sure they did.
Always hopeful
says:So much for thinking the RR won’t get behind McCain…
Dale
says:I predict those two blogs WILL be banned from the convention. When’s the last time the Dem leadership stood up to anyone?
Nashville_fan
says:Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Guess that only applies to Sean Hannity and the like . . .
Lance
says:Dale said: “I predict those two blogs WILL be banned from the convention. When’s the last time the Dem leadership stood up to anyone?”
That’s my immediate response too. There are so many bodies with bus tire tracks on them in this campaign that you can’t hardly cross the political street.
gorp
says:Cool! I just got hooked up with a couple of blogs I never knew existed!
libra
says:We look for Leah Daughtry, CEO of the Convention, to nix them ASAP.” — Bill Donohue
Or else?
I always though Edwards made a mistake when he axed those two bloggers, even though I, myself, found that blog too shrill for my taste and stopped reading them within a couple of days. But that’s the point; you don’t like it, you don’t have to read it. It’s a matter of choice.
I’m ambivalent (with a slight tendency towards closing them all down) on sites which peddle baby porn or, worse, babies for sex but that’s because those can have terrible consequences. But an opinion blog? Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.
The Answer is Orange
says:Only two? I’m truly shocked he didn’t want all of them to get the axe.
So if they’re suddenly getting 5 bazillion hits it’s because Bill’s followers went stampeding over there. Just to see the depravity. But only so they can pray about it.
However, I’m puzzled by his transition.
Whatever does Mr. B & D mean? If he thinks only gay guys wear underwear or jockstraps does that mean he walks around commando? And why hasn’t he declared war on every athletic organizatoin on the planet?
Or does he mean any place that shows men in their pants is a sight of seething homosectyewallity? But then, what does that say about the Sear’s catalogue?
And I could have sworn the child flipping the bird on Bitch Ph.D. was a girl.
comstock load
says:My two favorite blogs are The Carpetbagger and Towleroad. I think it would be fair to say that I read them religiously 😉
The Answer is Orange
says:Crap, hit submit too soon.
I just checked the RNC and they haven’t listed their bloggers yet and the application deadline was May 15. Could it be no fRightie bloggers can be bothered to go?
Stephen
says:You use an awful lot of plural pronouns in this post, and I remain unconvinced that the Catholic League has more than a single member.
miwome
says:I always thought the kid flipping the bird on Bitch, Ph.D. was a girl.
(Also, it’s McEwan with an A.)
ericfree
says:Oh he has a hobby alright, feeding his ego. Have to agree w/Dale though, and all the others who agreed with him; if the Dems had guts they’d show Donohue the (Towle)road, but, Howard notwithstanding, they’re more likely to try to make nice. In this one respect, McCain is right: appeasement doesn’t work. The bullies and cranks just come back for more.
And, what would you like to bet that the Repos don’t want anybody to see their blog list? Red State alone makes either of these two look mild.
olo
says:I am so grateful that I just dropped this off at the CatLeague Feedback page:
I want to thank you for making me aware of the blogsites Bitch Ph.D. and Towleroad.
They are a hoot & i promise to visit them frequently.
yours in Darwin,
olo
barkleyg
says:Every time I see good ol’ Bill on TV, I think of Archie Bunker, Every time I hear Bill speak, I KNOW he is Archie Bunker!
Tim H
says:Give Donohue a break. He hasn’t had anyone to burn at the stake for the last week and a half- P.Z. Myers has been in the Galapagos.
Helen Hightower
says:Steve, you refer to “Bill Donohue and the Catholic League” as if they’re separate entities, but to the best of my knowledge the Catholic League *is* Bill Donohue. The names of a few other well-funded liars appear on the “group”‘s board http://www.nndb.com/org/336/000085081/ but the Catholic League doesn’t have meetings or local chapters, and despite all the slobbering attention it gets in mainstream media, nobody but Bill Donohue ever issues its press releases.
Continuum
says:Donnahue’s tirades are legendary. Now, he wants to censor the DNC. Why is this nutcase given any press whatsoever?
Edo
says:#8,
LOL! Thanks!
CatholicLeagueMember
says:Stephen said:
“You use an awful lot of plural pronouns in this post, and I remain unconvinced that the Catholic League has more than a single member.”
I give you my complete assurances that the Catholic League has more than a single member. I think there are 27 or 28 and Uncle Bill told me that 2 of them are not relatives.
Cmac
says:But, Bitchphd is objecting to the balloon-Jesus toys because they belittle Christ’s death and resurrection, which are the founding events of Christianity. Why does Donohue have a problem with that? I’d think he would agree with her.
And the kid flipping off the world is a girl, which is entirely consistent with a blog titled ‘Bitch Ph.D.’
That man needs help. He really, really does.
SadOldVet
says:I went to the Bitch Ph.D. site and found it fascinating. In their Welcome to New Readers, at the top is the following:
“This is, obviously, a feminist site; it is also leftist and, in the end, a personal site as well. If feminism pisses you off, or (after reading a couple of posts) you decide that I have my head irretrievably up my ass, it’s pretty easy to go away and read something else, and that’s what I expect you to do.”
Honesty is something to behold! This web site features discussions in which the host participates.
I recommend this web site for at least a visit. Even if you are a 60 year old white male like me, it is valuable to learn other perspectives that are presented in an articulate, intelligent manner. I have bookmarked the site.
libra
says:Stephen, @10 and Catholic League Member, @19,
If Bill Donahue had more than one hard core member, I’m sure he’d have been parading them both in circuses world-wide.
