Part of article: Kathleeen Sebelius and Three Catholic Archbishops
Archbishop Joseph Naumann
Joseph Naumann from St. Louis, MO was appointed the Coadjutor Archbishop of Kansas City, KS starting in Jan 2004, and succeeded Keleher in Jan 2005.
Archbishop Naumann from the beginning has taken a strong stand on social issues important to the Catholic Church.
In 2005 he spoke in favor of the marriage amendment. From the April 4, 2005 Kansas City Star: “Naumann said Pope John Paul II was passionate about the value of human life and the sanctity of the family. ‘We really believe marriage is something given to us by God’ for one man and one woman, Naumann said. He said no one had the right to define it any other way.”
In 2006 Archbishop Naumann spoke out strongly against human embryonic stem cell research in Kansas writing about the issue in an article in The Leaven: “Kansans should refuse to be bullied by stem-cell proponents.”
So speaking out on other Culture of Life issues by Archbishop Naumann should be no surprise.
What did Archbishop Naumann see about Gov. Sebelius’ actions on the Culture of Life in Kansas?
2004 Senatorial Races, Tiller, ProKanDo
In each election cycle, Dr. Tiller and his ProKanDo PAC have a different focus and strategy.
In 2002, they spent a huge amount of political money and almost defeated Phill Kline for Attorney General.
In 2004, their fundraising mailer indicated their focus was the Kansas Senate:
ProKanDo Fundraising Invitation Said They Planned to Target KS Senate Races in 2004
[Click above to see complete invitation to Lawrence event]
Dr. Tiller hijacks education issue: Channels secret money to influence Kansas Senate Races in 2004, Kansas Meadowlark, Oct 30, 2004.
This 2004 scheme paid off for Dr. Tiller when the Kansas Senate failed by two votes to override Gov. Sebelius’ veto of an abortion bill in 2008. ProKanDo was a huge force in 2004, being the #4 PAC in Kansas in contributing to candidates.
See 2008 below.
2006 Re-election of Sebelius
While Gov. Sebelius normally keeps her distance from Dr. Tiller in Kansas, she actively works with other pro-abortion groups to help with her campaign and to help other pro-abortion candidates supportive of her policies. Dr. Tiller or his PAC still generously donates to these other groups, even though they avoid working directly with Gov. Sebelius.
EMILY’s List members are dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to public office. “EMILY” stands for “Early Money Is Like Yeast,” which reflects their strategy in raising money for their candidates.
EMILY’s list in 2006 helped Gov. Sebelius in her re-election efforts. One way was by featuring her on their web site:
EMILY's List strategy for victory by candidates like Kathleen Sebelius
Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC spread money throughout Kansas in 2006 to help Kansas Democrats at all levels defeat prolife conservatives.
This was only a part of a more complicated scheme by Kansas Democrats:
- $200,000 from Democratic Governors’ Association Spread Throughout Kansas in 2006 via Kathleen Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC, Kansas Meadowlark, Jan 14, 2007.
- Kansas Democrats Use Congressional District Party ” Committees” as Political $uperfund To Pump Money to Kansas Democratic Party, Sebelius, Morrison and Pollster, Kansas Meadowlark, Jan 23, 2007.
Non-Profit Works with ProKanDo PAC in 2006. The new Tiller political stratety in 2006 was to form a non-profit that interacted with his PAC to achieve his political goals.
An Associated Press article from June 23, 2007, which appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal, quoted ProKanDo Executive Director Julie Burkhart that the non-profit had raised $400,000. Combined with approx. $800,000 from the PAC, the combined $1.2 million was a huge political weapon in Kansas in 2006.
Most of the $1.2 million was used against the re-election of Attorney General Phill Kline, but it’s hard to prove. Gov. Sebelius likely benefited at least indirectly by Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts from the combined PAC and non-profit.
The IRS refuses to disclose anything about the non-profit organization, Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection, which was run from the same address and officers as Tiller’s ProKanDo PAC. Certain interations between PACs and non-profits are not legal, but there are not sufficient public records to know what happened.
