This is a chronology of all important dates in what I term “Endorsement Gate.” I obviously have some angle & bias, however the dates of “endorsements,” “breaking stories” & “repudiations” are accurate, as well as background information.
~editor’s note:I know you are looking, so please comment 
February 26th, 2008
The First Endorsement sought by John McCain of Pastor Rod Parsley
[RodParskey.com website states: Senior pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, a non-denominational congregation of more than 12,000 people.]
Newsvine reports,
“February 26, 2008, McCain requests and receives the endorsement of Pastor Rod Parsley.”
Included with the blessing from Parsley, John McCain obtains the support of Parsley’s entire congregation.
image via blog.cleveland.com
February 29th
Shorty prior to the media firestorm surrounding Rev. Wright & Senator Obama, Senator John McCain actively seeks the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee.
Wikipedia describes “John C. Hagee [as] the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic church with more than 19,000 active members.”
John Hagee Ministries’ website is currently not avaialble.
A positive note on this endorsement verified by Republican Texas Senator, who was present at the ceremony, and The Dallas News reports, “Cornyn: ‘Hagee Is Just Alright With Me.’”
image by washingtonpost.com
EditorandPublisher.com reported “John Hagee declares, “It’s true that [John] McCain’s campaign sought my endorsement.” [editor's note:article present 5/23/08 has sense been removed]
While Huffington Post.com reports the meeting as “McCain ‘Proud’ of Endorsement From John Hagee Who Calls Catholics” “The Great Whore.” Where’s Tim Russert Now?”
March 2nd
Sean Hannity, Co-Host of Hannity & Colms introduces Fox News viewers to Barack Obama’s Pastor, Jeremiah Wright.
Hannity: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been inundated with coverage about his Mormon faith, LDS. In light of this, last night we reported on the controversial teachings of Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s Chicago-based church. A guest on our program likened Trinity Unity Church of Christ to a separatist movement, drawing comparisons to Branch Davidians.
March 11th
The Boston Globe headlines “Obama wins racially polarized Mississippi primary.
Senator Barack Obama notched another victory over Senator Hillary Clinton in today’s Mississippi Democratic primary, further demonstrating his appeal in the Deep South”
Mississippi Primary results: Barack Obama with 61% of the vote over Senator Clinton’s 37%.
March 13th
2 days later ABC News reports, “Obama’s Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11″
Media Matters documents the breaking story this way, “ABC’s Ross reported Wright’s 9-11 remarks — but not that Obama disavowed them.”
TUCC website states “Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. became Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) on March 1, 1972…grew from 87 members; and currently exceeds 6,000!”
We all know what happened next. Approximately 2 weeks after the Parsley endorsement of McCain, the Main Stream Media video feeds were filled with images such as these from the blogger “The Roanoke Slant” and “God Damn Americia!” filled the air.
March 18th
Senator Barack Obama gives his historic Speech on Race, viewed here on the “Obama for President” page or read at HuffingtonPost.com
Chris Patten at News.Scotsman.com describes the speech…
“Faced with the embarrassment of his pastor’s views on race and America, Obama did not go into a huddle with spin-doctors. Instead, he delivered a thoughtful, eloquent, and moving speech about race. He treated the issue head-on, and intelligently. Confronted with an awkward problem, he responded with reason. Whatever else happens in the presidential race, that speech marked a special moment.”
Only hours later
Sen. Obama’s Speech, according to HuffingtonPost.com, Sean Hannity & John McCain exchanged this conversation on Fox News’ Hannity & Combs.
courtesy of Newsday.com
HANNITY: He’s been — but he’s been going to the church for 20 years. His pastor — the church gave a lifetime achievement award to one of the biggest racists and anti-Semites in the country, Louis Farrakhan. Would you go to a church that — where your pastor supported Louis Farrakhan?
MCCAIN: Obviously, that would not be my choice. But I do know Sen. Obama. He does not share those views.
March 20th
CBS News reports, McCain Aide Suspended For Circulating Obama/Wright Video.
Based on the interview with Sean Hannity and the actions against the campaign staffer, John McCain has made it clear through both words and actions, he “does not think the views of Rev. Wright are those of Senator Obama.”
The MSM media continues to devote endless hours to the Wright controversy.
March 21st
Endless coverage leads Latino Governor from New Mexico and longtime Clinton loyalist, Bill Richardson to make a surprise visit to Portland, Oregon.
