I am a Catholic and still not offended. The Catholic League on their site states:
Chatterbox... January 9, 2008
McCain Embraced Hagee Before Huckabee
On December 21, 2007 we posted a statement on Mike Huckabee’s scheduled appearance at Rev. John Hagee’s church on December 23. We have subsequently learned that presidential hopeful John McCain reached out to Hagee last fall. Hagee introduced McCain on September 20, 2007 during his “No Surrender Tour” at an event in South Carolina.
The Catholic League has long considered Rev. Hagee to be a bigot, and the reason we are citing the McCain appearance now is because we want to treat the Arizona senator the same way we treated the former governor of Arkansas.
Now while I thank the Catholic League for posting this a few observations. First at this point , I am not sure at all that the Catholic League is treating McCain like Huckabee. I barely noticed the thing. It is on the side in something called the "chatterbox".
This is nothing so far like the over the top PR blitz on Huckabee and Hagee. Second, why is this just now coming to their attention. Do they know how to use google? I suspect they are now. In fact if you Google a couple of high profile Catholic senators names, Brownback and Santorum for instance, you find they have associations with Hagee himself. Again this is all the Israel Issue.
Now I thank the Catholic League for doing this. But I do wonder if they were prompted by this far more lengthy post on the Dallas News Blog full of links to vids!!!
Bill Donohue, the Director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, was critical of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for appearing at Pastor John Hagee’s church in San Antonio Last December. Rev. Hagee, a leader of the Christian Zionist movement in the country, has made a number of harsh attacks on the Catholic Church. Rev. Hagee claims that there is a clear historical record “linking Adolph Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.” At the time of Donohue’s comments, former Gov. Huckabee indicated that he did not share Hagee’s views on the Catholic Church and pointed out to the media that his campaign director is a Catholic.
Now, DallasBlog has learned that Pastor Hagee introduced Sen. McCain at the Senator’s “No Surrender Tour” in South Carolina in September. Pastor Hagee effusively praised Sen. McCain for his leadership in support of the war in Iraq. Pastor Hagee also has been a vocal proponent of bombing Iran. Sen. McCain joked about bombing Iran at a campaign appearance a few months ago, singing the words “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” to an old Beach Boys tune. See the video here.
The Hagee introduction of Sen. McCain is posted on the McCain website and can be viewed here.
Since the Catholic League was so concerned about Mike Huckabee’s appearance at John Hagee’s church, DallasBlog asked Donohue’s office for a comment on the Hagee involvement with the McCain campaign. At the time of the publication of this article, we have yet to get a response from the Catholic League.
Now again the reason politicians appear on stage with Hagee and sing his praises is because of the Israel issue. Start googling and you see Catholic Senators, Catholic Reps, former VP Dem nominee Joe Lieberman etc etc etc all associated with him.
Now one can agree with the traditional Republican and Democrat support of Israel or you may not. However nobody is calling those people anti Catholic.
Romney folks don't go high and mighty. Yall have received the endorsement and in fact have appeared on the stage with the folks at Bob Jones anti Catholic University. Just like Catholics have.
Now over the past few weeks , I have warned folks that are supporting (insert non Huckabee guy here) to lay off and use google for about 10 seconds. Well some did not.
Is Hagee's comments and theology offensive? Hell Yes!! But as you can can tell if you look at my Huckabee for Catholic posts up till around December 21st , I have stated that we are not electing the Commander of Chief of Nice and Pleasant Theology. They go where the people are. Just like some important guy did in the 1st Century which If I remember right horrified his followers. Remember Christ eating with the Tax Collectors and the bad folks? I also wonder when secular folks and major papers parrot some the WWII stuff that Hagee does where is the outrage besides a maybe a post? Where are the calls for Boycotts? Oh well it is the campaign season and I have seen this before
Anti Catholicism is serious business. But like charges of Racism ,we just don't that charge out lightly. Is Huckabee anti Catholic? No, Is McCain? NO, Is Romney? No etc etc.
Anti Catholicism is what the Louisiana State Democrat Party did to Bobby Jindal. That is run the most horrible Know Nothing Anti Catholic campaign in the Protestant part of Louisiana. All over an apologetic article that Gov Elect Jindal wrote years ago for The New Oxford Review. The nation and largely the Catholic blogsphere yawned after a few days. The nationwide media did not care. The Double standard is horrific.
By the way as a Louisiana Catholic , I have to endure that their web site related to their anti Catholic campaign with a link to their TV ad is still UP!!!! The television ads were horrible. They backfired thought. Though some people up here might not agree with Bobby's faith, they were the first to say a line had been crossed. They were horrified.
One other thing on the double standard. I can forgive some ignorant bloggers out there. However the double standard at the National Review was just something to see. Note they don't like Huck. An Conservative Eastern Orthodox columnist (and LSU grad Geaux Tigers) pointed this out in a funny yet devastating piece here here at Huck, Hagee and tolerance and followed it up with a excellent piece here at Huck contra Catholics.
