It looks like McCain supporter John Hagee still blames us for Hurricane Katrina.
Hagee has long said that Katrina was God's judgment for a "massive homosexual rally" that was planned for the Monday following the storm. McCain has refused to repudiate Hagee's anti-gay statements and even sought out the endorsement for a little fundie street cred, saying he was "glad to have" the endorsement.
Well, Hagee's not done with his gay-hating rants yet. Hagee maintained that position in a radio interview with Dennis Prager on Tuesday. Read the transcript after the jump...
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.
PRAGER: No, I understand.
HAGEE: It was scheduled that Monday.
PRAGER: No, I'm only trying to understand that in the case of New Orleans, you do feel that God's hand was in it because of a sinful city?
HAGEE: That it was a city that was planning a sinful conduct, yes.
Gay groups in New Orleans, along with MoveON.org, are protesting McCain's photo-op visit to the ninth ward. They are also circulating a petition stating: "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.
McCain was asked about the endorsement briefly by reporters, to which he responded that the controversy was "nonsense". He then attempted to deflect the question by bringing up Reverend Wright, saying: "I didn't attend Pastor Hagee's church for 20 years. There's a great deal of difference, in my view, between someone who endorses you, and other circumstances." Check out the video-
It is interesting that AGAIN the media is giving McCain a pass with this. They continue to talk about "bittergate, bowling, and beer", yet never call out McCain for his flip-flopping and pandering to the religious right. The media hounded both Clinton and Obama about endorsements from people they never sought out and forced them to publicly denounce them. Yet McCain can take the stage with a bigoted, anti-gay pastor and still the media just smiles and asks for his barbeque recipes?
Perhaps the energy of our community would be better spent on making sure McCain is defeated rather than fighting daily about the rather small differences between Obama and Clinton. While we continue to tear at each other and allow the media to overlook McCain, he is quietly tip-toeing into the White House with his fundie friends.
Share
Like what you read? Subscribe to The Bilerico Project by Email.
Want others to read it too? Use the buttons and links here to share this entry with others. (Move your cursor over a button or link to learn more about it.)
6 Comments
I say that the hurricane bearing my name was punishment against Louisiana by the true lord of the universe - logic - for enacting an anti-same-sex marriage constitutional amendment the previous November.
My proof for the above admitted bullshittery is as good as Hagee's proof for his batshittery.
Q.E.D.
Katrina | April 26, 2008 5:56 PM
Reply to this comment
Don't you have to wonder if the reason McCain doesn't get taken to the woodshed for his preacher's beliefs are either:
1) He's not a frequent church-goer or
2) Society expects a Republican's spiritual leader to be batshit fundie.
Bil Browning | April 26, 2008 6:31 PM
Reply to this comment
Wasn't the gay area and the bar area pretty much damage free? If this is true it was because of the straight bible thumpers that it all happened. Could it be Gods’ judgment on intolerance and hate?
phil | April 26, 2008 7:25 PM
Reply to this comment
The tragety of what happened in New Orleans is just too awful to be made a football for idiot "religious leaders" who are speaking to their own narrow minded constiuency. If the Rev wants to see some sin punished why were the poor flooded and the French quarter spared. Why did elderly die in their beds, in a nursing home, and The Garden District survive to flourish?
Oh, gravity and high ground, a city that made wrong choices where people who served the wealthy could afford to live. Later the urban sprawl of the city assured that even middle class folks would be affected by a failure of the levys
But then again, Christianity used to punish ideas like a round world, gravity, and dismissed science as witchcraft punishable by death.
Robert Ganshorn | April 27, 2008 12:34 AM
Reply to this comment
Yup!
Serena Freewomyn | April 27, 2008 12:30 PM
Reply to this comment
Why aren't those comments being played in an endless loop in the MSM?
I guess we all know the answer to that one.
Monica Roberts | April 29, 2008 11:16 AM
Reply to this comment