Former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, has selected Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) to be his running mate.
Harris is the first Black woman, and the first person of Indian descent, to be selected as a running mate for a major party’s ticket. Harris’ mother was born in India, and her father was born in Jamaica. Harris is a staunch supporter of legal protection for abortion and has pushed Biden on that issue in recent months.
The choice was announced just shortly after 4:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 11.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked Kamala Harris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” tweeted Biden on Tuesday.
Biden said that while serving as California’s attorney general, Harris worked with his late son, Beau.
“I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign,” he said.
Before being selected to run with Biden, Harris made headlines for her numerous attacks on the former vice president during the primary debates. Harris was especially critical of Biden’s long-time support for the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for abortions.
Biden supported the Hyde Amendment, both with his votes and publicly in writing and speeches, for over four decades. He reversed his position in June 2019, just one day after reaffirming his support for the policy. Harris was quick to point this out during the debate.
“Only since you’ve been running for president this time, [have you] said that you in some way would take that back or you didn’t agree with that decision you made over many, many years and this directly impacted so many women in our country,” said Harris.
Harris noted Biden’s previous reservations about unlimited legal protection to abortion, reservations which he abandoned during the Democratic primary process. Harris asked him during the primary “Do you now say that you have evolved and you regret that?”
As California attorney general, she drew criticism from the state Catholic conference by sponsoring a bill compelling pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise “free or low-cost” abortion services to their clients. That law was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The senator has previously raised concerns about Biden’s character.
In April 2019, Harris stated that she believed women who have accused Biden of sexual misconduct during his time in the Senate and as vice president.
“I believe them and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it,” she said at an event in Nevada. Biden himself denied ever acting “inappropriately” with women.
While in the Senate, Harris has served as a member of the judiciary committee, responsible for vetting candidates for federal judgeships. In 2018, Harris raised questions about the suitability of a candidate based on his membership of the Knights of Columbus.
In December 2018, Harris joined Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in scrutinizing the candidacy of Brian Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the district of Nebraska.
The senators asked if belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases “fairly and impartially.”
In her questions to Buescher, Harris described the Knights as “an all-male society” and asked if Buescher was aware that the Knights of Columbus “opposed a woman’s right to choose” and were against “marriage equality” when he joined.
Prior to her election to the Senate in 2016, Harris served as the California attorney general from 2011-2016, and was the San Francisco attorney general from 2004-2011.
While she has cast herself as a “progressive” prosecutor, her tenure as AG has been a source of controversy during her political career on the national level.
Harris had a mixed record on the death penalty in California, and faced criticism for her polices which saw Californians imprisoned for non-violent drug offenses.
Harris came out in support for the legalization of marijuana in 2018. But during a debate in July, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) noted Harris had put “over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations” as attorney general, but laughed while confirming her own use of the drug in an interview.
Gabbard also pointed out that Harris “blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row,” referring to inmate Kevin Cooper. Cooper was convicted of a quadruple homicide and sentenced to death in 1983, despite considerable evidence of his innocence. Cooper requested additional DNA testing, which Harris blocked as attorney general.
In 2018, after she was elected to the Senate, she admitted she “felt awful” about her decision. Cooper is still on death row.
While Harris declined to pursue the death penalty on several occasions, in 2014 she explicitly defended the practice after a California district court found it unconstitutional.
“I am appealing the court’s decision because it is not supported by the law, and it undermines important protections that our courts provide to defendants,” said Harris, calling the decision a “flawed ruling.”
Harris has pushed for laws that would criminalize the parents of truant children, who are disproportionately poor.
During her inaugural address in 2011, Harris stated that she was “putting parents on notice” that truancy would be dealt with as a crime by parents.
“If you fail in your responsibility to your kids, we are going to work to make sure you face the full force and consequences of the law,” she said.
Eight years later, during an interview on a podcast, Harris admitted that several parents were jailed thanks to the statewide anti-truancy law she sponsored, though she said she “regretted” it.
