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Can religious conviction and political civility coincide?
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May 7, 2012
Listen 16:52
Can religious conviction and political civility coincide?
Until recently, Doug Kmiec served as the U.S. Ambassador to Malta.
Lift Up Your Hearts: A True Story of Loving Your Enemies, Tragically Killing Your Friends, and the Life that Remains
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Until recently, Doug Kmiec served as the U.S. Ambassador to Malta.

Until recently, Doug Kmiec served as the U.S. Ambassador to Malta, a position he took after helping Barack Obama appeal to Catholic voters in key electoral battlegrounds. Charged with spearheading Obama’s interfaith initiatives abroad, Kmiec reportedly had the respect and admiration of his embassy and the Maltese people.

However, Kmiec started to hit some political turbulence when the State Department took umbrage with some of Kmiec’s writings which have been published both in Malta and the United States. This led to the State Department censoring and editing such articles to the point where Kmiec’s content had been completely misrepresented.

Instead of continuing to be silenced by his own State Department, Kmiec chose to resign from his post in Malta. He now serves nominally as Obama’s Faith-filled Ambassador, focusing on religious and moral issues abroad. Kmiec chronicled his experience in “Lift Up Your Hearts: A True Story of Loving Your Enemies, Tragically Killing Your Friends and the Life That Remains.”

How did Kmiec make a name for himself politically? What was going through his heart and mind when the State Department became an obstacle for his opinions and personality? Why didn’t Barack Obama more fully insert himself into the conflict? What’s next for Kmiec in his current role?

GUEST

Doug Kmiec, author of “Lift Up Your Hearts: A True Story of Loving Your Enemies, Tragically Killing Your Friends and the Life That Remains” (Embassy International Press) Kmiec is a former U.S. Ambassador to Malta and former legal counsel President Ronald Reagan. He is currently President Obama’s Faith-filled Ambassador.

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