text: "Pope Francis had it right when asked -- U.S. voters should ponder and pray and then vote their consciences. By placing so much emphasis on a single issue, by essentially making it obligatory to vote according to a candidate's or party's stance on that one issue, bishops put many Catholics in a difficult position as they try to reconcile that issue with the myriad others that have raised themselves this election cycle."
  
  It is intelligent writing like this that has made me an NCR subscriber for decades.  The Republican bishops and their fellow shills among the clergy and laity tell us we have to vote "pro-life."  My question is what party is "pro-life?"  The Republican Party has "pro-life" verbiage in its platform, but when it comes to doing anything to change the law on abortion they do nothing.  In just two years the Republicans in the House voted 53 times to overturn Obamacare.  How many times did they vote to change the law on abortion?  That's right: ZERO.