In her column in the latest edition of The Nation, Katha Pollitt wrote that Obama has nominated the controversial Alexia Kelley, to direct the Health and Human Services Department's Center for Faith-
Based and Community Initiatives. Why is she controversial?
Well, she is the founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG), an organization that supports church doctrine banning abortion and contraception. Pollitt comments, in regards to this organization, "It's a travesty that its head will now control more than $20 milllion a year in funding to religious groups for family-planning services: you might as well put an astrologer in charge of funding for NASA."
Pollitt points out that Feminist Majority, Planned Parenthood and NOW have not said anything about this, although NOW's Kim Gandy informed Pollitt that she was "aghast" at this nomination and would be speaking out soon.
What is Obama thinking? Clearly Pollitt has every reason to sound the alarm over this nomination. It seems to me that sometimes Obama bends over backwards to please everyone, but this is one arena wher there is no room for compromises. His publicly proclaimed pro-choice stance is runs counter to Catholic Church doctrine, which in this case, seems to have the upper hand.