Since entering the Senate, Harris’ thinking has shifted, and she now says she supports ending mandatory minimum sentences along with championing other progressive criminal justice reforms.
The above comes from an Aug. 11 story by Catholic News Agency.
No Roman Catholic can vote for her or the fake Catholic Biden who supports Abortion and homosexual rights! But millions of Roman Catholics nonetheless will vote for this evil twin pack. Trump is not perfect by any means and is a Protestant but in many many ways he is more Catholic than Biden will ever be. Trump is being guided by our First Lady Melania Trump who is a Roman Catholic and talking with the brave Archbishop Vigano.
“Fighting for the little guy,” says Biden. “Except the little guy in the womb,” says I. I would add, “Except the little girl too.”
Will be an interesting election period.
I look forward to the debates.
If they will even happen. Covid will be the smokescreen for an ailing Biden to stay away.
Look for all the “Biden/Harris 2020” bumper stickers on employee cars in chancery parking lots and catholic schools this fall.
Eternal Father, in the Name of Jesus, Your Son and our Lord, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg You for the grace that the United States of America will never have another president who supports a legal right for a mother to kill her unborn child.
So true Kevin T. and how sad.
Were I a Catholic Church or school employee, I would not display a bumper sticker for either side. I’m afraid some are going to get nasty.
She identifies as a Baptist Christian, but her behavior and policy positions are about as Baptist as Bill Clinton.
But, I guess a ticket with a “Baptist” and a “Catholic” on it does have some political advantages.
The media also promotes her Hindu/inter-faith background as well as her being married to a Jew.
She covers a lot of bases religiously.
It just seems shocking that in the #MeToo era, she got her first political appointment (and more) as Willie Brown’s mistress and is now teamed up with a candidate accused of groping (and more). And, she thinks Catholics are unqualified for public office (even though the Constitution prohibits a religious test for office holders), yet her running mate is described as a “devout Catholic.” (I guess as long as he’s not one of those evil Knights of Columbus and he opposes much of what the Church teaches, she’ll tolerate old Joe, until she steps into his shoes on Pennsylvania Avenue.)
A majority isn’t always right, but the majority of Americans, even many who oppose abortion, do not want to take away a woman’s right to choose or to make abortions unsafe. The ardent opponents will continue the good fight knowing God is on their side. But, we must also recognize that for most Americans it is a “settled matter of law.” We may not like it, but there it is. Trump claims to be pro-life. I don’t believe it but many do. He needs the Evangelical vote, so he says what they want to hear, even one of their top leaders who was caught with his pants down lasr week, so to speak.
No, most Americans don’t consider it settled, that’s why hundreds of thousands show up at pro-life marches all over the country. Millions vote pro life, and Trump IS the most pro life president we’ve ever had, like it or not.
Slavery, racial segregation and the prohibition of interracial marriage were all “settled matters of law” at one time in our history. Thanks be to God, we’ve been delivered from those evils. Let’s pray and work for deliverance from abortion. Most who oppose abortion do so because they know it’s the killing of an innocent human person. Anonymous, if you are prolife, do you want to protect a woman’s right to kill her preborn child?
And, we should be careful about pointing out a Protestant leader caught with his pants down when we’ve had many priests caught with their pants down and are still waiting to learn the truth about the promoted predator McCarrick.
Abortion is never safe for the little girl/boy in the womb who will be killed/ And where is the so-called women’s right to choose for those in the womb and who are female? Where is their right not be be exterminated?
Anon,
Falwell was not caught with trousers down but with a sense of humor showing. It was funny. The deranged response is what’s revealing, but barely exposed.
Hymie, have you seen the photo?! (I have.) It is inappropriate for anyone, let alone a Christian university president. Technically, the Instagram photo of Jerry Falwell Jr. with his arm around a woman who is not his wife — their pants unzipped and midriffs bared does not mean his pants where “down,” only open. But, are you seriously saying that’s just showing a sense of humor? There is nothing funny about adultery. It should not be the subject of humor. In the many cases of adultery of which I have personal knowledge, none of those involved found it humorous. All found it tragic.
