GOP/Christofascist Apocalyptic Fantasies Unleashed in Israel

One of the 1,500+ injured Palestinians. 

At times the only segment of the American population that Donald Trump seems to strive to please are the evangelical Christofascists (since many of them are racists, perhaps Trump seeks to please white supremacists).  A case in point is the lunatic decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem which was seized by Israeli force of arms without international law blessing.  As any sane person would have expected, Palestinians are not happy and, as seems to be always the case, the protests turned bloody and one-sided with Palestinian deaths and injuries while Israelis remained unharmed.  The Washington Post noted the casualties:

Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians at the boundary fence with Gaza on Monday . . . No Israeli soldiers were injured, though, and Israel drew widespread condemnation for an excessive use of force.  More than 2,700 people were injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, including 1,359 from live ammunition. The dead included six children under the age of 18, among them a 15-year-old girl, and a medic, the ministry said.

Adding to the ugliness of the event was the presence and speeches of two Christofascist extremist preachers who, like their unwashed co-religionists, back the embassy move because in their delusional minds, it is helping to set the stage for the Apocalypse - when all but an small number of Jews survive and countless millions of humans perish.  A column in Esquire puts the idiocy in perspective:

More than 20 people in Gaza were dead on Monday before anyone in Washington had had their breakfast. This was pitched to the awakening nation as a series of “deadly clashes,” even though the deadly part only applied to one side. It was a great start to a day in which the president*, who doesn’t know anything about anything, prepared to toss a lighted match into a lagoon of gasoline in the Middle East.

The decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem is more unnecessary than it is stupid and dangerous, and it’s pretty stupid and dangerous. There was no overwhelming political support—and certainly no overwhelming political pressure—in this country for such a provocative development. It was solely the desire of that odd mixture of highly conservative Judaism and American splinter Protestantism, of the prolonged slow-dance between the apocalyptic factions of two major monotheisms that very likely will incite the apocalyptic faction of the third. It is religious extremism disguised as international diplomacy.

How do I know this? Well, Jared and Ivanka Trump already have met with a conservative rabbi who thinks black people are monkeys. The United States of America will be represented at the ceremony by Robert Jeffress and John Hagee, two completely batshit-insane TV preachers with long histories of supporting Israel because it allegedly will be largely set-decoration for the end times. . . . . From CNN:

Hagee, whose group is dedicated to organizing pro-Israel Christians in the United States into a unified voice, has had relationships with Israeli prime ministers dating back years. But he came under the national political spotlight in 2008 for comments that prompted then-Republican presidential candidate John McCain to reject his endorsement. During the campaign, audio from one of Hagee's sermons in the 1990s was leaked that seemed to suggest that Adolf Hitler had been fulfilling God's will by aiding the desire of Jews to return to Israel in accordance with biblical prophecy.

As for Jeffress, well, he’s been the chaplain on the Trump Train for a while now, and he also has a long record of interesting pronouncements on world religions.

Some might remember Jeffress for his frequent condemnations of Mormonism as a "cult" during the 2012 presidential campaign and his urging of Christians not to vote for Mitt Romney, a Mormon, during the Republican primary. But Jeffress has also called Islam and Mormonism heresies "from the pit of hell," suggested that the Catholic church was led astray by Satan, accused then-President Barack Obama of "paving the way" for the Antichrist, and spread false statistics about the prevalence of HIV among gays, who he said live a "miserable" and "filthy" lifestyle.
 Every American of every faith—to say nothing of Americans who have no religious faith at all—should be embarrassed to be represented by this collection of crackpots and thooleramawns, gone off to Israel to bless an unnecessary and perilous politico-religious gambit that owes more to fringe religion and domestic Israeli politics than to any American national interest. For the first time in its history, the United States has entered into what is at least partly an ancient religious war. This is exactly why our Constitution is as godless as it is.

The Palestinians, of course, are not the only ones outraged by Trump's move.  Countless millions will now be much more receptive to a message that America is their enemy.  Don't be surprised if more terror attacks take place on American soil.  Trump has just about guaranteed that they will through this self-prostitution to Christofascists.

