we love franklin graham. i think he should have stuck with his original premise and that is that president obama claims to be a christian. in my book, i quote an interview with president obama in which he says he has trusted in jesus christ for the forgiveness of his sins. and by that definition, he's a christian. you know, if you were to say, lawrence, you're a democrat, i could take you at your word, i believe you're a democrat, bullbut i don't know for sure unless i go to the voting booth and see you vote. i take you at your word and have no reason to doubt you and no reason to doubt president obama is a christian. >> what he said about mitt romney and mormonism, what is your reaction to that? >> well, i do agree with franklin. of course, as you replayed it at the beginning of the program, my comments about mormonism. mormonism is not historic christianity. when people say, well, mormons and christians, say all believe the same things, my response is if that's true, why are they always on my front doorstep

i guess that's not enough for franklin graham. the president still hasn't proven himself. but graham is totally convinced that rick santorum is a christian. >> do you believe that rick santorum is christian? >> oh, i think so. >> how do you know if the standard is only the person knows what is within them, when you apply to the president is why it different for rick santorum? >> because his values are so clear on moral issues. no question about it. >> your reaction to the difference to the question about rick santorum and president obama i think exposes incredible double standard, they are the same situation. >> no, i asked president obama how he came to faith in christ. and he said i don't go to church. >> have you had that conversation with rick santorum? >> i talked to rick santorum, yes. >> he was more persuasive on the depth of his sincerity on the question? >> i think so but you have to look at what a person does with his life. anyone can say he's a christian. >> graham spends a lot of time deciding who is a real christian and who is not. here's what he thinks about m

listen here to franklin graham, the son of the reverend billy graham, when asked on msnbc just this morning if he can say categorically that the president is not a muslim. >> i can't say categorically, because islam has gotten a free pass under obama. >> how so? >> well, we see the arab spring. coming out of the arab spring the islamists are taking control of the middle east. barack obama is an incredible man. he's got a lot of ability. and he's got the power of the white house. he could be speaking to these countries right now demanding that they protect the christians in those countries. and he's been quiet about it. >> cnn chief white house correspondent jessica yellin joins us from washington. jess, you asked the white house press secretary, jay carney, about franklin graham's comments this morning. what did he say? >> reporter: well, john, he essentially dismissed the entire question and tried to stave up the fight. he said that he asked the president -- he talked to the president this morning. and "amazingly the president didn't address the franklin graham comments". and he said that

so here we are, this was franklin graham on "morning joe" going there as rick santorum did.et's talk about the president's faith. bringing up the question of the muslim issue, that was long resolved and reinjecting jeremiah wright. >> long resolved despite the number of people that still think that he is a muslim. it's incredible. the other thing is that it was probably legitimate more to talk about jeremiah wright four years ago because people did not know who obama was. one way that candidates use religion is sort of shorthand, this is a candidate that i do not know, but if i know his religious belief, it gives me a sense of his character. >> isn't it a way to define someone as other, outside the mainstream, not quote american, but not only his name but his k kenyan father. >> there was ministers at a time, where there was problems with protestants and catholics that try to do the same to kennedy. >> jimmy carter was a bit controversial because he was the first reborn, avowed reborn candidate that we knew about, and was teaching sunday school and was deeply religious and d

on "morning joe" today, evangelist franklin graham, reverend billy graham's son, fast doubts on whether president obama is a christian. >> by your definition, he's not a christian? >> you have to ask him. i cannot answer that question for anybody. >> but you do not believe he's a muslim? >> no. >> categorically not a muslim? >> i can't say categorically because islam has gotten a free pass under obama. >> reporter: two years ago, the president visited an ailing billy graham. at the national prayer breakfast three weeks ago, he spoke about it. >> reverend graham started praying for me as he had for so many presidents before me. and when he finished praying, i felt the urge to pray for him. >> reporter: today, the white house dismissed franklin graham's comments saying the president had just talked at the prayer breakfast about the importance of faith in his life. mitt romney's faith was also questioned today by franklin graham. >> most christians would not recognize mormonism as part of the christian faith. >> reporter: the last time he ran for president, romney tried to put the mormon i

