Who Can You Lie To?

Commentator Eric Schmeltzer on the Huffington Post (posted at Yahoo!) wrote about John McCain not abiding by the agreed upon rules of last weekend's forum with Saddleback pastor Rick Warren. McCain had agreed to be in a "cone of silence" so he would not know the questions and Obama's answers. It turned out later that McCain did not abide by that but had said to Warren on the air that he had. Schmeltzer said:

John McCain lied to and embarrassed a pastor on national television. Pastor Warren made clear in his opening, and reiterated to CNN's Rick Sanchez, that he was under the belief that Senator McCain had abided by the agreed upon rules, and was in his so-called "cone of silence" when the show started. McCain let Warren believe that, until afterwords.

I agree with the general theme of the article- that McCain was dishonest and, in essence cheated, on the basic idea of the forum. Rick Warren, whether we agree with his politics or presentation or not, was trying to do an almost unique event in modern politics. He wanted to question both candidates with the same questions independently. That way we could have some ways to compare the two on their ideas.

I have heard, since I was watching the Olympics, that while Warren may have agreed with McCain more often than with Obama, he was basically fair. I have also heard that McCain was much more relaxed and "down to earth" than Obama who someone called "professorial." I don't think that knowing some of the questions would necessarily have eased McCain's presence, but it certainly could have played a part.

But what struck me most about Schmeltzer's comment was that it seems important to him that McCain "lied to and embarrassed a pastor..." He uses variations on this several times in the piece. So, it would be okay to lie to and embarrass, say, Brian Williams, Wolf Blitzer, or Brit Hume? Lying to a pastor is more of a "no-no" because Warren is a "man of God?" McCain has crossed a line into some kind of "mortal" political sin?

It would seem to me, in my humble opionion, that lying and embarrassing someone on national television is the same, no matter who it is done to and no matter who does it. It would seem to me that using half-truths and innuendos that cannot be proven except in sideways glances is no less than lying to Pastor Warren. Of course then we might have to call all the political ads and speeches into question. For some reason, though, rooted deep in our spiritual history, lying to a pastor (or priest or rabbi, I would assume) is of greater consequence.

I had thought the days of the clergy pedestal were dying. I guess not. At least when it comes to an election year on national television.