More on Haggardgate

In a not entirely surprising turn of events, Ross Parsley, the acting senior pastor of New Life Church, has revealed to KKTV 11News that Ted Haggard has admitted to “some” of the indiscretions alleged by former escort Mike Jones, but not all of them. “I don’t have an accurate description about the precise details,” explained Parsley. “I just know that there has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt.”

In an email that Parsley (pictured right) sent to congregants, he wrote: “It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true… He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation.”

Mike Jones, who underwent a polygraph test this morning on Denver’s KHOW 630 AM, failed the test, though he has volunteered to retake it. To listen to the broadcast, click here.

In a related development, KUSA 9News is reporting that a voice recognition expert, Richard Sanders, compared a recording of Haggard’s voice with a voicemail provided by Jones and found that they matched, supporting Jones’ claim that Haggard was one of his clients.

Naturally, James Dobson (Focus on the Family) has come to Haggard’s defense: “Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday’s election—especially the vote on Colorado’s marriage-protection amendment, which Ted strongly supports,” Dobson argued.

I hope that even more of these wingnuts for the Religious Right—including Bush—come forward to defend him. There’s plenty of egg here to go around.