Politics

Kerry Meets With Key Cardinal

April 16, 2004 / 5:04 PM EDT / CBS/AP

John Kerry, a Catholic politician whose votes on abortion and gay marriage are at odds with the church's teachings, met privately Thursday with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Washington archbishop heading a task force examining whether there should be church sanctions for such politicians.

The presumptive Democratic nominee and McCarrick declined to comment after the 45-minute session, with Kerry telling aides that the meeting was "completely personal and private," according to spokesman David Wade.

Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Washington archdiocese, said Kerry and McCarrick, who had never met, had "a chance to get to know each other" at a session requested by Kerry. Gibbs said she couldn't say if the work of the task force had come up, but said she "wouldn't expect it to particularly."

Aides to Kerry said the meeting had been in the works for months, but it came just days after McCarrick, in a national television interview, raised the specter of punishing Catholic politicians who break with the church in supporting abortion rights and stem-cell research.

Gibbs described the session as a private pastoral meeting held at the archdiocese's center in Hyattsville, Md., close to Howard University where Kerry held a campaign event earlier in the day.

The first Catholic poised to get a presidential nomination since John F. Kennedy in 1960, Kerry has been criticized by some church leaders for taking stands in conflict with his faith's teachings while regularly attending Mass and receiving the sacrament of communion.

In other political developments:

The Los Angeles Times reported that the GOP has kicked off an assault on Kerry's views on social issues, including abortion, gun control, gay marriage and the death penalty. The Republican National Committee has completed a study of Kerry's opinions on social issues, which the GOP is expected to use as a weapon against Kerry in the conservative South and rural areas across the country.

The National Rifle Association is creating a news corporation, starting an Internet talk show and preparing to buy a radio station to speak about candidates and gun rights at election time despite new political ad limits. The 4 million-member gun lobby, looking for the same legal recognition as mainstream news organizations, says it has already hired its first reporter.

The Washington Post reports that Kerry is planning a new round of TV ads geared to the findings of internal polls that show voters find Kerry's background as a war hero attractive. The newspaper said the polls also are attracted to the "New Democrat" emphasis on fiscal prudence and a strong military. The new Kerry ads are being rolled out as the Bush campaign cuts back its spending on ads that are airing in 18 battleground states.

On Sunday, Kerry launches a three-day campaign swing through Florida, a crucial battleground state. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a popular figure in the Sunshine State during the 2000 election, plans to campaign alongside the Massachusetts senator.

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