Another non-profit, Progress Kansas, possibly has ties to the Kansas Democratic Party or ProKanDo, since the focus of that group was to knock out conservative prolife Republicans State Rep candidates. The other non-profit was incorporated by the same individual in Lawrence who incorported Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection for ProKanDo.
Tiller’s ProKanDo PAC found a weakness in Kansas Law in 2006 by raising more money, and spending more money than any other Kansas PAC, but avoided being listed in the “Top 20″ list of PACs in Kansas. Being #1 but not showing up in the “Top 20″ was a neat trick.
Visit by Dr. George Tiller to Governor’s Mansion in April 2007
Topeka Capital-Journal: "Pictures worth 1,000 words," May 29, 2008
Unknown until May 2008, Dr. Tiller outbid others at the Torch Club Dinner in Kansas City and “won” a reception at the Governor’s mansion with Gov. Sebelius.
Link to online article from Topeka Capital-Journal. Other abortionists who come to Kansas to do abortions at Tiller’s clinic joined Dr. Tiller in visiting Gov. Kathleen Sebelius at the Governor’s mansion, including LeRoy Carhart from Nebraska, Sella and Robinson from California.
Tiller (second from left) with abortionists LeRoy Carhart, Shelley Sella, and Susan Robinson
Gov. Sebelius celebrates 59th Birthday at Planned Parenthood Fundraiser, May 2007.
A month after Tiller’s visit to the Governor’s mansion, Gov. Sebelius spent her 59th birthday at a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood in Kansas City, MO:
Planned Parenthood newsletter telling about Sebelius' birthday and fundraiser
[Click above on newsletter to see original copy]
Friends of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri gathered Tuesday, May 15th for a truly star-studded affair. … two champions of our cause, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and PPFA National President, Cecile Richards.
… The protesters didn’t dampen our good time. We had another reason to celebrate – the Governor’s birthday! Along with her husband and son, Governor Sebelius celebrated her special day …
One Catholic blogger upset with Sebelius’ record for embracing the Culture of Life wrote about her appearance at Planned Parenthood posted pictures online along with the following:
Well over 100 pro-life protesters, mostly Catholics, waited over an hour to greet the purportedly Catholic and staunchly pro-abortion Sebelius. Governor Sebelius arrived around 6:00 p.m. and sought to bypass the protesters. As seen immediately below, her vehicle approached a side entrance as closely as possible. From the vehicle, the governor walked directly to the entrance with no acknowledgment to her brothers and sisters in Christ. Kansas City Catholic blog, May 15, 2007.
Dust of the Time blog: Gov. Sebelius at Planned Parenthood Fundraiser, May 15, 2007:
Catholic Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, KS has criticized Sebelius openly in his archdiocesan newspaper because of her veto of a bill that would have curbed violations of Kansas law on abortions. The Archbishop urged Catholics to pray for Sebelius to “reconsider her long-held position supporting legalized abortion.” At least one pro-life sign this evening asked if Sebelius now would be excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
Governor Sebelius’ Veto Prompts Pastoral Action by Catholic Archbishop Naumann, May 2008.
Many in Kansas are not aware of Gov. Sebelius’ events with Dr. Tiller or Planned Parenthood, so there isn’t much public reaction until the information is known.
Public reaction is much more swift to legislative bills when the Gov. vetoes them. Such was the case in May 2008 when Gov. Sebelius vetoed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act. While exact knowledge is difficult, Dr. Tiller’s political investment in State Senate race likely paid off when Gov. Sebelius’ veto was sustained in the Kansas Senate by only two votes. This veto prmopted a pastoral response by Archbishop Naumann:
I learned that Governor Kathleen Sebelius had vetoed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act (HS SB 389), which had been passed by significant majorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. Last week, an attempt to override the governor’s veto failed in the Senate by two votes. Governor Sebelius in her veto message claimed: “For years, the people of Kansas have asked their elected officials to move beyond legislative debates on issues like abortion.” From her veto message, I received the impression the governor considered it a waste of the Legislature’s time to pass a statute that attempts to protect some women by making certain they have the opportunity to be well-informed: 1) about the development of their unborn child; and 2) about abortion alternatives available to them. Evidently, the governor does not approve of legislators devoting energy to protecting children and women by making it possible to enforce existing Kansas laws regulating late-term abortions.
