Liberals Outraged Over Rick Warren's Obama Invocation

Thursday, December 18, 2008 7:10 AM

By: Tim Collie

President-elect Barack Obama triggered a liberal firestorm Wednesday with the announcement that noted evangelical minister Rick Warren would deliver an invocation at his inauguaration.

The celebrity preacher at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., who hosted an important forum on faith with Obama and John McCain during the presidential campaign, is a best-selling author who fills stadiums with his sermons.

While liberal partisans were up in arms, some political analysts described the move as brilliant, a gesture not only to white social conservatives but an astute nod to the African-American and Latino communities, which are notably more conservative on religious and social issues than mainstream whites.

Blacks especially played a key role in supporting Proposition 8, the recently passed California ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in that state. Warren and his church also was a leader in that effort.

“… For Obama, making a statement about his inclusiveness and willingness to reach across ideological lines is more important than satisfying liberals on every issue as he has shown with his cabinet choices,’’ noted the Swamp, the political blog for the Chicago Tribune.

Liberal outrage, the post continued, “may help Obama with some centrist and more conservative voters. Also, many African American churchgoers tend to share Warren's views on social issues. So the issue is more complicated than simply right and left.â€