Sarah Palin's gosh darnedly good-enough performance in last night's debate may have prolonged the political life of John McCain. But she could still be responsible for a man's death: Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari.

It seems that a fatwa has been placed on Zardari by a prominent Muslim cleric after his friendly introduction to Palin at the United Nations last week. There, the two exchanged kind words and the President complimented the Governor as being "gorgeous."

Infidel!

A radical Muslim prayer leader said the president shamed the nation for "indecent gestures, filthy remarks, and repeated praise of a non-Muslim lady wearing a short skirt."…

Though the fatwa, issued days after the Sept. 24 exchange, carries little weight among most Pakistanis, it's indicative of the anger felt by Pakistan's increasingly assertive conservatives who consider physical contact and flattery between a man and woman who aren't married to each other distasteful.

Zardari shouldn't be too worried. After all, Salman Rushdie has had a fatwa on his head for years, and he's doing fine.

But let other Middle Eastern heads of state beware: Stay away from Sarah Palin, or someone's gonna get hurt.