Rick Warren responds to the flap over McCain and Saddleback questions

As it has turned out, John McCain was not entirely confined in the type of hermetically sealed environment that Rick Warren suggested when the pastor referred to the "cone of silence" surrounding the Republican before his appearance Saturday at Saddleback Church in Orange County.

But Warren, in interview segments posted earlier today on the God-O-Meter at Beliefnet.com (yes, that's the blog's moniker), takes great umbrage to claims that McCain got tipped to some of the queries he would face when he followed Barack Obama onstage at the much-anticipated event.

McCain was headed to the church -- in a motorcade supervised by the Secret Service -- when Warren's interview with Obama began. Upon arriving at the church, he was taken to a so-called "green room" to await his turn.

God-O-Meter Editor Dan Gilgoff asked Warren (who is much in demand after his turn as candidate inquisitor) about assertions by Obama backers that McCain got the heads-up, meaning he wouldn't have to think as fast on his feet as his rival.

"They're dead wrong. That's just sour grapes..." Warren responds.

Gilgoff presses the matter, saying: "A source at the debate tells me that McCain had access to some communications devices in the few minutes before he went on stage with you and that there was a monitor in his green room, in violation of the debate rules."

Responds Warren: "That's absolutely a lie, absolutely a lie. That room was totally free, with no monitors -- a flat out lie."

Warren's answer, of course, doesn't cover the possibility that McCain got wind, while in his motorcade, of what.... 

...Obama was being asked. But his campaign sought today to scotch such speculation.

The Times' Maeve Reston reports that Brooke Buchanan, a McCain aide who was in the entourage, says the candidate was not privy to the interview during that period and did not receive any e-mails about it.

Rick Davis, McCain's increasingly feisty campaign manager, had already moved to put NBC on the defensive after journalist Andrea Mitchell, during Sunday's "Meet the Press" show, mentioned that some "Obama people" were insinuating that McCain had somehow gotten advance notice of specific questions Warren would be posing.

As Mike Allen of Politico.com reported Sunday night, Davis fired off a letter to Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, objecting to Mitchell broaching the issue and portraying it as an indication that the network was "abandoning nonpartisan coverage of the presidential race." Davis asked for a meeting with Capus "to discuss our deep concerns about the news standards and level of objectivity at NBC."

Capus may be growing accustomed to such complaints (see here and here).

Our colleague Frank James offers this take at The Swamp on the flap over whether McCain, as the posting's headline puts it, cheated at Saddleback.

And the New York Times Caucus blog details that Warren, aside from outlining in advance for Obama and McCain general topics he would cover, also told each well before the forum convened that he would specifically pose these queries: What is your greatest moral failing? What is America’s greatest moral failing? And who are the three people you rely on most for wise advice?

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Ron]

Rick Warren.....
"How was it like in the CONE OF SILENCE "
John McCain....
"I tried to put my head against the wall to see if I could hear any of the answers" Laugh Laugh

It's not the deed ... it's the cover up.... Why is the McCain camp all riled up ? He cheated.
Why wasn't his answer " You know Rick... I have to be honest.. I got here late and didn't make it to the CONE OF SILENCE when I needed to be, but I didn't hear anything.

[Jenna]

Is this really what it has come to? Obama supporters are so flummoxed by the underwhelming performance of their candidate they accuse McCain of cheating! UNREAL.

[Cal]

Methinks the McCain loud protests just a little to loud. Warren stood right up there and claimed that McCain was in "a cone of silence" knowing darn well that he was not even in the building. That is plenty of reason to doubt that McCain didn't play by the rules. He probably did not cheat but it is not unreasonable to ask those questions, especially when you see Warren being defensive instead of apologetic.

[Jenna]

Is this really what it has come to? Obama supporters are so flummoxed by the underwhelming performance of their candidate they accuse McCain of cheating! UNREAL.

[Peter]

I really thought that McCain seemed very rehearsed during the saddleback forum.... He would not answer questions instead, he told rehearsed stories. I think McCain would be the best candidate if you wanted WWIII.
Obama said confront evil, McCain said destroy it. Hmmm.
Sounds like more war is on the horizon for the McCain camp. America dont need old stories., we need new ideas.

Some of Huck's Army has gone rouge., theyve started a petition asking Huckabee to leave the GOP, and start a new party. http://www.mccanes.com/newparty.html

Romney cant be VP, if McCain wants to win.
He went too far durning the primary. Even
a video of romney calling McCain dishonest.
http://www.hotpres.com

See McCain talk about in detail his failed first marriage. He Cheated? Cindy was a mistress? http://www.mccanes.com

McCain and Obama leaning to embrace the pickens energy plan. http://www.boonepicken.com

[Jon]

It's pretty clear McCain knew what was coming. At one point, he says, " Are we going to get back to the importance of Supreme Court justices?" (That's directly from the transcript at Rick Warren's website). Funny thing is, he was NOT asked about Supreme Court justices or any other kind of justices, nor did he mention them earlier. That was a question asked of Obama.

The issue isn't McCain getting special treatment - it's that he's a man without much integrity, who would happily lie on national TV. Not the sort of person I want as president.

