McCain Rejects Pastor's Backing Over Anti-Semetic Remarks

Now, John Sydney McCain has finally been compelled to disassociate from a minister he hugged when accepting his endorsement, because Pastor John Hagee has said that the Holocaust was ordained work of God.

By Juliet Eilperin and Kimberly Kindy Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, May 23, 2008; Page A01

STOCKTON, Calif., May 22 -- Sen. John McCain on Thursday repudiated the presidential endorsement of the Rev. John Hagee after learning about a sermon in which the megachurch pastor from San Antonio declared that God allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler because it resulted in returning Israel to the Jewish people.

The Arizona Republican's decision to distance himself from Hagee came after months of mounting criticism, particularly from Roman Catholics, over his acceptance of Hagee's endorsement in late February. Hagee has called the Catholic Church a "false religious system" and a "false cult system" and has suggested that the church played a role in the Holocaust.

Hagee, 68, is one of the country's best-known Christian television evangelists and is known for his fervent support of Israel. But he has a conflicted relationship with Jewish organizations. He spearheaded a group called Christians United for Israel, but not all Jewish groups embrace him, because he does not support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are also leery of his support because he has suggested that their "rebellion" against "Jehovah" has caused much of their suffering, including the Holocaust. Washington Post

Some voters may draw the conclusion that JiSM is anti-Semitic because he accepted John Hagee's embrace while knowing full well of Hagee's views. Other voters will conclude that McCain, while not anti-Semitic, simply lacks a moral compass in his craven pursuit of the Oval Office.