Obama loses by a landslide if the US public knew of his infanticide votes.
Fred
Obama Campaign Continues Effort to Obscure Opposition to Born Alive Infants Protection Act
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Barack Obama for President Campaign has responded to new documentation revealing that Obama has misrepresented his position with regard to opposing the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. The Susan B. Anthony List offered a response and facts on Obama's record:
"The Obama campaign thinks if they continue to repeat their flimsy story about Barack Obama's opposition to the common sense Born Alive Infant Protection Act that their thin explanation will become true. The reality is that actual legislative records directly contradict their story," commented Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List President.
"Here's the truth: Barack Obama killed the commonsense Born Alive Infant Protection Act in the Illinois Senate, and his campaign continues its game of hide and seek. That's because his position is heartless. There is no baby at any stage - even born accidentally - that he finds worth protecting. Where is his heart for the downtrodden when it comes to the most vulnerable human beings? It is no wonder he cannot admit to the truth of his 'leadership' as a State Senator."
Barack Obama opposed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act as an Illinois State Senator. He spoke against the bill, calling it an "unnecessary burden" for women and voted against it three times. Despite that opposition, he has since declared support for the federal version of the same legislation that aims to protect newborn babies who survive abortions. Obama has publicly stated he opposed the legislation due to its lack of a "neutrality clause" - language expressing that the bill had no bearing on the legal status of unborn children with regard to abortion. Legislative documents released this week contradict that claim.
Obama Campaign Claim: "There are major differences in the state and federal bills, including the fact that the federal bill included a 'neutrality clause.'" FACT: Official legislative documents released this week show that Obama in fact presided over a committee hearing where "neutrality clause" language - identical to the federal language - was added to the Illinois version of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Barack Obama joined his colleagues in a vote of 10-0 to add the "neutrality clause" to the legislation. After the language was added, Obama then joined fellow Democrats to oppose the bill, killing it by a vote of 6-4. The bill Obama killed is virtually identical to the federal bill, which can be seen here.
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 147,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process. www.sba-list.org
Christian Newswire
"Infanticide Candidate" Obama
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/garnica/080813
If Barack Obama is Christian, then I am Spider Man, and I have vertigo!
By Gabriel Garnica
August 13, 2008
Every time we turn around, Barack Obama is spewing his most recurrent lie; namely, that he is a Christian. This despite the fact that he twists and abuses Scripture to suit his purposes http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=50501 , has lied to cover up his passionate opposition to a bill trying to protect infants surviving abortion from being allowed to die. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08081101.html and seems hell-bent on protecting every kind of abortion possible, even when it amounts to infanticide. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/a_catholic_case_against_barack.html
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
I once heard Obama quote Proverbs — Chapter 22:6 which states "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Considering Obama's relentless, practically passionate support and defense of any and every kind of abortion imaginable, I would ask him why he would quote the above line from the Bible when he fully supports the murder of unborn, and even partially born, children? How can anyone train a child the way to go or how can any child become old when that child is killed in the womb or on its way out of that womb?
How about Psalm — Chapter 127:3, which calls children "a reward from (the Lord"? Does Barack Obama believe that killing the Lord's rewards is the way we should go? At the end of one of his speeches on racial intolerance, Obama uttered "that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother's keeper, Scripture tells us." Since Senator Obama feels so compelled to cite what Scripture tells us, can he tell us where Scripture tells us that sticking scissors into a partially delivered infant and sucking his brains out is a good thing to do?
Any fool can quote Scripture; it takes a true Christian to live it.
Abortion Absolutist
Barack Obama has rightly been called an "infanticide candidate." http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/896416.html One almost gets the feeling that he would support and defend the murder of an infant just born as long as the child has not left the hospital, all in the name of protecting the mother, of course.
As many have rightly asked, just exactly how does a child surviving an abortion and now completely outside the mother threaten the mother's welfare, as abortion supporters often cite in defense of their barbarity? Apparently, Senator Obama believes that such a child is a huge threat, since he has no problem with that child being left to die of neglect.
Even Barbara Boxer, the most pro-abortion member of the Senate before Obama came, opposed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, a bill almost identical to one Obama fought against in Illinois. To say that Barack Obama makes Barbara Boxer look like a defender of life in comparison is to say a mouthful indeed.