The governor’s veto message demonstrated a lack of respect to the members of the Kansas General Assembly who had carefully crafted and resoundingly passed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act, as well as to the many Kansans who find it more than an embarrassment, in no small part due to several previous vetoes by Governor Sebelius of earlier legislative efforts to regulate abortion clinics, that Kansas has become infamous for being the late-term abortion center for the Midwest. …
I have not made lightly this request of Governor Sebelius, but only after much prayer and reflection. The spiritually lethal message, communicated by our governor, as well as many other high profile Catholics in public life, has been in effect: “The church’s teaching on abortion is optional!” I reissue my request of the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for Governor Sebelius. I hope that my request of the governor, not to present herself for holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present actions. At the same time, I pray this pastoral action on my part will help alert other Catholics to the moral gravity of participating in and/or cooperating with the performance of abortions.
ProKanDo’s “Campaign Store” in 2008. No one has written about the for-profit campaign store, “ZLW” also known as “Zoller Lutz Wienbarger LLC”, ProKanDo setup at their address at 555 N Woodlawn, Ste 215, Wichita.
In the Jan 2009 Sedgwick County Democratic Party report, they received $1000 from ProKanD, PO Box 8249, Wichita on Oct 30, 2008 and then sent $810.84 back to Zoller Lutz Weinbarger, LLC, 555 N. Woodlawn, Ste 215 Wichita on Oct 30, 2008. But, both ProKanDo and ZLW are located at the same street address so this transaction seems a bit strange! Analysis of all other reports is not yet complete to see what else ZLW did in Kansas in 2008.
Gov. Sebelius didn’t benefit directly from ZLW, but at least Democrats in the Kansas House and Senate supporting her policies likely did benefit.
Archbishop Naumann’s Column on Sebelius Nomination, March 2009.
In the March 6 edition of The Leaven, Archbishop Naumann made the following comments:
Normally, it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas named by the President to an important Cabinet Post….
In many ways, I can understand why President Obama selected Governor Sebelius. As I have acknowledged on several other occasions she is a very bright and gifted leader. In many important areas, she represents well Catholic social teaching. She has advocated for more affordable housing for the poor, she has worked to expand access to health care for economically disadvantaged children, and she has supported incentives encouraging adoption.
Yet, on the fundamental moral issue of protecting innocent human life, Governor Sebelius, throughout her career, has been an outspoken advocate for legalized abortion. For this reason her appointment to HHS is particularly troubling. …
The appointment of Governor Sebelius as the Secretary of HHS concerns me on many levels. With her history of support for legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research, it is troubling the important influence that she will have on shaping health care policies for our nation. Having elected President Obama with his own record of support for legalized abortion, our nation should not be surprised by his appointment of a Secretary for HHS who shares his views. Though many people voted for President Obama, not because of his support for legalized abortion but despite it, voters in effect gave him the ability to appoint individuals who share his anti-life views to his Cabinet and even more troubling to the courts.
I am also concerned personally for Governor Sebelius. Her appointment as Secretary for HHS places her in a position where she will have to make many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this intrinsic evil. …
We need to pray for all Catholics who serve in public life that they will have the courage and integrity to be true to the teachings and principles of our Faith no matter the political consequences.
The March 28 Leaven had several articles about Gov. Sebelius and Dr. Tiller. See: Catholic Archdiocesan newspaper publishes several articles to expose Tiller and Sebelius.
Return to article: Kathleeen Sebelius and Three Catholic Archbishops
Tags: Culture of Life, EMILY's List, Kathleen Sebelius, ProKanDo PAC, Senate, ZLW, Zoller Lutz Weinbarger LLC
