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

[JB Feucht]

In a real debate both candidates hear the question at the same time. Rick Warren set his forum up in a way that was almost guaranteed to invite public comment. You know something had to go wrong. What I noticed was the change in backdrops after McCain took the stage. And, god help me, I even wondered if McCain got a clean cup. Sorry BO no insult intended.

[Fnord]

And so it goes..... No matter what you think about Obama, calling him and his supporters names just covers up the question. The question is, Did John McCain have an opportunity to listen in early and did he use the opportunity? Very simple. It doesn't matter who "won" and who "lost"- If you can't face the question, why are you even bothering to participate in this discussion? Just another opportunity to show how many names you can call people, I guess.

Most of the conservative commentary is becoming a parody of itself. I don't know why the true conservatives- the intelligent ones that actually stand for something- allow this riffraff to speak for them. Once we get the knee-jerk idiots out of the discussion, then progressives and conservatives together can figure out the best course of action for our country. In the meantime, we'll just wait until ya'all are done insulting everybody who runs afoul of your sound-bite oriented thought process.

[jameo]

jon wrote: "Funny thing is, he (McMindreader) 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."

From the Transcript:

WARREN: Let's go into the tough ones. That was just a gimme.

MCCAIN: All right.

WARREN: Let's deal with abortion. I, as a pastor, have to deal with this all the time, every different angle, every different pain, all of the decisions and all of that. Forty million abortions since Roe v. Wade. Some people, people who believe that life begins at conception, believe that's a holocaust for many people. What point is a baby entitled to human rights?

MCCAIN: At the moment of conception. (APPLAUSE). I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate. And as president of the United States, I will be a pro-life president. And this presidency will have pro-life policies. That's my commitment. That's my commitment to you.

WARREN: OK, we don't have to beleaguer on that one. Define marriage.

----------------(the lie)

MCCAIN: A union -- a union between man and woman, between one man and one woman. That's my definition of marriage.

Could I -- are we going to get back to the importance of Supreme Court Justices or should I mention --

WARREN: We will get to that.

MCCAIN: ......

WARREN: You're jumping ahead (inaudible).

-----------(the lie)

MCCAIN: When we speak of the issue of the rights to the unborn, we need to talk about judges. But, anyway, go ahead.

[RAH]

mccain not being on time and in isolation WAS cheating. there is no debating that point. suggesting that after the fact, we should just take mccain's word for it and accept rick warren's "honor system" explanation is preposterous. if he trusted the candidates, on their honor, there would have been no need for a "cone of silence" in the first place. why not just give both candidates all the questions the day before and make them promise not to read them? its absurd! mccain cheated simply be giving himself an opportunity to hear the questions. warren discredited his own forum by not disclosing AT THE TIME that mccain broke the rules.

[Layne]

S-O-U-R-G-R-A-P-E-S!!!!!!!!!!

[Cool Beans]

Ron, it was a *joke*! Remember those? The audience knew it was a joke. (Uh-hmm. That's why they laughed). I'm sure the other 300 million people in the US understand that but the few "yellow-dog" liberals who see a gotcha moment every time McCain sneezes, talks straight, or -- heaven help us -- actually makes a joke (gasp).

And besides, Rick Warren had already given a number of "indicators" and sample questions -- more than once -- of what the questions would be a few days earlier. I even listened to several shows that took these sample questions and got response from their listeners on Friday. (For those of you who are keeping score, that would be **before** the questioning.) So, if little ol' me and millions of others can get the sample questions, straight from Rick Warren's mouth, which by the way were pretty close to what was actually asked, I'm sure that both camps could manage to get that same information too. After a year of campaigning, and getting sample questions straight from Pastor Warren, neither needed any additional prep.

Ironically this was one of the deciding moments for some of us. McCain was prepared and gave straight, direct, clear answers, and did not beat around the bush, while Obama appeared to be referring to some notes and appeared to try the Clinton triangulation approach (touch left, fake right, show thought, land in the middle but since everybody likes me I'll never answer the question).

[JD]

Ron Wrote:

"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."

Maybe he didn't answer it because he DID spend time in the "Cone of Silence" just not the WHOLE time. The Greenroom McCain spent time in was the "Cone of Silence." Reading is fundimental Ron. Try it.

