God postpones rapture to snatch Falwell,

asks for Reagan's advice.
Reagan asks God if He/She is better off now than 4 years ago.

The ProConPundit, while visiting Dallas, has learned that Almighty God was actually planning the rapture for Tuesday morning, May 15, but was in a quandary as to what to do with Jerry Falwell. Supposedly, when the rapture occurs, the saved will rise to heaven, leaving their clothes and running automobiles behind. Those who are not saved will have to endure seven years of tribulation and suffering. God was clear on not wanting Falwell in heaven but unsure about whether it was fair to inflict him upon those whose plates would already be full with seven years of suffering.

God asked the late former President Ronald Reagan what to do. The Gipper asked, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" God replied, "Why yes I am, as a matter of fact, now that Jerry Ford is here." Reagan quipped, "Well, you won't be able to say that four years from now if you let that self righteous, glutinous, hateful SOB into heaven. On the other hand, its not fair to the damned to pile on more agony with him. Even Democrats don't deserve that kind of suffering."

With that, God quickly dispatched Fal-well to hell telling him that it was nothing personal, but just one more chance to win one for the Gipper. In postponing the rapture, God has not set another date. Reagan and LBJ were encouraging God to have the rapture prior to the next set of presidential debates so that there would not be so many candidates on the stage. God is reported to have said that the rapture would not decrease the number of presidential hopefuls.

Below is the link for Christopher Hitchens candid remarks regarding Falwell's death. Hitchens is an outspoken anti-theist and columnist for Vanity Fair. The ProConPundit often disagrees with Hitchens but his piercing remarks about Falwell and general critique of organized religion is a great call to accountability.

http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/16/christopher-hitchens-mourns-jerry-falwell-in-his-own-way/

McCain clinches debate:

shows himself as most competent GOP contender

While the ProConPundit is on location in Dallas, the GOP hopefuls convened in Columbia, South Carolina for a Fox News/USC sponsored debate. The real winner, first of all, was Fox News over MSNBC. Although the ProConPundit is a big fan of MSNBC, Fox News put together a much more substantiative debate forum than did MSNBC in their recent debates. Fox moderators Brit Hume, Chris Wallace and Wendell Goler were much better than Chris Wallace and Brian Williams. The questions were less biased and they had more time for candidates to respond.

Also FYI the ProConPundit obtained the religious identification of these candidates:
McCain is Episcopalian, Giuliani, Thompson and Brownback are Catholic, Romney is a Mormon, Huckabee and Hunter are Baptists, Tancredo is Presbyterian, Gillmore is a Methodist, and Paul is generic Protestant.

The major news about the debate is that the top tier of McCain, Giuliani and Romney is in tact but Romney’s performance fell short of McCain and Giuliani, with McCain the winner. (Bias alert: the ProConPundit’s endorsement is with McCain). Romney is a better looking John Kerry with a hotter, saner wife. Translation: slick flip-flopper. Go away.

Significant events in the debate:

1) Ron Paul provoked Rudy’s greatest moment of the night when he asked Paul to recant his remarks about how the US should consider the causes of hatred of Americans by the middle east. The ProConPundit CLEARLY and ABSOLUTELY does not believe that America deserved or provoked the 911 attacks. Ron Paul never said we did. He did say that we have built an embassy in Iraq that rivals the Vatican in size. He said that if China built such an edifice here, we would be concerned and distressed. He also pointed out the "blowback" to the US installation of the Shah of Iran in the 1970's which provoked the taking of American hostages. Those are valid points, Rudy overacted and was idiotic in using an intelligent, but *debatable* point as an opportunity to act like the only person who cares about the 911 victims. That is getting old, Rudy. You need more to be prez.

2) Another significant topic was about enhanced interrogation techniques. McCain, once again and clearly on top of his game, was the voice of statesmanship and American ideals when he denounced torture. As an American hero and a victim of torture himself, he was the sole voice of reason on this topic. McCain pointed out that water boarding was invented at the Spanish Inquisition and suggested America is capable of better forms of interrogation and stated the obvious that torture does not provide reliable information. Rudy once again was a boob endorsing torture. Romney took a duck on the question by saying that as president he would avoid circumstances that would cause attacks like 911 and hence the reason to interrogate people. Go away Romney, please!

3) Giuliani was grilled again on his pro-choice position. I think the pro-lifers who cannot vote for Giuliani should do as they must but the issue is resolved. He has answered where he stands. Whatever you think of him and of his position he is correct on this much: he is preferable to Hillary Rodham Clinton, we should unite on our common areas, and even given his pro-choice stand, abortions decreased and adoptions increased in New York while he was mayor. What the mayor has to do with that—the ProConPundit hasn’t got a clue!

