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

[John]

Did it occur to anyone on the “Left Coast” that maybe McCain is smarter and more believable than the “Other Guy” (as Paris calls him). McCain certainly talks more from his convictions than what he thinks that people might want to here. It’s nice to know that Obama’s policies will be made with major input from his radical wife and the wife of an African goat herder. I Can’t Wait!

[hesingswithfrogs]

On Sunday, following the Saddleback forum, pastor Warren urged his followers to look at the “character” of the candidates. John McCain’s “cone of silence” gaffe told us a lot about his “character.”

The “cone of silence” appears to have been a major condition of the forum. A responsible candidate would have arrived on time so that they could observe the rules of the forum. John McCain showed that he continues to be an irresponsible slacker by not arriving on time so he could observe a central rule of the forum. More concerning though was that irresponsible Slacker John didn’t fess up to not being in the “cone of silence” when directly asked by pastor Warren. Instead, McCain PRETENDED that he’d been there. In doing so, irresponsible Slacker John allowed pastor Warren to make a liar of himself and misled the pastor, the audience, and everyone watching. That was dishonest and dishonorable of McCain and plenty revealing of his “character.”

[Adam]

So the Christians cheated and lied to support their cause... why is anyone surprised? This is their true morality, not what they say but what they do. McCain was all too happy to take advantage of the ability to cheat and participate in the lie... sounds like a certain current American president we all know and don't love.

[Bob]

During John McCain's segment, I pointed out to my wife that John McCain had the questions and THANKS to Mary, who posted earlier (Posted by: Mary | August 18, 2008 at 01:47 PM), she confirmed the same things that I heard.

Also, did anyone notice what Rick Warren said before he asked John McCain, "When does life began?". Warren said, "That we all know that life begins at conception, "Senator, when do you think life begins?"

I have lost all respect of Rick Warren...he lied to us.

[Tom J]

I suspect Warren's denial was because he thought he was being asked if HE leaked the questions to McCain, not if there was a staffer-to-staffer Blackberry moment. Clearly he would have no knowledge of that and wouldn't be so naive as to deny something he couldn't be certain of.

[ATL]

Go figure.....This totally explains why Warren even remarked that McCain was answering the questions before he could even finish asking them!!! Doesn't surprise me a bit.......If you lie, you will cheat and if you cheat, you will steal!! Sounds like Bush to me.

[Robert Martin-Hill II]

What does Obama expect?
1) He forgot the first amendment. It is there for a reason, even if the colour free non recyclable christians have forgotten. (the main protestant sects were persecuting and killing the minor ones, so the minor ones came here, and immediately started doing it to each other)

2) He walked into a set up, duh!!! That is what you get for mixing with colour free non recyclables.

[Rev. Keith R. Wright]

Q OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO LONGER ON THAT ONE.

9 DEFINE MARRIAGE.

10 A UNION -- A UNION BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN, BETWEEN

11 ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN, THAT'S MY DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

12 ARE WE GOING TO GET BACK TO THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPREME

13 COURT JUSTICES.

14 Q WE'LL GET TO THAT.

15 A ALL RIGHT. OKAY.

16 Q YOU GOT ALL MY QUESTIONS, GOOD.

Now...after reading that passage, either McCain has ESP and foretold that there WOULD BE questions about the Supreme Court (As Warren had only mentioned Roe V. Wade and not the justices specifically, or he had the questions already...as Warren had responded, "YOU GOT ALL MY QUESTIONS, GOOD."

I also found the disclaimer at the top of the transcript to be ironic.

"THE COMPUTERIZED, REALTIME NOTES

3 (COMPUTER NOTES, ROUGH DRAFT TRANSCRIPTS, OR DISKS)

4 CANNOT BE USED, CITED, OR CERTIFIED

5 AS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OR CERTIFIED

6 TRANSCRIPT OF THE CIVIL FORUM ON PRESIDENCY.

7 THERE MAY BE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE

8 COMPUTERIZED, REALTIME NOTES AND THE

9 CERTIFIED TRANSCRIPT.

10 ONLY THE CERTIFIED TRANSCRIPT OF

11 THE CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTER CAN BE

12 THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE CIVIL FORUM ON PRESIDENCY

13 BEING TAKEN."

To Warren's standards, the very Holy Bible couldn't stand up to his own standard of being, "An official Record" as there were no stenographers present at any of Christ's sermons.

Rev. Keith R. Wright
The United Deist Church

[James]

Warren has been caught covering for McCain in a lie on CNN.

See it here:

http://tinyurl.com/5pttge

and in full, here:

http://tinyurl.com/6mmrgp

[Eric]

This shameful for McCain. I really lost a lot respect for him over this. I disagree with many of policies and I lean Democratic, but I always thought of him as guy with a lot of integrity.

Now I think of him as guy who had a lot of integrity.

Sad.

[James]

Warren has been caught covering for McCain in a lie on CNN.