In front of approximately 15,000 supporters, Richardson endorsed Barack Obama as reported by CNN, claiming “Obama [S]peech [on Race] ‘Clinched’ Endorsement.”
image from MSNBC.com
April 8th
Wake Up, This Is Must Read!
On April 8th, something most American’s will not know, The Reverend C. Welton Gaddy, Leader of the The Interfaith Alliance and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation, responded to a question in The Washington Post, “McCain, Parsley, Hagee, and Apocalyptic Foreign Policy”
image from WashingtonPost.com
The Question: John McCain’s spiritual guide, televangelist Rod Parsley, calls Islam a “false religion” that should be “destroyed.” Should McCain renounce Parsley? Will Islam be an issue in this year’s U.S. presidential election?
Reverend Gaddy responded…
“Senator McCain should not have sought the endorsement of religious leaders like John Hagee and Rod Parsley, his “spiritual guide.” He should not only reject their extremist beliefs he should reject their endorsements. No candidate should seek, celebrate, or even accept endorsements from religious leaders.
For the sanctity of religion and the integrity of our democracy, religious leaders should avoid entangling houses of worship with partisan politics. Clergy must be free to speak about important issues of the day, and they should provide moral guidance to their congregations, but they lose credibility when they tie themselves to specific candidates.”
Listen to the widespread coverage of Rev. Gaddy’s statements
As most likely this is the first time you are reading this, you already know this was not picked up my the Main Stream Media, as they were preoccupied waging coverage war with one another over who could cover the Rev. Wright issue the most! There was no interest in this coverage, because no one was supposed to know what they were really like even though it was picked on the small media all the way back to December, 2007 by FireDogLake.com.
April 20th
The transcript from Sunday’s Meet the Press shows the important topics were nearly devoid of any mention of McCain or his religious endorsers & “advisers.”
MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask about two final issues. David Axelrod, based on the last couple of weeks, many Democrats fear Republicans in the fall will string together an ad which shows Michelle Obama saying that she really never had pride in America until this campaign when Barack Obama was running, Barack Obama with his hands clasped in front of him rather than holding his heart during the pledge of allegiance, Barack Obama not wearing a flag pin, Barack Obama talking about clinging to faith and to guns, suggesting—Barack Obama meeting with Bill Ayers, a former Weather ground under—Weatherman underground figure. Are you concerned that all those kinds of issues could be strung together to create an impression of Obama that would make him almost unelectable to a lot of swing voters?
The Main Stream Media was covering everything under the sun, but failed to even let out a “peep” over the Hagee & Parsley endorsements of John McCain, which were nothing more than Church bribing the State with their congregations votes for who knows what quid pro quo after the November 2008 Presidential Election!
14 days passed of absolutely zero “News” worthy of actually being called News being run on the MSM in the long, prolonged 6 week slog between the Mississippi Primary and the Pennsylvania Primary, except for the Pundit regurgitating the same old Rev. Wright controversy & who would win Pennsylvania.
The true character of bigotry, anti-semitism & hatred knowingly displayed by John McCain’s endorsers over the years was completely ignored.
April 22nd
image via blog.cleveland.com
Pennsylvania Primaries are held after 6 weeks of endless MSM coverage of the Reverend Wright/Barack Obama controversy. Clinton wins the popular vote 54.7% to Obama’s 45.3%, mainly due to strong Pennsylvania support from Governor Ed Rendell, other state dignitaries & endless MSM coverage of the Wright issue.
April 24th
The NY Times and other media outlets begin to report, “North Carolina G.O.P. to Run Ad Using Obama’s Ex-Pastor”
Despite objections from Senator John McCain, the North Carolina Republican Party is planning to roll out a television advertisement on Monday attacking two Democrats who are running for governor by linking them to Senator Barack Obama and playing a clip of his former pastor excoriating the United States.
The release of the commercial, which Republican officials in North Carolina said would make its debut during the 6 p.m. newscasts, injects a potentially divisive racial element into the campaign for the state’s Democratic presidential primary, which is on May 6.
Immediately after Pennsylvania and 3 days before it was to appear on Bill Moyers Journal, the Main Stream Media picked up the Jemimah Wright story and began to run the endless reruns of his 30 seconds tirade of “God Damn America!”, once again taken out of context.
April 25th
Moyers starts the show,
“But just who is this man? That’s the question I asked when those sound bites began popping up. I’d heard the name Jeremiah Wright — his church in Chicago belongs to the fellowship of the United Church of Christ. I joined a UCC church on Long Island 40 years ago and attend Riverside Church in New York City, which is affiliated with American Baptists and the UCC. But I couldn’t remember ever having met Reverend Wright. So I wanted to know more about the man, the ministry, and the church.
