the politics of failure have failed!

Anyone who thinks that U.S. foreign policy will change with McCain as president isn't paying attention...

I would rate stories drumming up fear about the U.S.'s plans to invade Iran nothing but far left-wing media creativity, if McCain wasn't seeking the support of people like Rod Parsley and John Hagee. Parsley has been called by McCain himself as a "spiritual adviser." Parsley has made very startling statements, such as suggesting that it is America's "divine purpose" to destroy Islam, and that "America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore." Apparently we are supposed to start a nuclear war in Iran, end the world, and let God sort it out. How much of this is political pandering to the christian evangelical vote, and how much of it represents McCain's own beliefs? The fact of the matter is that whether or not McCain believes we need to bring on the apocalypse, he should certainly not be associating himself with lunatics like this.

As an aside: when did it become necessary for republicans to pander to the christian right? I would suggest that it is because most members of the christian right also happen to be conservatives, but maybe we should ask what, inherently, makes the christian right "conservative?" There is nothing conservative about the christian right's policies these days. Fiscally, they are supporting a military conflict of questionable merit that spends billions every week. Also, what about the christian right's old adage of keeping government out of religion? I guess that goes right out the window when one realizes government power can be used to promote one's religion. Frankly I find the whole situation confusing and frightening.

Off the topic of Iran, but still on the topic of McCain's questionable taste in advisers, we have John Hagee, who has made similarly idiotic public statements. Apparently New Orleans was destroyed not because of some engineering gaffe or outrageously violent weather brought on by climate change, but because New Orleans housed a level of sin which is "offensive to God." He, like many anti-catholic protestants over the years, has also referred to the Catholic Church as "The Great Whore." There's a good collection of his thoughts here. Think what you will about any religion, but should someone who is vying for the presidency actively court the opinion of a guy like this?

I will say that in an election campaign, the person vying for the presidency can't possibly know everything about everyone with whom he associates, and I can certainly envision scenarios where someone would have to bump elbows with some relative unsavories in order to secure a section of the vote (anything to win, right?) But for crying out loud, there is no way that a person vying for the highest political office in the most powerful country on the planet should make the mistake of associating himself, even for the briefest of moments, with people like this. It doesn't make sense unless, at least on some level, there is agreement among them.