Presumptive republican nominee John McCain has actively sought and accepted the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christian Zionist group, Christians United for Israel.  Rev. John Hagee has made controversial remarks about women, Katrina, African-Americans, Catholicism, homosexuality, and Islam.  Even so, McCain felt it pivotal to have this pastor associated with his campaign.   The Arizona Senator has refused to disassociate himself from Hagee or reject Hagee’s endorsement.  McCain had to address a few questions about Hagee ’s comments yesterday during his visit to New Orleans.   McCain’s response “it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense.”  Unfortunately Senator, Hagee’s own words (see below) disproves your comment.  When asked again about the Hagee endorsement, McCain responded “I didn’t attend Pastor Hagee’s church for 20 years.”   Well…so much for the impassioned letter that he sent to the North Carolina Republican Party imploring them not to run the Wright attack ad.  Not to mention that even though McCain continues to say that he is doing everything that he can to stop the NC republican party from running this ad, the head of the NC republican party said as of yesterday she had not heard a peep from McCain.  Coincidentally, the day the GOP attack ad comes out, McCain brings up the Wright issue unprompted and nonresponsive to a question regarding Hagee’s endorsement.  McCain also gave an emphatic promise to run an above the fray campaign and NOT to use the Wright issue.  I believe the exact phrase is “we will run a respectable campaign focusing on the issues.”  McCain must also account for his votes AGAINST Katrina legislation that would have given emergency health-care and unemployment assistance to Katrina victims.  His current tour is moniker-ed “the call to Action” or the “Forgotten America” tour.  I think that McCain FORGOT to ACT on the Katrina legislation. 

See some of Pastor Hagee’s very controversial remarks below. 

In 2006 during an edition of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Gross said to Hagee, “You said after Hurricane Katrina that it was an act of God, and you said ‘when you violate God’s will long enough, the judgment of God comes to you. Katrina is an act of God for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn.’ “ Gross then asked, “Do you still think that Katrina is punishment from God for a society that’s becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah?” Hagee responded:

HAGEE: All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.  [Hagee has recently repeated his comments within the last few days]

Hagee also initiated a fundraiser for his church: 

Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a “slave sale” to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, “The Cluster.”  The item was introduced with the sentence “Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone” and ended with “Make plans to come and go home with a slave.”

A July 27, 2006, Wall Street Journal article about Hagee noted the incident:

To help students seeking odd jobs, his church newsletter, The Cluster, advertised a “slave” sale. “Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone,” it said. “Make plans to come and go home with a slave.” Mr. Hagee apologized but, in a radio interview, protested about pressure to be “politically correct” and joked that perhaps his pet dog should be called a “canine American

“A December 23, 2007, Reuters news article on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s (R) visit to Hagee’s church reported that ’some Catholics were angry about the visit.’ “ The article noted:

In his recent book “Jerusalem Countdown,” Hagee wrote: “Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.”

In his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman, Hagee wrote: 

Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pincer? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist.

Terry Gross of NPR’s Fresh Airalso asked if Hagee believed that “all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews,” to which Hagee replied, “Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly.”