Social Justice Rubbish
One truly wonders how anyone claiming to be a Christian could ever justify abortion, but many do. Some even go as far as claiming that Jesus is right there with the woman, providing her strength and support as she makes this "personal" decision of what to do with "her body." One small problem: the unborn child is not part of the woman's body any more than 200 passengers on a jet are part of that airliner.
In case you think that the above analogy is absurd, consider the fact that nobody in his right mind would ever claim that passengers are part of an airplane since, despite the fact that the plane is carrying the passengers from one place to another, jets and people are not made from the same substances. Likewise, when I eat a chicken, it enters my body, but that does not mean that the chicken has my DNA. Simply put, the unborn child would be "a part of the woman's body" if he or she had the same exact DNA of the mother, which that child does not have. Hence, the child within the womb is a separate entity every bit as deserving of the right to live as anyone else.
Those so-called Christians who think abortion is acceptable under Christian teaching tend to spend most of their time painting Christianity as primarily a social justice effort directed at feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and helping the poor. One must ask, what do all of these people have in common? They are relatively voiceless, powerless and vulnerable. They are certainly prime candidates for some Christian love, for sure. The problem is, unborn children are every bit as and even more voiceless, powerless and vulnerable as the above groups. If social justice demands that we care for and consider the poor, the sick, the naked and the hungry, then I ask why the unborn do not qualify for such protection as well since they clearly fit all of the above traits?
The answer, of course, is really simple. Somewhere along the line, liberals decided that their best face on religion is the social justice face, focusing on helping others and spreading "justice" around the world. Such thinking argues that, even if abortion is an unfortunate situation, it does not outweigh other important social issues such as poverty, hunger, homelessness and inadequate medical care. These people love to quote and refer to John 8:10-11, where Christ asked a woman He just saved from being stoned to "sin no more" (John 8:10-11).
They also jump at the chance to quote The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 or preach that we should all be our "brother's keeper."
While all of these references are nice to mention, one cannot pretend to apply them absent including protecting unborn children from the mix, certainly not on moral, rational or sensible grounds. The only grounds which allow such absurdly selective Scriptural application are political ones, which have been shown to have no moral integrity at all, being merely designed and intended to gain votes and manipulate convenience.
Conclusion
While we may not know what will happen in the closing months of this year's general campaign for the White House, one thing is certain; Barack Obama will repeatedly tell us that he is truly a Christian and sprinkle Scripture on half of his speeches as proof. He will admonish us for neglecting others and remind us that we must all be keepers of each other. He will preach unity and love and suggest that we live our lives striving to embrace both ideals as often as possible.
The real Barack Obama is the cold, calculating, heartless politician who did not mind disrespecting a couple who had lost most of their children in a tragedy so he could remove unwanted media attention before killing a bill what would have helped families cover adoption expenses, all because it involved a pro-life message, and we know what Obama thinks about pro-life anything. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=71571
I dare anyone to read the above story and tell me that this man is a Christian or anything within a mile of anything remotely Christian. Simply put, Barack Obama is the ultimate used care salesman, saying and doing anything to make that sale. The only thing is, this time he wants you to buy the tale that he is Christian, and he is pointing to the conveniently placed and dusty Bible on the counter as evidence.
Meanwhile, he keeps on being the abortion lobby's number one soldier, keeps on treating the unborn like the plague and keeps on calling himself a Christian. Given all of this, I guess I can keep on calling myself Spider Man, despite my vertigo.
Gabriel Garnica, Esq., is a college professor and licensed attorney whose regular commentary also appears on NewMediaJournal.us, The Daley Times-Post, and Michnews. He holds a law degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. John’s University in New York.
© Copyright 2008 by Gabriel Garnica
[http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/garnica/080813]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080817/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_religion
Sharing stage, Obama and McCain split on abortion
By CHARLES BABINGTON and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers 2 minutes ago
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain differed sharply on abortion Saturday, with McCain saying a baby's human rights begin "at conception," while Obama restated his support for legalized abortion.
ADVERTISEMENT
Appearing on the same stage for the first time in months, although they overlapped only briefly, the two men shared their views on a range of moral, foreign and domestic issues as they near their respective nominating conventions.
