The Portland connection to Vance

Stephan, left, and Legge.

As part of its never-ending campaign to normalize Trumpism, today the New York Times ran a front-page, above-the-fold story about J.D. Vance's joining the Catholic Church as an adult. As if the details of his "conversion" are of interest. Saint Paul, the horse, and like that.

Well, apparently, it's all about old J.D.'s "values," which he says align well with the Catholics'. The Times's puff piece never gets too deeply into what the "values" are. As far as I can tell they prominently include subjugation of women, condemnation of gay people, and facilitation of sexual abuse of minors. Nor are heard in the article any concerns about the Supreme Court's extreme views on the separation of church and state.

Anyway, it was just another strange Times piece worthy of ignoring until I read way down on the full-page "jump" inside the paper, where lo and behold, there was a Portland angle to Vance's Jesus trip:

In Washington, he connected with a Yale Law alumnus who had become a priest at the Dominican House of Studies. Before joining the order, Father Dominic Legge had clerked for Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. And he was the first priest with whom Mr. Vance discussed becoming Catholic....

When Mr. Vance moved to Cincinnati in 2018, Father Legge connected him with Father [Henry] Stephan at St. Gertrude Church. As a Princeton undergraduate, Father Stephan had interned with Judge O’Scannlain, who suggested he become a Catholic priest.

Judge O'Scannlain, now 87 years old and on senior status, was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Ronald Reagan. A Portlander since 1965, O'Scannlain's chambers are in the Pioneer Courthouse downtown. He was at one time a candidate for Congress – he lost to Les AuCoin – and chairman of the Oregon GOP.  O'Scannlain is one of the legion of Republicans who have let Orange Caligula take over their party with nary a peep of condemnation. Well, at least now one of his altar boys once removed is close to the top.