Jenna Bush Wedding Pastor Rips McCain

Subscribe to this blog's feed

« Previous | Main | Next »

Jenna Bush Wedding Pastor Rips McCain

August 15, 2008 11:56 AM

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Hope Ditto and Rigel Anderson report: The pastor who officiated Jenna Bush's wedding ripped into Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Friday for jokingly volunteering his wife last week for a beauty pageant that often features contestants topless.

"Well, I don't know a lot about John McCain's family history, I do know, however, that as recently as last week I think it was, the senator made a comment in South Dakota regarding his wife entering some Buffalo Chips contest which is this topless deal and if she were to enter she would probably win it and my personal opinion and based on my understanding of the Christian faith, that's not, not, N-O-T, not the type of expression that a presidential candidate, or anyone for that matter who is a follower of the Christian faith, ought to make," said the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell. "I don't know if that is a perfect case in point, but it surely does help to juxtapose the DNA of Senator Obama, if you would, versus the DNA of Senator McCain."

Asked if McCain was unaware that the Buffalo Chips contest often features contestants topless, a McCain aide told ABC News that he believes the senator was aware but emphasized that the presumptive GOP nominee was joking and would not want his wife to participate in such a contest.

Caldwell, a close personal friend of President Bush who supports Obama for president, is the senior pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. Caldwell made his comments on a conference call with reporters sponsored by the Matthew 25 Network, a liberal Christian Group. Matthew 25 is planning to air a pro-Obama ad on Saturday during the Rick Warren forum with Obama and McCain. The ad will air on CNN and possibly MSNBC, according to the group's spokesperson.

Caldwell said that McCain's Buffalo Chips comment stood in stark contrast with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., whom Caldwell sees as a good family man supporting pro-family policies.

Caldwell then invoked comments that Rick Warren made about adultery in a Thursday interview with ABC News' Jake Tapper to raise additional questions about McCain.

"His marital history has been duly recorded," said Caldwell, referring to McCain, "and as recently as yesterday I think it is, our pastor from Saddleback, Rick Warren indicated that he would not feel comfortable voting for an adulterer and I don't know exactly to whom he was referring but I think the data speaks for itself, and again, at the end of the day, and I really appreciate you raising this because, at the end of the day again I think the American public deserves full revelation of the candidate's character and competency. Character and competency. So, whatever questions that should be asked that would give the voting public an indication as to who they are and what they've done should be fair game."

Asked by ABC's Tapper in the context of John Edwards if he would have compunctions about voting for someone who had cheated on his wife, Warren said, "Absolutely I would. Absolutely I would. Because if you can’t keep your faith to your most sacred vow – '’til death do us part' -- how in the world can I trust you to lead my family? My government? My nation? . . . Absolutely I would. I think people first need to ask forgiveness and then earn trust back over time Can trust be re-earned? Absolutely but it takes time."

In "Worth the Fighting For," McCain wrote that the collapse of his first marriage was attributable to his own "selfishness and immaturity."

"The blame was entirely mine," wrote McCain.

A McCain spokesman had no immediate reaction when asked about Caldwell's criticism.

UPDATE I:

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers has responded to Caldwell's criticism by saying, "These people are Obama campaign surrogates. These kinds of personal attacks are disgraceful. This absolutely exposes the hypocrisy of Obama's claim to represent a 'new kind of politics.'"

A Republican strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, reacted to the Caldwell comments by telling ABC News, "My advice to the Obama people: 'Proceed with extreme caution.' They don't want to get into a discussion of character and background. They are opening a door that they will not be able to close. They are putting on the table issues and personalities that they do not want to discuss."

Asked which personalities? The GOP strategist cited the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko and former Obama law partners.

The Obama campaign had no immediate reaction to Caldwell's comments or the McCain campaign response.

UPDATE II:

Former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee defended McCain on Friday in Washington, D.C., in response to remarks made earlier by Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell.

"First of all," said Huckabee, "Sen. McCain has a great sense of humor like mine but sometimes it does not go over as well as we hope. I know a little bit about that.

"But I also believe," Huckabee continued, "that Sen. McCain has been very honest about his life and about not only who he was but I think very refreshingly who he is. And the one thing I find about Sen. McCain is that he is a man of honor. I said that on the debate stage even when I was his political opponent. I still say that today."

He added, "This is the kind of conversation that makes up a political campaign. People digging as deep as they can to find some little nugget to elevate and to amplify and that is what that is about. But I don’t think anyone who has ever been around John McCain would accuse him of being a person who did not have respect for his wife."

Huckabee made his remarks at a press conference held by TheCall, a prayer group that is holding a fast in the nation's capital on Aug. 16. The group calls on its members to live a lifestyle of "purity and godliness."

August 15, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (116)

User Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

This is the headline on ABCNEWS Home page? "Jenna Bush Wedding Pastor Rips McCain" - WOW you guys are desperate.

