What Would TouchDown Jesus Do?

Oh boy, we got ourselves a ripe one.

Consider the press release, sent March 20th, by the Office of the Press Secretary, The White House

President Barack Obama to Deliver Spring 2009 Commencement Addresses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today at the White House daily press briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced that President Obama will serve as commencement speaker at Arizona State University, the University of Notre Dame, and the United States Naval Academy this year. President Obama will address graduates, family members, and faculty at Arizona State University on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, the University of Notre Dame on Sunday, May 17, 2009, and the United States Naval Academy on Friday, May 22, 2009.

More details will be announced at a later date.

Rather perfunctory, no?

Ahhh, except that it carries the name of that heralded bastion of education (and football), the University of Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish.

And there be some a'fightin', alright.

A cacophony of voices have their Catholic School knickers all bunched up over, not just Obama speaking, but also receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame.

What's the beef?



One of the main perches of the Flying Monkeys, the National Review sees " his extreme stance on abortion, and his anti-choice actions in office so far — insofar as there is nothing pro-choice about forcing taxpayers to fund abortions abroad, or in compelling medical professionals to participate in them under pain of losing their jobs."

NRO also ran a dog-and-pony thing, a symposium - "A Moral Exemplar? Should the University of Notre Dame honor our most anti-life president?"

Another Flying Monkey biggie, Red State, is flinging their feces, advocating "Notre Dame Alumni and Supporters Should Stop Payment", for they cite "Well known are his recent decisions to force American taxpayers to subsidize both the destruction of embryos for stem cell research and the destruction of babies via abortion throughout the world ..."

Oh yeah, the big muckety-muck, Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, is going to boycott the commencement.

The Roman Catholic bishop whose diocese includes the University of Notre Dame will boycott President Obama's May 17 commencement speech there because Obama's policies on stem cell research and abortion run counter to church teaching on the sanctity of human life.

Well, all this huffing-and-puffing, all this feces-throwing, the big, screaming website you put up, you think this will be canned?

Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said Monday the university does not support all of Obama's policies. A school spokesman, Dennis Brown, said he saw no circumstances under which it would rescind the invitation.

The White House issued a statement Tuesday saying Obama welcomes the "spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues."

Here's a big hint, dwarfs, finks, phonies and frauds.

If Obama didn't cave in, at Inauguration time, on having Rick "Cone of Silence" Warren on the program, keep huffing-and-puffing, keep a good supply of feces around, you can probably come up with some other off-the-shelf, or manufactured, outrage you can use it on.

And, since you're bringing this up, where's that "Love Thy Neighbor" business, and, hows about addressing Blue Texan, over on Firedoglake;

But where were they when faculty members of the theology department at Boston College protested the announcement that BC was awarding Condoleeza Rice an honorary degree?

[Snip]

So, to review: a Catholic university awarding an honorary degree to a pro-choice, pro-death penalty, pro-torture warmonger = totally fine.

A Catholic university inviting a sitting Democratic President to deliver a speech = total disgrace.

And, let's not forgot, what is behind all the dogma, how you really don't have a voice at the morals table.

Not after YOUR CHURCH, YOUR CARDINALS, YOUR BISHOPS, YOUR POPES turned their backs on the horrendous sexual abuse of young boys by YOUR PRIESTS.

And, more recently, THIS.

No, you're throwing rocks from your immorally-built glass house.

Go sit down.


Bonus What Would TouchDown Jesus Do? Riffs

CNN: Pro-life group calls on Notre Dame to rescind Obama invite

Carl: The Cult Of Personality

Holly Bailey: No Wonder They Are Called the Fighting Irish

Jamison Foser: Newt Gingrich, guardian of Catholic values

Steve Benen: OBAMA AND NOTRE DAME...

Alex Koppelman: Catholics protesting Obama speech at Notre Dame