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You are here: Home / Right to Vote / Vote Like Your Country Depends On It / Do You Feel Lucky (Enough To Mess With A Nun)? Well, Do Ya’ Punk?

Do You Feel Lucky (Enough To Mess With A Nun)? Well, Do Ya’ Punk?

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Before we get all whipped up into that necessary frenzy that will carry us across the finish line 60 days hence…here’s a look back at what was to me the most moving speech from last night that wasn’t by an ex-President:

<div align=”center”><iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yw-m8Hfj4rw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Oh! Does she bring it — joyfully and hard — to the very core or the matter.

You can’t lead a good life, you can’t lead a good society, if you live only for yourself.  She quoted Matthew 25:40 — “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me…”* and while the committedly Jewish atheist in my might counter with the more direct Hillel aphorism,**  [Ooops.  As commenter Kirbster notes, it was Elizabeth Warren who shoved Matthew into Romney/Ryan’s grill.  I was having too good a time last night… and somehow persuaded myself I’d heard that lovely line from Sister Simone as I relistened today.  Remember, folks eyewitnesses are just as reliable as one is….]

If I were Paul Ryan, and if I had that last residue of conscience left in me, I would be quaking in my [mountain climber’s] boots just now.  Sister Simone ripped away the cloak of sanctity with which the GOP has shrouded so much of its viciousness over the last years — the venom directed at GLBT folk, the terror in the face of women claiming agency, the desperate drive to dismember any claims on either self-interest or conscience that the poor may have on the society as a whole.

Best part?  When she reminded Paul Ryan that the bishops…the bishops! and not “merely” some nuns!…had condemned his budget as immoral.  1A:  stating proudly that her version of a pro-life commitment extends to those who are in fact living among us.

A truly great speech, and one is rocking me into the right mood for what’s to come.

*I grabbed the King James version, which is not what I think she quoted last night.  But I do love the music.

**”If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  If I am only for myself, who am I?  If not now, when?”

Reader Interactions

146Comments

  1. 1.

    JPL

    stating proudly that her version of a pro-life commitment extend to those who are in fact living among us.
    Thank you Tom!

    I didn’t listen again but I think she said “that’s the pro-life person I am”. Republicans are pro-fetus not pro-life and the Democrat Senators and Representatives need to campaign on that issue. ACA/Obamacare provides pre-natal care and the Ryan plan provides……..good luck with that…

  3. 3.

    Kirbster

    Um, I could swear it was Elizabeth Warren who quoted that particular passage from Matthew, but hey, it’s a good one no matter who said it.

  4. 4.

    ? Martin

    CA legislature just passed a bill to allow undocumented immigrants that qualify for a federal work permit under Obama’s new immigration plan to obtain drivers licenses. Governor will probably sign it. That’s pretty huge. Perhaps half a million people affected.

  8. 8.

    Mnemosyne

    I keep saying, Elizabeth Warren would do better to go the Sister Simone route than try to do the touchy-feely “I’m Just a Girl” thing that most women politicians do. I think it would go over especially well in a heavily Catholic state like Massachusetts.

    (And I don’t mean the devout Catholic part of the Sister Simone route, I mean the passionate dedication to social justice part. I really think Warren could pull that off.)

  9. 9.

    Kathy in St. Louis

    And let’s see the Smary Dolan come close to this. If he can put the hot dog and beer down long enough to say a prayer.

  11. 11.

    Roger Moore

    Nit: that’s actually Matthew 25:40, not 24:40. And I think I find Jesus’ words more direct than Hillel’s, since he’s telling, not asking, what God wants. It’s especially powerful when you read the complete passage, in which Jesus explicitly says that those who don’t help the unfortunate are condemning themselves to Hell.

  17. 17.

    Violet

    @Randy P: So obviously that means the Democrats are a huge failure since they trotted out a former President and couldn’t do any better than Republicans. Republicans win! /wingnut

  18. 18.

    mai naem

    @Randy P: Where’s the troll who was here last week who said “sucks to be you, ha ha, Clinton’s gonna be on Opening Night for football” ?
    Asswhole.

  21. 21.

    MattF

    And yet, apparently, the bishops think they can form committees that give orders and the nuns will be meek and obedient. But I think that won’t work. Just my male intuition, mind you.

  22. 22.

    ColleenMary

    Nuns don’t quote the King James. The translation is of course beautiful, but Protestant Protestant Protestant!!

  24. 24.

    leinie (iPad)

    @WereBear:

    I’ll give it the Facebook exposure once I get away from the work firewall that blocks it. She is so right about the Nuns passion and that we are in this together and that the fear being sold by the other side just makes you feel alone. I lve her writing so much.