See it here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/18/84334/7814/1007/569548

and in full, here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/17/rick.warren.forum.interview.cnn?iref=videosearch

[Zoltan Lucas]

Have John McCain and the people supporting him no shame? During Saturday’s Saddleback Memorial Interviews, John McCain was supposed to be in a “cone of silence” in an adjacent room so he could not hear Barack Obama’s answers to the questions Rick Warren would ask him next.
Indeed, Warren’s first question to McCain was “Was the cone of silence comfortable that you were in just now?”
McCain’s answer: “I was trying to hear through the wall.”
Now it turns out that McCain lied and was in a car. His campaign denies that he was tuned into the media, able to listen to the program or to aides who were listening telling him the answers.
Is McCain one who would cheat? Some people think his affair while still married to his first wife as cheating, as others think of his involvement in the Keating Five scandal.
The Media, including the LA Times, have a duty to look into these allegations and if they are proven to be true, they should not erect a wall of silence on these stories. The public needs to know the character of their candidates for the highest office in the land.

[Andrew]

For hearing all of the questions asked to Obama first, McCain sure did do a lousy job.

[Andrew]

For hearing all of the questions asked to Obama first, McCain sure did do a lousy job.

[bonita]

Of course he lies. In church, no less. The story about the cross in the dirt?....Watch this whole video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4bTvhXMO7I&eurl=http://news.aol.com/political-machine/

[Paz Cortez]

McCain was politicizing, addressing the public, as in "my friends." He thought he was in a political rally. Obama was answering questions from his heart and mind, with a lot of reflection. In faith, you need to do much reflection. (That's how we do it in faith-sharing meetings. ) And he was sharing his beliefs sincerely with Warren. McCain wasn't thinking nor reflectiing, just answering what he thought would pander to his base. Kept on repeating his Vietnam experience, as if it's all that matters to get elected.

[W. Ogilvie]

I am neither a democrat or republican. I want to thank Pastor Warren for this opportunity to hear the candidates in the best forum I have seen yet! I am starting to see the differences between the two candidates. The spin bloggers have an amazing ammount of accusations and negative spin to throw at each other. I hope one day they will get as much class as Pastor Warren and his congregation who hosted this revealing tv event. The media has been so full of negative reporting it was refreshing to see something that was positive.

[Robert Martin-Hill II]

It is sad that this election hinges on the uneducated, superstitious, primitive, emotional reactions of Americans who revel in holy hatred.
Even sadder that the democrats are trying to win them over. These are people who hold hatred and intolerance as a religious ideal. Who would give up their rights to cleanse America of minority's, non-Christians, and book readers.
They should be helped and educated not courted on their terms. And we must do this before they turn this into a Soviet style low-protestant society with their attacks on the Bill of Rights.

[msgijoe]

In the end, last night was more about Pastor Rick Warren than about the candidates. He determined the format, made a big deal about the "Cone of Silence" but did not follow through with the arrangements. He should have made known that Senator McCain had changed the ground rules of the debate. And should have apologized to Senator Obama for the change. I think Senator Obama was sucker punched.

[alex]

McCain specifically referenced a question that was posed to Obama.... but he had no knowledge of that question? Politics and this whole election is pathetic

[recorby]

Even if McCain didn't have prior information going into the softball "grilling" by Warren, he gave knee-jerk, simple-minded answers followed in each case by a stump speech, something that Warren asked Obama not to do.

Obama gave reasoned, thoughtful answers to very difficult, loaded questions in front of a pro-McCain audience and he showed what being a President is all about.

McCain is a hip-shooter, as his campaign people know all too well, and he appeals to the kind of people that elected Bush the second time--mean-spirited, misanthropic, greedy little people that are willing to let the US be run by corporations all in the name of 'patriotism."

[Brutus]

Warren should have just told everyone that McCain was driving in late. They shouldn't have pretended that McCain was sequestered in a room at the church.

That's all.

It's not about who did or did not do well. It's about just telling it straight.

[Depressed]

It's not just Obama supporters who are upset with the forum. I've been a big fan of Rick Warren since his book first came out, and I have been applying principles from that book in my life.

I saw what I saw with my own eyes during that forum and nothing can change that. I have watched the videos of the forum over and over. There's no mistaking that John McCain had foreknowledge of the questions. I'm not sure that Rick was "in cahoots" with this act, but that's just it: how do I know he wasn't? If only he would admit that something went wrong, then I might be able to forgive him.

I don't think I'll ever be able to pick up Purpose Driven Life again. It hurts too much. I feel duped. I am very depressed about and confused by this whole mess. I wish the forum had never happened.

[John McCain Shirts]

SO the secret service that are under bush rule said so, mccain said so, etc etc... all people that constantly have lied to the american people over the last 8 years.

Obama gave well thoughout answers, you know, ones you think about after being asked. While McCain was able to answer at teh drop of a dime, short 1 liners to get teh evangelicals riled up as if he didnt know what they would want to hear.

Warren knew McCain was late, he acknowledged he was able to give Obama a question he couldnt give McCain because he wasnt there.

Why didnt Warren NOT ALLOW the questioning to start until McCain was in the "cone of silence"???

[Megan]

McCain’s answers to Warren’s questions were concise and spoken with confidence and conviction. That’s the difference with someone who is actually experienced.