[Gaias Child]

If McCain did get some advantage somehow, it didn't seem to me to make a difference. He clearly didn't know he was going to have to define what "rich" is and he did it with his usual stupefying unconsciousness of the relativities of the material experience. His first answers were stuffy, stilted and self-important. His closest advisors are who? Obama's answers might have been a little windy by comparison to McCain's terse crisp ones, allowing more time for him to answer more questions. But really, who cares. Warren was great. He kinda reminded me of Tim Russert. A sweet friendly smile and you are loving the guy while he is skewering you in the public interest. Great stuff.

[Mike Murphy]

Yeah really McAin had knowlege of every question ,that's why he is getting grilled on his answer about who is rich in America. You people are idiots!

[ferplexion]

How can Rick Warren know what McCain saw or heard when he was in the limo? I would be more inclined to believe both Warren and McCain if they both didn't protest too much.

[Nobama]

How Pathetic... Obama gets wrecked in a fair debate again and cries like a little girl. The gold has truly lost some of its sparkle there kool-aid drinkers. No wonder he is afraid to debate John McCain. Oh man, this is getting good. Sen. Obama is going the way of Dukakis.

[jonathon]

Obama got beat bad so his supporters feel the need to cry and call the other side cheaters. It just proves how bad Obama would be as President.

[Jim Green]

Damn, just when I started beliving in Rick, now we all know the truth. "CONE OF SILENCE " what a joke.

[Doug]

hypothetically speaking, let's suppose that McCain either had been given the Warren questions ahead of time or had overheard Obama's answers while waiting in The Green Room.
how did this make Obama do such a miserable job on his own??????

[Dr. Bill Gammon]

Sad...........The entire event was well done. Both candidates did very well. It will be, the only one, where we will have some vision of who both these men are as far as a real person. They simply were themselves.
Enough digging......the media is only jealous that they didn't come with the idea.

[Rose]

Here's what Rick Warren has to answer: How did he let the forum proceed when he knew (don't tell me he didn't know) that John McCain was NOT in the 'cone of silence'? Why did Rick Warren say that John McCain was in the 'cone of silence' when he knew (don't tell me he didn't know) that he wasn't? Whether McCain actually heard any of the questions or not, the forum was tainted -- and that is the salient point. McCain could very well have heard some of the questions by any variety of methods, and there is no way to prove that he didn't, since the entire premise was compromised. As to McCain being above such tacticts, pulleeeease.

[Jesus]

Jesus Would be a Democrat (Overall)

I believe that Jesus Christ would be pro-life... I also believe that he would be against the death penalty, against initiating a war with Iraq, against the torturing and detaining of prisoners without due process, against spying on thy’s neighbors, against offshore drilling for more of the types of fuels that are destroying our (and his father’s) planet, for our duty to provide adequate social services for the least of us (old, poor, disabled) and opportunity for the disadvantaged, and that he would show nothing short of compassion for same-sex marriages.

I believe that he would also show compassion for the woman if child birth would be fatal, but that if a woman’s pregnancy had resulted from rape, he would still be pro-life and see the pregnancy as a blessing.

These are not necessarily my beliefs, but I do believe they would be Jesus’, and therefore, I believe that overall, he would be a Democrat.

[Mike McAtee]

What flap over comments to Rick Warren? Here goes the media again trying to make something about nothing. At the rate the media is going, by next week I fully expect to see press coverage regarding the number of potty breaks the candidates take. Could it be that one of the candidates is actually taking Pepto Bismo?

[Ramah G. Martin]

What parallel do you see between this preposterous accusation, "McCain must have had access to NoBama's answers beforehand", and "We went into Georgia to keep the peace"? A communist line is a communist line is a communist line......

[Jaycee]

In the interest of journalistic integrity, which most MSM news outlets do not honor, I would like to offer the following quote:
“I cheated a little bit. I looked into this.”
That was OBAMA, in response to a specific question on adoption! What's that? Was Obama revealing that he somehow received Warren’s questions in advance and had time to prepare answers while McCain did not?

[wbgonne]

So a guy goes to a Christian-values forum, gets the answers in advance and then lies about it. Yes, this is the person we want to be president.

[Bob]

A classic case of SORE LOSER!! Comeon, democrats, you can come up with something better than that!!!....oh, maybe not...

[Alex]

I think had Obama performed better than McCain we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[Jason W.]

I personally believe that McCain was not informed and that his answers were more efficient simply because he is more experienced and ready for the Presidency. I have always been a democrat, but I don't feel that Mr. Obama is ready. He has a lot of great ideas, but if he was more experienced he would know that a lot of what he wants to do will never work. I personally feel he will be a huge let down if he is elected. By not being able to deliver what he promises. He may even get this country into some trouble. This forum was great. It truly showed us that experience is very important for such a job as President of the U.S.A.. I wish Obama would have waited and ran in 2012 or 2016. He may be ready then. That is the opinion of this American.

[D Mitchell]

Wow - look at the Dem's running for cover. "The One" couldn't keep up with McCain? What a surprise. Obama's not so hot without his teleprompter. All flash - no substance.

[Jane]

Of course McCain cheated. How else would an elderly man with dementia be able to sail through 90 minutes of questioning. Before this forum, the man had never got through an entire sentence without making a blunder or two.