From MoveOn.org

Right-wing pastor John Hagee says Katrina was New Orleans’ fault. John McCain sought out, and embraces, Hagee’s support. MoveOn members are trying to deliver a petition to McCain in New Orleans just a few hours from now: will you sign?

Here’s the background: McCain wants America to see him as a compassionate, mainstream politician. So he’s going to New Orleans today for a photo-op in the 9th Ward.

But he’s still trying to shore up his right-wing base–so this past Sunday, he again welcomed the support of right-wing evangelist John Hagee, who said “Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.”

MoveOn members in New Orleans have organized an emergency rally outside McCain’s event today. With the media looking on, they’ll try to deliver our petition asking him to stop pandering to right-wing bigots like Hagee. They’ll announce an up-to-the-minute number of signatures, and we’ll have a real impact if we can say that hundreds of thousands have signed in only a few hours. Clicking here will add your name.

The petition reads: “John Hagee continues to blame the people of New Orleans for the catastrophe of Katrina. Senator McCain: If you reject intolerance and bigotry, reject Hagee’s political support and stop courting hate-mongers like him.”

This is not a gaffe or a “gotcha.” Hagee has a history of bigoted comments and he stood by his New Orleans remarks just days ago. And McCain’s strategy is intentional–he’s been working hard to court far-right leaders like Jerry Falwell and John Hagee, despite their hateful views. Even when he was pressed about Hagee’s hateful views, McCain said he was “glad to have his endorsement.”

Hagee’s words matter. Katrina was a terrible reminder of the consequences of bigotry and exclusion. People without resources, without political power, literally sank beneath the waves while our government did nothing.

John McCain is relying for political support on a man who preaches bigotry and exclusion, who spreads the kind of hate that allowed Katrina to become a man-made tragedy. While the media is focused on his New Orleans visit, we need to call him on it.

The more folks who sign the petition in the next few hours, the greater our impact. Clicking here will add your name right now.

We need to let Senator McCain know that he can’t use New Orleans for a photo-op while still courting the political support of hate-mongers like Hagee. New Orleans deserves better and America does, too.

Thank you very much for all you do.

– Eli, Justin, Lenore, Patrick S., Anna, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Sources:

1. “Will MSNBC devote as much coverage to McCain’s embrace of Hagee’s support as it did to Obama’s rejection of Farrakhan?” Media Matters, February 28th, 2008

2. “Hagee Says Hurricane Katrina Struck New Orleans ‘Because it was ‘Planning a Sinful Homosexual Rally,’” Think Progress, April 23, 2008

3. “Hagee: McCain ’sought my endorsement,’” ThinkProgress, March 20th, 2008

4. “McCain Gets Into Bed with the Religious Right,” People For the American Way, February 28th, 2008

5. “McCain Woos the Right, Makes Peace With Falwell,” ABC News, March 26th, 2006

6. “McCain Flip-Flops In 30 Seconds: Hagee Endorsement A ‘Mistake,‘ But ‘I’m Glad To Have’ It,” ThinkProgress, April 21st, 2008

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RELATED STORY:

John McCain was rightly booed in Memphis a few weeks ago.

…because in 1983, he voted against the creation of a holiday honoring Dr. King, a vote which was not supported by most Republicans.

McCain’s excuse: “I was unaware on the importance of King’s work at the time, due to my Vietnam-era service.”

HogWash!

Speaking to reporters, he explained that his conversion occurred around 1990.

No amount of spin can swing my vote in the GOP direction, for their record speaks for itself. Everything the Republican party stands for is divisive, bigoted and in numerous instances outright racist.

Take for example the Immigration issue — instead of working towards a just and comprehensive solution, the Republican party — especially the right-wing block, has chosen to use the issue as “demonizing vehicle,” with which to transport hate and xenophobia all over the country.

In the late sixties to early seventies, there was Nixon The Creepy Crook, and then came Ronald Reagan in the eighties, to the current Bush. Republican presidents have been bunch of heartless, immoral, and evil individuals when it comes to the issue of civil rights and the treatment of African-Americans and other minorities.

In 1984, on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, Bishop Tutu of South Africa denounced Ronald Reagan’s speech in support of Apartheid:

Tutu said of Reagan’s speech: “It was reminiscent of Hitler’s Aryan madness.” … declaring that “constructive engagement is an abomination, an unmitigated disaster.” “Apartheid itself “is evil, is immoral, is un-Christian . . .”

“I found it quite nauseating. I think the West, for my part, can go to hell . . . Your president is the pits as far as blacks are concerned. He sits there like the great, big white chief of old.” said Desmond Tutu.

That is exactly the same attitude the current crop of Republicans has towards blacks and minorities.

McCain may be exempted on the issue of immigration, for he was in the forefront fighting for comprehensive reform — but he seems to have made a 180 degree turn, ostensibly to get votes from the right-wing block of poisonous Black Mamba’s and miscellaneous reptiles.

As testimony to the entrenchment of racism in the Republican party, take for instance — Last year, the NAACP invited all 9 Republican presidential candidates to a discussion forum, and only one showed up: Tom Tancredo, the most vicious anti-immigrant trogdolyte – with nothing to lose.

All the Democratic Presidential candidates showed up for the discussions.

I am tempted to give McCain a pass here — but I won’t, for “A slumber-friend of my enemy (The ReTHUGlicans) is my enemy,” …and “birds of a feather flock together.”

Even Worse — his recent gaffes prove to me once more that the “Grand Old Party” is getting ready to elect yet another IDIOT, like the one in the video below:

RELATED: John Conyers To McCain: “We’re Not Just African Americans”