Michele Bachmann Tries to Claim Natural Disaster Comment Was a "Joke"

If readers have not already figured it out, I view Michele Bachmann as a dangerous lunatic motivated principally by (1) self-promotion and (2) out of the mainstream religious extremism. At a campaign stop, as reported by Politico, Bachmann made the following statement:

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people, because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet, and we've got to rein in the spending."

The Washington Post reports that Bachmann now says the comment was a "joke" to make a point. Based upon all I've read about Bachmann and her far right supporters, I suspect she meant the remark literally. There is a certain irony, however, to the remark. I'd conjecture that if God has a message, its to Bachmann and her fellow far right Christians - whom I prefer to refer to as Christianists - and the members of the GOP who prostitute themselves to such elements. A casual reading of the four Gospels of the Bible show one group more than anyone else drew Christ's wrath and criticism: the Pharisees applied religion in a legalistic, uncompassionate manner and looked down upon and despised pretty much everyone but themselves. And who does Bachmann and her fellow Christianists and Tea Party nutcases resemble in their social views and on public safety net issues? Why, the Pharisees, of course. They condemn others, want to cut social programs for the poor, the homeless, the unemployed, and generally wear their religion on their sleeves. For a group that claims to honor - even worship - the Bible, they might do well to read the four Gospels and stop acting like those most criticised by Christ. Here are highlights from Politico's comment on Bachmann's batshitery:

Bachmann's not the first public figure to call a hurricane a message from the Almighty: John Hagee suggested that New Orleans might have triggered Hurricane Katrina with a gay pride parade, while Pat Robertson postulated a connection between Katrina and the debate over abortion. But it's not exactly a mainstream meteorological view.

Not exactly the company one wants a presidential candidate to be compared to. Here are highlights from the Washington Post observations on the Bachmann campaign's efforts to backtrack:

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) told supporters God was sending a message to Washington politicians through the earthquake and hurricane that pummeled the East Coast this weekend, according to a report in the St. Petersburg Times. The hurricane killed more than 26 people, including at least two children.

Bachmann’s press secretary told reporters that she was “saying it in jest” to prove a point. The three-term congresswoman’s comments, joking or not, moved into ”risky territory,” writes Politico. This may be especially true for a candidate who, in the two months since she announced her candidacy, has faced many questions about her religious worldview.

Her husband’s Christian counseling center has also been criticized for advancing controversial “reparative therapies” for homosexuality.

Rick Perry - Extremist or Morally Bankrupt Political Whore?

Today is the day that Texas governor and possible GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry will hold his "The Response" event in Houston which will show case some of the nastiest far right religious extremists in the nation. The event is clearly a evangelical Christian nutcase event and one has to wonder whether Perry - sometimes rumored to be a closeted gay - actually believes the Christofascist bullshit or if he's simply the cheapest of pandering political whores. The gathering will feature many in the Christian Taliban who, if allowed to do so, would transform the USA into a Christianist version of Iran. The Washington Post looks at this foul gathering and highlights some of the top hate merchants who will be no doubt in top demagogic form. Here are some highlights:

The event, originally conceived by Perry before he started laying groundwork for a presidential campaign, is one of the most explicit appeals to conservative Christians by any of the Republican hopefuls, and it will closely link his candidacy to his evangelical faith if he decides to run.

Evangelical Christians make up a critical voting bloc that could comprise more than half of the voters in some of the GOP primaries. But liberals are criticizing Perry, highlighting the controversial comments of some of the people he has invited to participate. And some Republicans worry that the Texas governor could hurt his prospects of winning the general election if he chooses to emphasize religion . . .

The event “might play well in Iowa or South Carolina, but I’m not sure how well it plays in New Hampshire, Florida or Michigan. It’s too much of an overt mixing of religion and politics,” said John Feehery, a Republican strategist who was a top adviser to then-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (Ill.) “Rick Perry has got to decide if he wants to run for president or run to replace Pat Robertson.”

Officially, the event is non­political. Perry does not have a formal presidential campaign staff, and the American Family Association is paying for the rental of the 71,000-seat stadium. Organizers don’t detail positions on any major policy issues on the event Web site; instead, they list seven religious points they agreed on, such as “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”

Some of the groups and figures involved are highly controversial. Following the Fort Hood shootings two years ago, a top official at the American Family Association, Bryan Fischer, said Muslims should be not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. He has also suggested Adolf Hitler and the German soldiers who carried out the Holocaust were gay, and their sexual orientation was part of the reason they orchestrated the mass killings.