Second Tier: As for the second tier, they were all more impressive than in the first debate with Mike Huckabee at the top of the pack, in my view. He also won the quip of the night saying that congress "spent money like John Edwards at a beauty parlor." Huckabee clearly held his own and had persuasive responses to his critics. Other great quips came as slams to Romney by Tancredo who trusts conversions that occur "on the road to Damascus not Des Moines." McCain threw a great line that was no joke: "I don’t change my positions in even numbered years or depending on which office I seek."

Of the rest of the second tier, Gillmore and Hunter were much better than the last debate but are still going nowhere–not even VP hopefuls. Thompson and Brownback were better than last time but unimpressive. Thompson won the contest for the most number of times he mentioned Reagan.

On Kucinich-Sharpton Tier: Tom Tancredo continues to be the GOP answer to Kucinich in trying to hold the party accountable. For Kucinich, it is on the war and Tancredo, immigration. He’s going nowhere but doing the country and the process a service to be in the race and give voice to this key issue that the top contenders would prefer to duck. Ron Paul, like Sharpton, is part prophet, part wacky.
Its McCain, folks.

Should Imus Make a Comeback?

Cast your vote in this poll of newsmax.com

http://www.newsmax.com/poll/imus/?PROMO_CODE=324E-1

Satan removes protective covering from Hell–
and Fal-well fell in.

Heaven and the Reign of God breathed a sigh of relief today when a dead Jerry Falwell was redeployed to hell.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell went a long way in life for a Virginia preacher who started a fundamentalist church in an abandoned bottling plant in 1956. His empire, Falwell’s that is, evolved into the 22,000 member Thomas Road Baptist Church, the ''Old Time Gospel Hour, '' and Liberty University which began as Lynchburg Baptist College. His greatest achievement, however, came from founding the so-called Moral Majority in 1979 as a response to Roe vs. Wade.

Through Moral Majority Falwell galvanized a block of voters now known as the religious right who helped elect Ronald Reagan president. These born-again Christians banned together to prevent re-electing born-again President Jimmy Carter in order to elect Ronald Reagan, a man who didn’t go to church and didn’t get along with his kids as the first president elected by the family values crowd. The ProConPundit intends no disrespect to Reagan. His family issues and non-religious identity were his own business. It does, however, shed light on the reality that while Falwell and his followers have spun Reagan as someone he wasn’t, the fact is that it is just another example of Reagan’s brilliant political acumen that he used Falwell and his block to his own purposes.

The ProConPundit respects Falwell as a man of conviction and appreciates his original issues: opposition to Roe vs. Wade and fighting in favor of optional prayer in public schools. Far beyond opposing gay rights, Falwell became a bombastic and pugnacious hater of gays and lesbians and those who care about them. His fate was sealed as a kook with his post 911 remarks that God had allowed or desired the 911 attack on the US by "removing His protective covering" as a result of gays and abortionists. His remarks were disgraceful and he became an embarrassing distraction from the Christian Gospel and the Savior for whom he claimed a personal relationship and life of service.

The ProConPundit prays that Falwell, in death, found a more loving and merciful God than he described.

See Fox News website for more on Falwell's death, including reaction by the gay community.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,272632,00.html

Gay Community Reacts to Jerry Falwell's Death
LYNCHBURG, Va. — While some mourned Tuesday after Rev. Jerry Falwell died at 73, there were also those who took his death in a different light.
Falwell and his Moral Majority group widely condemned homosexuality, making him a controversial figure to many — especially the gay community.
"Jerry Falwell was one of the first and most visible advocates of a more-than-30-year-old movement to bring fundamentalist Christianity into the political sphere in ways that are particularly vicious and painful to millions of LGBT people around the country," read a press release by the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center's executive director.
“He blamed gays and lesbians for the tragedies of September 11. He fought to block civil rights for LGBT Americans," wrote Thom Lynch. “Perhaps this will signal the end of an era and allow us to find ways to live and co-exist in a pluralistic democracy."

Pre-mature reconciliation:
Episcopal Church accepts lying, cheating McGreevey into seminary

The ProConPundit has a lot of respect for the Church of England. It has offered much through the ages and has a lot to offer today. Its liturgy, architecture, music, art, and a way of being church that has been a comfortable place for people who have a hard time digesting the rigidity of the Roman church. That said, the Episcopal Church just got a tad too progressive for this progressive conservative in accepting former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey to New York’s General Theological Seminary.

