There is likely no better imaginable day than Easter to tell the Vatican that they can go pack sand. Caroline Kennedy, the long time Obama supporter and very nearly Senator from New York, was apparently suggested as our next ambassador to the Vatican, but the Holy See finds the choice unacceptable because of Kennedy's stated position on abortion.
Vatican sources told Il Giornale that their support for abortion disqualified Ms Kennedy and other Roman Catholics President Barack Obama had been seeking to appoint.
The Italian paper said that the Vatican strongly disapproved of Mr Obama's support for abortion and stem cell research. The impasse over the ambassadorial appointment threatens to cloud his meeting with the Pope during a G8 summit in Itay in July.
Pardon me if take a moment to tell the Pope, "Boo Freaking Hoo." First of all, I have no idea why Kennedy would have been interested in the post in the first place, since it's really one of the more "nothing" positions in our government. While the State of the Vatican City is technically distinct from the Holy See, it's not as if we're going to be seeking their permission before we bomb Iran.
The broader point there, though, is the truly bizarre concept that foreign entities should be rejecting ambassadors because of policy differences between them and the person selected. Perhaps our ambassador to Venezuela should only be someone who supports Castro, hates America and wants Russian missile installations throughout Central and South America? Here's an idea… let's have an ambassador to England who wants the United States to forfeit its independence and go back to being a territory of the U.K.
A quick note to our Obama bashing pundits who are cackling with glee over this: ambassadors, by definition, are representatives of our nation and, in particular, of the positions and views of the current administration. The current administration happens to be pro-choice, and to the extent that should ever come up in discussions, they need to represent those views. All they really need is the ability to communicate well and be, well… diplomatic. They deliver messages, gather information and facilitate relations behind the scenes.
With that in mind, I would suggest to President Obama that he simply not send any additional names to the Vatican for the next year or two. Leave that office empty for a while and see if the Vatican begins to feel a bit differently about the situation. What? The world is going to end because we don't have an ambassador to a church? Somehow I think the world will soldier on.
Or, failing that, let's send over the Easter Bunny as our ambassador.
http://themoderatevoice.com/28721/why-do-we-even-need-a-vatican-ambassador/
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