McCain and Parsley

ABC's Brian Ross has a thorough report on how John McCain's spiritual guide Rod Parsley hates Muslims and believes that the United States was founded, in part, to rid the world of Islam:

But of course anti-Muslim bigotry has a large constituency in the United States so it's not a political weakness to be affiliated with it. Similarly, it's true that having a president who likes to associate himself with anti-Muslim bigotry would be a disaster for American foreign policy and national security, but since the essence of McCain's foreign policy vision is that he wants to maximize the number and duration of wars this won't actually be a problem for him. Ross shows that McCain is a huge hypocrite, but basically we know that already. So I say it's a non-story -- the MSM should really devote less attention to this and more to Decemberists-gate.

Comments

John McCain's spiritual guide Rod Parsley

It is a lie to say that Parsley is "John McCain's" spiritual guide. McCain never said that.

Obama bloggers know that they are lying and yet say this anyway. Why? Because Obama is running the dirtiest campaign in US hiostroy.

Posted by Jery | May 22, 2008 11:09 AM

This is the guy that McCain named his memoires after?

Posted by Chris | May 22, 2008 11:11 AM

"But of course anti-Muslim bigotry has a large constituency in the United States so it's not a political weakness to be affiliated with it."

I hope this was sarcasm, because I believe there are many people in this country who are turned off by this sort of bigotry.

Posted by DTM | May 22, 2008 11:17 AM

Jery:

It is a lie to say that Parsley is "John McCain's" spiritual guide. McCain never said that.

Oh? Really?

Meanwhile, McCain campaigned yesterday 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."

Dirty reality has a pro-Obama bias.

Matt:

believes that the United States was founded, in part, to rid the world of Islam

Well, that would certainly explain our treaty with the Barbary pirates, wouldn't it?

Dumb cracker doesn't know what country he's in.
.

Posted by Grand Moff Texan | May 22, 2008 11:18 AM

He's a spiritual guide -- just not McCain's spiritual guide. World of difference!

Posted by Matt B | May 22, 2008 11:24 AM

How many spiritual guides does McCain have?

Does he hear voices, too?
.

Posted by Grand Moff Texan | May 22, 2008 11:28 AM

If I called Jeremiah Wright a pastor, I'm not saying that he is my pastor. And when McCain says Parsley is a spiritual guide, he isn't saying that Parsely is his spiritual guide.

But, again, since Obama is running the dirtiest campaign in US history, Obama bloggers like Matthew will continue to lie about this.

Posted by Jery | May 22, 2008 11:34 AM

I agree with Matt that this isn't a winning argument against McCain in a general election - the Obama campaign, you'll note, is not and has not been pushing this story publicly.

However, I think this is absolutely necessary to a secondary battle that progressives must win - cutting into McCain's support among his "base", the mainstream media. Tying McCain to a crazy pastor won't work in winning votes, but tying McCain to a crazy pastor right now may well make a number of journalists more skeptical about McCain, question whether he's changed, question what he's willing to sell out to get the nomination.

(My personal opinion is that McCain's flipflops show his profound lack of interest in most aspects of good governance, but for his "base" in the press, it's about whether he's changed from the St. McCain they remember. This can be part of that narrative, and I think it can work.)

And regardless of whether this man is McCain's spiritual guide, he is someone whose support hte McCain campaign fought for, and whom John McCain praised broadly on the same stage.

Posted by DivGuy | May 22, 2008 11:35 AM

Why is it necessarily wrong to get support from bigots? Ron Paul was supported by neo-Nazis but that doesn't make him a nazi or even a nazi sympathizer. Unless Yglesias can offer some concrete evidence that McCain shares the views of Hagee and Parsley (like perhaps attending their church for 20 yrs) then I see no reason why anyone should be concerned.

Posted by Gordon Gekko | May 22, 2008 11:35 AM

What's up with that name, "Jery"? Were your inbred parents so inept that they forgot the extra r?

Posted by Geri | May 22, 2008 11:52 AM

If I called Jeremiah Wright a pastor, I'm not saying that he is my pastor. And when McCain says Parsley is a spiritual guide, he isn't saying that Parsely is his spiritual guide.

No, the indefinite article was outside the quotation marks, so we don't know what McCain called him.

However, "spiritual guide" is not a title, like "pastor," unless you're new-age-ish, which McCain certainly is not. If I say that someone "has been an influence," I'm not saying that they might have been an influence to someone over there, hypothetically.

Hagee, Parsley, Falwell, Robertson, et al. have been the fellow travelers of rightwing politicians for years. We don't need the Obama campaign's go-ahead to try to make that a liability for them.