A Texas pastor named John Hagee, who is listed on the event’s Web site, has suggested Hitler and the Holocaust were part of God’s plan to drive Jews from Europe.

Some Republican strategists privately say that highlighting the party’s opposition to gay marriage in particular turns off young and swing voters. They say Perry can avoid annoying these voters if the event remains largely about prayer instead of crossing into those sorts of issues.

Given who some of the other speakers will be (Mother Jones has a run down on them here), I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that some very extreme batshitery will come down and that Perry may well come to rue prostituting himself to the worse elements of hate and intolerance in the nation. He'll likely have to disavow some of the hate and bigotry - and thereby piss off the loonies - or stand by it and horrify normal, rational voters.

Christianist Cat Fight

UPDATED: Gary Bauer fires back at Huckabee:

*

As a former candidate myself for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2000, I understand the disappointment Governor Huckabee must feel about his failure to win the GOP Presidential nomination in 2008. It is unfortunate, however, at a time when the GOP needs to close ranks and seek unity, that Governor Huckabee in his new book has aimed his fire at his fellow Republicans.

*

Nothing is more fun than watching the Christianist crowd get into a snit and start a full blown cat fight amongst themselves. That's pretty much what former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee does in a new book that is being released. Personally, I am extremely happy that Huckabee did got the GOP nomination and I view him as a religious extremist at least as whacked out as Caribou Barbie Palin. In fact, based on his statements that the U. S. Constitution should reflect Biblical law makes him even more crazy than Bible Spice. Nonetheless, it is great sport to watch him lay into various of the self-anointed Christianist leaders and other GOP figures. Here are some highlights from Time magazine's coverage of Huckabee's new book:

*

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is not the sort of politician who likes to bite his tongue. But that's just what he found himself doing in the eight months . . . On Tuesday, that book will arrive on store shelves, and in terms of payback, it will not disappoint. At once a memoir of his campaign, a treatise on the ills of the Republican Party and a blueprint for his own political future, Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America is filled with sharp words for his fellow Republicans who frustrated his bid for the party's nomination.

*

Mitt Romney, Huckabee's principal rival in Iowa, receives the roughest treatment. Huckabee writes that the former Massachusetts governor's record was "anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president."

*

Many conservative Christian leaders — who never backed Huckabee, despite their holding similar stances on social issues — are spared neither the rod nor the lash. Huckabee writes of Gary Bauer, the conservative Christian leader and former presidential candidate, as having an "ever-changing reason to deny me his support." . . . . He also accuses Bauer of putting national security before bedrock social issues like the sanctity of life and traditional marriage.

*

Huckabee describes other elders of the social-conservative movement, many of whom meet in private as part of an organization called the Arlington Group, as "more enamored with the process, the political strategies, and the party hierarchy than with the simple principles that had originally motivated the Founders."

*

He calls out Pat Robertson, the Virginia-based televangelist, and Dr. Bob Jones III, chancellor of Bob Jones University in South Carolina, for endorsing Rudy Giuliani and Romney, respectively. He also has words for the Texas-based Rev. John Hagee, who endorsed the more moderate John McCain in the primaries, as someone who was drawn to the eventual Republican nominee because of the lure of power.

Misplaced Jewish Mistrust of Obama - They Need to Look at McCain Supporters

While I understand that the support of Israel is an important issue to many Jewish voters, I truly cannot understand why some Jews are afraid of Obama's commitment to Israel. The New York Times, in fact has an article on this matter. Unfortunately, many of these skeptics are probably falling for the crazy untruths that are being circulating on the Internet by far right groups. Personally, I believe they have much more to worry about from John McCain who, although he is now trying to distance himself from them, has snuggled up to Christianist nutcases who see Israel solely as a means of starting Armageddon which would leave all but a small percentage of Jews slaughtered.

