if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803
The Other Pastor
I have to ask: Why hasn’t this guy been mentioned by Sean Hannity, et al as much as they’ve gone on about Rev. Wright ad nauseum?
During a 2005 sermon, a fundamentalist pastor whom Senator John McCain has praised and campaigned with called Islam “the greatest religious enemy of our civilization and the world,” claiming that the historic mission of America is to see “this false religion destroyed.” In this taped sermon, currently sold by his megachurch, the Reverend Rod Parsley reiterates and amplifies harsh and derogatory comments about Islam he made in his book, Silent No More, published the same year he delivered these remarks. Meanwhile, McCain has stuck to his stance of not criticizing Parsley, an important political ally in a crucial swing state.
In March 2008—two weeks after McCain appeared with Parsley at a Cincinnati campaign rally, hailing him as “one of the truly great leaders in America, a moral compass, a spiritual guide"—Mother Jones reported that Parsley had urged Christians to wage a “war” to eradicate Islam in his 2005 book. McCain’s campaign refused to respond to questions about Parsley, and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee declined to denounce Parsley’s anti-Islam remarks or renounce his endorsement. At a time when Barack Obama was mired in a searing controversy involving Reverend Jeremiah Wright, McCain escaped any trouble for his political alliance with Parsley, who leads the World Harvest Church, a supersized Pentecostal institution in Columbus, Ohio. Parsley, whose sermons are broadcast around the world, has been credited with helping George W. Bush win Ohio in 2004 by registering social conservatives and encouraging them to vote. McCain certainly would like to see Parsley do the same for him—which could explain his reluctance to do any harm to his relationship with this anti-Islam extremist.
.....Parsley approvingly quotes Christian theologian Jonathan Edwards’ reference to Islam as “Satan’s Mohammedan kingdom.” He points out that the United States’ first war—the battle against the Barbary Coast pirates—was “waged against Muslim pirates who took our people captive because they believed in a Jesus crucified by the Jews.” (With that one statement, Parsley slams both Islam and Judaism.) He repeatedly refers to the United States’ “historic conflict with Islam,” and adds, “We have no choice. The time has come. In fact, we may be already losing the battle. As I scan the world, I find that Islam at this moment is responsible for more pain, more bloodshed, more devastation than nearly any other force on Earth.”
Now, while you could make the argument that this doesn’t rise to the level of the personal relationship that Obama has with Wright, it is odd that McCain’s attempts to win the graces of the religious right (including sucking up to the late turd blossom Jerry Falwell) haven’t gotten nearly as much scrutiny as Wright’s wrong-headed rhetoric has. I’m just wondering where Sean Hannity of the “Fair and balanced” network is on this.
Comments
"I’m curious - does anyone here besides WVR pay any attention to what Sean Hannity has to say? “
Maybe not HERE, but he draws MILLION on TV and radio..
BTW...dont forget about Hagee as well as Parsley.
I’m curious - does anyone here besides WVR pay any attention to what Sean Hannity has to say?
Who’s WVR? :-)
My ass wears a hat that looks a lot like Sean Hannity.
Hey, kev. If you have an xbox 360 can you email me or send me your account offline? I’d like to play a couple of online rounds!! Mine’s “manhoelong”
Hit a brutha up!!
Now, while you could make the argument that this doesn’t rise to the level of the personal relationship that Obama has with Wright, it is odd that McCain’s attempts to win the graces of the religious right (including sucking up to the late turd blossom Jerry Falwell) haven’t gotten nearly as much scrutiny as Wright’s wrong-headed rhetoric has.
Precisely because McCain doesn’t have anywhere near the personal relationship with Parsley and Hagee that Obama did with Wright (a relationship, mind you, that only became sundered because Wright’s sermons were widely braodcast, not because Obama felt it wise to distance himself out of principle).
This line of attack against McCain isn’t even remotely sticking to him because everyone with an ounce of understanding can see that it’s just silly pandering to get the religious right to hold their nose and vote for him rather than stay home. Not principled, for certain, but I’d rather have some pointless sucking up to a constituency McCain’s going to tell to “fuck off” later on than Obama’s personal relationship with a certified nutjob.
It’s pretty sad that the left still thinks this is going to make reasonable people who might consider voting for McCain think twice--it has all the hallmarks of the superficial insight the left in this country is famous for. Seriously, Mother Jones? What’s next, an expose from The Nation on McCain’s potential cannibalism of VC children!
I’m just wondering where Sean Hannity of the “Fair and balanced” network is on this.
I don’t think Sean Hannity has ever made any bones about his position as a conservative. I doubt he’d claim the mantle of “fair and balanced” for himself--maybe with Alan alongside him he’s balanced out.
does anyone here besides WVR pay any attention to what Sean Hannity has to say?
I listen to him for about an hour a week when I’m in my car during his radio program.
Unless Colmes is being silenced, why the bitching about fox news, other than that’s what the cool kids talk about?
Keep digging WVR, I am sure there is a pony in there somewhere.
When McCain calls one of these guys his “spiritual mentor” or writes a book based on their sermons or puts one of these guys on his core advisory team, then we can talk. Otherwise, you are just hoping to find fault where there is none.
That the honorable Rev. Wright is an idiot is not the issue. The amount of respect, influence and access to Obama is the issue. He sat in that church for 20 years and never heard this shit? When he apparently first heard the first round of stupid babble, he gave a speech throwing his grandmother under the bus to say that Wright was taken out of context and not so bad. That he could “no more disown Wright than his grandmother or the black race.” Then, finally, when Wright actually pushed Obama in a corner, he actually could disown him. He let this lunatic be his pastor and mentor for 20 years with nary a peep. McCain just is getting an endorsement so that the church buses show up on election day.
We know it must be tiring sucking Obama’s twang after a hard day on the campaign trail, but please, you can do better in finding fault with McCain.
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I’m sure Hannity is at least as fair and balanced as Chris Matthews.
I’m curious - does anyone here besides WVR pay any attention to what Sean Hannity has to say?