People who associate with religious extremists should be shamed.
.

Posted by Grand Moff Texan | May 22, 2008 11:54 AM

It's wrong to seek the support of bigots, as McCain has repeatedly done with Hagee and Parsley.

Posted by Matt Weiner | May 22, 2008 11:55 AM

I think every child in america needs better world history and these problems may not happen. Railing against the idea that the christian god and Allah are the same? What the hell?

Every presidential election year reminds me of exactly how many assholes live in my town

Posted by Brian | May 22, 2008 12:00 PM

Obama is running the dirtiest campaign in US history

I dunno. I'm sure there's gotta SOME campaign back there in history that was just as dirty. We probably just haven't heard about it on Fox...I mean, maybe Obama's campaign just seems the dirtiest what with him being black.

Posted by Bill | May 22, 2008 12:04 PM

True story. I attended high school with Rod Parsley. We played together on the basketball team. I remember him as socially awkward and a bit of an odd duck. This is the 70's and quite a few of us had rather interesting social lives often (oh hell, always, OK?) involving illicit substances. Rodney was the constant brunt of jokes because he rolled a lousy joint. That and he couldn't hold his liquor. I swear to this day he got into religion because he was such a lightweight partier. That and he was uncomfortable around a bunch of people going at it like bunnies and he's unable to find second base. I recall his lone attempt at converting me was met with such withering resistance further persuasion was seen as futile. There are also some dirty little secrets about how he came into the land his church is on. Lacking the requisite documents I'll forgo the risk of a slander suit. The rest I can vouch for personally.

Posted by steve duncan | May 22, 2008 12:14 PM

steve duncan...that is hilarious.......

Posted by Bill | May 22, 2008 12:40 PM

Incidentally if I were named after a garnish I'd probably find Jesus too.

Posted by Bill | May 22, 2008 12:44 PM

Gordon Gekko writes: "Why is it necessarily wrong to get support from bigots? Ron Paul was supported by neo-Nazis but that doesn't make him a nazi or even a nazi sympathizer."

that's true about paul. same with farakaam supporting obama. obama didn't solicit that endorsement.

on the other hand mccain did actively court parsley's support.

because i'm a cynic, after watching hillary successfully court the "hard working white" vote, i think that mccain hanging with an anti-muslim crazy will help win over some of the more xenophobic part of the base.

Posted by dj spellchecka | May 22, 2008 1:00 PM

If I call Josef Stalin a "great man", that doesn't mean I consider him a great man. I'm just recognizing that some people out there consider him to be one.

Posted by phil | May 22, 2008 1:15 PM

"Obama bloggers know that they are lying and yet say this anyway. Why? Because Obama is running the dirtiest campaign in US hiostroy.

Posted by Jery | May 22, 2008 11:09 AM"

I'm guessing you're joking because you can't spell, but I wonder if you've ever heard of George Wallace, Watergate and Nixon's CREEP antics.

Posted by Reality Man | May 22, 2008 2:02 PM

Reality Man,
Top this for a dirty campaign:

by JEFFREY McMURRAY
AP-Oct 11, 2002
WASHINGTON - Sen. Max Cleland is angrily defending himself against a rival's television ad that shows pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and implies the Democratic incumbent is soft on homeland security.

The ad, sponsored by Republican Rep. Saxby Chambliss' Senate campaign, doesn't directly compare Cleland and the rogue leaders but alleges the senator isn't telling the truth when he claims to support some of President Bush's efforts in the war against terrorism. It began airing Friday in the Atlanta market.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY
Posted 11/6/2002 5:06 PM
Few believed Republican Saxby Chambliss could paint Sen. Max Cleland, a veteran who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam, as soft on national security. But that's just what the conservative congressman did to score a surprising victory over the one-term Democrat.

Posted by steve duncan | May 22, 2008 2:17 PM

Good one steve duncan. I almost forgot about that. The Chambliss campaign seemed to walk off of the pages a novel whose purpose was to show how Republicans are evil. You have to wonder how you accuse a war hero who left multiple limbs behind in Vietnam of being in league with terrorists and dictators because they back unionization without feeling the least bit of tugging of a conscience. I'm half-surprised they didn't accuse Mother Theresa of being a whore. Ironically, that campaign could be a good rationale for Obama making Max Cleland his VP pick on the "changing the tone in DC" meme.

