One of John McCain's senior advisors has publicly declared that the religious right is a "serious problem." While I would certainly agree, this statement comes at a time when his candidate has embraced some key leaders -- and is further courting this faction of the party, which mostly did not support in him in the primaries. The Washington correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, speaking to an audience of young Jews on behalf of the McCain campaign, had some things to say about the religious right that reminded us of the McCain of old who once denounced Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as "agents of intolerance." They also underscore that John McCain has become the very kind of panderer he once denounced.
Eagleburger, Schmuel Rosner writes
"did not mince his words. In a response to a question about the religious right, an important component of the Republican coalition, he said that it was, indeed "a serious problem," and reminded his listeners that he now lives in Charlottesville, surrounded by such people that he needs to fight.
One would think that this is not exactly what McCain needs, while he is trying to win over this reluctant constituency. But Eagleburger calmed these young Jews by promising that McCain will not change his ways to please anyone. And he did not forget to take a swipe on Rush Limbaugh - not for the first time - even while forgetting, or pretending to forget, his name.
It is not clear from the context of the article, in what ways Eagleburger views the religious right as a problem.
He might begin by considering that his candidate John McCain has pandered to the religious right by declaring, and refusing to retract the idea that
"the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."
I'm guessing that Eagleburger hasn't ever heard anything that Hagee--an endorsement that McCain actively and aggressively sought--said regarding the Catholic church or Katrina-stricken New Orleans.
Barack Obama had to make multiple statements denouncing TUCC's Rev. Wright...where's the outrage over this?
