Word: carnahan
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...Senate campaign in my home state of Missouri began almost as soon as the 1998 elections were over. For a year now, everyone has known that Gov. Mel Carnahan, a moderate Democrat, will be challenging the incumbent Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), a conservative Republican and a favorite of the Christian Coalition. With such a stark contrast between the candidates' positions, there's no question that some otherwise forgettable decisions might take on great political significance and that impartial government might fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, with such a long race, the casualties--including some very talented people--are already...
Roman Catholicism as practiced in America is not a consistent phenomenon. The day after John Paul left Missouri, Governor Mel Carnahan commuted the sentence of a convicted triple murderer from death to life without parole. Carnahan, a Baptist, announced that "I continue to support capital punishment," but after the Pontiff's "direct and personal appeal...I decided to grant his request." The irony is that while the Pope's argument that "the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil" may have swayed Carnahan, if only temporarily, Gallup...
...inmate (however deserving of the penalty he may appear to be) will be executed as a result of the Pope's intervention, this whole story leaves me a little queasy. It brings religion and politics in this country a little too close together for comfort. Here's the thing: Carnahan still supports the death penalty and has signed off on 26 execution orders since becoming governor...
...Pope's plea didn't change Carnahan's mind on any philosophical level, just on a particular one: On this day, regarding this criminal, he'd make an exception because the Pope was so persuasive. How does that work out? It's Carnahan's prerogative to change his mind, I suppose, but shouldn't he base that change of mind on new legal evidence brought up on appeal or a basic reversal of philosophy regarding capital punishment, not on the admittedly convincing words of the leader of the Catholic Church? Of course, there is always the question of whether...
...case was to be expected--John Paul II has made opposition to the death penalty one of his priorities during his tenure--and the sentiment was admirable. But the Pope also opposes abortion and is at best weak in his support of the rights of women and gays. Gov. Carnahan made the wrong decision as a politician when he allowed himself to be influenced by a religious leader instead of by legal argument or genuine moral reversal. As a country, we'll be making the wrong decision if we allow the trend shown in the Princeton poll to continue. Church...