Adultery? Come now. Falwell posted the photo himself, then took it down. Much ado about nothing – if you knew the story.
Hymie, why didn’t you answer my question? Are you seriously saying that posting a photo of one’s self with one’s arm around a woman who is not his wife — their pants unzipped and midriffs bared is just showing a sense of humor?
If so, I encourage you to read what Jesus said about adultery in the heart and speak with your confessor or spiritual director about this matter.
And, if you’re a married man, what would your wife say about you doing that? Ask her.
Kamala – Another heavyweight heavy duty anti=Catholic. No doubt, she will suddenly don her Parochial school skirt,
with the ribbon blouse, and orate on her wonderful pro=Catholic background, and state “Catholics should all vote
for me!” “I’ve been soooo good to the Catholic Church! – and I deserve your vote, Catholics!”
ewww.
I’m trying to reconcile a few things before we vote in October. Do I want children seperated from their mothers and put into cages with little or no services provided, do I want many of the regulations designed to keep employees safe just written off the books, do I want fossile fuels supported when the earth could use some clean air, do I want millions of people to be without adequate health care, do I want crude unchristian accusations tweeted an a daily or hourly basis, do I want … the list goes on. I’m comfortable with the idea that each party has policy differences and that they will try to implement them if elected, but I also expect them to value and respect our institutions and our Constitution. If I conclude that all of the above is wrong, and want it corrected, do I still vote for Trump because he said he was against abortion, in spite of all that has happened in the last three and a half years? Does his abortion position overide everything else? As I understand Church teachings, if I vote for someone BECAUSE they are pro abortion, it is wrong, but if I vote agains someone because of their total record, in spite of their anti-abortion record, I’m allowed to do that. Do I have that correct? What does the Church teach?
Let’s not forget that a Democrat President is responsible for those cages. And without life all other issues are meaningless. The Church had always made protection of the most innocent, Life in the womb, the number one priority.
Both the Obama administration and the later one put children in those “cages” for their own protection until they could see if the children really belonged to those who brought them over.as some did not. Drug lords were also using people as shields to bring in illegal contraband.
Most kindergarteners wear round- toed shoes, but a little boy from Mexico climbed over a kindergarten fence with his pointed toed boots faster then the teacher and aide could stop him. He then ran around the building, through a parking lot and down the sidewalk. The Spanish speaking principal was called to go get him in his car. We cannot have children’s lives endangered like that.
Anne TE, what you are saying is not correct. Obama did indeed build the first round of cages, because the mostly teenage kids were brought here by people who were not their parents. Trump separated legitimate families, putting children, quite young children, into those cages, scarring them psychologically for life.
Then he built a wall…around the White House, to keep the Citizens of the United States away from the people’s house.
Oh please, the idea that children are not still being used for molestation and shields for drug lords is idiot. I suggest you read what Jesse Romero says about Santa Muerta. He had to deal with it as a police officer.
I know some think my words are harsh, but most border towns have always been and will be more dens of vice then bastions of virtue.
I lived next door to a woman who worked in a cantina who had children by various men. My only regret is that I was not more compassionate to her tiny daughter, but I was young, had problems of mine own, did not speak her language well and had no idea how to deal with the situation. I can only pray some St. Nicholas came along and helped the child instead of taking advantage of her.
Enough with the fake news. Revisionist history:
Former President Barack Obama’s top immigration chief in charge of removing illegal immigrants said that the “cages” Democrats have accused President Trump of housing children in were the brainchild of the Obama administration. Thomas Homan, who was Obama’s executive associate director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for nearly four years said that the Border Patrol facilities where all illegals are initially kept “were not built to take care of children.” In fact, the recent surge of younger illegal immigrants is a new trend. He cited one Democratic chairman who asked a Trump official, “You still keeping kids in cages?” Homan, at the conference hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies, said, “I would answer the question, ‘The kids are being house in the same facility built under the Obama administration.’ If you want to call them cages, call them cages. But if the left wants to call them cages and the Democrats want to call them cages then they have to accept the fact that they were built and funded in FY 2015.”
