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STOCKTON, CA — Sen. McCain told reporters Thursday that he decided to renounce Hagee’s endorsement Thursday because the controversial pastor’s Hitler comments were “just too much.”

“Well, I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable. And certainly Reverend Hagee, Pastor Hagee, is entitled to his views. But we’ve reached a point where that kind of statement simply, I would not, I would reject the endorsement of the expression of those kinds of views,” McCain said at a press conference after a rally in northern California. “But also I’d like to make something else clear. My church that I attend is the North Phoenix Baptist Church. My pastor, and spiritual guide, is Pastor Dan Yeary. I’ve never been in Pastor Hagee’s church. Or Pastor (Rod) Parsley’s church. I didn’t attend their church for twenty years. And I’m not a member of their church. I received their endorsement which did not mean that I endorsed their views. But the comments made…most recently by Pastor Hagee are just too much.”

(Note that no McCain comment on Hagee goes without a subtle dig at Obama’s 20-year relationship with controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright.)

The presumptive GOP nominee’s on-camera remarks come after the McCain campaign released a written statement rejecting the endorsement today.

Union City, CA — After taking heat for nearly three months for receiving the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, John McCain took the final step Thursday and completely rejected the support from the controversial evangelical leader.

Reacting to comments unearthed this week in which the pastor said Adolf Hitler was fulfilling God’s will by carrying out the Holocaust because it hastened the creation of Israel and the return of Jews to their homeland, McCain was forced to completely break his ties.

“Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee’s endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well,” McCain said in a written statement issued by his press office–also getting in a slight dig on Obama and his relationship with his controversial pastor. “I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright’s extreme views. But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not attend his church for twenty years. I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today. “

The split appears to be mutual, as Hagee released his own statment this afternoon “withdrawing” his endorsement, noting that he fears that his comments have “become a distraction in what should be a national debate about important issues.”

“Ever since I endorsed John McCain for president, people seeking to attack Senator McCain have combed my records for statements they can use for political gain. They have had no qualms about grossly misrepresenting my position on issues most near and dear to my heart if it serves their political ambitions,” Hagee said in a recent paper statement. “I am tired of these baseless attacks and fear that they have become a distraction in what should be a national debate about important issues. I have therefore decided to withdraw my endorsement of Senator McCain for President effective today, and to remove myself from any active role in the 2008 campaign. I hope that the Senator McCain will accept this withdrawal so that he may focus on the issues that are most important to America and the world.”

Hagee’s Hitler comments are only the latest in a litany of controversial statements brought to light in recent months since McCain first received the endorsement from the controversial pastor. Hagee has also blamed Hurricane Katrina on the sins of New Orleans residents and called the Catholic Church the “great whore.”

McCain has repeatedly condemned specific incendiary Hagee remarks during the last three months but defended his endorsement, often praising the pastor’s support for Israel, and consistently stated that accepting his endorsement did not mean he also approved of the pastor’s views. When he was recently confronted with Hagee’s Katrina remarks, he called them “nonsense” nine times, but still said he was not ready to repudiate his endorsement

“It’s nonsense. I don’t have anything more to say about that. Of course–I apologize for that. It’s nonsense. I reject that categorically and I would point out there’s a lot of people who have endorsed me. They support my views. That does not mean that I support (their views),” McCain told reporters April 24 during a trip to New Orleans. “Would I consider repudiating his endorsement? I certainly condemn those parts of his remarks. I continue to appreciate his support for the state of Israel and for many of the good things that he and his church has done. But I repudiate as strongly as possible those remarks and those of the Catholic church as well.”

McCain campaign advisers have admitted that they failed to adequately vet Hagee before accepting his endorsement prior to the Texas primary–which was viewed at the time as an important pickup for the GOP candidate as he sought to bring aboard support from the Christian right.

North Bend, WA—

Even though he came to the Pacific Northwest to talk about the environment, Senator John McCain had to deal with a controversial endorser making news. McCain supporter, John Hagee apologized to Catholics today for offensive comments he has made. He wrote a letter to Bill Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights saying, “I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful.” Donohue has accepted Hagee’s apology.

McCain has heavily courted the religious right, but flatly rejected many of Hagee’s more controversial remarks. Even with those repudiations the presumptive Republican nominee faced heavy criticism for seeking out the evangelical leader’s endorsement.

