Obama Turns Down Catholic Bishop’s Request To Do deliver a prayer at the Democratic National Convention.

Obama Turns Down Catholic Bishop’s Request To Do deliver a prayer at the Democratic National Convention.(NYP).WASHINGTON — President Obama turned down a chance to have Timothy Cardinal Dolan deliver a prayer at the Democratic National Convention after Dolan told Democrats he would be “grateful” to deliver a blessing in Charlotte. Dolan — considered the top Catholic official in the nation, as head of the Archdiocese of New York and president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops — tipped off Democrats a few weeks ago that he had agreed to deliver the prime-time benediction at the Republican convention in Tampa next week, Dolan’s spokesman Joseph Zwilling told The Post.“He wanted to make sure that they knew that this was not a partisan act on his part and that he would be just as happy and grateful to accept an invitation from the Democrats as he would to have received one from the Republicans,” said Zwilling. “He has not been contacted by them” since, he added. A senior Obama campaign official said yesterday that the Democrats would have a “high-ranking” Catholic at the convention, but indicated the arrangements weren’t yet final. “I can’t announce it because the person hasn’t got their plane ticket,” said the official. Obama campaign spokesman Adam Fetcher would say only, “The Catholic clergy will be an important part of a diverse community of interfaith leaders represented in Charlotte.” Obama and Dolan have clashed publicly over a health-care law requiring employers to provide abortion coverage. Hmmmmm.....Obama: "One of the great things about this nation is that it is a place where people from all walks of life can advocate on behalf of their faith and beliefs and be open about what drives and motivates them."Read the full story here.