ABC stole the Left's mojo on a McCain-slamming "pastor problem" story.
Why am I not surprised?
Here's the complaint of David Corn at Mother Jones magazine's MoJo blog yesterday (h/t Romenesko):
I'm glad that Good Morning America covered the connection between John McCain and Rod Parsley, the Ohio megachurch pastor who has said it is the United States' historic mission to see the "false religion" of Islam "destroyed."
But did ABC News' top investigative reporter, Brian Ross, have to swipe the story from us?
In the lead-in to piece, Diane Sawyer calls it an "exclusive Brian Ross investigation." Exclusive? How so? On March 12, Mother Jones first reported that Parsley, whom McCain had recently campaigned with and hailed as "a spiritual guide," had written a book in 2005, Silent No More, in which he essentially called for the eradication of Islam and branded the entire faith as a satanic conspiracy. The article noted that McCain had accepted Parsley's endorsement and explained that Parsley is a key political player in Ohio, where he has registered and driven to the polls tens of thousands of social conservative voters. Many websites and blogs linked to the article.
In an update, Corn noted that Ross phoned Mother Jones to apologize:
Brain Ross called to apologize. He said that it had been wrong for Diane Sawyer to tag his piece an "exclusive" and that he had been unaware of my stories on Parsley. He offered to revise the written on-line version of the piece to note that Mother Jones had the Parsley story first.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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It was a non story from the start.
May 23, 2008 - 10:52 ET by CrashOkay? Still did McCain spend the past twenty years going to his church, not to mention the better part of the year making excuses for the guy? No, he denounced him faster than liberal can raise taxes.
Why did he denounce the remarks?
May 23, 2008 - 11:06 ET by ontherightIslam is an evil, hateful religion. Anyone who takes the time to do the research can find reams of data supporting this.
This is not to say, by any stretch of the imagination, that all followers of the Islamic religion are evil and/or hatemongers...
However, the actions of the hate filled, cowardly radical islamo-facists clearly speak for themselves.
Does anyone remember 9/11, marine barracks, Cole, WTC 1st time, Beruit, Iran hostage debacle????
Wake up America, otherwise those who are not killed in the fight to save Western Civilization may all end up on their knees facing Mecca several times a day, all before anyone realizes what happened.
Me-ligion
May 23, 2008 - 11:52 ET by Crash"Islam is an evil, hateful religion" I've always liked to say, "Islam Is Lame", but it's not entirely true. I have met many muslims over my lifetime who have been every bit as good as christians, jews, buhdist, or hindus. I don't have a religion so I get tossed onto the pyre with the rest of heretical thinkers and global warming "deniers."
He'd have been better in saying, jihadist, islamist, muslim terrorists are evil. I also recommend visiting www.jihadwatch.com Robert Spencer does a good job laying it out in "Jihad 101."
And even if he didn't
May 23, 2008 - 11:12 ET by mattmAnd even if he didn't denounce the guy, it would still be a bogus accusation since there's a huge difference between "a connection" and a twenty year long relationship.
But this shows how the Left do it - they accuse others in order to deflect or divert the spotlight from themselves.
It's also a bit different
May 23, 2008 - 18:02 ET by ckc1227It's also a bit different when a representative of one religion denounces a different religion, especially when those religions have been at odds with one another for thousands of years.
Besides, I don't think too many Americans are going to get overly upset over McCain's "association" with a man who denounces Islam, a religion with branches that have called for the destruction of the U.S.,teaches it in their schools, and that has been killing Americans for over 30 years now.
I mean, think about it. Obama's preacher hates America; McCain's preacher hates a religion that longs for the death of America.
Yeah, let's have that discussion on a national scale.
"Exclusive", huh?
May 23, 2008 - 11:00 ET by MeanderingFunny. I wonder what other topics are considered an "exclusive" to GMA, the MSM has bias. I'd like to see that story on the MSM.
And here's what the media WON'T notice
May 23, 2008 - 11:10 ET by sarcasmoRev. Parsley's 2003 sermon on the Federal Reserve, which I've already said sounds a LOT like me. Enjoy, and remember, his opinion on Islam is of vital, earth-shaking importance, but we must ignore all of his words WRT fiat money! War is peace, ignorance is strength, etc.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Parsley
May 23, 2008 - 11:14 ET by ricklailParsley is a false prophet. He is of the gab it and grab it crowd or the properity doctrine. I really don't think he has that great of a following anyway. To me he is a non issue. When James Dobson endorses McCain then I will take notice. (Still ain't going to vote for him.)
Isalm will be destroyed by God in His won way and His own time.
“A debate is a conflict which clarifies a position. A dialogue is a conversation which compromises a position.” –John E. Ashbrook, The New Neutralism II, P. 7
Rev 19:20 - And the beast
May 23, 2008 - 12:51 ET by mattmRev 19:20 - And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Glad I'm not running for anything
May 23, 2008 - 16:26 ET by SickofLibsMy pastor, Rev. Oregano, is even worse!
Not everything is the same as everything else...
May 23, 2008 - 21:41 ET by seanrobinsOne pastor does not equal every other pastor.
One pastor's inflammatory statements are not equivalent to every other pastor's statements.
Aside from the other distinctions already pointed out ad infinitim...the statements made by Uber-racist Jeremiah Wright were not even within the rubrick of his position as a "man of religion" they were political and anti-American.
The comments of Hagey and Parsley (Parsnip?) were both either religious (or at least arguably religious) in nature. Agree or disagree, pastors do talk about religious matters.
sean robins
blog.seanrobins.com
Whoever got the story first
May 23, 2008 - 21:54 ET by bigtimerWhoever got the story first and apologized later is just precious.
As for McCain, he threw these guys under the bus...just a few more to add to his pile.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill