By Holly Bailey
That didn’t take long. Just hours after he denied the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, John McCain is pushing back against support from another controversial reverend. Rod Parsley, a prominent Ohio televangelist, threw his support behind McCain almost three months ago but recently has threatened to become as controversial as Hagee thanks to his outspoken opposition to Islam. Parsley, a prominent supporter of President Bush in 2004, has described Islam as an “anti-Christ religion” and Mohamed as “the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil.” Parsley’s comments had become fodder for blogs and the subject of many YouTube videos in recent weeks, not unlike Hagee’s comments. McCain described Parsley as a “moral compass” and “spiritual guide” upon receiving the pastor’s endorsement earlier this year. McCain and his aides have said they were unaware of Parsley’s controversial comments. As with Hagee, the senator defended the endorsement by saying that just because he had received Parsley’s support didn’t mean he shared the pastor’s views. Yet that changed late today. In an interview with the Associated Press, McCain rejected Parsley’s endorsement. “I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn’t endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement,” McCain told the AP.
