McCain seeks distance from pastor

[douglas9]

Source: Associated Press

John McCain is refusing to renounce the endorsement of a prominent Texas televangelist who Democrats say peddles anti-Catholic and other intolerant speech.

Instead, the Republican presidential candidate issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he had unspecified disagreements with the San Antonio megachurch leader, John Hagee. Hagee endorsed him at a news conference Wednesday in San Antonio.

"However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not," McCain said in the statement.

His campaign issued the statement after two days of criticism from the Democratic National Committee, the Catholic League and Catholics United.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_pastor&printer=1

[saltpoint]

1. It's quite a week for McCain and hangers-on, hasn't it. Hagee and Bill

Cunningham all in a few days' period of time.

Bodes well for unifying the nation.

[chelsea0011]

2. So McCain just supports some of his hate speech?

[KeepItReal]

3. Check the Video.... Young Turks take on McCain/Hagee

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vo1fRjw2DsE&feature=user

[SpiralHawk]

4. "The Whore of Babylon has defiled America." - Tell-a-vangelist

"And her name is Republiconism."

- Tell-a-vangelist

[rpannier]

11. Before I saw the Elmer Gantry at the top

I thought this was the Jimmy Swaggart story

[DeSwiss]

5. McMaverick's campaign must be run by dunderheads....

...or is he running things all by himself?

- Same thing...

K&R!!!

[creeksneakers2]

6. McCain needs to denounce and reject the entire right wing

They are all lunatics.

[jamesinca]

7. he might as well, they have denounced him

that is why he is not winning with 85% in the primaries at this point. The inevitable party choice and he can't win an overwhelming majority. Rush went after him the other day for not giving that Cunningham guy a big Bush style hug the other day.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. McCain CANNOT piss on the Catholic vote and win.

It's going to take more than a disclaimer. It's going to take more than "unspecified disagreements."

Hagee is about as helpful to McCain as Farrakhan is to Obama.

[rpannier]

10. Mc Cain will be in serious trouble if he doesn't fix this quickly

"Big Mouth Prick" Bill Donohoe will not let this drop and the news media will give him a forum

There's a huge Catholic vote in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah (the 2nd largest religious group are Catholic and I'm sure Hagee has had some choice words about The LDS Church), Maryland, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico.

McCains love-in with Hagee plus his disasterous defense of Falwell on the Daily Show should be played as often as possible.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

14. Lots of "Russert" talk floating around...

...as in "will Timmy ask McCain about Hagee?"

Odds are that he won't.

But there was a tremendous mobilization of the Catholic Church in the 2004 election, and if McCain doesn't take a bug step back from Hagee, he can kiss the Catholic vote goodbye.

[JerseygirlCT]

24. CT, RI, MA, NY, NJ... everywhere the flood of

Italian and Irish and German immigrants went in the late 1800s, early 1900s... All very R. Catholic.

I hope this lingers, I hope he's shown for the fraud he is, and I hope it hurts him!

For once, I'm almost hoping to see Donohue's stupid mouth going on national TV!

[rpannier]

32. I left those states out, as well as CA

because I can't see anyway that McCain wins any of those states.

States like NM, CO and OH are states he could conceiveably win.

Utah is a state that I'm sure he will win, but it would force his campaign to spend money and time in the state to do damage control

[JerseygirlCT]

34. I do hope you're right!

I still often hear McCain referred to as a moderate around here (which in CT is a big compliment, you know, "land of steady habits" and all that). I'm hoping we can be sure that people see what they're really getting into with him.

[rpannier]

9. The maverick has serious disagreements with Hagee

Hagee says tomato and McCain says To-MAH-TO

Hagee likes to salt his pork cops and McCain doesn't

Hagee likes 'missionary sex' and McCain prefers 'doggie-style'

Hagee is not a 'flip-flopper' and McCain is

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Sadly, this is not just McCain's

problem. And frankly we as a Party need to watch out for hypocrisy. McCain did not hire Hagee to speak on his behalf after all, and he has issued a statement almost identical to the 'I disagree with McClurkin' statement.
If it is good for the goose, then the gander by all rights will have to shut up about it. I mean if our side can hire preachers to speficially speak out against one minority, then I sort of guess their side can take passive endorsments. Or are Democrats allowed to gay bait under the color of authority of the cross, but Republicans are not allowed to be endorsed by someone who baits another minority?
Anyone care to explain how that works? Here's what I say: McCain and Hagee, bad. Obama and McClurkin, actually worse. One this issue, our side has dirtier hands.

Is Obama going to go after McCain over Hagee? When pigs fly. Maybe Clinton will do that. Obama would be in a very difficult spot in that regard. He paid for McClurkin's half hour anti-gay screed, which happened under an Obama banner at an Obama event.
So again, where is the leg our Party has to stand on regarding this issue? Sadly we dont have one. We stopped opposing the Religious Right and now we welcome them. How can it only be bad for them, and fine for us? It can't.

[rpannier]

15. I was, and still am, outraged by the Obama-McClurkin situation

So, I feel I am entitled to be as outraged in this instance as well.

And I will mention it as often as humanly possible to every fence-sitting Catholic I know.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. Well me too!

And I will trash McCain for it with glee.
This goes to the heart of why this Party should have objected to the Obama McClurkin situation quickly and strongly. Honestly, those who have rationalized McClurkin will have no leg to stand on criticizing Hagee/McCain. That is what I have been saying all along.
I agree you are entitled to righteous outrage, but is the Party as a whole, and Obama in particualar entitled to such a righteous calling out? That is my question. I like to see us hold the high ground.

