Republicans and Democrats each find something to cheer in pope's speech

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/24/republicans-democrats-pope-francis-speech-reaction

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The pope, it seems, works in mysterious ways. Hardened Congress watchers might have thought that nothing short of a miracle would soothe the bipartisan animus that typically has Republicans and Democrats at war.

Yet no sooner had Pope Francis put down his speech on Thursday than it was clear his invocation to human understanding, tolerance and empathy had left its mark on lawmakers, including conservatives who have long decried the anti-capitalist pontiff.

Even Republican Jim Inhofe, the climate change-denying chairman of the Senate environment committee whose views on the issue are diametrically opposed to the pope (and science), found it hard to disagree.

“As the pope stated in his address, Congress has an important role to play in how the United States cares for our environment,” Inhofe said in a statement, before pivoting toward an irresistible jibe at President Barack Obama.

Related: Pope's climate change appeal boosts hope for bipartisan action in Congress

Inhofe completely overlooked the pope’s shout-out on Wednesday for Obama’s efforts seek to cut the biggest single source of carbon pollution from US power plants. It was as though Inhofe, and others, were keen to seek areas of agreement with the spiritual leader of Catholics.

It was quite a reversal. Just two months ago Inhofe lambasted the pope: “The pope ought to stay with his job, and we’ll stay with ours,” he said, after picking up an award at a climate deniers conference.

Democrats who have pushed hard against figures like Inhofe in doomed attempts to get climate change legislation through Congress embraced the pope wholeheartedly.

“Today, religion and science united with a common purpose – combat climate change,” Senator Barbara Boxer, the former head of the environment and public works committee, tweeted.

Republicans had feared the pope, who disagrees with most of them on issues as varied as immigration reform, the death penalty and macro-economics, might be on a collision course in the historic address to the legislature.

However, a combination of diplomatic gymnastics by the pope’s speechwriters, and a willingness on the part of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to afford the pontiff the reverence they believed he deserved, transformed Capitol Hill – so often a bearpit – into a haven of civility.

It was such a rare moment of graciousness that TV viewers could be forgiven for assuming John Boehner was overcome by the unusual harmony.

Wonderful. https://t.co/i4hJAK0oN2

The Republican House speaker, a devout Catholic, was probably more moved by the mere presence of the pope than the response of fellow lawmakers.

But few could deny the rarity of consensus brought about by the pope’s address – in part, because it contained something for all sides.

The left-right accord apparent in the papal wake was perhaps symbolized by two senators on opposite ends of the presidential campaign spectrum: Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders.

Cruz, an ardent social conservative fighting to defund Planned Parenthood, told reporters he was pleased by what he called the pope’s “admonition to Congress that we should protect human life at every stage of development”.

Cruz did, however, complain that it was “striking and heartbreaking” to see congressional Democrats “stone-faced, arms crossed, when the pope urged all to defend human life”.

Meanwhile, Democrat and progressive stalwart Bernie Sanders praised the pontiff for entirely different reasons. “He forces us to address some of the major issues facing humanity: war, income and wealth inequality, poverty, unemployment, greed, the death penalty and other issues that too many prefer to ignore,” the independent senator of Vermont said.

“I was especially impressed by the great American leaders he cited, particularly Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker movement, a progressive newspaper and organization which protected the poor, organized workers and stood up to the wealthy and the powerful,” he added.

Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon running for the Republican nomination who recently sparked controversy by claiming that a Muslim should not be president, said he had difficulty hearing the pope from his seat in the visitors’ gallery.

“It sounded like he was talking about things that are generally uplifting,” Carson said. “Life, environment, things that anyone should be able to agree with.”

However, Carson took issue with the papal call for the abolition of the death penalty, adding: “I think that’s a civil issue and as such I think the people in the region should make their own decisions.”

Fellow Republican presidential aspirant Marco Rubio did seem close enough to the pope to hear what he was saying. And he, too, appeared to have a Boehner moment.

marco rubio crying pic.twitter.com/eDN3xpi0PP

Democratic senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont dismissed a question about the pope’s anti-abortion statement by pointing out the obvious. “He’s the pope,” he said. “He has a perfect right to that.”

Leahy added: “I wish that … some of those who want to cut off women’s health, cut off food to infants and children, who want to talk about how pro-life they are, realize life means after you’re born too.”

Republican representative Virginia Foxx said she “particularly appreciated his emphasizing that we should respect the dignity of all human life and most of us believe that human life begins at conception”. Asked about Pope Francis’s opposition to death penalty, Foxx replied: “Well, not everybody agrees with that with the pope.”

Devin Nunes, another representative, was similarly forgiving of the pope on those areas where he disagreed with him. “I don’t go to the church of climatology,” he said. Nunes, though, didn’t criticize Francis for his science-based views on the environmental future of the planet. “Clearly he’s a believer in climate change, which is fine,” said the California Republican. “Everyone is entitled to his beliefs.”