  25. 25.

    Roger Moore

    @Randy P:

    Actually they did beat the Republican numbers.

    Only using Liberal math. Everyone knows that a Republican is worth at least five Democrats, so 20 million Republican viewers is a lot more than 20.6 million Demonrat viewers./wingnut

  26. 26.

    JPL

    What I would love to see is the Pres. walk on the stage to Born in the USA and then we could all chant suck on that birthers…

  28. 28.

    Mary G

    @JPL: Now that would be some brass!

    I guess there’s probably no way to know for sure, but I bet that way more people watched the Clinton speech/DNC online after the fact, even if they watched the football game or went to work when it was live.

    ETA: Joe Biden is crying after his son nominates him & calls him his hero. This seems so much more authentic than Boehner’s constant crocodile tears.

  29. 29.

    mai naem

    Orly Taitz is watching this and she’s thinking – this woman who’s talking’s name is Kenyatta Jones. Kenya-tta Jones. There’s a connection there. I just know there is. Oooh, I got it, Kenyatta Jones has Obama’s real birth certificate. I better call The Donald !!!

  32. 32.

    raven

    @mai naem: Jomo Kenyatta

    Jomo Kenyattapron. (1894 – 22 August 1978) served as the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of Kenya. An African socialist,[2] he is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation.

    In Kenya, Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi’s main street and main streets in many Kenyan cities and towns, numerous schools, two Universities (Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology), the country’s main referral hospital, markets, and housing estates are named after him. A statue in downtown Nairobi and monuments all over Kenya stand in his honor. Kenya observed a public holiday every 20 October in his honor until the 2010 constitution abolished Kenyatta Day and replaced it with Mashujaa (Heroes’) day. Kenyatta’s face adorns Kenyan currency notes and coins of all denominations, but this is expected to change as the new constitution bans the use of the portrait of any person on Kenya’s currency.

  34. 34.

    Commenting at Ballon Juice since 1937

    She is why I am able to be proud to be a Catholic occasionally. Dorothy Day, the Berrigan brothers, and a really great spiritual leader/priest are why I was able to participate in the church for several years. Those were good times. Too bad the church decided to revert to embracing the middle ages.

  37. 37.

    Linda Featheringill

    @ColleenMary:

    Catholic/Protestant:

    Pretty much the same thing.

    “34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
    35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
    36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
    37 Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
    38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
    39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
    40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

    ETA:
    According to Google, this is the text in the Catholic Bible, but I didn’t see the translation identified.

  44. 44.

    mai naem

    @raven: I know exactly who Jomo Kenyatta was. I was trying to be snarky. I am not quite sure about the accuracy about the socialist label. He was one of the most pro-western very capitalist leaders in post-colonial Africa because he thought that would turn out better for the Kenyans which it did. Kenya was and still is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa.

  46. 46.

    Yutsano

    @Mary G: He’s the current AG of Delaware and he was seriously considered for his dad’s seat when Joe took the VP spot. He declined for several reasons, one being his tour in Afghanistan he was on leave from. He couldn’t do that and be a Senator as well. That would be easily hid should he try for it.

  50. 50.

    hep kitty

    I just finished watching the entire Clinton speech so I’m still trying to settle down. That was brilliant.

  51. 51.

    hep kitty

    Clinton wiped the floor with republicans. He took their collective heads and shoved them into a shit and piss filled toilet and flushed it over and over again.

  52. 52.

    SatanicPanic

    @Violet: I would love to see the ratings if both parties had brought out their formers presidents… Clinton vs. Bush. Carter vs Older Bush. Oh that would be delicious.

  56. 56.

    Mary G

    ABL has now met and had her picture taken with Rev. Jesse Jackson, after a slight misunderstanding with his assistant.

    Soonergrunt has a lot to answer for; I am wasting vast amounts of time now that I’ve ventured onto Twitter at last.

  58. 58.

    jwb

    OT, Sully is having a sad on Twitter because the Dems aren’t “grappling” with the deficit at the convention.

  59. 59.

    ? Martin

    @mark: Foo Fighters are awesome live. They always sound flat in their studio recordings to me, though. Sad I’m missing it.

  65. 65.

    Mary G

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yes, I meant to go for groceries and the post office at 10 this morning and have been sitting at the computer all day, doing only a very little work. Gotta run now, they close in 14 minutes.

  67. 67.

    PsiFighter37

    Kerry Washington and now Scarlett Johansson. Shoot me for saying it, but this is the kind of eye candy that may get the young’uns (I am in this demographic…still) off their ass to do something.

  71. 71.

    Steeplejack

    @? Martin:

    Bush tax cuts expire. Half done right there.

