I said this in a post the other day, and I think it bears repeating in light of this current post: Certain factions within the Republican party are trying to bring about the conditions for the Apocalypse. I myself am not a believer in the book of Revelations. However, for those who are true believers, they cannot be Raptured into heaven until Russia and Iran have been destroyed in a war with Israel in which God protects Israel from destruction.

Of course, these believers also believe that God will protect the United States from destruction, even though the Bible does not specifically refer to the United States. Despite this omission, however, the believers have come up with several explanations regarding why the U.S. is not refered to (even obliquely) in the Bible, including the notion that God did not feel the need to mention the U.S. (talk about reading the mind of God). Oddly, no one ever brings up the possibility that the Bible does not mention the United States because IT WAS DESTROYED IN THE WAR WITH RUSSIA!!!!

Our future is in the hands of a dangerous, delusional and fanatical cadre of individuals in Washington. However, most people do not seem to realize or appreciate the danger. This is the result of Glenn's second point, i.e., the MSM does not cover the actual stories. For example, how easy would it have been to have one person on CNN or MSNBC or CBS or NBC (Fox and ABC do not count for obvious reasons) to read the recently passed FISA bill and ask its proponents to defend some of the more pernicious sections??? How easy would it be for one person at these same networks to spend 30 minutes on the telephone with a Russian expert and point out all the ways U.S. intervention in Georgia could have disatrous consequences for all of us??? Obviously, all most current "journalists" care about is "access" and expense accounts. There is no news in news anymore.

"The 'Christians' who think they can help bring about the apocalypse are deranged, and I find it hard to believe their opinions are shared by a majority of Christians worldwide."

You and I agree. Unfortunately, one of those deranged Christians is President of the United States. Furthermore, the Republican Party has clung to power by wooing the fundamentalist Christians in the United States. What Christians in the rest of the world believe is irrelevant, because those who believe in the Rapture are currently in a position in the United States to carry out what they believe is God's plan.

Very astute analysis. Perhaps, as the Daily Show pointed out right after the start of the Russian-Georgian conflict, they forgot to use the magic words "in Europe."

Otherwise, we really are in "1984."

Seriously, however, I think the final point of Glenn's analysis is the most important: The news is owned by conglomerates that benefit greatly from Republican administrations and policies. This point has been made by various commentators on other posts, but it needs to be made explicitly to the 299 million people who seem unaware of media consolidation and its negative effects on news reporting.

I hold out hope that some in the press will ask challenging questions, but given Glenn's continued analysis of how the MSM actually operates, it seems likely that this will not happen. However, should a reporter grow a pair (or a lady pair, i.e., Thatchers, as Colbert refers to them), here are some quetions I would like to see direct to Mrs. Palin:

(1) You said in your speech at the RNC that you are running to bring change to Washington; does this mean that you are running against the Republican party, which has essentially been in total control of the Federal Government of the last eight years?

(2) If your answer to (1) is yes, what policies of the Bush/Cheney administration would you first seek to overturn?

(3) If your answer to (1) is no, then what are you running to change? If you are running to change Democratic policies, please identify which policies that Democrats have implemented over the past 14 years you would like to change?

(4) Rudy Giuliani said that based upon your executive experience you would have been prepared to handle 9/11. Did Guiliani speak with you prior to making this statement? Do you agree with this statement? If your answer is yes, what in your background as mayor of Wasila, AK (your position at the time) would have prepared you to deal with 9/11? Additionally, would you have placed the NYC emergency response system in the World Trade Center, which had previously been targeted in 1993. If your answer is no, would you agree that Guiliani is a giant prick?

(5) Your executive experience has been touted as one of your selling points? If executive experience was so important to the Republicans this election, why didn't they choose Guiliani, Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee, all of whom served eight years as executives of states much larger and more diverse than Alaska, rather than John McCain, who has been in Washington for 26 years?

(6) Where in the Constitution will you find reference to "God" or a "Higher Power"?

(7) What do you think about campaign finance reform? Do you think there should be limits on the amount of money an individual can contribute to a candidate for federal office?

bs said: "What if the Obama campaign and its surrogates just starting calling Republicans children when this stuff comes up?"

Even better, he should say something along the lines of "It is depressing to see a 72 year old man calling names and throwing a temper tantrum like a five year old." Remind people about McCain's age and temper in addition to the fact that he is now a compulsive liar.

Is there any provision that would allow the Alaska Legislature to convene before January, say October, to enforce the subpoenas? Such a move would convey the seriousness of the investigation and the unwillingness of the Palins and their aides to cooperate.