"... Dollars to Doughnuts ..." [UPDATED]

Anyone else remember Michael Sean Winters' ridiculous prediction at America a few weeks ago?

"Now, of course, the stage at Notre Dame will be shared by someone whom the right has seen as a champion, Ambassador MaryAnn Glendon. There is no denying her credentials either as a conservative or as a pro-life advocate. I will bet dollars to doughnuts the next few weeks will make clear, however, that some on the right will begin attacking Dr. Glendon. Of course, Dr. Glendon, like the University of Notre Dame, is a source of pride for all Catholics, not just for conservatives. I view the world through very different lenses from Dr. Glendon, but I would be blind not to admire her accomplishments, her intellectual force, and her love for the Church. Whatever disagreements I have with her are disagreements within the family. (Of course, the right wing doesn’t view Notre Dame with the same "All in the Family" spirit.) And, in any event, here is a chance to fight another battle in the culture wars so who cares if Dr. Glendon must be thrown overboard?"

(emphasis added)

(Hat tip: Creative Minority Report)

Of course, the imagined "right-wing" attacks on Ambassador Glendon never materialized (not surprisingly).

But, interestingly enough, since yesterday's announcement of Ambassador Glendon's decision to decline Notre Dame's Laetare Medal, a subset of "enlightened Catholics" (who, no doubt, read Michael Sean Winters religiously) has decided that it's open season on Ambassador Glendon (as these comments at Amy Welborn's blog bear out):

Has long-time commenter RP wrapped it up and tied it tight, or does he drop it?

To grasp, as Glendon is doing here, for the moral high ground in opposition to a pro-abortion-rights president even as she has most recently been the public representative -- to the Vatican, no less! -- of an administration that had, as unapologetic policy, such intrinsic evils as torture: well, it is more ironic than I could ever have imagined.

Todd, another long-time commenter at Amy's, thinks this assessment is "Brilliant!"

And another commenter adds:

As Ambassador to the Vatican, Glendon was representing President Bush and his torture policy. She was also representing President Bush, the most prolific executioner of those on death row in American history. She also represented President Bush, who was carrying out an unjust war in addition to torturing.

Her hands are not clean.

Fortunately, Tom K is there to call the detractors on their hypocrisy:

Did I just miss all the criticism of Mary Ann Glendon prior to yesterday's open letter?

I remember a lot of "deservedly" and "no question" and "fitting balance" when she was announced as the Laetare Medal winner a few days after President Obama was announced as the commencement speaker and honorary law degree recipient. There must have been some "dirty hands" and "bishops' pawn," but I don't remember seeing any of it.

Exactly. I'm thinking Michael Sean Winters was somewhat guilty of projection in criticizing pro-life "right wingers" for something they never did, but which turned out to be exactly the tack the Catholic left immediately took as soon as Ambassador Glendon acted in a manner inconsistent with humble obeisance to The One.


UPDATE (29 April)
Here's another "right winger" who has turned on Ambassador Glendon. Uh ... wait ... never mind:

Suzette Martinez Standring: Mary Ann Glendon was the wrong recipient of the Laetare Medal anyway

Hmmm. What have you to say to that, Michael Sean Winters? Will he admonish these new attackers of Ambassador Glendon in the same way he tsk-tsked pro-lifers for predicted attacks on her that never transpired? Think he'll continue to defend Ambassador Glendon as "a source of pride for all Catholics, not just for conservatives" and continue to express admiration for "her accomplishments, her intellectual force, and her love for the Church" in the face of such criticism from his fellow Obamaphile Catholics?

I'm not holding my breath.


UPDATE #2 (29 April)
Fr. Z fisks an attack on Ambassador Glendon by the anti-Catholic hate group calling itself Catholic Democrats.

(Hat tip: Don McClarey at The American Catholic)


UPDATE #3 (30 April 2009)
And now, Michael Sean Winters, himself, joins in on the left's anti-Glendon feeding frenzy:

... Dr. Mary Ann Glendon certainly seems to think it a moral impossibility to share the stage with the President. [ED.: I don't believe she ever said that. What she said was that the University had put her in an awkward position by using her as the "And from the right ..." foil to Pres. Obama's presence on the commencement platform. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good partisan rant.] Given the fact that her last employer, the Bush administration, committed torture which is, last time I checked, an intrinsic moral evil, it is rich to hear her lecturing about moral outrage. I do not doubt Dr. Glendon acted sincerely. She just acted as a sincere Republican. [ED.: Never mind that Amb. Glendon is, apparently, a Democrat.] I hope the bishops who are in such high dudgeon about Obama will demand that Dr. Glendon be forbidden from receiving any Catholic honors until she renounces her association with the Bush administration. [ED.: Last I checked, it wasn't guilt by association with which the Bishops were concerned, but rather actual acts taken and beliefs held by Pres. Obama, himself.] Unlike Obama, after all, she is a Catholic and clearly falls under the prohibition of such awards to those who violate the Church’s fundamental moral beliefs made in the 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life." [ED.: Pres. Obama "clearly falls" within the meaning of "Catholics in Political Life", as the Bishops who have spoken on the matter have clearly stated. Relying over and over again on Jenkins' weak and completely discredited talking point doesn't make the talking point true.]

(editorial commentary added)

This, from the same ridiculous individual who only a few weeks ago attempted to appropriate the moral high ground to himself by declaring what a travesty it would be when the so-called "right wing" inevitably went on the attack against such a worthy Laetare honoree as Ambassador Glendon.


UPDATE #4 (30 April)
Dale Price has Winters' number, as well:

Say what you will about Michael Sean Winters...

...the America Magazine blogger has no shame or sense of irony whatsoever.

***
What a two-faced jackass. Not to mention a brazenly dishonest shill, but you can't make a revolutionary omelette without the occasional crass falsehood.

Where your heart is, there your treasure is, also. Looks like Winters' is in the Presidential Seal. "In all things charity"--unless you do something that makes the baby Caesar cry...

UPDATE #5 (1 May)
FYI. Here's the comment I left at Winters' blog yesterday:

Hmmm. Didn't take long for you to go on the attack against Amb. Glendon. Put aside the irrelevance and fallaciousness of your tu quoque argument, as well as the fact that Amb. Glendon is, apparently, a Democrat. Let's focus instead on the petty hypocrisy of your comments. Back when you thought Amb. Glendon was going to merrily go along with providing cover for Notre Dame's decision to honor the President, you were gushing: ''There is no denying her credentials either as a conservative or as a pro-life advocate. I will bet dollars to doughnuts the next few weeks will make clear, however, that some on the right will begin attacking Dr. Glendon. Of course, Dr. Glendon, like the University of Notre Dame, is a source of pride for all Catholics, not just for conservatives... I would be blind not to admire her accomplishments, her intellectual force, and her love for the Church...'' But a funny thing happened on the way to the commencement stage: your predicted groundswell of ''right-wing'' animosity toward Amb. Glendon never materialized. Instead, what you predicted the ''right wing'' would do turned out to be exactly what you and the rest of the Catholic left did as soon as Amb. Glendon acted in a manner inconsistent with humble obeisance to Pres. Obama.