Pope Is No Tea Partier: Benedict Backs Guaranteed Health Care For All

Image via WikipediaPope Is No Tea Partier: Benedict Backs Guaranteed Health Care For All

As newly empowered Republicans prepare a congressional agenda topped by a promise to repeal health care reform, Pope Benedict XVI has strongly reiterated Catholic teaching that universal health care is an "inalienable right" that must be guaranteed by every nation and society.

"It is necessary to work with greater commitment at all levels so that the right to health is rendered effective, favoring access to primary health care," Benedict said in a message on Thursday to the 25th annual conference of the Vatican office that promotes health care ministry.

"Health justice should be among the priorities of governments and international institutions," he added.

The pope said that establishing this goal requires "a true distributive justice that guarantees to all, on the basis of objective needs, adequate care," and, "The social doctrine of the Church has always evidenced the importance of distributive justice and of social justice in the different sectors of human relations."

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The Fix - Democrat Frank Caprio slipping in Rhode Island gubernatorial race

The Fix - Democrat Frank Caprio slipping in Rhode Island gubernatorial race

In 2008, President Obama won Rhode Island with 63 percent -- his third-highest percentage in the country.

Two years later, in the four-way race to succeed term-limited Gov. Don Carcieri (R), it appears that the onetime Democratic frontrunner could well finish third.

A new poll out today shows former GOP Sen. Lincoln Chafee (I) leading the four-way race with 35 percent, while Republican John Robitaille takes 28 percent, state Treasurer Frank Caprio (D) 25 percent and Moderate Party candidate Ken Block 2 percent.

The new results mark a big shift from a survey conducted in late September showing Caprio leading with 36 percent, Chafee at 24 percent, Robitaille trailing with 13 percent and Block winning 2 percent.

Much of the reason for Caprio's decline can be chalked up to a spat with the White House over its endorsement in the race. Caprio has come under fire for remarks he made Monday in an appearance on a radio show in which he told Obama to "take his endorsement and really shove it" after his campaign learned that the president would not get behind any candidate in the race. Much of the new survey, though not all of it, was conducted after Caprio made the comments.

(Obama served in the Senate with Chafee until Chafee lost his re-election bid in 2006, and Chafee endorsed Obama's presidential bid ahead of the 2008 primary. Caprio backed then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the 2008 presidential primary; Clinton went on to an overwhelming 58 percent to 40 percent win over Obama in the primary.)

While Obama did not offer an endorsement in the race, former President Bill Clinton is slated to visit the state on Sunday to campaign for Caprio. On Monday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) will campaign for Chafee. And on top of all that, Caprio had been rumored to be considering a switch to the GOP earlier this year. (Caprio tamped down again on those rumors earlier this week.)

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Dan Collins: Carl Paladino Crumbles at Gubernatorial Debate

Dan Collins: Carl Paladino Crumbles at Gubernatorial Debate

Finally, New York got a gubernatorial debate. Seven people, dressed in black, sitting uncomfortably in chairs and looking like mourners at the world's worst funeral. In an important political event strategically broadcast at the same time as a critical baseball playoff game to assure maximum attention.

"Go Yankees," said Andrew Cuomo during his closing statement. By then he was looking very cheerful, as well he might. He won. Or at least emerged unscathed and unhumiliated.

Which is more than you could say for Carl Paladino.

It was not just that Paladino failed to lead the motley crew of third and fourth-party candidates on the stage into a unified us-against-the-frontrunner assault the Democrats had been fearing. Or that, blessedly, he failed to trigger that sex-scandal explosion he'd been hinting at.

Paladino was actually the weakest performer on the stage, no small achievement when the other chairs are filled with folks like Jimmy McMillan of the Rents Are Too Damn High party, and ex-madam Kristen Davis of the Anti-Prohibition Party. The Republican nominee seemed confused, or maybe slightly medicated. He couldn't even deliver his opening and closing statements efficiently.

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Andrew Cuomo Builds Big Lead Over Carl Paladino in New York Governor Race

Andrew Cuomo Builds Big Lead Over Carl Paladino in New York Governor Race

Republican Carl Paladino may still be drawing support from voters who describe themselves as angry, but Democrat Andrew Cuomo is building a big lead in their race for governor that will be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 1-5.

You'll remember that Quinnipiac was the pollster that caused some waves when its previous survey on Sept. 22 had Paladino in what it described as "shouting distance" of Cuomo, with Cuomo ahead by only 49 percent to 43 percent. Subsequent surveys by other pollsters showed Cuomo settling back into a comfortable lead.

The new Quinnipiac poll has Cuomo ahead by 55 percent to 37 percent, with 2 percent preferring another candidate and 6 percent undecided. Cuomo gets much higher support from fellow Democrats than Paladino does from Republicans -- 86 percent compared to 69 percent. Cuomo leads among independents by 47 percent to 42 percent with 7 percent undecided and has a huge advantage among women voters (63 percent to 28 percent, with 8 percent undecided).

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