Washington D.C., Dec 14, 2008 / 14:08 pm
Despite President-elect Obama’s move to the center on economic and national security issues, he will nonetheless be a radical on social issues, political commentator Paul Weyrich predicts. Such radicalism could be necessary to placate left-wing Obama supporters disappointed by his more centrist decisions.
“There will be no moderation on social issues,” commented Weyrich, a Greek Catholic deacon who is chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
Though his political opponents accused Obama of being a socialist, the president-elect has appointed a group of economic advisers that is “center-right” in the context of the Democratic Party, Weyrich argued in a December 2 commentary. His economic team “believes in the free market principles” and could persuade Obama to avoid increasing taxes.
Weyrich further claimed that Obama’s national security team is “center right” in a Democratic context.
“There are still no radicals among them,” he wrote, noting Obama’s retention of President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his choice of Sen. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
“All of this has the left wing blogs in a state of panic,” Weyrich claimed. “They feel betrayed. Some of them want to give the president-elect the benefit of the doubt but others believe they have been had.”
“Well, calm down lefties. It is clear to me that while the president-elect may not be a socialist regarding the economy and he may not be radical when it comes to the military, he gives every indication of being radical on the social issues.”
“He fully intends to undo almost all of President Bush's executive orders protecting human life,” he warned.
Weyrich claimed that Obama will enact the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) to codify Roe v. Wade and abolish all state and federal restrictions on abortion. Obama’s policies may even force Catholic doctors to perform abortions or leave the medical profession and may force Catholic hospitals to close.
“He is very likely to enact some kind of homosexual rights legislation,” he continued, saying Obama could try to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which holds that no state has to accept same-sex marriages contracted in another state.
“He wants to see to it that gay marriage is accepted nationally,” Weyrich alleged.
Further, Obama has pledged to enact embryonic stem cell legislation that is “vehemently opposed by the pro-life community.”
In Weyrich’s view, social radicalism would appease left-wing activists and bloggers such as Daily Kos.
“Yes, they would like some socialists appointed to key positions in the government. And yes they would like some pacifists put in to tame the military, but above all else they want unlimited tax-payer funded abortions, hate crime legislation and the so called ‘Fairness Doctrine’ re-instated so that the political opposition can be silenced. By being radical on the social issues, Obama will keep his coalition together and quiet the left.”