What he does is enumerate positions on a number of issues which have been cited by the bishops as responsibilities of dutiful Catholics. No religious group in America is supposed to argue in favor of any one political party. What Mr. Califano does is dance around that subject, because he wouldn't want to find himself on the other side from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Wake up to your parishioners' moral obligations in respect of public policy. And if you don't know what these are, ask your nearest bishop.
Health care is a fundamental human right.
Affordable housing is in the same category. The death penalty should be abolished. Debt relief should be granted to poor nations. If the Catholic Church is going to get choosy about what constitutes tolerable political behavior, it would obviously begin by putting pressure on Catholics engaged in promoting the welfare of the Democratic Party to rush forward to be shriven. Would you like to see them add this columnist to their newspaper.