Pastor Wars - Coming to a television near you!

As was announced by Tim Russert on MSNBC last night, North Carolina Republicans REALLY don't want Obama to win

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Republican Party in North Carolina said Wednesday it's launching a television ad calling Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama too extreme for the state, despite the objections of GOP presumptive nominee John McCain.

The advertisement raises the scepter of Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright, beginning with a photo of Obama and Wright together and a clip of Wright's contentious remarks about America.



"He's just too extreme for North Carolina," the narrator says in the 30-second spot.

McCain urged state party leaders to withhold the advertisement, calling it "offensive."

"This ad does not live up to the very high standards we should hold ourselves to in this campaign," McCain said in a letter e-mailed to state GOP chairwoman Linda Daves.

Daves said the ad presents a question of patriotism and judgment.

"It is entirely appropriate for voters to evaluate candidates based on their past associations," she said.

The ad will begin running statewide on Monday, a week before the state's crucial May 6 primary.

Yeah - the RNC and McCain are realllllly fighting hard to keep that ad off the air.

Uh huh...

Meanwhile, Pastor Hagee, McCain's "spiritual consultant" (pronounced "spurtchool" in his native Southern Baptist) actually REPEATED his claims that Katrina was God's punishment raining (literally) down from heaven. Of course, John McCain still doesn't reject his support, even though he's kinda sorta a little uncomfortable with it.

And finally, Michael Moore endorsed Obama this week, with an interesting comment directed to Hillary about...you guessed it...a pastor:

Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

But no, Obama won't throw that at her. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be decent. She's been through enough hurt. And so he remains silent and takes the mud she throws in his face.

I'm glad to see somebody say it.