McCain says no thanks to preachers' endorsement

STOCKTON, Calif. — Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.

McCain rejected the months-old endorsement of Texas preacher John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which the preacher said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."

He later repudiated the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio preacher who has sharply criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.

Of Hagee, McCain said, "Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive ... [and] I feel I must reject his endorsement."

Later, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too. "I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America."

McCain actively courted Hagee, who leads a megachurch with a congregation in the tens of thousands and has an even wider television audience.

Obama to speak in Kennedy's stead

BOSTON — Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., will not give the commencement address he was scheduled to deliver Sunday at Wesleyan University and will be replaced by Sen. Barack Obama.

Obama offered to speak at the graduation last weekend, after Kennedy, 76, was hospitalized because of a seizure caused by a malignant brain tumor, a Kennedy aide said. Obama called Kennedy again Thursday, and they agreed he would fill in.

Kennedy's stepdaughter, Caroline Raclin, will be among the graduates. Kennedy's son Edward Jr. graduated in 1983 from the university in Middletown, Conn.

Kennedy remained at home in Hyannis Port, Mass.

Superdelegate has advice for Clinton

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. David Paterson, a superdelegate who supports Hillary Rodham Clinton, said she's showing "a little desperation" and should give up her effort to count votes from renegade primaries in Michigan and Florida.

Paterson said Thursday that Clinton shouldn't derail the process by which the national Democratic Party stripped Michigan and Florida of their national convention delegates because they moved their primaries up to January in violation of party rules.

The rules were agreed to by all the candidates, including Clinton, before she won the two January contests.

Seattle Times news services