Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 10:50:52 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

McCain Severs Ties to Pastor Over Holocaust Blast

Posted May 22, 08 4:30 PM CDT in Politics 

(Newser) – John McCain and John Hagee dissolved their union in tit-for-tat fashion today—one day after an offensive sermon about Hitler came to light. Hagee claimed God sent Hitler to perpetrate the Holocaust, because it was a “top priority for the Jewish people … to get them to come back to” Israel. McCain called the remarks “indefensible” as he “rejected” the controversial endorsement.

But the powerful pastor wasn’t taking no for an answer, instead arguing that his comments have been repeatedly mischaracterized, and he was thus rescinding his support of presumptive Republican nominee. Saying he was “tired of these baseless attacks,” he concluded, “I hope that Sen. McCain will accept this withdrawal so that he may focus on the issues.”

Sources CNN, ABC News

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Is Germany Ready for Mein Kampf ?

    Aug 17, 08 10:30 AM CDT
    Is Germany Ready for Mein Kampf ? Adolf Hitler's banned hate-filled manifesto Mein Kampf should be returned to the nation's bookstores, some Germans argue. A critical edition—annotated to put the tome "into context"—would demystify it and shed light on the author's mad ramblings, they say. The push comes as the book's copyright nears expiration, raising worries that new reprints could be misused by far-right extremists, reports Time.
    More »

  • Quietly, McCain Makes Overtures to Evangelicals

    Jun 9, 08 7:32 AM CDT
    Quietly, McCain Makes Overtures to Evangelicals John McCain faces a challenge uncommon among GOP presidential candidates: rallying evangelical Christians to vote for him. As the New York Times reports, the McCain campaign is holding meetings with evangelical leaders and blasting them with emails, but many are still taking a wait-and-see approach. And McCain's lack of rapport with religious conservatives was exacerbated by his recent rejection of  endorsements of the Rev. John Hagee and the Rev. Rod Parsley. More »

  • Dumping Pastors Is Gamble For McCain

    May 29, 08 4:41 PM CDT
    Dumping Pastors Is Gamble For McCain By rejecting endorsements from influential pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley, John McCain might have alienated evangelical voters, a key Republican electoral bloc. If they “feel this is an attack on them,” one consultant told the Washingon Post, “even if they don't agree with Parsley and Hagee or follow them, it could galvanize them against McCain." More »

  • Obama Wants Truce Even as McCain Spins Pastors' Ties

    May 23, 08 3:48 PM CDT
    Obama Wants Truce Even as McCain Spins Pastors' Ties Barack Obama is tweaking John McCain for slinging muck on Rev. Jeremiah Wright on one hand while distancing himself from Rev. John Hagee on the other, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Nobody thinks that McCain believes that stuff," Obama said. "For McCain to then suggest that every single statement that was made by somebody is somehow attributable to me is just wrong.” More »

  • Pro-McCain Pastor Apologizes to Catholics

    May 13, 08 6:24 PM CDT
    Pro-McCain Pastor Apologizes to Catholics A Texas preacher whose anti-Catholic comments were haunting John McCain's campaign apologized today, and the president of the Catholic League accepted, Politico reports. In an apparent effort to avert a GOP version of the Jeremiah Wright situation, John Hagee wrote a letter about his "deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful"; those comments included referring to the faith as a "Godless theology." More »

In this April 6, 2008, file photo influential Texas evangelist John Hagee of Christians United for Israel addresses a crowd.   (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)
In this Feb. 27, 2008, file photo Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at a press conference with Rev. John Hagee.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at a press conference with Rev. John Hagee.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 5)

Tags

John McCain  • Holocaust  • Adolf Hitler  • John Hagee


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Politics Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »