McCain Attacked Bush in 2000 Over Anti-Catholic Endorsement

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Senator John McCain is still defending his acceptance of an endorsement from megachurch pastor John Hagee -- who has called the Catholic Church "the Great Whore," and accused it of inspiring Adolf Hitler to initiate the Holocaust.

But the presumptive Republican nominee's continued intransigence is revealing a new design flaw in the Straight Talk Express. Even as McCain refuses to distance himself from Hagee's anti-Catholic comments, it turns out that during the contentious 2000 GOP primary he had himself denounced then-Governor George W. Bush for cozying up to Catholic-bashers.

It was widely reported during the run-up to the 2000 contest in Michigan that the McCain campaign delivered a "Catholic Voter Alert" in the form of robo-calls to Catholic voters. Why? Because Bush refused to denounce the anti-Catholic views of Bob Jones University after receiving its tacit endorsement. In the alert, McCain criticized the Governor and lauded his own outspoken criticism of anti-Catholic bigotry. Here's the text of the McCain campaign's phone message:

"This is a Catholic Voter Alert. Governor George Bush has campaigned against Senator John McCain by seeking the support of Southern fundamentalists who have expressed anti-Catholic views. Several weeks ago, Governor Bush spoke at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Bob Jones has made strong anti-Catholic statements, including calling the Pope the anti-Christ, the Catholic Church a satanic cult! John McCain, a pro-life senator, has strongly criticized this anti-Catholic bigotry, while Governor Bush has stayed silent while seeking the support of Bob Jones University. Because of this, one Catholic pro-life Congressman has switched his support from Bush to McCain, and many Michigan Catholics support John McCain for president."

My, how the tables have turned. Back in 2000, straight talking John McCain earned headlines by calling the religious right "agents of intolerance." But now he's "honored" to receive the endorsement of culture warriors like Pastor Hagee.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-korzen/mccain-attacked-bush-in-2_b_90158.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Grampy Walnuts can't remember what he ate for breakfast. He makes up

his campaign as he goes along. Every day is truly a new start for the senile.

[orleans]

2. i was thinking more along the lines of "pot meet kettle" n/t

[KharmaTrain]

3. That Hagee Endorsement Sure Didn't Impress The Dobsonator

It's a delicious irony to see the GOOP all bound up in their own religious litmus tests. Whose a Christian and which Christian is a better Christian...Grandpa has jumped in with both feet and won't win.

The inclusion game the GOOP played for years...pandering to the religious right...sucking up to them during elections and ignoring them afterwards is coming home to roost. The Dobsons and Hagees and Robertsons aren't gonna pack the church busses for Grandpa unless he's willing to turn the country into a theocracy.

I can't think of a candidate going into a major election with so many flaws and detractors. There's more flip-flops than a Payless Shoe Source and each of those flops ended him up on the wrong side with a vast majority of the electorate. Let the corporate media try...this dude is too damaged...and they can't even help him. Just Democrats can't take this thing for granted...there's some major payback to be handed out in November. As the saying goes...never hit a man when he's down...kick him, it's easier.

[Riddler]

4. Is anybody surprised at McLame's change of heart?

After all, he's made a career out of speaking out against one thing or another until that very thing benefits him, then it's a different story. He's about as big a hypocrite as there is, and this is proved by the simple fact that he's the repuke nominee for president.