Douglas Kmiec, US ambassador to Malta from 2009 to 2011, has announced he is pursuing the vice presidency of the United States, backing Hillary Clinton.

He had resigned his Malta post after a US State Department report rebuked him for spending too much time writing on subjects such as abortion and his Catholic beliefs to the detriment of American diplomacy.

In a Facebook post he said:

Thanks to my many friends who have asked me whether I intend to seek public office,

Yes, I am.

After a lifetime of supporting Democratic and Republican candidates, I am taking up the challenges that confront our nation directly.

Specifically, and some will no doubt say, quixotically, I am pursuing the vice presidency of United States, but if all goes well that possibility will turn on the judgment of Pres. Hillary Clinton.

Of course public office should not be about titles and so I'm really just looking for a spot to do good in my last years while I still have energy and excitement of the ideas of social justice especially as they are now so well articulated by Pope Francis.

I suspect that if I emulate with sincerity the holy father's sense of joy and humility possibilities of helping Mrs. Clinton, my former boss of State Department, will become readily apparent. If not, however there is much to do in particular, I am presently seeking a seat in Congress from the California 26th Congressional District.

This district has personal significance for the reasons that one of my earliest efforts as a political volunteer was in support of Robert Kennedy's pursuit of the presidency in 1968. Like most college students my role was small; namely, going door-to-door with materials and urging people to vote the senator.

The senator had a genuine empathy for those with little and in parts of the 26th district there are unfortunately too many families living on very very little. Many of these families are working in the fields that are lovely to behold but are backbreaking to work. Robert Kennedy came in the 1960s to help the United farmworkers organize and in particular to assist Cesar Chavez. It is an honor to walk these fields roads now 40 years later though it also saddens the heart to see how much is yet to be done."

Mr Kmiec said he has no paid staff; only volunteers and campaign coordinators; no ready access to the media or direct-mail to get his platform considered but he had faith that his message would be heard.

"For years now I've been concerned about the growing inequalities within our country and especially with how this dramatic imbalance of wealth ignores the needs of those who never hesitate to step up for the country in times of need, whether it is to fight Wars, some of them horribly ill considered, built the roads and bridges, connected the rail lines; farmed the land; and pretty much carried The spirit of the old red white and blue wherever she is needed at home or abroad.

But who speaks for the middle income, working family in the United States today?

Apparently it's not either of the two major political parties as they are both so deeply into the pockets of corporate donors for millions and millions of dollars that the bt hought of being responsive to the people has long since fallen from their memory. They succeed not by earning your trust and meriting your continued confidence but simply by redrawing district lines so that they are almost never confronted with a genuine challenge."

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