Chicago Daily Observer

To put recent events in some perspective, I have asked Father Michael Pfleger, Pastor of St. Sabina’s Parish, to step back from his obligations there and take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties, effective today. Fr. Pfleger does not believe this to be the right step at this time. While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church’s regulations for all Catholic priests. I hope that this period will also be a time away from the public spotlight and for rest and attention to family concerns.

I hope also that the life of St. Sabina’s parish may continue in uninterrupted fashion. Fr. William Vanecko, Pastor of St. Kilian’s parish, will be temporary administrator of St. Sabina’s and will assure the full complement of ministerial services during this period. ... Read More...

Across America seven days a week, parents drop their kids at day care centers, which are supported by funding from the federal government.

But what makes one facility noteworthy in inner city Chicago is that it’s run by Trinity United Church of Christ. It’s the same church whose former head pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, drew widespread scrutiny after he cursed the U.S. government for its treatment of African-Americans.

FOX News has learned that over the last 15 years, Trinity has received at least $15 million in grants from the federal government — in other words, taxpayer money.

Catholics will wait a long time if they expect that the timid, mild, semantically parsing archdiocese will punish Fr. Michael Pfleger on its own. But nevertheless the day of penitential reckoning may be near for the fiery Saint Sabina’s pastor. Wait-how can those two statements be reconciled?

Easy-Pfleger’s scandalous pastorate may well have angered the one institution that carries massive weight in Catholic circles: the Democratic party. He has already brought serious harm to the Barack Obama campaign from a ranting pastor run amok. The archdiocese has stood by and allowed him to rant. But Democrats are on the verge of saying: enough. Then the archdiocese will have to act.

A few evenings ago, Fox TV talk show host Bill O’Reilly criticized the ultra-bland nature of the formal disclaimer issued by the archdiocese to Pfleger. As well he should. The truth is that Pfleger has become more than a media ... Read More...

Despite the coldest and snowiest Midwest winter in decades, global warming has taken over the Congressional calendar. This week Congress will vote on a bill that is designed to regulate so-called “greenhouse” gas emissions through something called a “cap and trade” system. Not since rationing in World War II, has the US contemplated such a draconian interference in the economy. While cap and trade is unlikely to pass this year, every major presidential candidate supports the approach. In other words, it will be back.
The bill, which is named “America’s Climate Security Act,” would actually set up two cap and trade systems – one for most types of “greenhouse” gases (mainly carbon dioxide) and another for hydro-fluorocarbons.
Under these systems, the federal government would set a maximum limit on the emission of certain gasses. This is the “cap.” Under this cap it would sell or give-away permits to ... Read More...

One of the very few truly wise cable-babblers said a while back that the loser of the Democratic nomination will determine the winner in November. Meaning, of course, that the way the loser exits and determines to come together—if at all—will make or break the winner’s candidacy.
Now that it’s all over but the final counting—I write this on the eve of the Montana and South Dakota primaries—it’s clear that Barack Obama has more or less stumbled past the finish line first. Enough super-delegates will rapidly declare for him to put him well over the top—as I, among others, predicted weeks ago.
Back on March 31 I wrote in this space:
“Sometime in June or even earlier, the party ‘elders’ such as Al Gore, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even Chairman Howard Dean have a heart-to-heart with the remaining 130 superdelegates…So most ... Read More...

Sen. Barack Obama’s chief political strategist sits on the finance committee of the Chicago church led by controversial pastor Michael Pfleger, who claimed in a sermon last weekend Sen. Hillary Clinton cried in public because she thought being white entitled her to the Democratic presidential nomination.

Pfleger, whose remarks about Clinton were condemned by Obama, several times hosted at his church Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan. Pfleger practices black liberation theology, is a regular guest speaker at Trinity United Church of Christ, and was identified by Obama as a key source of spiritual guidance.

David Axelrod, Obama’s top strategist, serves on the finance board of Pfleger’s St. Sabina Catholic church, which is seeking to raise $1 million to offset the costs of reconstructing sections of the cathedral found to have structural problems.

Father Pfleger has the Chicago Sun Times which helped create the character screaming all over You Tube, going flat-out to help save his Public Life.

Instead of going to the Catholic Parishes that Pfleger routinely smears as racist and offering a true apology, The Real Pfleger sniffled to his flock that he has received 3,000 hateful e-mails ( Is that All?) over his disgracefully racist rant at Trinity. He said he has received ‘Death Threats,’ which he should have reported to the Chicago Police Department – that group of brave men and women that he calls a ‘systemically racist’ army of occupation.

The Chicago Sun Times, a dying fool itself. offers this from Pastor Pfleger’s Apology.

Hate me if you will. Hate my imperfect presentation. Hate my imperfect dramatization. Hate my imperfect articulation. I have never presumed to be anything but imperfect, but I pray I can still beat the ... Read More...