Ambassador To Vatican Blocked by Senate Dems?

A few posts ago, I expressed my belief that a consistent church-state philosophy demands that separationists should oppose any Presidential appointment of an Ambassador to the Vatican. Unfortunately this is a somewhat old issue that has received little attention in recent years. Nonetheless, Baptists from both sides of the aisle like Jimmy Draper and James Dunn have voiced their opposition to an ambassador to the Holy See.

Now, the issue is back in the news. In an Inside Report article by Robert Novak makes the following claim:

WASHINGTON — President Bush’s nomination of Harvard Law School professor Mary Ann Glendon as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican is being held up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, raising the possibility that the post may be vacant when Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States in April. The selection of anti-abortion advocate Glendon is opposed by Catholics for a Free Choice. No official holds on her confirmation have been filed, but failure to schedule a hearing blocks her confirmation. She is caught up in blanket Democratic opposition to Bush’s final nominees. Business tycoon Francis Rooney, current ambassador to the Holy See, has resigned and is expected to be gone by the time of the pope’s American visit.

Or perhaps Glendon is being blocked for her reputation as a "theocon" ??

For background, see Frederick Clarkson's past post over at Talk2Action. Questioning why Glendon would receive this nomination in the first place, Clarkson asks: "Why would the U.S. appoint as a diplomat, someone who is or was a diplomat for the sovereign state to which she would represent U.S. interests? "

Interesting question.