[Frederick Greenawalt]

Senator Obama was so tipically off the teleprompter
and drifting without a hint of direction or capacity
to navigate. Does he need another vacation to
keep him from the public eye? The "darling of the press"
can no longer hide behind his speech writers.
I have never seen a major candidate with less substance
and so few credentials. Hillary is coming... but John
will own November.

The Thumb

[clay]

Did or did-not. No matter. The questions were fundamental to the task at hand and their answers were fundamentally different. Make your selection and sidestep the subterfuge.

[COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret]]

Dear American Citizens and the media

Challenge to Media.

As a disabled American Veteran and concerned American citizen.

"We the citizens of the United States of America have the ultimate responsibility to elect the " Right Candidate with the right temperament" to lead our nation'

Our nation is and will be facing many present and future critical internal and external challenges as well as opportunities to address those challenges.

In order to prevent any probable prolong recession and diminished world standing as the sole superpower in the world' Whether it is the moral, democratic, economic, military, and other issues.

I impress upon voters to vote after considering following " qualities and characteristics" of our presumptive presidential nominees.

In my firm professional opinion that the media should help the common voter to explore and discuss following attributes of Hon. Senator McCain and Obama:

1. Calm, cool, and collected " temper " [ Presidential Temperament ].
2. Sound and sustained "Judgment and Caliber".
3. "Thought-fullness and togetherness" of purpose and positions.
4. Minimum "ex-poser and exploitation" around "Washington and Washington insiders".
5. Renewed " Vigor and Vision " for our Great-grand Nation.
6. Foreign policy based on " American Values, Virtuous, Vastness".
7. The campaign based of facts and free of fiction, deception, seduction, and attacks.

I plead to common voter to stay informed, stay involved, and stay engaged.

Do not allow some partisan media, pundits, pollsters, and perpetual political opinion makers effect your vote in the wrong direction.

Please do not be deceived and duped by "Psychological Terrorism" that is being directed at you without your consent and awareness.

Long live U.S.A and its diverse but democratic people.

Col. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., Colonel, USAR / MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Iraq Freedom team.

PS: God and godsmen do not cheat.

[R. Miller]

McCain went second by virtue of a COIN TOSS, and liberals can't keep from whining when their candidate flubs the answers. If McCain had gone first, liberals would have said that Warren gave him the questions in advance.

McCain wasn't cheating - he was PREPARED. He or his staff correctly anticipated the questions Warren would ask. Any high school debate team could have figured that out. He also had the moral clarity and strength of his convictions to answer directly.

Obama is a lawyer, a politician, and a debater. Are you telling me he wasn't smart enough to anticipate the type of questions Warren was going to ask?

The fact is that Obama was UNWILLING to answer the questions directly because he knows the audience and the undecided voters in America didn't want to hear the answers he would give in full truth.

Just like the butterfly ballot and electronic voting machines, democrats can't stop themselves from searching for conspiratorial excuses for their failures.

To them, Obama's stuttering hesitation was "thoughtfulness" and McCain's prepared and confident answers were "canned." That's the sort of Doublethink that George Orwell warned us about.

[NomiC]

To Jesus:
I do think your heart is in the right place, you just need to do your homework.i 1.It is the democrats who are NOT pro-life, so why do you say Jesus would be a Democrat. It doesn't really matter what your beliefs are about or what you THINK Jesus would be or do; Only the Bible gives us God's true attributes. Example: It is clearly stated (both OT and NT) that homosexuality is a sin. God destroyed an entire city because ot if. God is the one who said that. Would Jesus have compassion on same sex marriage? No, obviously not. Would he have compassion on the sinner. Iis God's heart that "all would be saved", but it is the individual's choice which God gave him. You can choose to l ive anyway you want and believe any way you want, but that doesn't mean it's right even if society says it is. God is the ultimate judge. All sin is forgiven if we accept the gift of salvation given by Jesus' death on the cross. However, we need to receive the gift and walk a Godly walk and follow his commandments. Keep praying walking and reading the Word and be blessed.