Between the scheduled airing of The Bill Moyers’ Journal and the conclusion of the weekend, Jemimah Wright went into “crazy mode” and the MSM didn’t miss a beat and latched on like vultures chasing the walking dead.
The speech at the NAACP finished the kill. The MSM went into full speed ahead after the speech by Jeremiah Wright met the world like “excrement” hitting a fan.
Fox News reports, “Rev. Wright Defends Sermons, Rattles Critics at NAACP Dinner”…
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the embattled pastor of presidential candidate Barack Obama, called his sermons ‘descriptive’ rather than ‘divisive’ during his keynote address at the NAACP freedom fund dinner in Detroit.
image from Newsbusters.com“I’m not here for political reasons,” Wright said. “I’m not a politician. I know that fact will surprise many of you because many in the corporate-owned media made it seem like I am running for the Oval Office. I am not running for the Oval Office. I’ve been running for Jesus a long, long time, and I’m not tired yet.”
April 29th
Barack Obama calls a press conference in North Carolina, reported here by MSNBC, “Obama Denounces Wright”
“I’ve known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years. The person that I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.”
image from CBSnews.com“They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Rev. Wright thinks that that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well I might not know him as well as I thought, either.”
author’s note: I need to finish this from here on out, but it ties into right now and we know what is happening now.
May 6th
The Indiana & North Carolina Primary are held.
May 13th
The West Virgina Primary is held.
May 20th
Oregon & Kentucky Primaries are held.
Robert Greenwald & BraveNew Filmsreleases this on video on the internet underground
Start, then pause, slow feed
Kieth Olbermann on McCain’s Lobbyist & Pastor endorsement problems
McCain issued this statement:
Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee’s endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well. I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright’s extreme views. But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual adviser, and I did not attend his church for twenty years. I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today.
Notice, John McCain is unable to deal only with repudiating himself from his own self made problems. And if we recall from above, Pastor Parsley’s endorsement was sought by John McCain on February 26th. Apparently these endorsements were actively sought without McCain’s campaign staff doing any vetting of these men of the Church. Can we absolutely be certain that McCain’s advisers did not vet the two, found out about their past years of bigotry & hatred, and decided to go with it anyways?
John McCain now is confronted with his own self made problems of Revs. Hagee & Parsley, so why does he need to bring up Barack Obama & Rev. Wright when they have absolutely no connection to the problem McCain is in? Did Barack Obama seek out the endorsement of Rev. Hagee in March or Rev. Parsley in February? No he did not, so why does John McCain drag him into this issue when it is John McCain’s and John McCain’s only?!
Note from author: Please excuse this work in progress. I realized today that there were no Chronological combinations of all the Endorsement-gate events out there, and it needed to be done. The dates and the events are factual, sourced and accurate as currently laid out. Blogging/journalism is new to me, but this needed to go out. Content is complete up until current events of the past days.
Comments are highly welcomed!
Thanks for the understanding, Hans.
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10 responses so far ↓
djdon // May 25, 2008 at 2:50 am |
That a nice chronology there.
Hans // May 25, 2008 at 2:32 pm |
jeez, 100+ views and only 1 comment (thanks by the way)
thenonconformer // May 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm |
Rev John Hagee clearly states that he is not anti catholic or antigay but he is Anti Semitism and he is working on behalf of Israel and this highlights his belief.. but his dispensational theology support of Israel are not substantiated by the New Testament still. God loves both Jew and Arab as well as all of the Gentiles.
