I think I will let Professor Dog speak of President Obama's

secret(he'd hoped) plea to the rabbis:
I have to wonder -- as I sit here contemplating Thomas Jefferson's Separation of Church and State -- how some folks would have reacted had other (previous) Presidents attempted to use the sermon, the pulpit, and Sunday morning church service to push their political agendas.

Especially if these other Presidents had arranged for secret, off-the-record, sub rosa phone meetings to convince religious leaders to work political goals into the preaching, lecturing, proselytizing and Religious Text Of Your Choice-banging.

I'd like to think that those Certain People who would have absolutely lost their minds in an Internet apoplectic fit had prior Presidents attempted to do this thing, would have the same reaction now that our current President has done it.

I'd like to think that, I really would -- but I won't be holding my breath.