Nuns on the Bus Visit Might Be Exactly What Mitt Romney Needs
Remember Nuns on the Bus ? This summer's inspiring anti-poverty movement arrived in New York City on Monday, where the nuns and their supporters promptly hopped off the bus and onto the Staten Island Ferry to highlight how Republican budget proposals would impact poverty programs throughout the state.
The group's leader, Sister Simone Campbell, told ThinkProgress that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's comments about the "47 percent" were "shocking."
It broke my heart that he would be so out of touch, that he would so not know the truth of folks at the margins of our society who work so hard.
Campbell is executive director of NETWORK , a national Catholic social justice lobby that sponsored the Nuns on the Bus nine-state tour in June. The group is raising awareness of Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed federal budget, which would cut nutrition assistance, early childhood education and job training and end Medicare as we know it. Since Ryan became Romney's vice presidential running mate, NETWORK has redoubled its efforts to hold accountable Romney, Ryan and their supporters in Congress.
The Staten Island visit included a stop at Rep. Michael Grimm's office to protest his endorsement of the Romney-Ryan budget—and to ask him to consider the " Faithful Budget "as an alternative. The Faithful Budget is proposed by a large coalition of religious denominations and organizations, including NETWORK.
The nuns have invited all the presidential and vice presidential candidates to spend Oct. 10 with them in Cincinnati, "to spend a day with Catholic Sisters who work every day to meet the needs of struggling families in their communities."
Campbell told ThinkProgress the visit might be exactly what Romney needs: to "listen to folks' experience."
Not speak, we want him to listen, to let his heart be broken by the truth of people in the United States. That’s what he needs.
