I was on the way to work on Friday morning when I tuned on the radio to hear Jamie Allman's voice.  Jamie was lamenting the recent turn in focus from the economy to social issues.  He recalled a Fox News headline that claimed the election has now shifted to the social issues, and in particular its turned to the issue of funding contraception and religious liberty.   In my opinion Jamie Allman is a conservative that shoots fairly accurately but unfortunately he often misses the bullseye.  Yes, Obama's government take over of business and health care is alarming but the biggest problem here is the control he will exercise on the life choices of families and organizations.  Let's put things into perspective, the business world and the economy should work to serve the community, primarily the local community with the family at its core.  I believe this order has been reversed until this recent shift.  The true motivation to fight for a just economy is to have the fight on social issues and to enabe the development of a family centered local community.

The recent media attacks on Rick Santorum, calling him anti-woman, are rhetorical in nature.  They bely a rejection of true womanhood and are rooted in an embrace of the left wing pro-choice "progressive" social agenda.  Deluded by ideology to the point of ignorant bliss many in the media can not bring themselves to even consider Santorum's worldview.  For example, David Gregory had the nerve to ask this question of Santorum: "If you are President of the United States, and women want to work in your administration. Do single women without children only need apply?" A blatantly biased question that Santorum easily laughed off.  Santorum has argued something very different from the picture that Gregory wants to paint.  There is a segment of the female population that want to stay home with their children.  These women don't get the respect that they desire and deserve.  I believe, this is why Santorum has pointed out that his wife co-authored the chapter of the book where he speaks on the issue.  His wife left her job as a lawyer to care for her children at home and did not get the respect of feminists and many others who place a woman's career first.  Rick's own mother was a working mom who made more money than his father.  The idea that Santorum is against women because he supports stay at home mom's is rooted in a prejudice that does not respect motherhood in the first place.  Ask any mother of four or more about the lack of respect shown to mothers of large families.  The prejudice is real and for a sad number of reasons is nearly considered an acceptable prejudice.  Denise Cortes writes about this at the Baby Center blog: Keeping Your Pregnancy Secret.

This is a fight we will win.  Why?  When given the time to consider traditional reasons to support stay at home mothers, many will understand that believing Catholics, Santorum included, are not anti-women but truly pro-women because we look at the whole person with all her beauty and gifts.  It won't be an easy task and at times it may seem impossible.  It will take the right candidate to handle this fight in the media.  There is no candidate that, to my knowledge, has the insight and knowledge to fight this fight other than Rick Santorum.  For a good review of his book and worldview see Deacon Keith Fournier's article from a few years ago on Catholic Online: It Takes a Family: Conservatism and The Gommon Good. Also his recent article on Catholic Online: America is a Moral Enterprise at its Core.