Kathleen Kennedy Townsend: Sarah Palin is wrong about John F. Kennedy, religion and politics

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sarah Palin is wrong about John F. Kennedy, religion and politics

By Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Friday, December 3, 2010; 6:00 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120303209.html

In her new book, "America by Heart," Palin objects to my uncle's famous 1960 speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, in which he challenged the ministers - and the country - to judge him, a Catholic presidential candidate, by his views rather than his faith. "Contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president," Kennedy said. "I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president who happens also to be a Catholic."

Palin writes that when she was growing up, she was taught that Kennedy's speech had "succeeded in the best possible way: It reconciled public service and religion without compromising either." Now, however, she says she has revisited the speech and changed her mind. She finds it "defensive . . . in tone and content" and is upset that Kennedy, rather than presenting a reconciliation of his private faith and his public role, had instead offered an "unequivocal divorce of the two."

Palin's argument seems to challenge a great American tradition, enshrined in the Constitution, stipulating that there be no religious test for public office. A careful reading of her book leads me to conclude that Palin wishes for precisely such a test. And she seems to think that she, and those who think like her, are qualified to judge who would pass and who would not.

If there is no religious test, then there is no need for a candidate's religious affiliation to be "reconciled." My uncle urged that religion be private, removed from politics, because he feared that making faith an arena for public contention would lead American politics into ill-disguised religious warfare, with candidates tempted to use faith to manipulate voters and demean their opponents.

[rurallib]

1. Anything out of Kennedy's mouth would be way to hard

for Palin to understand.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Palin and her words should not even be given a hint of credibility by ANY

response to what she says. The woman is a total idiot, and her words are nothing more than the insane musings of, at best, a very, very small mind. Not worthy of a response..

[Raschel]

5. We know she didn't write those words, but I know she's loving her name connected with Kennedy

in any shape or form. Blech.

[tanyev]

3. Hells bells, Sarah Palin is wrong about everything.

Every. Damn. Thing.

[Axrendale]

4. However disgusting the subject of Sarah Palin might be, that was a truly brilliant article

John F. Kennedy's handling of the controversial campaign issue of his religion stands as one of the truly proud moments of American history. Palin does nothing save show her true, despicable colors in setting herself up in opposition: she is a pathetic pygmy who holds the delusion that she can even begin to hold herself next to a true colossus.

[Raschel]

6. The smackdowns are coming in from every direction. She's gonna be tweeting for a month!

:rofl:

[Anakin Skywalker]

7. "America by Heart" because Pukelin's got no mind!

She's either genuinely stupid or she's very clever and is using the same trick Emperor Bush used that tells Joe Schmoe "I am one of you" to lure in the simple-minded teabaggers!