Catholic Democrats take on GOP activist Bill Donohue:

The Catholic League issued a press release yesterday, announcing that they were having trouble navigating the website of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama.  Their President, Bill Donohue, was frustrated at not being able to find information on the Obama campaign's website regarding the inner workings of the Obama National Catholic Advisory Council.

It's not clear why a non-profit organization with a noble mission like that of the Catholic League -- founded to defend Catholics in public life -- would pay someone like Mr Donohue over $340,000 a year to launch repeated partisan attacks that actually smear fellow Catholics.  When he's not taking shots at those who don't share his partisan loyalties, Mr Donohue seems to dedicate much of his time to electioneering for John McCain--for instance, by taking it upon himself to absolve the bigotry of anti-Catholics like John Hagee on behalf of all Catholics.

"It's shameful that authentic efforts by the Obama Campaign to reach out to all Catholics should be attacked like this," said Dr Patrick Whelan, President of the Catholic Democrats.  "Senator Obama is far and away the best candidate for Catholics of all political stripes.  Whether ending the pointless killing in Iraq, addressing the glaring economic disparities and rising gas prices left behind by the Bush Administration, or finding common ground on issues like abortion, Senator Obama is poised to stand up for Catholics and all people of faith in a way that hasn't been seen in the halls of power for years."

Full release.

People of good faith can have legitimate disagreements over who to vote for.  There are Catholic Democrats and Catholic Republicans.  That's the way it should be.  But Donohue is the worst kind of partisan activist - one of those who claims that only he knows God's mind.  The truth is that Donohue is a hateful man that many Roman Catholics find embarrassing.