From Catholic to Democrat

Back when Bart Stupak was blocking the Federal funding of abortion, Catholic organizations were happy to claim him as one of their own and tout his Catholic credentials:

Bart Stupak: Catholic

Health Care Reform Passes: Catholic Democrat Bart Stupak Protects Life

Before the determined and courageous efforts of Congressman Bart Stupak, a Pro-Life Catholic Democrat whose name along with Republican Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania of the 16th District of Pennsylvania is on the now historic amendment, the legislation would have funded more abortions with tax dollars. The “Health Care Reform” legislation which passed last night as HR 3962 - by a vote in the House of Representatives by a vote of 220 – 215 - would have had a lethal effect, resulting in the intentional killing of potentially millions more of our first neighbors. Thank God for the courage and perseverance of faithful Catholic Democrat Bart Stupak!… Congressman Bart Stupak is a faithful Catholic and a Democrat from the first Congressional District of Michigan…Congressman Stupak is an example of how a faithful Catholic can be – indeed must be – morally and politically consistent and never compromise of the inviolable dignity of every human life [emphasis mine].

http://www.catholic.org/printer_friendly.php?id=34796§ion=Cathcom

But after he caved, a funny thing happened: He ceased to be a Catholic politician and suddenly became merely a Democrat:

Bart Stupak: Democrat

Bart Stupak: Yet Another Two-Faced Pro-Life (?) Democrat?

Very disappointing. Pro-life Democrats in Congress are already nearly extinct or an oxymoron, as it is. I was naive enough to think that Stupak had enough pro-life principles to actually not vote for the health care bill if it funded abortion [emphasis mine].

http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2010/03/bart-stupak-yet-another-two-faced-pro.html

Now you’d never know that Stupak is Catholic. All at once that aspect of his identity disappears from view.

BTW, while Catholic bloggers are assailing him, what does his bishop have to say?