I don’t use that word lightly, unlike the idiots on the right who like to fling it with utter abandon at Democrats, liberals and anyone who dares disagree with them.
I knew that Sarah Palin has been connected to an Alaskan secessionist group. I didn’t think too much of it other than it further brands her as a brainless twit in my eyes. And then I stumbled across this article on DailyKos:
Secession is treason
by doc durango
Sun Oct 05, 2008 at 12:38:42 PM PDT
I am reposting in hopes that more people become aware that secession is unconstitutional and, frankly, a treasonous philosophy.
It seems almost certain (see LA Times 9/3/08) that Sarah Palin has supported putting an initiative on the Alaska ballot that would allow Alaskans to vote on whether to leave the union.
The McCain flacks say that Palin did not actually want Alaska to leave the union, but refuse to say whether she wanted to give Alaskans the chance to vote on the matter. If Palin even thinks that a state can vote itself out of the union, she is committing herself to a treasonous philosophy and one that makes a mockery of the Pledge of Allegiance (”One nation … indivisible”) and the oath of office (uphold and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic).
As a college professor who teaches the history of the American Civil War, I find it distressing that McCain has chosen a running mate who endorses what amounts to treason and who wants to take this country back to before the Civil War. Please follow below the fold.
I also read an article yesterday over on Salon.com about the prayer groups in Alaska. I realized that those of us who detest what this woman stands for need to be doing a little “praying” of our own. What with TrooperGate, her pitiful “debate” performance, and her “attacks” on Obama, I think it’s high time we started chanting “Sarah GO HOME.” I think the Universe will listen.
Picture this: Dick Cheney in a debate. In response to a question that has nothing to do with what he plans to say, Cheney says, “It is our solemn responsibility to rid this world of evil and if, in order to do so, we have to take extraordinary measures, then that is precisely what we must do.” And then, perfectly timed to punctuate his response, Cheney looks directly into the camera and…
winks.
I think that Sarah Palin actually believes that she can flirt her way to the top. And watch John McCain talk about her: he grins and chuckles, and his eyes have a little sparkle. He sits up a little straighter when he talks about her. And they even have a little pet name to call each other: Maverick. I can almost hear them ending a late night phone conversation. John sitting on his bed, wearing presidential seal pajamas Sarah bought for him, and Sarah in her camouflage nighty, on her stomach, stretched across her bed, leg bent, calf and foot in the air.
“Who’s my little Maverick?” John says in his best low, sexy voice.
“I am,” Sarah says with the inflection of a little girl, “And you’re my big, strong Maverick.”
And then there’s the silence that comes when neither wants to be the first to hang up.
Nothing like a younger woman fawning on you to make you feel young again. But Sarah is not flirting with John; she’s flirting with us. She is aiming her clever little colloquialisms, smiles and winks directly at the American people, believing that we will so enamored by her, that we will fail to notice that she is not only unqualified for the position for which she is applying, but that she is sarcastic, rude and condescending. Some might call her cute, some might call her clever, some call her gutsy, some even call her sexy (I don’t actually get that one).
Here’s what I call her: arrogant for no apparent reason. Guess who else this describes? Yes, you guessed right. It is our current president. It didn’t work out so well to have a president we would like to have a beer with. Do we really think that electing someone because we might like to take her to a dance is going to be any different?
I think we will all be better off if John and Sarah just rented a cabana on the beach or a cabin in the mountains, to get whatever out of their systems. I can see them snuggling in front of a big fire.
“You’re my Maverick.”
“No, you’re my Maverick.”
Wink, wink, kiss, kiss.
And I think I missed posting this article from Rolling Stone magazine. A definite must read:
Mad Dog Palin
The scariest thing about John McCain’s running mate isn’t how unqualified she is - it’s what her candidacy says about America
MATT TAIBBI
Posted Oct 02, 2008 3:00 PM
I’m standing outside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Sarah Palin has just finished her speech to the Republican National Convention, accepting the party’s nomination for vice president. If I hadn’t quit my two-packs-a-day habit earlier this year, I’d be chain-smoking now. So the only thing left is to stand mute against th fit-for-a-cheap-dog-kennel crowd-control fencing you see everywhere at these idiotic conventions and gnaw on weird new feelings of shock and anarchist rage as one would a rawhide chew toy.
All around me, a million cops in their absurd post-9/11 space-combat get-ups stand guard as assholes in papier-mâché puppet heads scramble around for one last moment of network face time before the coverage goes dark. Four-chinned delegates from places like Arkansas and Georgia are pouring joyously out the gates in search of bars where they can load up on Zombies and Scorpion Bowls and other “wild” drinks and extramaritally grope their turkey-necked female companions in bathroom stalls as part of the “unbelievable time” they will inevitably report to their pals back home. Only 21st-century Americans can pass through a metal detector six times in an hour and still think they’re at a party.
The defining moment for me came shortly after Palin and her family stepped down from the stage to uproarious applause, looking happy enough to throw a whole library full of books into a sewer. In the crush to exit the stadium, a middle-aged woman wearing a cowboy hat, a red-white-and-blue shirt and an obvious eye job gushed to a male colleague — they were both wearing badges identifying them as members of the Colorado delegation — at the Xcel gates.
It’s early and I need to go eat breakfast and get some listings ready to upload to ebay. The market is in free fall and McCain has announced he’s jumping into the mud. The good news is that Obama is not waiting to be swiftboated. It’s about time.
If you land at the top of the comments just scroll back up to read the post. There you’ll find first hand evidence of the way the GOP is conducting themselves. They LIE LIE LIE. Just like Palin did in the “debate.” It seems they adhere to the notion that if you tell a lie often enough and with enough forcefulness, people will believe you. I’m sick of it. SICK. OF. IT.
