Presidential Elect Barack Obama has caused some controversy with the choice of Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration later this month. Warren is against gay marriage and has been outspoken in his support of Proposition 8 in California. While some people point out that Warren is a kind man who is quick to befriend people of all backgrounds, he’s also made outrageous statements comparing gay marriage to pedophilia and incest.

Obama’s choice of Warren is thought to be a strategic move to make inroads in the Evangelical community and show that he wants to work with those with opposing views. Obama himself said that he made the choice in order to help foster discussion between the two sides. Some call Obama’s selection of Warren a slap in the face to his supporters in the gay and lesbian community that he will never live down.

Actress Anne Hathaway is among the people expressing outrage at Obama’s choice of Warren. She told E! News that she has some questions to ask the Presidential Elect about the controversial pastor. When asked what she expects from Obama in the New Year, she said immediately “I expect him to explain that choice of Rick Warren. I don’t get it. All my friends and I were trying to figure it out, but we just can’t. So I’d love that. But other than that, I expect nothing but the best.”

Obama did explain his choice of Warren in a press conference in mid December. Hathaway must have missed that. Obama said “we’re not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable, and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.”

That sounds pretty reasonable. Maybe Obama’s people didn’t know what they were getting into with Warren but I find that hard to believe. They were so strategically accurate during the campaign. It’s possible they just took a calculated risk on this one or that Obama’s friendship with Warren clouded his judgment. We’ll have to see what the long term implications are and if it signifies a lack of understanding from Obama’s side or if they’ll learn from it and be more careful with these type of decisions in the future. At least Warren isn’t getting a longer term role in the Obama administration - that we know of.

Hathaway herself isn’t the best judge of character. She dated a con man for years who swindled millions from investors and is now languishing in prison. Many thought she should have seen the writing on the wall and dumped her boyfriend back when he was first suspected of wrongdoing.

Anne Hathaway is shown at the Palm Springs Film Festival on 1/6/09. Credit: WENN