The All-White Elephant In The Room

BORED by those endless replays of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright? If so, go directly to YouTube, search for "John Hagee Roman Church Hitler," and be recharged by a fresh jolt of clerical jive.

What you'll find is a white televangelist, the Rev. John Hagee, lecturing in front of an enormous diorama. Wielding a pointer, he pokes at the image of a woman with Pamela Anderson-sized breasts, her hand raising a golden chalice. The woman is "the Great Whore," Mr. Hagee explains, and she is drinking "the blood of the Jewish people." That's because the Great Whore represents "the Roman Church," which, in his view, has thirsted for Jewish blood throughout history, from the Crusades to the Holocaust.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[BethStuart]

McCain's association with Hagee goes back much further than Hagee's recent endorsement of McCain. See the link below in which McCain addressed Hagee's CUFI conference in July of last year. This was the conference in which McCain told Hagee's folowers (in Hagee's presence):

"It's hard to try to do God's work in the city of Satan. "

That would be Washington, D.C.

McCain's address is about 5 minutes into the clip:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10052007/watch2.html

[livetotell]

That Hagee is McCains pastor is a lie , plain and simple . North Phoenix Baptist Church is McCains church and Dan Yeary is his pastor .
http://www.abpnews.com/www/3116.article

[Coyote2]

you didn't read the article did you?

[joesamson]

"It's a new day in America. The Sleeping Giant of Christian Zionism has awakened".

Pastor John Hagee, Cornerstone Church, San Antonio, Texas, at an AIPAC conference in Washington D.C., March 11, 2007.

How this set of controversies will impact McCain or Obama is hard to tell. But I can't believe that it will hurt either Reverend Wright or Pastor Hagee. Just spell their names correctly, and make sure you sign the checks, and add the drivers licenses.

[FarLeftField]

I find these stories about John Hagee to usually miss the point. He is certainly a hateful nut. But this is not the real story. John Hagee is a lobyist. He is responsible for starting the largest Israeli PAQ. This man collects money and uses his influence to sway US politicians to act in Israel's interest. John McCain would have dumped this wacko months ago if it wasn't for this lobby.

[sparkandy]

And that's the point the defenders of Obama's Rev Wright miss. McCain is being the usual cynical politician. Obama attended Rev Wright's church for 20 some years and didn't have a problem with his fiery rhetoric until it became political baggage.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

You are correct in that this is not merely character assassination as the Wright/Obama story was. This man Hagee is someone who could actually affect US foreign policy.

Obviously this is a much more serious matter for any voter who thinks rather than simply boxes with shadows and repeats spurious accusations.

[redrobin]

and here's what's in it for us with the mccain/clinton ticket...preachers or no preachers....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs&NR=1

[Irons]

John McSimpleton will accept endorsement from anyone who will endorse him, even a bon-a-fide nut like Hagee, who think Catholics wanna drink the blood of Jews. OMG. LMFAO.

And to think the media is after Barack for Rev. Wright. NO RACISM THERE. LMFAO

[Objectivesayer]

Its especially disgusting because john mccain went to his church for twenty years and said nothing and mccain refers to him as his spiritual advisor........ooopps that was obama my bad

[iPolitics]

Where is the constant loop of Hagee videos on MSNBC and CNN? Are they waiting for Faux News the lead the way again? We know they won't on this issue. Spineless.

How dare McCain seek Hagee's support and say he's happy to have it. Media is race-baiting again by sticking to the Rev. Wright story. Did we really think the media would allow Obama to run a human being instead of a Black man. Shame on you media!

[Irons]

McSimple has never given serious thought to any issue. The Dimocrats need merely to keep him talking, in public, about public policy because he knows nothing deeply, nothing.

Dimocrats - debate this empty vessel named McSimple every chance you get.

Challenge his thinking at every turn.

[anangryamerican]

McSame has not been vetted for his stance on ANYTHING....it is time the media start to delve into Mc Same's past// WHY did is very wealthy inlaws BACK him in politics? Why is he FOR this war? What does he KNOW about economics???? McSame has flip floppped and hugged the Shrub at every opportunity...a political shill from DAY ONE..His inlaws PLAYED the POW angle to get him some power, after all, EVERY powerful business NEEDS a politicial in their pocket!!!!!!!!!

[sangsue]

It all comes down to this.

Straight White Male Christians rule the USA and the media.

Straight White Christian Females are considered to be almost as good. They only have to try twice as hard when running as candidates and if they were the wife of a Sentator, Congressman or President, they can coast on that.

Straight Jewish men? They have to try five times as hard when running as a candidate unless they're lucky enough to be in NY.

Straight Jewish Women? They have to try seven times as hard and their harshest judges are Jewish men. Even in NY.

Straight Black Men? They have to try a hundred times as hard and they have to be squeaky clean about everything because people are just waiting for an excuse not to vote for them. They can't have a hair out of place. And they have to be saints.

Straight Black Women? They're held to 150 times the standards of Straight White Christian Males. And their harshest judges are often Straight Black Men.

