Friday, November 15, 2013

On the red carpet at Billy's bash with Palin & Co.


Prior to Billy Graham’s 95th birthday party last Thursday night, we in the working press gathered, mob-like, behind a rope, waiting to shout questions at and snap photos of celebrity guests at Asheville’s grand Grove Park Inn.

Think Hollywood’s red carpet. But instead of movie stars, we got Republican politicos, Christian musicians and Sarah Palin.



“Hey, Governor,” I called out as the one-time leader of Alaska and her husband Todd strode into view, “what’s Billy Graham’s legacy?”

As the cameras click-click-clicked, she jumped right in with a 17-second answer.

“Oh, he is one who has been able to message what truth is, with the solutions to our world’s problems, our individual problems, and our nation’s challenges,” she said. “He’s been one to articulate what it is and what it will take to get everybody on the right track.”

Before Palin, we got to throw questions to Ricky Skaggs.

“It’s awesome to be at anyone’s 95th birthday, and especially Dr. Graham’s,” the bluegrass picker-singer said. “I’ve got a lot of heroes. But his picture is the biggest one I have in my studio.”

Christian music star Michael W. Smith, who would sing “Happy Birthday” to Graham at the party, had the most succinct take on the Charlotte-born evangelist as he strolled past the press.

“He’s finished well,” Smith said, echoing that first-century evangelist, Paul.

Democrats Bill and Hillary Clinton were invited to Billy’s party, but didn’t show, leaving the best seats in the ballroom – and the most time logged on the red carpet – to Republicans.

Press-shy (at least Thursday) Donald Trump and Glenn Beck stayed in their seats.

But U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., met the press, recalling when he was 22 and caddying for Billy at the 1971 Byron Nelson Golf Classic. “He was playing with Bob Hope and Arnold Palmer, and there were golf balls flying everywhere.”

And GOP Gov. Pat McCrory told us about the time in 1996 when he and Graham came into Panthers Stadium, site of the farmboy-turned-preacher’s last hometown crusade to win souls for Christ.

“There were 75,000 people cheering,” said McCrory, who was then mayor of Charlotte. “And (Graham) turned to me and said, ‘I think they’re confused – this is not about me.’”

Then, before moving along the rope, McCrory added: “Billy Graham was the one guy who knew it wasn’t about him. … And, you know, we all need a little humility in this celebrity world we have today.”

-- Tim Funk

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://obsdailyviews.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-reminder-from-billy-grahams-brother.html

What a load. Ford must have been smoking crack or reading the White House Quran pandering to libs. Did BG say that crap?
Does Sodom and Gomorrah ring a bell? Nothing grows there today after 3500 yrs of 2 homo cities converted too ash now called the Dead Sea. Must have hurt bad being burned alive with fire rocks. There was also the flood before that that wiped out earth.

They used to stone libs to death. That had too hurt. Salem Massachusetts burned 1000s of lezbos the stake. Today its AIDS but the media is silent. Silence equals death.
The new pc age is not new. Nothing new under the sun. Been there done that. Read your Torah or listen to the Talmud.

J Goldstein


KnowItAll said...

J Goldstein - Nice attempt at trolling. I'd suggest that you not mix alcohol with your medication.

Anonymous said...

SO,Sarah Palin was there too! Total delusion, and a Female Clown providing entertainment, as good Ole Billy got to fleece the sheeple one more time! Great fun!

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubLu-9SicSM

Graham: Well, you know, I told you one time that the Bible talks about two kinds of Jews. One is called "the synagogue of Satan.

Unknown said...

From Nixon Tapes Transcript:

http://whitehousetapes.net/transcript/nixon/043-161


Graham: Well, you know, I told you one time that the Bible talks about two kinds of Jews. One is called "the synagogue of Satan."12 They're the ones putting out the pornographic literature. They're the ones putting out these obscene films.

President Nixon: Like the thing in Time magazine.13

Graham: Terrible.

President Nixon: And then Newsweek.14

Graham: Ruth [Graham] canceled both of them.

Anonymous said...

The ignorance displayed in these comments would be funny if they weren't so scary.

It seems that people who don't believe in evolution haven't been participating in it.

Anonymous said...

Do you think Franklin, in a moment of clarity, ever thinks he really messed up BGM and it's legacy?

Archiguy said...

That's assuming Franklin Graham ever HAS moments of clarity.

Never has an apple fallen further from the tree. What a shame he's been using his father - who at least recognized his mistake in embracing hate-filled, conservative theology when he was younger - as a prop these last several years.

This birthday party fiasco, populated by a rogues gallery of right-wing extremists (Donald Trump? Sarah Palin? Really?), was incredibly shameful.

Not the last stunt either, probably. Wait until the show Franklin will put on when Billy dies. Expect the FOX News commentator lineup to be the pallbearers, and Glenn Beck to deliver the eulogy. Praise the Lord.

Unknown said...

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