Rick Warren, Saddleback Church's pastor, announced Wednesday that a civil forum planned with President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the church has been canceled because of what Warren saw as uncivil discourse between the two campaigns.Pictured: In August 2008, pastor Rick Warren hosted then senators Barack Obama and John McCain for his first presidential forum at Saddleback Church. The success of the forum and its reviews led Warren to consider hosting another one this week.
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Pastor Rick Warren says he's canceled plans for a "civil forum" featuring the presidential candidates because their campaign is so uncivil.
Neither the Obama campaign nor the Romney campaign says their candidate had committed to appearing at the forum at Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., near Los Angeles. The forum had been planned for this week.
In an interview published Wednesday by the Orange County Register, Warren said the forum's goal was to promote civility and personal respect between people with major differences. He said that's not been the climate of the presidential campaign and that he doesn't expect that to change.
In 2008, Warren's church sponsored a forum with Obama and Republican John McCain.
Saddleback's website says that about 20,000 people attend its weekend services.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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