This week's Catholic Spirit features a letter to the editor by Senator Norm Coleman, congratulating Archbishop Flynn on the tenth anniversary of his installation as Archbishop. For the first 2 paragraphs. And then the letter veers off:

"As a pro-life U.S. Senator, I am proud to be able to work side-by-side with Archbishop Flynn to protect the rights of the unborn, work to uphold the sanctity of human life for all, and continue to advocate for the least of those among us."

Isn't that nice? Aren't we lucky to have such a wonderful defendant of human life representing our state in Washington? Sure, except that actions speak louder than words.

And Senator Coleman's actions have been decidedly not pro-life. Is this the same man who said in The Minnesota Daily's 2002 Elections Guide:

"I support a ban on all forms of embryonic cloning, and I support the president’s policy on stem cell research, which balances the moral significance of human embryos with the potential for medical advancement."

Is he trying to win back the Catholic base he alienated with his recent decsions (after all, 1 in 5 Minnesotans is Catholic) by showing his support of the Archbishop, while at the same time reinforcing his supposed pro-life stance? 'Cuz I have to say, it didn't work on me.