franklin graham is the president of samaritan's purse. he say sudan's islamic regime is engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. >> they go after hospitals, food distribution centers, they want to put panic into the hearts and make them flee. it is ethnic cleansing, the serbs did it in bosnia and here. >> u.s. ambassador condemned the bombing. sudan has carried out several attacks in south kordofan. they have forced thousands to flee the area. cbn.com with the challenges facing south sudan. >>> super faith at the superbowl. indianapolis and talk to the players about football and faith. >> politics and prayer came together in washington, d.c. u.s. president obama talked from the national prayer breakfast. >> reporter: what could bring two people from opposite ends the political session? >> jesus said if we have mustard seeds, we could move mountains. >> and nancy pelosi. >> give your servant a heart to understand to govern your people. >> together on one stage the national prayer breakfast. it is an event that exams the life of jesus as

i doubt if my phone will ring. >> you never know, franklin graham. thank you so much for talking with me, franklin. >> thank you, kyra, god bless. >>> straight ahead, romney and santorum neck in neck, i'll ask the panel who has the goods to pull head in the gop presidential race. pull ahead. when you have tough pain, do you want fast relief? try bayer advanced aspirin. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first...it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you. love it, or get your money back. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying a

but now, others are questioning the president's faith, including franklin graham, the son of preacher billy graham. why is that significant? well, because billy graham is a major evangelical leader in this country. he has met with every u.s. president since harry truman. in 2010, he even met with and prayed with president obama, yet today, graham's son refused to call the president a christian. >> do you by live that president obama is a christian? >> well, i think you have to ask president obama. he has said he is a christian, so i just have to assume that he is. >> you stated in the past the president is a christian as much as he goes to church on sunday but you don't know if he has accepted jesus christ. do you still believe that? >> i mean, i don't know. >> so, therefore, by your definition, he is not a christian? >> again, you have to ask him. i cannot answer that question for anybody. >> franklin graham is not gonna answer that question for anybody? anybody? well, except for rick santorum. >> do you believe that rick santorum is christian? >> oh, i think so. i believe that he is

it was built by franklin graham's purse. reverend franklin graham is next. which u.s.dent can be called writener chief? one president lent his expertise into a writing business. we will talk to the novelist, thomas kaplan. >> now the sudan military is bombing a bible school. and it's not just any bible school. it's one that was built by reverend franklin graham's aid group. reverend graham joins us. nice to see you, sir. >> nice to be with you. >> what happened in week some. >> on wednesday afternoon about 5:00, a russian made bomber flew over and dropped 8 bombs on the bible school. it was the first day of school. bible school was filled with the students and their families. they heard the plane coming so they suspected what was about to happen so they ran and they were able to get away from the buildings as the bombs fell. no one was killed and as far as we know no one was hurt. it started fires and things like that but we don't know what all the destruction was. >> we have pictures we can put up on the screen for the view, to see of the bombed-out buildings. you hav

franklin graham appears saying obama is not a christian but rick santorum and newt gingrich are?t be? i can't take him at his word? this is the repudiation of the fundamental principle of charity that is the bedrock of christian faith. so i think these hypocrites should acknowledge that they're engaging in some of the worst examples of christian behavior and barack obama by his humility and by his refusal to throw stone at the others acknowledges his own humble disposition before god and i think that's the more authentic response as a christian. >> professor dyson, nobody can refine and explain it in the way that you do. thank you, sir. >> thank you my friend. >>> next rick santorum and the hard right wing of the catholic church. stay with us. >> the reason i think we're doing well in this campaign is because we are being available to the american public. no teleprompters, no written speeches. the opportunity to see what's in here. what's up here. what's burning down here. [ coughs ] what is this shorty? uh, tissues sir, i'm sick. you don't cough, you don't show defeat. give me y

. >> reverend franklin graham gets grilled at msnbc about his position about president obama and his beliefs. was this ayn tension nal ambush. >> he put his it in-- >> pbs airs a documentary about president clinton and some on the left call it a liberal spear job, but it was on pbs. details next on news watch. . new glidden duo paint plus primer available only at the home depot. one coat does double duty. and fits our budget perfectly. so there's a brand-new room... ...right where the old one used to be. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. new glidden duo paint plus primer. only at the home depot. and starting at only $24.97 a gallon. why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to your doctor about viagra. ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and cal

franklin graham did say he believed both rick santorum and newt gingrich were christians. ter being pressed about president obama, here's what graham said -- >> president obama, the muslims of the world -- he seems to be more concerned about them than the christians that are being murdered in the muslim countries. that's what bothers me. >> for mitt romney, graham said most christians would not recognize mormonism. but he believes romney would be a good president if he got the nominati nomination. >>> it will be the first museum on the mall in years. wendy rieger joins us now. wendy? >> reporter: vance, this is going to be so cool. you have to get this on your radar. the groundbreaking is tomorrow. this is the tent where they're going to have president obama, former first lady laura bush and all the dig tenitaries will be e tomorrow morning. it's right in the shadow of the washington monument. but, boy, oh, boy, when this thing is done, it is going to be something to see. thanks to the designer, this wonderful guy, david oji is this wonderful architect. he's a rock star arc