Gay White Christian Males? Only a few make it.

Gay White Jewish Males? The same, although it seems that their Chrisitan counterparts are held to higher standards.

Gay Black Men? WIll never ever be a candidate. Period.

Lesbian White women? A handful. But they are in danger every election.

Lesbian Black women? Will never be a candidate. Period.

That is why Hagee will never be held to the same standards as Wright.

[djk20042]

OK--I'm Catholic, and I've heard what Hagee said. He hasn't said anything that a Catholic wouldn't expect a bible-thumping Protestant to say. Hagee sounds like one of these people who try to predict the future with scripture, and he's entitled to his heretical opinions.

He endorsed McCain, but has never been McCain's preacher, and didn't marry him in any of his 3 marriages.

In short, McCain's relationship with Hagee is like 15 minutes together in front of a microphone.

Wright, on the other hand uses scripture to preach real racial hatred and bigotry. He has been Obama's "spiritual mentor" (whatever that means) for 20 years, baptized his kids, married him, AND been the inspiriation for at least one book. In addition, some of Barack and Michelle's odd behaviors/statements sound like they are influenced by Wright.

When are you Obamapologists going to admit this hypocracy? If John McCain had a preacher that spoke about blacks the way Wright speaks about whites, you people would be going insane!

The Hagee-McCain connection isn't comparable to Obama-Wright!

[brainlego]

It is comparable since the right would create a story of this instantly if McCain was a democrat. They even manage to create controversy over something as unimportant as flagpins.

[fourex]

djk20042
"Wright, on the other hand uses scripture to preach real racial hatred and bigotry."
No Wright doesn't.
Hagee preaches Rapture and Armageddon. He said after a meeting with Bush, that GW Bush is on the same page as him on destroying both Iraq and Iran to bring the Rapture nearer. Bush talked to Hagee's God and murdered tens of thousands with his blessings. Bush didn't need 20 years to hate and kill.

[RaraAvis17]

I want to know who the crazy ass people are that sit in Hagee's church and listen to his sermon or hate-mongering and then leave the sermon feeling good about themselves. I am so glad I am an Atheist and not brainwashed.

[awcbuddy8]

Then you just replaced a hate-filled megachurch with your hate-filled head.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

Oh now its HATEFUL to not believe in absurd ideas that are obviously crude attemps to exert political control over foolish people? You sound as bad as a Muslim, and that is saying a lot. Your freedom to believe and my freedom to merciliessly critique your beliefs both spring directly from the Constitution. If you decide to believe in stuff that can easily be shown to be false, are we hateful for pointing out what any reasonable person could demonstrate? I don't think so. Criticism is not hate, unless you are a thin-skinned GOP crybaby. Deal with it tough guy

[fourex]

Hagee's God told GW Bush to kill Iraqis and Iranians. (500,000 or so.)
Wright's God has asked Obama to kill nobody.

Score 500,000 to zero. Hagee wins.

[WesSmith]

Couple of questions:

Did McCain ever meet Hagee before he was endorsed by him?

Was Hagee McCain's paster for 20 years?

Did McCain donate tens of thousands to Hagee's ministry?

Did Hagee baptize McCain's daughter?

Has McCain ever attended a service at Hagee's church?

Indeed, has McCain ever been inside a church with Hagee?

Is this yet another bogus left-wing analogy?

I don't know the answers to all those questions, except the last one.

I will vote for McCain, although I'm for Obama in the Democratic primary. I want him to win because an Obama presidential campaign will be far more interesting and enlightening than yet another prevaricating, hair-splitting Clinton campaign.

But this Rich column is silly. This is nothing more sinister than Farakhan endorsing Obama, the difference being that Hagee was completely unknown to the vast majority of Americans including, apparently, McCain.

[fourex]

djk20042 " Hagee was completely unknown ... including, apparently, McCain."
This is a bald faced lie, easily discredited with any research.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

So tru. The straight talk express flip flopped and now panders to the same right wing religious bigots he once opposed. He knows exactly what he is doing

[fourex]

Did Obama kill for Wright's God. No.
Did Bush kill for Hagee's God. Yes, maybe a half million.

[cmrinc]

Your right!

[CyrusBeaucephus]

So what did you spend more time doing this weekend-worrying about Muslims, or worrying about Rev Wright? How does you military record stand up to Wrights. Mr Super patriot. I think anyone who serves in the Marines for six years has earned the right to say any damn thing that he wants to. And what he believes is absolutely no concern of mine. But I guess that disqualifies me from being a GOP nosy busy body who has to worry all the time that people aren't patriotic enough, or religious enough, or MORAL enough (while supporting unecessary war, torture, pollution, the death penalty, overincarceration of minorities, and class warfare)

[heretical_eggs]

Apologies for the petty attack on this man, but I just can't help myself. This fellow like so many others of his ilk possess the look some scaled reptilian creature or bloated sea mammal that one might imagine sunning themselves on rocks in a hot desert or lying out on the ice up in the Arctic.