In February, when controversial Pastor John Hagee endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), he called the senator “a man of principle” who “does not stand boldly on both sides of any issue.” But since then, McCain has sought to have it both ways by both distancing himself from Hagee’s divisive record while maintaining the Pastor’s political support.
Yesterday, McCain played the game again on Bill Bennett’s radio show, where he said, “I repudiate any comments that are anti-Semitic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other.” But then added, in Hagee’s defense, that the pastor “said that his words were taken out of context“:
I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position. I hope that maybe you’d give him a chance to respond. He says he has never been anti-Catholic, but I repudiate the words that create that impression.
As ThinkProgress noted yesterday, context does not change the indefensible nature of Hagee’s most divisive comments, such as his belief that “Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans” for hosting a gay pride parade. McCain has said that he “repudiates” Hagee’s words “that are anti-Semitic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other,” but he has never specifically criticized Hagee’s blatantly anti-gay rhetoric.
This should come as no great surprise. Though McCain sought gay support in his 2000 run for president, he has also had no qualms about allying himself with anti-gay activists. In the fall of 2006, McCain appeared in two commercials supporting a draconian ban on same-sex marriage in Arizona:
In 2000, McCain promised that he “would condemn openly” “agents of intolerance” like Hagee. Will McCain stand up now as “a man of principle” and specifically repudiate Hagee’s anti-gay comments?
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Between McMaverick’s and Wolf Blitzer’s repetition of the word “repudiate” I’m about ready to repukiate.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:20 pmno.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pmIt would take a backbone to stand up to homophobia of this nature, and Sen. McCain has proven in 2000 that he has no backbone.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:23 pmWill McCain stand up now as “a man of principle†and specifically repudiate Hagee’s anti-gay comments?
Short answer?
NO.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pmWill McCain Specifically ‘Repudiate’ Hagee’s Anti-Gay Comments?
My guess is Yes. And No.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pmThe Daily Show’s Jon Stewart tried to warn him in 2006, but John McCain didn’t listen. Battered by all sides over his embrace of End Times Pastor John Hagee, John McCain is finally experiencing the blowback from his pandering visits to “crazy base world.”
For the details, see:
March 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pm“Jon Stewart Warned McCain About ‘Crazy Base World.’”
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
It says ‘all men’ not ‘all straight men’.
Discrimination against gays and lesbians is as archaic as discrimination against blacks or women. Time to get past it.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:26 pmOnce again, it’s the trailblazer Jon Stewart that is proven right.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:27 pm“specifically repudiate” is pretty strong. what we’ll see will be more like “speciously prevaricate”
grab yer dictionaries, righties.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:33 pmHeheheheh, Ralph! Bullseye!
Excellent snarkage! ;o)
March 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pmBomb, bomb, bomb Iran will remain silent on Hagee’s statements hoping for the vote from all sides. Bottom line, America has moved on… does anyone in numbers of significance really care?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pmOffcourse not
He’s the straight talk express, not the F** talk express.
Oh, and republicans don’t hate…
/sarcasm
March 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pmOT but Nowak wants unrestricted access to detainees, including the right to interview them in private.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:36 pmFlip this and let’s ask Hagee if McCain fully agrees with him.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pmSurely both of McCaine’s gay catholic supporters are awaiting a firm repudiation.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pmWait wait wait… give him time!
He has to ‘flip’ before he ‘flops
March 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pm#15 - Comment by Rodham Gin — March 12, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
So, you’re admiting that Sen. McCain is not “a man of principle†!!!
Wow!!
March 12th, 2008 at 3:39 pmPastor Hagee’s punishment in hell will be:
a. Preaching forever to a crowd of gay/lesbian atheists who laugh their asses of forever.
b. Having his wattle gnawed off by a never ending parade of ferrets.
c. Having to listen to tapes of himself for all eternity.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:42 pmSaddam Gin has her head well into her bottle today, whoah!
March 12th, 2008 at 3:43 pm#15 - Comment by Rodham Gin — March 12, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
So, you’re admiting that Sen. McCain is not “a man of principle†!!!
Wow!!
Comment by Democrat Soldier — March 12, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
Actually, Cheap Bathtub Gin’s comments should never be taken to imply anything substantial.
They are always fatuous in intent and vacant in execution. But we keep her around because fetches us beers and looks cute in that French maid’s outfit, if you don’t look too closely.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:43 pmRalph the wonder llama you would have to drink an awful lot of beer to make Gin look cute in anything….what a useless hag.
