Brief thoughts on Notre Dame's commencement speaker.

[Language warning.]

If you're a Catholic who thinks your faith should guide your responses to moral issues that throng the public square, you should never get your hopes up when it comes to the "premier" Catholic universities in this country. Collective mottoes: "Always Call Retreat--but look, we have crucifixes in the classroom--it's in our course catalog!"

So ND's decision to announce that the President was going to be the commencement speaker a mere two weeks after signing the destructive embryonic stem cell research order was in some ways shocking, but not, when carefully considered, surprising.

What was surprising was the deathlessly stupid excuse for it:

"We are not ignoring the critical issue of the protection of life. On the contrary, we invited him because we care so much about those issues, and we hope for this to be the basis of an engagement with him," [ND President] Jenkins said.

Holy hopping snot, that's stupid. As in epic fail stupid.

Upon what is this wan "hope" based?

What in his background gives you the impression that he gives the slightest shit what pro-lifers think? The man thought giving medical care to infants born during botched abortions was a threat to the Constitution, for the love of God.

Since he entered office, his idea of dialogue on life issues has boiled down to "I won." He gave the brushoff to pro-life members of his own party and made sure that only pro-aborts are being consulted on health policy issues. His speech authorizing destructive embryonic stem cell research was larded with contempt for those in opposition. Call me crazy, but I don't think giving him free publicity and the chance to do the grip 'n' grin with a bunch of star-struck Domers eager to look past his record is going to move the ball in our direction.

He's not interested in dialogue--he's interested in cultivating the appearance of being interested in dialogue. Which ND's commencement will do wonders for, and which he will exploit for all it's worth, politically.

So, the University "hopes" for the basis of an engagement with the President, eh? Well, I suppose a hooker can hope for a cuddle after giving a blow job, too, President Jenkins. If you really think this can be the start of something meaningful, you are going to suffer the same disappointment as the working girl once the transaction is over.