Hagee Retracts "Gays Caused Katrina" Statement

Photo from source, Raw Story

Apologies. Repudiations. It seems not a day goes by that there isn't someone giving one, or someone asking for one. A candidate, or a candidate's operative or supporter will say something outrageous (or perceived to be), and then an apology is demanded. Sometimes, the candidate is then asked to repudiate the comment, whether it has been apologized for or not. Usually, they give in, and mutter a few words in the hope that it all goes away.

It can be a rather pointless exercise. After all, the original statement doesn't go away--they still said it, and presumably meant it. It is of course possible to change one's mind, and one hopes that the apologies or repudiations are sincere, and not simply a way to get their fannies out of the fire.

Often times, apologies are made that barely qualify: "I apologize if anyone was offended" for example, is the classic non-apology. Or, as in the following case, an apology is made to some of the offended, but not all. John McCain supporter (a man McCain enthusiastically sought out), pastor John Hagee said an astonishingly stupid thing after Hurricane Katrina:

"All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. . ."

I can only imagine what sordid things went through the good pastor's mind when imagining that. Anyway, Hagee is quickly becoming an albatross for McCain for this and other statements, so he's offered an apology of sorts for those who were offended. Not all of them, no. . .gay people get no apology. Typical.

[Excerpt]

Hagee backs off comment connecting gays with Katrina

Rev. John Hagee, endorser of GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, has retracted controversial comments he made implying that Hurricane Katrina was punishment from God for a planned gay pride parade, one that he considered the culmination of an era of sin in New Orleans. . .

Read more at: Raw Story