Most of the news analyses of the Stupak amendment on the health care vote are chalking up a victory for pro-life Bishops. The Catholic church was arguably not a significant part of the Religious Right constellation of the '80s and '90s. But the institution has been a long proponent of universal health care, and Catholics are traditionally a strong Democratic voting bloc.
Of course, the survival of the U.S. Catholic church is increasingly reliant on its steadily growing immigrant ranks. While this population is typically conservative on the abortion issue, it is clearly concerned and effected by immigration policy. What if the Catholic leaders were as vocal and instrumental in holding up a House bill without strong immigrant rights language?