One is not a Christian too long when one notices false theology has often been creeping into the Christian Churches even in regard to the New Testament and the Jews, Israel now too. But you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Prophecy is certainly not defined in the Bible, in the new Testament as solely preaching God’s word from the Bible but it does not contradict the Bible .. and prophecy is not solely telling the future about Israel now too.. or is just telling about the second coming of Jesus Christ back to earth, the great tribulation coming next too on earth.. Prophecy it is a present divinely led personal utterance from God, a specific word for his people, it is also the interpretation in an understandable language of a prayer in tongues.. PROPHECY IS PERSONALLY PROCLAIMING DIRECTLY GOD’S WORD SPECIFICALLY FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP.. Not necessarily now even Israel, but the Church, individual Believers. (Rev 19:10 KJV) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/prophecy/
Firstly the Bad Unacceptable theology – Christian Dispensationalism – Dispensationalism is basically false and it is the method of interpreting the scriptures that sees two distinct peoples of God, with two distinct destinies – Israel and the Church. It is not a coincident that too many Dispensationalists do also oppose the work of the THE HOLY SPIRIT today as well, HIS Charismatic GIFTS NOW TOO. Toni, at FilesfromToni blog has posted a very good link to vital information for those wondering where the money which is given to different Christian Zionist organizations is really going and how its NOT being used. http://filesfromtoni.blogspot.com/ http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/good-and-bad-unacceptable-theology/
http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/tag/israel/
The “law of first-mention” is the principle in the interpretation of Scripture which states that the first mention or occurrence of a subject in Scripture establishes an unchangeable pattern, with that subject remaining unchanged in the mind of God throughout Scripture. This law or the rule of the first mention of something in the Scriptures, the Bible is now especially significant and sets the stage for how it is to be understood in the rest of the Word. There naturally is special significance, defining moment with how something is introduced in the Word! will serve as an unfailing guide as to the actual mind of God as contained therein. The first mention of a thing, the very first words of any subject of which the Holy Spirit is going to treat, is the keystone of the whole matter. To carry the maximum significance, the first mention should be where possible now even traced to the Book of Origins itself – Genesis. However it is still should be used a with a more detailed word study in the Bible, can be wrong try to use this principle to deviate or also now to applied solely this fact of initial isolation without the confirming additional references in the the rest of Scripture, thus next to even try to to give clearly any false, distorted emphasis to the verse of first mention, and to make it mean something that is not substantiated borne out also by all of the progressive revelation of Scripture in details on this subject.
Now too many lying Jews, Judiazers would have us all become Jewish, saying that God was a Jew, we all should understand, appreciate the Jewish culture now too to understand the new Testament better which is another unacceptable falsehood shared too.. as I have too often heard now too myself. God firstly is, was not a a Jew, Adam and Eve were not Jewish, for Abraham was called to be a Jew now even centuries later too.
And what really gets my toilet paper running is those people who lie to me, the Christians Judiazers, and others who falsely say that to really understand the Bible you have to understand the Jewish culture at the time which the Bible was written in. Firstly the Old Testament Jewish culture, next the one even at the time of Christ.. and to do that it is still next to impossible even to start of with cause there are few books, likely only 2 authors, who had historically try to deal with the subject of the historical Jewish culture at the time at Christ, even serious archeologists cannot get any grasp, any good Historical picture at all on this too. We have rather the Holys Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth. http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/tag/holy-spirit/
Is it also true that the Jews been burning Christian Bibles in Israel recently too and Islam was an “anti-Christ religion that intends even through violence to conquer the world and make it a one Muslim state as per the related evidences we have seen now for centuries too?
Hans // May 26, 2008 at 4:02 pm |
I wish I understood what you were talking about, but I don’t know as though it matters. I’m not looking for clarification on Hagee’s views, because all I need to know and it should be pointed out as the most important aspect of Church & State is what Reverend C. Welton Gaddy said above.
I think any pastor, preacher, rabi, etc should have his “house of faith’s” tax exempt status revoked whenever they endorse a political candidate, large or small. enough said.
Did Rev Wright ever come out and endorse Barack Obama, or did he just make it to the scene because Hannity had the interview with him? if he never did, then it was the media that brought Church into State, not the State (Obama) bringing Church (Wright) in.
This is the Difference with hagee/parsley & wright. McCain brought Church into government and that is a huge no no for a democracy. I write about it a lot in the comments of this post, that is if you can weed out a stupid fight over the word “marriage”
thenonconformer // May 26, 2008 at 6:53 pm |
The criticism of Rev Hagee, right or wrong is just the tip of the iceberg of discontentment against many so called Christian pastors in America. I know I pastored a church for a few years, and in the last 50 years I have encountered many many mostly bad pastors, and 70 percent of evangelical pastors have admitted they had committed adultery and they even do counsel divorce for a start. The false misappropriation of funds in many churches in north America is so common so I had rightfully asked the US government to investigate all of the churches- Pentecostal, Catholic, Baptist for possible misappropriation of funds equally, annually in fact months ago too. For a star most churches ask you to the, give ten percent of your income to the church, but tithing is also an old testament concept and not enforceable in the new testament. In the old testament the tithers, and those who received the tithers had to insure that 1/7 of the donations were given to the local poor people. So I asked any church that advocated tithe that they prove as well they have kept this Biblical requirements, for almost none do it for it start. On top of that any clergy receiving tithing in the old testament was not allowed to own any real estate , tangible property too.
