TV preacher Pat Robertson caused something of a fuss last weekend when he appeared on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and said, among other things, that the terrorists of Sept. 11 were just “a few bearded-terrorists who fly into buildings” and that federal judges who fail to share his worldview are a greater threat to the fabric of America than terrorism today, Nazis during WWII, and the Civil War in the 19th century.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) of New Jersey was compelled to contact Robertson directly and ask him to explain himself.
“I urge you to publicly apologize to every family that has lost a loved one on 9/11 and on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan fighting the global war against terrorism.
“To suggest that members of the federal judiciary are somehow in the same class as “a few bearded terrorists” is an assault on the men and women on the federal bench who safeguard our rights under the Constitution everyday.
“Not until I heard what you had said would I have ever believed a man of such deep faith could single out our courts, and not terrorists, as America’s Public Enemy Number One. Every family who has lost loved ones at the hands of terrorists deserves nothing less that a full and forthright apology from you.”
Earlier this week, in a letter obtained by The Carpetbagger Report, Robertson responded to Lautenberg’s concerns. The TV preacher probably thought the controversy surrounding his remarks from last weekend has passed; this letter might bring it back again.
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Now, there are a lot of strange comments in this document, but let’s quickly touch on some of the most startling.
First, Robertson’s remarks were not “taken out of context.” If anything, the comments appear worse when heard in full. You can watch the entire interview online and see for yourself.
Second, the idea that we are in no danger from “crazed terrorists” in Afghanistan — a group that presumably includes Osama bin Laden — suggests Robertson’s view of the war on terror is even more naïve than was apparent during the “This Week” interview. (Had a Democrat suggested that these terrorists cannot “threaten America,” it’d be viewed as an example of the party’s weakness. And yet, here’s a powerful Republican figure putting the claim in print.)
Third, Robertson continues to embrace bizarre ideas such as the belief that the “sanctioning of pornography” is more dangerous than terrorism. To put it mildly, this reflects a twisted worldview that most Americans would find abhorrent.
And finally, Robertson pats himself on the back for his coverage of the 9/11 attacks the morning they occurred, but he neglected to mention that, 48 hours later, while rescue crews were still combing through Ground Zero, Robertson joined Jerry Falwell in blaming the terrorism on liberals in America.
Robertson lives in a strange and imaginary place where terrorists can’t hurt us and the real threat the nation faces is Americans with whom he disagrees. It’s a shame such a small and sad man retains a position of such influence in today’s Republican Party.