A lot has been written about John McCain's sudden courting of Jerry Falwell in the last few weeks so that he can try to win over the extreme Christian right that permeates the GOP these days. Let's take a listen to what Falwell and Pat Robertson said right after 9/11 on the 700 Club.
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JERRY FALWELL: The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.

PAT ROBERTSON: Well, yes.

JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way-all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."

How can McCain suddenly say that Falwell is not an agent of intolerance? I haven't heard them apologize for their statements.

SFGate has more back in '01.