VIDEO: Lawrence O’Donnell takes on Pat Buchanan over President Obama’s invite to give commencement speech at Notre Dame

On “Hardball with Chris Matthews” last night, Lawrence O’Donnell took on Pat Buchanan regarding the hullabaloo over President Obama’s invite to give a commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame. Apparently, the controversy stems from President Obama’s support for abortion rights. In a nutshell, O’Donnell made Buchanan look like a desperate hypocrite, as he took apart Buchanan’s clearly partisan arguments.

Dissenters to President Obama’s invitation urge that “failure to [reconsider the invitation] will damage the integrity of the institution.” Personally, I believe these Holy Cross priests objecting to Obama’s invitation will do more damage to the Catholic Church’s image, just like the Republican party is currently going damage to its own image everyday—because of blatant hypocrisy.^[*]

Why is there blatant hypocrisy? First, former President George W. Bush “delivered his first presidential commencement address at Notre Dame in May 2001, declaring that the nation’s faith-based organizations were central to the war on poverty“—although the only war former President George W. Bush’s conducted were the War in Afghanistan, the Iraq War, and his policy war against environmentalism. Second, although “George W. Bush spoke in 2001, he did so in spite of his staunch support for the death penalty, which the Vatican opposes.”

Nonetheless, some contend “Notre Dame’s invitation to Mr. Obama in 2009 is different from its invitation to George W. Bush in 2001.” However, it isn’t.

The Catholic Church opposes both the death penalty and abortion. Former President George W. Bush “during his six years as governor of Texas presided over 152 executions, more than any other governor in the recent history of the United States.” To continue this theme into his presidency, former President George W. Bush was a warmonger who supported the illegal and immoral use of torture. The Catholic Church, under Pope John Paul II, opposed former President George W. Bush’s Iraq invasion.

Furthermore, former President George W. Bush’s policies have been disastrous not only for international relations but also the environment. The Catholic Church does not support environmental degradation. In my opinion, President Obama shows more characteristics I’d like to see in someone who identifies with a supposedly peaceful religion than former President George W. Bush ever did.