Today, the McCain campaign continued its aggressive outreach to Catholics, hosting a conference call with key Catholic leaders from across the country and blasting out a press release with over a hundred key Catholic leaders that are heading up McCain’s Catholic steering committee. The campaign has even brought on a full-time staffer to help coordinate the effort.

I was privileged to participate in the call, and it was very impressive. McCain started the call by thanking Senator Brownback for his leadership on the committee and for his friendship and efforts on the campaign trail. McCain noted that Catholics are a key demographic he feels his record can appeal to and then outlined why Catholics should support him for president: His unwavering commitment to defending the innocent unborn and his record of leadership on human rights issues. He also took questions from listeners. I asked the first question, and asked him if he would consider making a speech at a prominent Catholic university this semester. He responded by saying his is committed towards doing so and also noted that he sent two of his children to Catholic schools. He was then asked a question regarding the endorsement by Pastor Hagee, who has made bigoted remarks against Catholics. McCain said that he rejects anti-Catholic views, and reiterated comments he made to the AP last Friday in regards to the Hagee endorsement. Next, McCain was asked about his ability to appeal to centrist Catholics on issues like human rights. McCain responded by discussing his record on battling genocide in places like Darfur and Bosnia. Finally, McCain was asked about embryonic stem-cell research, in which he responded that he is very encouraged by recent scientific developments.

Here are some excerpts from the press release:

Brownback:

“John McCain has a common sense vision for America based on faith, freedom, and families,” said Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), National Co-Chair of the National Catholics for McCain Committee. “Committed to the protection of innocent human life, he is a leader Catholics will be proud to support. John McCain knows from experience what it means when a society tramples on the truth of the value of the human person. He is committed to defending the dignity and value of every person, regardless of their status.”

McCain:

John McCain expressed his deep appreciation and stated, “I want to thank Catholic voters today, who have played a vital role in electing me as the Republican nominee for the presidency. I am humbled by the support of such a diverse group of Catholic leaders who are dedicated to the defense of traditional marriage, advocate for the protection of innocent human life, and share my vision for a stronger, safer and more prosperous America. I stand firmly with those Catholics who believe that human rights are natural rights for all people, in all places, and in all stages of life.”

You can view the full committee here, and read stories by LifeNews.com and Catholic News Agency.

It is very impressive to see the McCain campaign doing some serious coalition building. It comes as no surprise that the McCain camp is targeting the Catholic vote, as it is a significant swing vote that was heavily courted by the Bush campaign and the RNC in 2004. In fact, my first real political involvement came from being involved with the RNC Catholic Outreach team in 2004 as a high schooler. The efforts of the Bush campaign and the RNC paid off: Bush won the Catholic vote after losing it to Gore in 2000, which helped propel him to victory. In Ohio for example, Bush beat Kerry 65-35% among church-going Catholics, an impressive margin.

It will be extremely important for McCain to capture the Catholic vote, and given these early efforts, he’s on the right path to securing the vote, especially if Obama is the Democratic nominee. You can read more about Obama’s Catholic problem at a piece written by Deal Hudson, the former chairman of RNC Catholic Outreach.

I look forward to writing more on McCain’s outreach to this important coalition.