Obama said he would limit abortions in the late stages of pregnancy if there are exceptions for the mother's health. He said he knew that people who consider themselves pro-life will find his stance "inadequate."
He said the government should do more to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to help struggling new mothers, such as providing needed resources to the poor, and better adoption services.
McCain expressed his anti-abortion stand simply and quickly, saying human rights begin the instant a human egg is fertilized. McCain, who adopted a daughter from Bangladesh, also called for making adoption easier.
The men's comments came at a two-hour forum on faith hosted by the minister Rick Warren at his megachurch in Orange County, Calif. Obama joined Warren for the first hour, and McCain for the second. The two candidates briefly shook hands and hugged each other during the switch.
Warren asked both men the same questions. McCain said he did not see or hear Obama's session, which might have given him an advantage.
Obama said America's greatest moral failure is its insufficient help to the disadvantaged. He noted that the Bible quotes Jesus as saying "whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me." He said the maxim should apply to victims of poverty, sexism and racism.
McCain said the nation's greatest moral shortcoming is its failure to "devote ourselves to causes greater than our self-interests."
After the September 2001 terrorist attacks, McCain said, there should have been a national push for joining the Peace Corps and other volunteer organizations. His comment seemed an indirect criticism of President Bush, who had urged tax cuts and more shopping at the time to stimulate the economy.
McCain also said he would pursue Osama bin Laden "to the gates of Hell," another goal that might be seen as a swipe at the Bush administration.
Both men said marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Obama added that he supports civil unions for gay partners, which would give them rights such as hospital visits with one another. He said he opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, calling the matter a state issue.
McCain's answer was less clear. If a federal court ordered his state, Arizona, to honor gay marriages allowed in Massachusetts, he said, "then I would favor a constitutional amendment. Until then, I believe the states should make the decisions within their own states."
In several cases, Obama gave a Christian interpretation to his generally liberal political views. He said he is redeemed by Jesus, who died for his sins.
McCain tended to give shorter, less complex answers, winning somewhat more applause than Obama from the large, evangelical church's audience. On domestic matters, he restated his call to "drill now" in U.S. lands and waters for oil and natural gas.
McCain, asked the toughest decision in his life, cited his refusal to be released ahead of fellow U.S. prisoners of war in North Vietnam. "It took a lot of prayer," he said.
He retold his story of a Christmas Day celebration outside his cell, when a prison guard etched a cross into the dirt. "For a moment, we were just two Christians worshipping there," McCain said.
When Warren asked Obama to define the word "rich," the Illinois senator teased the pastor about the mammoth sales of his book, "The Purpose Driven Life." Obama noted his plan to add a new Social Security payroll tax to incomes above $250,000 a year.
McCain said, "some of the richest people I've ever known in my life are the most unhappy."
He said being rich should be defined by having a home and a prosperous and safe world. Without mentioning Obama, he said some want to increase taxes.
"I don't want to take any money from the rich. I want everybody to get rich," McCain said.
When pushed on an exact number, he joked: "If you're just talking about income, how about five million?" He added, "I'm sure that comment will be distorted."
Asked to name three wise people they would listen to, Obama named his wife, Michelle; his maternal grandmother, who lives in Hawaii; and, not limiting himself to only a third, named several Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
McCain named Gen. David Petreaus, head of U.S. troops in Iraq; U.S. Rep. and veteran civil rights leader John Lewis, D-Ga.; and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a top adviser to his campaign.
He lauded Whitman for turning a five-person business into a billion-dollar piece of the economy. "It's one of these great economic success stories," McCain said.
Obama, asked his most significant policy shift in the last 10 years, cited welfare reform. As an Illinois state senator, he worked to mitigate what he thought could be "disastrous" effects of President Clinton's welfare reform effort. But over time he said he came to embrace Clinton's approach.
"We have to have work as a centerpiece of any social policy," Obama said.
Asked why they want to be president, Obama said the United States should be an empathetic power for good in the world, a mission he fears is slipping away.
McCain said, "I want to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than its self interest. . But I also believe we face enormous challenges, both of national security and domestic."
___
Associated Press writer Phil Elliott contributed to this report.