*

As I have told many of my Jewish friends, with friends like Messrs. Hagee, Rod Parsley, Pat Robertson, who needs an enemy? People need to remember that McCain sought these people out and wanted their endorsements. Hagee's recently revealed commments on Hitler and the Nazis shows all too clearly that these folks in actuality care nothing about Jews or Israel. From my exposure to the far right base in the GOP, Hagee's views are anything but unique - he merely is foolish enough to have said them publicly and on video tape. For those who somehow missed it, here's what Hagee had to say:

*

Jews are not "spiritually alive". . . Hitler and the Nazis were sent by God, to chase Jews back to the land of Israel. Because that's where God intends them to be. So, the Holocaust was a gruesomely inefficient system of divine "persuasion", and Hitler and the Nazis were doing "God's work".

*

And the Bible says - Jeremiah righty? - “they shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and out of the holes of the rocks”, meaning: there's no place to hide. And that will be offensive to some people. Well, dear heart, be offended: I didn't write it. Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth. How did it happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said, “my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come BACK to the land of Israel”. Today Israel is back in the land and they are at Ezekiel 37 and 8. They are physically alive but they're not spiritually alive. Now how is God going to cause the Jewish people to come SPIRITUALLY alive and say, “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He is God”?"

*

As indicated by Hagee himself, to back up this lunacy, Hagee cites Jeremiah 16, and implies that God caused the Holocaust because of Jewish "iniquity" and "sin", and for filling God's "inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols." Moreover, as Bruce Wilson at Talk to Action reports:

*

Two days ago I discovered that, according to John Hagee's own written words in Hagee's "Prophecy Study Bible", members of John Hagee's Christians United For Israel routinely sing, at their "Night To Honor Israel" events, a joyful-sounding song which, in scriptural terms, refers to Israel's coming, expected invasion and devastation. Building on my last discovery, of a John Hagee sermon in which John Hagee claims God sent Hitler and the Nazis, to chase Europe's Jews towards Palestine, and that Jews have dead (or non-living, inert) souls (see YouTube video towards the end of this post), this new finding helps solidify my case that Pastor John Hagee, who also has given a sermon espousing a crypto anti-Semitic conspiracy theory - of "international financial power brokers based in Europe", is an anti-Semite of the first magnitude.

McCain's Preacher, John Hagee Again Blames Gays for Katrina

After momentarily retracting his anti-gay comments wherein he had blamed gays for Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans - probably because he is causing John McCain to have to defend him - Boss Hogge look alike, John Hagee, is once again running his mouth and back to gay baiting and what some might construe as race baiting. To demonstrate that they are not closet case racists, I hope Tim Russert and cohorts report on Hagee's latest case of diarrhea of the mouth and McCain's embrace of Hagee's endorsement. Here are highlights from the Dallas Morning News:

*

In a conference call with religious supporters, Hagee denounced Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for pressing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. He called it "a cheap political ploy" aimed at "making Condoleezza Rice a vice presidential candidate and building a midnight legacy for George Bush."

*

Hagee also defended himself against charges he's anti-Catholic. . . . Critics say Hagee called the Catholic Church "the great whore" and said Katrina hit New Orleans because of a planned gay-rights parade. Hagee blamed the flap over his "great whore" comments on a "man trying to raise money for the Catholic League." That would be Catholic League President Bill Donahue. Hagee says he was denouncing the apostate church, both Catholic and Protestant.

*

When a woman on the call asked why he seemed to have backed away from his Katrina comments in face of criticism, Hagee said he hadn't. As for the Katrina, he said he said, God controls hurricanes and "God always punishes unconfessed sin." You do the math.

McCain to Face New Orleans Protest Over Anti-gay Pastor Hagee

Hopefully John McCain will learn that there is a down side to cozying up to a vile gay-hater like maga church pastor John Hagee, who this week told a radio host that he stands by his comments that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans because sinful gays were planning an event there (i.e., Southern Decadence). As Toweleroad is reporting, the flier shown above, is one that McCain will be greeted by. MoveOn is behind the action, asking people to sign a petition which will be delivered to McCain at his photo-op in a number of hours. The petition reads: "John Hagee continues to blame the people of New Orleans for the catastrophe of Katrina. Senator McCain: If you reject intolerance and bigotry, reject Hagee's political support and stop courting hate-mongers like him." You can sign the petition here.

*

It is amazing to me how supposed "men of God" seem to specialize in dishing out hate. What would Jesus say? Here are some more highlights from Think Progress:

*

On September 18, 2006, Pastor John Hagee — whose endorsement Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said this past Sunday he was “glad to have” — told NPR’s Terry Gross that “Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.” “New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God,” Hagee said, because “there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came.”

