Rick Warren Invocator As Provocateur

From NBC:
"When liberals attack: Axelrod and Gibbs have to be smiling this morning with the news that gay-rights groups are angry that Obama has announced that conservative evangelical Rick Warren will give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. Why are they smiling? Because it never hurts -- at least when it comes to governing or running for re-election -- when you sometimes disappoint/anger your party’s interest groups (in this case, People for the American Way and the Human Rights Campaign). Just asking, but is anyone but People for the American Way and the Human Rights Campaign surprised that Rick Warren is going to give a prayer at the inauguration? Where was this outrage when Obama appeared at Warren’s Saddleback forum back in August? The difference may be that the forum came before Proposition 8 passed in California. As for the pure politics of this, when you look at the exit polls and see the large numbers of white evangelicals in swing states like North Carolina, Florida and Missouri, as well as emerging battlegrounds like Georgia and Texas, you'll understand what Obama's up to."

TW: I have posted several times on the theme of focusing on the policies not the people. This is a prime example. I really do not care for Rick Warren on several levels although he is in certain respects better than some of the evangelical leaders on the RIGHT. That is the crucial point, if Obama is to reach out in some form to the right-wing evangelicals, someone like Warren is going to be the vehicle regardless of how disdainful of certain Warren positions Obama or others may be.

Obama obviously could have chosen a more progressive evangelical but to what end? To express Obama's support for progressive policies, guess what we know that already. Politics is dirty, get used to it. This is not to say those opposed to Warren should applaud the appearance, they should not. But they would do well to remember the difference between implementing policy (Obama's job) and setting the policy agenda (activists of all persuasion's job with Obama being the arbitrator).

Btw many folks on the right are fired up as well, but for opposite reasons.

From CBN:
"...pro-life readers seem to be equally upset at Rick warren for agreeing to it. The Brody File has been flooded with emails and most of them absolutely rip Pastor Warren for doing this..."

From a CBN commenter:
"I just lost a lot of respect for Rick Warren. How can someone who professes to be a Christian, put himself into a situation where other Christians would question him? Rick has done some good work however he just lost my respect."

TW: This is the intolerance of many "Christians" (and Jews/Hindus/Muslims/Atheists etc.) that drives me insane. This commenter does not have a monopoly on what Christianity means but thinks he does. Guys like Warren actually try to bridge the divides, in his case with a conservative slant for sure, but at least he shows up to talk.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/504326.aspx

Update: Joe Klein agrees with me and say it better than I did but then he gets paid more to say things than I do.
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/12/18/the-not-so-right-reverend-rick/