We are starting to get the impression that Gov. Rick Perry and those organizing his massive public prayer event have not really put much thought into how it might look.
Response spokesperson Eric Bearse actually admitted that no one is vetting the endorsers of the event, to which we can only reply "well, no duh!"
And now Perry and organizers are trying to defend the event by insisting that it is entirely non-political:
Perry spoke to pastors from around the country in a conference call regarding The Response, a daylong prayer and fasting event planned for Aug 6 at Reliant Stadium.
"I know there are people, critics, that say this is just some political event," Perry said. "Well it's not that. This event is not about supporting some organization...It's going to be very simple...It's just a time to call out to god and that's it and lift Jesus’ name up on high."
Event organizers on the call stressed that the event is designed to be religious in nature. They said attendees will be encouraged not to wear political shirts or bring political signs to the event.
"This is not an issue of who's going to be our president...It absolutely has nothing to do with that at all. it's about making Jesus king...," said Jim Garlow, a California Pastor.
...
Garlow said Perry’s involvement in the event is key to its historic
"We have not seen historically a governor call other governors to a national prayer before that I'm aware of," Garlow said. "Even if only 1 or 2 other governors respond, at least this governor had the courage to ask other governors to respond. That's critical."
Perry conceded some assume there are "other motivations" behind the event. Perry is widely expected to announce whether he’s running for president soon after the event.
"I can't control that," Perry said. "We can't control that. We're just going to pray. We're just going to get on our knees and pray right there in Reliant Stadium."
Rick Perry is a sitting governor and likely presidential candidate who is partnering with an extremely powerful Religious Right political organization in order to organize a event that features a variety of Religious Right political activists, all for the purpose of seeking God's help in solving the nation's "economic, political, and military" problems.
But the event is entirely non-political.
Whatever.
And frankly, the political nature of Perry's event is really the least of his problems.
