Bush taps theocon as envoy to Vatican

President Bush named Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard Law School professor and prominent "theocon," as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Glendon's opposition to abortion is the element of her record most likely to inspire any objections during her confirmation hearings. But given the nature of this posting, it's hard to imagine that such views could disqualify her.

Even President Clinton, whose administration supported abortion rights, chose former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, a prominent opponent of abortion, as his first ambassador to the Vatican. Flynn served at the Holy See from 1993 to 1997.