Obama and McCain At the Alfred E. Smith Dinner 2008

Barack Obama and GOP rival John McCain trade their boxing gloves for formal wear - and some self-deprecating humor - at Thursday night's Alfred E. Smith Dinner.The annual see-and-be-seen political roast, named for the famed 1920s New York governor, is "the last time they're going to be together before the election," said Smith's great-grandson and namesake.The dinner has a storied history, having featured luminaries from Winston Churchill to George W. Bush.

And with the excitement generated by the presidential candidates at the top of the marquee, this year's soldout soiree has surpassed its goal of raising $2.5 million for Catholic causes."I've heard from people I haven't heard from in 20 years," Smith told the Daily News.Political heavyweights will pepper the dais: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Gov. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Former Gov. George Pataki, former Mayor Ed Koch and Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau will be there, too.