McCain's Graham Flap is False

Newsmax.com reports of a rejection by John McCain to meeting with Dr. Billy Graham have been refuted by representative of both the McCain Campaign and the Billy Graham Association.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - Journalist Doug Wead caused a big stir on Newsmax.com last night when he posted a story that the McCain campaign had turned down an opportunity to meet with Billy Graham.

Wead wrote, "In recent weeks I have been involved with Brian Jacobs, a Fort Worth, Texas, minister and consultant to the Billy Graham Association, to broker a meeting between McCain and Graham. In May, we contacted the McCain campaign with an offer to arrange such a meeting, as we had done between candidate George W. Bush and Graham during the 2000 election."

The report included a letter to Jacobs, from McCain's Director of Scheduling, Amber Johnson. The correspondence indicated that John McCain would not be taking advantage of the invitation to meet with Dr. Graham, who is in failing health.

Johnson wrote, "Unfortunately, I must pass along our regrets and do not foresee an opportunity to add this event to the calendar."

Wead's article posited a shift in the McCain strategy in order to draw Clinton pro-choicers and signaled a shift in the position of the G.O.P. with regard to Evangelical voters.

The blogs have been busy today with postings concerning this turn of events while news outlets checked with McCain staffers to see what is really taking place.

Mojo Blog, from Mother Jones news, had contacted the PR people for the Graham organization who indicated they didn't know what was taking place.

Larry Ross, director of Media and PR for the Graham Association told Mother Jones, "It would be highly unusual and out of character for Mr. Graham to initiate such a meeting, and there has been no contact between the McCain campaign and his office.

"In fact, Mr. Graham has not met or been in contact with any candidates during the current primary process. If he had, it has been his personal policy through the years to avoid partisanship by meeting with representatives from both parties to address spiritual concerns.

"Upon further inquiry I understand that two people unaffiliated with either Billy or Franklin Graham apparently independently, without any knowledge by the [Billy Graham Evangelistic Association], tried to broker a meeting between Mr. McCain and the evangelist. Apparently it was their indirect and unofficial involvement that was declined."

From Ross' response, Mother Jones' conclusion was that the McCain campaign had not refused to meet with Graham but refused to agree to a meeting brokered by Brian Jacobs and Doug Wead.

Brit Hume, of Fox News, reported that, in his contacts with the McCain people that on-going contact has been taking place between the campaign and the Graham organization directly, to schedule a meeting.

David Brody, of CBN News (Christian Broadcasting Network) also confirmed that the reports were untrue. He spoke with Tucker Bounds, of the McCain Campaign, who stated the following:

"The piece in Newsmax is false. Our campaign has been working directly with Reverend Franklin Graham's office to facilitate an important meeting between John McCain and Reverend Billy Graham. The report's implication that we have 'declined to meet with Billy Graham' is blatantly false, because our campaign has already been working directly with Franklin Graham's office and politely declined Mr. Jacobs' offer to help facilitate a meeting. John McCain has the highest respect for Reverend Billy Graham and looks forward to meeting with him in the future."

McCain staffers also told Brody that Brian Jacobs, a Fort Worth, TX minister, has no official connection with Dr. Graham's Association and had received a form letter.

Graham, 89, has long been an icon of Evangelical Christianity. He has been the confidante for several presidents over the years and was honored last year when three former presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, were present for the dedication of his library.

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