This is what all the smart people, it seems,  are missing. McCain lovers point out he barely knew Hagee, so can't be held to his whacky beliefs, while Obama bashers say  "20 years in the pew Barry" must remain welded to Rev Wright's most controversial thoughts.

But this ignores the fact that the basic defense supporters make for both Wright and Hagee is identical.

Rev Hagee says he prays, and God's will is revealed to him. He believes  God wants Israel united, so the Messiah can return. Revelations tells him God sent the hunter, Hitler, to chase the Jews there, because once they control both sides of the Jordan river, the end times will come.   If nuking Iran speeds things up, then bring it on. Hagee believes God hates sin and sinners like Homos must be punished, hence Katrina.

How is this any stranger than Rev Wright saying God will damn America for its sins,  like Indian genocide, Slavery and Jim Crow, CIA Assasinations like Diem, proping up dictators like the Shah, torture, and tens of thousands dead in Iraq for no good reason?

Both men pray, read the bible and preach what their God leads them to say.  Evangelicals call it Prophetic preaching, the exact same words Wright's backers use in his defense.

Now Hagee is on TV several times a day. Do we think the millions who listen to him share his views, which critics label anti catholic, anti-gay, and pro Israel because it brings the rapture closer? 

Now that Hagee has helped McCain beat the Evangelical Mike Huckabee, he has called Hagee's comments crazy.  Obama  has likewise denounced all of Wright's controversial views. Critcs see both moves as cynically political.

Now the logical thing for the nation to conclude is that "preachers can be led to say a lot of whacky stuff, thats why the founders put in all that stuff about seperation of church and state."

People who attend church have all sorts of releationships with their pastors. Some hear the whacky stuff as metaphor, others believe it literally. Millions including Hannity and O'Reily stuck around and defended the Catholic church, because they know some screwed up priests don't define the church, even if the Bishops and the Vatican failed to protect their children.   No one would accuse those Catholics of approving of the crimes their leaders covered up. We cut them some slack, and pray their church gets it together and keeps doing the good things Catholics do.

Sadly, few will grant Obama's church the same slack. This will not happen, because for now, Wright is the only smoking gun his opponents have. It lets the Limbaughs repeated say "racist preacher = scary black guy candidate whites can't trust". They will bring him up every chance they get. McCain even managed to get a Wright jab in while denouncing Hagee.

Personally, I believe the relationship between any person and his church or preacher is none of my business.  There is no religion that people of some other faith don't think is crazy. Many Christians believe billions of non believers will burn in hell. Most of those billions don't even think hell exists. Radical Islam wants to slay all non-believers. I don't agree with any of them, but as long as they are not violent or threatening, I defend their right to believe it.   

I personally pray for a world that lets anybody believe anything, as long as they leave evryone who disagrees with them alone.   This political season, America seems to be headed in the opposite direction.