Barack Obama issued his welcome to the Pope last night. Hillary Clinton released hers just a few minutes ago:

“We are blessed to receive a visit from His Holiness, Pope Benedict, to the United States this week. Not only is he the spiritual leader of America’s great Catholic community, he is a strong and effective voice for the cause of peace, freedom, and justice as well as the fight against poverty and disease. His visit to the United States this week should be a very impactful one. I particularly appreciate his going to Ground Zero with some of the families who lost loved ones there. I hope that his message about economic justice and global development will get an appropriate hearing both in our country and in the government. I also applaud Pope Benedict’s example and leadership on addressing global warming making the Vatican a model in conservation for all to emulate.
“His apostolic journey is built on the theme of Christian hope, and as he has said, the Gospel message is ‘deeply rooted’ in our country. We all pray that he will have a safe and successful visit to America, and that everyone will find inspiration in his presence and his words.”

So where’s John McCain’s statement welcoming the Benedict XVI? God-o-Meter rechecked its inbox and scanned the McCain campaign’s online press release archive and found none. George W. Bush is schlepping to Andrews Air Force Base to greet the pontiff when he touches down today and McCain hasn’t even released a statement yet? Has Sam Brownback, McCain’s top envoy to the Catholic world, gone on vacation?

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