McCain Surrogate Brownback Downplays Hagee's Bigotry

MSNBC's Brian Williams came perilously close to applying actual press scrutiny to one of John McCain's most beloved supporters, evangelist minister John Hagee, when he asked McCain enthusiast Senator Sam Brownback if Hagee was the "albatross" around McCain's neck.

[WATCH.]

WILLIAMS: Democrats are still locked in a primary contest, of course. we've seen a lot of Reverend Wright out there on this network, on the internet, on other networks certainly. It's been theorized that reason Mr. Hagee is not getting that thorough an airing is that the Democrats are otherwise busy. Stay tuned for that. Is he the albatross around the neck of Senator McCain that Reverend Wright has proven to be with Senator Obama?

BROWNBACK: I don't think so. I've known Reverend Hagee, I've worked with him, I've talked with him since the comments that he had made. He regrets them. He's said that. He said, this is the context in which that was said. I said this about Catholics. I also said the same thing about Protestants in his own church. He was just pointing to a time in history. I don't think you're going to see near that from Reverend Hagee that you've seen from Reverend Wright. I myself was shocked about some of the things that Reverend Wright expounded upon at the National Press Club.

Hmmm. Okay. Let's just review some of the things that Hagee has previously expounded upon, that some say are a wee bit "shocking":

Catholicism, defined: "A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years produced a harvest of hate."

They Had It Coming! (New Orleans, in re Hurricane Katrina): "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 are -- were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing."

They Had It Coming! (The Jews, in re the Holocaust): "It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people."

Naturally, if Brownback and McCain want to continue praising and working with Hagee, that's their prerogative. More importantly - and for what it's worth - I think Brownback is absolutely right when he says that he doesn't "think you're going to see" nearly as much coverage of "Hagee that you've seen from Reverend Wright." Why? Well, consider Brian Williams' take on the matter:

It's been theorized that reason Mr. Hagee is not getting that thorough an airing is that the Democrats are otherwise busy.

Interesting! Well, BriWi, here's an alternative theory to chew on: Hagee is not getting as thorough an airing because the media has abdicated that responsibility! The New York Times and the Washington Post have offered the public twelve times the coverage of Jeremiah Wright as they have John Hagee. Last week, David Gregory's The Race For The White House dedicated two entire shows exclusively to Jeremiah Wright. No one has offered scrutiny of Hagee that matches even one-fourth of the intensity or ubiquity that the Wright coverage has.

This isn't to say that the Wright controversy doesn't warrant thorough coverage, of course, but this Hagee fellow is a real piece of work! He's defamed Catholics, and the disaster-stricken, and Jews. If you check out some of his other greatest hits, you'll see he's done the same to Muslims, gays, and women. Here, Brownback says he's done the same to Protestants. Is there anyone who has escaped the lash of Hagee's intemperate, ignorant tongue? It's a question worth asking, but here, Brian Williams just glides on by, so he can ask Brownback to offer his prediction for tonight's primaries:

BROWNBACK: Hillary wins Indiana and Obama pulls it out in North Carolina, although maybe not by much. I think John McCain wins in both places.

Woah! Way to nail down that exclusive, hero newsman!

Comments

[ManofReason]

It is so transparent in the way that the media has treated this issue. I was counting down last night how long it would take Hannity to bring up Rev. Wright. It was during the first segment, and even Jack Kemp was pointing out that it was getting a little out of hand. I remember an episode where a democratic strategist was almost kicked off of Hannity's America for equating Wright with Falwell. It is now fair game, and the Falwells, Robertsons, and the Hagees need to be called out in the exact same fashion as we have witnessed with Wright. It has been customary for Rep. nominees to receive an endorsment from Falwell in the past, and nothing ever made of it. The hypocrisy is just plain awful. Taking the high ground on this will be difficult.

[mindact]

We're really not worried about John McCain in the fall. Here's why, he's such an easy target to get swiftboated. If the repugs decide to play the Wright Ayers card, we will release the entire payload on John McCain.
We act as if the republican party are the only ones with the capability to swiftboat our opponents. We have well funded organizations that will turn McCain into an pantsy enemy collaborator (aka his vietnam days) in the fall. We also have the dirt on his drug addicted stepford wife. And oh get this, by the time we regurgitate how he abandoned his crippled wheelchair confined first wife, who stood by him b/w thick and thin for the shiny flashy rich lady he's walking around with as a trophy wife, there will be no woman on earth willing to vote for him. We don't even have to bring back his black love child given to us by George bush. Conservative will drop him like a bad habit....

