Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal meth Republican

Man, sometimes you just marvel and say WTF at the double-lives that these Theocons in the Republican Party are living.

Ted Haggard, maybe you've seen the released transcripts of his calls for methamphetamine from the man with whom he had monthly gay trysts during the past three years.

Who the hell is Ted Haggard?


Pastor Ted has recently been interviewed by Barbara Walters, Tom Brokaw, Bill O'Reilly, and Chris Matthews. Time Magazine has included Pastor Ted in their list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. The Wall Street Journal noted his advisory role with the Bush White House, calling him one "of the nation's most politically influential" clergy, and Harper's Magazine says, "No pastor in America holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism than does Pastor Ted."

My guess is that this sorta knocks John Kerry off of the headlines. And that it happens just in time for the 72 hour Republican GOTV program that centers around getting evangelicals to volunteer to leaflet super-church parking lots is serendipity, or karma, in action.

Update [2006-11-3 8:20:54 by Jerome Armstrong]:This is so bizarre. There's a video from Haddard last night in front of his home, where he makes a point of calling out the Republicans for their fake outrage towards John Kerry-- while he aligns with him "in process". And the video below, from Jesus Camp, is a classic (via AmericaBlog, the blog to follow this story):



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Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (3.00 / 2)

That's what happens when you set the moral bar so high that even you can't reach it.


Take Back Cincinnati
by belili on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 07:52:57 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (none / 0)

For some reason my post saying I called this a while back has been deleted.  No matter, I'm calling it again:

The interim guy they put in place to replace Haggard is gay too.  

What's with these evangelical gays?  Seriously, if they'd all just come out and accept themselves I think the world would be a better place.  


by dayspring on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:33:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (none / 0)

the hypocrisy re homosexuality is amazing - but it's the meth that puts this story on a level all its own.

whee!


by mightymouse on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 07:53:31 AM EST

This posting (3.00 / 3)

has my vote for best title of the year.


by Sam Loomis on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:05:14 AM EST

Re: This posting (none / 0)

Word.  I'm still giggling like a schoolgirl.


by RisingSign on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 12:09:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard (none / 0)

I have to say I liked this bit of the article Jerome linked to "Jones said he has more recordings and more will be played on a Denver radio station tomorrow"


by kundalini on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:08:27 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: (none / 0)


You just know the White House is destroying photos of Bush and Haggard acting chummy right now.

Just like they did with Abramoff.


by Bush Bites on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:16:17 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: (none / 0)

Does this mean Pastor Ted won't be attending Jesus Camp next summer to work with the kids?


by 1970cs on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:18:50 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: (none / 0)

Did you see the mark foley video ?
He was so happy to get the little girl back into his limo with the dark windows..

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/20 06/11/mr-foleys-opus.php

funny thing though, it looks like youtube has taken the clip down - don't know if it exists anywhere but if it does it should be saved somewhere, its just an excerpt.


.. and when I win the lottery, gonna donate half my money to the city so they have to name a school or a park after me - camper van beethoven
by heyAnita on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:41:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Perfect Timing (3.00 / 1)

I think the "Iraq nuke information put on a the web by Republicans" story is bigger though.  


by Cleveland John on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:20:52 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: (none / 0)

There's no karma in evangelical christianism..

It must be El Diablo.  

Quick build the border fence.


by stevie on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:24:53 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard (3.00 / 1)

What I found interesting about the Harper's article over a d kos was that it focused on how these groups are as much about economic conservatism as anything else, but they are the closet about it. I suppose on that level it would make sense a self hating gay man would allign himself with people who aren't honest.


by bruh21 on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:29:32 AM EST

My husband and I oppose gay marriage (1.00 / 2)

My husband and I are not in favor of gay marriage largely because marriage is a matter for the church.

There is a long history of the church being harmed by its affiliation with the state, this latest issue being one of them. Karl Rove, in our opinion, popped crystal meth when he pushed the gay marriage agenda item forward in 2004. He got a short term high out of it and then , predictably, is bringing the church down with him.

And the gay activists who equate marriage with civil rights are doing the same thing, they are bring a social and church issue into politics when its best left to its own device.  Really, it is quite disheartening to see how readily gays and evangelists alike go at it.

In this case, I guess you could say the gay, and the evangelist were going at it in more ways than one!

:-)

Seriously though despite my hubby being kicked off mydd for posting against gay marriage we both believe the legal issue of civil unions and things like letting partners be in hospital rooms, that is a non-issue and should be rationally decided. Marriage itself, well - our view is - if people really want to protect marriage, then outlaw divorce and submit anyone who has had a divorce to public humiliation.  

