'Rain man' apologizes for anti-Barack Obama video (but his cause remains alive)
On the one hand, Stuart Shepard repented.
Earlier this month, the official with the political arm of the Focus on the Family religious group sparked controversy with a wry — but provocative — video that urged viewers to join him in praying (literally) that Barack Obama gets drenched on the night of his nomination acceptance speech in Denver's football stadium.
Many of the comments — including from some Focus on the Family adherents — were unfavorable. The video was nixed from its website, and Shepard responded with a new one, "Mea Culpa" (see below), which is worth watching to the final scene.
On the other hand, Shepard's hope for divine meteorological intervention as Obama prepares to speak before a huge outdoor crowd in Denver has been taken up by another.
Wiley Drake, a one-time official with the Southern Baptist Convention, earlier this week posted a release on ChristianNewsWire.com, expressing regret that Shepard's first video had been pulled and urging prayer "to ask God to bring on the rain."
One thing we can count on — every cloud that drifts across the typically azure Rocky Mountain sky on Obama's speech day will get carefully scrutinized.
— Don Frederick
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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ONLY DEVIL HERARS YOUR PRAYER BUT HE CANT BRING RAIN FOR YOU BUT TAKES YOU TO HELL WITH HIM. BECAUSE YOU JUST TRESPASSED IN HIS TERITORY.
Posted by: jojo | August 20, 2008 at 04:39 PM
God definitely has a sense of irony. Hurricane Gustav may rain on the Republican National Convention's parade, instead. It has been reported that RNC leaders are thinking about delaying the opening of next week's Republican National Convention in Minnesota. Apparently, RNC leaders fear that partying at their convention while Gustav wreaks havoc in the Gulf region would make them look very foolish and insensitive.
Meanwhile, the DNC enjoyed heavenly weather in Denver on Obama’s superb night of coronation. Now you tell me who does God appear to be favoring?
Posted by: BL | August 29, 2008 at 03:24 AM
Shame on you Stewart Shepard for using God in your evil practices. You should look in the mirror and ask where do you really stand with God and is he pleased with your evil intent toward others. You are still very scarcastic in this video. I don't think you are sincere in your apoligy. Your curse on the democrats has been reversed to the republicans. Sound familiar.
Signed,
Independent Thinker
Posted by: cheryl | August 30, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Amen, BL!
In time-honored, Christian fashion, events shed more light on the mindset of these fanatics than they do on the "will of God."
Stuart Shepherd's God is a weakling. It's glaringly obvious that their "god" does *their* will; not the other way 'round, as they're so fond of trumpeting. When the rain comes to the GOP convention--in spades, I might add--it's just going to be "one of those things." You know: Don't forget your galoshes, and all that.
Experts agree, and ask: Where's their stupid little "god" hiding now?
Posted by: Ron A. Zajac | August 31, 2008 at 09:33 AM
To bad it didn`t rain!
Bless u Buddy!
Posted by: macbob | October 30, 2008 at 12:34 PM