Now what is damning is this. Those folks know all about Hagee and his Israel PACS and how the whole Republican and a good part of the Democrat establishment associates with him. Yet they played the anti Catholic card. I am in a sense more offended by that than Hagee's remarks. National Review was not the only offender. As I have stated before, the conservative press is really starting to disappoint me. I wonder where I can go for non biased information anymore. National Review(through their Corner Blog) , and others , came out and said that Huckabee was dividing. He was playing division politics. However who was really trying to divide? All under the guise of tolerance. It sounds all so democrat party like. Are we becoming what we hate?
My past post on this subject in order have been
Is Huckabee Anti Catholic? 12/21/2007 11:04:00 AM
The Faux Controversy Over Huckabee and Catholics 12/21/2007 02:27:00 PM
A Catholic and An Orthodox Not Upset about Huckabee 12/22/2007 03:35:00 AM
Huckabee Disavows Hagee's Anti-Catholic Sentiments 12/23/2007 12:43:00 AM
Reuters Doesn't Interview Pro-Huckabee Catholic Bloggers!!! at 12/23/2007 01:48:00 PM
Anti-Catholics Can be Catholics' Brothers in Christ 12/23/2007 07:07:00 PM
Dreher Slams Faux Huckabee Catholic "Controversy" 12/23/2007 10:13:00 PM
BREAKING: Governor Huckabee Addresses Anti-Catholicism 12/29/2007 05:29:00 PM
Too see what anti Real Anti Catholicism is that for some reason makes people yawn. Even Conservatives
Breaking- Louisiana Democrats Attack Jindal on Religion and His Catholic Faith 8/21/2007 01:02:00 PM
Does Louisiana State Senator Robert Adley and other Elected Democrats Endorse their State Parties Religious Based Attacks Ads Against Bobby Jindal? 8/21/2007 02:33:00 PM
A Open Letter to the Louisiana Catholic Conference and Bishops Regarding Recent Political Events 8/21/2007 04:23:00 PM
The Louisiana Democrat Party is Making North Louisiana Folks Look Like Yahoos 8/21/2007 06:20:00 PM
This Political Ad is A New Low In Louisiana Politics 8/21/2007 09:27:00 PM
More News On the Ads Bashing Catholicism and What Does Foster Campbell Think? 8/22/2007 02:30:00 PM
One Big New Orleans Liberal/Progressive Blogger Nails the Anti- Catholic Ads Against Jindal 8/22/2007 07:11:00 PM
This Man Speaks From the Heart About The State Democrat Anti -Catholic TV Ads That are running in Louisiana 8/22/2007 07:53:00 PM
Louisiana Democrat Party Oblivious- Still Running Anti Catholic Ads In Louisiana- The News Round Up 8/24/2007 12:02:00 PM
What does "Catholic" US Senator Mary Landrieu Think About Catholic Bashing Ads running in North Louisiana? 8/24/2007 05:17:00 PM
Kathryn Jean Lopez On the Anti Catholic Ads Running In Louisiana (note the Natianal Review took some notice but again as Rod points out has a double standard) 8/25/2007 01:09:00 PM
New Orleans Times Picayune- Anti Catholic Ads Are backfiring 8/27/2007 12:36:00 PM
I know anti Catholicism. I am confident to say no Republican running is anti Catholic. Can we stop the BS now?
James,
ReplyDeleteHagee is, imo, quite bad on so many levels. But I do not find it a problem that any campaign would take money from him, nor that any would even enjoy his support. It really becomes a variety of the "guilt by association" error to suggest that those who support an individual represents all that individual supports. Of course, if we find the candidate themselves embrace such anti-Catholic perspectives, that would be something else; but if anti-Catholics embrace them it just means anti-Catholics and Catholics might agree upon a candidate and nothing else (no one seems to do the reverse and say, "Catholics support McCain; Catholics support Huckabee, so Hagee, do you think it is time you stopped supporting them?" because Hagee would obviously understand how silly that argument is).
BTW, I want to thank you for understanding my questions about McCain. I think questions of how one's past experiences affect candidates should be asked not only of him but any candidate, but I think one can make the case that what he went through was such a great horror, that there is even more reason to be concerned with the effects it has had on him. It was not a way to ridicule him, but was more to look at the fact that who a person is -- is as much an issue as with what they say... but it seems to me some people just want to weed it down to supposed policies and not look to the greater picture. Alas.
No problem. I am having to rush to Shreveport but I want to engage your comment more when I get back
ReplyDeleteMCain is just sucking up to the evangelicals/xtian zionists to gain more supporters. John Hagee is scum, agreed, but election-time politics is a brutal game where you have to gather as many supporters as possible and be likeable to as many people as possible.
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