who would want to have an affair with either one of those creeps?

GOP keys for success:

1) Funnel as much money into the GOP as humanly possible. Spread it around. Done that? Good. Proceed to step 2.

2) Mess with the judicial system and the electoral system to ensure electoral success. Done? Go to 3.

3) Decry the prosecutor trying to stop you to be a political hack or a traitor.

4) Get thrown in jail. Find jesus in the glove compartment of the van on the way

5) Evangelize in prison in order to obtain early release.

6) Leave prison on "Good behavior", write book.

7) Get talk show on Fox.

8) Repeat ad nauseum until democracy as we know it collapses.

He had gone Christian and repented his sins, but was still having an affair? I'm thinking he missed the point.

...but ONLY if you're a "conservative" "Christian".

Once you've played your "Get Out of Jail Free" card, saying you've repented and been forgiven, you're evidently now empowered to condemn everyone else for doing EXACTLY what you just stopped doing yourself.

There simply must be another word besides "hypocrite" to hurl at people like DeLay and Gingrich. These guys take hypocrisy to levels rarely seen in this world.

How about HYPERCRITE? That might work, I guess. How about this -- let's run a contest in War Room to coin an appropriate and descriptive noun that captures the essence of these disgusting characters.

This could be interesting -- let the suggestions start rolling in!

Conservatives are constantly bitching and moaning that liberals practice moral relativism. Yet they themselves have embraced it to a breathtaking degree. Whatever a member of the GOP does is OK. Adultery? No problem -- and anyhow it was wifey's fault for not being a hot young babe. Shoot a guy in the face? An unfortunate accident. Torture? Let's do it! Bigotry? The Bible says it's OK. Misogyny? Ditto. Taking bribes from special interests? An unavoidable business practice.

...is that people like this are walking around un-smited. No respectably wrathful diety would tolerate this level of calumny without laying a plague upon the house of the offender.

As for neologisms for these hypocrites, I'll offer "hypocrypt". Because essentially they are crypto-hypocrites, being actual practictioners of hypocrisy but cloaking it in language that makes them appear opposed to it to the average viewer, while simultaneously being code words to those in the know.

I don't really consider myself a religious person these days, so maybe I am just confused...but I always thought that the really amazing, miraculous thing about god's forgiveness was supposed to be the fact that it was so much more absolute than any kind of forgiveness we are afforded in the mortal world. A murderer who repents may receive absolute forgiveness from god, but we don't let him out of jail.

Jim Baker may have received god's forgiveness when he cried his eyes out on TV and claimed that he had changed his ways, but in the public eye, does he have credibility on moral issues? Did his parishioners go right back to asking him for marital advice?

What's really incredible is that the Hammer seems to really believe what he says - that his moral credibility is sound simply because he has repented.

In other words, you can't tag me because I made it to "Home" before you tagged me. No wonder so many politicians profess hard-shell relgion. You can have an affair with the summer intern with the big (.)(.)'s and say afterward "The devil was in me, it wasn't MY fault!" If anybody brings it up later, just tell `em "I have repented and accepted Christ and cast out the Devil, so everything is hunky-dory now."

I'm not a Christian but this can't be pegged on God.

I saw two possible reasons for him saying that his adultery was different.

1. She was hot. No, seriously. Everybody should have a shot with a girl like that.

2. He found Jesus.

I came up with the first answer last night, and while I don't think it's true, it's at least comical. Picture DeLay trying to convince everybody that it was on par with your celebrity of choice. Now there's a SNL skit waiting to happen.

If he's just playing the repentance game, I grew up in the Church and have many family members who wear the "Christian fundamentalist" label proudly. They won't be fooled. True repentance doesn't look like what DeLay's doing. You don't get points for fucking up and finding God. You get points for finding God and having him change your life.

It's been awhile but I'm sure Galatians 5:19-26 is still the same as it was when I was growing up. You tell me which one fits DeLay more aptly.

(19) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

From the information given here, this is one instance where I can't get worked up against DeLay.

Can an ex-smoker call a smoker a hypocrite for attacking another for smoking? Yes, I'd say he can.

I think if someone does something bad, at some point in their past before a life-changing moment, that does not prohibit that person from passing judgment on others who do that same bad thing -- even if it is chronic hypocrite Tom DeLay doing the passing judgment.

that preach hate from their morally replusive soap boxes. To quote Barney, "I'd bet jesus is turning over in his grave..."