The Wheels Come Off -- Again

While conservative pundits like Bill Kristol, Charles Krauthammer and Pat Buchanan teeter on the brink of apoplexy about Barack Obama's refusal to throw his incendiary former pastor under the bus, they - and virtually the entire mainstream media - have gone silent on John McCain's shameless pandering to the toxic wing of the religious right.

If we're so intent on applying Joe McCarthy's guilt-by-association mantra to Sen. Obama's relationship to his former pastor, how come we're hearing virtually nothing about Mr. McCain's support from Rev. John Hagee?

(Maybe the media feels it needs to show Mr. Straight-Talk-Express some deference because of his age. That might also explain the free pass he got for his absurd four-time assertion that (Shia) Iran was training (Sunni) Al Qaeda terrorists -- he had to be corrected by Sen. Joe Lieberman, his Middle East traveling buddy). Sometimes age brings memory deficits.

So who is this Rev. Hagee? He is a multi-millionaire televangelist, founder and senior pastor of the 16,000-strong Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, and head of John Hagee Ministries, whose broadcasts spew bigotry to some 99 million homes on 160 TV stations, 50 radio stations and eight networks in the U.S., Canada, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and many third world nations.

And what's he saying?

He speaks out against homosexuality. As noted by "Media Matters," he believes Hurricane Katrina was "an act of God for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn...a level of sin that was offensive to God".

He claims that another reason for God's wrath was the Bush administration's pressure on Israel to abandon settlements and the land associated with them. Therefore, God took American land in a "tit for tat" exchange during Hurricane Katrina.

Hagee asserts that Muhammad was a man of war and that this influence on Islam is the cause of the troubles of Jerusalem.

He calls Roman Catholicism "A Godless theology of hate that no one dared try to stop for a thousand years (and which) produced a harvest of hate."

He denounces abortion and stopped giving money to Israel's Hadassah hospital when it began performing the procedure.

He calls the head of the European Union "the anti-Christ," for trying to create a confrontation over Israel between China and the West. "A final battle between East and West at Armageddon will then precipitate the Second Coming of Christ."

He condemns literature such as J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter," calling it contemporary witchcraft.

Despite his claims of opposition to anti-Semitism, Hagee believes that the persecution of Jews throughout history, and even the Holocaust, was caused by their own "disobedience...Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of anti-Semitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people."

He believes that "The most important thing to the Christian community is not the environment but evangelism."

And he asserts, "Christians don't steal or lie, they don't get divorced or have abortions. If the Ten Commandments were followed by everyone we would be able to fire half the police force and in six months the prisons would be all half empty."

Now, these canards are not all that unusual in the extreme wingnut section of the Christian right. What's unusual is that, unlike Sen. Obama - who had a 20-year relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright - John McCain actively sought Hagee's endorsement when he began his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

And is apparently happy to accept it. "I'm very proud to have Pastor Hagee's support," McCain said at the time.

Previous incarnations of John McCain had the courage to label fanatics like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Bob Jones "agents of intolerance." The 2008 edition has shamelessly pandered to the religious right, even refusing to disown his statement that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."

What happened to the "maverick" John McCain many of us respected? Maybe, at the end of the day, he's no different from most politicians -- willing to do or say anything to get elected.

That's not an edict from God. That's a choice.

And McCain's choice has taken the wheels off the Straight Talk Express - again.

Comments

[sytgrl]

But Mr. Fisher, you forgot some of Hagee's greatest hits:

WHAT ABOUT THIS:
The Express-News reported:

Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a "slave sale" to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, "The Cluster."

The item was introduced with the sentence "Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave."

A July 27, 2006, Wall Street Journal article about Hagee noted the incident:

To help students seeking odd jobs, his church newsletter, The Cluster, advertised a "slave" sale. "Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone," it said. "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." Mr. Hagee apologized but, in a radio interview, protested about pressure to be "politically correct" and joked that perhaps his pet dog should be called a "canine American."

AND THIS:
In his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman (Charisma House, 2005), Hagee wrote:

"Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280018

[UrbanRevolution]

LOOK AT REV. WRIGHTS STATEMENTS IN CONTEXT. And then scream from the mountain tops against the slander that the media has perpetrated on this man of God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMbeVQj6Lw

He gives credit where he believes credit is due. From his sermon it appears he RESPECTS BILL CLINTON AND AL GORE! But we don't hear any of this on the MSMs

Now who's the RACISTS?

[FullChat]

Has Hillary turned down the endorsement by Ann Coulter?

The candidate is responsible for their campaign, not their supporters. Wright is Obama's spiritual adviser in his campaign. Hagee is a supporter; McCain did accept the endorsement, but Hillary did not comment on Coulter, as far as I know, making him more "responsible" for their support.

The relevant comparison is with McCain's spiritual adviser, Parsley, who wants to destroy Islam as a false religion. Now we see where McCain gets his inspiration.