[rpannier]

31. agree

You lose the moral high-ground when you compromise yourself and you betray the people that are supposed to be your allies.

I agree with your assessment 100%

[jody]

13. McCain has Hagee, BO has Farrakhan, who does Hillary have? n/t

[rpannier]

16. Carville nt

[jody]

17. Makes sense to me. n/t

[rpannier]

18. Everybody needs someone nt

[NorthernSpy]

38. Obama never associated himself with Farrakhan, nor asked for his endorsement...

Unlike McCain, who DID pursue Hagee's endorsement, and still refuses to disavow him even after being made aware of his extremist views.

[Paladin]

19. With "Friends" Like Hagee and the Catholic League.......

....McCain doesn't need that many enemies.

And the Hagee thing is personal with me---every time I'm channel-surfing and come across Hagee dragging his 400-lb. carcass across that mega-church stage and screaming hatred ("Gee-uv the lay-um of Gawd per-raise ay-und GLOW-RAY!!!")it infuriates me that he's in the gracious and historic city of San Antonio, my home town.....

[Enthusiast]

20. As if Hagee's take on the Catholic Church

As if Hagee's take on The Catholic Church isn't bad enough there is also his freakish perspective on "The End Times". I mean this guy is a FREAK! McCain should run from this nut case.

[struggle4progress]

35. ! McCain Gets Hell For Embracing Armageddon Sect

Jeffrey Feldman
Fri Feb 29, 6:28 PM ET

John McCain continued his quest for conservative bona fides by embracing millionaire televangelist and leader of the "End-Times" Evangelical movement, Pastor CEO John Hagee.

In addition to believing that we are the last generation before God destroys the earth and that "international television" is a sign that Christ's return is nigh, Hagee has maligned the Catholic Church as 'The Great Whore' and 'a false cult.' Accordingly, the Hagee endorsement has raised the ire of Catholic activists who claim Hagee is a bigot who regularly preaches anti-Catholic hate and blames the Catholic Church for the Holocaust ...

McCain's embrace of Hagee follows on the heels of a recent expose by Bill Moyers showing Hagee as the leader of the influential Christians United For Israel. Moyers' documentary showed a host of Republican leaders including President Bush, Newt Gingrich, and Roy Blunt, as well as Joe Lieberman of the Lieberman for Connecticut Party, embracing Hagee's group. In addition to showing long sermons in which Hagee warns that Armageddon is near, Moyers showed members of Christians United For Israel lobbying Congress to stop the Israel-Palestinian peace process and to wage a preemptive military strike against Iran.

McCain's embrace of Hagee is consistent with his continued support of Bush's military policies, but it also puts in play all of the baggage that Hagee's fringe sect brings to politics ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20080229/cm_huffpost/089275

[Lady Effingbroke]

40. Pastor CEO?

Hmmm...what's wrong with this picture?

[FarCenter]

21. Where is the Spanish Inquisition when you really need them?

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Ah, but no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. nt

[rpannier]

33. It's still waiting for Robertson's next presidential run nt

[JerseygirlCT]

23. Unspecified disagreements = more wiggle room

I hope it doesn't work. Take a stand, why don't you?

[LibDemAlways]

26. What this illustrates is that McCain was clueless about

who Hagee was when he accepted the endorsement. No one on his staff apparently knew either, which also suggests that McCain's staff knows next to nothing about the hardcore evangelicals.

It's a tricky tightrope walk for any repuke these days - how to cozy up to the far-right nutcases without alienating more mainstream religious folks and the country club types who just want their fortunes protected.

[tomg]

27. I think it should be settled

with a cage match - Hagee the Horrible vs. Wild Bill Donohue. At stake - the soul ( such as it is) of John McCain. Whoever wins gets to decide the date when McCain goes to war against Iran thereby bringing about the end of the world. Only on Pay Per View

[Tom Joad]

28. It is interesting that he is also virulently anti-Arab, but that does not seem

to get any media.

In fact, he is now a key individual in aipac. Many aipac events feature hagee, or his warmongering group called "Christians United for Israel". He was one of a dozen or so keynote speakers at the main aipac event last year. The opening keynote speaker, in fact.

He's their sweetie!!!

[Tom Joad]

29. Strange, all the candidates speak at aipac events, and no one seemed to mind that

Hagee was a main speaker at several aipac events.

[djp2]

30. You mean Obama isn't the only candidate with a Pastor who...

says things that might embarrass the candidate??

[BearSquirrel2]

36. If this is typical of the McCain campaign ...

If this is typical of McCain's campaign, Obama will have little trouble defeating him. Had he just renounced the endorsement, this would be a non-story. He could have claimed he wasn't completely familiar with Hagee's views. Now he's stuck between an intolerant asshole who will detract moderates and a flip flop.

[susanna]

37. Hagee's a problem.

In general. It's interesting to see the contortionism that McCain has to go through on the way to the Republican nomination, LOL.

[margotb822]

39. Republicans supported by other intolerant Republicans?

No! It can't be!

[Dukkha]

41. but he'll still embrace the policies of a pResident with a 19% approval rating

and pledges to continue to 'stay the course" of all those failed policies.
:wtf:

[Supersedeas]

42. the razor thin line that Repigs have to walk to fan the flames of divisive hate politics