Bush friend and pastor rips McCain

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The pastor who presided at Jenna Bush's wedding blasted U.S. Sen. John McCain for suggesting in jest his wife for a pageant featuring topless competitors.

While campaigning in South Dakota, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate jokingly volunteered his wife, Cindy, to enter a Buffalo Chips pageant that often includes topless participants, ABC News reported Friday.

"Well, I don't know a lot about John McCain's family history ... however ... my personal opinion and based on my understanding of the Christian faith, that's not not, N-O-T, not the type of expression that a presidential candidate, or anyone for that matter who is a follower of the Christian faith, ought to make," said the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, a friend of the first family.

An aide to McCain told ABC News he thought the Arizona Republican was aware of the competition, stressing McCain was joking.

Caldwell, who supports Barack Obama for president, said McCain's comment about Buffalo Chip was in contrast with Obama, whom the pastor said he sees as a good family man supporting pro-family policies.

"These people are Obama campaign surrogates," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said of Caldwell's criticism. "These kinds of personal attacks are disgraceful."