Over at the Politico, Jonathan Martin is reporting that Senator McCain met with pastor Joel Osteen last week. Osteen is an amazing speaker and possesses communication abilities second to no one in my humble opinion.

Osteen, 45, is part of a new generation of Christian leaders and pastors the non-denominational Lakewood Church in Houston.

Asked about the get-together, a McCain aide said the candidate sought the introduction.

"McCain thinks he is a fascinating person and wanted to meet him, so we set it up," said the aide, declining to comment on what the two talked about.

McCain's campaign, which did not share word of the meeting, has been dogged by another meeting the candidate had with a Texas pastor for the past two months. But unlike San Antonio's John Hagee, Osteen is not seen as a very political and policy-oriented pastor. He largely confines his sermons to upbeat, and at times light-hearted, lessons on life.

Osteen pastors what has been called the largest and fastest-growing church in America. In 2005, he moved Lakewood's sanctuary to the former home of the Houston Rockets. But Osteen is not just a power in East Texas. By virtue of his books and, as important, his televised sermons, he reaches into millions of American homes. Lakewood's Sunday services are available each week in markets across the country.