Politics: May 2008 Archives

I've never been a John Hagee fan but I am encouraged to read this from the Wall Street Journal:

John Hagee, the controversial evangelical pastor who endorsed John McCain, will issue a letter of apology to Catholics today for inflammatory remarks he has made, including accusing the Roman Catholic Church of supporting Adolf Hitler and calling it "The Great Whore." (See a copy of the letter PDF.)

"Out of a desire to advance greater unity among Catholics and Evangelicals in promoting the common good, I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful," Hagee wrote, according to an advanced copy of the letter reviewed by Washington Wire. "After engaging in constructive dialogue with Catholic friends and leaders, I now have an improved understanding of the Catholic Church, its relation to the Jewish faith, and the history of anti-Catholicism."

In the letter, addressed to Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League and one of Hagee's biggest critics, Hagee pledges "a greater level of compassion and respect for my Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ."

Hagee met with 22 Catholic leaders in Washington on Friday to apologize for his comments, according to a source familiar with the meeting. Despite the McCain's condemnation of Hagee's anti-Catholic remarks, the campaign had no role in that meeting or Tuesday's apology, according to the source who said it was something Hagee did because he felt it was necessary.

Donohue is expected to release a letter in response today, accepting Hagee's apology. The Catholic leader slammed both Hagee and McCain in February, releasing a statement titled "McCain Embraces Bigot."

Do I disagree with some of the teachings of the Roman Catholic church? Yes, I do. However, I certainly consider them my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I just finished a stint of attending weekly classes at a local Catholic church because my nephew was going through confirmation classes and my wife is his godmother. I can't tell you how many times I've attended Catholic mass in my life. And this weekend my wife and I are going to the home of a nun for dinner with a small group of people. I admire this nun as much as I do my own pastor and we've become close friends with her.

These are perilous times. Christians of all traditions need to unite.

Barack Obama is all over the map when it comes to Israel, just as he is with everything else. Obama wants to be all things to all people. Here is what he said about Israel to Jeffrey Golberg (JG below) of the Atlantic Monthly, as reported by Jim Geraghty at National Review Online. Emphasis is by Geraghty.

JG: Do you think that Israel is a drag on America's reputation overseas?

BO: No, no, no. But what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore, does infect all of our foreign policy. The lack of a resolution to this problem provides an excuse for anti-American militant jihadists to engage in inexcusable actions, and so we have a national-security interest in solving this, and I also believe that Israel has a security interest in solving this because I believe that the status quo is unsustainable. I am absolutely convinced of that, and some of the tensions that might arise between me and some of the more hawkish elements in the Jewish community in the United States might stem from the fact that I'm not going to blindly adhere to whatever the most hawkish position is just because that's the safest ground politically.

To be fair, in the same piece, Obama says that "my commitment, our commitment, to Israel's security is non-negotiable." One could argue that Obama is referring to the problems between Israel and the Islamic countries, yet he seems to blame pro-Israel American Jews for the lack of a "resolution to this problem."

Has it ever occurred to Obama that the problem in the Middle East is not Israel, but those who wish to destroy her?

Mark my words:  a President Obama would negotiate away Israel's existence for the sake of peace, just as Neville Chamberlain negotiated away the Sudetenland for "peace in our time." Obama claims to want peace, but his actions would lead to a war the likes of which has never been seen.