Michael Sean Winters

Distinctly Catholic: Tomorrow and Wednesday nights will see the second round of debates featuring 20 Democrats seeking their party's nomination for president. What can we expect?

Distinctly Catholic: Let's step back and consider if we learned anything about the state of our democracy from former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before two House committees.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Trump administration rules seem designed for cruelty; how the politico-theological complex distorts reality, focusing on Trump in North Carolina; and more.

Distinctly Catholic: A new poll gives Donald Trump his highest marks since taking office, with a 44% approval rating. It is the kind of news item that makes one scared.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Puerto Rico's plagues continue; Electoral College edge looms for 2020; former Planned Parenthood head explains her resignation.

Distinctly Catholic: New bishop appointments could shift the U.S. bishops' conference in a new direction. Let's look at which appointments are the most important and why, and discuss the kinds of choices the pope faces.

Distinctly Catholic: The House resolution condemning Trump's racism is a civics lesson that teaches us why America is great. The Democrats must communicate this positive vision to the electorate.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Accompanying an Holocaust survivor; Pete Buttigieg underwhelms; Puerto Rico needs more debt support; Elizabeth Warren is a "dangerous" Democrat.

Distinctly Catholic: Despite their insistence that they are loyal to the magisterium, EWTN has always been highly selective in presenting church teaching. They distort some teachings and ignore others.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: "RickyLeaks" in Puerto Rico; Democratic infighting; cruelty toward migrants is the point; rejecting Vatican II.

Distinctly Catholic: More than anything else, Democrats have to rid themselves of the condescending tone they sometimes adopt when speaking about working class voters and their concerns. Otherwise, their chances of winning the Senate — and of defeating Trump — grow dimmer and dimmer.

Distinctly Catholic: The echo chamber of the cultural left could cripple the Democrats. The spokespeople for the young left often do not realize how out of touch they are, how remote their concerns are from so many active voters.

Political links and commentary roundup: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is riding high; I still want the "vanity candidates" to leave the Democrats' field; working conditions; why a monastery would take in a serial killer

Distinctly Catholic: The pope's sermon at the Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul was one of my favorites of his entire pontificate because of its bold anti-Pelagian challenge.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Abortion ambivalence; empire parallels; the rise of China; fuel corruption in Puerto Rico; opera for cows.

Distinctly Catholic: Sen. Kamala Harris had a great night in the first round of primary debates. But she has problems: big money ties, anti-Catholic bigotry and failures as California attorney general.

Distinctly Catholic: As we prepare to celebrate the nation's birthday, the idea of America is being contested on terrain we thought was in our past, with the resurgence of a racially tinged understanding of the American nation.

Political news and commentary roundup: There's an opening for a Catholic columnist as good as Michael Gerson; capitalism took over pride; conservatives are sensitive about erasure; the wealth is all at the top, but there are two different white working classes

Distinctly Catholic: Two Supreme Court rulings warrant attention because they have to do with the state of our democracy. A case can be made that both were correctly decided, although one was regrettable and the other not from a political point of view. 

Distinctly Catholic: On Wednesday night, Elizabeth Warren solidified her standing, while Julian Castro and Cory Booker were the breakout candidates. On Thursday night, Kamala Harris walked away the clear winner.