I Never Said Assassinate the Liberals

Speaking for God today, Reverend Jerry Sutton, first vice president of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the Two Faced Rivers Baptist Church, home of Justice Sunday II – First Frist Kill All the Judges , denied that Pat Robertson ever used the word "assassinate" in his rant against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

What Robertson said specifically was:

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." (I've highlighted the word that Sutton says Robertson didn't say.)

As Media Matters elaborates, Reverend Sutton simply ignored the correction and refused to acknowledge that he was in error.

"Rev. Jerry Sutton denied that Pat Robertson advocated assassinating Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and questioned whether Robertson even used the word "assassinate." But even after host Chris Matthews corrected him, Sutton continued to spin Robertson's comments on Chavez, claiming he advocated "tak[ing] him out" but not assassinating him."

Reverend Sutton is no stranger to denial and does seem to have trouble keeping his own story straight.

Reverend Sutton describes Representative Tom Delay "a straight shooter who does not hold anything back." This may be a reference to Delay's golf game, but it fails to suggest that Rep. Delay's ethical problems might make him less than an ideal choice to speak about Christian values.

Speaking before the Justice Sunday II - Return of the Inquisition, Reverend Sutton denied that the event would be "a pep rally for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts." Instead claimed Sutton, it would be "an educational event designed to say this is how important the courts are because the courts affect all of us."

True to his word, Sutton closed out the Justice Sunday II - Jesus' Revenge on the Supremes, with the following statement:

"It's a new day. Liberalism is dead. The majority of Americans are conservative. You can count on us for showing up and speaking out. And ... let the church rise."

"Liberalism is dead." And, if Sutton and his ilk have their way, the whole concept of liberal democracy will be murdered in its sleep.

(Photo - Tom Delay speaks in front of the revised Constitution of the United States.)