Is Fr. Robert Drinan, SJ, going to receive a Congressional Medal of Freedom? According to Roll Call (sub req’d), House Democrats have nominated Drinan to receive the high honor.
Speaking of Cheney. House Republican leaders apparently have floated Cheney to receive the prestigious Congressional Medal of Freedom award, along with CIA director and former Florida Republican Rep. Porter Goss.
GOP leaders, according to sources, quietly conveyed the names of their nominees to the House Democratic leadership, which, not surprisingly, balked at the GOP’s choice. Democrats instead want to nominate former Rep. Lindy Boggs (D-La.) and Father Robert Drinan, the former Massachusetts Congressman.
HOH very lovingly asked Speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R-Ill.) office why Hastert believes Cheney deserves the award. His leaking prowess? The answer didn’t exactly address the question “Although we love HOH, we have not made an announcement on any awards, names or details,” a Hastert spokesman said.
A House Democratic leadership aide had plenty to say about the choice. “What a clear distinction between Democrats and Republicans - Democrats award the Congressional Distinguished Service Award to two moral leaders, Republicans give it to two misleaders.”
Drinan, for those who don’t know, is the Jesuit who ran for US Congress in 1970 (see his Wikipedia entry), and proceeded to keep running for election despite orders from his superiors to the contrary, until finally an order from Pope John Paul forced him out.
Drinan was a reliable liberal vote, especially on social and sexual issues, and provided the pretext for many Catholic politicians, such as Ted Kennedy, to switch from previous pro-life stances to pro-abortion stances because Drinan told them that good Catholics could do so.
Yeah, he’s a real moral leader. (In the years since 1981, he’s been a reliable source of extreme liberal kookiness for reporters to quote.)
Oh those canny House Democrats, courting the Catholic vote away from Republicans. Not.