[ljsfolly]

Well MSM has kept Hillary in a race that if she was Jane Smith would have died off monts ago. She would have been kicked to the curb without an eccuse me. MSM has abandoned our dear fighting soldiers who are dying for this country whether we support the war or not. They would much rather run the same clips over and over until many people believe te truth is in the lie somewhere. Anyone but Hillary would have gotten stomped on when she has made open bare faced lies about her travel during the white house years. And Bill his comments supporting McCain and how Hillary and Mac are patriots. Where the hell did that fly into MSM and die off? McCain is showing himself to be at least 3/4 shy of a full book and the dem supers are sitting on their hands waiting for the sky to open and for them to get a sign of some sort. They need to get off their collectives ass and hands and do what the best thing for our party and our country can be done and yet the neck and neck lie carries on and keeps MSM going only the going is just over and over and over and over the same smears and Hillay lies while MSM gets a pass and gives Mac a pass. I am openly disgusted and searching for email addresses to send blasters off to those I can to have them read the news I want them to hear. I am done with the leaders of this Democrat party for not having what they need to tell Hillary to pack up and go home. The supers need to give the vote to the leader who truly is in the lead and to have the MSM no longer be able to play the numbers game which is more apparent now as a lie. If Hillary wins it is a steal and I don't support a party who will once again let the election be stolen from us. If the top dems and I mean you Biden and Edwards and Gore and whomever else might come out of the dark holes they are hidden in don't come out and endorse Barack then the idiot Mac who is further along in his dementia than Reagen got while in office will win. Is this what they want? It looks like the Hil and Bill show wants that as bad as they want the power Congress has given bush so freely.

[Montanamotor]

If Hillary really manages to steal the nomination, the Democratic Party will break apart. You can expect the foundation of a new, liberal-democratic party in the USA, with huge chunks of deprived and, pissed ex-democrats gathering under a new banner, if this should really happen - a scenario, which would doom the DNC irrelevant henceforth. I think, the DNC-bigwigs know this and a scared stiff of this option. But, if not, they should be reminded of such a - potential, if very likely - outcome.

[dutchess2]

Its all racist bigotry -

The media that used snippets of Wright's sermons over and over and over without ever listening to the whole to know they had been taken completely out of context failed the very justification for their being.

They deliberately edited out Wright's attribution for the theme of his sermon to a white Ambassador appointed by Ronald Reagan.. A reasoned argument from the Bible against payback and wars just when Bush was beating war drums.....a carefully documented list of 'wars' we've fought only against yellow and black and brown, years and years of innocent women and children and parents killed, far more than died in 9/11, Nations unable to defend themselves against the might of the US. That we as US citizens had not batted an eye for these hapless dead. .....that our foreign policy had deeply offended those who did not have armies, but had a few who were willing to die for revenge...thus had our chickens come home to roost.

Said at a time when Bush and his cohorts were claiming that any opposition to their policies was treason.

Weeks before Bush attacked Iraq, Ambassador Beck and the Rev. Wright got it absolutely right. Today most Americans realize what a mistake the war in Iraq was, and now we're stuck there.

The Bible promises Damnation on those who break the commandments....and one of those is
'Thou Shalt Not Kill'.

Worse than taken the snippets out of context, was the intent behind it. To get to those few seconds,
Fox News had to see and hear the set up for them. They deliberately withheld the setup and the
cite for their origin, and they deliberately twisted the whole for their racist bigotry.... you can't attack Barack Obama for being black, but you can attack his black preacher.

Works just as well.

Further, not a word against the Ambassador, who is white. Not a word against Jerry Fawell, Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Dodson, Hagee and Parsons, men as bigoted and filled with the same or greater level of hate than Rush Limbaugh spews at liberals and democrats day in and day out. Men whoo have made outrageous claims that 9/11 was for our tolerance of Gays, feminists, the ACLU and Libertarians. Men who have claimed the catholic church is 'the Great Whore', and that America exists to eliminate all things Islam. All have regular meetings with and great access to Bush I, Bush II, Hagee and Parsons are spiritual advisors to John McCain.

No member of the press has ever called on the Bushes or McCain to distance themselves from these
haters.

The mantra adopted by the bigots is that Barack Obama sat in his church without saying anything during 20 years of anti American talk. This is the claim you see up and down these message boards and others, on the Freepers, and spewing forth from Fox News. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Rev. Wright's sermons can make all people who do not follow the Bible's teachings squirm..... But there's not a word of hate in them. This shouts out that whomever says it has not heard the Rev. Wright's sermons, not a single one.

Thus did the racist bigotry of Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, Chris Mathews, pundits, correspondents and reporters get documented in March, 2008 at a level few could still believe from the media that got Iraq so wrong you would think they had vowed to do better.

They need to be gone from our eyesight and hearing. This is two major events in the American life
that have potential to alter our course that the mainstream media have gotten wrong.... and twice now they have failed to properly research the issue and deliberately skewered the information.

Pure racist bigotry.

