Today's Lexical Lesson

For those who have seen the word "theocon" (rhymes with neocon) used recently, the Word Spy has this citation from 1996:

The neoconservatives believe that America is special because it was founded on an idea—a commitment to the rights of man embodied in the Declaration of Independence—not in ethnic or religious affiliations. The theocons, too, argue that America is rooted in an idea, but they believe that idea is Christianity.
—Jacob Heilbrun, "Neocon v. Theocon," The New Republic, December 12, 1996

I'm guessing that theocon is becoming more popular because of the increased use of neocon to identify the other ideological pillar of the Bush administration.