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Lieberman to Keynote John Hagee's "Washington-Israel Summit"

Right-wing, anti-gay Rev. John Hagee is back in the news. Last week, John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, finally rejected the endorsement of the San Antonio-based Christian Zionist televangelist after a sermon surfaced that described the Holocaust as "God's will." The Huffington Post reports McCain confidante Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) continues to actively supporting Hagee:

Senator Joseph Lieberman is scheduled to headline Pastor John Hagee’s 2008 Christians United For Israel Washington-Israel Summit this July 22. In accepting Hagee’s invitation, Lieberman became the most senior elected representative confirmed to appear at the annual gala.

Hagee has called the Catholic Church "the great whore" and claimed Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans because it was "planning a sinful" "homosexual rally." McCain has not distanced himself from Hagee's outlandish homophobic vitriol.

Think Progress reports Lieberman has compared Hagee to the biblical prophet Moses.

Some Background ...
Huckabee at Anti-Gay, "Anti-Catholic" Mega-Church [R20]
McCain Remains Silent on Hagee's Homophobic Slurs [R20]
McCain (Finally) Rejects Hagee and Parsley [R20]

McCain (Finally) Rejects Revs. John Hagee and Rod Parsley

After more than three months, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has finally rejected the divisive and bigoted support of Rev. John Hagee, the San Antonio-based Christian Zionist televangelist who has called the Catholic Church "the great whore" and claimed Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans because it was "planning a sinful" "homosexual rally." After seeking Hagee's endorsement (which initially went to anti-gay social conservative Mike Hucakbee) and subsequently distancing himself for months, McCain’s repudiation comes after a 1990s sermon surfaced in which Hagee claimed Hitler was fulfilling "God’s will".

The audio of Hagee’s sermon was first posted by Bruce Wilson on Talk to Action and later posted by the Huffington Post. Oh, and Hagee has also withdrawn his endorsement from McCain, the virtual equivalent of "You can't fire me because I quit."

McCain has not distanced himself from Hagee's outlandish homophobic vitriol. Apparently, anti-gay views are still acceptable to the conservative rank and file.

More pastor disaster damage control at Team McCain. The Arizona Republican also rejected and denounced Rev. Rod Parsley, the Ohio-based televangelist who once called Allah a "demon spirit" and the Muslim prophet Muhammad as "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil." McCain called Parsley his “spiritual guide" when he received his endorsement in February. In an interview with the Associated Press, the Arizona Republican now says, "I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn’t endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement."

McCain rejects pastor's after Hitler remark [Reuters]

Some Background ...
Huckabee at Anti-Gay, "Anti-Catholic" Mega-Church [R20]
McCain Remains Silent on Hagee's Homophobic Slurs [R20]

McCain Remains Silent on Hagee's Outrageous Homophobic Slurs

While much of the recent media attention on the outrageous Rev. John Hagee has focused on his right-wing Christian Zionist views and "militantly anti-Catholic rants", there has been relative silence on his anti-gay sermons and homophobia. Hagee has endorsed Sen. John McCain and few have pressed McCain on Hagee's anti-gay zealotry.

To his credit, last night on FOX News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly asked McCain about the "bad things" Hagee says "about Catholics and gays and other things like that." The Republican presidential candidate "rejected" Hagee's extensive anti-Catholic history and said nothing about "gays and other things like that." Transcript at Think Progress and YouTube below.

O’REILLY: OK. John Hagee is a guy…
MCCAIN: Yes.
O’REILLY: …that you sought his endorsement in San Antonio, Texas. He said bad things about Catholics and gays and other things like that. And your opponents are saying, hey, you know, McCain hangs around with Hagee. Obama hangs around Wright. No difference.
MCCAIN: I do not embrace a view that he stated about the Catholic church. I steadfastly reject it and repudiate it. I’ve never been in Pastor Hagee’s church. I know him, but the fact is that I accept his endorsement.

Only this week, Hagee reiterated his outlandish claims that Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans because it was "planning a sinful" "homosexual rally." Newsweek reports McCain sought Hagee’s endorsement "for more than a year." Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and social conservative Republican presidential candidate, campaigned at Hagee's Texas mega-church and reportedly raised money by passing the collection plate.

Some Background ...
Huckabee Will Speak at Anti-Gay, "Anti-Catholic" Texas Mega-Church [R20]

Huckabee Will Speak at Anti-Gay, "Anti-Catholic" Texas Mega-Church

Another day, another colorful detail is added to the right-wing, fundamentalist narrative that masquerades as Mike Huckabee's compassionate conservatism. On Sunday, the Republican presidential candidate and ordained Southern Baptist minister will "speak" at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, whose televangelist pastor, Rev. John Hagee, is described as "militantly anti-Catholic."

According to the Catholic News Agency, "It’s not hard to find evidence that Rev. Hagee does not think highly of Catholics or the Catholic Church. In a video discussing the biblical book of Revelation, John Hagee suggests the Pope is the anti-Christ, and that the Catholic Church is "The Beast" (17:30 and following) mentioned in the book."

Hagee, who is on good terms with the Bush Administration, is one of the leading figures on the Christian far-right and conservative publications such as Newsmax describe him as a "Christian Zionist." Hagee's primary message is around protecting Israel and opposing "Islamo-facist terrorism", but, on the domestic side, he is a vocal opponent of gay right and same-sex marriage, and, has tried to organize black pastors against the gay issue.

Huckabee's Sunday 'speech" should be illuminating, no? Perhaps the governor can share the biblical passages that convinced him to parole a convicted rapist who went on to rape and kill another woman ...

Via Bible Belt Blogger

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