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Birth Control Brawl: Will Cardinal Dolan Publicly Shame Obama?
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 14, 2012
Modified Oct 14, 2012
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On Thursday, President Obama is set to speak at a charity dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria hosted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and the Post's conservative sources are hoping a difference will be made in people's lives with the money that's being donated for a reproductive rights catfight. "They're going in hopes that the cardinal's going to slam [Obama]," one Republican said. “It’s insulting that [Obama is] coming. What he’s doing to the Catholic Church—forcing them to do things against their beliefs—it’s reprehensible," the Republican added, referring to a policy that 82% of Catholics generally agree with.
Both candidates and sitting presidents have been guests at the dinner for decades, and recently when they weren't, neither candidate was invited (such was the case in 1996 and in 2004). “This president has shown such a disrespect for the Catholic Church,” chairman of the Brooklyn Conservative Party Jerry Kassar said. “It is not appropriate to give him a forum at a politically significant event just before the election.” How dare Cardinal Dolan turn the other cheek! But at least His Eminence invited Mitt Romney too, so he has equal pandering time.
A source told the Post that Dolan second-guessed his own decision to invite Obama (one of the many reasons to keep shooting for Pope), but Dolan wrote on his own blog, “It’s better to invite than to ignore, more effective to talk together than to yell from a distance." Besides, Cardinal Dolan has got it made: the leader of the free world is set to kiss his ring while American Protestantism is on the decline.
Tagged
2012 election
barack obama
cardinal dolan
Catholic Church
catholics
mitt romney
reproductive rights
timothy dolan
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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