McGreevey courageously came out of the closet and announced "his truth" as a gay American in August of 2004. His courage came just as his former lover and appointed New Jersey Homeland Security Director, Golan Cipel filed a sexual harassment suit against him. Whatever skills Israeli Cipel posessed, he had absolutely no credentials whatever to qualify for such a position.

The ProConPundit seldom quotes Jesse Jackson but Jackson was right when he once said (or was once right) "Either we believe in redemption or we don’t" I believe in redemption, clearly. Professional, ordained ministry is not a club for perfect people. However, competence and integrity and a love for God and the people of God are non negotiable.

McGreevey is in the middle of a very contentious divorce and without knowing anything about his former wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, its hard to not conclude that she has been treated miserably. Since they are still battling and her allegations against him are very serious, its boggles the mind to ponder what the admission requirements of General Theological Seminary consist of when seminary spokesman Bruce Park confirmed McGreevey's acceptance,acceptance, "We're very excited to have him...he has met all of the general admissions requirement." By anyone's estimation, McGreevey lied to his wife and family, cheated on her, and betrayed the public trust in exercising hideous judgement by appointing an utterly unqualified man as state director of homeland security based on pillow talk.

The ProConPundit respects and appreciates the sensible, pastoral and, well, Christ-like stand of the Episcopal Church on married clergy, the ordination of women and the acceptance and ordination of gays and lesbians. Accepting McGreevey, at this point of his personal controversies, however, is absurd.

Simi Valley earthquake false alarm.
Reagan burial vault rocks as deceased President protests band of goof balls debating in his library.

I was not a fan of President Reagan. I voted against him twice. He helped President Ford’s 1976 defeat by unnecessarily challenging him in the GOP primary and I never forgave him in the ballot box. I may be on the wrong side of history but no less so than the ten Reagan wannabe’s who overlook the best part of Reagan. So let this unlikely extoller of Reagan say a few words about the Gipper. He wasn’t brilliant and he wasn’t complicated. He wasn’t a multi tasker. He had a few core goals as President and those were the things he devoted himself to. He was an actor and a superb communicator. But long before Ronald Wilson Reagan was a Californian he was an Illinoisan–from the Midwest, the heartland. It was there that he gained perhaps his most authentic quality–he was comfortable in his own skin. He didn’t try to be all things to all people. He liked who he was. He didn’t define his vision based on someone else.

The GOP debate Thursday night at the Reagan Library was pathetic in every conceivable way.
There was only one debate participant who has the qualities we desperately need in a president, John McCain and he looked like he was playing the role of Admiral Stockdale, Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992. In an apparent effort to seem commanding, McCain seemed grumpy and tired–and weird. By the way, Senator, if you are going to bark out that you will chase Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell, don’t crack a shit eating grin when you deliver the silly line.

Rudy Giuliani was the most impressive. He was optimistic and exuded strong leadership. He was actually extraordinary given his distance from the conservative wing of the GOP. The ProConPundit still has misgivings about a Rudy run. There is a case to be made that if you are a strong enough leader you could run any company. Lee Iacocca could have probably led Pepsi. He knew nothing about Pepsi and everything about leadership. We see CEO’s move from one type of business to a completely different type and do just fine. The usual argument that governors make good presidents follows this logic. Most governors know nothing about running federal government but are good governmental CEO’s. Eight years of Bush, who is not stupid but was not astute enough around foreign policy and a host of other job requirements. We relied on the people he surrounded himself with and they fell short. The ProConPundit argues that in 08 we need a president who has first hand competence to lead our nation. In my book, of the current field there are only three people qualified: John McCain, Joe Biden and, it pains me to say it, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Mitt Romney did a good job in the debate. The ProConPundit doesn’t like Romney which is okay because he may be someone different in five minutes. He was pro-choice and pro-gay when he was running for governor of a liberal state. Now that he is running for a conservative nomination, he is pro-life and anti-gay. Sorry, flip-floppers need not apply.

Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo are the GOP answers to Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. Part prophet, part whack-job. Tancredo’s role is an important one as he holds the party accountable on immigration. Sam Brownback and Jim Gillmore are angry, Mike Huckabee just wants to preach. Tommy Thompson needs 24 hours to decide that gays and lesbians maybe shouldn’t be fired for being gay. Jim Gillmore and Duncan Hunter are asterisks.

The ProConPundit likes Fred Thompson but I may be enamored of him as a result of the void in the current field, the same way Obama is the great hope of Democrats. Thompson and Obama both, as one terms senators, lack the bona fides for the oval office.