THE SUFFERING CONTINUES. Groan! The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows a deadlock between the presidential candidates.

Actually, it shows the President at 48% and Kerry at 47% (Nader still at 1%). That is actually one tick upward. The last one showed them even at 48%.

The margin of error is 3.1%. That is why they call it even: the lead is within the margin of error. I guess the margin could go toward the President, meaning he is really ahead 51-44.

Is there any good news for those of us hoping and praying for reelection of the President. Yes, there is a little.

Kerry has been harping on the supposedly missing explosives. However, when surveyors asked if the President is to blame for the missing explosives, SURVEY SAID 49 percent of the respondents say no, only 38 percent say yes. (This reminds me of the time when the Democrats kept opposing the war in Iraq while 80% of American’s supported it.)

The survey also found that 24 percent say Osama bin Laden's recent statement that "any state that does not mess with our security, has naturally guaranteed its own security" made them more inclined to vote for Bush, contrasted with twelve percent who said it made them more inclined to vote for Kerry. 62 percent say it made no difference in their vote. 50% expressed the desire to personally bring about Osama’s violent death.

OK, I made that part up.