This is even before we get into the policy issues. We just have to take the soundbites the DNC has been running both on the war and the economy a couple of notches up. Then the final indictment will be the picture of the oneness hug b/w GW and McCain. By the time we're done John McCain and George bush will be one and the same. If the republicans want to play dirty, in the words of George bush, bring it on

[Pyrrhus]

I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing."

Oookay. And what was God thinking when he had Katrina hit the Mississippi coast? Suppose that was collateral damage.

[edtastic]

The problem is simple Hagee is WHITE and Wright is BLACK. A fire and brimstone White preacher does not scare WHITE PEOPLE thus its not news. Meanwhile a fire and brimstone Black Preacher sceptical of his goverments sense of decency can be painted as an Anti America Black Militiant Afro centric sepratist. Ideally if he could be a Rabbi, a Priest, an Evanglicial White church leader and escape scrutiny saying the same stuff. SImple as that the GREAT BLACK THREAT Wright presents due to latent racism and cultural misunderstanding.

[totalliberal]

Brownback: "The question was about Rev. Hagee. Now watch my left hand carefully while I shift the topic, poof, over to Rev. Wright. Clever, huh. (Well for a republican anyway.)

[mari2JJ]

Actually "clever" was his intent, but the statement woefully missed the mark. And what a guy to pick to do it. Remember his sing song parody during a hearing, insulting orientals. Of course a bigot would not be able to recognize bigotry in another. He, no doubt, thinks bigotry is a great thing or he would not have sung the parody of an "Oriental" on National TV. Sooooooooo Brownback, you thought we had forgotten but alas, we had, sort of, but your comments have brought it right back to our minds. Once a bigot, always a bigot until you apologize in front of the entire country which is where you made your snide little sing song about orientals. So, that vulgar, disgusting put down of oriental people still is fresh in our minds. We have no respect for your judgment and realize all too well you are a bigot that accepts the most hateful statements from anyone.

[amazinggrace]

Oh, I so agree with many of the posters here. The MSM is to blame for all of the Rev Wright fiasco and then they are SHOCKED, yes SHOCKED, that most people did not care about Wright since HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE. Obama had the class to deal with it all and come out looking like a winner.

Rev Hagie is not sorry that he called the Catholic Church the Great Whore. He believes it and this tidy little clip should make a very nice sound bite in an ad about McCain, like the 100 years in Iraq ad does.

Who on earth would ever believe what Brownback would say. I think that I remember him briefly running for President. until voters got to see him up close and personal and showed him the door. Think that he averaged about 0 votes (*-*)

Obama '08

[donballz]

I was personally shocked when Hagee was shouting about how people who are unemployed deserve to be starving in the streets. If you watch that whole ten minute sermon, it will churn your stomach with all the terrible things he says. There are at least ten things that made me shudder. What happened to the message of love that Jesus preached? What happened to turning the other cheek? The neek shall inherit the earth? Do unto others?

I would ask anyone who understands how to work youtube better than me to chop that ten minute sermon into ADD-friendly bits and repost them; do it soon as we pivot to the general. Thanks huffpo

[littlepuffycloud]

Good job Brian...yo­u ALMOST acted like a real newsman. Almost.

[jah2008]

No, not really. If he wanted to act like a real newsman, he should have done this long ago and not because it looks as if Obama is going to win the nomination, and not after two months of 27/7 coverage of Wright-Bitter. The main-stream-media are losers. They have no brains of their own.

[rollingdivision]

This is all just silly. For all we know, Hagee's views are as invidious as Wright's. But in this case McCain's relationship with Hagee, by all accounts, is purely political.

Does anyone really doubt that if a Republican presidential candidate were a parishioner in Hagee's church, if Hagee had been variously described as his spiritual mentor and adviser, and if the candidate had taken the title of a campaign manifesto from a Hagee sermon, that the relationship between the politician and the pastor would have come under just as much scrutiny as Obama and Wright's?

Indeed, if anything, the double standard here works the opposite way. Journalists and Democrats routinely criticize Republicans for their party's association with the likes of Hagee, Falwell and Robertson. But Democratic candidates campaign in black churches all the time, and this is treated as perfectly ordinary.

