There's no way to compare the Rev. Wright-Barack Obama story with the Rev. Hagee-John McCain story, but both of them did what they had to do, as McCain joined Obama in tossing a religious man under the campaign bus. In fact, McCain threw two of them overboard, as he rejected endorsements on Thursday from Texas preacher John Hagee and Ohio televangelist Rod Parsley.
While Rev. Wright had been around Obama for 20 years, Hagee was an influential religious figure on the Right that McCain figured he could use in his election bid. Get the backing of a conservative pastor and that helps soothe the GOP base.
Hagee had already been taken to task for some anti-Catholic diatribes, which netted McCain some demands to get rid of the endorsement. But McCain held fast, saying he disagreed with Hagee, etc.
But, when you suddenly have audio recordings surface where Hagee says wacky things about Hitler and the Jews, then it was time to hit the Eject button. As for Parsley, he drew McCain's ire for some anti-Islam statements.
Is it going to matter? Probably not, though it does keep the bloggers on both sides active.
But I bet if we walked down K Street in Washington, D.C., not many people would know who Hagee was, while lots of people would be very familiar with Rev. Wright.
More delicious than the dustup over Hagee was Thursday's long distance battle over expanded GI benefits between Obama and McCain.
Both Obama and Hillary Clinton took McCain to task for opposing a plan that was added to an Iraq War spending bill, which bolsters education benefits for US military veterans.
"I can't understand why he (McCain) would line up behind the President in opposition to this GI bill," Obama said on the Senate floor.
McCain had his own plan that was less expensive, which he said would work just as well. Democrats belittled him for not doing enough for military servicemembers.
"It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue that he has less than zero understanding of," McCain said in a statement, just warming up for the real zinger.
"I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did."
What was that word in the Batman fights? ZOWIE!
"It's disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign used this issue to launch yet another personal, political attack instead of debating an honest policy difference," said Obama.
While Clinton and Obama showed up for the Senate vote, McCain did not, so there was no live hand-to-hand combat.
But next time McCain and Obama run into each other, there might be. I really get the sense that Obama aggravates the crap out of McCain. Will it bring out that infamous McCain temper for real? Inquiring minds want to know.
Maybe Obama could have used the phrase, "the distinguished senior Senator from Arizona," instead of calling out McCain by name in a Senate floor speech.
But he didn't. Which tells me that Obama has decided to poke, jab, prod and slap McCain as often as possible.
Oh, this is going to get ugly.
There's no way to compare the Rev. Wright-Barack Obama story with the Rev. Hagee-John McCain story, but both of them did what they had to do, as McCain joined Obama in tossing a religious man under the campaign bus. In fact, McCain threw two of them overboard, as he rejected ...
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