    A-fucking-men. Anyone who rules out letting the “temporary” Bush tax cuts expire is ipso facto not serious about the deficit.

  73. 73.

    hep kitty

    Clinton wiped the floor with republicans. He took their collective heads and shoved them into their own shit and piss filled toilet and flushed it over and over again.

    fixt

  74. 74.

    Paula

    @PsiFighter37:

    Well, if you’re gonna get branded as the party of choice for Godless Hollywood liberals, you may as well take the advantages that come with it.

    Also, conservatives have demonstrated time again they think art is useless and/or for pansies.

  75. 75.

    mark

    they look like they all having such a wonderful time tonight! i love this song. the interlude songs are amazing tonight

  82. 82.

    hep kitty

    I’m just overwhelmed by the differences in the two conventions. I loved how Clinton made the case, not only for Obama, but for Dems in the coming elections.

    This is such an inspirational, joyful convention! I haven’t really seen anything like it.

    And then, just think about Tampa.

    Think about that, America.

    Caroline!

  88. 88.

    PsiFighter37

    Gabby Giffords – it’s great to see how far she’s come back, but it’s hard to imagine what could have been.

  91. 91.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @danah gaz:

    Yeah, but the contrast between the two is that it’s about the totalitarianism, regardless of nominal label.

    The National Review has always had a totalitarian streak, they seriously hate actual freedom, which is supposed to be reserved for the elite only, the proles can eat cat food.

  92. 92.

    Heliopause

    You can’t lead a good life, you can’t lead a good society

    The notion of politically leading a society, good, bad, or indifferent, would have been an absurdity to first century Christians. If forced to choose between Sister Simone’s social gospel and the Randian one espoused by the GOP I of course would choose sister Simone’s, but it would be preferable if these phantasmagorical renditions of Christian scripture were left out of politics altogether.

  95. 95.

    Downpuppy

    The Old Testament is a very authoritarian, violent, insular document. If you just stop at Zechariah, what you get is Tampa.

    The Christian tradition rebooted GOD suddenly. The Jewish moved on more gradually – Tom & many others here understand that far better than I do.

    In any event, the different Testaments is the lens through which I – an unhyphenated Atheist – see the conventions.

  97. 97.

    Tom Levenson

    @ColleenMary: My mother, a Jew, would when called upon to read the text, would read King James. Why? Because that’s the way it sounds dammit, and no stack of JPS Tanakh’s were going to persuade her otherwise.

    And you should want me to dispute my mother, lo these many years on? A shande!

  100. 100.

    Linda Featheringill

    @JPL:

    Go to CSPAN and search for Gabby Giffords. Their search engine will look around and find the recording you need.

    If they don’t have it yet, wait 5-10 minutes and try again.

  103. 103.

    TooManyJens

    @JPL:

    I didn’t listen again but I think she said “that’s the pro-life person I am”.

    In reference to health care reform and ensuring that everyone has access to the health care they need, she said, “That’s part of MY pro-life stance.” I wrote it down, so I could write to her to say, “Mine too, and thank you.”

  106. 106.

    Jay C

    Jennifer Granholm kicks it: I loved this bit:

    “Sure, Mitt Romney loves our lakes and trees. He loves our cars so much, they even have their own elevator. But in Romney’s world, the cars get the elevator, and the workers get the shaft. You know what I’m saying!.”

  108. 108.

    Tom Levenson

    @jwb: I’ve been resisting the temptation to write about Sully and the deficit. We do not have a deficit problem. We have a health care cost problem. Full stop.

    For a first approximation of proof of that statement, go play with the NYT’s old budget calculator. You will find that by capping medicare growth at GDP+1%, reducing the troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq to figures we’ve already committed to, and returning to Clinton era tax levels plus a couple of other minor tax hikes on the very rich, and you get the budget in balance in the near and long term — at least in this cartoon model.

    The point isn’t whether the NYT calculator would hold up precisely as you make it more fine grained. It is that a return to the tax rates we had in our last dynamic period of growth plus a reform of our health care system — whcih we’ve begun under Obama — to more closely approximate what our major industrial competitor nations pay gets us in the ball park of balance.

    We don’t have a debt problem. We have a policy one.

  109. 109.

    Dennis SGMM

    Seeing Gabby Giffords, and seeing how much she’s been hurt made me cry. I don’t have her kind of courage.

  110. 110.

    tokyo ex-pat

    Granholm rocked the house. Giffords put tears in my eyes. She is amazing.

    Loving this convention. So bright and dynamic and upbeat. It highlights the America I believe in.

  111. 111.

    tokyo ex-pat

    Granholm rocked the house. Giffords put tears in my eyes. She is amazing.

