Ana Marie Cox: 'I Know Mitt Romney Is Not Himself Christian'

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UPDATE: Video here.

Ana Marie Cox: not just a snarky ex-blogger turned Time editor anymore -- now a theologian who has pronounced Mitt Romney not a Christian.

The former Wonkette is all over MSNBC today. Early today on "Morning Joe," Cox cattily swiped at Katie Couric, surmising that the CBS Evening News anchor was traveling to the Middle East because she needed rugs. She has since claimed to have intended no slight to Katie or Middle Easterners. Right. Screencap from MJ after the break.

This evening, Cox appeared on "Countdown" to discuss the Larry Craig matter with Olbermann. Talk turned to the way Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) has dealt with the situation. The Idaho senator had served as Romney's co-chairman in the Senate. Romney was quick to disassociate Craig from his campaign, and Tuesday referred to Craig's behavior as "disgusting."

ANA MARIE COX: [Romney] has inserted himself into this story several times. I think the smart political thing to do would have been to get rid of the guy from your campaign staff, maybe take the [Craig endorsement] video down, but why would you perpetuate the story, why would you involve yourself in this? It really just seems politically inept in my opinion.

KEITH OLBERMANN: Are we again missing something here? Is there some base that he's appealing to by being cruel to somebody's who's in trouble? I'm quite serious about this.

Olbermann lamenting cruelty toward Craig? That's really just too rich. Olbermann is of course reveling in Craig's disgrace, going so far as to have produced and played on this evening's show a mocking "Dragnet" re-enactment of the restroom scene.

COX: I think that his understanding of even the conservative base is rather incomplete. I think that someone like Sam Brownback, you may disagree with him, but you really cannot doubt his social conservative credentials, at least has the strength of character to extend Christian mercy.

That's when Cox ruled Romney off the Christian reservation.

COX: I know Mitt Romney is not himself Christian, or [trying to retrieve herself] that's a point of debate, but to show some kind of compassion for somebody who at least there family is going through something really terrible, I think it smacks of opportunism for him to, you know, throw the guy aside.

I wonder if "Time" endorses the view of its Washington editor of Time.com questioning Romney's Christianity?