You are not familiar with what the Church teaches, Bob One, and please, stop trying to smooth over
Kamala’s nasty Anti-Catholic behavior..
(And that stuff about little kids put in cages without their mothers is very old – this happened also in
the Obama presidency, because illegal smugglers and drug smugglers cover their activities by dragging
little kids along, as despicable as that seems to us. So it is necessary to determine this by separating the
kids from what is overt kidnapping)
Grow up Bob One, we are very tired of your standard party line.
Kamala is very Anti-Catholic, and we realize this.
Wow! I don’t know where to start, Anon. Nobody who knows me would put me on the liberal side of moderate, OK, just a little. But most of the people I know and hang with would tell you I’m pretty conservative politically and especially religiously. I know what the Church teaches. Take a look at paragraphs 33,34, and 35 in the booklet Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, produced by the USCCB. I also know that Kamala Harris’s beliefs are anti-Catholic. I was stunned by her questioning fo Brian Buescher when he was up for confirmation for a judgeship. She implied by her questioning that believing the teachings of the Catholic Church made him unqualified to be a judge. I know that she wants to get rid of the Hyde amendment. But all of that just leads me to wonder if I can vote for anyone in October. Two evils are never a good option.
I encourage you to vote for Trump. Your religious freedom is at stake, yours and your family’s, and that of everyone you know and love. I want to receive the Eucharist without government interference, so do you. Not voting is also making a choice.
Very good Bob One. Your remarks may be passed on to fellow Catholics out there, who perhaps don’t know much about Kamala and what the Democratic party is doing to damage our Constitutional right to Freedom of our Catholic Religion. Thanks again, anon
Bob One, it is time to take side, the Democrats are not the party of John Kennedy they are the party of Marx. You cannot vote for them as a Catholic in good conscience. They actively promote evil, and you know this. If you think Trump making uncharitable statements on twitter is the same with killing of the unborn and sodomite marriage I suggest you have your moral compass checked, If you cannot I suggest you leave the Church. The days of easy Catholicism is over, if the Dems win I expect a real persecution to begin
bohemond, the problem is that If I can’t vote for Biden of other more liberal candidates in other parties, but don’t want to vote for Trump, and that is unacceptable. Not voting for anyone is a vote for Trump and I don’t want him reelected. In only three and a half years he has brought our democratic way of life to the brink. We are now the laughing stock of the world. Each day, almost, he does something that would have caused the impeachment of any past president, and we shrug it off. We will lose the dream, the grand experiment in government by the people. We an oligarchy, run by people who want to limit people’s right to vote, to protest, to fight for religious freedom and the free press. I hate his stand on abortion, but I’ll take my chances with almost anyone but our current leader.
“The Laughing Stock of the World!” “Our Democratic way of Life is at the brink!” Notice how these statements are vague, over exaggerated, and without substance…..Just standard, typical Democratic agitprop, without reference to any facts or data. So let’s get into this – So, bob, you believe that China thinks we are laughingstocks? How about when Trump slammed tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the US, and continues to pressure them about stealing US patents? How about Iran, do you think the US is a laughingstock, when their petroleum ships were seized yesterday by the US? And it is clear that Iran will not be allowed to have atomic weapons, period. And how about Muslims, now that Trump is opposed to Muslims immigration into the states, and also, that Trump will not permit Sharia into our US government?. It is clear that the Democratic party has no idea how evil Sharia is, and lets have a laugh here, how fascistic and undemocratic and nazi-istic Sharia is. And how about that UN, now clearly controlled by Muslims? Trump does not support the UN, and has cut their funding, due to their continued Islamic propaganda and actions, directed against the US. And how about that border fence? Think Drug Dealers and terrorists like that fence?
