Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, ever the publicity seeker, recently put out a statement opposing the appointment of Mike Pompeo to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

The reason Weinstein doesn’t think Pompeo should be allowed to serve as SecState? Pompeo is a Christian — but not the right kind of Christian, according to Mikey, who said [emphasis added]:

I am disgusted…by [Trump] for picking Mike Pompeo, an unabashedly fundamentalist evangelical to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State…

Pompeo is explicitly Islamophobic. He sees the war on terrorism as akin to a holy war and remarked that terrorists will “continue to press against us until we make sure that we pray and stand and fight and make sure that we know that Jesus Christ is our savior [sic] is truly the only solution for our world.” Pompeo appears a proponent of the biblical apocalyptic “rapture,” and MRFF’s fear is that his appointment is yet a closer step towards allowing dominionist fundamentalist elements the opportunity to invoke biblical ideology as a means to initiate a “holy war” with the middle east.

Note that Weinstein provides no context or support for labeling Pompeo “Islamophobic.” Further, Weinstein grossly removed the Pompeo quote from its context: Pompeo, a respected Christian, was speaking to a church in 2014. Of course he’d speak from a faith-based viewpoint in that context — including stating the mainstream, non-controversial Christian belief that Christ is the “only solution” for this broken world.

Finally, note that Weinstein says Pompeo “appears” to support, in Weinstein’s framing, an “apocalyptic” ideology held by those whose goal is to instigate a war. Again, Weinstein provides no support for that carefully qualified insinuation.

But look again: With the exception of Mikey Weinstein’s wild-eyed claim about a “holy war”, all the things he attributed to Mike Pompeo were elements of faith — including one explicitly Christian statement of faith made at a church. In essence, Mikey Weinstein said “Mike Pompeo holds Christian beliefs — therefore, he cannot be Secretary of State.”

It’s unclear how that “religious freedom” thing works in Mikey Weinstein’s world (or what color the sky is), but here in reality — in America — there is no “religious test” for public office. To assert, as Weinstein does, that a person cannot be a public servant because of his Christian faith is hateful and bigoted, as well as in direct contradiction with the US Constitution. It’s also standard fare for Mikey Weinstein — at least, when the target is a Christian.

For those wondering, you’re right: As current Director of the CIA and future Secretary of State (if confirmed), Mike Pompeo has absolutely nothing to do with military religious freedom — belying Mikey Weinstein’s supposed “laser-like focus” on his “charity’s” stated mission. (Weinstein once said his MRFF didn’t mess with non-military cases because “that’s just not our lane.”  Inconsistent, much?) But Pompeo is in the news, which Weinstein views as a coattail to ride to publicity. And Pompeo is a Christian, which makes him an unsurprising target of the virulently anti-Christian Mikey Weinstein.

Weinstein’s misguided attack on Pompeo may be an act of desperation. Despite multiple press releases, media contacts, and “promoted” Facebook posts (the apparent bulk of his new public relations efforts), Weinstein’s hate-filled attacks on Mike Pompeo have gone no where.  No one seems to care what Mikey Weinstein thinks anymore.  Kind of sad, actually.

Apparently, unmitigated bigotry toward Christians will only get you so far, and Mikey Weinstein’s star has faded even among his acolytes.

Maybe Weasel Zippers will “cover” him again.

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