Let's hope he was joking.

By ( articles ) | Jun 27, 2005

"The decisions you make tonight will effect your whole future and your eternal future," Rev. Billy Graham told a rally in New York.

Then the 86-year-old evangelist made his own decision, that night, to praise Bill and Hillary Clinton. He said that Bill should become a preacher, leaving "his wife to run the country."

Sad.

For decades, Rev. Graham carefully guarded his reputation for personal integrity. He made a point of never being alone with a women other than his wife, because he understood how damaging even the appearance of impropriety-- even a baseless accusation of impropriety-- could be to his public image. Now he let his guard down, and was duped by two of America's leading con artists.

It's a sad finale to a remarkable public career. Ironically, just a few hours later (in a very different context) Pope Benedict observed that with one careless mistake a man "can ruin his own life and that of others."