Posted by: Mike | Aug 15, 2008 1:18:55 PM

Who cares what this attention seeking "religious" nut has to say about anything. By involving himself with politics, this goof is tainted and his credibility as a religious leader is shot. 15 minutes of fame is over and done.

Posted by: DaveM | Aug 15, 2008 1:22:36 PM

Who yanked this clergyman's chain? I do not care what he believes is appropriate right or inappropriate. I shall make those decisions for myself.

Posted by: CommenTarry | Aug 15, 2008 1:30:07 PM

Warning the Obama camp to "proceed with caution"??? Excuse me, but this is the Bush minister bringing up the issue of John McCain - NOT the Obama camp. Get a grip folks - stop blaming everything on the Obama group. If anyone has hit below the belt it has been the McCain campaign.

Posted by: sunny | Aug 15, 2008 1:30:16 PM

This may be a non-story to some but it is big news to others. In less than 12 hours 2-influential preachers have weighed in on Senator McCain. Dismissing their weight in the religious community is foolish. And if Senator McCain's campaign does lash out as threatened he does so at his own peril as the religious community will see this action as more as an attack on the them than on Senator Obama...

Posted by: Mr Green Jeans | Aug 15, 2008 1:31:54 PM

If you are an Obama supporter, no matter what John McCain would say they would twist it and ripped it and make it look bad. I would still vote for John McCain.

Posted by: ko2bato | Aug 15, 2008 1:35:10 PM

yeh, no way mccain's gonna win. not with his fading brain. he keeps saying stupid stuff. the filter's not working anymore.

Posted by: Jim Bob | Aug 15, 2008 1:37:39 PM

Reagan Fan, you are a pure freak. Like the Joker in Batman. McCain does not sound like someone with the temperament to lead any country. Good Senator, not a President.

Posted by: GenBen | Aug 15, 2008 1:38:53 PM

reaganfan - "God has told us what to do with you people." - You got all that from your revelation in the stall? Was that before or after you took on your wide stance?

Posted by: jmengate | Aug 15, 2008 1:45:14 PM

okay he wasnt offering people a look see for a vote!

It was rude to bring her name into something like that ( even if he didnt know it was a topless thing) but just as the "terrorist fist bump" this is taken and stretched a we bit too far"
the man needs to focus on the issues and stop trying to be funny we arent his friends at the local veterans bar who are going to laugh about women and trade war stories.

Posted by: melissa | Aug 15, 2008 1:47:27 PM

If he is a close personal friend of Bush I guess he forgot to counsel Jenna's father on that pesky commandment "Thou shall not kill" in regards to the war in Iraq. I think that is a bigger issue than this nonsense.

Posted by: Polly | Aug 15, 2008 1:49:09 PM

Say what you want, but the fact remains that Clinton has Obama over a barrel right now. I agree, Obama showed a lot of weakness by inviting her to headline the Convention and to get a floor vote. I don't think Clinton is after party "unity", but rather, after the nomination. Obama is suffering from damned if you do and damned if you don't syndrome. Regardless, the Democrats are divided beyond repair this year and McCain will win the Presidency!

Posted by: JackieO | Aug 15, 2008 2:00:22 PM

I agree, JackieO....Hillary controls Obama's fate and could very easily come away with the nomination. Either way, as you pointed out, the Democrats are so divided now that there will not be any unity in November. It's a sure GOP win!

Posted by: carpe' diem | Aug 15, 2008 2:03:20 PM

And just think, its voters like those who write the thoughtful sentiments expressed here who get to pick the most powerful officeholder on the planet.

Huh. Maybe democracy ain't such a great thing, lol.

Posted by: Paul | Aug 15, 2008 2:04:09 PM

He is going to lose this election!
Nothing you say or do or Fabricate will
change that! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Hum You are
Right ... But it will be the American
people that Dump the 100 Year Man..
and the only one that could change that
is McBush.... and he had as soon Lose elections .. wars and anything else than
give up the only thing he cares about..
Not the American People but Iraq !

Posted by: Anita Yova | Aug 15, 2008 2:14:55 PM

It is interesting that so many Dems are interested in McCain's affair from 28 years ago. Most of them weren't concerned by Clinton's indiscretions while he served as President. In fact, most Dems I know feel that Clinton did a great job so perhaps adultery is good for a President.

Posted by: nabob | Aug 15, 2008 2:19:31 PM

We read the desperation of Obama supporters who realize the ONE is fading fast.

Posted by: geevill | Aug 15, 2008 2:24:41 PM

if you only knew the truth you wouldn't make the wrong choices again for a president such as mccain

Posted by: Teresa | Aug 15, 2008 2:29:15 PM

If anyone ever approached me to run for a political office, I would have to say NO, because that would mean that I would never be able to make another joke in public or private for the rest of my life. Maybe that was not the most tasteful joke in the world, but good grief, do we really want the leader of the free world to be toally devoid of a sense of humor?

Posted by: ms | Aug 15, 2008 2:38:36 PM

I honestly don't see how Christians, or women for that matter could support McCain.

Posted by: Katie | Aug 15, 2008 2:39:37 PM

Post a comment