Paging Reverend Wright . . .

. . . perhaps you should take a lead from the Rev. John Hagee, until now noted for some serious Catholic bashing.  Perhaps its a political move, but a smart move nonetheless, Hagee has apologized for his past statements attacking the Catholic Church:

Televangelist John Hagee, one of John McCain’s highest-profile supporters from the religious right, has apologized for comments he made that were offensive to Catholics.

In a letter Monday to Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, Hagee wrote, “I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.”

Pastor Hagee, leader of San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church, has often made references to “the apostate church” and the “great whore,” terms that Catholics say are slurs aimed at the Roman Catholic Church.

In his letter, Hagee said he now better understood that the Book of Revelation’s reference to the Catholic Church by those two terms are “a rhetorical device long employed in anti-Catholic literature and commentary.”

“Neither of these phrases can be synonymous with the Catholic Church,” he wrote

Now as a Catholic, let me say that I'm not terribly convinced.  But lets put this in proper context here.  Every Democrat supporting Rev. Wright has always brought up John Hagee as somehow John McCain's equivelant.  Nevermind the fact that McCain didn't spend 20 years sitting in the Cornerstone Church pews nor did he ever call Rev. Hagee a spiritual mentor.  Regardless, Hagee's aplogy is a smart politcal move, at the very least, and he seems to understand the politics of religion and the presidency more than Rev. Wright.  While Wright seems on a mission to bulldoze his opponents and defend himself, even at the expense of Obama himself - Hagee seems to have a strong sense of the pulse of what his past comments could do to McCain in the context of Democrats and MSM hyping Barack Obama.

I have long maintained that the Catholic vote is the most important in the country, and the fact that born-again George W. Bush defeated Catholic John Kerry among the senator's fellow faithful was the tipping point for Bush.  Hagee, who seems to want to see McCain elected and understands what his past words could do to him, has probably helped McCain retain a lot of Catholic support with his apology.  Now do I believe Hagee?  Not really.  But at least he's smart enough to simply apologize - and he might even mean it.

Rev. Wright would do well to follow Rev. Hagee's lead if he wants to see his past parishioner victorious.

Comments

This Catholic happily accepts Rev. Hagee's apology.