Communion and the Catholic voter

Should Catholics who vote for pro-choice candidates be denied communion? That's the conclusion reached by the bishop of Colorado Springs. His reasoning is as follows:

"Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the church and so jeopardize their salvation . . . . Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences."

I'm interested in what others think, but my initial reaction is that it's a bit over the top. A lay Catholic's vote for a pro-choice candidate does not cause scandal in the same way that a Catholic politician does through his or her own trumpeting of pro-choice policies. Further, as we've continually underscored in our discussions on this weblog, American Catholics are faced with less than ideal choices whenever they participate politically. Particular bishops might eventually draw lines in the sand on a range of issues. If the laity is not given space to carve out their own compromises with the offerings of an unmistakably fallen political culture, the only sure way to continue receiving communion might be to stay home on election day altogether.

Rob