The truly cool Bishop Gene Robinson–who’ll be onstage Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial with the likes of Bono, Garth Brooks and Queen Latifa–gave Rachel Maddow an exclusive interview in which they discussed how he was invited to give the opening prayer, Obama’s inclusiveness and the President-elect’s shift from supporting same-sex marriage in 1996 to focusing on civil unions for "strategic" reasons.  Said the right-on Right Rev. Robinson:

What I do believe about this new president is that he believes in equal rights  for all American citizens and in the end I hope that is where America will move in terms of gay marriage.

Meanwhile Pastor Rick has been doing his bait and switch. Last week greasy waffler Warren sent a letter to "30 top Anglican leaders," worldwide, offering the use of Saddleback Church to any group displaced by their denomination.

How neighborly! Just a few days before Warren’s offer a California judge had ruled that breakaway Episcopalian (Anglican) congregation, St. James in Newport Beach, CA cannot keep its property now that they have left the Episcopal Church. St James opposed their denomination’s 2003 acceptance of a gay bishop, Gene Robinson. And they are just a few minutes from Saddleback Church. So thoughtful of Pastor Rick!

Warren also gave his letter to Christianity Today‘s deputy managing editor Timothy Morgan, who posted excepts that have since been removed from the website (the email was intended to be private, said Warren spokeswoman Kristin Cole). But it’s been quoted in sources ranging from USA Today  and  Queerty to catholic.org. Warren wrote:

.. [The Episcopal Church has] already considered me an adversary after partnering on projects with Kolini, Orumbi, and Nzimbi, and writing the TIME bio on Akinola.

But since last summer… I’ve been on Gene Robinson and other’s attack list for my position on gay marriage. ….[Our] brothers and sisters here at St. James in Newport Beach lost their California State Supreme Court case to keep their property.

We stand in solidarity with them, and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans. I offer the campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who need a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County.

Then on January 12, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that Bishop Robinson would be offering the prayer at the opening ceremony,and Rick Warren decided maybe it was time to attend a class at STFU. His publicist issued a rather lengthy and slightly hubristic statement ending with:

Dr. Warren has determined there is no way he could fairly accommodate any interviews at the expense of others, but instead will let his prayer speak for itself.

But Pastor Rick just can’t keep his pie hole closed. Yesterday he issued a statement praising Obama for selecting Robinson, saying the president-elect:

has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground. I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen.

It should interesting to see what Warren says at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, where protests have been planned.