Kmiec’s controversial reward: Malta
At first I laughed when reading Barack Obama had appointed Doug Kmiec ambassador to… Malta? Yesterday the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave its thumbs up, so only 1 nonhurdle remains, the full Senate.
Then I did a little reading and discovered intrigue and controversy.
Recall Kmiec is a supposed pro-life Catholic Republican who defected to support Obama and actively – and successfully – worked hard to siphon pro-life Catholic votes Obama’s way. For that Kmiec is being rewarded with this ambassadorship. And here is where the plot thickens….
1st, Kmiec’s appointment is another in a string of crony paybacks by Obama that has been raising ire among not only U.S. diplomats being pushed aside but also among recipient countries. When earlier this year Obama appointed one of his biggest fundraisers, Louis Susman, The Telegraph reported:
Critics… pointed out that there is little difference between handing a major diplomatic post to a fundraiser and the “pay to play” scandal in which disgraced former IL governor Rod Blagojevich apparently auctioned off Mr Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder.
Stateside news outlets are overlooking Obama’s Chicago-style political paybacks. Reported Big Hollywood last month:
The MSM discreetly reports that President Obama hasn’t exactly been making good on his pledge to appoint ambassadors from the ranks of foreign service professionals rather than campaign contributors.
So back to Kmiec. There are apparently several reasons Kmiec was appointed to Malta in particular. In a U.S. News & World Report op ed last month, John Farrell wrote:
Specifically, Kmiec helped lead an effort, targeted at Catholics, that vouched for Obama and suggested that folks could trust him to make abortion rare…. I thought this a noble effort, and have written warmly of it, in part because I figured that Kmiec would be around to hold Obama’s feet to the fire. After all, Kmiec had put his credibility on the line.
But now he is off to Malta, a lovely island nation in the Mediterranean where the arduous duties of ambassador can be dispensed in a morning’s work. Then have your staff prepare a lunch; the sailboat is waiting. And remember to be back for the evening’s reception at the yacht club. If you ask a career foreign service officer about being posted to Malta, they tend to get misty-eyed and blabber rhapsodically.
Ah, Chicago. Is Kmiec getting his reward for shilling to Catholics? Or is this a shrewd move on the part of Rahm and Ax to get him out of the country and dispense with any uncomfortable questions he might raise about abortion: like when, exactly, is the White House going to do something to make it rare?
There’s something else that makes Malta a controversial choice for Kmiec. Just south of Italy it is a “Catholic island nation,” according to the Catholic News Agency, adding:
Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca of Malta has previously spoken out about the role Christian politicians must take in respecting life in all stages. During a Maltese Independence Day celebration in 2004, he noted that these politicians “should reject abortion and euthanasia….”
The editor of The Malta Independent Online wrote:
The appointment of Douglas Kmiec… is somewhat of a poisoned chalice by President Obama to Malta.
For the US President is sending to Malta not just one who supported him, although a Republican, but also one who, though a Catholic and a pro-life person, has fallen foul of some leaders within the Catholic Church in the US for his public stances regarding abortion and other pro-life issues.
Di-ve.com wrote:
His nomination had caused a stir in pro-life Catholic circles because of Malta’s strong pro-life stance and laws prohibiting abortion.
So there is a lot more than meets the eye with Kmiec’s Maltese reward. Obama is apparently sending Kmiec on a paid Mediterranean vacation to get Kmiec out of his hair while at the same time hoping to liberalize staunch pro-life Catholics, which would be helpful as Obama attempts through the U.N. to spread his abortion agenda throughout the world.

Kmiec lost his pro-life credentials, if he ever had them, when he supported Obama for President. This appointment is similar to Obama appointing Kathleen Kennedy Townsend as ambassador to the Vatican. The Holy See apparently declined several of Obama’s picks for ambassadors as they could not be certified until they were fully pro-life. We shall see whether Malta does the same. What a slap in the face to Malta. What a slap in the face to Catholics.
who had you supported for Ambassador to Malta?
Posted by: Hal at August 7, 2009 11:01 AM
“who had you supported for Ambassador to Malta?”
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How about a ‘diplomat’ or someone that actually had some related training and real life experience.
mr. Kmiec’s seems to be good a parsing words and statements and being generally deceptive and condescending and has demonstrated quite the knack for deliberately missing the point and going to exraordinary lengths to do so.
Kmiec also seems particularly adept at ‘compartmentalizing’. He can subordinate what he believes or knows to be true in order to accomodate a person or policy or protocol that is antithetical to his professed world view.
I guess that is a plus if your are serving a man like pbho who has no discernable moral compass.
Two trillion dollars in debt in less than 200 days.
Yes, you did!
The democrat congress allocates several hundred million dollars to buy new ‘civilian’ jets the Air Force has never requested so congressperson’s can flit here and there on the taxpayers dime.
Al Quaeda has demonstrated that civilian aircraft are very effective weapons against large buildings, even government buildings.
Maybe Pelosi and company will make the ulimate sacrifice and kamakazi their new aircraft into some Iranian nuclear facilties.
It is tough assignment and I know they will give their lives in the process, but that is a sacrifice I am willing for them to make.
But before they do they ought to surrender their government pensions and health care for their surviving dependents and voluntarily enroll them their proposed government health plan. Leading by example is always the most effective method.
While they are on the long flight to Iran, they could use that time to actually read the bills they are in such a hurry to enact in to law.
Pelosi and company have demonstrated a more than ample ability to bend the rules of congress to accomodate their own personal and political agendas, so it will no ‘problema’ to cast their votes while in mid-flight.
What the heck, they have even demonstrated that dead people can vote.
They can wait till after they have completed their suicide mission.
yor bro ken
wow, Ken, perhaps you need a vacation.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Ken is a watchman on the wall.
well I have relatives who are from Malta and I can say the Maltese are crazy Catholics who take NO prisoners.
They won’t take to Kmiec “parsing” or “calibrating” words (whatever the latter means!)
I’m hoping they hold him prisoner in the embassy or put him in a (row) boat back to the US!
Oh this is so perfect of a “reward” for Kmiec. there is a real chance that he will return to the Catholic fold when immersed in faithfulness day in and day out.
HAL,
You are right about one thing:
I do need a vacation.
Hal,
Have you been paying attention to the median age of the people who are showing up at the town hall meetings to voice their dis-agreement with the direction the leftist congress and leftist president are taking the country?
The largest single group are from Tom Brokaw’s ‘Greatest Generation’. These are the folks who defeated Hitler in WWII. And mzzzzzz Pelosi is accusing them of being Obama haters and Nazi’s.
I would love to see Nancy say that to one of those grey headed ladies who was army nurse in WWII. They would wipe up the floor with that arrogant and ignorant feminista hag.
I think we ought to bring back dueling. The prospect of pistols at twenty paces or sabres in close quarter might temper the tongues of some these leftist wimps.
When challenged, these cowards flight or flight reflex would kick in and the last you would see of them would be the yellow stained seat of their pants/pantsuits.
yor bro ken