McCain Has His Own Preacher Problem

Endorsements (or lack thereof) from preachers have made news several times this campaign cycle. Barack Hussein Obama's pastor has made numerous controversial statements that Obama has had to back away from, televangelist Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Giuliani while James Dobson said he'll never vote for McCain, and now another televangelist's endorsement of John Sidney McCain is causing his campaign some problems:

PHOENIX (AP) -- John McCain is refusing to renounce the endorsement of a prominent Texas televangelist who Democrats say peddles anti-Catholic and other intolerant speech.

Instead, the Republican presidential candidate issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he had unspecified disagreements with the San Antonio megachurch leader, John Hagee. Hagee endorsed him at a news conference Wednesday in San Antonio.
"However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not," McCain said in the statement.

His campaign issued the statement after two days of criticism from the Democratic National Committee, the Catholic League and Catholics United.

Democrats quoted Hagee as saying the Catholic Church conspired with Nazis against the Jews and that Hurricane Katrina was God's retribution for homosexual sin, and they recited his demeaning comments about women and flip remarks about slavery.

"Hagee's hate speech has no place in public discourse, and McCain's embrace of this figure raises serious questions about John McCain's character and his willingness to do anything to win," said Tom McMahon, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

McCain was pressed on the issue Friday morning in Round Rock, Texas. Hagee "supports what I stand for and believe in," McCain said.

"When he endorsed me, that does not mean that I embrace everything that he stands for and believes in," McCain said. "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my campaign."

Hagee's a tough nut and some of his views will not be acceptable to those who aren't in the far right of the evangelical spectrum, but candidates don't have much control over who will endorse them or speak favorably of them. I don't think it's reasonable to require candidates to pass judgement on everybody who announces an endorsement.

UPDATE: Another preacher problem for McCain.