Pastor Rick Warren, the phenomenon of modern Christianity that projects a sense of reasonableness, is hosting an interview with both Barack Obama and John McCain. This is an exciting time because a presumably reasonable man - thick with faith - is going to challenge Obama and McCain on a variety of issues.

Thefiresidepost.com will be posting with live updates through the evening.

It begins in a moment.

Warren starts with noting the separation of church and state - but not the separation between faith and politics.

Obama will go first on one hour interviews - separate from the other candidate.

Nasty wins in short term political elections - but nasty does not serve well as a way of life - or as a way of domestic or foreign policy. But that is what the country has experienced. So now we have a new election. The election of 2008 will be studied closely by historians. This is one of those pivotal (hopefully) global elections that either corrects or affirms the course of humanity for the next several decades.

Theodore Roosevelt knew he was the best man for the job.  He knew it in his heart and soul.  H. W. Brands wrote “T. R. The Last Romantic.”  While reviewing the 1904 election Brands writes candidly about Roosevelt, “Like most great men, and like many who fancy themselves great, Roosevelt convinced himself that his own advancement was crucial to the public welfare.  Ever impatient - not least from bad conscience - the mugwump types who placed principle above political efficacy, Roosevelt believed that his first job was to attain, or in this case keep. office.  Safely past the election he would wade to his waist in the work that needed doing.  Until then he would stick closer to shore.” Sounds like Hillary Clinton to me.

Teddy Roosevelt was the Vice President under McKinley. He went about the ceremonial duties of the Vice President of that time - accepting an invitation by Booker T. Washington to visit Tuskegee Institute. But fate interceded, McKinley was assassinated and Roosevelt became President. Roosevelt offered a dinner invitation to Booker T. Washington which was readily accepted. They dined in the White House. Then the press tried to take charge.

From H. W. Brands, T. R. The Last Romantic, BasicBooks, 1997, pages 422 - 423:

“The New Orleans Times-Democrat reported, “White men of the South, how do you like it? … White women of the South, how do YOU like it?”