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Election 2008

Leaked Obama Transcript Explains Rick Warren Decision (with Draft of Warren's Invocation)

By John Aravosis and Linda Hirshman, Huffington Post. Posted December 20, 2008.


Satire: Why Obama invited the pastor who compared gay marriage to pedophilia and incest and led the fight for Prop 8 in CA to his inauguration.
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Satire: The following conversation may, or may not, have occurred between President-elect Barack Obama and the chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, US Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA):

BARACK OBAMA: So who we gonna have do the invocation at my inaugural?

DIANNE FEINSTEIN: Oh my God, you're gonna love this, B.

BO: Okay Di, hit me.

DIFI: Ready? Rick. Warren.

BO: You mean conservative evangelical Christian leader Rick Warren?

DIFI: Yup.

BO: Rick Warren who wants to ban all abortions and basically said that I support a holocaust?

DIFI: Uh huh.

BO: The guy who compared gay marriage to pedophilia and incest, and helped lead the fight for Prop 8 in California?

DIFI: That's him.

BO: The man who said he agrees on everything with far-right nut James Dobson.

DIFI: Yesiree.

BO: But Di, the guy has devoted his entire life to destroying everything I stand for, everything I believe in, everyone who worked so hard and so long to put me into office.

DIFI: I know, isn't it brilliant!

BO: I don't get it.

DIFI: Okay, think about it. You're so post-partisan that you're willing to embrace and promote someone who loathes you, didn't vote for you, and will do everything in his power to destroy your presidency. It's like the Lieberman thing, but even bigger!

BO: So you mean, by promoting a guy who represents none of my goals, ideals or hopes that the majority of the country voted for, and by devastating my own supporters on what was supposed to be a day of celebration and national rebirth, I'm actually promoting "change" by publicly undermining it?

DIFI: Exactly!

BO: But won't I be screwing the gays, women, and pretty much everyone else who got me elected?

DIFI: Never stopped me.

BO: But doesn't this make me no better than the guy I'm replacing or the guy I just beat?

DIFI: Never stopped me.

****

Satire: We Call on You Lord: Leaked Rick Warren Invocation

by Linda Hirshman


(NOTE: Copies of what seemed to be a draft of an inaugural invocation by Pastor Rick Warren arrived in the fax machines of several prominent journalists this morning. This site does not vouch for the authenticity of the draft, although each of the statements does conform to material in Pastor Warren's speeches, interviews, or on his websites.)

O Lord, as we come together on this historic and solemn occasion to inaugurate a president and vice president. We pray, O Lord, for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden, to whom You have entrusted leadership of this nation at this moment in history.

We pray for their advisors and supporters, particularly their Jewish advisors and supporters, who will surely roast in hell if they do not abandon their refusal to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Pray for the conversion of Obama chief advisor David Axelrod and his economic wise man Larry Summers, his early supporters Lester Crown and his campaign finance chair Penny Pritzker, for, as the Bible says, there will be a day when there will be a great revival of faith in God through Jesus among the Jewish people. (Romans 11). Obviously, this is a day that we, as believers in Christ, want to pray for! Let the light of Christian salvation come to the Jewish Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel and his family, some of whom survived the German effort to bring them to Christian truth in the last generation.

May all efforts to stop homosexuals from violating the ancient humanitarian institution of marriage succeed as did your will in California in the last election. Attend particularly, O lord, to President Obama's environmental chief Nancy Sutley, and to the man who has worked essentially without sleep for three months to save the American economy from total collapse, Representative Barney Frank. Use the government to bring an end to acts as bad as incest, pedophilia and polygamy, by stamping out homosexuality among the homosexuals, a people evolutionarily unfit, that we may truly become one nation before God. May the First Amendment to the Constitution protect all who want to compare homosexual sex to incest, pedophilia and polygamy from the arrows of hate speech accusations shot by the politically correct.

Change the hearts of the new administration's pro-choice advisors and supporters, including the Justices of the Supreme Court who stand here today with us: Holocaust denier Anthony Kennedy, holocaust denier Ruth Bader Ginzburg, holocaust denier David Souter, holocaust denier Stephen Breyer, and holocaust denier John Paul Stevens, who is about to swear in the Vice-President, in that abortion is a holocaust and the eighteen million or so women who have committed abortion in the thirty-five years since 1973 are thus no better than Nazis.

Bless the women, who have chosen to follow their ambitions into public life, but change the hearts, Lord, of Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis from independent lives of their own to submission to their husbands, if any, for I love the King James Version's rendition of Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands" and of course "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ if God." 1 Corinthians 11:3. These women have chosen to participate in the public life of the community. Enlighten them as to the requirement that women not speak in church, saving any questions they have about their common life to ask their husbands as they return home.

