In the Matter of 'Jew v. Christian' ...

There's far too little courage in this country to call-out the Christian right -- or anyone who seeks to inject religion into the public life of this nation -- for fomenting not just religious intolerance, but for aggressively pushing for an all-out Christian theocracy. The unfolding Harriet Miers fiasco is, at least, unmasking the way extremist religious ideology has its hooks in American politics and government. No need to look overseas, friends.

Let's take a look at Pat Robertson's remarks today on his "700 Club" program about why conservatives should get in line with the president's choice of Harriet Miers -- which, quite remarkably, the president confessed today was a nomination based at least in part on her religious beliefs, Scott McClellan's protestations notwithstanding. Here's Robertson:

"These so-called movement conservatives don’t have much of a following, the ones that I’m aware of. And you just marvel, these are the senators, some of them who voted to confirm the general counsel of the ACLU to the Supreme Court, and she was voted in almost unanimously. And you say, ‘now they’re going to turn against a Christian who is a conservative picked by a conservative President and they’re going to vote against her for confirmation.’ Not on your sweet life, if they want to stay in office."

What he's saying, without saying it, is that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Jew with an impressive judicial record, was confirmed, yet Harriet Miers -- about whom we know virtually nothing -- should be confirmed simply because she's an evangelical Christian.

Happy Yom Kippur, everyone!