McCain already knew that Hagee was anti-semitic two months ago when he made the remarks below on the Bill Bennett show on March 11, 2008:

I repudiate any comments that are anti-semetic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other. And I condemn them and I condemn those words that Pastor Hagee apparently...that Pastor Hagee wrote. I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position.

The full transcript is below:

BENNETT: I’ve got to ask you about something, as a Catholic. This was something a lot of Catholics were talking about. A couple of weeks ago, senator, you received the endorsement of San Antonio Pastor John Hagee. He’s written about my church, "there’s a clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." He’s called the Catholic church "a great prostitute," except he used a stronger word. He’s called my church a "cult." Your comment on this. There’s actually been a lot of talk about it.

MCCAIN: Well, obviously I repudiate any comments that are anti-semetic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other. And I condemn them and I condemn those words that Pastor Hagee apparently...that Pastor Hagee wrote. I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position. I hope that maybe you’d give him a chance to respond. He says he has never been anti-Catholic, but I repudiate the words that create that impression. I will say, I’d like to say on his behalf, he’s been a very strong supporter of the state of Israel and when we were doing the No Surrender tour, he came and spoke on behalf of not surrendering in Iraq. So, but any comments that are made that are in anyway offensive then I repudiate those for all of the obvious reasons, Bill.

BENNETT: Good, good.

The link is here at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/22/204657/589/870/520853

The audio clip is available. The question remains, why did John McCain publicly reject the endorsement of Hagee when everyone became aware of the anti-semitic remarks? McCain already knew Hagee had made anti-semitic remarks, so cutting him loose was just pure political convenience.

BREAKING: McCain Pushes Parsley to Side of Plate in Effort to Focus on Meat and Potatoes Issues

Sorry.

Pastor Parsley, under the bus you GO!
To Final Damnation!

When does he reject Huckabee?

Wow. This is actually mildly impressive. Although its amusing to watch McCain reject people who he needed (and were with him) during the dark days of his campaign. Some would call him an ingrate, I say presidential. I'm not going to vote for him, just have soft spot for him.

Depressing that consolidating the Republican base requires cozying up to these types of people.

Wow. Those medical records must sure be something.

Is it just me or does anyone else think that McCain is hugely incompetent for not taking care of all this - Hagee, Parsley, Lobbyists etc. a month or 2 ago when everyone was distracted by the Dem primary and no one was paying attention to McCain??

He could have robbed a bank to finance his campaign and no one would have noticed. Instead he waits until the spotlight is all of a sudden back on him to do all this. A complete lack of planning and forethought. Granted this is no more stupid than getting involved with these people in the first place but at least if he needed them for political purposes, then be smart enough to ditch them when you need to.

Oh the wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

Forgotten McCain newspaper article #1, from the Casa Grande, Arizona "Dispatch," October 29, 1986:

"McCain, Kimball Debate in Flagstaff"

Excerpts:

"Kimball, the Democratic candidate, accused Republican McCain--a two-term member of Congress--of voting against environmental issues 'every single time...especially when the chips were down.'

"McCain 'flipflopped so many times' on the $8.5 billion federal Superfund bill to clean up pollution and toxic waste 'that Superfund looked like a pancake,' Kimball charged.

[[....]]

"McCain, in his opening statement, criticized a Kimball television commercial that aired Monday night. The ad portrayed McCain as having been insensitive to the concerns of families of servicemen still missing in Vietnam.

"McCain pointed out that he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years and said that 'no one is more sympathetic than I am.' He charged that Kimball had 'sunk to a new low' with his latest attack and mentioned that Kimball had never served in the military."

I like the way those bits highlight McCain's continuing sleaziness--crapping on the environment, flipflopping, lying, posing in whiny titty-ass baby fashion as The Great Soldier to get people to shut up when his crapping on servicemen is pointed out.

Second McCain newspaper article, an AP piece, from the Casa Grande, Arizona "Dispatch," October 29, 1986:

I like the way it brings out McCain's luxury lifestyle, financial sleaziness with his in-laws, and, yuck, an early appearance by icky right-wing spokeswoman Torie Clarke:

"McCain's Home Readied In Secret":

"PHOENIX (AP) -- Republican Senate candidate John McCain will be ready to entertain in style if he's elected next Tuesday.

"McCain, who spent his first years in Arizona fighting off charges that he was a carpetbagger, has secretly agreed to add at least $225,000 in improvements to a half-million-dollar Phoenix home outside the district that sent him to Congress for two terms.

"For months, using the name 'Smith,' McCain has been remodeling the home, now owned by his parents-in-law, James and Marguerite Hensley, and listed on tax rolls at more than $498,000.

