Republicans have abruptly scrapped plans for a retired Army general who cast the war on terrorism in religious terms to testify against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

A GOP aide says it's clear that Lt. Gen William G. "Jerry" Boykin's 2003 church speeches would be used to distract attention from Kagan's actions as dean of Harvard Law School.

Stephen Boyd, a spokesman for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions says Republicans are looking forward to calling three other military witnesses to talk about Kagan's decision to bar military recruiters from Harvard Law's career services office.

Boykin later apologized for speeches in which he painted the war on terror as a Christian fight against Satan and suggested that Muslims worship idols.

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