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Both the American Jewish Committee and The National Jewish Democratic council issued statements criticizing John McCain's recent remarks about non-Christians and the presidency. As well they should have.

McCain said in a recent interview:

I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles … personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith," McCain said. "But that doesn't mean that I'm sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president.

I've never had a problem with John McCain's age. (But maybe that’s just because at 35, I’m apparently already too out of touch to know how to text my vote in to a news network after a debate. I ruined a good 45 minutes trying to thumb in my McCain vote a few weeks ago.) He does, however, have a minor knack for making gaffs that seem particularly, what. . .out of touch. Perhaps one could take some solace in the notion that this recent whoops is evidence of McCain's unease in pandering to Evangelicals?

I don't believe the man is particularly prejudiced against non-Christians, but a statement like that can't go unchallenged. As a spokesman for the American Jewish Committee said, "To argue that America is a Christian nation, or that persons of a particular faith should by reason of their faith not seek high office, puts the very character of our country at stake."

McCain has since tried to quell the noise. And I hate to say it, but his efforts at clarifying his intitial remarks seem, once again, off:

It's almost Talmudic. We are a nation that was based on Judeo-Christian values. That means respect for all of human rights and dignity. That's my principle values and ideas, and that's what I think motivated our founding fathers.

There's a sort of Clintonesqe disregard for the substantive at work here.

And by the way – "It's almost Talmudic"? He's gone from the frying pan into the fryer. Do the truthers and company need any more evidence of the insidious hand of the evil Jewish lobby? I can hear the shrill mob now: "John McCain said the U.S. is a Talmudic nation!" 

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