Kmiec was a public voice among professing Roman Catholics who voted Obama president. It was fitting that among Obama’s very first moves, done literally as pro-lifers were leaving the annual March for Life, was an executive order ensuring that taxpayer dollars went to Planned Parenthood International.
More recently, President Obama drew a line in the sand in the budget battle, refusing attempts by Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, a Catholic, to defund Planned Parenthood. Obama ensured taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood domestically as well.
Most ironic about this latest Obama action it that it seems to have happened at almost precisely the time that news broke that Doug Kmiec is resigning his post as ambassador to Malta, a plum reward for his service to Obama’s presidential campaign. What had Kmiec done wrong? In short, too much religion. To quote the Associated Press:
“The U.S. ambassador to Malta, an important Roman Catholic supporter of President Obama, said Sunday he would resign after a State Department report criticized him for spending too much time writing and speaking about his religious beliefs.”
In letters to Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Douglas Kmiec said he would step down Aug. 15. He told The Associated Press that no one pressured him to leave… but a report this month by the State Department’s inspector general rebuked Kmiec for concentrating too much on issues such as abortion and his faith.
For his part, Kmiec rightly protested in a letter to Obama: “I doubt very much whether one could ever spend too much time on this subject.”
Well, apparently you can—that is, if you’re a faithful member of the Obama administration. Professor Kmiec seems to have finally learned that lesson, up close and personal. Now that’s what I call “getting religion.”
For Catholic Exchange dot com and Ave Maria Radio, I’m Paul Kengor.