[kdogg]

what about parsley? mccain has identified ron parsley as his spiritual adviser and he has said some pretty heinous stuff. both the msm and yourself conveniently ignore this guy too. asshats like you can try and spin this issue as much as you want but all the candidates have people associated with them that could be used in this way and mccain will eventually reap what he sows.

[RomeyDA]

OK TRUTH IS
McCain was just in New Orleans spreading rhetoric recently.
Truth is instead of helping the area rebuild after Hurricane Katrina and the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast get back on their feet, McCain actually voted to deny emergency funding to the area, and he voted against giving victims of Katrina access to Medicaid and unemployment benefits.
Hagee proably told him HOW TO VOTE
PROOF
[McCain Campaign Email, 4/22/08; 2006 Senate Vote #112, 5/4/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #285, 11/3/2005; 2006 Senate Vote #6, 2/2/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #229, 9/14/2005; 2005 Senate Vote #234, 9/15/2005]
Now MSM tell the true if you DARN
The MSM coverage of Wright example of POOR journalism similiar to the IRAQ war

[Obamapalooza]

Wright , Hagee, Pat Robertson and all these self righteous religious wackos are either insane or skilled actors. I wonder what it's like behind closed doors as they smirk and count their money.
In any event I think candidates attach or disconnect from these clowns purely for votes.
It's a wash in the general.

I will admit I wish my man Obama would have never been part of Wright's church but I will give him a pass because of the public disconnect. The same for McInsane.

--
"Save Trees. Print only when necessary.­"

[redraymonds]

hagee is worst than wright, its high time the media follows up on this

[filo]

AMEN!! McCryptkeeper is NOT a maverick. He is just as bad as Bush. He changes his views more than his shorts.

[igmond50]

Not worse...th­e same...ign­orant and myopic...o­pposite ends of the same uninformed biased spectrum

[Decipherer]

Until last evening, I was undecided as to whether the Democratic primary season should continue its inexorable path to Denver, with the candidates fighting it out for every remaining delegate.

After Obama's convincing win in North Carolina and extremely narrow loss in Indiana, I think it is time for the candidates to end it, and figure out a way to unite the party now.

Why? To focus on the severe deficiencies of John McCain, including the range of loathsome associations and scandals that have plagued his career for decades. This "Reverend" Hagee endorsement, which McCain actually sought after, is Exhibit A, and needs to be hung around McCain's neck like an albatross.

As for Brownback's statement that Hagee had somehow apologized for some of his statements, which went unchallenged by Brian Williams (what else is new?), I am unaware that this is true. From what I hear and read, Hagee is as unrepentant today as he was in 2005 after Katrina and before.

Bottom line: If Barack Obama is called on the carpet over and over again to explain his association with Jeremiah Wright, so should McCain be compelled to explain the far more disturbing statements of John Hagee.

[BethStuart]

Hagee doesn't seem to be quite sure about the cause of Hurricane Katrina. On at least one occasion, he suggested it happened because Israel withdrew from the Gaza strip. Here is the quote from Bill Moyer's documentary.

JOHN HAGEE, SEPTEMBER 18, 2005: I want to ask Washington a question. Is there a connection between the 9,000 Jewish refugees being forcibly removed from their homes in the Gaza Strip now living in tents and the thousands of Americans who have been expelled from their homes by this tremendous work of nature? Is there a connection there? If you've got a better answer, I'd like to hear it.


Go figure.

[bigfated]

I worry less about idiots like Hagee---or even Wright---than I do about creeps like Brownback. Imagine a McPain win and religious zealots like Brownnose in his cabinet. That would be a miserable continuation of the status quo----and we do not need more of the same. We need someone who can undo at least some of the damage caused by these thieves, liars, and murderers.
And now that Hillary is effectively out of the way....the­se neo-cons are staring into the face of extinction­.....and good riddance to these mindless thugs. Take your theories and your bigitry and hatred and "stick 'em where the sun don't shine,"-----you are yesterdays news---about as significant as the droppings on the floor of a bird cage. Holy Rollers----go away and give America a chance to recover from the damage you've done....to our country---to our abused military---to our very future. You have failed! You are losers! Your time is---(than­kfully)---­past.