Still more on Kmiec

With respect to the latest round of attention to my friend Doug Kmiec's views on the presidential race -- about which Michael blogged yesterday:  I take it to be obvious that neither Prof. Kmiec nor anyone else should (or, I would think, may) be denied access to the Eucharist merely for supporting Sen. Obama's candidacy.  Obviously (though unfortunately, in my view), plenty of thoughtful, faithful Catholics support Sen. Obama.  By expressing this support, and arriving at the views he now holds (and did hold, one assumes, when he was one of Gov. Romney's chief advisors), Doug has certainly not done anything that would warrant the actions described in E.J. Dionne's column.  And, I have not read anything, by anyone -- including by any "conservative" -- suggesting that the described actions would have been appropriate.

That said -- again, and again, and again -- even those who join Doug in supporting Sen. Obama could fairly be confused, and unsatisfied, by the accounts Doug has so far provided for how it is that someone with his views, commitments, writings, and record -- one that includes, again, recent and strong support for Gov. Mitt Romney -- now so enthusiastically endorses Sen. Obama, whose views and record on many issues that, over the years, Doug has put at the heart of his work are strikingly at odds with Doug's.

UPDATE:  Here, my colleagues Gerry Bradley says pretty much the same thing, but in better prose.