 | Confirmed: McCain Sought John Hagee Endorsement. Accountable? |
A standard has been set for the presidential race:
If you have attended a church at which a particular pastor speaks,
Even if you have not obtained the pastor’s endorsement,
Even if you have not sought the pastor’s endorsement,
Then it is assumed your beliefs correspond to the views of the pastor.
Even if you have rejected the content of the pastor’s words,
Even if you have denounced the content of the pastor’s words,
Even if you have devoted an entire nationally televised speech to doing so,
Your presidential candidacy can and will continue to be judged by the words of that pastor.
That standard has been set for Barack Obama. This weekend, seven days after a statement in which Barack Obama repudiated Jeremiah Wright’s views, and four days after a speech in which he explained why he rejects Wright’s views, 11,738 news media articles were written regarding Barack Obama and the former pastor of his church, Jeremiah Wright.
The standard has been set and is still being followed for Barack Obama.
Let’s apply that standard to John McCain.
Where Barack Obama has maintained distance, moderation, judgment, temperance and independence from Jeremiah Wright, John McCain has failed to do so regarding John Hagee, the radical right-wing Christian pastor. No, John McCain sought — actively sought — the endorsement of John Hagee. John Hagee confirmed this in yesterday’s New York Times Magazine: “It’s true that McCain’s campaign sought my endorsement.”
John Hagee has said that non-Christians are deserving of eternal torture. John Hagee has said in no uncertain terms that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment against New Orleans for planning a large gay pride march. John Hagee has called the Catholic Church the “great whore of Babylon.” John Hagee has called for a war against secular Americans. John Hagee says that the Jews are to blame for their persecution, that God is punishing them for the worship of false idols.
John McCain has spoken out against the “Great Whore” comment. The rest are apparently OK by John McCain.
John McCain actively pursued the endorsement of John Hagee, and when he got it, he crowed back to Hagee, “God bless you, God bless you for your commitment.” Then he gave John Hagee a big, public bear hug.
Barack Obama has repudiated, denounced and criticized his pastor. John McCain, on the other hand, has actively courted the political endorsement of John Hagee. Yet John McCain has got only about a tenth of the coverage for his continuing, ongoing stronger, affirmed, political, unrejected pastoral connection this past weekend as Barack Obama got for his past, twice-repudiated, twice-rejected, non-political association with a pastor.
One standard has been set for Barack Obama.
Another standard entirely has been set for John McCain.
Why?
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No Obama did NOT repudiate his pastor. He specifically said he couldn’t repudiate his pastor. It was his grandmother he repudiated.
Comment by Iroquois — 3/24/2008 @ 5:04 pm
“This weekend, seven days after a statement in which Barack Obama repudiated Jeremiah Wright’s views, and four days after a speech in which he explained why he rejects Wright’s views” - Jim
“No Obama did NOT repudiate his pastor.” - Iroquois
“On the other end, we’ve heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy…. But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.” — Barack Obama
Whatcha smoking?
Comment by Sfo — 3/24/2008 @ 5:36 pm
The point of this post once again focuses on John McCain’s obsession with becoming president at any price.
Early on in this campaign, he stated forcefully that … “American workers were losing jobs overseas because they (the American workers) are Lazy”… Later he said that—- loss of jobs to immigrants (illegal and otherwise), is a direct result of the demands to increase the minimum wage.
On at least four occasions, Mr McCain has embraced the most outspoken and divisive Political Preachers–Falwell, Robertson, Hagee–and the lunatic who can fill a football stadium with mindless dolts who believe that they will somehow be saved(?) by following the precise rhetoric which led the framers of the Constitution to call for a separation of Church and State.
McCain has no clearly defined political agenda. He will climb into bed with anyone who will support his run for the White House.
In the run-up to the 2004 election, McCain was vilefied and verbally abused by both Bush and Cheyney for being soft on torture. He has been castigated by fellow Republicans for not being Conservative (whatever that is) and still insists that he will be a successful president even if the war in Iraq lasts for 100 years.
McCain will accept support from anyone who will help him achieve his dream. The sad fact is, that if McCain wins in November, Bush’s agenda of war and disenfranchisement of the American voter, selling our national birthright to the Arabs, Chinese and India will continue unchecked.
America beware! The barbarians are at the gates. With the present trend, in ten years we will be marching in lockstep to church Stand in line for a days work for starvation wages and die for the want of simple medical care.
If any of you think that this cannot and will not happen, ask your Grandfather to tell you what things were like in the world 100 years ago and then see if you want vote McCain.
McCain’s unscripted deceitfull bid for the Presidency will, without doubt result in a devastating and long term decline in American culture and dignity. Watch closely, you may be witness to the total destruction of all that makes America great. Starting with the Constitution.
Comment by Darebrit — 3/24/2008 @ 6:13 pm
But NOBODY speaks about Sen Clinton’s religious affiliations except for this article:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html
Comment by BAJ — 3/24/2008 @ 8:15 pm
Well, BAJ, we at Irregular Times actually have written about Hillary Clinton’s “religious affiliations”. Most recently:
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2008/03/18/clinton-church-child-sacrifice/
Comment by J. Clifford — 3/24/2008 @ 8:45 pm
Sfo: “I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.”
Comment by Iroquois — 3/24/2008 @ 11:48 pm