Greg
says:Well, you can always call Bill’s cell phone
917-838-1051. When you call the CL’s office they give out “Dr.Donahue’s” cell on their VM message.
Shell Goddamnit
says:Sad Old Vet, you are a treasure. Mwah!!
khughes1963
says:Bill is an embarrassment to thinking Catholics everywhere….He thrives on bombast and attention-he’s an embarrassment to Catholics like me…
mim
says:I agree with khughes1963, even tho I’m a Lutheran rather than a Catholic.
That being said, I believe the Edwards campaign messed up royally when it hired Amanda Marcotte as one of its bloggers. (I don’t know about Melissa McEwen.) Whoever made the choice should have read more deeply and widely among progressive blogs beforehand. Marcotte has a practice of writing very offensively about Christian beliefs, and by extension, very contemptuously about those who hold them, e.g. by attributing the physical properties of semen to the Holy Spirit.
That put us Christian progressives in a bind: either side with Donohue against some of our own, or defend the choice, as an official spokeswoman for the Edwards campaign, of someone who publicly thumbs her nose at the faithful. She had barely begun to blog for Edwards, so we could not rest assured that she would not carry her contempt into the new blog.
Just as a stopped clock is right twice a day, so Donohue was not so shameless in calling out Amanda Marcotte and whoever hired her. If it was so regrettable for Marcotte and McEwen to step aside, why was it not regrettable for Obama to distance himself from Jeremiah Wright?
tess
says:I’m pretty sure what Donohue find offensive about BitchPhD is that the day he looked (and don’t you just see him in the corner of his kitchen, with a list of sites, printed out, going to them one by one over the course of a week because it’s not like The Catholic League has a staff or offices or anything), there was a post by a Catholic who is pro-choice and she was still allowed to express her opinion which was possibly not far from his (tacky Jesus balloons), and that made him upset.
Also, the photo of the little girl flipping off the camera is one of those sudden joy things that brings a smile before you have time to think, and it should have instantly offended.
I do wonder, though, if I could form a Catholic organization with a few RC friends and family, such as my cousin the priest, listed as “board members” and start issuing press releases full of outrage that Catholics are being offended and disrespected by such issues as ICE’s treatment of illegal (and some legal) immigrant families, the shortages as food banks and animal shelters, lack of affordable housing and transportation and get on the teevee? My guess is no. Donohue sure knew that the Religious Outrage business was the way out of a real job. I guess that much is clever.
Paul Rosenberg
says:Hmmm….
If so, they are slipping badly. Just TWO sites on their no-no list?
But I’m glad he’s out there promoting Bitch PhD. You go, girl!
madmonkey
says:Is Bill Donahue attending the DNC convention? If so, I’d like his credentials nixed immediately because his bigotry is patently offensive. If he’s not attending the convention, why does he get a say in who can attend?
George M. Thomas
says:When I worked as a movie critic in the cultural mecca known as Akron, I made their hit list for my review of Bad Santa…I considered it an honor.. LOL
Groucho
says:He seems to be fascinated by images of men in jocks straps and underwear. Maybe he should surf the ‘net less and get out of the house more.
ron richardson
says:The image of Bill Donahue combing through 120 liberal blogs to find offensive things and running into “pictures of men in jockstraps and underwear” that met his delight–that made my day.
Mary77
says:Darn it George M. Thomas, i miss your reviews. glad to find you here.
TomAq
says:I’ve never heard of those blogs.
But you can believe I will check them out.
Thanks, Bill.
Kalkaino
says:Re Bitch Ph D: What does it say about Donahue that he can’t tell the difference between what’s clearly a little girl and a boy, especially given the title of the site? It only makes sense if it’s a girl.
Her name is Sophie, by the way. The “original” picture (“Sophie Flips the Bird’) hangs in a Hollywood bar called “Birds” — on Franklin, directly across from the Scientology Celebrity Center.
Colleen
says:I don’t know what’s funnier, that Bill Donohue describes DK as “radical” or that they’re going after Bitch Phd.
Why should these guys have any say at all about who attends the Democratic Convention?
Cadmus
says:balloons that have been made to depict Jesus in various poses, including a crucified Christ; one of these images shows Jesus with a penis.
Is Donahue suggesting that Jesus *doesn’t* have a penis?
Winston Smith
says:I’m Catholic and I like Bitch PhD. I’ll have to check out the other site.
Fred Fnord
says:> Is Donahue suggesting that Jesus *doesn’t* have a penis?
If he does, it’s a pretty old one by now.
-fred
J Dub
says:George M. Thomas, I’m sure whatever town you’re writing reviews for now looks forward to the day you leave and start making snide comments about it.
MexFiles
says:Of course Jesus had a penis. His “bris” is mentioned in the Bible (Luke 2:21) January First used to be called the “Feast of the Circumcision” in the Church Calendar. What part of “Catholic” doesn’t Bill Donahue understand?
mim
says:mim
says:That said, a toy in the form of the crucified Christ (with or without loincloth), is not my idea of respect for this awesome mystery.
ronin
says:And, what would you like to bet that the Repos don’t want anybody to see their blog list? Red State alone makes either of these two look mild.
I’m sure someone could raise a poutrage over a few wingnut bloggers if they really had a mind to (hint,hint).
Unfortunately, I don’t think liberals have the same level of spleen.
MikeN
says:If Bill Donohue is suggesting that Jesus didn’t have a penis, it seems he might actually be a follower of the Docetist heresy, in which case he might be getting a few unexpected visitors…
“NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise…. Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency…. Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope…. Our *four*…no… *Amongst* our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise…. I’ll come in again.”
Buck Naked Politics
says:The Catholic League …
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