John Roberts' Catholicism

My very dear blogger friend, Patrick, of Paragraph Farmer, has had published today in The American Spectator a thoughtful and thought-provoking article about Sen. Specter's deeply suspicious question regarding Justice Roberts' Catholicism -- a question that explicitly invoked the same question asked of JFK 45 years ago -- and about the colorless answer Justice Roberts provided. In lucid paragraphs, Patrick touches upon Specter's suspect motives, Roberts' eventual role, the effect Catholicism may or may not have on a person's conduct, and more. I particularly enjoyed this paragraph, although I urge you to read the whole thing:

On the evidence of the intelligence he has shown so far and the fact that everyone watching the proceedings knew Specter would bloviate until his time ran out, it's safe to assume that John Roberts meant nothing revolutionary in agreeing with Kennedy's timeworn assertion. His answer is either a delineation of roles or a simple failure of nerve. In other words, said the nominee, "I'm Catholic, but I'm a judge, not a spokesperson for the Catholic Church. You want Fulton Sheen, you're a little late. You want Benedict XVI, you know where to find him. Meanwhile, here's the soundbite you all knew was coming. It's a crying shame you guys are still asking questions you asked forty-five years ago."