All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

The inclusion of a restrictive abortion clause in the House health care bill, and the Catholic Church's involvement in its passage, has legislators and others debating the extent to which religious organizations can appropriately delve into politics.

Anti-abortion rights lawmakers successfully added an amendment from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) into the health care bill Saturday that would restrict some health insurance plans from offering coverage for abortion. The amendment came up for a vote after Democrats faced pressure from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the official leadership body for the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, wrote an op-ed in Politico on Monday saying the IRS should pay closer attention to the Conference's involvement in efforts to influence legislation, given its tax-exempt status.

"The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy," Woolsey wrote. "They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure."

According to the IRS, nonprofit organizations like the USCCB are prohibited from attempting to "influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities" and from all campaign activities.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who is Catholic, took to his Twitter account today to defend the USCCB, the Hill reports.

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A controversial Arizona minister who prays for the death of President Obama has attracted attention from the Secret Service to a small group of protesters who hold regular demonstrations outside his church.

The Rev. Steven Anderson quoted passages from the Old Testament to the congregation of his Faithful Word Baptist Church about the kinds of people God hates in Tempe Aug. 16. Anderson then told worshippers he interprets those passages to include Mr. Obama and that he prays for the president's death.

While Anderson didn't say he wanted his parishioners to attack the president, he did say the country would benefit from Mr. Obama dying.

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Since President Obama entered the White House, there has quite a bit of speculation both about his spirituality and his use of a BlackBerry. It turns out the two issues are linked.

Mr. Obama revealed in an interview with ABC News that he starts every morning by reviewing a "devotional" he receives on his BlackBerry from his Faith and Neighborhood Initiatives Director Joshua DuBois. The message includes Christian passages and scripture and sometimes quotes from other faiths to reflect on, the president said.

On top of that, Mr. Obama said he prays every night before going to bed.

"When you're in this job, I think that every president whose had it is constantly humbled by the degree to which there are a lot of issues out there, and the notion that one person alone can solve all these problems I think you're cured of that illusion very quickly," the president said. "This is something where you just hope that you are aligning your work with His purposes and that you're attuned to the needs of the people you're there to serve."

Mr. Obama said his family has not yet picked a church in Washington because they are concerned about disrupting any congregration's regular services, and they are also trying to make the transition to their new home easier for the Obama daughters. The president has, however, been attending a church in Camp David.

"I've got a lot of stuff on my plate, and I need guidance all the time," he said.

Updated 3:21 p.m. EST.

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Time Magazine is reporting that President Obama has made Evergreen Chapel in Camp David his primary place of worship. The nondenominational church is said to have been chosen because of its small congregation – 50 to 70 worshippers - and the privacy it affords.

However, the White House is contesting the Time article, saying that the Obamas are still searching for a "church home."

"They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family," Deputy Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

At a press conference Monday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said “there have been no formal decisions about joining a church."

"They're not formally joining that church, and there have been no formal decisions about joining a church in this area,” he told reporters.

Gibbs also reiterated that the president is concerned with the logistics of joining a church because his presence might distract and take away "from the experience others might get."

Evergreen Chapel was also former President George W. Bush's place of worship and is regarded as a place to pray away from fans that may interrupt and distract from a president's worship.

As Time reports, when Mr. Obama visited 19th Street Baptist and St. John's Episcopal Church earlier this year, lines formed three hours before the service and congregation members could not resist snapping pictures of the president as he went to take communion.

The Obamas have been in the market for a church since they arrived in Washington in January.

Following his visit to Arlington National Cemetery this morning, President-elect Barack Obama and his family attended church at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in northwest Washington D.C.

The Associated Press reports that the congregation "erupted in applause" when the Obama family walked into the church. The Obama clan, which included Barack, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, sat in the second row.

The church is "is the oldest and among the most historic African American churches in the District of Columbia," according to Joshua DuBois, Mr. Obama's Director of Religious Affairs. It is known for homeless outreach and helping people with HIV/AIDS.