"I would rather live in the dark ages under the Taleban than be subservient to any foreign power."

The unexpected comment comes from an urbane, sophisticated and, I had always thought, Westernised Pashtun lawyer.

He wears none of the badges of Islamic piety - a beard, for example - and he normally sports a navy blazer not the local shalwar kameez.

He is a former minister with the Pakistan People's Party, the most liberal in Pakistan.

The word liberal in the Pakistani context means modern, educated, secular rather than theocratic and, up until now at least, pro-Western.

"You can't mean it," I protested. "Do you know what the Taleban were like in Afghanistan when they ran it, with compulsory prayers five times a day, do you want that?"

"Look," he said. "I can deal with Taleban, they are my own people. They come from here. I know them.

"I will be able to get around them. But the Americans never. No way."

We're going to release our newest North Carolina poll tonight.  I'll give you a clue:

Date  %listing economy as top issue   %McCain
1/21/08    39                           +14
5/9/08      43                           +7
8/23/08    48                           +3
9/19/08    58                           ?

Going along with today's poll of South Carolina by Ras, this would signal massive movement.

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

Quite.