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080817/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_religion]
Fred
Obama Campaign Continues Effort to Obscure Opposition to Born Alive Infants Protection Act
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Barack Obama for President Campaign has responded to new documentation revealing that Obama has misrepresented his position with regard to opposing the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. The Susan B. Anthony List offered a response and facts on Obama's record:
"The Obama campaign thinks if they continue to repeat their flimsy story about Barack Obama's opposition to the common sense Born Alive Infant Protection Act that their thin explanation will become true. The reality is that actual legislative records directly contradict their story," commented Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List President.
"Here's the truth: Barack Obama killed the commonsense Born Alive Infant Protection Act in the Illinois Senate, and his campaign continues its game of hide and seek. That's because his position is heartless. There is no baby at any stage - even born accidentally - that he finds worth protecting. Where is his heart for the downtrodden when it comes to the most vulnerable human beings? It is no wonder he cannot admit to the truth of his 'leadership' as a State Senator."
Barack Obama opposed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act as an Illinois State Senator. He spoke against the bill, calling it an "unnecessary burden" for women and voted against it three times. Despite that opposition, he has since declared support for the federal version of the same legislation that aims to protect newborn babies who survive abortions. Obama has publicly stated he opposed the legislation due to its lack of a "neutrality clause" - language expressing that the bill had no bearing on the legal status of unborn children with regard to abortion. Legislative documents released this week contradict that claim.
Obama Campaign Claim: "There are major differences in the state and federal bills, including the fact that the federal bill included a 'neutrality clause.'" FACT: Official legislative documents released this week show that Obama in fact presided over a committee hearing where "neutrality clause" language - identical to the federal language - was added to the Illinois version of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Barack Obama joined his colleagues in a vote of 10-0 to add the "neutrality clause" to the legislation. After the language was added, Obama then joined fellow Democrats to oppose the bill, killing it by a vote of 6-4. The bill Obama killed is virtually identical to the federal bill, which can be seen here.
The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 147,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process. www.sba-list.org
Christian Newswire
"Infanticide Candidate" Obama
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/garnica/080813
If Barack Obama is Christian, then I am Spider Man, and I have vertigo!
By Gabriel Garnica
August 13, 2008
Every time we turn around, Barack Obama is spewing his most recurrent lie; namely, that he is a Christian. This despite the fact that he twists and abuses Scripture to suit his purposes http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=50501 , has lied to cover up his passionate opposition to a bill trying to protect infants surviving abortion from being allowed to die. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08081101.html and seems hell-bent on protecting every kind of abortion possible, even when it amounts to infanticide. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/a_catholic_case_against_barack.html
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
I once heard Obama quote Proverbs — Chapter 22:6 which states "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Considering Obama's relentless, practically passionate support and defense of any and every kind of abortion imaginable, I would ask him why he would quote the above line from the Bible when he fully supports the murder of unborn, and even partially born, children? How can anyone train a child the way to go or how can any child become old when that child is killed in the womb or on its way out of that womb?
How about Psalm — Chapter 127:3, which calls children "a reward from (the Lord"? Does Barack Obama believe that killing the Lord's rewards is the way we should go? At the end of one of his speeches on racial intolerance, Obama uttered "that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother's keeper, Scripture tells us." Since Senator Obama feels so compelled to cite what Scripture tells us, can he tell us where Scripture tells us that sticking scissors into a partially delivered infant and sucking his brains out is a good thing to do?
Any fool can quote Scripture; it takes a true Christian to live it.
Abortion Absolutist
Barack Obama has rightly been called an "infanticide candidate." http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/896416.html One almost gets the feeling that he would support and defend the murder of an infant just born as long as the child has not left the hospital, all in the name of protecting the mother, of course.
As many have rightly asked, just exactly how does a child surviving an abortion and now completely outside the mother threaten the mother's welfare, as abortion supporters often cite in defense of their barbarity? Apparently, Senator Obama believes that such a child is a huge threat, since he has no problem with that child being left to die of neglect.
Even Barbara Boxer, the most pro-abortion member of the Senate before Obama came, opposed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, a bill almost identical to one Obama fought against in Illinois. To say that Barack Obama makes Barbara Boxer look like a defender of life in comparison is to say a mouthful indeed.
