President Obama Meets With Billy Graham

Billy Graham has met with every president since Dwight Eisenhower, but never before at his home. President Obama made the trip to Montreat, North Carolina, from where he was staying in Asheville, to see the ailing 91-year-old evangelist.

Franklin Graham said his father and Obama did most of the talking. They reminisced about their roots in Chicago — Graham went to Wheaton College and began some of his ministry in the region; Obama moved to Chicago after college and began his political career there. And they talked about golf.

“The conversation was very cordial, very nice,” the younger Graham said. “When the president got ready to leave, the president prayed for my father, my father prayed for him.”

Graham said his father prayed for the nation and that God would give Obama wisdom in his decisions. The president prayed to thank God for Billy Graham’s life, Franklin Graham said.

Franklin Graham made news this week when the Pentagon rescinded an invitation for him to speak on National Prayer Day because of comments the younger Graham had made about Muslims.

Franklin Graham said he and Obama spoke briefly about the Pentagon spat, with the younger Graham saying that activists with an agenda were trying to pull all religion out of the military.

“I wanted to make him aware of that,” Franklin Graham said. “He said he would look into it.”

Franklin Graham also said he thanked the president for his decision to have the government appeal a federal judge’s ruling that the National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional. Obama has said he plans to issue a proclamation again this year.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.