Hagee Apologizes & MSNBC's Contessa Brewer And Guest Analyst Have Pathetic Response

[ihavenobias]

I can't believe what I just saw on MSNBC. It was Breaking News (!) that Hagee was apologizing for calling the Catholic Church "The Great Whore" today.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/pastor-hagee-apologizes-for-anti/n20080513152009990016

I had MSNBC on in the background and happened to catch the segment. John Harwood of the New York Times said something like "yeah, well, this is no big deal. People will forget Hagee and or not care come the general election."

Strike One

Then Contessa Brewer added (paraphrase, none of this is direct quotes mind you) "yes, and we should point out as others have that Hagee is not John McCain's pastor", as if to dismiss this issue and make a clear separation between Hagee and Rev. Wright and their respective controversial comments and the relative importance of them.

Strike Two.

Finally, they basically gave McCain a complete pass by saying something like "He rejected Hagee's statements and still accepts his endorsement". They said it in a way that suggests everything is ok, nothing to see here folks, move along. Someone could argue that last part was my interpretation and that's fair, but it was blatant and obvious IMO. They CLEARLY suggested that this was a non-story and that McCain simply accepting the apology wrapped up a non-issue, and again, that Rev. White *is* important by comparison because, after all, he was Obama's pastor.

Strike Three

PS---Uh, is it just me or does Hagee have a few more things to apologize for...(?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mQvvGJYQaM

PPS---I guess there really is a double standard for black and white preachers: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/different-standards-for-b_b_92337.html

PPPS---Let's not forget about Rod Parsley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB1tGB9oR-4

EDIT To Update: Chris Matthews is being much more reasonable about Hagee as I types this. Hopefully others in the MSM respond more like Matthews and less like Contessa.

[Kittycat]

1. I really can't stomach her.

The only reason I have it on right now, is because Tweety is up next, here.

[dchill]

34. But you CAN stomach Tweety?

Not me, not without Pepcid and KO!
:hi:

[TexasObserver]

2. Contessa Brewer is literally the biggest idiot on cable news.

I'm not exaggerating, either. She's so dumb it hurts to watch her talk. She's also clearly a McCain fan.

I believe she is either the daughter or wife of some big wheel at General Electric, because there is simply no talent based reason she would ever appear on any news channel. She talks like she has a mouth full of oatmeal, and has the political acumen of a middle school cheerleader.

[ossman]

3. She makes Norah O'donnel look like Sandra Day Oconnor

[Doityourself]

9. Lmao..yeah she is really really bad. Hard to watch her fumble her way through everything..

[TexasObserver]

12. She makes Mika look like Christiane Amapour!!

She really is terrible.

[dchill]

35. I conditionally agree with you...

She's "the biggest idiot on cable news", but only if you don't count the droids on "Fox News."

[high density]

4. I once gave Contessa the benefit of the doubt

But she really sucks at interviewing people. She should be limited to reading off the teleprompter.

[butterfly77]

5. I guess that is suppose to make it go away...

I haven't his comments about the great whore on fox whereas the other two played wright 24/7

[redqueen]

6. They're trying to defuse it.

There's more dirt on Hagee though... and Old John McCain COURTED him for his endorsement.

[napi21]

7. I don't think what the talking heads say about Hagee now will matter

to the voters. If what Hagee said bothered particular voters, whatever that host said about it won't change anything, and his appology may not either.

[CherylK]

8. K & R!

[Texas Hill Country]

10. i think that there is a difference between hagee re McCain and Wright re Obama

and it has nothing to do with race...

McCain asked for an endorsement. He was not a congregation member. He has never attended Hagee's church. He has had very very little or no discussion of politics with Hagee.

on the other hand:

Obama was Wright's friend and congregation member for 20 years!

and you can say that he was just his pastor all you want... they didnt discuss politics all you want, all they did was talk about Jesus...

but then you are ignoring what BLT is... BLT is the bible applied to politics and social justice. It is a political framework seen thru the lense of religion.

most of the sermons in a blt church have political implications or outright judgements.

I am not making a judgement on whether Wright is a good or a bad guy here at all. Just pointing out that there is a big difference.

[Cant trust em]

14. Hagee preaches with context of specific political issues regularly

I've heard him go on about Israel and immigration. It's more than just Jesus.

[ihavenobias]

19. Amen

Some people ignore the links but they shouldn't: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/different-standards-for-b_b_92337.html

[Cant trust em]

24. It's nice to have people totally agree on DU every now and then.

When I clicked on the response I was totally geared up for a fight.

[ihavenobias]

15. Here is the bottom line question

What is the relevance of the distinction that you're trying to make? In other words, what are people really concerned about when they say Wright makes them less or unlikely to vote for Obama?

Does anyone honestly think that Obama will push for legislation that is any different (in a negative way) than what he would have proposed had he never known Rev. Wright?

