McFlip-flop!

Three months and a string of statements offensive to Catholics, gays and and Jews later, nutjob televangelist John Hagee is FINALLY too controversial for John McCain.

Hagee had tried to protect McCain by apologizing to some Catholics, but the finding of an audiotape of his late 90s sermon in which he said God sent Adolph Hitler to help the Jews get to Israel was the final straw.

HuffPo:

"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," the presidential candidate said in a statement issued Thursday.

And, as always, don't forget that McCain actively sought Hagee's endorsement for months and that many of his controversial views were well-documented at the time.

Josh Marshall gets the quote of the day on this one:

Given that McCain has now clearly rejected Hagee's endorsement, perhaps it's time that he, a la Obama, give a speech on the topic of Republican presidential candidates pandering to lunatic fringe right-wing preachers at election time. It could start a whole national conversation.

Photo of Hagee: AP