*

On his radio show yesterday, right-wing talker Dennis Prager asked Hagee to respond to “the various charges made against him” in a fact sheet put out by the Democratic National Committee. Asked about his comments on Hurricane Katrina, Hagee said “the topic of that day was cursing and blessing”:

*
HAGEE: Yes. The topic of that day was cursing and blessing. … What happened in New Orleans looked like the curse of God, in time if New Orleans recovers and becomes the pristine city it can become it may in time be called a blessing. But at this time it’s called a curse. Prager followed up by asking if all natural disasters are a result of “the divine hand” and if there is “any natural disaster that is not the result of sin?” Hagee responded by saying “it’s a result of God’s permissible will” and “that there was going to be a massive homosexual rally there the following Monday,” which he said “was sin”:

*
PRAGER: Right, but in the case, did NPR get, is this quote correct though that in the case of New Orleans you do feel it was sin?

*
HAGEE: In the case of New Orleans, their plan to have that homosexual rally was sin. But it never happened. The rally never happened.

John McCain Continues to Embrace Far Right Anti-Gay Christianists

One would think now that John McCain has locked up the GOP nomination he’d be backing off a bit from the lunatics of the far right so as to not frighten away moderate voters, but just the opposite seems to be the case. First he cuddled up to anti-Catholic, anti-gay crazy John Hagee as I previously reported. Then he called nutcase Rod Parsley his “spiritual advisor.” To say that Parsley is anti-gay is an understatement. He truly strikes me as a Neanderthal who has no concept of a separation of religion from the civil laws. Here are highlights of what Right Wing Watch is reporting (http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2008/02/mccain_brings_p.html):

McCain campaigned . . . in Cincinnati, where he appeared with the Rev. Rod Parsley of World Harvest Church of Columbus. McCain called Parsley a "spiritual guide," while Parsley later labeled McCain a "strong, true, consistent conservative." … Parsley shared the stage with McCain during a rally at Hamilton County Memorial Hall in Cincinnati but didn't speak. In a later interview, Parsley said he supports McCain because the senator will be tough on national security and "protect the unborn."
Thus far, Parsley has kept his distance from the presidential race, while continuing to use his TV show to oppose abortion and hate-crimes protections. But now he’s jumped in to help John McCain lock up the Republican nomination.

A spiritual invasion is taking place!” shouted Rod Parsley at the “War on Christians” conference in 2006. “… Man your battle stations! Ready your weapons! Lock and load!” Parsley, an Ohio megachurch pastor and televangelist, promised to build an army of “Patriot Pastors” to march to the polls, an even bolder political machine than the one he led in 2004 that helped pass an anti-gay amendment in the state and nudge George W. Bush to reelection. Parsley’s 2006 candidate, Ken Blackwell, ultimately lost the governor’s race, but the televangelist remains an outsized political force, and his “Patriot Pastors” machine is still a model for church-based electoral organizing

Here are some examples of Parsley’s views on gays (http://www.alternet.org/story/31942/):

Gay sex is a veritable breeding ground for disease," he said. "Only 1 percent of the homosexual population in America will die of old age. The average life expectancy for a homosexual in the United States of America is 43 years of age. A lesbian can only expect to live to be 45 years of age. Homosexuals represent 2 percent of the population, yet today they're carrying 60 percent of the known cases of syphilis."

More on John Hagee, Whose Endorsement McCain Was Honored to Accept

Yesterday I did a post on John Hagee, the Christianist nutjob who has endorsed John McCain's canidacy. Following Hagee's endorsement, McCain said, "All I can tell you is I'm very proud to have pastor Hagee's support." As you will recall, in the February 26th Democrat Debate, Barack Obama was put under extreme pressure by Tim Russert to repudiate Louis Farrakhan's endorsement. The same rule should apply to both the GOP and the Democrats and, therefore, the Hagee endorsement and McCain's embrace of it raise the question of whether MSNBC will devote coverage to them comparable to its coverage of the Farrakhan issue.

