This Shit CAN'T Be Made Up Part 3

This is better than Swaggart and Jimmy Baker.

Jones claimed Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month over three years. He said he advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and was contacted by a man who called himself Art, who snorted methamphetamine before their sexual encounters to heighten his experience

"Hi Mike, this is Art," one call began, according to the station. "Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply."

A second message, left a few hours later, began: "Hi Mike, this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I'll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever."

Oh my, drugs. What a glorious display of evangelical godliness and moral values. Sure glad he's not like those heathen Democrats, you know, those godless liberals.

Haggard, 50, was appointed president of the evangelicals association in March 2003. He has participated in conservative Christian leaders' conference calls with White House staffers and lobbied members of Congress last year on US Supreme Court appointees after Sandra Day O'Conner announced her retirement.

This is the type of guy that has the ear of the White House. This is the type of "values" proponent who advises for Supreme Court nominees. And in spite of his partial confession this is how his followers react.

Members of Haggard's 14,000-member megachurch were stunned.

"It's political, right before the elections," said Brian Boals, a New Life member for 17 years.

Church member E.J. Cox, 25, called the claims "ridiculous."

"People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she said. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye."

And for irresistable snark, the phrase, "You just sort of blow it off" , umm....stands out like a sore thumb or sore whatever, don't you think?