http://www.indystar.com/article/20120703/OPINION05/207040307/Dan-Carpenter-Obamacare-reaction-by-GOP-churchmen-spikes-fever-levels

As an editorial columnist, a liberal and a Catholic, the Star's Dan Carpenter certainly has the freedom to criticize the Catholic Church and just about anything else. But he should get his facts right.

Granted, Carpenter often writes for effect, not to persuade of the logic of his position; he is preaching to the choir, and his pieces are typically predictable.

Still, last Wednesday's column, criticizing an editorial in the Criterion (local Catholic weekly) about the history of anti-Catholicism in the U.S.A., and somehow linking the bishops to the Ku Klux Klan, badly misstated the record of the Catholic church regarding universal health care as well as the current battle over whether or not Catholic institutions should be required to provide birth control and abortificants, against their beliefs.

First Carpenter sliced and diced the bishops (an absurdly easy target, but in truth, the church has supported universal health care). Then he implied that these same bishops have cast President Obama, "the first black president," as the heir to the Ku Klux Klan's D.C. Stephenson when it comes to persecuting the Catholic church. OK, that's some serious hyperbole, with the race card thrown in for good measure.

Distancing himself from these church fathers, Carpenter wrote from on high:

"I prefer to go with the Catholic Health Association, the hospital group headed by one of those incorrigible nuns, which hailed the court ruling and welcomes Obamacare. Somehow, the sisters have bought into this wacky notion that a government policy that provides health care to those who cannot afford it, while at the same time excluding abortion, is compatible with the Gospels and church teaching."

In fact, the good sisters of the Catholic Health Association stand squarely with the church on the birth control/abortion provision, as you can read yourself in interviews with Sister Carol Keehan, who worked mightily to pass the ACA but is certainly not abandoning her church when it comes to who defines a ministry -- the government or religious leaders. Read her comments:

www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/June/19/sister-carol-keehan-contraception-compromise.aspx

under the healdine: "Catholic Hospital Leader (that's the good nun) Defends Split With Obama Administration On Contraceptives"

Maybe this is inside baseball to non-Catholics, but the facts are that the Criterion column was simply a factual history of various times when the church has been under siege. It was written by John Fink, a longtime senior editor, and it was fair and balanced.

Carpenter's column, however, totally twisted Fink's words to suit Carpenter's own biases. The real folly was that he incorrectly invoked the nuns at the Catholic Health Association as being in his corner, when in fact, their position is in agreement with the church's.

What's really ironic, and sad, is that the Star never corrected the factual error in Dan Carpenter's column. (A commenter on Facebook did, however).

Finally, a letter to the editor ran today in the lead spot, calling Carp's column "unwarranted and wrong" and explaining what I've already said about the Catholic Health Association's position. The letter was written by Jeff Field, who is identified as being from New York, N.Y., but not stating that he is a spokesman for the Catholic League. That, too, is a mistake and oversight on the Star's part.

Good journalism takes work. Correcting an error takes an understanding of journalism ethics and a commitment to integrity. The Star could do better.

BTW here's the latest story on that nun, who has come up with a compromise solution to the current church vs. Obama fight re: the birth control mandate:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/22/sister-carol-keehan-offers-plan-to-resolve-obama-contraception-fight-with-catholic-bishops.html