No Pastor Problems for McCain

It's ridiculous to suggest that John McCain's connection with figures such as John Hagee and Rod Parsley even remotely resembles Barack Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright.

From FOX News:

If turnabout is fair play, then John McCain critics believe his association with controversial pastors should be held to the same scrutiny as Barack Obama’s ties to Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

After all, they point out, one of McCain’s religious supporters, John Hagee, called the Roman Catholic Church “the great whore.”

Another, Rod Parsley, referred to Islam as a “false religion” that America was called on to destroy.

Still, when McCain’s link to both men came to light, the backlash was negligible compared with the furor Obama has faced for nearly two months over his relationship with Wright, his former pastor.

“McCain got a bit of a pass on that,” Democratic strategist Bob Beckel said.

Political analysts and the McCain campaign say it was the difference in his relationships with those pastors — more than the news media’s decision to use kid gloves — that spared him the kind of public trial Obama endured.

Hagee and Parsley are just supporters, McCain’s campaign points out. Obama’s relationship is personal, with Wright having officiated at the candidate’s wedding and baptized his two children.

“I didn’t attend Pastor Hagee’s church for 20 years,” McCain said last week, taking a shot at Obama. “There’s a great deal of difference in my view between someone who endorses you and other circumstances.”

But while Obama has repeatedly moved to reject and denounce such supporters, McCain will only go so far. And critics warn the issue could come back to hurt him.

Both Dems and Republicans have drawn support and endorsements from controversial people.

That's nothing new.

Obama's 20-year personal relationship with the racist Wright is in a totally different league. Obama's dramatic refusal to disown the hate-spewing Wright, and then his sleazy, lame about-face press conference cannot be compared to the support McCain has received from controversial pastors. Those associations are distant. I don't think McCain considers Hagee or Parsley to be like uncles to him.

No, McCain doesn't have pastor problems.