James Wolcott writes that Fox News apparently pronounced the Pope dead -- before he was, uh, dead. (And this from the network which sides with the "culture of life" political party.). In fact, as I write this, the Pope is still alive.

Wolcott offers us what will indeed happen over the next week, and beyond:

Fox News did all of us a service by providing a sneak preview of how the Pope's death will be politically spun to further a Culture of Life campaign intended to peel off more Democrats to the Republican side. Liberals shouldn't be lulled into letting down their guard after the poll numbers disapproving of Bush's and the Congress's barging into the Schiavo case. They're going to capitalize on the Pope's death and plug it into the Culture of Life crusade intended to save Tom DeLay's tainted bacon.

So don't be surprised if President Bush breaks recent precedent and personally attends the Pope's funeral to pay his respects, of course, and shore up his poll numbers.

In other words, get ready for more sheer political posturing masquerading as fist-pounding conviction for the sanctity of life (!).

UPDATE: Bush likely to attend Pope's funeral. He would be the first U.S. president to do so.