McSame like being supported by hate mongers, that what repukes are all about, fear and hate, makes keeping in line easy.
Buck Hussein Fush
March 12th, 2008 at 3:47 pm“I repudiate any comments that are anti-Semitic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other.â€
So, are we safe to assume that gay bashing does not fall under the “any other” category, eh McSame?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm#21 - Comment by ralph the wonder llama — March 12, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
I just thought it was funny that in attempting to slam a Democratic Rep, he (she?) ended up slamming Sen. McCain for him having no principles worth following.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:49 pmThat’s like asking if Kookcinich will vote to overide Bushs’ torture veto, of course not!
Comment by Rodham Gin — March 12, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
Kucinich is twice the man that McSenile is ……….Just check out the difference in their wives.
Dennis’ wife is a naturally tall , striking beauty ; Cindy McLoser is a worked on mannequin with a Minnie Mouse voice (and even less brains)
March 12th, 2008 at 3:50 pmIf one stepped on Hagee, would one need to discard one’s shoes?
I sincerely hope that Hagee’s stench follows McCain on his journey to obscurity.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:50 pmNah — McCain has already whored himself to the gay-haters. Not even he can twist himself enough to pander to the gay vote at the same time.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:53 pmMcHagee, McBush, McEADS. The list goes on. He is not his own man.
He rejects what Hagee says but not the person or what others may construe his words to mean. Can anyone make sense out of this crap?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pmIs Daryll here?
March 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pmTiffany just called, she wants him to pick up a couple of pounds of butter on the way home.
I have to really wonder about the people that think that gays getting married will somehow effect their marriage? Why do they feel threatened? Gays marrying sure doesn’t effect mine, nor anyone else I know. It’s just plain old bigotry, nothing more, nothing less.
Buck Hussein Fush
March 12th, 2008 at 4:04 pmIf anyone ever needed to have a sex scandal it’s John Hagee. I think he should try to replace Eliot Spitzer as “Client 9.”
March 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pmLast month, God destroyed Union, Tennessee, a town full of redneck Republicans, with a freak winter tornado.
I didn’t even know Union, Tennessee held a gay parade.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:10 pmIn 2000, McCain promised that he “would condemn openly†“agents of intolerance†like Hagee.
- - -
C’mon people. That was a pre-9/11 world we lived in. Don’t you realize we had our homophobic innocence ripped from us on that fateful day?
March 12th, 2008 at 4:11 pmOh yeah. If we stop hating gay Americans, the terrorists win.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:13 pmThrow another log on the fire . . .
March 12th, 2008 at 4:20 pmWhat saddens me is that people teach their children this crap. What kind of damage is done by the message, “if you don’t hate people who are different, Jesus will kill you”?
I sometimes think that phukwits like Hagee should NOT be protected by the 1st Amendment. His filth isn’t Faith. It’s sedition.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:40 pmIs Daryll here?
Tiffany just called, she wants him to pick up a couple of pounds of butter on the way home.
Comment by Nevar — March 12, 2008 @ 4:01 pm
Eeeeeewwwwwwww.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:49 pmI have to really wonder about the people that think that gays getting married will somehow effect their marriage? Why do they feel threatened? Gays marrying sure doesn’t effect mine, nor anyone else I know. It’s just plain old bigotry, nothing more, nothing less.
Comment by Buckie Boy — March 12, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
I suspect that there are a lot of anti-gay people out there who think that gayness is a fun thing to be involved in and we would all be doing it if it wasn’t for rules against it. Their thinking is “why would you be married to a person of the opposite sex if you had permission to be married to a person of the same sex?” In other words, allow it and we will ALL be in same sex relationships. Children won’t be conceived and civilization as we know it will wither away.
It doesn’t seem to occur to them that heterosexuals will usually prefer to marry a member of the opposite sex no matter what the law says.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:51 pmIf god was aiming at gay folks, she sure has a sh**ty aim! Maybe she throws like a girl? ROTFL!! Just look at a map of New Orleans damage, and all of the good conservative areas like those that southern tard lives in were trashed, and the good old gay section of the city was left high and dry! Guess maybe it was the closet homophobes like southern man(gurl) that god was pissed at! ROTFL!!
March 12th, 2008 at 6:13 pmno
March 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pmno he wont
.
PRESERVE MARRIAGE!
OUTLAW DIVORCE!
.
March 13th, 2008 at 1:31 am