It's almost Talmudic!

Politicians have a long history of garbling the message when they get in front of the camera. Like this. Or like this. And last but not least, like this.

And then somebody has a little insecurity issue with Evangelical voters, perhaps, and goes on to say something like this:

"I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles ... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith," McCain said. "But that doesn't mean that I'm sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president."

The NYT titled its piece on McCain's interview: "McCain casts Muslims as less fit to lead." Slightly dramatic, sure, but you get the point.

Later in the interview, McCain said, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values."

Ah yes. Those ostensibly Judeo-Christian values. But wait, there's more.

"It's almost Talmudic," McCain said, in a subsequent interview, referring to America's stated egalitarianism in selecting a presidential candidate. "We are a nation that was based on Judeo-Christian values. That means respect for all of human rights and dignity. That's my principle values and ideas, and that's what I think motivated our founding fathers."

While that statement was an attempt at a nice reply to the Jewish community when in fact he had most directly insulted Muslims, I'm fairly certain that most Muslims would maintain their religion has quite a bit of respect for human rights and dignity. But this is the tortured way in which John McCain hopes to make political hay.

The Council on American-Islamic relations has asked McCain to appoint a Muslim campaign adviser and a Muslim White House aid if elected in 2008. Best of luck, CAIR. The American Jewish Committee too, is taking McCain to task, no matter what Joe Lieberman says. Interfaith accord indeed.

You can read/watch the entire interview with BeliefNet here.

By David Grant  |  October 2, 2007; 1:36 PM ET  | Category:  Southern Skeptic
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Posted by: janice | October 2, 2007 4:05 PM
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