Last week, when my computer was working, I noted the bizarre claims by televangelist and all-around nutjob Jack Van Impe, who said that he had recently been contacted by “the Office of Public Liaison for the White House and by the National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to make an outline” for the president on Biblical prophecy regarding the Middle East.
As nutty as the Bush White House can be, I suggested that Van Impe was almost certainly fibbing.
I have since learned (via Atrios) a few more details. It turns out Van Impe wasn’t completely off base.
The White House actually did invite about 40 “religious leaders,” including Van Impe, to attend a briefing by Condoleezza Rice on Israeli/Palestinian affairs and Bush’s support for creating a Palestinian state by 2005. Most of the attendees were evangelical Christians.
The reason for the briefing is that Bush’s position on Israel is considered very controversial among evangelical Christians, who staunchly oppose any concessions to Palestinians for a variety of reasons, some of which have a lot to do with Biblical prophecy. Bush and his political advisors apparently hoped that a briefing by a senior staffer like Rice would help placate the ministers. It didn’t and they remain staunch opponents of Bush’s so-called “road map.”
Nevertheless, the fact that such a meeting even took place is somewhat disconcerting. Condi Rice can speak to whomever she pleases, but the fact that the White House felt compelled to assemble a group of evangelical Christians, including fringe television evangelists, to try and “sell” the administration’s policy on Israel is a little odd.
It turns out that Van Impe declined the invitation, and told the administration that he will instead prepare a video on prophecy for Bush. This was a project that Van Impe volunteered to take on; it was not requested by the White House.
This certainly helps explain Van Impe’s seemingly bizarre claim. He really had been contacted by the White House Office of Public Liaison with an invitation to receive a briefing by Rice. Van Impe had not, as he claimed, been asked to prepare “an outline” for Bush — that part is still a big fib — but at least we now see there was, unfortunately, a kernel of truth to the original claim.