[Purple Girl]

Because Corp Whores control the Media outlets
Obama is not a Corportionist.
Hillary and Mac work for the Inc's andtheir Foreign sponsors (as does both the 'Parties")As far as the Corps are concerned they have two horses in this race - a Win/win -as long as they can Lame Up that pesky Up and Comer- gaining like Secretriat (like a locomotive thundering up behind them- lets' consider him their Long Black (and White) Train coming up theTracks)
RUN OBAMA RUN,BABY- AS AN INDEPENDENT when they steal this nomination too- we will follow and meet you in the winners circle with Roses & ribbons- once you beat them by 28 lengths!.

[marthlois]

Frankly, to the writer of this article and the readers who think that Hagee is against the Catholic Church only: I am so tired of sending endless letters to the press to get them to expound upon Hagee's story
for weeks and weeks and frustrating weeks. Tomorrow, there will be a story about this shameful
individual in the NY Times Magazine Section. He and Parsley have flown under the radar for much too long - as I saw my choice - Senator Obama, walk through the coals.
The press is so unfair & this story came out right before Ohio & Texas and then McCain went into hiding for the weekend in Arizona. Now, the story is blinking again and McCain is not even in the country.
I'm simply disgusted with every newspaper, tv station in America. it's enough to make you sick.
This explains Hagee all too well. It is an original Huffington Documentary. But guess what? It went away. The press should take a little bit of time getting the CORRECT WRIGHT TAPES OUT THERE - YOU KNOW THEY ARE THERE!!!!!
BUT, HERE'S HAGEE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html

[Whinger]

Mr Hagee only dammed the catholic church, he didn't damm america.
Although, there again, there's a heck of a lot of catholics in america.

[Whinger]

No need to shout.

Perhaps I should have mentioned, sarcasm on.

[marthlois]

YOU'RE IGNORANT. PICK UP THE NY TIMES MAGAZINE SECTION TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT A HATE MONGER HE IS. PARSLEY IS MC CAIN'S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR AND HE'S EVEN WORSE. MC CAIN IS THE ONE WHO WILL TAKE MONEY FROM THEM. OBAMA DID NOT
TAKE MONEY FROM HIS EX PASTOR. OPEN YOUR MIND AND SEE HOW FOX TV
HAS USED YOU!

[AntonioMaceo]

I think *a lot * of people agree with you. For some reason it doesn't seem to be gaining traction with the media.

[rojo7449]

The media picks (or creates) the news they think can sell. It's entertainment and it is in constant competition for ratings. A world this big and we have often been treated to a solid week of speculation over whether or not Angelina is pregnant. Not just by tabloid tv, but serious, MSM gets in on these non-news stories because they, too, need their ratings. Caught a quick glimpse of a story last night asking if Wynona Rider had once again been shoplifting. The answer was NO, but it was a story by someone's interpretation of what sells. McCain won't be news, at least not the kind that earns ratings points, until the democratic nominee is chosen. Why that is simply is not a question to ask the public, because the public won't turn off their TVs, stop buying magazines and newspapers to force the media to do its job.

[IslandGyal]

Isn't America supposed to be a secular nation? When did the litmus test to be president become, that you must be not only religious but CHRISTIAN? The rate that we are going, we will be just like Iran, the Taliban, etc before we know it.

[MajorKong]

Mr. Fisher, didn't you get the memo? Crazy left-wing preachers bad. Crazy right-wing preachers good.

[pheepher]

This Hagee guy didn't seek out McCain, but rather the other way around. We all know the reason the media jumped on the Rev. Wright story, he's a scary black man while Hagee can be excused because he is white. Than and McCain invites the press to his place for food.

[AnninCA]

Is he McCain's mentor, long-time friend, spiritual advisor and on his election committee?

No?

Then, I don't understand how this comparison is similar.

[nomobull]

the sad part is that if rev wright wasn't his pastor of 20 years .they still would have accused him and ignored hagee and parsley. what's even sadder is they labeled the guy a hate monger from a few minutes of tape that have been revealed to be way out of context. and in one case not his words but him quoting a diplomat named edwward peck to make a point. but you would never know that until you listen to more than the spliced together mess they showed.since you are so smart why don't you question why this is all they have out of 30 years or more of sermons. go listen to more than the 15 seconds.

[marthlois]

ALL YOU GUYS JUST HAVE TO GO TO UTUBE TO HEAR THE REAL WRIGHT
TAPES - AMERICA OWES WRIGHT AND OBAMA AND APOLOGY!!!!
MCCAIN SAYS PARSLEY IS HIS SPIRITUAL LEADER - HE'S WORSE THAN HAGEE

[robXdion]

This contradiction only serves to underline racism in this country. It is easier to drum up white outrage at a black pastor than a white one. The media (FoxNews, CNN) only validates the anger expressed from Al Sharpton, Farrakhan, and others. Blacks are not angry thru some vacuum. The networks still refuse to recant and view the entire context of the sermons. America is not without fault. Other nations aren't angry thru some vacuum either. And last we checked it was allowable to criticize the US as a citizen.