McCain severs ties with preacher who claims God sent 'Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land'

Mr McCain blasted the remarks by evangelical Rev. John Hagee as "crazy" and  "deeply offensive."

The rumpus echoed the row over explosive racially-charged sermons by Barack  Obama’s family pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright that threatened to derail the  Democrat frontrunner's White House bid.

Religious claims: Republican presidential hopeful John McCain (right) speaks at a news conference with Rev. John Hagee

Health doubts: Senator McCain appears with host Ellen DeGeneres at the taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in Burbank, California

The 46-year-old Illinois senator was forced to turn his back on the minister  who officiated at his wedding and baptised his two daughters after Rev. Wright  claimed the September 11 attacks were an example of  "America’s chickens coming  home to roost."

Mr McCain, 71, had sought out Rev. Hagee’s endorsement to help woo the  right-wing Christian vote that swept George Bush back into office in the 2004  election.

And he had hoped to ride out earlier comments by the controversial preacher  describing the Roman Catholic Church as "the great whore" and suggesting  Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution for homosexual sin.

But he swiftly slammed the door on Rev. Hagee after details of the  1990s Hitler sermon emerged on a U.S. news website.

The Texas churchman quoted from the Bible to make an argument that God allowed the rise of Hitler because it resulted in returning Israel to the Jewish people.

"And they the hunters should hunt them,’ that will be the Jews,’ he said. "From  every mountain and from every hill and from out of the holes of the rocks. 'If  that doesn’t describe what Hitler did in the Holocaust, you can’t see that,'’"  said Rev. Hagee, who is staunchly pro-Israel and national chairman of  Christians United for Israel.

Medical records: Mr McCain shakes hands with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger after a meeting yesterday

Speaking in California Friday, Mr McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war,  called the comments "indefensible." 

Trying to limit any political damage, he added: "I have said I do not believe  Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright's extreme views. But let me also be clear,  Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not  attend his church for twenty years. 

"I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do  again today."

Mr Obama was campaigning in Florida, a potential swing state in November’s  presidential election, and continuing his policy of sidelining fading Democrat  rival Hillary Clinton, 60, to concentrate his attention on Mr McCain.

Mr Obama, who is 64 delegates short of the 2,026 tally he needs to win the  nomination, hit back yesterday at Republican attacks over his lack of military  experience, calling them "playground" politics.

Home for the weekend: Mr McCain waves before boarding his chartered plane in California

Mr McCain was also busy trying to allay fears that he will be too old to lead  the country. Turning 72 in August, he will be America’s oldest ever first term  president if he is elected in November.

But he released details of his medical records yesterday which show the  three-time melanoma survivor appears to be cancer free, has a strong heart and  is in general good health.