Free Republic

This year's Al Smith Dinner — the annual gala that raises funds for the Archdiocese of New York and has become an essential social ticket for the city's political and media class — will be remembered as a rare cease-fire moment in the heated 2008 presidential campaign. Exchanging rolled-up shirt sleeves for white ties, John McCain and Barack Obama cracked each other up on topics that usually result in outraged press statements when raised on the campaign trail. "I got my name, Barack, from my father," deadpanned Obama, "and I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think...

At what was the first – and probably last – humorous occasion of this dyspeptic campaign, John McCain and Barack Obama gave comic speeches on Thursday at the annual dinner in memory of Al Smith, the great Catholic-American. Both revealed a side they have kept well concealed in recent months. “Contrary to popular opinion, I was not born in a manger,” said Mr Obama. “I just call him ‘That One’”, said Mr McCain of his opponent. “He doesn’t mind at all: He even has a pet name for me: George Bush.” In the best humorous tradition, the funniest line was...

Just a reminder that -- fresh off their tense final debate (fullvideo) -- the presidential contenders will make their last joint appearance of the campaign at tonight's Al Smith Dinner in New York. Now in its 63rd year, the white-tie barb-fest at the Waldorf-Astoria benefits Catholic Charities of the Big Apple archdiocese. Hosted by the city's archbishop -- who'll be flanked by John McCain and Barack Obama at the center of the traditional multi-tiered dais -- the event takes its name in tribute to the son of the Lower East Side tenements who rose to become the Empire State's...

What Are We Doing? by Deal W. Hudson 10/17/08 Last night, the Archdiocese of New York held its famous Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, with both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama as guests. I watched the coverage today -- the story is all over the news, along with images of Obama and Edward Cardinal Egan sharing a laugh. Something about that bothered me. No, it's not what you think. I'm not upset that a Democrat and the cardinal were enjoying a conversation. This is not a partisan issue, and I would have had the same negative reaction if...

<p>He was hysterical ... excellent speech. God bless John McCain and America!</p>

The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees both have agreed to be guest speakers at the Al Smith dinner Oct. 16 in New York, the Archdiocese of New York announced Sept. 17. The archdiocese said Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain would "share nonpartisan good humor before an audience of civic, business and social leaders." The joint appearance three weeks before the Nov. 4 election would continue a longtime tradition of presidential candidates addressing the annual fundraising dinner -- a tradition that has been followed off and on in recent years. The last pair of candidates to appear together in...

Catholic leaders of the New York Archdiocese are considering whether Senator John Kerry should be barred from the Al Smith dinner, one of the city's grand political events, because Mr. Kerry, a Catholic, supports abortion rights and other views at odds with church teachings. This would be regrettable since the Al Smith dinner, at its best, exemplifies pluralism and tolerance. For more than 50 years, it has provided a venue for the main presidential contenders to make generous, witty speeches, not to be vetted and spurned for individual religious beliefs. Al Smith himself, the New York governor who was the...