HARRY SMITH: Let me ask you about this. Caroline Kennedy: there’s this story . . .
BILL O’REILLY: It’s unbelievable! [Bill's stupefaction can be seen in the screencap].
SMITH: Wait, wait, wait. Here’s my question: do you believe it’s true? Do you believe the Obama administration would have floated her name?
O’REILLY: Yes, I do believe it’s true.
SMITH: That sounds crazy. There’s only one place that this has actually been reported, in an Italian paper, right?
O’REILLY: Well, no. The Vatican is also confirming it to the Washington Times.
. . .
SMITH: I just don’t think it’s true. I just don’t think it’s true.
O’REILLY: Why would you not think it’s true?
SMITH: I just think it’s too stupid.
O’REILLY: John Kerry is the guy who brought it to Obama, OK, and said Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy family, Catholic tradition –
SMITH: They wouldn’t let Kerry speak at the Al Smith dinner, the Catholic church.
O’REILLY: I’m not sure the Obama people are that plugged into what is going on there.
Surely Smith is right that appointing an abortion-rights advocate, a Catholic to boot, could only be seen by the Holy See as a slap in the face. Let’s see, if Pres. Obama thinks Caroline makes sense as envoy to the Vatican, I’ve got an idea for a bit of PBO bi-partisanship. Announcing the new ambassador to Israel: Pat Buchanan!
Note: The Washington Times does not quite have the Vatican confirming the Caroline story to it, as O’Reilly suggested. Here’s the relevant passage from its story [emphasis added]:
The chief Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Thursday that there have been no rejections because no formal nominations have been made.
“No proposals for U.S. ambassador have arrived in the Vatican, so nobody has been refused,” Father Lombardi said. “The rumors that have been circulating on this are not reliable.”
However, that does not mean that potential candidates for ambassador have not been floated and rejected either by the Vatican or by U.S. bishops, said a Vatican official who spoke on the condition that he not be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
2 Comments
Of course I believe it’s true…and I believe that Kerry was the one who brought her name to the President (probably thought she should have a consolation prize after the NY Senator rebuff.)
The fact that the rumor says not one, but three names have been cast aside grants more credence to it.
This President is amazingly tone-deaf when it comes to religious opposition to his views. I think he might actually believe that the “right” ambassador (i.e. a “Catholic” who supports “choice”) might have an effect on the Pope.
The Vatican official’s “denial” is weighted with semantics. No one has been “proposed” (not officially) so there can be no rejection.
But I’m with you, Mark; I have no doubt that there have been “behind the scenes” suggestions, and that President Obama, having to pick from his ardent supporters, is having a hard time finding a pro-life Catholic among them.
In the words of Caroline of Kennedy:
Ya…ok…
..Ahhh…ummm…Of…aahh.. course…ahhh this is ummm… true.