A word about Rick Warren

Many on the left continue to vent their anger and disappointment at Obama about his choice of Rick Warren to perform the invocation at the inauguration. But the ones who are most up in arms are simply reacting to the word evangelical attached to Warren's name. Yes, Warren was unfortunately involved in the efforts to repeal California's same-sex marriage law, however, he is a largely apolitical evangelical who urges people to help out and give money to the poor. He is even known for reverse tithing- giving 90 percent of his money to charity and keeping only 10 percent. He is one of the few evangelicals who seems to actually acknowledge the Bible's emphasis on helping those in need.

So, while people can be disappointed in Obama for choosing Warren, he certainly is no crazy along the lines of Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson. Ultimately, he's a shrewd choice for Obama and the Democrats' efforts to bring religious people back into the party. Now let's hope he pushes for a middle ground on abortion...