[plankbob]

Compassionate Christian Collusion at its finest:
http://tinyurl.com/6rhohr

"I will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell and shoot him with YOUR products," McClaim told workers in 2007 at a Pa. weapons factory.
He's really a pathetic old man, suffering from PTSD that was never treated.

[JD]

Rose,

He didn't know. Just thought you'd want to know that. Of course you've already made up you mind so even if solid evidence came out he didn't know you wouldn't believe it. It's the vast right-wing consirpacy! Watch out for those black helicoptors Rose.

[Waldo]

It's painfully clear that comments follow the political bias of the writers.

This is NOT about who did better or who lost the debate and I could not care less.

What I do care about is honesty and forthrightness (especially if it comes to my President and my Pastor).

Obviously, McCain and Warren BOTH flunked the smell test.

[clay]

Did or did-not. No matter. The questions were fundamental to the task at hand and their answers were fundamentally different. Make your selection and sidestep the subterfuge.

[Humphrey]

I am still surprised at some of you calling this event a debate. This was just a mere one-on-one interview where Obama had a heart to heart discussion with this pastor on his personal views on different issues. McCain on the other hand, came to preach to the choir in order to get the same vote that Bush got (now we are into a mess in this country). If I may suggest, let everyone chill and lets see who will win the real presidential debates. I bet you, McCain war stories won't fly this time.

[AdamK]

It was an amazing attempt.
Of course it could only be held by a mega church.

I am disappointed and question if McCain was not given an advantage as they DENIED Bob Barr. If this was to hear out candidates that people wanted to hear from and know who they are outside of the traditional media bias, they failed the third party and those discontent with the two choices being forced upon us.

[ramahg]

Ref: Jane @ 1:42pm

Jane, both candidates were alloted one hour each. There were four commercial breaks. Neither one had 90 minutes, period. Me 'tinks you should go back to that math class you slept through. Or is it just that you are so embarrassed by the pitiful performance of your candidate that you can't think?

[Dana]

Boy, Rev. Warren, biased much? How exactly can Rev. Warren answer this question? Was he INSIDE the motorcade? Does he understand how ridiculously easy it would have been for McCain's staff to have received information on their blackberries or cell phones and directly relayed it to McCain? How can Warren possibly guarantee that didn't happen? What a set up this whole thing was..

[Bob in Mesa, Az]

John McCain was not isolated when he was said to be ...fess up in the beginning and th whole fiasco would not have been an issue

[Carol Cole-Lewis]

Am I correct in understanding the rules for this Forum were for the second candidate to be sequestered ON THE PREMISES prior to his interview?

If this is true, it doesn't matter whether McCain heard the questions beforehand or not – he willfully broke the rules. Surely he was aware someone would raise this issue (as he is a seasoned politician), and should have apologized for his lapse before he took any questions.

Was not the entire point of the Saddleback Forum for the candidates to discuss faith, values, character and leadership? Actions speak far louder than words, Mr. McCain, and your demonstration of integrity was pathetically poor and overshadowed everything you said.

This makes me very sad.

[David]

So, maybe this can be all cleared up if McCain just clears up exactly why he was late?

McCain broke the rules. That's not in dispute.

The question is whether he broke them innocently and gained no advantage, or whether he received some advantage from this incident. An "advantage" that could range from the sinister (getting an unfair heads-up on the questions and answers,) to the arrogant (he had some personal shit to do, so he blew off the "meaningless" cone-of-silence,) to the bazzare (they screwed up at the church and told Obama, but neglected to tell me what time to show up, so McCain, Warren , and Obama got together and concocted the "coin flip" story and tried to cover for McCain,) to the innocent (McCain was having anger issues and had to mind meld with Captian Picard before he left for the political meeting.)

Whatever it was, rather than denying each "wrong" claim individually as they come up, give us the real story and no one will have to speculate any more.

So what is it? What is that McCain was doing that caused him to break the rules?

[member]

Who cares? This is what it has come to?... Obama mumbles and bumbles like an idiot and the best the loony left can come up with is: McCain cheated? Why don't they just square off in a completely unscripted town hall style question and answer forum - oh that's right - Obama refuses to do that... Wonder why?

[John]

Why should anyone care? The greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the human race is the idea that there is a connection between religion and morality.