Does anyone remember Reverend Andy Sidden? Yesterday reminded me of him...

[Solon]

For those who don't remember, he was the pastor Obama's campaign chose to mollify the GLBT community over a concert his campaign sponsored about a year ago. The reason people in the GLBT community were pissed was because of "ex-gay" pastor Donnie McClurkin was invited to sing at the concert. Before the concert, when the controversy blew up, Rev. Andy Sidden was then invited to the concert, and he gave an invocation, before most people even showed up.

Now, I'll give Obama's transition team credit, at least this time they didn't reject Openly Gay clergy like his campaign did over a year ago. But, the invocation that time was quite brief, a few minutes if that. Then it was McClurkin's turn and as Master of Ceremonies he was given the microphone for a half hour, to say such gems as this:

"They accuse me of being anti-gay and a bigot," ... "We don't believe in discrimination. We don't believe in hatred, and if you do you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's the whole premise of God. That's the whole premise of Christ is love, love, love. But there is a side of Christ that deals in judgment, and all sin is against God."

"Don't call me a bigot or anti-gay, when I have been touched by the same feelings," ... "When I have suffered with the same feelings. Don't call me a homophobe, when I love everybody … Don't tell me that I stand up and I say vile words against the gay community because I don't. I don't speak against the homosexual. I tell you that God delivered me from homosexuality."

Of course, he claims to not be a bigot, but then again, he told the 700 club this about Harvey Milk school in New York on Sept. 23, 2003:

"The gloves are off. And if there's going to be a war, there's going to be a war. But it will be a war with a purpose."

He's also said such gems as this:

"Homosexuality has really ravished our children. It started in my generation. I was touched by it and I struggled with it and all that for years and there was nobody to deal with it. I started dealing with it in my sermons and even when we do our concerts." (An interview with www.FamilyChristian.com)

I think people get the gist of how much of a homophobe McClurkin is. Now onto how the Obama Campaign responded, after the controversy, with this Gem, from a memo released by the campaign(per the Washington Post).

The concert was to be the highlight of this outreach and while the crowd left excited, it was clear the campaign still regarded the controversy as complicated. Aides gave reporters a three-page memo detailing McClurkin's and Obama's views on gay rights that noted in capital letters "MCCLURKIN DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE GAYS AND LESBIANS WHO ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVES AND HAS CRITICIZED CHURCH LEADERS WHO DEMONIZE HOMOSEXUALS," with quotes detailing those statements from the singer.

Now, does anyone see a pattern emerging, particularly in light of what's happened with Robinson and Warren, for I sure as hell know that I do.