Posted by Reality Man | May 22, 2008 4:35 PM

Hey, Jery. Seen this?
From http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080522/pl_afp/usvote
------------
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican John McCain Thursday faced down a fiery evangelical pastor backing his White House bid who, it was revealed, believed the Nazis did God's will by chasing Jews from Europe.

But while McCain disavowed the Texas pastor, John Hagee, the Arizona senator aimed a pointed dig at his Democratic rival Barack Obama's own preacher problems in observing he had never been part of Hagee's flock.

The issue, which has the potential to embarrass McCain among independent voters, erupted as the Republican and Obama traded highly personal invective over a bill to give college education to Iraq and Afghan war veterans.

McCain, the presumed Republican nominee for November's presidential election, issued a statement after the Huffington Post website posted audio of the 1990s remarks by Hagee.

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them," he said.

"I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."

The website also published comments by Hagee that Adolf Hitler was a "hunter" sent by God to herd Jews to the land of Israel.

Some commentators have compared the episode to Obama's own political drama over racially tinged sermons by his former pastor Jeremiah Wright, which threw the Illinois senator's campaign onto the defensive for weeks.

McCain stressed: "I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright's extreme views.

"But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not attend his church for 20 years.

"I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today."

Hagee, whose endorsement was sought by McCain in February, was quoted by the Huffington Post on Thursday as saying that the sermon about Hitler and the Jews had been "intentionally mischaracterized" and was a "gross example of bias."

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 8:47 PM

Here is what John McCain was saying about Hagee back in Feb of this year. From http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/mega-church-pastor-in-texas-backs-mccain/#more-4374
---------
"Mr. McCain, who has been on a steady search for support among conservative and evangelical leaders who have long distrusted him, said he was “very honored'’ by Mr. Hagee’s endorsement. 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.'"

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 8:52 PM

And in an interview with the New York Times, Hagee said that John McCain ACTIVELY SOUGHT HAGEE'S SUPPORT. From http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/magazine/23wwln-q4-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=hagee&st=nyt&oref=slogin

-------------
[NY Times]As a prominent evangelical pastor based in San Antonio, you were recently catapulted into national controversy when you endorsed Senator John McCain for president. Is it true that McCain actively sought your endorsement?
[Hagee] It’s true that McCain’s campaign sought my endorsement.

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 9:00 PM

Back around that time, Neocon William Kristol also indicated that he thought Hagee had been unfairly attacked. From a Fox News discussion with Chris Wallace: http://mediamatters.org/items/200803230004

WALLACE: Let me switch to something else, Bill. With all the talk about Obama and Reverend Wright, I got a bunch of email this past week from viewers who said: "Why don't you ever talk about McCain and the evangelical -- some of the evangelical ministers who have endorsed him?" And let's put up a couple of these: Reverend John Hagee, who has called the Catholic Church a "false cult," and Reverend Rod Parsley, who has attacked Islam and said that Allah was a "demon spirit." Do you think it's fair, Bill, to compare McCain's, quote, "ministers" to Obama's pastor?

KRISTOL: No, because these are just individuals who've endorsed Senator McCain. I think, actually, some of the attacks, especially on Reverend Hagee, are unfair.

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 9:06 PM

More info here: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/mccain-rejects-hagee-backing-as-nazi-remarks-surface/index.html?hp

So Adolf was merely doing God's will?

Gee, who would ever have pegged Adolf for a nice guy?

But Hagee thinks Adolf was a kind of SHEPHERD -- herding the unruly Jews to the Holy Land.

Although, as I recall, Adolf lost a few of the flock along the way.

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 9:18 PM

Hmmmm. I wonder what Sheldon Adelson and Gary Erlbaum think?

Posted by Don Williams | May 22, 2008 10:27 PM

Good one steve duncan. I almost forgot about that. The Chambliss campaign seemed to walk off of the pages a novel whose purpose was to show how Republicans are evil.

And the bastard will get another six years, because that stolen election -- the ads may have done some damage, but the voting machines did more -- changed the climate in Georgia. This November, Saxby Shameless will be courting the votes of Atlanta exurbanites who believe an Obama victory will send all of Those People out from downtown to steal their lawn ornaments.

Posted by pseudonymous in nc | May 23, 2008 2:40 AM

"This November, Saxby Shameless will be courting the votes of Atlanta exurbanites who believe an Obama victory will send all of Those People out from downtown to steal their lawn ornaments.

Posted by pseudonymous in nc | May 23, 2008 2:40 AM"

First they came for the pink flamingos and I said nothing, for I wasn't a pink flamingo...

Posted by Reality Man | May 23, 2008 3:03 AM