Posted on 11/03/2006 11:32:12 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
Evangelist admits meth, massage, no sex
By CATHERINE TSAI, Associated Press Writer
9 minutes ago
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Evangelist Ted Haggard admitted Friday that he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a gay prostitute who claims he was paid for drug-fueled trysts by the outspoken gay marriage opponent.
Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and step down as leader of his Colorado megachurch while the two groups investigate the allegations.
He denied the sex allegations but told reporters outside his home that he did buy the meth because he was curious, but he said he threw it away.
"I bought it for myself but never used it," he said. "I was tempted, but I never used it."
Haggard, 50, said he never had sex with Mike Jones, a 49-year-old male prostitute who sparked the scandals when he told a radio station he had had a three-year sexual relationship with the minister.
Haggard said he did get a massage from Jones after being referred to him by a Denver hotel.
Do you think he asked for a male prostitute? Or, could he have just asked for a referral for a massage and he was given the number of a homosexual prostitute? I know nothing of the pastor, but if he's well known in Colorado as opposing gay unions then it quite conceivable that a homosexual concierge and/or front desk clerk recommended a prostitute as a joke and/or a set-up.
I'll agree something doesn't seem right here and that men of God are not exempt from making very bad choices, but until all the facts come out, I'm not condemning this man on the say-so of a homosexual prostitute.
Oyvey.
George: A man gave me... a massage.
Jerry: So?
George: So he... had his hands and, uh, he was...
Jerry: He was what?!
George: He was... touching and rubbing.
Jerry: That's a massage.
George: And then I took my pants off.
Jerry: You took your pants off?
George: For my hamstring.
Jerry: Oh.
George: He got about two inches from... there.
Jerry: Really?
George: I think it moved.
Jerry: Moved?
George: It may have moved, I don't know.
Jerry: I'm sure it didn't move.
George: It moved!
Ultimately, I agree with you that we've got to wait until the whole truth comes out, and I also agree that Haggard should NOT be held to a different standard. What I strenuously object to is the glaring disconnect inherent in taking the word of a gay hooker over that of a life-long straight, married minster with no priors. That smacks of a different standard from the get-go; one that deprecates the word of an until-now moral man to the word of a long-time moral reprobate.
I agree that Haggard made a MAJOR error in buying the drugs, but, if one believes his testimony about this, nothing else about this story gives me pause.
I re-read the article and don't see how it could be construed that Haggard bought meth more than once. Every point in the piece where it's mentioned seems to refer to the same instance.
Also, I don't see evidence that he went to that particular masseuse for anything BUT a legitimate massage, nor do I get the sense that he knew ahead of time the masseuse was gay. That part of the story, along with the claim about a three-year sexual relationship, seems to be a "whole cloth" invention on the part of the gay Mr. Jones. In fact, it seems to me that the ONLY part of the story that ISN'T a "whole cloth" fiction is that Haggard bought meth once when he went to this guy for a massage; everything else seems to be fictitious.
Finally, I certainly agree that he's done for in any official leadership capacity until he gets his struggles resoundingly and permanently dealt with. I won't count him out thought -- even St. Paul was a former religious oppressor and murderous thug. I do, however, believe that this is a five-alarm "wake-up call" in Haggard's life; his Dmascus road, if you will. Hopefully, he responds well and emerges a stronger and more humble man for it all.
P.S. -- my "carving knives" comment was intended to be more broadly directed -- not aimed at you personally -- as there are several "blood-in-the-water" kinds of posts to this story up-thread.
Sounds like the reverend learned a bit from Jim Bakker and Paul Crouch about men. At least Jimmy Swaggart bagged a hot chick.
If your religious leader has a 1-800 number under his face on TV, probably not a good idea to give him money. Its like giving liquor and keys to a Kennedy.
You're rationalizations are just creepy. You really sound like a classic 'enabler'.
I'll condemn him based on his own admissions. Really, he condemned himself.
He's a guilty self-loathing little pole-smoker living a lie and swindling people in.
A little righteous anger is in order here.
Please, he admitted it:
"I bought meth, but I didn't snort it. I bought an old queer, but I didn't get off."
I saw a special several months ago on pbs, as I recall, about Bush's/Rove's evangelical advisors, who wield a lot of power. Haggard was right at the top with literally a private line to Bush's office. . The guy gave me the creeps.. He looked like a caricature of an evangelical Christian one might see on a late-night tv comedy show.
If he represents Christianity, I'm considering conversion to Buddhism.
This "poor man" jumped into the mud hole himself (pun not intended) of his own volition and wallowed in it.
a Everyone has failings.
