Cardinal Dolan criticizes Kamala for turning down invite to Charity Al Smith fundraiser

So much for unity. There is a long tradition for both Presidential candidates to attend this NY Catholic Charities fundraiser. Hit the link to see Dolan speaking for one minute on the issue. He says they are still trying to get her to change her mind. The picture is from the 2016 dinner.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan slammed Kamala Harris' surprise move to skip the annual Al Smith dinner, … The dinner benefitting Catholic Charities traditionally has been used to promote collegiality and good humor, with presidential candidates from both parties appearing on the same night and trading barbs. Donald Trump has attended the dinner in both 2016 and 2020, while Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden – albeit online – also attended when running for president.

Dolan, the Archbishop of New York City, said he was 'disappointed' in Harris' decision to instead campaign in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day.

'We were looking forward to giving the vice president an enthusiastic welcome, and we were confident that she would find this – you know, she speaks very much about high ideals and how it's good to get away from division and come together in unity and all,' he said.

He then made a troubling historical point about the last time a Democrat told them no.

'We’re not used to this. We don’t know how to handle it. This hasn’t happened in 40 years, since Walter Mondale turned down the invitation. And remember, he lost 49 out of 50 states. I don't want to say there's a direct connection there, but … we're not giving up,' Dolan said. 

The cardinal, who plays a prominent role in the dinner, has been highly critical of Democrats, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal op-ed that carried the headline, 'The Democrats Abandon Catholics.' 

Harris' team wants her to spend as much time as possible in the battleground states that will decide the election rather than heavily Democratic New York, a campaign official said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss campaign plans and confirming a decision first reported by CNN. 

Her team told organizers that she would be willing to attend as president if she's elected, the official said.

The former president and current Republican presidential nominee confirmed in a Truth Social post on Monday that he would speak at the October 17 dinner, calling it 'sad, but not surprising' that Harris had opted not to attend.