Obviously, if MSNBC was honest and unbiased, we should be hearing McCain grilled to reject Hagee's endorsement. Time will tell whether Russert is unbiased. If he fails to go after McCain on this issue, then Russert is admitting that (1) he is not unbiased, and (2) Hagee shows the true face of today's GOP. Meanwhile, here's more on the views of the man McCain is proud to have as a supporter (http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280018):

On the September 18, 2006, edition of National Public Radio's Fresh Air, host Terry Gross said to Hagee, "You said after Hurricane Katrina that it was an act of God, and you said 'when you violate God's will long enough, the judgment of God comes to you. Katrina is an act of God for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn.' " She then asked, "Do you still think that Katrina is punishment from God for a society that's becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah?" Hagee responded:

HAGEE: 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. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.

Earlier in the program, Gross asked if Hagee believed that "all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews," to which Hagee replied, "Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly."

Additionally, investigative journalist Sarah Posner noted in God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters (PoliPointPress, January 2008) that 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.

McCain Gladly Accepts Endorsement of Gay-Hating Anti-Catholic

While calls are going out from many quarters - including from National review - for John McCain to repudiate the endorsement he received from Rev. John C. Hagee, pastor of the evangelical Cornerstone Church mega-church, if he does so, he is in effect repudianting the mind set of what has become the cornerstone of today's GOP. Anyone who knows about Rev. Hagee knows that he's - in my opinion at least - a fucking lunatic. Here's a few highlights from the New York Times (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/mega-church-pastor-in-texas-backs-mccain/#more-4374)on just who and what McCain is embracing in his effort to painder to the Christianist base of the GOP:

Mr. Hagee, who argues that the United States must join Israel in a preemptive, biblically prophesized military strike against Iran that will lead to the second coming of Christ, praised Mr. McCain for his pro-Israel views. Asked about Mr. Hagee’s extensive writings on Armageddon and about what one questioner said was Mr. Hagee’s belief that the anti-Christ will be the head of the European Union, Mr. McCain responded that “all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee’s support.'’

The fact that people like Hagee now dominate the GOP is one of the principal reasons I left the Republican Party a number of years ago. He/they is/are ltittle better than the Taliabn when it comes to being complete hate-filled. Here's yet more on Hagee from the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/mccain-proud-of-endorse_b_89227.html):

Hagee was, if you'll remember, the guy who said that Hurricaine Katrina was God's revenge for a gay pride parade. He thinks war with Iran is essential so as to bring about Armageddon (when you can say bye-bye to the Jews). But as Glenn Greenwald says, he's a white Christian evangelical bigot, and therefore entitled to respect from the pundit class:

[W]hite evangelical Ministers are free to advocate American wars based on Biblical mandates, rant hatefully against Islam, and argue that natural disasters occur because God hates gay people. They are still fit for good company, an important and cherished part of our mainstream American political system. The entire GOP establishment is permitted actively to lavish them with praise and court their support without the slightest backlash or controversy. Both George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent formal greetings to the 2006 gathering of Hagee's group.

By contrast, black Muslim ministers like Farrakhan, or even black Christian ministers like Rev. Jeremiah Wright, are held with deep suspicion, even contempt. McCain is free to hug and praise the Rev. Hagees of the world, but Obama is required to prove over and over and over and over that he does not share the more extreme views of black Ministers.

How come Tim Russert -- in all the times he sits and chats with Lieberman, McCain and various high Bush officials -- never reads all of the inflammatory, disgusting, crazed "Rapture-is-Coming/ All-Jews-will-Burn/ Kill-All-Muslims/ Hurricanes-are-Punishment-against-Gays" pronouncements from John Hagee and James Dobson and Pat Robertson and demand that John McCain and George Bush and Joe Lieberman "denounce" those views and "reject" their support? What's the difference, exactly?

Enter...Bill Donahue. Yes, Mr. Catholic League/Chocolate Jesus himself, who is (justifiably) miffed that Hagee refers to Catholics as "'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system.' Glenn Greenwald interviewed him yesterday:

Donohue was particularly insistent that McCain's behavior would severely harm his standing with Catholic voters -- the group of voters which Karl Rove maintains is the key group for enabling the GOP to win: "This thing seems to be to be blowing up in his face. McCain has stepped in it big time."

It's significant that this is not a partisan issue, both sides of the political spectrum are in agreement that McCain should be forced to account for this. Even the National Review is applauding Glenn Greenwald's efforts on this front.