Kaine: No Apology Necessary for Clinton Team’s Mockery of Catholicism

On Sunday’s broadcast of ABC’s “This Week,” Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said there is no apology necessary in the case of the hacked emails of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s director of communications Jennifer Palmieri discussing Catholicism with a Democratic strategist, who said the religion has “severely backwards gender relations.”

Kaine said, “I don’t think you need to apologize for your opinions.”

Partial transcript as follows:

RADDATZ: I want to get to another e-mail that shows campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri talking about Catholicism with a Democratic strategist, who denounces what he calls the religion’s “severely backwards gender relations.”  She responds that some conservatives are only Catholic because “they think it is the most socially acceptable political conservative religion.” Many took offense to the perceived mockery of Catholicism. You’re Catholic.  Should the campaign apologize — for these messages?

KAINE: Yes Well, Martha, let me first say this — and this is a really important thing. I don’t give credence to any of these dumped documents because I don’t even know if they’re accurate. And they are part of an effort by the Russians and WikiLeaks to —

(CROSSTALK)

RADDATZ: — I just want to say the writer of this e-mail said he said he sent this e-mail.

KAINE: Yes, but I — this is an important topic that everybody needs to know about these e-mails.  One e-mail has come up with my name in it and it’s completely inaccurate.  Now was it inaccurate because the sender didn’t know what he or she was talking about?  Was it inaccurate because it was doctored?  I have no way of knowing. On Catholicism, I am Catholic. I’m very, very serious about my Catholicism and Hillary views that as a real asset. And we’ve talked about our faith lives, as she asked me to be on the ticket with her.  So in terms of what Hillary Clinton, who’s running for president, thinks about Catholics and the value more broadly of having a faith background, I can tell you she views at it as a plus, just as she views her own Methodism as a plus.

RADDATZ: An apology?

KAINE: You know, again, you — we all have opinions and I don’t think you need to apologize for your opinions. But, in fact, that’s a great thing about our country and even about being Catholic, we have plenty of opinions.  So you don’t need to apologize for an opinion, but in terms of respect for the church and people’s faith lives, Hillary Clinton has that respect, because it’s what motivates her.

RADDATZ: Thank you very much for joining us this morning, Senator Kaine.

KAINE: Thanks, Martha. Take care.

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