Now, O Lord, despite the plain language of the Constitution that created this great nation, we dedicate this presidential inaugural ceremony to You. May this be the beginning of a new dawn for America as we humble ourselves before You and acknowledge You alone as our Lord, our Savior and our Redeemer. We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


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John Aravosis is a Washington DC-based writer and political consultant, specializing in using the Internet for politics. He is also the editor of AMERICAblog (americablog.com), one of America's top progressive political blogs.

Linda R. Hirshman retired as the Allen/Berenson Distinguished Visiting Professor at Brandeis University. She is at work on a book about marriage after feminism. With almost no effort, she landed spot No. 77 on Bernard Goldberg’s "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America."

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Despite the satirical nature of this article...
Posted by: Plexius2 on Dec 20, 2008 2:39 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am starting to believe that Obama may well have a Christ Complex. I just hope his efforts work, despite my doubts, and that he doesn't wind up crucified by the fascist pigs his has invited into his administration.

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» RE: Liam on the Left Posted by: Liam
» RE: Liam on the Left Posted by: whathaway
» I think he is right to do this Posted by: texasrodeoqueen
Coddling the The Neo cons again
Posted by: Purple Girl on Dec 20, 2008 4:17 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why must We dems always try to make the Right better about themselves? They NEVER bother todo the same for Us whenever they Steal Power.
Did n't we try this shit before with Clinton? Tried to come half way, try to include their ideas, their voices...and what did we get for our efforts a BS BlowJob Impeachment fiasco.
Dems are sick of playing Nice Nice with the Neo Cons. We were ignored when we screamed about the lunacy of Trickle Down, We screamed about invading Iraq, We screamed as our constitutional rights were being highjacked, we screamed when we learned about torture & rendition by this admin....And we got nothing, from the repubs Nor our own Dems!
Funny you should pick Feinstein, What a POS she turned out to be- but that's a Giveme when they are DLC'ers.
It's not just the Gay Community who is up in arms about Warren, but most the Dem party who has made concessions over & over again and seen No reciprocation in the last 8 yrs (or really 40)..Much like the UAW Rank & file.
I realize we have many things to solve, and Obama will need as many allies as possible. But the Neo Con way has been proven Irresponsible and Ultimately disasterous..We've heard their 'Ideas', We've Tried their 'Ideas',We have been screwed by their 'ideas'. I think their 'Ideas' no longer have a place at any table trying to figure out how to UNDO their Ideas!
One Idiot REpug had the Audacity to complain tht Obama was going to 'Run up the Deficit'...Is he brain damaged? Does he not realize that arguement has fallen flat on it's face after 8 yrs of 'Animal House'. he was bitching about how much a Stimulus package is going to cost Our Kids. When they roll these Pundits out must they remove the packaging from the factory, Perhaps they should put instruction expalining to remove the plastic from their face first- this one lost oxygen!
Ya know that Whistling past a grave yard could actually wake the Living dead. everytime I hear that BS 'Fiscal Responisblity', "free market" mantra from Repugs, I want to rise up and eat their brains with Fava Beans & a nice Bottle of Chianti As a Kucinich prim voter, having later volunteered for Obama, I was a little leary of the number of economic & froeign relations idiots he was naming. I was holding out hope they were coming to turn states evidence and reveal where all th ebodies were buried. But there is not such rationalization for Warren. the Religious 'right' has had the whole table to them selves when it comes to political influence, it's time they were relegated to the "Kiddee Table"- they have NOTHING to offer US as a means to Unify this country. Infact by sidelining them we could actually move forward faster on many issues they have intentionally provoked or created.
What's next will he have Greenspan discuss the vision of Econmic Recovery using his 'Trickle Down' "Logic"???
Haven't these Criminals and Con Men done enough to destroy this country, Haven't their views been practiced and Failed miserably? why do we need their Opinions at the Table anylonger- they have been the CAUSE of ALL our problems over the last 30 yrs!

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» RE: Coddling the The Neo cons again Posted by: texasrodeoqueen
» I'll second that motion. Posted by: GuitarBill
Strictly Speaking...
Posted by: pcushniesr on Dec 20, 2008 4:27 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
... there should be _no_ religious aspect whatsoever to the inauguration.

