Originally Posted By: whomod
John Hagee, the controversial evangelical leader and endorser of Sen. John McCain, argued in a late 1990s sermon that the Nazis had operated on God's behalf to chase the Jews from Europe and shepherd them to Palestine. According to the Reverend, Adolph Hitler was a "hunter," sent by God, who was tasked with expediting God's will of having the Jews re-establish a state of Israel.


As soon as he learned about these remarks McCain rejected the endorsement:
  • “Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them,” McCain said in a statement Thursday. “I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee’s endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well.”

    McCain also used as a reference point the controversy surrounding fiery statements made by Barack Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

    “I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright’s extreme views. But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual adviser, and I did not attend his church for 20 years. I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today. “


Nor did McCain spent several months hemming and hawing over his relationship with Hagee or tell us that he could no more disavow Hagree than he could a racist white relative.

Score: McCain +1, Obama: 0