McCain's Rejection of Hagee
By RioGrandeRightWing Posted in Endorsements — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
A part of me feels this came to late, but at least the ties are cut.
I'll say this. As an evangelical, I respect Pastor Hagee. I disagree with how political he gets in his sermons and some of his eschatology preaching. But I think (just as I believe this about liberals) what he says and does, he really believes it and feels its the best for the country.
I was happy to know that he has recently spoken out against his own hateful comments about the Catholic church and is trying to make amends with that group of people.
But, I still think John McCain did correctly in rejecting his endorsement. And I especially love his jab at Obama in the statement:
“I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright’s extreme views. But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not attend his church for twenty years. I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today. “
Oh, Barack.
...citing predatory journalists and the fact that he didn't want to be a distraction to McCain's campaign.
McCain accepted the retraction from Hagee, and I loved the dig he got in on Obama in this little kerfuffle. What's the problem here?
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Keep this kind of stuff up. Keep hitting even when you appear to retreat.
Check out the comments to the MSNBC story; do these people even live in reality?
made just so that he could get a dig into Obama? I didn't see Hagee rising again in the media conscience. Clear, clean hit though...and it brings Wright back into the forefront.
Erik
Hagee then retracted his endorsement so as not to be a distraction, and McCain accepted the retraction. In the retraction, McCain hit Obama over Wright.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Hagee did not call Hitler beloved by God; rather an instrument to get the Jewish people to go to Israel (as per Biblical prophesy). Like Nebuchadnezzar or Judas, their actions were deplorable, but still, through their opposite example, they in their way glorified God. You may quibble with Hagee's interpretations, but he is not being anti-Semitic... if you listen to his other sermons, he is staunchly pro-Israel. This interpretation has even been postulated by “mainstream” theologians including religious Zionists... so this not the far off the UN equals the Beast stuff.
I am not an Evangelical and I was pleased to hear that Hagee peddled back his anti-Catholic rhetoric, but this denunciation demonstrates how soundbites trumps substance. McCain is distancing himself from Haggee, because the MSM is painting Hagee as the equivalent to Wright - WRONG! There is no comparison with Hagee and Wright.
Hagee is calling Hitler an instrument whose evil actions caused the good of the founding of the State of Israel. Wright is calling us (America) an evil instrument period... he damns us for: bombing Hiroshima (which probably prevented an even bigger bloodbath), he damns us for creating AIDS to kill minorities, he damns us for supporting Israel over the Palestinians, he damns us for treating blacks equally in education (because black brains are different – sheesh – his thought not mine)... etc.
As an Episcopalian, I don’t have much thought of Hagee at all. But of all the things to nail him on (Katrina caused by gays, etc.)... this one was the weakest and actually, for me, a non issue.
No one should compare Pastor Hagee to Reverend Wright. To do so is disingenuous in the extreme.
But I'm not surprised that McCain rejected his endorsement. At least I won't be giving mccain an endorsement he can reject.