We will then be able to publicly flog talk radio hosts, and that will be worth its weight in gold. I for one didn't see a whole lot of trouble when bill clinton got into that affair with monica lewinsky, because if my husband did the same thing he would regret it for the rest of his life and never ever do it again.

in our home, divorce is never discussed.  murder, often. :-)


.. and when I win the lottery, gonna donate half my money to the city so they have to name a school or a park after me - camper van beethoven
by heyAnita on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:31:58 AM EST

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (3.00 / 0)

um... sounds like you and like minded Hubby got hold of a bad batch yourselves.


by 1970cs on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:38:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (none / 0)

well, you heard what they said about the difference betwen a pusher, an d a dealer.

seriously this is worse news for the church than you would think. there's this woman, sadie something, like, sadie hawkins or something - who is running or was running a big part of the christian coalition.

well the christian coalition fragmented this year i think under her duress. she pushed for, and won, a gay marriage ban in georgia / and it is now in the ga. constitution.

so, at any rate, now the christian coalition has her  i guess you would call it, team removed from the coalition. its here:

http://www.gachristianalliance.org/

now this is a big deal because ralph reed and his friends are probably somewhere in this group. maybe they're at an indian casino i dont know

the main thing is, sadie's daughter is a lesbian, and sadie is just fighting this fight because sadie has a granddaughter, in not really a gay marriage but a gay civil union, because her daughter had her partner inseminated

and she is a really shrill voice, this person sadie.

well, carter rights in the book 'our endangered values' about the contrast between sadie, and other christian organizations. In fact, carter writes that the coalition members, incl. the baptist convention - artfully removed from their creed the words that they will follow christ, so that the deacons and heads of the members can gotv for the republicans. which is what they've been doing for years.

now, the catholics are in this up to their eyeballs, albeit secretly because they push the abortion issue. and they pretend to be libertarian or off the radar but they lend support to this kind of stuff and almost never get caught.. well except in boston i guess.

but meanwhile, there was this one organization that embraced environmentalism, and diplomacy..
carter writes about it, as a democrat, saying he is proud to be a part of it...

it is called the national association of evangelicals.

see the needle take another man?
my husband said this type of damage started with the knights templar, because they had set up a banking network and instead of the church getting it, king philip the fair wanted it - so he killed off two popes until he got clement.


.. and when I win the lottery, gonna donate half my money to the city so they have to name a school or a park after me - camper van beethoven
by heyAnita on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:53:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (3.00 / 3)

the irony of your post, and why people  like you are amusing, is the level to which you talk out of both side of your mouth in this amazing level of cognitive dissonance. if the state should be out of religion, then why in your infinite wisdom to tell others how to live their lives, is it that the state is the one determining who can and can not get married? including heterosexuals. were you and your husband considered married legally after the church portion of your marriage, or when you did all the administrative actions that the state required? the keyword there is "legal" before you go off on to some portion of your religion that is irrelevant. I am also curious are you filing your taxes as a married couple or singly? is that an endorsement of your so called belief in separation of state from marriage. if you truly believed that, I would  expect the answer to be singly because otherwise you are benefiting quite hypocrtically from something you claim you dont want the state involved in.  I am also curious about whether you are on his benefits plan, or is he on yours? Finally, it's incredibly easy to tell others what to do with the rights they want becuase it doesn't really effect you and your husband. The level of dishonesty on this issues by the supposedly left is aways fascinating to read.


by bruh21 on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 09:04:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Hear hear!!! (3.00 / 1)

Similarly, "My [wife] and I are not in favor of [interracial] marriage largely because marriage is a matter for the church.

There is a long history of the church being harmed by its affiliation with the state, this latest issue being one of them.

And the [civil rights] activists who [believe] marriage [is a] civil right are doing the same thing, they are bring (sic.) a social and church issue into politics when its best left to its own device.  Really, it is quite disheartening to see how readily [blacks] and [whites] alike go at it... in more ways than one!

:-)

Seriously though despite my [wife] being kicked off mydd for posting against [interracial] marriage we both believe the legal issue of civil unions and things like letting partners be in hospital rooms, that is a non-issue and should be rationally decided [by the white people in charge of deciding such things].
...
in our home, divorce is never discussed.  [bigotry], often. :-)

p.s. Your smiley-faces are idiotic.


Invest in nature
by NCDem on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:06:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (none / 0)

Several churches already recognize gay marriage, and many other individual clergy members perform gay marriages all the time.  So being against gay marriage because "it's a matter for the church" is an inaccurate position; many churches are pro-gay marriage.

If you really think it's a matter for the church, and if you really support equal state rights for gay couples, you shouldn't have a problem legalizing gay marriage --

-- then, gay couples will receive equal benefits from the state as their straight counterparts, and churches will still be free (as they always have been ) to set their own rules about whom they wish to marry and whom they do not.  Some churches will choose to marry gay couples (as they already do) and others will not.

