Obama Announces Catholic Advisors

Today Senator Barack Obama announced his national Catholic advisory committee. The names are a fascinating mix of, well, Catholics–and include some regular and recent America contributors, like Mary Jo Bane, Lisa Cahill, Richard Gaillardetz, Cathy Kaveny and David O’Brien. And congratulations to Grant Gallicho, associate editor at our sister (brother?) publication, Commonweal. But what, no Jesuits? Maybe I should reconsider my possible vote. (By the way, if anyone wants to contribute to us Senator Clinton’s or Senator McCain’s list, we’d be happy to include it.) Here’s Obama’s Catholic Kitchen Cabinet: National Co-Chairs Senator Bob Casey; Representative Patrick Murphy (PA-08); Former Congressman Tim Roemer, President of the Center for National Policy; Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia; Tom Chabolla, Assistant to the President, Service Employees International Union; Victoria Reggie Kennedy, President, Common Sense About Kids and Guns; Sr. Jamie Phelps, O.P., Professor of Theology, Xavier University; Sr. Catherine Pinkerton, Congregation of St. Joseph. National Steering Committee Mary Jo Bane, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School; Nicholas P. Cafardi, Catholic Author and Scholar, Pittsburgh, PA; Lisa Cahill, Professor of Theology, Boston College; M. Shawn Copeland, Associate Professor of Theology, Boston College; Ron Cruz, Leadership Development Consultant, Burke, VA; Sharon Daly, Social Justice Advocate, Knoxville, MD; Richard Gaillardetz, Murray/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Toledo; Grant Gallicho, Associate Editor, Commonweal Magazine; Sr. Margaret Gannon, IHM, Scranton, PA; Don Guter, Judge Advocate General of the Navy (2000-2002); Rear Admiral, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Pittsburgh, PA; Cathleen Kaveny, Professor of Law and Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame; Jim Kesteloot, President and Executive Director, Chicago Lighthouse; Vincent Miller, Associate Professor of Theology, Georgetown University; David O’Brien, Loyola Professor of Catholic Studies at the College of the Holy Cross; Peter Quaranto, Senior Researcher and Conflict Analyst, Resolve Uganda (Notre Dame Class of 2006); Dave Robinson, International Peace Advocate, Erie, Pennsylvania; Vincent Rougeau, Associate Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame; Mary Wright, Inter-Faith Liaison, Louisville, KY; National Leadership Committee Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin; Former Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle; Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois; Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts; Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts; Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont; Representative Xavier Becerra of California; Representative Mike Capuano of Massachusetts; Representative Lacy Clay of Missouri; Representative Jerry Costello of Illinois; Representative Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts; Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut; Representative Anna Eshoo of California; Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona; Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island; Representative John Larson of Connecticut; Representative George Miller of California; Representative James Oberstar of Minnesota; Representative Linda Sanchez of California; Representative Carol Shea Porter of New Hampshire; Representative Peter Welch of Vermont. James Martin, SJ