Where have all the Obama fans gone? I used to get lots of hate mail each time I criticized Obama, mostly on YouTube but sometimes here. At last the (Internet) world is slowly wiping the shit out of its eyes. There have been a few who spoke out against the man, but now their numbers have swollen. Good. A bit late, though. I still find it hard to stomach that even intelligent people voted for Obama. To me, it's as clear as crystal that the man is an enemy of the American people -- and the people of the world. Even a site such as Crooks and Liars (quite an Obama backer) doesn't know what to do anymore.

Anyway, I bet all the windows will be closed on January 20th. Eh, CIA, FBI, and Company?

Oh, by the way, just to take the wind out of your sails, I know this video is all about that fat pig, but I like to think ahead. If you know anything about people, look at Obama's face of late: he knows he'll be in DEEP SHIT. There's no escaping the collapse. Millions of jobs will be lost soon. His clean coal (???), wind, tide, solar (puff puff) what else have we got? Cow manure? Obama better practice to curtsy* and book a flight to China on Air Force 1, and he better check all them wires personally. Just this week, I believe it was, Bush's buddies tampered with a plane and pulled off a successful kill. Not the first time for them, so they getting pretty handy now at that.

* I know the definition.

So. Obama. Hmm.

No one on Obama's staff thought to vett Warren's website before announcing he'd be giving this invocation before the entire nation at our history-making inauguration?

No one?

Because, sure Obama's decision is cynical - his obvious choice of Corporate Christian Rick "I'm Rupert's pastor! Rupert (Murdoch) published my book!" Warren - 30 million books and counting... - appeals to the Evangelical and Corporate bases. Everyone can see that.

But it's also dumb.

Bush dumb.

Because Obama's decision isn't as simple as choosing some wackpacker to speak in tongues at January's king ritual. More to the point, Obama's decision adds tension and divisiveness to an American people when we are most ready to be united. And when we most need to move forward as one.

Obama's unnecessarily burning political capital, and he's not even President yet.

That said, it's awesome to see Rick "I tithe 90% of my income" Warren bows on bended knee to pray to his worldly masters. If he really believed in his anti-homosexual stance on church membership, he'd have left up that statement without hiding it like a thief in the night...

Yeah. It's that simple.

Yeah, sure Rick Warren believes. But not that damn much. Not if it hurts his political secular career.

And since Rick personifies a life of Gluttony, he demonstrates every day that his sins aren't as bad as being a homosexual. Otherwise Warren would support not only laws banning gay marriage but laws banning fat asses like himself.

Again. He believes. But he doesn't believe that much...

I'll still watch 'im. With a couple dozen burritos and chips and cases of beer and nachos at my side. It'll be like the Superbowl. Lots of gluttony. No gays.

Think Globally. Eat Globally.

Rick Warren is getting a lot of flak for his views on homosexuality, and he deserves it. However, he also deserves some credit for working with progressives on issues like the environment, literacy, AIDS, and poverty. It seems clear to me that this is why he was chosen -- Obama's message has been one of unity, of building bridges across political lines, of finding a way to work together with people you might disagree with. I think that the choice of Rick Warren shows that this message is not just empty words, but that he is willing to live up to it even if it comes at a political cost. Just like Warren has been the subject of harsh criticism from the far right because of his support for progressive causes.

And let's keep in in perspective... He's not giving Rick Warren a cabinet appointment. He's only asking him to say a few ceremonial words at the inauguration. I don't think that this was intended to "send a message to gays" -- I'm sure if Obama could snap his fingers and change Rick Warren's views on gays, he would do it -- but it clearly has allowed people to infer whatever message they want to see.

This woman obviously doesn't understand the job of a pastor. It is not his job to make everyone happy with warm and fuzzy speech, as she seems to imply when she states that Warren's speech was a 'screed filled with inpolitic speech", which I'm sure she meant as politically incorrect speech. A pastors job is to lead a flock of believers and by lead I mean instruct in the Word of God and when necessary to chastise. The Bible is clear that homosexuality is a sin and whenever any sin is present in the body of believers, the pastor must do what he can to excise that sin.

Now there are biblical accepted ways of doing this. First, you talk to the person committing the sin and explain to them the error of their ways. If this doesn't work, then two men should talk to this person. Then it should be brought to the pastor and if the person refuses to repent, then the person must be banned from the church. Repentance is the key. At every step of the way, they must be shown love and all must work together to bring the person back to the right path.

You cannot continue to willfully sin and be part of a church - that won't work. It will only drag the church down. Homosexuality in this case is no different from adultary, robbery, dealing drugs or raping children. It's just a sin.

Anyway, I'm rambling. That's what Warren was talking about. The reason Maddow doesn't understand Warren's statements is because she doesn't seem to understand how a church is supposed to work.

Merry Christmas all!

Whatever... I don't think for a moment Obama truly believes in this brand of Christianity -- I think it's an obvious gesture to the evangelical right. He's basically saying, see -- I picked this guy for the invocation, so I'm not your enemy.

If you read his books, and go back over his speeches, you'll see Obama's dominant themes of "unity" and moderation are not mere rhetoric -- they are essential to understanding his political philosophy.

Also, Obama has always been a very calculating politician, and this was a political calculation.

One that backfired, though.

It was too strong a gesture to pick someone so out of line with his own thinking.

I doubt it will return much political currency with evangelicals, and it has already damaged his relationship with his base.

But I wouldn't read too much into it. He's been quick to recover from other mistakes, and we simply don't know yet what he's going to be like as President.

For my money, though, he's smart and capable. I would have voted for any non-Republican this election, but I truly think Obama was a fantastic choice. We'll see if he lives up to it -- he'll soon have far more important decisions to make than this one.

Isn't this why there's supposed to be a separation of church and state?

Meh...

All these folks freaking out "Where are the Obama supporters, see, he's a horrible man eek!", whatever.

Is it really a surprise that some religious nut preaches kookie ideas?

Besides, in American politics, you NEED to court the religious right (if only a token nod) in order to legitimize yourself in the eyes of the superstitious masses. If it wasn't warren, it would have been some other nutbag.

I didn't cast my vote for Obama because of his religious views, I cast it simply because he was the better candidate. Personally, I suspect Obama is not too religious at all.

People are taking this nonsenses too seriously. Tho, it is always fun seeing some other religionist dragged through the mud.