Daily Show Mideast correspondent Aasif Mandvi:
Like the Secretary said, we're going through some "birthpangs" here. And you know how people tend to scream things they don't mean when they're in labor. Nonsense like, "How could you do this to me," or "Death to America!"4'23 quicktime at onegoodmove [via robotwisdom]
I've actually read that Rice's use of "birth pangs" is a code word for the religious right. Something to do with the End Times ??
It means difficulty or turmoil associated with a development or transition.
http://www.evangelicalright.com/2006/07/condi_uses_biblical_code_words.html
[see, that's my problem. I use the King James Version, which just translates to "sorrows." If they ever mention rolling someplace up like a scroll, though, watch out. -ed.]