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» RE: Strictly Speaking... Posted by: Afriedell
» RE: Strictly Speaking... Posted by: texasrodeoqueen
warmmdaddy
Posted by: warmmdaddycatt on Dec 20, 2008 5:04 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
let's face it...obama is not who we hoped he would be, when we voted for him. he's just another p o s power pig. still probably better than bush but it's a real sad thing to watch him fill up his cabinet one by one with creeps and then weakly justify each one--each time our hearts that were so full of hope get emptied one capitalist pig at a time.

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» RE: warmmdaddy Posted by: mythmorph
Know What's REALLY Funny?
Posted by: grumble-bum on Dec 20, 2008 5:21 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
... That it's now apparently a requirement that satirical pieces appearing on Alternet come with a warning sticker.

Golly, we need to collectively loosen up.

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» RE: Know What's REALLY Funny? Posted by: YogiBear
SAD
Posted by: Erin on Dec 20, 2008 5:37 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This piece would be funny if it weren't so close to the truth. To invite this hateful bigot to the inauguration is a slap in the face, not only to gays, lesbians, Jews, and women, but to all who voted for Obama's promised "change".

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» RE: SAD Posted by: Mr. Top Comment
» RE: SAD Posted by: mtnprivy
RE: LOL
Posted by: texasrodeoqueen on Dec 21, 2008 12:15 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
yeah, imagine thatlmao how could that have possibly been leaked? gee golly!

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Satirical Article on Inauguration Invocation
Posted by: erdale on Dec 20, 2008 6:35 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Even though this article is plainly labeled as satire, there will be many reading it who will accept it as being accurate information in the exchange between Obama and Pelosi, as well as Warren's invocation. This is no time to do anything to undermine President-elect Obama, who is facing unprecedented challenges. Granted, Warren is not whom we expected, but perhaps Obama's grace and reasoning capabilities will cause him to view the matters delineated in this article in a new light.

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Har
Posted by: particle on Dec 20, 2008 6:47 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Well I guess Warren is supposed to be balanced out by having the Rev Joseph Lowery to do the benediction.

The problem is that Warren is being perceived as replacing Billy Graham as the nation's spiritual leader. This looks to be more than just Obama fiddling with the arrangement of pieces on his game-board. It's also more than "just a symbolic gesture of generosity." It's an awful like handing the keys of informal power (which can be more potent than many people realize) to a cultish, messianic character.

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What It Says about LGBT People's Clout
Posted by: rminor on Dec 20, 2008 6:58 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sadly, what this decision says is that all the protesting after Prop 8 meant nothing to Obama. He does not see LGBT people as having any real political power and expects them to wait in line while he courts the fundamentalists, who will never accept him. George Lakoff has said that moving toward the right only affirms the right's frame. Liberal kum ba ya can be like enabling one's abuser. Maybe his childhood issues have set him up to need to be the messianic figure who will be the One and only to save them and us all. Very sad.

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The right wing has been in control for the last 8 years, 2 of
Posted by: sonofloud on Dec 20, 2008 7:14 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
them in complete control of every branch of the government.
How much more inclusion do they need???

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PASTOR WARREN
Posted by: rst2536 on Dec 20, 2008 9:05 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
INVOCATION

“God’s chosen me,” said Pastor Warren,
“To help Obama find his way
As President he goes explorin’
On whether it is A-OK
The day that he’s inaugurated
To force the gays to be castrated;
And whether he should form a plan
To have the Air Force bomb Iran.
I’ll say he should be purpose driven
And dedicate his life to God
And make himself the Lord’s vice squad.
And when America’s forgiven,
We’ll sit down have James Dobson in
And show him that you play to win.”

frrom http://poemsonaffairsofstate.blogspot.com/

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Let's All Read Chomsky... AGAIN!
Posted by: pauldd on Dec 20, 2008 9:14 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ya'll need to realize that the only way someone becomes president is by persuading the masters of the universe that you are on their side. Obama represents change: He'll change the paint colors in the west wing and pick a new pattern for the carpet in the oval office. He'll also dicker around the edges of the agencies that give the appearance of putting the commoners' interests at the forefront. When it comes to changing the way the US wields its power around the world economically and militarily, he's more of the same. He wouldn't be there if he wasn't. Our real work is just beginning. We'll have to fight for justice all the way. There's a marginally better chance of making progress under an Obama administration than Bush 43 but it won't come easy. Get active.

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A corporate whore is a corporate whore.
Posted by: ShrubtheWarcriminal on Dec 20, 2008 11:42 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This skit just illuminates why the "change" that Obama will bring will not be of any substance and truly progressive Democrates and even old fashioned Republicans will be looking around with their mouths open saying "who the f~*% did we vote for?"

