In addition to a strongly dualistic world view of good and evil, pentacostals -- and evangelicals generally -- stress something called a "spirit of discernment." Evil in this context is not only evil, but capable of representing itself as Good. Satan posing as an angel of light. Another way of putting this is that a Lie is at the root of all sin. One is to be constantly "testing the spirits" to avoid deception.

That said, one wonders, given the well-documented record of the McPalin campaign vis-a-vis the truth, whether she's ever read (or truly believes) the words -- attributed to Jesus -- promising heavenly exclusion of "everyone who loves and practices falsehood" (rev:2215). The sickening shamelessness of her inclines me to wish for the literal eschatological fulfillment of the texts she supposedly believes. As it is, we may have to merely hope that what "goes around comes around," that somehow they will "reap what they sow."

But if all this deception is testing well with the Christian "conservatives" then where is the spirit of discernment they claim? Seems like quite another spirit is at work in this Rovian/Orwellian passion play.

<<Have a nice day. And have a really nice four more years. Much too short a time to keep you waiting for Godot.>>

I just sent another fifty to Barak; it was sort of bitter-sweet this time inasmuch as I believe you're right. Unfortunately these pathetic neo "conservative" (conserving what the hell what??) pricks will drag us all in with them -- even the blessed upper five percent who imagine themselves somehow immune from what's coming.

Good luck to you guys in UK and Canada too.

I listened on the radio. From the aural perspective it seemed clear that Sen. Biden thinks and speaks in sentences and paragraphs; Gov. Palin's responses sound like a diaphanous vapor struggling for coherence. Frankly, she seems like someone who has smoked a lot of pot. Like Jeff Lebowski: "lots of ins, lots of outs, lots of what-have-yous. Lots of new shit has come to light, maaaan..."

The funny/sad thing is that what passes for "leftist" in this country (that I love) is by the standards of the rest of the first world pretty center-right. Can you McCain voters really imagine Obama and a Democratic congress, e.g., nationalizing health care? It won't happen, at least not until we're spending so much for so little that it finally is obvious to everyone what has to be done. I'm voting for Barack. But let's face it: He's no socialist. Not even close.

The sad/terrorizing thing is that (apparently) to attempt even a conversation in the USA on policy outside the prevailing corporate-government paradigm is to open oneself to the accusation of "terrorist" and "anti-American." Don't tell me the term only applies to bomb throwers. Bachmann's clear inference suggest otherwise.

Of course (as has been noted) we've had to suffer these misguided devils before. I just hope we can sanitize this shit with the light of day before too many reputations and lives are lost.

Considering the increasingly obvious iniquity of these Rovian malefactors within the neoconservative movement, it’s hard to know under what sorts of threats Gen. Powell felt compelled to knowingly lie to the world vis-à-vis Iraq, Saddam, and the magically absent WMDs. I’m inclined to forgive (if not forget) and see his endorsement of Barack Obama as a hopeful sign that (just maybe) these viruses within Republican (and the complicit Dems) are truly in remission.

"Our way out of the wilderness is to go back to where we were with Ronald Reagan and the principles that he stood for and to reenact those very winning strategies and those platforms."

Please let that really be their "way forward." If it is we may actually be able to get the country back from the Reagan Decimation.

Shouldn't he come clean and admit he'd really like 'em to use the BOM for swearing in..just sayin. He and Hannity are a couple of intellectual zeros that make W look like a Mensa.