UPDATE: For clarity, as Ivey476 points out: McCain denounced comments two months ago that only became public this week. Why is McCain rejecting Hagee's endorsement now if he was happy to have it then?
As Hunter pointed out, McCain has rejected Hagee's endorsement after seeking it:
Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well.
But on Bill Bennett's March 11 Radio Show, McCain said:
I repudiate any comments that are anti-semetic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other. And I condemn them and I condemn those words that Pastor Hagee apparently...that Pastor Hagee wrote. I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position.
John McCain was aware that John Hagee was anti-semitic two months ago. He only pushed him aside when everybody else became aware of it, too.
Audio after the jump.
Audio:
UPDATE: DKos won't let me add all the parameters I need. If you don't see the embedded audio player, click here and enjoy. Instructions to embed this into your own blog are in the comments.
Full transcript:
BENNETT: I’ve got to ask you about something, as a Catholic. This was something a lot of Catholics were talking about. A couple of weeks ago, senator, you received the endorsement of San Antonio Pastor John Hagee. He’s written about my church, "there’s a clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews." He’s called the Catholic church "a great prostitute," except he used a stronger word. He’s called my church a "cult." Your comment on this. There’s actually been a lot of talk about it.
MCCAIN: Well, obviously I repudiate any comments that are anti-semetic or anti-Catholic, racist, any other. And I condemn them and I condemn those words that Pastor Hagee apparently...that Pastor Hagee wrote. I will say that he said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position. I hope that maybe you’d give him a chance to respond. He says he has never been anti-Catholic, but I repudiate the words that create that impression. I will say, I’d like to say on his behalf, he’s been a very strong supporter of the state of Israel and when we were doing the No Surrender tour, he came and spoke on behalf of not surrendering in Iraq. So, but any comments that are made that are in anyway offensive then I repudiate those for all of the obvious reasons, Bill.
BENNETT: Good, good.