Obama Set to Reignite Communion Controversy by Picking Sebelius as VP Nominee?

Dave Hartline links to a couple of stories indicating that Kathleen Sebelius, the pro-abortion Catholic Governor of Kansas, still seems to be on top of Obama's short list for Veep:

"Praise for Sebelius"

"Obama veepstakes: The other woman"

As Dave notes (and as I've noted previously), picking Sebelius is definitely a risky strategy for a campaign that has gone to great lengths to try to win over Catholic voters. Sebelius' bishop, Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City, has made public his instructions to her that she should refrain from receiving Communion over her pro-abortion stance. Picking her would be seen by many Catholics as Obama's sticking it to the Church hierarchy over the issue of abortion.

Such a pick would definitely ignite what some pundits have blasphemously dubbed the "wafer watch", since every Mass at which Sebelius was in attendance would turn into a media circus. Reporters and photographers would love to catch Sebelius receiving Communion in defiance of her bishop.

If you thought the media attention given to John Kerry's Mass attendance in 2004 was distracting, just wait until the media focuses their attention on a Catholic whose actions in receiving Communion would actually be in defiance of her own bishop's admonitions to refrain from doing so (something that was never the case with John Kerry).


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Fidelis on Abortion, Bishops, & Politics

Has Obama's Catholic Advisory Council Dissolved?

E.J. Dionne on Kmiec Being Denied Communion [UPDATED]

Amy Welborn on Abp. Naumann and Gov. Sebelius [UPDATED]

LA Slimes Columnist Defends Sebelius Against Bob Novak Op/Ed; Calls Opus Dei "Sinister" Organization with Fascist Ties

Robert Novak on the Possibility of Sebelius as Obama's Running Mate: "A Vice President for Abortion"

Q and A With Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

Bill Donohue: "Catholic Left Hangs Itself"

Archbishop Chaput: Thoughts on “Roman Catholics for Obama ’08”

"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius

"Scandalous"

Archbishop Naumann to Kansas Gov. Sebelius: Stop Taking Communion, Publicly Apologize [UPDATED]