Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Blaming America first; reactions to Helsinki remarks; Serve America PAC gaining ground; Frontline's documentary on Puerto Rico non-recovery is incisive; Elizabeth Bruenig is a must-read commentator

With the publication of "The Prosperity Gospel: Dangerous and Different," the Jesuit priest and Prebysterian minister are happily stirring up trouble again, eschewing the false politeness that characterizes too much writing on the Catholic left. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: An odd America editorial; meeting parallel to the pope in Dublin; Democrats' and Republicans' misperceptions of each other.

Distinctly Catholic: Trump's trip to the Brussels NATO summit illustrated both his political genius and his magnificent vacuity. But he has no way of assessing the cost of his tantrums.

Distinctly Catholic: Conservative jurisprudence is still offensive to any set of values worthy of the name Christian. Also, we can expect 30 or more years of pro-business decisions from Brett Kavanaugh, and that it is reason enough to vote against him.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The reactions to the Kavanaugh nomination were predictable on all sides, but there was at least some fresh air and insightful analysis.

Distinctly Catholic: With the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, the nation is about to be consumed, again, by a debate about abortion. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is getting richer because of for-profit prisons; learn about fascism; responding to critiques of a few latest columns

Distinctly Catholic: The forthcoming Supreme Court confirmation process will be largely dominated by discussions of abortion. But analyses wrongly assume a static political environment.

Distinctly Catholic: I do not see how a constitutional originalist can object to being asked any particular question, and none that would amount to a "religious test."

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Sr. Norma Pimentel's profile rises; a slate of Supreme Court news; civics for conspiracy theorists; "Trump City" in the '80s.

Distinctly Catholic: On a day to assess the health of our republic, we face recent developments that show the degree to which the entire GOP establishment has caved to Trumpism.

Distinctly Catholic: Inside Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty's The Problem of Wealth: A Christian Response to a Culture of Affluence, there is a great book trying to get out. 

Distinctly Catholic: Using the news last week to publish rumors about Cardinal Theodore McCarrick that still are unsubstantiated felt creepy, not cathartic, to me. Journalists should not say they know something until they actually do.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Consequences of Crowley's defeat in New York; religious liberty groups silent on travel ban decision; another link pops up between conservative Catholic organizations and right-wing political groups

Distinctly Catholic: With Supreme Court ruling against the union, solidarity lost a battle and I do not underestimate the severity of the loss. But it was not, it cannot be, a fatal blow.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Sarah Huckabee Sanders separated from her entrée, Cardinal Blase Cupich explains Romans 13 to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, An open letter to ICE officials

No one should have been surprised that Trump used immigrant families as pawns in his political games, but his callousness should signal that it is time for the church to resist.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Millennial calls family separation policy 'political violence'; Agreement on objections to Arroyo; Surprising origin for Nazi analogy

After years of covering up the sexual abuse of children, a regime of transparency and accountability is firmly enough in place that not even a cardinal can be considered above the law.