Posted on 02/29/2008 4:08:41 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
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.
Democrats quoted Hagee as saying the Catholic Church conspired with Nazis against the Jews and that Hurricane Katrina was God's retribution for homosexual sin, and they recited his demeaning comments about women and flip remarks about slavery.
"Hagee's hate speech has no place in public discourse, and McCain's embrace of this figure raises serious questions about John McCain's character and his willingness to do anything to win," said Tom McMahon, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.
McCain was pressed on the issue Friday morning in Round Rock, Texas. Hagee "supports what I stand for and believe in," McCain said.
"When he endorses me, that does not mean that I endorse everything that he stands for and believes in," McCain said. "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my campaign."
He added that he was "proud" of Hagee's spiritual leadership of his congregation at the 17,000-member Cornerstone Church.
The Catholic League and Catholics United called on McCain to reject the endorsement.
"By publicly addressing this issue, you will reaffirm to the American public and to Catholics that intolerance and bigotry have no place in American presidential campaigns," Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United, wrote McCain in a letter sent Thursday.
McCain's response to the two days of criticism stood in contrast to his rapid denunciation of a radio talk show host who denigrated Barack Obama, repeatedly using Obama's middle name, Hussein, and calling him a "hack, Chicago-style" politician.
McCain immediately apologized and said he repudiated the statements of the radio host, Bill Cunningham, while warming up a Cincinnati crowd for McCain on Tuesday.
"Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate," McCain said at the time.
“Distance” my foot. Hagee’s done robo-calls for McCain that have gone out all over Texas.
“Have you listened to Hagee?”
Yes I have, on several occasions.
“Hes a wacko! What is objectionable about him has nothing to do with conservatism.”
What is the “wacko” thing about him that you object to?
John Hagee is hardly “unknown” OR a bigot.
Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews. - Jerusalem Countdown (revised edition, 2007, p. 114)
“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 were recipients of the judgment of God for that.” [16].
Yeah, all he does is call the Catholic Church the “Apostate Church” and the “Great Whore of Revelation”. Not to mention that his support for Israel is merely because he believes it will help bring about Armageddon in which all but 144,000 Jews will be slaughtered and sent to Hell.
I can’t see what on earth Catholics (or Jews for that matter) could be complaining about [/sarc]
Oh, they luv him but they just don't want to vote for him.
John Hafee has just learned from experience that anytime one lies with dogs one gets up with fleas.
It is my personal belief that John Hagee is an honorable individual. I do not harbor the sams feeling about John Mc Cain.
I will not vote for Mc Cain in the general election for many reasons, this is one more.
On the morning after the general election, both John Mc Cain and the Republican Party are going to be rudely awakened by reality.
The moving companies around Washington D.C will be working 24 hours a day moving Republicans out.
Yup. McNutt wants to lose this election really, really bad.
What a great plan; make as many conservatives & your base as PO'd as possible.
The new 11th Commandment of the Republican Party.
Idiots.
Duudddeeeee, you crack me up
BTW
Thanks for your service
I was thinking the very same thing after McLames denouncement of talk-radio Cunningham earlier this week. McLame just can't help himself it would seem. Now he goes shoots himself in his other foot. LOL. I sure hope he keeps it up!
Although I don’t agree with Hagee on all of his self-promotional harangues, I do believe he is blessed with one of the best voices in Protestantism since Spurgeon. When He is on tthe Gospel, he is a voice for our times and should be heeded. I’ve not found any anticatholic bigotry in his eschatology. I don’t agree with all of his theology, he, indeed, preaches the unaltered Word of God.
I echo your sentiments. Hagee is indeed spiritually gifted. I really should listen to him more often.
Your post makes no sense to me. How could you say you “don’t agree with all of his theology” but believe he is preaching the “unaltered Word of God”? Seems to me if he was preaching the “unaltered Word of God” then you would agree completely with his theology since his theology would be derived from the “unaltered Word of God”. If some of his theology is wrong (since you state you don’t agree with parts of it), then parts of his preaching would have to alter the Word of God or be against it.
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