. >> reverend franklin graham gets grilled at msnbc about his position about president obama and his beliefs. was this ayn tension nal ambush. >> he put his it in-- >> pbs airs a documentary about president clinton and some on the left call it a some on the left call it a liberal spear jo what do you get when you combine the home depot with this weekend? the cure for cabin fever. because with get-it-done savings on everything we need... we can turn this weekend into a fresh floor... or an updated bathroom... or a brand-new look. so let's hit those orange aisles, and make today the day, we make a big difference, no matter how big our budget. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot maximize your budget with great buys, like mosaic tile, just $4.98 per square foot. you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lie on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. welcome to the ultimate sleep number event. not just

franklin graham. son of billy graham. again questioning whether president obama really is a christian saying his policies favor muslims and throwing in the fact that muslims think he's a fellow muslim. what is this about? you're watching "hardball" on msnbc. the past is a powerful t. but we couldn't simply repeat history. we had to create it. introducing the 2013 lexus gs, with leading-edge safety technology, like available blind spot monitor... [ tires screech ] ...night view... and heads-up display. [ engine revving ] the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. oh! [ baby crying ] ♪ what started as a whisper ♪ every day, millions of people choose to do the right thing. ♪ slowly turned to a scream ♪ there's an insurance company that does that, too. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? ♪ amen, omen >>> rick santorum and mitt romney continue to fight it out for the nomination. we're talking about that tonight. what a new survey of registered republicans and independent voters asked who should

franklin graham, son of the wonderful billy graham. again questioning whether president obama really is a christian, saying his policies favor muslims and throwing in the fact that muslims think he's one of their brothers, a fellow muslim. what is this about? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. [ male announcer ] what makes you trust a company? wait -- scratch that -- what makes you trust a car insurance company? a talking animal? a talking character? a talking animal character? how fancy their commercials are, maybe? or how many there are? well what about when a company's customers do the talking? esurance customers are saying stuff like "awesome" and "rockin'." and they aren't even paid to. fancy that. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. >>> rick santorum and mitt romney continue to fight it out for the nomination. we're talking about that tonight. what a new survey of registered republicans and independent voters asked who should be the vice presidential running mate? topping the list is florida senator ma

franklin graham, son of the wonderful billy graham. again questioning whether president obama really is a christian, saying his policies favor muslims and throwing in the fact that muslims think he's one of their brothers, a fellow muslim. what is this about? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. every time a vehicle comes into a ford dealership you'll be presented with one of these. we check the belts, hoses... brakes. tires and the pressures... battery, all your fluids... exhaust system, transmission... we inspect your air filter... it gets done,it gets done quickly and it gets done correctly. the works. oil change, tire rotation and more: $29.95 or less after rebate - at your ford dealer. you're a doctor... you're a car doctor. maybe a car doctor... are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. >>> rick santorum and mitt romney continue to fight it out for the nomina

. >> franklin graham is warning christians voting for obama is compromising their faith. barry lynn has reaction. >>> in the best example yet men don't understand women's health the war on women in virginia takes an ugly turn. >> trans-v this and trans-v that. >> women's activist lizz winstead and now's terry o'neill is here. >> i drive amu mustang and pick up. >> mitt romney blunders through his speech. >> outrage in chicago continues over school closings. rahm emanuel is dismissing protest as noise. the reverend jesse jackson is here to respond. >>> thanks for watching. the attacks keep coming on president obama from the right wing culture warrors led by rick santorum. last week the former senator of pennsylvania accused the president of the united states of having a phony theology. last night, he took it to a new level in an interview with psycho talker glen beck. he combined attacks on public education with his attacks on the president's faith. he lumped them together in one big giant sound bite of crazy. >> 62% of the kids who go in college with the faith commitment

