While various Republicans attempt to distance themselves from front-runner Donald Trump's call to bar all Muslims from entering the country, they remain determined to bar Muslim war refugees from entering. Toward this end Indiana Gov. Mike Pence went so far as to summon Catholic Archbishop Joseph Tobin to his office in an attempt to convince him to rescind church support for the one Muslim refugee family being relocated to Pence's state.
It was not to be. The archbishop says the family has arrived safely in Indianapolis.
Tobin said in a statement released Tuesday morning that he "prayerfully considered" Pence's request but decided that assisting the refugee couple with two small children was an "essential part" of the Catholic church's identity.
Whereas blocking fleeing war refugees from sanctuary in his state is an "essential part" of Republican Gov. Mike Pence's identity.
Again, we need to make this clear. Donald Trump's call to bar all Muslims from immigrating or even temporarily visiting the United States is not far afield from the policies currently being demanded by sitting Republican governors and members of Congress. His is the more blunt version, to be sure, but he's not in office. The Republicans in office are actually attempting to implement these policies.
So the mewling about Trump's open calls for religious litmus tests and purple-faced xenophobia is a bit much. Having House Speaker Paul Ryan declare that Trump's plan "is not conservatism" not that many days after leading a House vote to, yes, ban certain Muslim immigrants—while Trump's fellow, declared "serious" candidates opine that we could still let in the Christians, though only if they could "prove" their religion—suggests that it's Ryan who's misrepresenting what modern conservatism is, not Trump.
The standing ovation Trump received from his Republican crowd for demanding we bar all Muslims from America speaks loudly as to what conservatism is. The acts of Gov. Mike Pence and, yes, Rep. Paul Ryan, however, make it just as clear.