Jonah: The main reason why liberals confuse Coughlin with conservatism–apart from sheer ignorance–is the fact that he was a master of the radio, i.e., a kind of forerunner to Rush Limbaugh. And aren’t all radio people wingnuts? I own a 1996 biography of Coughlin called Radio Priest. The book begins (in its very first sentence) by referencing the Oklahoma City bombing, “primed by paranoid fears of government control, fed and fostered by talk radio.” So there you have it–a straight line from Coughlin to Limbaugh, resulting in Timothy McVeigh.

For what it’s worth, I’ve gone to Mass several times at the National Shrine of the Little Flower. It’s close to where my father lives, outside Detroit. I didn’t make the Coughlin connection until I was older. Ever since, I’ve had mixed feelings about the place. I wish I could change its history. But I’ll say this: It’s a gorgeous church and I’m glad it’s there.