Some thoughts on Cardinal Egan and Obama

Just briefly:

• As you all know by now, Barack Obama was one of the guests of honor at a New York Archdiocese charity function last week (the Al Smith Dinner). The host of the evening, His Eminence, Edward CARD. Egan (who confirmed the proprietor of this weblog), has been strongly criticized for his warm and even jovial hospitality. A few observations are in order, to wit (as SLC used to say): there is a long-standing tradition of inviting presidential candidates to the Al Smith dinner, which has always been a light-hearted and, ahem, convivial affair; it would have been extremely bad manners on the part of His Eminence to have been anything but the most gracious and even obliging of hosts. That is how the game is played. How can you expect people to listen with attention, let alone deference, to the moral pronouncements of a man who is incapable of good manners?