Yes but not everyone is the leader and spokesman of a prominent national Christian organization. If you are going to use the "everyone does it" excuse, then I take it that you did not object to Bill Clinton's lies and shenanigans. Haggard is a do as I say, not as I do hypocrite.
Rev Haggard is not a politician and is not running for anything. This should NOT be news. It's a private matter.
How do you figure this is a private matter, but two unmarried adults not abstaining from sex until they are in their 30s is not a private matter?
You were all for the government sticking it's nose into people's lives on that matter. Haggard's debacle is newsworthy but it will have zero effect on voter turnout because as you say, he isn't a politician. Katie Couric and the rest of the media are only hoping it will discourage Republican voters.
I've never seen the guy; one more reason I'm thankful I don't have a TV and haven't in years.
Pleas, he did not admit to your version of "it".
Those of us who read English understand what he said, and his "it" bears little resemblance to what you seem to wish "it" was that Haggard admitted to. Honestly, though, you shame yourself; falling for the threadbare DNC/MSM tactic of trying to take down an opponent simply by levvying serious charges aginst them, facts notwithstanding. But, then, maybe you missed the part where they wired the hooker to a polygraph and he failed. Mr. Jones' credibility's at about 5% if it's anything.
But let's be clear about the facts:
We know Mr. Haggard went for a massage.
We know Mr. Haggard bought meth once.
That's ALL we know; everything else is just conjecture based upon the accusations of a gay guy who has, himself, ADMITTED that he has an axe to grind.
A massage is not sex, much less a three-year-long tryst, regardless of how much Mr. Jones would like it to have been.
Buying some meth once does not a user make, regardless of how much Jones would like to morph it into a symptom of a long-standing habit.
You want to drag FR down to the level of DU and damn the guy on the basis of your own cynical suspicions; you want to jump on the gay guy's MSM bandwagon based on his highly dubious testimony and bang the drum for him; whatever, but I think it defies logic to play that game.
IF -- and I mean IF -- substantive evidence surfaces that supports Mr. Jones' story, THEN I'll reconsider. For now, I'm giving dominant credence to the testimony of Mr. Haggard, to wit: he bought some meth out of curiosity, but thought better of it afterward and decided to pitch it. Despite the suspicion, there's no rational reason to assert that Haggard's story is untrue.
Here's the thing, though.
The first video interview with Haggerty shows him saying he never met Jones, and he had no idea who he was...yet the second video shows Haggerty being interviewed, and...upon being told that a voice specialist had positively identified the "Art" who said to Jones "I want to order more stuff," Haggerty then said "I called him," and the interviewer asked "Why did you call him," and Haggerty replied "To buy meth from him."
This, AFTER he had said the day before that he had nver heard of Jones, had no idea who he was.
So...if he was lying about knowing Jones, why wouldn't he also be lying about having sex with Jones?
Ed
I haven't seen the interviews, so those statements are news to me. Did they air before this article was put to bed?
As for lying about sex with Jones, yeah he could well by lying about it, but the article at the head-end of this thread had Jones failing a polygraph test on that very question. Of the two of them, I'd think Jones would have a FAR easier time saying it happened if it really did, but the polygraph "indicated deception" at that point. How is it that a gay guy would get that result telling the truth about a homosexual relationship? That part makes no sense, so I'm still inclined to think that part of the story's not true. We'll see, though.
I am now convinced, however, that Mr. Haggerty has a meth problem, though. I concede that point upon your credible presentation of information from the interviews.
I am reminded of the"gentleman "who accused Cardinal Bernadine of molestation years ago.That person Finally admitted to lying<but the damage was done to a very good man who hurt no one.And Mr.Jones did admit to waiting until the very last minute to break the story.He also refuses to take asecond polygraph test ,after FAILING the first one.
But he played in big-time politics. Look for a better defense for this guy.
The voicemails, as reported here: http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=ac2e5ae3-0abe-421a-002e-f8d72bfbc01f&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf
"Hi Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply. And I could pick it up really anytime I could get it tomorrow or we could wait till next week sometime and so I also wanted to get your address. I could send you some money for inventory but that's probably not working, so if you have it then go ahead and get what you can and I may buzz up there later today, but I doubt your schedule would allow that unless you have some in the house. Okay, I'll check in with you later. Thanks a lot, bye."
"Hi Mike, this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I'll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever. I will call though you early next week to see what's most convenient for you. Okay? Thanks a lot, bye."
The voicemail is why the pastor admits to the meth. He will only admit to what evidence the whore has. There is no innocent explaination for getting dope frome someone like this. He is through.
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