The last Rick Warren update...

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of letting my frustration over Barack Obama'sselection of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration consume me!

I've felt fury, I've felt extreme disappointment and mostly, I've felt incredulous. There are so many other people he could have chosen and if Warren were racist in the same way that he is homophobic, Obama never would have selected him.

So I can't help but feel anything but thrown under the bus.

I don't have the stomach to post a lot about this during the holidays, I want to enjoy them. Because of that, thank God for Andy Towle who does the Towleroad.com site. He just does not miss a thing. He has a terrific round-up today of the latest developments including over the weekend when Warren and Melissa Etheridge were at the same event - the 8th Annual Convention of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Long Beach.

Warren defends his participation in the inauguration and I fear this whole thing has just given him a bigger head. Etheridge seems to be buying into the entire buildling a bridge thing that Warren says he champions. See video below.

Meanwhile, Etheridge's wife Tammy-Lynn Michaels has been completely swayed by Warren, according to my pal Ted Johnson's Wilshire and Washington blog:
"...The rest of the public is given an animation of rick warren... and then my wife meets the man behind the projections, the quotes, the "OTHER SIDE". and he is warm, caring, effusive, and LOVES gays. since he nearly swallowed honey when he hugged her, i tend to believe him. he wants our gay marriages to be just as respected and embraced as the straight marriages. he just wants to wear his yamaka, and me wear my hat."

Hmmm. Was there any kind of KOOL-AID served at this event?

Also, VP-elect Joe Biden defends the selection of Warren in an interview tonight on "Larry King Live" saying in part:
"Barack Obama said you've got to reach out. You've got to reach a hand of friendship across the aisle and across philosophies in this country.We can't continue to be a red and blue country. We can't be divided like we have been. ...I would say to the gay and lesbian community, they have nothing to worry about. Barack Obama, every aspect of his life, every aspect of his public life, and every commitment he's made relating to equality for all people, will be things that he will stick with and that they should view this in the spirit in which he offered the opportunity to -- to Mr. Warren."

Here's a clip:

That's it for Rick Warren news today unless he graciously decides to step aside in order to not distract from the Obama inauguration.