"According to McCain Spokeswoman Torie Clarke, the plans were filed under the names Hensley and Smith because Smith was Mrs. Hensley's maiden name.

"But copies of the permits list the work as being done either for Jim Hensley or 'Mr. Smith,' and one subcontractor who worked on the project, plumber John McGann, said he was told the work was being done for an 'Eldon Smith.'

"Improvements listed on construction permits are estimated at more than $225,000, and plans appear to call for additional work beyond what has already been applied for.

"The plans show McCain is installing jacuzzies, a cabana, a ramada, a swimming pool, fountains and a barbecue as well as adding more than 4,000 square feet to a main residence that already covers more than 6,700 square feet.

"In addition the plans show McCain is erecting six-foot-high walls and iron fences as well as installing mechanized wrought-iron gates.

"Building sketches filed with the city refer to the project only as 'proposed alterations Smith residence' and 'Smith Residence Remodel.'

"Work on the project has been going on since at least June, and Ms. Clarke said the McCains planned to move in after the first of the year."

One thing: don't assume TX is safe Republican. Lean R, maybe. But not safe. Bush shame, migrating Californians and a growing Hispanic base is changing it.

According to the obituary for Marguerite "Smitty" Hensley in the Arizona Republic, October 24, 2006, courtesy of NewsBank, Cindy McCain's sister is "Dixie Burd." Both are listed as the only surviving children, so I don't know if there were others.

Her full name as revealed by the database Veromi is Deborah Ann "Dixie" Burd and she was born April 18, 1953:

http://www.veromi.net/Summary.asp?fn=dixie&mn=&ln=burd&dobmm=04&dobdd=18&doby=1953&city=&state=&age=&vw=&Search=&Input=&x=55&y=15

Ruh Roh.

Me thinks the evangelicals don't like to be called Agents of Intolerance in 2008 any more than they did in 2000. What makes McCain think they'll come out for him in Nov if he keeps throwing all of their leaders under the bus?

Response to Kleefeld. You are right. Hagee is not anti-semitic in the classic sense. He is pro-Israel and pro-Judaism because the recipe for Armageddon requires a certain number of remaining Jews who will be converted when it happens.

There are a lot of people who, in their desperation, believe that the End Times are upon us. Unfortunately, in reality, all the ingredients do seem to be coming together and this just reinforces their belief system.

Who knows? Armageddon outtahere! ;-)

Just underscores just how hard it is going to be to run against Obama. If all he's got is Wright, then he doesn't have much at all.

The U.S. really is the country of the Christian weirdos

Too too scary innit ?
When the level of education in the Ewe Arse Ehh is such that so large a portion of the populace is comprised of the superstitious and credulous and further that the most powerful political entity on the planet and by extension its military, is under their influence to such a large degree.

Apparently McCain does not respect conservative evangelicals in the morning!

Don't anyone think that Parsley is out of the picture,,,,,,,,, with his unholy alliance with jackleg preachers around the state, the wacky right wingers in SW Ohio with the big bucks, and the overlapping machine of former Ohio Secy of State, Ken voter suppression - stuff them ballot boxes Blackwell he is a dark side force to always be reckoned with here in the Buckeye State. Parsley is fuller'n shit than a Christmas turkey - and dangerous.

McSame loved Hagee and Parsley when he needed them to get the Republican nomination. Now that he's got that locked up, under the bus they go.

There's a man of principle for you.

"But it's also a bit sobering because it illustrates that this guy will say or do ANYTHING to try and get elected. "

Yep, a lot like Bush.

But it was fun to watch. A real gift, too. Who would have thought that McCain would have kindly created his own pastor problems just to balance out Obama's.

McCain spurns men o' god . . . What's next? Spurning his god?

SIDENOTE: TPM staff and all posters need to be aware that angry winger posting from McCain are going to be way up from here on in. McCain is offering a point system bribe to folk who frequent his website to get them to go forth and spread his good words and report back the aftermath.

TPM may get littered with this BS.

"I've never been to Pastor Hagee's church or Pastor Parsley's church," adding: "I received their endorsement, which doesn't mean I endorse their views."

And yet McCain in Cincinnati called Parsley "one of the truly great leaders in America, a moral compass, a spiritual guide".

The flip-flop express just keeps careening off the road...

Well there's an interesting distinction... Parsley endorsed McCain, but McCain didn't endorse Parsley. So now this rejection of the endorsement ends it all.

Now we can look forward to McCain applying this same standard to Hamas' "endorsement" of Obama. Right? Right?