    Loving this convention. So bright and dynamic and upbeat. It highlights the America I believe in.

  115. 115.

    Paula

    Crist: fired from the GOP for wanting and accepting money for his state, which is what a goddamn state governor is supposed to fucking do … I’d feel sorry for American conservatives if they weren’t so willfully stoopit.

    Ah … Geraldine Ferraro. No hard feelings, eh?

  121. 121.

    LanceThruster

    @Dennis SGMM:

    I am sometimes surprised at how easily I tear up in a moment of empathy for another human being. I compare this with the indifference to the sluaghter of war (reagdless of victim) by my Republican school-daze friends. They dismiss veteran sacrifice merely by invoking the fact that it’s an all volunteer military, and any collateral human tragedy with a combination of 9/11, they’re not Americans, etc.

    One business owning childhood friend (inherited from his dad) complained that the newly built bathroom at the gear shop was required to be handicapped accessable though none of his employees were disabled. I asked what if visiting sales personnel were handicapped. He dismissed the notion that there were such people he’d ever have to deal with.

    I don’t spend much time (any time really) with them anymore. They like to sit around smoking cigars talking about how deadbeats and dems are ruining the country. Classic case of projection if you ask me.

  122. 122.

    LanceThruster

    I have no doubt that Goppers will attack John Kerry mocking Rmoney’s shifting positions on everything by calling him a flip-flopper.

    Still, Sen. Kerry is taking him to task quite well.

  124. 124.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    It is almost too much for a simple Wisconsin boy like me.

    Well, whyn’t you go out and do a sub-3 marathon, or maybe climb all 736 Fourteeners in Kansas and Nebraska – you’ll be too tired to care.

    Either that, or we’ll nominate you for VP. But ONLY if you failed arithmetic

  125. 125.

    LanceThruster

    Will the fact-checkers bring up the Palin “I can see Russia” comment? Wasn’t that Tina Fey technically?

  126. 126.

    LanceThruster

    Will the fact-checkers bring up the Palin “I can see Russia” comment? Wasn’t that Tina Fey technically?

  128. 128.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    Dear John Kerry,

    Where was that can of Whoop Ass eight years ago?

    Ah, better late than never…

  132. 132.

    LanceThruster

    @Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn:

    Seeing what our country (and planet) has suffered under corrupt, foolish, and hateful leadership, to contemplate the shoulda, woulda, coulda alternate universe is quite painful.

    However, it should always be a reminder for eternal vigilance against their long game insanity. There have been so many heroes in our checkered history. We need to remember that we can band together in collective heroism, for ourselves, and each other.

  133. 133.

    WaterGirl

    @Omnes Omnibus: Eva Longoria was amazing! I ended up fast forwarding through the other 2 because I was about 30 minutes behind (on Tivo) and wanted to catch up. All caught up now.

    John Lewis had me in tears.

  134. 134.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Tom Levenson: and @Steeplejack:
    I have read some of Sullivan’s views on the subject. He is not serious about the deficit, he is serious about hurting people and claiming it’s for their own good. Implicit in his arguments is that only abusive love is real love, and he cannot emotionally accept that any other kind of love could work. This is almost certainly why he’s a gay Republican.

  135. 135.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I did well in math.

    Prove it:

    If Obama has increased the Debt to $20 Trillion, how much of a tax cut should we give billionaires, in order to balance the budget?

    Slide rules allowed, but no calculators nor crib sheets.

  139. 139.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Re: whether you passed: amongst my weaponry solutions/responses are:

    A) Close enough for government work
    B) Your attitude needs work
    C) Trick question: no tax cut, we should PAY the billionaires because they’re Jaahhb Creators
    D) Trick question: Obama would never help the Jaahhb-Creating billionaires, but Preznit Romney will.
    E) SPLUNGE!

    Any of the above will suffice.

  141. 141.

    Mnemosyne

    @JPL:

    Apparently DWS and Giffords were very close friends even before the shooting. I can’t even imagine the horror DWS went through getting that news, especially when the news outlets were (incorrectly) announcing that Giffords had been killed.

  143. 143.

    priscianusjr

    @Mnemosyne: I mean the passionate dedication to social justice part. I really think Warren could pull that off

    I think she DOES pull that off. I mean, taking into account that she’s actually a different person and a Methodist from Oklahoma — but that’s how she comes across to me.

  144. 144.

    John M. Burt

    Matthew 25:40 needs to be quoted more often, by more people.

    It formed the basis of our ethical teaching of our children.

    John 3:16? Nah. Matthew 25:40 is the real while-standing-on-one-foot summary of Christianity.

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