Justice is finally served in Whichita, Kansas.

Scott Roeder was convicted of first degree murder for killing Dr. George Tiller at Reformation Lutheran Church. He also was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault for threatening to shoot church ushers Keith Martin and Gary Hoepner as he fled the scene of the crime.
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They (as in their blogger Kyle) knocked it out of the park with The Religious Right's New Demand: Stop Calling Us the Religious Right :

If the phrase "Religious Right" has negative connotations, it probably stems primarily from the fact that the people who have traditionally represented the Religious Right have caused it to, you know, have negative connotations.

When people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson go on television and blame the 9/11 attacks on "pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, [and] all of them who have tried to secularize America," that is the sort of thing that tends to create negative impressions about the Religious Right.

And even if they were called "socially conservative evangelicals," this type of rhetoric would still create negative impressions about the term "socially conservative evangelicals" ... and then "socially conservative evangelicals" would be telling everyone to stop calling them "socially conservative evangelicals."

You see, it is not the term that it is problem - it is the Religious Right's agenda and rhetoric.
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And not in a good way at all :

A new study from the University of New Hampshire shows Hispanics now account for half of U.S. population growth, driving growth in major cities and rural communities.

The study from the Carsey Institute says "natural increase'" meaning more births than deaths, is now the major reason for the growth, replacing immigration.

Kenneth Johnson, the report author, said the trend will remake the social and cultural fabric of communities for decades.

The report said Hispanics are a major source of growth in rural America, accounting for 45.5 percent of population growth between 2000 and 2005.

For many rural communities, Hispanic gains represent the first population growth in decades.

Of course, the study uses the word "hispanic" which is meant to Europeanize and in turn "whitewash" black, indigenous and all other ancestries from everybody coming from Latin America. So in effect, these "hispanics" could be treated as replacement white people for the dwindling white Europeans.

Nevertheless, they're still a mostly Catholic and pagan bunch. Which is why it would probably freak out many "Christian Nationalists" like Sarah Palin.
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Matt Damon tells it like it is :

"I really need to know if she believes dinosaurs were around 4,000 years ago ... that's an important ... I want to know that. I really do because she's going to have the nuclear codes..." in the event John McCain becomes another "actuary statistic" and doesn't live to see the end of his first term as President Of the United States.

Shout out to Oh No They Didn't.

Not too long ago Rudy Giuliani could claim to be a moderate, making many right wing extremists uncomfortable. But now, Rudy is embracing Christian fundamentalists, shedding any pretence of being a moderate.

This comes from the National Jewish Democratic Council:

“I am very encouraged by Pat’s support,” said GOP Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani in a statement released by his campaign. “His confidence in me means a lot. His experience and advice will be a great asset to me and my campaign.”

The "Pat" in question is the Rev. Pat Robertson [real name: Marion Gordon Robertson], who endorsed Giuliani's campaign for president today.

Yes, this is the same Pat Robertson who suggested that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution. It is the same Pat Robertson who said: "the feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." It is the same Pat Robertson who called for the assassination of the President of Venezuela. And, alas, it is the same Pat Robertson who said: "just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different."

Rudy Giuliani could very well become the Republican nominee for President. It's imperative that all of us start reminding our friends and neighbors today that a vote for Giuliani is a vote for Pat Robertson and the narrow vision of America he represents. We've already seen how the Bush Administration has paid back the religious right.
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In 2001 I started writing a novel. It was based on a handful of facts but was supposed to be pure fiction. The premise was that the Republican Party had become the arm of fanatic Apocalyptic Christians who wanted to force Armageddeon. My jumping off point was Reagan's Interior Secretary, James Watt's statement that the second coming was at hand so we don't need an environmental policy. My premise was that the selection of George Bush as resident of the White House was intended to put a malleable figure head who could be manipulated into starting the final war over the Holy Land with America as the force of God against Islam. I had reached a point where I was considering what kind of dramatic event I could use for the climax.

The next day was 9/11/2001. I was in Manhattan on 9/11. There was no way I could continue my novel after that day.

But as the years have continued, even though I can't return to the novel (not even sure it was ever worth it!), I realize that my premise was frighteningly close to the truth. And it is increasingly clear that America IS being led by fanatics who believe we are in the midst of a Crusade against Islam.

We are on a collision course to war that will be far, far worse than the Iraq quagmire. We are going headlong into a war that will link up the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And this collision course is being driven by BOTH sides.

The President of the United States is playing the same "smoking crater" lie with Iran that he did with Iraq. From Guysen.International.News:
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