John McCain met Sunday with evangelist Billy Graham and his son, Franklin, at the family's mountaintop retreat.
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(Photo: AP Images / LM Otero)Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., center, poses for photo with Christian Evangelist Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham at the Graham family mountain top retreat in Montreat , N.C., Sunday, June 29, 2008.
The Republican presidential candidate, who is actively courting religious voters and trying to reassure skeptical conservatives, visited privately with the Grahams on the grounds of Little Piney Cove in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina.
"We had a very excellent conversation. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with them," McCain said after the 45-minute meeting.
McCain's visit to North Carolina was his first sit-down with Billy Graham, 89, and with Franklin Graham, although McCain and the elder Graham are acquainted. McCain's father and Billy Graham also knew each other.
The world-renowned evangelist is in poor health but apparently felt well enough to visit with McCain, who flew to North Carolina with the expectation of meeting only with Franklin Graham, who is president and chief executive of the evangelistic association his father founded in 1950.
McCain said he did not know if the Grahams would vote for him. "I didn't ask for their votes," he said, calling them "great leaders."
After the meeting, Franklin Graham issued a statement praising the Arizona senator's "personal faith and his moral clarity."
"The senator and I both have sons currently serving in the military, and also have a common interest in aviation," Franklin Graham said. "I was impressed by his personal faith and his moral clarity on important social issues facing America today."
Franklin Graham said his father told a story about meeting McCain's father, a Navy admiral, on a trip to Vietnam during the war when John McCain was being held as a prisoner of war after his military plane was shot out of the sky. The two prayed for John McCain during his captivity.
Franklin Graham said his father "expressed gratitude for the senator's long and brave service" to the country.
"We had an opportunity to pray for the senator and his family, and for God's will to be done in this upcoming election," Franklin Graham said.
He said he was not endorsing anyone for president, but was urging "men and women of faith everywhere" to vote and be involved in the political process.
"I encourage people to vote for the candidate at every level who best represents their values and convictions, and then to pray for those in authority over us as required in Scripture," Franklin Graham said.
McCain said last week that he did not consider the meeting with Franklin Graham a political one. Earlier this month, Barack Obama, McCain's Democratic rival, met with the younger Graham, who was among some 30 evangelicals Obama met with in Chicago.
"He is a man whose family is respected, incredibly respected, and I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to meet with him," McCain said of Franklin Graham. "I think the Graham family really transcends politics in America. Billy Graham was an adviser to every president and so I'm not sure that there is any — there certainly is no political aspect to the meeting that I will have."
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My Brothers and sisters of United State have come to a difficult and most decisive junction,ther is a superstitious man holding a monkey as his Omen, how does it look, there are others but they confirm their faith and willingness to up hhold the faith, whom will you choose, mere rehtoric or real people.Americas presence in the world is diminishing very sorry to say that, it is because of the worldliness of His people and the wickedness rampant among the unbelieving,don't be like the I sarelites who chosen Abimelek Gideon concubine's son.After all USA has become like Titanic,not because of the Presidents but because of you and your faters house hold has gone away from the Living God.Repent and turn to the living God through Christ Jesus.
USA is not in the Biblical prophecy.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
It's nice to see John McCain attempting to sway us evangelical voters by visiting with Bill Graham. However, it's too little too late.
At this point his campaign is nothing more than arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic - and we all know what happened to the Titanic.
Obama view on the Bible is to court your affection for him! Come on he blatantly supports killing God's creation through abortion, spws lies about what the bible stands for and is currently making a mockery of christians by pleading to our good character and wilingness to help the poor, defenseless, and the sick. All to which we will continue to do without socialism. It is not to be forced upon people but done out of the which is in the heart. Shame on Obama for distorting the truth and to willingly become a false prophet to sure up his political agenda
What moral fiber?The man divorced 1st wife because she was disfigured in an accident,never talks about older children and didn't taxes on a condo in calif.The man has no morals.
He has a "private meeting" and then tells the world about it(including picture), tells you everything you need to know. A politician doing this in Britain would lose votes.
Its clear its just for votes! He's trying to do what Bush did. Everyone woohed over Bush being a "christian" McCain will be the same. All show!
A link to this article has been posted on the website GoodNewsNow.com.
tpique1,
Yes.
I have seen Rev. Billy Graham speaking filled with the Holy Spirit. McCain needs some or more of this.
itsallaboutjesusnotme.blogspot.com
First it was Hagee, then Parsley now Graham, it's just seems like he needs some preacher to tell him that he's God's man so that the evangelical crowd will swoon in approval.
Agreed, this visit smacks of desparation on McCain's part. His stance on social issues should be blatantly apparent, and not read "in between the lines" of visits to famous Preacher's.
So now that he's met with Billy and Franklin, I'm supposed to vote for him now? Do politicians really think we're that stupid?