Pelosi-Gate: Decision Day

Today is a critical juncture in the struggle between Nancy Pelosi et al. and the American bishops over what it means to be a Catholic in America today.

Pelosi-Gate has been covered in the last 24 hours by the Associated Press, Reuters, Drudge, Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh & Bill O'Reilly. People already know where the debate stands, and are waiting to see what happens next.

This is a unique situation for two reasons: a) Pelosi's comments are absurd enough that they bring several long-simmering issues to a boiling-point and b) so far, Pelosi has received public correction from the American bishops. In other words, the bishops have every reason to continue taking advantage of this unprecedented teaching opportunity. They have the stage, an attentive audience, and a winning position.

Furthermore, in authorizing her spokesman to release a statement defending her position, Pelosi has tossed the ball back into the American bishops' court. She has said, in essence: "No, I was right, and you were therefore wrong to correct me."

The next few days (and honestly, given today's news cycle, the next 24 hours) will determine whether her bluff is called, or if she and her ilk are permitted to continue deceiving Americans about what their Catholic faith actually means in the American public forum.

The bishops have already made the most difficult step: they have started a public conversation with Pelosi on a critically-important topic. They now benefit from a different type of inertia than the one they are perhaps used to - namely, the positive inertia of already being in the debate as opposed to the negative inertia of not having said anything at all.

Their actions, of course, have already drawn fierce criticism from exactly the sort of people who we counted on raising the alarm. But the bold words of the bishops have also drawn vocal, immediate support and praise from sincere ardent, practicing Catholics. Backing down now would be a greater victory for Pelosi's deceits than allowing her comments to go unopposed in the first place.

So please, don't stop while you're ahead. After all, we are so rarely ahead.

update: Phil Lawler brilliantly outlines the ways in which Pelosi has (unintentionally) performed a huge favor for the cause of respecting unborn life in America. There is also at least one possible sign that the American bishops do not intend to let this conversation end with this unsatisfactory conclusion.