Thanks to Patrick Gavin, an editor at the Washington Examiner for tipping us off to a change in the paper’s editorial page: starting today, the daily paper won’t comment on televangelist Pat Robertson’s various pronouncements. Robertson has recently made headlines for saying that Ariel Sharon’s recent stroke was a form of divine vengeance.

Refusing to dignify the mean-spirited religious theories of a kook wouldn’t merit attention but for the Examiner’s parent corporation. the Washington Times Phil Anschutz, who owns the Examiner, is widely perceived to have a conservative slant. Robertson’s affinity for the Republican party and his status as an evangelical leader prompt one to naturally assume that he’d be in the good graces of the paper. Perhaps this is just a case of decency trumping party affiliation.

UPDATE: This post originally stated that the Washington Examiner was owned by the Washington Times. That is incorrect, and the post has been updated to reflect this information. This writer apologizes for the error, and thanks our commenters for pointing it out swiftly.