"Not all the American bishops are with me"

Someone commented to me on a post about President Bush's private meeting with Cardinal Sodano at the Vatican on 4 June. His comments:

Do you think this is acceptable? Do you think the President of the United States should be trying to tell the Pope what to tell his Bishops? You and I both know this was an attempt to get these Bishops to tell the Priests to talk about it in the pulpit. Is this what America has come to? How can you defend this?

If you want to vote for Bush, fine. Can't you at least speak out against what he tried to do? Can't you?

I assume nothing about this meeting. I do not know exactly what was said and if he did say what Mr Allen reported (and I do believe he did say, "Not all the American bishops are with me") I do not know what his exact meaning was behind the words. Sure, he may have had politics on his mind. He may have been thinking about the bishops denying Senator Kerry communion and the impact it would have on the election. I speculate, based on my own observations of the president, that his comments about the bishops not being with him were made in the context of two influential world powers discussing issues of the utmost importance to America and the world. Why is that such a big deal? I do not believe it is. The Bush-bashing secular media thinks it is and so many of us just believe that what has been written and suggested about the president's comments are true. I believe it was acceptable for the Holy Father to voice is opposition to the war and send an envoy to lobby President Bush against action in Iraq and I think most in the media did as well. Why was that acceptable and President Bush comments not? Maybe the true colors of the media are showing through.

Lastly, the words, "Not all the American bishops are with me" suggest to me an observation and not a request. But maybe I am just assuming too much.