Keith Olbermann Encourages Questions About John McCain’s Relationship with Rev. John Hagee

On April 18, Keith Olbermann of MSNBC's Countdown proposed several tough questions for ABC News' George Stephanopoulos to ask Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain during their then upcoming April 20 interview on This Week.  Encouraging Stephanopoulos to press Sen. McCain on his association with anti-gay televangelist John Hagee, Olbermann posed the cutting question: "...you proudly accepted the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, who wants the U.S. to start a nuclear war as part of the apocalypse, who called Catholicism the great whore, and who said Katrina was God's punishment of New Orleans for holding, quote, 'a homosexual parade.' Senator McCain, does Pastor Hagee love Catholics, Muslims, New Orleans, gay people, parades and life on earth as we know it as much as you do?"

Not surprisingly, Stephanopoulos didn't use such strong language on This Week when he addressed Rev. Hagee's support of Sen. McCain. Instead, Stephanopoulos asked Sen. McCain if "it was a mistake to solicit and accept [Hagee’s] endorsement." Sen. McCain replied "oh, probably, sure," but went on to say that he's "glad to have his endorsement"  Unfortunately, Stephanopoulos did not follow Olbermann's suggestion and ask Sen. McCain to further explain why he’s still glad to have the support of a man who is well known for his extreme anti-gay rhetoric.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News