Honestly, what you're saying makes no sense at all.  

Plus, guess what -- this post wasn't about gay marriage, and the stretch from talking about a hypocritical gay-bashing evangelist possibly being a closeted tweaking gay man to making an announcement that you and your ever-present husband don't believe in gay marriage seems quite off-topic.  


John McCain, like George Bush, doesn't care about sick children
by Ms Bluezone on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 11:08:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (3.00 / 1)

I'm in favor of gay marriage in my church. Your church can set its own rules for a church marriage.


by joyful alternative on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 07:57:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My husband and I oppose gay marriage (none / 0)

Gay marriage hasnt been legal for almost 2000 years. Ironically gay marriage was legal in ancient Rome.  Roman occupiers in Judeah had a percentage of homosexuals, homosexual meeting places were all around as well as roman homosexual art was everywhere Romans were around Jesus and yet the bible mentions nothing except where a roman soldier asked Jesus to heal his homosexual sex slave and Jesus DID.  Jesus told us all to set aside the old testiment, but Jesus did nothing to talk against homosexuality, all indications are that he really thought nothing of it enough to even talk or preach about it even though P. Pilot was also documented as being married to a man.  When Jesus was invited to speak at the church, where did he go?  Instead went to prostitutes and homosexuals because he wasnt needed by the church people, he went where he was "needed".

Considering since the end of Rome, homosexuals were put to death, except for Roman and Greek acceptance of gay marriage,  we dont have traditions for gay marriage because, heck, they werent allowed to, instead they were stoned, hanged or burned at the stake.  This continued until the early 20th century with English Royal Buggery laws that gay death penalty for homosexuality.  

I think since gay marriage was legal in biblical times but outlawed  in the dark ages and ever since,  the arguement that why hasnt there been a established tradition for civil unions is a dumb issue.  A look around gay chat places on AOL and gay.com, you will notice 70% of gay chat participants are married with children looking for extra marital gay affairs.  Divorces on the grounds of homosexuality of a spouse are at all time highs and account for 25% of divorces. I think our society is finally finding that the time to stop putting gays to death and suppressing them has finally come to the point, its time to let gay be gay.  

Letting gays be gay means they will exit the reproduction cycle and maybe instead of having increasing polution of the gene pool with homosexual genes, maybe we can clean up the gene pool and maybe our great great great grand children will not having to continue to contend with the problems like for example, psycologist estimate 65% of homosexuals are married with children.  Just because they arent practicing homosexuality doesnt mean they arent passing the gene to the children and grand children, nor does it make them any less of a homosexual even if he IS your husband and father of your children.   I dont know about you, I'd much rather gay men be with gay men,  I certainly dont want them trying to be in the closet and fool my daughter into marrying him just so he has a society acceptable cover.


by ntpadude on Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 02:39:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard (none / 0)

"Life is good"  You have to say when the shit hits the fan duck and it has hit the fan so hard the the far right wants to bring back Foley at least they had control of him. This is just sick, sick, sick well 4 or 5 days of hard hitting shit will be good. Think some of flock of 14,000+ voters will be ? who to vote for and who to trust. The "Big Dog" has to screamming "YES"


by KevinB on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:47:20 AM EST

Give the guy a break... (none / 0)

After all, he is in a high-pressure job, communicating God's teachings to that many loyal followers, Carrying GWB's water across all of his screw ups.

Even Teddy Haggard needs a release now and then.  I have to wonder...did he prefer to "pitch or catch"?


by dvogel001 on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 08:51:08 AM EST

Re: Give the guy a break... (none / 0)

According to the accusations, there was only one time where either of them were behind the plate as it were, and it's implied that Haggard was the catcher that time - Jones said "I wore the condom".


by Phoenix Rising on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 12:53:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Give the guy a break indeed (3.00 / 2)

I, too, once drunk delight of battle with my peers on the campaign fields and on fridays like today would have roared with unalloyed triumph, laughter and vindication at the poetic justice here--the ripping away of the mask of the Oral Majority, as we called it.

But today, older and long retired from the wars, I DO feel sorry for this twisted victim, Haggard, is it?, and his wife and niece and the rest of the misguided members of his sorry-assed church.

Of course, I eat double cheeseburgers without remorse. But once in a while, perhaps we should look at the eyes of the poor dumb steer just before the sledgehammer hits it in the forehead.

Yesterday, these people were chewing grass, puking it up, hating gays, eating the puke, and swallowing it again. Now they don't know what hit them or why.

Did they all have it coming? Of course they did; we all do.

This baby, this gay marriage, will be born someday, grow up, become an adult, and melt into the population. Like amnesty for Canadian Vietnam draft evaders, no one will ever even remember there was a controversy.

But, christ, the needless blood and pain and stink and time-consuming suffering of childbirth.

