"I am very honored by Pastor John Hagee's endorsement..."

And later said -

"I was pleased to have the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee..."

Talking Points Memo provided nearly six minutes of John Hagee's greatest hits. So what exactly is John McCain "proud of"?

"Our nation has lost a great public servant with the passing of Representative Tom Lantos. In serving his constituents and his country, Tom never forgot the Democratic Party's ideals of freedom, fairness, and opportunity for all. As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was an authority on foreign policy issues and a voice for the oppressed. The only Holocaust survivor in Congress, he was a forceful and passionate advocate for civil liberties and human rights. Today, I join with countless others across the country in offering my thoughts and prayers to Rep. Lantos' family and friends as we honor his life and legacy."

Religion will play an important role in today's South Carolina Democratic primary, just as it did in last week's South Carolina Republican primary. The difference is that we'll learn less about how religion affects today's vote than we learned about how it influenced last week's contest.

Last week, thanks to exit polls, we understood the religious breakdown, how often voters attended religious services, whether they considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians, whether they said the candidates' religious beliefs mattered and what they thought about abortion. And the polls helped to shape the news coverage, so we saw headlines such as: "Evangelical Republicans Drive S.C. Primary" and "Ideology, Religion Important in S.C."

If previous exit polls this cycle are any indicator, religion will be much less central to the exit polls today. At most, Democrats have been asked which religion they identify with and how often they go to church. In Iowa and Michigan, Democrats weren't asked about religion at all. And that, in turn, has shaped the news coverage, making it appear that one party has a monopoly on religion in this race.

I'm chief of staff of the Democratic National Committee and CEO of the 2008 Democratic Convention. I'm also an ordained Pentecostal minister. So I've been encouraged by the growing attention paid to the role of religion in politics as we go about the important task of electing our next president. I've been disappointed, however, with the focus of the discussion so far.

Democrats have been, are and will continue to be people of faith. My own support for the party stems from my sense that it is most emblematic of gospel values. Democrats believe in equal opportunity for all Americans, that no child should go to bed hungry or go without health care, that we should be good stewards of the earth, that we shouldn't pass on debt to our children, and that people who work hard should be able to earn a living wage so they can support their families.

As a "big tent" party, we embrace and represent people from a number of faith traditions. The religious diversity of our party reflects the rich religious diversity of our nation -- and this includes those who don't identify with a religious tradition.

But, for too long, we allowed the other side to define us and our values. Some Democrats were reluctant to talk about faith on the campaign trail. While strong, our faith was a personal, not partisan, matter.

Following the 2004 election, it became clear that Republicans used religion to create a divide. And, as people of faith and as Democrats, we had a responsibility to speak out. That's what we're doing now. The DNC has been actively engaging people of faith who share the core values and principles of the Democratic Party. We've assembled a team of religious leaders -- including pastors, theologians and organizational leaders -- to open a dialogue and build coalitions around our shared values. And America has seen the Democratic presidential candidates sharing their own faith journeys, talking about how faith informs their politics.

We know the support is there -- and growing. In fact, Democrats narrowed the Republican advantage among weekly churchgoers in the 2006 election, and a recent Pew survey found that the number of young evangelicals who identified themselves as Republican dropped by 15 percentage points, from 55 percent in 2001 to 40 percent today.

Yet the exit polls and the media reports and the pundits have largely missed this story. They often fail to acknowledge that people of faith are and can be Democrats.

To be sure, exit-poll questions asking Republicans if they are born-again or evangelical Christians may be trying to approximate questions in years past about identification with the "Religious Right." But this is an outdated script that leaves the impression that religion and faith matter only to Republicans.

Religion will continue to play a prominent role in the Democratic nominating process as well. And pollsters and pundits and all the media would do well to examine this interesting and important dynamic.

The writer is chief of staff of the Democratic Party and CEO of the Democratic Convention in Denver.

Dean issued the following statement: 

"Ann Coulter's brand of hateful, intolerant rhetoric has no place in America's national discourse. The Republican Party and its presidential candidates ought to denounce Coulter and refuse to participate in or support events at which she is a speaker. Coulter's prejudiced rant is only the latest example in a pattern of hate speech that has also targeted Gays, Latinos, African Americans, and Muslims, among others, in the past. Americans may disagree from time to time, but at our core we are a tolerant nation. Anyone seeking to lead our nation should stand up and denounce intolerance and hatred as un-American. As the Republican Presidential candidates prepare to address the RJC, they owe it to the American people to use the opportunity to take a stand on this critical matter."

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Today, in his latest flip-flop, Giuliani strained to justify his support for escalation in Iraq by saying it was a mistake for Israel to pull out of Gaza. Watch it below:

Having trouble? Download the file here.

But when Giuliani visited Israel in 2005, he praised Ariel Sharon for his plan to pull out of Gaza, saying "Sharon did things that were necessary, even when they hurt him politically or crossed his party’s ideological line." [New York Post, 9/23/05]

If Tommy Thompson's presidential run isn't over, it should be.

And this has nothing to do with his relatively light campaign chest. His remarks about Jewish people and tradition Monday revealed him simply to be ill-suited to the presidency.

Speaking to the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., Thompson said, "I'm in the private sector, and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know, that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition, and I do not find anything wrong with that."

"Today marks the start of Hanukkah, often called the festival of lights. Over the next eight nights, Jews all over the world will join together in lighting the Hanukkah menorah symbolizing the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the survival of the Jewish religion.

"During this time, we reaffirm our faith and rededicate ourselves to creating peace in the world through our actions. We also mark this season by expressing our deep gratitude to the brave men and women of all faiths in uniform, their families and our veterans for the sacrifices that they make on our behalf.

"Tonight, as my family and I light the first candle of the menorah, we ask for a renewed sense of purpose and strength. We wish all a meaningful holiday season and a happy Hanukkah."

"Sundown on Sunday marks the start of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews around the world.

"This High Holiday is a time to seek forgiveness and ask for divine guidance for self-improvement through repentance, prayer and fasting.

"On Yom Kippur, Jews will honor and remember loved ones who have passed, work to rekindle and rebuild relationships and seek means to improve the communities in which they live.

"My family and I ask all to join with the Jewish people to use this time as the beginning of a new era of peace and security."

"This weekend Jews around the world will welcome in the Jewish New Year and the High Holiday season reflecting on last year's highpoints and challenges. During this time it is customary to use the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, to reexamine shortcomings and seek the means to a more rewarding future.

“This season also offers the opportunity to reflect on how to better help those affected by poverty, disease and the horrors of war and genocide, and to rededicate ourselves to an overall, safe and peaceful global community.

"My family joins me in wishing all those who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah a healthy, and peaceful New Year. L'Shana Tovah."

United in our shared values founded on tolerance, respect, diversity and security, Jewish Americans and the Democratic Party continue to work together to strengthen our nation’s policies.

Together, Jewish Americans and the Democratic Party are working to:

• Strengthen civil liberties – protecting freedom of religion and speech
• Ensure civil rights – a fair and equal chance must be available to all
• Protect our environment - it is our home and we must respect it
• Strengthen America’s strategic alliance with the State of Israel
• End genocide in Darfur
• Promote Peace in the Middle East

Join us today to stay informed on issues that matter to the Jewish community and check out the ways you can get involved in your community on PartyBuilder.