Posted on 08/16/2008 11:59:35 AM PDT by XR7
LAKE FOREST, Calif. When John McCain and Barack Obama appear on the same stage today, they will vividly demonstrate the reach that has made the Rev. Rick Warren among the most significant evangelists of his generation.
He's a megastar who leads the nation's fourth-largest church and reaches thousands of ministers through the Internet and crusades against poverty and AIDS. That globe-trotting work and his successful book "The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?" puts him at the vanguard of a movement that inspires young, socially conscious Christians.
But his willingness to soft-pedal political issues once central to U.S. evangelicals, such as opposition to abortion, has opened him to criticism that he has strayed from his calling to spread the Gospel.
Today's forum also is a sign of religion's importance in the 2008 presidential campaign, and the emergence of a new style of evangelical leadership on the national stage that is not tied to a single party and has broadened its social agenda beyond that of the religious right.
"This is absolutely a changing of the guard, and it suggests that the new guard of the evangelical movement is able to generate the attention and focus of both parties," said D. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice University and author of "Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite."
Warren personally invited the two candidates "friends of mine" via their cellphones. His event at the Saddleback Church will be broadcast live on CNN and Fox News Channel and streamed on the Web. It has among its aims "helping the church regain credibility and encouraging our society to return to civility," he said.
It's likely that fans and critics will be watching closely...
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Yes, his gray hair is inconsistent, sometimes a little too much or not there at all. Without it, he looks like the lanky kid/newbie politican he was a couple years ago.
Obama couldn’t look the American people in the eye with his answers, plus he needed to be able to look away to think about how to phrase it. McCain blew him out of the sky tonight.
We’re not all that dumb when it comes to evidence:
Obama “strong evidence that ethnic cleansing was taking place”
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Pre-War Democrats
LISTEN TO THEM NOW AND SEE WHAT THEY SAID THEN
September 28, 2003
One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.
-President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.
-President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.
-Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.
-Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs. Letter to President Clinton, signed by:
-Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998
Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.
-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D! , CA), Dec. 16, 1998
Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.
-Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.
Letter to President Bush, Signed by:
-Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, Dec 5, 2001
We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them.
-Sen. Carl Levin (d, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.
-Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.
-Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.
-Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons...
-Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force if necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.
-Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.
-Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do
-Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.
-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction.
-Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
[W]ithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ...
-Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
All the CNN crew looked liked someone p’d in their cornflakes!
Plus he shaved/plucked his eyebrows all pointy. What is up with that.
After Saddleback, Obama Gets Heated With Brody,
Speaking with CBNs David Brody [immediately] after Saturdays forum, the Senator responds forcefully when asked about the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.
Link to video: http://thepage.time.com/cbns-brody-speaks-with-obama/
Transcript by midnight
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063160/posts
How ‘bout it. Isn’t this the guy whose supposed to be “an electrifying” speaker?
He’s about as electrifying as a couch.
His (bama’s) words are an outright lie ... that’s
why I keep posting your link and text to the
transcript.
He’s lying, saying his actions about the
Born Alive Infant Protection bill are being
misinterpreted.
If someone has some time, it may be fun to show the changing hair in relation to what he was doing. For example, he dyes his hair gray when he is at events where he wants to look ‘experienced’, like tonight. He has it darker when he is dealing with youth. I bet there can be dozens of examples....
He is a manufactured candidate.
Obama demonstrated why he was a law professor and not a real practicing lawyer.
Law professors are refugees from the legal profession.
Obama taught constitutional law. For those who don’t know, con law is a core class that in theory should be teachable by ANY lawyer.
People should also not forget that being a minority law professor, especially one of the rare black male law professor is a major quota queen diversity coupe. It is not about quality of teaching but the feel good quota at any cost.
I bet some of Obama’s students would back up his poor teaching. I even bet some students audio recorded his erronious views on the second amendment.
Obama “enslavement here in our country”
Like the children Obama leaves behind at Trinity with Reverend Wright?
ROFL .. just saw his clip on the news. Looked good.
I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed , But this Obama dude is a dipstick..
Vote Right Folks.
SRHO signing off.
Well if his absurdities on abortion and the fourteenth amendment are any indications, the students who took his class should demand a refund of tuition.
Warren was clearly uncomfortable with the amount
of time NObama took to answer each question. At
one point he told NObama just to answer the question
and that he didn’t want to hear his stump speech.
Out of a field of 15 “world view” questions, Warren
was only able to ask 3 or 4. NObama’s stem cell
answer was painfully circumloquacious. For that
matter ALL of his answers failed to find their target.
Pretty funny.
However... NObama’s testimony that Jesus Christ died
for his sins cancels out any suspicion he might be a Muslim.
MHO
caught part of that
Obama on Clarence Thomas not a strong enough jurist or legal thinker
I don’t get how this man can let the word NATO come out of his mouth when he hasn’t chaired the subcommittee yet.
The nerve.
He mentioning again that Granddad fought in WWII
Buried in the Punchbowl NATIONAL cemetery
(military family etc)
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