In anticipation of Mike Jones’ book signing in Denver tonight, The Rocky‘s Mark Wolf featured the outer of Pastor Ted Haggard as a guest on his Rocky Talk Live blog this morning.
Here were a few highlights:
Question from “snickers” – What part of the book will you be reading tonight? Anything graphic?
Mike Jones – Nothing graphic. I want to be respectfull to all. I will read about “Art’s/Ted” first times visiting me and also a few pages around my mothers death which is a very important part of this story.
Question from M.E. Sprengelmeyer – How did the way the story unfolded compare to the way you predicted it would unfold? Was the media firestorm bigger or smaller than you expected? What was a surprise?
Mike Jones – I thought Ted would simply admit it, cry, ask for forgiveness then move on. I had no idea that he would deny it and then try to lie about it. It was much bigger than I expected. I learned a lot about the media in a very short time. They are relentless. At times it was scary, they were pounding on my door at the same time I was getting death threats.
Question from “.” – Has there been any attempts to prosecute you for your escorting activities? That seems to be forgotten, given that it is illegal.
Mike Jones – The Denver Police did contact me one time but that was it. I have never heard from them again but I have never been told that the case is closed.
Question from Mark Wolf – Many people are struck that Jones’ church seemed far more offended by his sexual behavior than his drug use. How did you find that reaction?
Mike Jones – In the evangilical world being a homosexual if far worse than being a drug abuser. Homosexuality is the biggest sin of all. Going straight to hell.
Question from “Out Here” – Mike….the Colo. Springs INDEPENDENT carried a letter recently from the owner of Poor Richard’s bookstore, Richard Skorman. He said your book is invasive, exploitative, and not well-written. I think that Skorman is one of Colo Springs’s leading voices for being open minded. But he has said “No” to your book. What’s your comment?
Mike Jones – I am not sure what not well-written means. Who is to say not well written and we don’t carry a book that is not well written. I think it is clear that he is caving to the likes of Dobson.
Question from “snickers” – Do you miss Ted?
Mike Jones – I was never ever emotionally attached to my clients. Ted was a client and I had a business. I liked him as far as he was a very nice man who had a lot of issues but I was not attached to him.
Jones will read from his book, “I Had to Say Something: The Art of Ted Haggard’s Fall tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Tattered Cover’s LoDo location.
Cara DeGette is a senior fellow at Colorado Confidential, and a columnist and contributing editor at the Colorado Springs Independent. E-mail her at cdegette@coloradoconfidential.com
