Is the National Review a "Catholic" Magazine

The National Review is one of the leading conservative magazines in the country. More than a magazine it has a significant Internet page and their Corner blog is a important one to watch.

Vox Nova had a post yesterday that was prompted some comment. It is called National Review is Pro-Torture. I have not posted on the whole water boarding issue because to be frank I am still working myself through it. However an assertion is made quite strongly in that post that National Review has a Catholic ethos. Does it?

I do enjoy the NR and and especially NRO online. Though I have my disagreements and have been very disappointed in it on several issues the couple of years. I suppose the illegal immigration/immigration debate was one such time that I find it sadly lacking. Instead of being a place where issues could be thought out it was damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead on anyone that supported immigration reform in the least. I found the war against the Wall Street Journal on this issue not very productive.

Part of that has to do with the fact that MARK KRIKORIAN is on the staff. Mark Krikorian is the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. Which is an extremist "John Tanton" group that is much more than think tank that is against illegal immigration. It pretty much wants to stop immigration as a whole. As the Wall Street Journal so well pointed out in a March 15th Editorial:
“So determined is conservatism’s nativist wing that it’s even made common cause with radical environmentalists and zero-population-growth fanatics on the leftist fringe. The Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Center for Immigration Studies may strike right-wing poses in the press, but both groups support big government, mock federalism, deride free markets and push a cultural agenda abhorrent to any self-respecting social conservative."

After researching these groups I think that is a fair description. Now it is a viewpoint however I really do wish that NRO would have put a conservative into the mesh that has a legitimate conservative viewpoint that incorporated Christian thought and even compelling conservative thought for immigration reform. In a sense I am much more concerned about Catholic and Christian thought being totally slammed out of that debate more than I am the issue of "waterboarding' .

I took note the other day the much read Catholic conservative and Republican friendly blog The Anchoress was nominated for blogger reward. However this part of her post struck me:
"Then I wonder where some other blogs are and it just strikes me - what the heck is this little blog doing in this very impressive company? I’m cranky, I’ve lost half my readership because I’ve dared to disagree with some on immigration and Ann Coulter."

The Anchoress is no wide open borders person. However like many conservatives that were open to the possibility of some compromise on this hard issue she was slammed.To see examples of that start reading her post on the subject.

Now is NRO to blame for the vile that she and many other conservative bloggers got if they dared dissent from the mob on this issue. The answer is no. However they did precious little to police their own that was exacting its vengeance on all of us. Jonah Goldberg was a exception to the rule often. Many conservatives are still in denial that this caused serious damage and hurt to many of us.

So is it a "Catholic publication"? Well the answer is no. Even though they do give Catholics and especially that influential Catholic DC crowd a place for their opinions. For that I am thankful. The National Review is a place where Catholic and Christian thought is given place at the table. We see that with RAMESH PONNURU lately and his debates with those that blame Christianity for the ills of the world. Those that are Catholics and have problems with the NR's stance on water boarding should not be calling for making NR Anathema. They should try to engage the editors and contributors to allow another point of view. At least we have access there.

I will note as I was typing my entry Vox Nova has a just posted on NR liberal Counterpart. To be fair go see her the enty Anti Catholicism at the New Republic.