Hans // May 27, 2008 at 6:02 am |
@ TNC,
thanks, I understand you now, and although I never looked at it this way and do not know this to be true from personal experience, I believe and agree with you.
If you read over my comments in “cesspool of a nation,” (and please disregard the vulgarity within it) what was meant to be a rant on hatred, hatred derived of willing & purposeful maintenance of ignorance (read:stupidity) turned into a battle over the meaning of “marriage” while the basis of what I believe is derived from equality for all under the laws of the land.
Keep State & Church separate, or they will intertwine and once they are merged, vice enters and corruption begins. That is what I believe you to be arguing above as well, so I couldn’t be more in agreement with you.
I take you to be a religious man, while I am a non-believer, but I can respect you as a person based on what you are writing and pointing out.
And I agree, 100% of all Churches should be investigated as should all politicians (those who govern/lead through laws) in regards to what, if any, “crossovers” have occurred that are violations of State law.
thanks for the comments
thenonconformer // May 28, 2008 at 3:48 am |
Religious or not is not the issue.. but the second law of engineering thermodynamics is, energy goes from a higher level to a lower level, it degenerates, meaning even water unrestrained flows downhill, or 30 percent of all people need to be put into a real jail it seems before they will stop their wrong doings and start to do good.. reality.. for self supervision or self regulation does not work, crudely it is just masturbation.. In reality too many people left on their own will continue to cheat, lies, steal, abuse others, the pastors and cops, politicians included now. They all need to be regulated, supervised by the governments and some now rightfully even arrested too. A man’s enemies, bullies and thieves will be those persons even from his own family are ally. The really bad persons unless the exposed, punished will likely never change for the good on their own in fact? Public exposure and prosecution of the guilty works best for everyone. Now I have been wring letters to news editors, governments. for that is part of their job now too, I have helped in exposing bad guys and bad corporations for decades too and thus rightfully helping to get rightfully deal with some of the really unacceptable bad guys and so should we all..
thenonconformer // May 28, 2008 at 3:58 am |
Separation of Church and State politics, corruption is just a very small small portion, issue.. Rather all major perversions, corruptions is unacceptable. For both politicians, Pastors and cops aLLcivil and public servants too are here to help look after the good welfare of the citizens and if they are not doing that JOB NOW they should be helped to become unemployed for sure BY THEIR CORRUPTIONS, ABUSES BEING EXPOSED TO ALL..
” Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier was the first firing in the 28-month Canadian Conservative government’s reign under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Another revelation emerged over the weekend about Ms. Couillard’s connections to an airport security company, yet the Conservatives still refused to entertain the notion this might be a cause for concern. But I suspect the kicker clearly came yesterday when Stephen Harper was confronted by his Minister’s troubled romance in the middle of a news conference with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. Was Ms. Couillard a security risk? What about the latest revelation? While President Yushchenko looked baffled by the reporter’s questions, Mr. Harper’s steely-eyed fury was the sure sign of a Prime Minister on the verge of snapping at the embarrassment of it all. Aware that Ms. Couillard was set to give her first television interview as a woman scorned and clearly in love with publicity, Mr. Harper stormed away from the microphone. That should’ve put Mr. Bernier on notice he was about to lose his status as the greatest francophone hope to become the next Conservative leader. Insiders say it’s highly doubtful Mr. Bernier left of his own accord. That hardly matters. Mr. Bernier’s resignation letter, as is the case with every minister, sits in the Prime Minister’s desk. It can be retrieved at will and used under any pretext. There is no appeal from a prime minister who serves as judge, jury and executioner. Mr. Bernier was found guilty of following his heart more than his head and being more trouble than he’s worth. In Stephen Harper’s government, that’s a crime worthy of capital punishment. (and at least with a Taser as well? but the leader himself had made the wrong choice now)” http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=04e1f2b6-a576-4365-a46d-279eae94d67d&p=2
Public exposure works great.. The question I also still do rightfully have is who is next? All Minister need to to beware…
http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/who-is-next/
McCain’s Staunchest Supporter to Attend Confrence with Hagee?! « Too Much Information Anonymous // May 29, 2008 at 6:58 am |
[...] my blog, documenting the time line of Pastors Hagee & Parsley’s endorsement in relation to the media firestorm over Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the Dallas News reported, Republican [...]
geo k // June 24, 2008 at 2:43 pm |
more in hagee’s words , the condemnation of babylon in rev.