Rick Warren & Joseph Lowery - Playing both ends against the middle

[Photo by Daniel geek at Flickr]

Pretty much everywhere on the left side of the blogosphere Obama's pick of Rick Warren to invocate his inauguration is being criticized - heartily criticized mostly. And rightly so.

Warren is not only homophobic, but a creationist, believes that pro-choice people are "holocaust deniers," and as an article in The Nation put it, "...thinks his AIDS relief efforts represent an elevated form of Christianity over those non-evangelical do-gooders whom he compares to Marxists because they're more interested in good works than salvation."

Obama seems to have another "pastor problem."

Maybe he should rid himself of all pastor hangers-on.


It appears Obama is playing both ends against the middle. Or trying to mollify the middle. At the beginning, Warren will call upon god to bless the event, and Obama's asked The Rev. Joseph Lowery to thank god for doing the will of Rick when it's all over.

Lowery, 87, former pastor of Atlanta's Cascade United Methodist Church, is "a stalwart of the civil rights movement and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference."

Lowery is also a supporter of same-sex marriage.

Lowery is grateful for the opportunity to benedict at Obama's inauguration.


But Obama screwed up. Playing both ends against the middle has already pissed off both ends and got the middle confused.

And why do we need these nods to god at a secular inauguration of a secular nation, anyway? How about a nice welcome, some music, celebrity posings, the oath of office and finish it up with Obama saying, "Let's do it!"