According to Barack, he's going to bring about change by changing the atmosphere in Washington. Create consensus. That's the argument anyway - we all remember the Change Revolution that was the Democratic take back of Congress in 2006, and how well that has paid off for the average American and the guys getting shot at in Iraq.

In Obama's world, the Republicans who have been hard at work screwing the country over for as long as possible are going to repent, rather than do what they can to get what they want.

Have any of you given pause to think about his bipartisan change schtick for two seconds? Bipartisanship doesn't work with the current crop of Republicans. Coming to an agreement with them on something like Social Security implies half-destroying it, rather than fully destroying it. (Incidentally, Goldman Sachs, Obama's largest contributor, is a huge investment bank that has been committed to the partial privatization of Social Security and banking industry deregulation. Keep that in mind when you hear Obama talking about "protecting Social Security".)

But this is how it goes in the Amerikkka today. Politics is cyclical.

When the right-wing gets the pendulum swinging their way, they run amok with deregulation, union busting, militarism, slashing social programs, and corporate welfare.

Then the left will get the ball and they try to make friends and play nice with the guys that have been lobbing grenades at them for the past years, basically just treading water, no real progress. Then the right gets power again and they run their playbook again, running rampant. Essentially three steps backward and then run in place (at best).

And on and on rightward-ho we go, until unilateral invasions on false pretenses are something that impeachment is "off the table" about, and torture's something that's sort of, yeah, unfortunate, but hey what are people gonna do. Oh yeah, that's where we are today folks.

The fact that a segment of the population rejects that philosophy is an indictment of the Democratic Party, not of the people they turn away as a result of what they choose to stand for.

Take single-payer healthcare; it's the most affordable, most efficient way of providing it. The way it works is to pay doctors money to make people healthy, rather than pay insurance companies to keep a lot of the money and give what's left to doctors to make people healthy. This isn't hard to understand or explain, but it means confronting the distortions and lies that the right will throw at you.

But instead of trying to do that, we get this ridiculously compromised plan that health insurance companies must love looking forward to, as the government will be subsidizing the costs the insurance companies will be imposing. And the countries with actual national healthcare systems must be laughing their collective asses off when Hillary has the temerity to utter her "universal healthcare" plan, or Barack proposes the same one but without the financial penalties.

You all know why the Democrats don't get behind it, and continuing to support them anyway won't incentivize them to change their tune.

Who to blame? The Democrapic Party has only themselves to blame for the problem it presents. Unlike the Repukes, the Democrapic side of the party has left its base, true progressives have not left the old Democratic party.

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Obama the inscrutable
Posted by: willymack on Dec 20, 2008 11:55 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So, our next President has invited Rev. Bonehead to blather his silly hokum at the inaugeration. How long will this be remembered? My guess is about as long as the latest words of wisdom from Paris Hilton. Obama has his reasons for inviting the charlatan to speak, and I'll bet they're doozies.

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While amusing, . . .
Posted by: yesman on Dec 20, 2008 12:03 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
. . . this piece has too much of the ring of truth to it. If something like the above conversation did not actually take place, how could such an absurd decision ever have been reached?

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Are you getting the picture America?
Posted by: jeffrey7 on Dec 20, 2008 12:22 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Barack is about as different to DC as kiddie sex parlors are in Thialand. We're seeing a bunch of folks put in positions of power that could not only fuck us over worse than Bush but could even be a threat to Obama himself.

When Barack said 'We will bring change to Washington!" just which WE was he talking about? So far it seems to be millionaire noecons. Yep, more of the same.

You raised the Hope,now WE'RE WATCHING. Hope dashed is a mighty engine for change indeed. Maybe you Barack and all your Cabinet folks should spend a day serving food at CCNV. Just so you don't lose touch with 'WE'.

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Speculation
Posted by: eddief on Dec 20, 2008 1:00 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why don't all you critics hold your venom for the day that Obama takes office.
All your comments are speculations like the pundits on the cable news channels, and they're wrong at least 50 pct. of the time (you can check that out if you have a lot of time on your hands).
I'll give Obama the benefit of the doubt. Criticism should be made after the fact, not before.