Social Justice Rubbish
One truly wonders how anyone claiming to be a Christian could ever justify abortion, but many do. Some even go as far as claiming that Jesus is right there with the woman, providing her strength and support as she makes this "personal" decision of what to do with "her body." One small problem: the unborn child is not part of the woman's body any more than 200 passengers on a jet are part of that airliner.
In case you think that the above analogy is absurd, consider the fact that nobody in his right mind would ever claim that passengers are part of an airplane since, despite the fact that the plane is carrying the passengers from one place to another, jets and people are not made from the same substances. Likewise, when I eat a chicken, it enters my body, but that does not mean that the chicken has my DNA. Simply put, the unborn child would be "a part of the woman's body" if he or she had the same exact DNA of the mother, which that child does not have. Hence, the child within the womb is a separate entity every bit as deserving of the right to live as anyone else.
Those so-called Christians who think abortion is acceptable under Christian teaching tend to spend most of their time painting Christianity as primarily a social justice effort directed at feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and helping the poor. One must ask, what do all of these people have in common? They are relatively voiceless, powerless and vulnerable. They are certainly prime candidates for some Christian love, for sure. The problem is, unborn children are every bit as and even more voiceless, powerless and vulnerable as the above groups. If social justice demands that we care for and consider the poor, the sick, the naked and the hungry, then I ask why the unborn do not qualify for such protection as well since they clearly fit all of the above traits?
The answer, of course, is really simple. Somewhere along the line, liberals decided that their best face on religion is the social justice face, focusing on helping others and spreading "justice" around the world. Such thinking argues that, even if abortion is an unfortunate situation, it does not outweigh other important social issues such as poverty, hunger, homelessness and inadequate medical care. These people love to quote and refer to John 8:10-11, where Christ asked a woman He just saved from being stoned to "sin no more" (John 8:10-11).
They also jump at the chance to quote The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 or preach that we should all be our "brother's keeper."
While all of these references are nice to mention, one cannot pretend to apply them absent including protecting unborn children from the mix, certainly not on moral, rational or sensible grounds. The only grounds which allow such absurdly selective Scriptural application are political ones, which have been shown to have no moral integrity at all, being merely designed and intended to gain votes and manipulate convenience.
Conclusion
While we may not know what will happen in the closing months of this year's general campaign for the White House, one thing is certain; Barack Obama will repeatedly tell us that he is truly a Christian and sprinkle Scripture on half of his speeches as proof. He will admonish us for neglecting others and remind us that we must all be keepers of each other. He will preach unity and love and suggest that we live our lives striving to embrace both ideals as often as possible.
The real Barack Obama is the cold, calculating, heartless politician who did not mind disrespecting a couple who had lost most of their children in a tragedy so he could remove unwanted media attention before killing a bill what would have helped families cover adoption expenses, all because it involved a pro-life message, and we know what Obama thinks about pro-life anything. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=71571
I dare anyone to read the above story and tell me that this man is a Christian or anything within a mile of anything remotely Christian. Simply put, Barack Obama is the ultimate used care salesman, saying and doing anything to make that sale. The only thing is, this time he wants you to buy the tale that he is Christian, and he is pointing to the conveniently placed and dusty Bible on the counter as evidence.
Meanwhile, he keeps on being the abortion lobby's number one soldier, keeps on treating the unborn like the plague and keeps on calling himself a Christian. Given all of this, I guess I can keep on calling myself Spider Man, despite my vertigo.
Gabriel Garnica, Esq., is a college professor and licensed attorney whose regular commentary also appears on NewMediaJournal.us, The Daley Times-Post, and Michnews. He holds a law degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. John’s University in New York.
© Copyright 2008 by Gabriel Garnica
[http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/garnica/080813]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080817/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_religion
Sharing stage, Obama and McCain split on abortion
By CHARLES BABINGTON and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers 2 minutes ago
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain differed sharply on abortion Saturday, with McCain saying a baby's human rights begin "at conception," while Obama restated his support for legalized abortion.
ADVERTISEMENT
Appearing on the same stage for the first time in months, although they overlapped only briefly, the two men shared their views on a range of moral, foreign and domestic issues as they near their respective nominating conventions.
