Ruben Navarrette Jr: Liberal, pro-choice gay? I admire their passion. Respect Obama's Warren choice.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Commentary: Respect Obama's choice of Rick Warren

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/19/navarrette.warren/index.html



By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CNN) -- If controversies were sitcoms, the ruckus over Barack Obama's decision to have the invocation at his inaugural ceremony given by Rick Warren -- bestselling author and pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Church in Southern California -- would be the "Seinfeld" of the bunch. After all, it's about nothing.

Don't misunderstand. I don't mean that the concerns of those liberal groups, pro-choice activists and gay rights proponents who are upset with Warren's selection are nothing. I admire their passion. In fact, I suspect, my worldview isn't so different from theirs.

And unlike Warren, who is an outspoken supporter of Proposition 8 -- the divisive ballot measure that amended the California constitution to ban gay marriage -- I opposed the initiative. For many on my side of the issue, this was bigotry on full display; for me, it was bullying.

But the Warren controversy doesn't have anything to do with all that. This is about a president-elect, who just came off a bruising 21-month campaign, exercising his prerogative to choose whoever he wants to deliver the blessing at his inauguration. It's about -- as President-elect Obama noted this week -- Americans learning to agree to disagree without becoming disagreeable.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. I wonder if he could be any more patronizing. nt

[WillParkinson]

2. From the look of it...

I'd say yes.