Mary Ann Glendon - Just Another Old Catholic White Woman For Mitt Romney ?

Morning Minion over at VOX NOVA  has a post up Who are the “Catholics for Romney” co-chairs?


I am not going to go through defending all the good Catholics that Morning Minion seems to have a very well  to put it bluntly a superficial analysis  of their merits and their careers. Skin color and age is  all that seems to matter as to diversity.

However I was shocked at the treatment of former Envoy Mary Ann Glendon. It was basically "has strong ties to the ‘Weigel wing” of the Catholic Church in America, and its alliance with the evangelical Republican right."

and

Back to the Catholics for Romney: what do we have here? Six white people, including five white men. The only Hispanic ambassador, appointed by Obama, is obviously absent. Two people in their 80s. Three people in their 70s. One baby boomer, a sprightly 59-year-old!

So here we have it. Forget that they are Vatican ambassadors. What stands out more is that the Catholics for Romney co-chairs are old, white, and most likely pretty wealthy, people – and nearly all men. How does this compare to the complexion of the US Catholic Church today? How about in 30 years time?


Well ok.


As to former Envoy Mary Ann Glendon  of course her accomplishments are a mile long  in the Church, for women, in the law , and for her country seems sort of not important . For extensive look at her published  work go here.

Nor is it mentioned that Glendon spent some time working for Civil Rights in Mississippi at a very dangerous time. I am not sure she was a big name but her activities were observed  note many believe files are missing as a whole from the Commission archives ) by the Mississippi Spy Agency that existed back then. Type in "Glendon" in the search name feature and her name will come up. From this spy report here and here  it does not look like it glamorous work .

From that time she had a civil marriage with an African American attorney  which from this account at some pointed resulted having her interracial child in a southern hospital segregated ward.

Of course such an diverse life experience sometimes comes from being "old".

From that last link:

Laurence H. Tribe, a professor of constitutional law who supports a woman's right to choice, described Glendon as "an insightful and probing scholar" who is "charming and persuasive and can be authoritative without being overbearing."


Of her political views, Glendon says: "I always laugh when I hear myself described as a conservative."She characterizes herself as "politically homeless," because she believes that she is "more liberal than the hard right wing of the Republican Party and more conservative than the liberal wing of the Democratic Party."

On most economic issues, Glendon says: "My thinking grows straight out of the social teachings of the Catholic church. The Earth and its resources are the common heritage of mankind and the rich are privileged and should give to their brothers and sisters."This has led her to favor debt-reduction policies embraced by the developing world and made her a powerful advocate of greater support for women and children in divorce.

She does seem close to Romney and if he does obtain the White House I have to think people on the right and yes even on the Catholic left will be glad she is there.

The poster here seems to have a crystal ball and has figured well all the Latino, minority voters, and young folks are going to go. Well maybe so or maybe not. Morning Minion himself just 4 years ago was making bold proclamations that the GOP would now be forever AMEN just the party electoral wise of the "old confederacy". Well that had to be rather radically adjusted just two years later.