McCain's Farrakhan (1 Viewer)

Asking McCain to reject Hagee's support is just as ridiculous as asking Obama to reject Farrakhan's support.
 
Looks like McCain needs to do some rejecting and denouncing:

That would certainly be the bar that's been set. Rejecting simply won't do.

I don't have a strong opinion on it -- as we discussed in another thread, politicians have to deal with these types of situations -- but I am interested in how some of the established critics of this sort of thing feel about Hagee's reported comments:

But Catholic League President Bill Donohue said in a statement today that Hagee has written extensively in negative ways about the Catholic Church, "calling it 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system.'"
 
>>Asking McCain to reject Hagee's support is just as ridiculous as asking Obama to reject Farrakhan's support.

I don't have a problem with asking either Obama or McCain to reject their respective supporters. McCain already flipped once with the Bob Jones commencement - something I'm willing to let go.

TPS
 
McCain responds.

McCain seeks distance from pastor

By LIBBY QUAID 30 minutes ago

PHOENIX - 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.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080301/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_pastor
 
I don't have a problem with asking either Obama or McCain to reject their respective supporters. McCain already flipped once with the Bob Jones commencement - something I'm willing to let go.

TPS

To paraphrase Obama, neither he nor McCain can control what other people choose to say or do on their own. I see absolutely no problem at all with their stance. Any rational American can understand that just because some radical endorses Obama's campaign (or McCain's), it doesn't mean that Obama (or McCain) endorse that person's views. Basically, it depends on what you mean by "reject." If you mean he should "reject" the views of that person, of course, that should be expected. But if you mean "reject" as in rejecting that person's support and telling them to shut up and vote for someone else, I think that's stepping over the line. As long as there's no formal (or informal) working relationship, I'm good.
 
Catholic League:

McCAIN EMBRACES BIGOT


February 28, 2008

Yesterday, Senator John McCain said he was “very honored by Pastor John Hagee’s endorsement.” The Republican presidential hopeful also called Hagee “the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement,” citing the minister’s pro-Israel stance.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this today:

“There are plenty of staunch evangelical leaders who are pro-Israel, but are not anti-Catholic. John Hagee is not one of them. Indeed, for the past few decades, he has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example, he likes calling it ‘The Great Whore,’ an ‘apostate church,’ the ‘anti-Christ,’ and a ‘false cult system.’ To hear the bigot in his own words, click here. Note: he isn’t talking about the Buddhists.


http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1393

So while I'm still somewhat partially inclined to think this ends up being a blip, the media seems to be pushing it. Wolf Blitzer was discussing it this morning with guests and Kay Bailey Hutchinson's comments can be summed up as; Hagee is an otherwise good man with a lot of followers.

I'm not so sure it can be that neat and tidy. McCain is in a tough spot, not wanting to alienate followers of Hagee but not wanting to offend Catholics either.

Is this going to eventually go away on its own or is McCain risking fracturing support among Catholics if he doesn't take a stronger stand on Hagee's past comments?
 
I don't think it'll effect him much if at all. Catholics tend to be a very affable group that doesn't get offended by much or at least don't react much to it. I think this is the media trying to play the hypocrisy card against the right for criticism of Obama.

This could actually backfire if people come to McCains defense becomes of the silliness of it all. That's the danger of having the media on your side. They can be as much a harm as a benefit.
 
God destroyed New Orleans because of the gays, says McCain supporter John Hagee


Now might be the time to reject/renounce/denounce/take off of Christmas Card list etc.


"McCain is refusing to renounce this influential evangelist's support. From Media Matters:
HAGEE: All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."


 

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