7/05/00 5:35 p.m.
Keating on Church and State
An old gaffe by the Oklahoma governor.

By Ramesh Ponnuru, NR senior editor

onservatives generally like Oklahoma governor Frank Keating, and would be delighted to have him be George W. Bush's running mate. But some conservatives are concerned about some remarks he made in November 1998.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune quoted Keating, who had just been elected chairman of the Republican Governors' Association, on abortion: "The Catholic church is a big tent religion. In this country, we have a clear separation of church and state. We do what our consciences tell us is best to do." Keating also, at least implicitly, criticized Bishop Donald Trautman for not letting Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, a supporter of abortion rights, address Catholic audiences. "I am a Catholic and that's by choice," Keating said. "I am pro-life and that is also my choice. We should respect people who have a different view. [The bishops] should be as open-minded of us as we are open-minded of them."

The article has been making the e-mail rounds. It's not entirely clear what Keating means: Does the "separation of church and state," as understood by the governor, imply that bishops can't instruct coreligionists on church teachings? If not, what's the relevance of the reference? In any case, Keating's remarks have raised concerns less because of their substance than because of the political instincts they reveal. There's no point to courting the Catholic vote with someone who picks fights with the bishops.

Finally, Some Self-Awareness in the Family
Some reflections from congressman Patrick Kennedy at a recent fundraiser, as reported by the Los Angeles Times: "My strengths are not being a legislative titan. My strengths are not [in] being taken that seriously on the substance side. My strengths are my youth, my energy. . . my family name, my connections."

Unlikely Spin of the Week
Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrew, speaking at a banquet in San Antonio on Friday, shared some of his personal insights on the campaign trail, listing the election results in Texas as one of the reasons Al Gore will win the presidency.

"It's always good to have [Republicans] asleep at the switch," Andrew told the crowd. "Whatever the 'W' stands for in 'George W. Bush,' it doesn't stand for 'working families.'" He then claimed that the Gore campaign "would take the Lone Star State" handily in November. (Quotes courtesy of Hotline.)

On the Site
Click here to find out pollster Kellyanne Fitzpatrick's dark-horse candidate for the Republican vice-presidential nomination.