Obama said he would limit abortions in the late stages of pregnancy if there are exceptions for the mother's health. He said he knew that people who consider themselves pro-life will find his stance "inadequate."
He said the government should do more to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to help struggling new mothers, such as providing needed resources to the poor, and better adoption services.
McCain expressed his anti-abortion stand simply and quickly, saying human rights begin the instant a human egg is fertilized. McCain, who adopted a daughter from Bangladesh, also called for making adoption easier.
The men's comments came at a two-hour forum on faith hosted by the minister Rick Warren at his megachurch in Orange County, Calif. Obama joined Warren for the first hour, and McCain for the second. The two candidates briefly shook hands and hugged each other during the switch.
Warren asked both men the same questions. McCain said he did not see or hear Obama's session, which might have given him an advantage.
Obama said America's greatest moral failure is its insufficient help to the disadvantaged. He noted that the Bible quotes Jesus as saying "whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me." He said the maxim should apply to victims of poverty, sexism and racism.
McCain said the nation's greatest moral shortcoming is its failure to "devote ourselves to causes greater than our self-interests."
After the September 2001 terrorist attacks, McCain said, there should have been a national push for joining the Peace Corps and other volunteer organizations. His comment seemed an indirect criticism of President Bush, who had urged tax cuts and more shopping at the time to stimulate the economy.
McCain also said he would pursue Osama bin Laden "to the gates of Hell," another goal that might be seen as a swipe at the Bush administration.
Both men said marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Obama added that he supports civil unions for gay partners, which would give them rights such as hospital visits with one another. He said he opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, calling the matter a state issue.
McCain's answer was less clear. If a federal court ordered his state, Arizona, to honor gay marriages allowed in Massachusetts, he said, "then I would favor a constitutional amendment. Until then, I believe the states should make the decisions within their own states."
In several cases, Obama gave a Christian interpretation to his generally liberal political views. He said he is redeemed by Jesus, who died for his sins.
McCain tended to give shorter, less complex answers, winning somewhat more applause than Obama from the large, evangelical church's audience. On domestic matters, he restated his call to "drill now" in U.S. lands and waters for oil and natural gas.
McCain, asked the toughest decision in his life, cited his refusal to be released ahead of fellow U.S. prisoners of war in North Vietnam. "It took a lot of prayer," he said.
He retold his story of a Christmas Day celebration outside his cell, when a prison guard etched a cross into the dirt. "For a moment, we were just two Christians worshipping there," McCain said.
When Warren asked Obama to define the word "rich," the Illinois senator teased the pastor about the mammoth sales of his book, "The Purpose Driven Life." Obama noted his plan to add a new Social Security payroll tax to incomes above $250,000 a year.
McCain said, "some of the richest people I've ever known in my life are the most unhappy."
He said being rich should be defined by having a home and a prosperous and safe world. Without mentioning Obama, he said some want to increase taxes.
"I don't want to take any money from the rich. I want everybody to get rich," McCain said.
When pushed on an exact number, he joked: "If you're just talking about income, how about five million?" He added, "I'm sure that comment will be distorted."
Asked to name three wise people they would listen to, Obama named his wife, Michelle; his maternal grandmother, who lives in Hawaii; and, not limiting himself to only a third, named several Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
McCain named Gen. David Petreaus, head of U.S. troops in Iraq; U.S. Rep. and veteran civil rights leader John Lewis, D-Ga.; and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a top adviser to his campaign.
He lauded Whitman for turning a five-person business into a billion-dollar piece of the economy. "It's one of these great economic success stories," McCain said.
Obama, asked his most significant policy shift in the last 10 years, cited welfare reform. As an Illinois state senator, he worked to mitigate what he thought could be "disastrous" effects of President Clinton's welfare reform effort. But over time he said he came to embrace Clinton's approach.
"We have to have work as a centerpiece of any social policy," Obama said.
Asked why they want to be president, Obama said the United States should be an empathetic power for good in the world, a mission he fears is slipping away.
McCain said, "I want to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than its self interest. . But I also believe we face enormous challenges, both of national security and domestic."
___
Associated Press writer Phil Elliott contributed to this report.
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080817/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_religion]
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