I think you KNOW the honest answer is that Obama knowing Wright won't change a SINGLE THING in any negative way. You can say it's *politically* damaging, but you'd have to be incredibly intellectually dishonest to argue that it changes anything *practically* speaking.

With that said, Hagee and Rod Parsley should get just as much coverage. Hell, how about HALF the coverage. Maybe even 1/3 the coverage? McCain *actively* sought out Hagee's endorsement, said he was *proud* of the endorsement for many, many months (even after he was made aware of Hagee's many statements, assuming he wasn't aware of them already) and only recently and vaguely said he disagreed with the statements.

Even now he's still accepting the endorsement. That *is* different than the Wright situation, but in the way *you* want it to be.

Finally, McCain referred to Rod Parsley as his "spiritual adviser", and Parsley has said plenty of crazy things McCain has yet to address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB1tGB9oR-4

[NatBurner]

16. farrakhan wasn't obama's pastor for any amount of time

yet the peanut gallery's clamor for him to (((REJECT!!!))) and (((DENOUNCE!!!))) was deafening

that won't happen in this case

[Kool Kitty]

17. That makes McCain more of a moron.

He actively seeks this clown's endorsement and doesn't know what his statements are? Or does McCain feel that one right-wingnut pastor is the same as all the others? Either way, I hope that it bites him in the ass. And Parlsey is right up there, too, with the rest of the right-wingnut preachers.

[Cant trust em]

11. Louis Farrakhan wasn't Obama's pastor

These people are so full if shit it's coming out their ears.

[JamesA1102]

13. I saw that too.

John Harwood of the New York Times was the analyst. He acted like an apologist for McCain.

Brewer completely misrepresented McCain's position and made it sound like Hagee's endorsement was involuntary and that he didn't actively seek it out.

Terrible shoddy journalism all around.

[ihavenobias]

21. Thanks, I'll see if I can update the story n/t

[Avalux]

18. McCain showed up in San Antonio to beg Hagee for his endorsement -

climbed up on stage with him during a service at his 'megachurch' and groveled at his feet. Had nothing to do with religion; had everything to do with pandering for the fundie vote. THAT is much worse than Obama/Wright.

[Window]

20. Of course there is a double standard. Good rant.

The only show watchable on MESS NBC is KO.

I had seen that video of that sorry ass excuse for a pastor earlier. What a evil piece of work.

The Huff Po article is dead on.

:kick:

[Eurobabe]

22. I am not even going to go there, Contessa, it will

just get me in trouble. :rofl:

[featherman]

23. Wow... cable news talking heads pimping for McCain! (only 90% of them or so)

[eleny]

25. How about his "Let them starve!" bullshit about the poor

The poor who "refuse" to work, that is.

He makes me feel both :puke: and :scared: He's a dangerous and disgusting individual.

[ihavenobias]

26. Well, *a lot* of conservatives sadly agree with those statements

So I guess he doesn't need to apologize for them.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

27. I never watch TV news

this is just another reason why I shouldn't.

[chelsea0011]

28. So if we see McCain with his arm around the grand wizard of the KKK

accepting his support, we should pay no mind because McCain isn't a member?:shrug:

[ihavenobias]

29. A bit of hyperbole *and* an excellent point n/t

[OhioChick]

30. I Figured that When the GE Came...

Hagee would be a non-issue. It's beyond pathetic how many free rides McCain gets/will get.

[AlinPA]

31. I don't even know who Contessa Brewer is. Can't watch that garbage on TV. Hockey,

basketball, yes.

[CherylK]

32. Bump!

[Roxy66]

33. Contessa Brewer is such an idiot...she has no right having an opinion on national television

she really does not know the issues well enough..concidering how influential tlelevision news is now

[The Wielding Truth]

36. I think that it is so much worse for McC to play up to Hagee to

get his support politically, than to have a paster who is not part of your political life like Obama.

[ihavenobias]

38. Exactly n/t

[gateley]

37. We need a pic of McCain's face in Hagee's armpit --

like the one with Bush.

This infuriates me! :grr:

[navarth]

39. remember when she was subbing for KO?

I guess you could say THAT didn't work. She was the one who made the comment about Vitter's wife that KO later apologized for. Remember that?

[ihavenobias]

40. No, but I'm glad I missed it n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

41. The religious right isn't about religion. It's about politics

It's absurd to believe the Church of Rome is the Whore of Babylon, but we should have no doubt that Rev. Hagee believes it. Note should be taken what he in his apology to Mr. Donohue: Out of a desire to advance a 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.

Parse that and Hagee is apologizing not for what he said, simply how he said it. Note also that he expresses the thought that his apology is an expedient to promote worldly goals ("the common good"), presumably censorship of art, the denial of a woman her right to govern her own body and the denial of a gay person right to be a gay person.

Perhaps this is progress toward ecumenism. Next, Rev. Parsley will apologize to Osama for all the things he's said about Islam in to promote unity to fight for the common good that can come of censoring art, subjugating women and persecuting nonbelievers.