. >> reporter: today, the white house dismissed franklin graham's comments saying the president had just talked at the prayer breakfast about the importance of faith in his life. mitt romney was also questioned today about franklin graham. >> most christians would not recognize mormonism as part of the christian faith. >> reporter: the last time he ran for president, romney tried to putmon issue at rest. >> person shouldn't be accepted because of his faith, nor should he be rejected because of his faith. >> reporter: the president has to often gp wl religion. and there's no way to predict how it will affect voters this year. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the comeback kid, mitt romney, the next president of the united states of america. bring it on. >> reporter: this is peter alexander on the campaign trail in detroit, facing the next crucial primary in michigan. th he tried to focus on the main argument that he can fix the american president. >> how can we have a president -- this is what i don't get -- how can we have a president whose

. >>> and franklin graham is apologizing for questioning president obama's faith. so where are the rest of them? you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. ♪ let me get that door for you... [ man ] i loved my first car... sometimes the door gets stuck... oh sure. ooh! [ man ] ...and then, i didn't. um... [ sighs ] [ man ] so, i got a car i can love a really, really long time. [ male announcer ] for the road ahead, the all-new subaru impreza. ♪ experience love that lasts. i toog nyguil bud i'm stild stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't un-stuff your nose. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your stuffy nose. [ deep breath ] thank you! that's the cold truth! >>> the birth control debate hits a boiling point. rush limbaugh goes to a new low on that today. senator barbara boxer responds, next. our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... addin

>>>vange franklin graham has -- evangelical franklin graham has sparked a question on religion by weighing in on the presidential candidates and their faith. the son of reverend billy graham says he believes rick santorum and newt gingrich are christians and both are capable of leading the country. graham said he couldn't say if president obama was a christian and could only assume that he is. the evangelical said he supports mitt romney for president but not his mormon religion. >> saying most christians would not recognize mormonism. of course they believe in jesus christ, but they have a lot of other things that they believe in, too, that we don't accept these logically. but he is -- he would be a good president if he were the nomination. >> franklin graham also said president obama seems more concerned about muslims than christians murdered in muslim countries. >>> there is new tension this morning between the united nations and iran over its nuclear program. the u.n.'s nuclear agency says iran refuses to let inspectors into a facility where they suspect nuclear weapons are being teste

here's franklin graham on "morning joe" this morning. take a listen. >> what about mitt romney. >> i like him. >> is he a christian? >> he's a mormon. most christians would not recognize mormonism as part of the christian faith. >> so he's not christian. i e-mail saying most christians would not recognize mormonism. >> anne, when i was watching that this morning, i thought, wow, this is a really, real conversation on our air right now coming from the graham family. so is rick santorum tapping into to a group of conservatives? >> he certainly would have that wind at his back if that turns out to be a really prevalent sentiment. i think what's seen is it's probably more prevalent in some of the southern states, states that will vote on super tuesday and even south carolina which rick santorum didn't win than it will be in other states. so it's a strike that he doesn't have. but mitt romney has already suffered other strikes against him thats have jts had anything to do with his religion, questions about the passion element and being too mo

breakfast, president obama spoke about meeting with the venerated evangelical leader billy graham, franklin graham's >> reverend graham started praying for me, as he had prayed for so many presidents before me. when he finished praying, i felt the urge to pray for him. >> reporter: frank ling graham was present at that visit. >> it's about politics. it's not about faith. >> reporter: a democratic faith and values strategist believes that questions the president's religion is intended to engage certain disparated voters. >> the leaders and candidates play just more and more and more to the edge, and to the fringe, and try to motivate them together. >> asked about reverend graham's comments, the white house tried to stay above the frey. >> i did meet with the president this morning no about 45 minutes. amazingly he didn't bring this up. he was actually talking about policy issues that he believes are the most important things he can do and focus on as president. >> reporter: this isn't the first time he's questioned the the president's faith. he's raised doubts about the president's church and his her

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. >> it was franklin graham, son of billy graham that i was referring to. let's listen to what rick santorum said in terms of dominion and the environment. >> so i was criticized by saying the president that has a radical environmental theology. we believe that man has dominion over the earth. >> we belief that man has dominion over the earth. again, it's not just, it's not just the theology but doublinin down on the environment rhetoric and prenatal testing what is going on? >> he is trying to get into darwinism, he is under mining the things that have been done by other party supporters. he is taking on things that are not a approximation of what people thought years ago. dominionism, it's interesting, because it's a way to get into environmentalism, as a way to justify churches being active in working on global warming, for him to twist it is odd. >> we do not have responsibility to the fish and birds but we can dominate their habitats. richard, what does it mean when donald trump sounds like a sane person in the party. i want play a trump sound -- >> pl