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» RE: Speculation Posted by: EdinIowa
» RE: Speculation Posted by: eddief
» RE: Speculation Posted by: EdinIowa
» RE: Speculation Posted by: eddief
» RE: Speculation Posted by: EdinIowa
» RE: Speculation Posted by: eddief
» RE: Speculation Posted by: eddief
» RE: Speculation Posted by: Longdream
» RE: Speculation Posted by: sirios
Rick Warren's Long Cycle
Posted by: Lauren on Dec 20, 2008 6:09 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I enjoyed this story, thought you might too. Rick Warren's Long Cycle One bit I want to comment on,

Throughout Papa Rick's extended interview with Steve Waldman, he shows a sorry lack of theological sophistication, not to mention gramatical sophistication. I mean, can anyone imagine Billy Graham making so many unmeasured -- even unbiblical -- statements? Let's take just one example:

Rick says: The fundamental issue is, people often ask me, "What's the worst sin?" They expect me to say adultery, or taking drugs or something. The Bible clearly states, in the book of Isaiah, it's pride. It's pride. It was pride as Isaiah talks about Satan to get kicked out of heaven. And the middle letter of sin is "I" and the middle letter of pride is "I."

The Bible (Jesus!) says: Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven these men (the Pharisees), but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.


'O' is in the middle of 'you' and of 'pot'. Ganja is a blessed sacrament, it is to be shared and passed around in a circle. The Holy Spirit is what we feel when we ingest Ganja. whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

I kinda doubt he is ready to see it my way.

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» RE: ick Warren's Long Cycle Posted by: EdinIowa
THERE HAS TO BE MORE
Posted by: master09 on Dec 20, 2008 10:01 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I believe obama is tired or still in a campaign frame of mine or he is as naive as some of his opponets said he was; or some kind of payback for whatever!!. I refuse to believe that he ran such a brilliant campaign and not realize the impact of what he is doing. I believe that this was as much of a surprise to Warren as it to all of us.

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Hey gays!
Posted by: PressurePoint on Dec 20, 2008 10:04 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why is everything about your right to marry? Don't you have a problem with the rapidly dwindling separation between church and state that we've been living with for the last 8 years and apparent continuation of that consitutional violation by BO? Are you bummed that BO isn't going to screw the pooch like Clinton did and impale himself on your cross as his first official act? Get some perspective please. Warren is offensive for a lot of reasons with Constitutional implications, only one of which is that he hates gays.

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» RE: Hey gays! Posted by: k8
Good choice.
Posted by: bitsfick on Dec 21, 2008 2:05 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think the more exposure Mr. Warren gets the better, because the more that people listen to him the more they will realise what a total assholes him and his ilk really are.

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» RE: Good choice. Posted by: eddief
Great as Satire, Way Off Base as Prediction
Posted by: AlexLawyer on Dec 21, 2008 2:52 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I enjoyed the satire, but the real Warren invocation will be a namby-pamby, generic vanilla Christian confection designed to offend no one and enshrine himself as the successor to Billy Graham as America's preacher-in-chief. The real danger is that this, even more than hosting the debates, will confer prestige and an aura of respectability on a guy far more dangerous than the palpably psychotic Robertson or the curmudgeonly geriatric Dobson because he seems so normal and decent. The apostle of the purchase driven life will cash in yet again.

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I Love Obama. Brilliant Move
Posted by: peaceia85 on Dec 21, 2008 11:54 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That way he gets support from the radical right without committing to any particular policy.
He also factored in your predictable anger. And that will make him even more popular among them.
Remember for a democracy we have to respect all views. And the ballot box rules.
In addition, he never said he is for gay marriage or even for abortion. Neither is the great democratic majority of this nation. So chill.

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Invoke This!
Posted by: Revolutionary (Direct) Democracy on Dec 21, 2008 6:45 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
FREE AMERICA

REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY

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Where's Rev. WRight when we needed him?
Posted by: DaBear on Dec 21, 2008 9:52 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Oh yeah, 'Bama-the-messiah fired him then he blackballed him. Thanks for the divine craptasm, owning-class 'Merkuh!

We're so in the shitter....

(tee-hee: satire--well, maybe not really, we're really in the shitter no matter what)

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Isn't this guy the preacher who...
Posted by: MgWade on Dec 22, 2008 11:31 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
talks about a 'Purpose Driven Life' and sends most of his income into the community to actually HELP real people?

Is it possible that BO, smarter than the average bear as usual, is after getting the nods from the right wing church folk while highlighting one of the few famous ones of that ilk who is not busily lining his pockets with the proceeds of his fame? Whose most famous contribution is about finding what your OWN personal Purpose is and following that?

I did not research Warren before I wrote this, so it represents what popular culture has tossed my way about him. Until the Alternet stuff I received, I did not know anything about his views on gays, women, etc., etc. etc. Therefore, the above is likely an approximation of what many in the public know about him too. And presumably BO and his people have a handle on all of this.

If you want to invite those right wing-ish evangelical-ish Born Again etc. etc. folks into the tent, this is an excellent way to do so without excessive pay-off to the more egregious elements of that world.

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