...but she is only the VP.  We should not start engaging in "the battle of the churchs" unless you want to legitimize seeing Rev Wright on the news cycle again.  

We would lose that one, remember its the uncommited center we are fighting for.

After all, she thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.

I wonder when she'll come out in favor of phrenology?

They better be careful with that...if they say those same prayers backward three times in front of a mirror at night, they'll all turn gay,

Unfortunately Wright's most bombastic comments were blatantly bombastic.  They travel well.  I also find Palin's church more troublesome but I doubt the bulk of church-going Americans will be nearly as alarmed.  I agree with the others that we have no standing to push any sort of Pastorgate.  

That said, there may be mileage in the Jews for Jesus & teaching of creationism.  

Here's a little taste of Sarah's Church.  It sounds really sweet but it will scare the bejeezus outta you.  

* N.B. Have a drink before watching this - it'll make it easier.  

Sunlight and wind are the best disinfectants. Open all of the doors and windows and drag this shit out into the light of day!

This gay-bashing minister emceed an Obama fund-raiser late last year; McClurkin claims the ability to cure "unhappy gays". According to the Washington Post, an Obama campaign spokesman answered questions about the minister's presence by saying that McClurkin has no problem with "the happy ones".

When the campaign refused to kick him off the program of a gospel concert they were hosting as a fundraiser, we got the same stock answer about Barack "bringing people together, even if they disagree". Using that rationale, you could excuse the presence of any morally-challenged or bigoted individual among your campaign supporters.

Gay bashing is not limited to Sarah Palin's church.

these are mainstream evangelical beliefs, held by more than you want to know.  She's pretending she'll uphold the law of the land.

the problem is access to reproductive choice, not whether or not it stays 'legal.' the right wing doesn't want to over turn Roe and get our attention, they have been chipping away at it. One of the intended consequences of the last term abortion ban is to potentially criminalize doctors who perform abortions, since the time of gestation is never exact, it's meant to intimidate. Surely if John McCain is elected, whomever his running mate, that will continue.

We've been 'cornered' kind of, most American want reproductive freedom and the freedom to moralize about women who seek abortions.  Sarah is a spokesperson for her own beliefs, since she kept her down's syndrome fetus pregnancy and her daughter will carry her own fetus to baby.  So, it's a hard one, attack her on this, and you end up attacking a large segment of the population, those evangelical Christians, and bring attention to the problem of public opinion on late term abortion.  Their ideas on homosexuality are right in there, they all think that way. Weird, but true.  And, what's even weirder, many have homosexual friends, and many know women who've had abortions and they can 'understand' in that circumstance. It's a moral principle more than a personal prejudice for most.  

The church McCain attends is North Phoenix Babtist. Wouldn't that be the pertinent church to compare to Trinity United Church of Crist?

Personally, I don't think she should be held accountable for what her church says or does. But I didn't think Obama should have been either. Given the amount of flack Obama got for Reverend Wright, the media has an obligation to go after this. But Obama's campaign can't touch it, since McCain thus far has not touched Reverend Wright.

This is perhaps the one issue where I can speak personally to 'up' the debate.

I grew up in a church much like Palin's, where everything that happened in life was either a test sent by God, or retribution sent by God for shortcomings in doing his will.  Because of that, even knowing I was hopelessly homosexual, after my first failed same sex relationship I turned back to church, my first 'sweetheart' who was still unmarried and still as fundamentalist as Palin ever thought about being. Of course I heard from pastors how I could pray and be faithful and "God will change you if you pray enough".  Within a month we married, she never knew of the homosexualtiy,and I spent every waking moment of my existence hoping to keep my past proclivities hidden and my 'sights' on doing God's work.  My spouse, being the good woman she was (and I say that lovingly) was supposed to help 'save' me.  Well, it was a hard thing to do.  But I persevered, spending all my time either at work, or in church along with my wife, and hoping to start a family.  We eventually did conceive and were happy (although I still knew I was not heterosexual).  Our child, our daughter, was born with Downs.  "God doesn't make mistakes" the pastor would say.  "God only sends you as much as you can handle" others would say.  Nowhere did I hear "God can change her to normal if you pray hard enough".  No fundamentalist religion believes that God can make a Downs child normal through prayer.  Yet they still believe that homosexuals can be changed through prayer.

My daughter taught me to accept myself.  It took a long time.  My spouse, finally finding out my past and that my old 'roommate' had indeed been my first lover and relationship that lasted 4 years until he decided he wanted s newer model, resorting to her fundie roots, decided to leave and divorce me.  I agreed, and never looked back.

The bottom line is, if Palin believes that God can change homosexuals if they pray enough, are devout enough and do His will enough, then she also has to believe that God will change Trig to 'normal' and his trisomy 21 will be resolved if she prays enough, does His will enough and is devout enough.  It's that simple.  Trig is still an infant.  My child is now late 20's and trust me, they have NO IDEA what what trials, troubles and hurdles they face.

The sad part is the more polls I see, the more folks I hear, the more yard signs and bumper stickers I see the more I am inclined to actually fear that this woman will be POTUS.