And on a very positive note, Trump supporting Israel, as by far the best country in the Middle East, while Democrats flounder with presenting AOC Islamic propaganda….
Now, let’s contrast Trump’s actions (the facts above) with the Democratic party….Rioting is OK, as long as it is Antifa, and BLM. And the Democratic party loves BLM, they think they are just marvelous, so grand!! And how about that “wonderful” California Democratic Governor, keeping us locked up now for months, even though the actual overall US death rate for all causes, has continued to decline, and is now at normal levels – (you will not see that fact in the Democratic controlled media!) In short, Bob, would you please read up on these facts, educate yourself, and please stop with the vague, stale, untrue, anti-Trump Democratic party propaganda. Get Real, Bob, get Facts! Don’t embarrass yourself by parroting the Democratic party line.
If we are such a laughing stock, why is the world clambering to our door? Stop struggling with this, it really is a very clear choice. Trump who had kept his campaign promises, or a mentally declining empty suit who will do whatever his handlers say. Really, you don’t know what to do?
Only in the fever dreams of a liberal has Trump established a “dictatorship”. You honestly think that Biden will fight for religious freedom when he said he will impose the contraception mandate on the Little Sisters of the Poor?
“We an oligarchy, run by people who want to limit people’s right to vote”…Bob One is exactly right but is a little confused by which party is responsible for that. It is the Democrat party who are involved in voter fraud with unverified mail in ballots.
“This is the quandary facing us Catholic voters: either we can vote for candidates who are Catholic but openly attack those who adhere to the faith, or we can vote for candidates who aren’t Catholic but boldly protect our religious freedom.”
Connor Semelsberger in Crisis magazine
Do we vote from a candidate simply because he (or she) is in our tribe or club? Or, do we care more about results, like defending religious liberty, life, marriage and family?
I care more about post-election results than pre-election campaign promises. Nor do I care whether a candidate has a “D” or “R” after his or her name or claims to Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, agnostic or Zoroastrian.
As Catholics, we have a problem – do we vote for Catholics who promote Abortion and for forcing our Churches to perform gay marriage, or do we vote for non-Catholics, who are protecting our Faith?
And alas, as Catholics, we are looking at the clergy pedophile scandals, and at Government officials who claim to be Catholic, but who certainly aren’t defending our faith. This is all very reminiscent of the wolf in sheep’s clothing parable.
So, there really is only one course of action open to us. We must vote for those whose actions and deeds defend our Church and our Country, and not for those who claim to be Catholic.
Remember her attacks on the Knights of Columbus, she is pro-abortion pro-gay rights, pro-open borders, anti cop, anti military, and most of all anti CATHOLIC.
The read question is: how does American begin to get better candidates? I taught my son to live his life as if someday he will want to run for President. Avoid all things that would be a skeleton in your closet.
Look around in your life and see who would be a good President. Start to encourage them (or yourself.)
The two party system no longer serves the majority of Americans. Check into your state laws. Some states make it prohibitively difficult to get on the ballot. Work to change those.
I had a relative who has lived a totally clean life. They have good values. They can make decisions. 20 years ago, I told them I thought they should start on the path to the Presidency. “I don’t want it.”
Yes, it is a hard job with a lot of pressure. Salary is good. The media will try to eat you alive. People are going to hate you for no reason.
We can’t keep ducking our duties because they are hard. I can’t do it because I can’t make decisions or handle stress. More people should try. You don’t have to be rich or famous or well-connected. If the Lord wants you to do it, doors will open, doors will shut. Just try.
And you don’t have to sleep with anybody to get ahead.
We have more to fear from human respect than from the devil himself.
“Biden picks Kamala Harris to run with him”
i humbly suggest the true headline should
replace the preposition “with” with the
preposition “over.”
Wow…what has happened to the morality of America. I remember when people wouldn’t vote for John McCain because of his cheating on his first wife. It was only 12 years ago. Now we have both tickets with 3 possible adulterers.