McCain denied having anything to do with brokering today’s apology, but that he appreciates the reconciliation, “I believe the fact that these two individuals came together is a laudable thing and a testimony to both individuals and their principles, which are Judeo-Christian values.”

He added that he hasn’t “endorsed everything that he said,” referring to Hagee, but that he saw the apology as helpful, “Whenever somebody apologizes for something they think that they did wrong then I think that that’s a laudable thing to do.”

The Democratic National Committee reacted to Hagee’s apology saying that McCain should renounce his endorsement immediately and issued a scathing response, “Now that Reverend Hagee is apologizing for his anti-Catholic comments, does John McCain think that Hagee should also apologize for his other comments?  If so, will he have the courage to say so publicly? Unless John McCain’s idea of being a new kind of Republican includes cozying up to radicals who compare women to dogs, hold racially insensitive fundraisers and call one of the worst natural disasters in our country’s history God’s punishment, he should renounce John Hagee’s endorsement immediately. Given John McCain’s history of putting political calculations ahead of his principles, we’re not holding our breath.”

New Orleans, LA — Rev. John Hagee’s view that Hurricane Katrina was punishment for the sins of New Orleans residents is “nonsense,” McCain said at least nine times aboard his bus today.

The DNC has been calling on McCain to specifically condemn those remarks for weeks even though the GOP presumptive nominee has previously rebuked other controversial Hagee remarks.

“It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense. I don’t have anything additional to say. It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, I don’t have anything more to say….it’s nonsense. I reject that categorically.”

Hagee endorsed McCain in late February.

*****UPDATED with full exchange from bus. Notice that at the end of his response, McCain gets a shot in on Obama and Wright telling reporters, “I didn’t attend Pastor Hagee’s church for 20 years.”

Q: What is your reaction (to Hagee Katrina comments)?

McCain: It’s nonsense.

Q: Would you withdraw accepting his endorsement?

McCain: It’s nonsense, it’s nonsense, it’s nonsense. It’s nonsense. I don’t have anything additional to say about that. It’s nonsense.

Q: Do you regret accepting his endorsement?

A: It’s nonsense. I don’t have anything more to say about that. Of course–I apologize for that. It’s nonsense. I reject that categorically and I would point out there’s a lot of people who have endorsed me. They support my views. That does not mean that I support–would I consider repudiating his endorsement? I certainly condemn those parts of his remarks. I continue to appreciate his support for the state of Israel and for many of the good things that he and his church has done. But I repudiate as strongly as possible those remarks and those of the Catholic church as well.

Q: You and your Democratic opponents spend a certain amount of time commenting on surrogates and endorsers, on what they said. Do you think that is in any way interfering with how you’re trying to conduct your campaign?

A: …I didn’t attend Pastor Hagee’s church for 20 years. There’s a great deal of difference in my view between someone who endorses you and other circumstances.

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Round Rock, TX — Sen. John McCain defended the endorsement of controversial evangelical pastor John Hagee, noting Friday that he does not embrace the views of every one of his backers.

“I don’t have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy. They are supporting my candidacy. I am not endorsing some of their positions,” McCain said after a town hall at Dell computers headquarters outside Austin, TX.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue is calling on McCain to renounce the Hagee endorsement, arguing that the San Antonio-based preacher is an anti-Catholic bigot who has referred to the Catholic church as a cult, the anti-Christ and “the Great Whore.” Hagee also espouses radical views about what he sees as the impending Armageddon.

“For the past few decades, he has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church,” Donohue said Thursday. “Senator Obama has repudiated the endorsement of Louis Farrakhan, another bigot. McCain should follow suit and retract his embrace of Hagee.” The Democratic National Committee also slammed McCain for the endorsement Friday.

As McCain attempts to unify the GOP for the general election, he will have to bring together a number of disparate elements of the party, including the evangelical groups key to President Bush’s 2000 and 2004 victories. Hagee boasts more than 19,000 followers and is a major pro-Israel voice for the evangelical community.

“I am very proud of Pastor John Hagee’s spiritual leadership to thousands of people and I am proud of his commitment to the independence and the freedom of the state of Israel,” McCain said, but repeated again that in accepting the pastor’s backing does not mean he agrees with everything “Hagee might have said or positions that he may have taken on other issues.”

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