It's a dirty old world, and it can make a man cry.


by stevehigh on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 09:54:16 AM EST

Re: give the guy a break (3.00 / 1)

Well, you're more charitable that me. Haggard and those like him are fostering hate in this country for political gain through gay-bashing and race-baiting. That is inexcusable and unacceptable.

Hopefully he will atone, now that his "secret" is out. I seriously doubt it though. I do hope this episode alerts the other closeted theocrats that they've made a deal with the devil and the check is coming due real soon.

Hypocrites.


by CocoaLove on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:01:46 AM EST

The next couple news cycles should be about... (3.00 / 2)

The Bush administration helps Iran and North Korea  to build a nuclear bomb.

Let's see....

On one hand, Kerry botched a joke and possible insulted some troups -- main news story for 72 hours.

On the other hand, Bush administration reveals (for political reasons to justify their past actions) valuable info on building nuclear bombs -- 72 seconds of news coverage?

Which mistake is more serious, more news worthy, more indicative of the general character of the people who made the mistake?


by xtrarich on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:32:20 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (none / 0)

I watched Tom Brokaw's show about Evangelicals last year, and remember this guy from it.  The show wasn't that great--I don't think Brokaw really understood what he was getting into, or the evangelical world view.  But I remember seeing Haggard and thinking, "That guy's a child molester."  


by Reece on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:51:17 AM EST

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (3.00 / 1)

Umm ... I know it's difficult, but please, let's try to remember that "gay," or even "sleazy hypocritical gay" does not necessarily equal "pedophile."

I understand that you're not saying this directly, but it's a little too close for comfort.

Thanks


John McCain, like George Bush, doesn't care about sick children
by Ms Bluezone on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 11:12:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (none / 0)

Both of those videos are severely creepy.


by beeswax49 on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:55:41 AM EST

RE; Pastor Ted Haggard (none / 0)

Well, now we know why Jeffie/James Guckert/Gannon was wandering the halls of the White House: Obviously he was ministering to the needs of the visting religious Poobahs. How very thoughtfull of the admistration.


by shirt on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 11:01:23 AM EST

How many fundies will this depress (none / 0)

enough not to vote? To me, that is the question.

Haggard's church has 14,000 members. From that number we can assume, what, about 8,000 to 10,000 members of voting age? And then if 3/4 of them are likely voters, we are talking about 6,000 to 7,500 voters from his church in CO alone.

Now, if 1 in 5 is so disgusted or confused by this, that they decide not to vote, that would mean 1,200 to 1,500 fundie-Rethuglican votes not cast. (I am not even assuming anyone changes their votes to Democratic.) This will have an impact in the local CO elections.

On the national level, Haggard was the head of the National Association of Evangelicals, which has 30 million members. If my ratios above were correct, then about 17 to 21 million members are of voting age, 13 to 16 million of them likely voters.

If even 1 in 10 is too depressed to vote, that means 1.3 to 1.7 million fundie-Rethuglican votes not cast, across the nation. Is this too "optimistic"?

P.S. I think some fundies were already not going to vote. Polling information about their motivation, relative to 2004, is readily available. My assertions above are for ADDITIONAL depressed fundie voters.


by OH Mark on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 11:15:45 AM EST

How many fundies will this depress (none / 0)

I like your math............I agree this will make a national change. We need GOTV and after the election; we can not let up ever again because this group of people will be back over and over again


by KevinB on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 12:23:00 PM EST

All The Rabid Gay Bashers Are Repressed Gays (none / 0)

There's a lot of regular folks who are against gay marriage, but the guys who are really crazy against it - the reason is because they are all repressed gays who hate themselves.  So the next time you some evangelical or some crazy guy who has started some gay bashing advocacy group, don't be made at them, pity them, because chances are they are gay as a two dollar bill and don't know how to come to terms with it.


by alhill on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 12:56:28 PM EST

Re: All The Rabid Gay Bashers Are Repressed Gays (none / 0)

I remember most anti-gay guys in high school were later found to be quite gay themselves.  I read somewhere that only 35% of homosexuals are admitted and open about it, the remaining 65% are in the closet and married with children.  And they wonder why the gay gene doesnt die out with natural selection and the lack of reproduction of the gay gene.  

Ironically what anti-gay people and religious figures dont realize is, let the gay people be gay, it stops passing along of the gay gene to children, eventually homosexuality will disappear if we make homosexuality acceptable and give them gay marriage.


by ntpadude on Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 02:19:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Meet Pastor Ted Haggard: your bareback crystal (none / 0)

I wonder if this man enjoyed some canal boat holidays UK and at the same time he promotes decency and religious behavior when he really is nothing but a fake, a big fat fake.


by tiberiu on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 12:26:23 PM EST


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