I’ve been so upset lately by the bailout (thanks a lot you weasels in Congress), by the looming prospect of living in a police state (WHY do we have an Army battalion assigned to the US in direct violation of the Constitution?), the anger inducing prospect of Sarah Palin as VP, that I haven’t been able to concentrate on much of anything else. It’s literally making me ill.
I know I have a lot of company but until this election is over and done without interference from the military or BushCo, and we finally have it all settled, I won’t be getting better.
If, by some misbegotten bit of fate (or more likely, interference by the GOP/Republicans) McCain lives long enough and wins the election (or steals it) I do NOT know what I will do.
My Grandfather escaped the Red Army at the start of the Bolshevik revolution and managed to get into the USA. His brother made it into New Zealand. The rest of their family stayed behind and lost everything. Since my Grandfather was college educated in Czarist Russia I think I can safely assume his family had money and weren’t peasant class.
Once the Communists took over that was it. Some 40+ years later they tracked him down. Offered to let him come home. Yeah, right. His sister, Mary, wrote to him but the letters were always ALWAYS carefully worded because, of course, the government was watching.
Is this what we are to become? I literally weep at the prospect.
Think I’ve overreacting? Did you read the piece I posted about earlier?
How about this one:
It’s February, and 900 of America’s staunchest Christian fundamentalists have gathered in Fort Lauderdale to look back on what they accomplished in last year’s election — and to plan what’s next. As they assemble in the vast sanctuary of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, with all fifty state flags dangling from the rafters, three stadium-size video screens flash the name of the conference: RECLAIMING AMERICA FOR CHRIST. These are the evangelical activists behind the nation’s most effective political machine — one that brought more than 4 million new Christian voters to the polls last November, sending George W. Bush back to the White House and thirty-two new pro-lifers to Congress. But despite their unprecedented power, fundamentalists still see themselves as a persecuted minority, waging a holy war against the godless forces of secularism. To rouse themselves, they kick off the festivities with “Soldiers of the Cross, Arise,” the bloodthirstiest tune in all of Christendom: “Seize your armor, gird it on/Now the battle will be won/Soon, your enemies all slain/Crowns of glory you shall gain.”
Meet the Dominionists — biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation’s courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a “faith-based” government that will endure far longer than Bush’s presidency — all the way until Jesus comes back.
And there appears to be little route for escape from these loons. Canada apparently has a faction wanting to form a North American Alliance with, guess who. Think the Canadians will fight it? What about Mexico? Remember that superhighway that runs from the Mexican border all the way to Canada?
dear god.
Ever since the rethugs shoved Reagan into the White House they’ve been working overtime to destroy the government. They’re getting real close to their goal. And I don’t want to be here when they achieve it. But what the hell do you do? Where can you go?
We’re luckier than most because Railroad Retirement is safe and secure. We had a tidy little nest egg for extras but that’s been all but wiped out by the greed mongers of Wall Street and the Fear Mongers in the White House. The housing market is not just stagnant it’s dead. Our home, which 6 months ago might have fetched $400,000 is now worth $150,000 if we were forced to sell and could find a buyer.
We can’t go. Unless Obama/Biden wins we can’t stay.
Then you weep in terror and wonder how fast you can sell you house, pack your bags and get the hell out of Dodge. See, I might be paranoid but I have erudite company:
Has Sarah Palin Been Picked as the Titular Head of the Coming Police State?
by Naomi Wolf
Global Research, October 3, 2008
Huffington Post - 2008-09-24
Please understand what you are looking at when you look at Sarah “Evita” Palin. You are looking at the designated muse of the coming American police state.
You have to understand how things work in a closing society in order to understand “Palin Power.” A gang or cabal seizes power, usually with an affable, weak figurehead at the fore. Then they will hold elections — but they will make sure that the election will be corrupted and that the next affable, weak figurehead is entirely in their control. Remember, Russia has Presidents; Russia holds elections. Dictators and gangs of thugs all over the world hold elections. It means nothing. When a cabal has seized power you can have elections and even presidents, but you don’t have freedom.
I realized early on with horror what I was seeing in Governor Palin: the continuation of the Rove-Cheney cabal, but this time without restraints. I heard her echo Bush 2000 soundbites (”the heart of America is on display”) and realized Bush’s speechwriters were writing her — not McCain’s — speeches. I heard her tell George Bush’s lies — not McCain’s — to the American people, linking 9/11 to Iraq. I heard her make fun of Barack Obama for wanting to prevent the torture of prisoners — this is Rove-Cheney’s enthusiastic S and M, not McCain’s, who, though he shamefully colluded in the 2006 Military Tribunals Act, is also a former prisoner of war and wrote an eloquent Newsweek piece in 2005 opposing torture. I saw that she was even styled by the same skillful stylist (neutral lipstick, matte makeup, dark colors) who turned Katharine Harris from a mall rat into a stateswoman and who styles all the women in the Bush orbit — but who does not bother to style Cindy McCain.
Then I saw and heard more. Palin is embracing lawlessness in defying Alaskan Legislature subpoenas — this is what Rove-Cheney, and not McCain, believe in doing. She uses mafia tactics against critics, like the police commissioner who was railroaded for opposing handguns in Alaskan battered women’s shelters — Rove’s style, not McCain’s. I realized what I was seeing.
Reports confirmed my suspicions: Palin, not McCain, is the FrankenBarbie of the Rove-Cheney cabal. The strategy became clear. Time magazine reported that Rove is “dialed in” to the McCain campaign. Rove’s protege Steve Schmidt is now campaign manager. And Politico reported that Rove was heavily involved in McCain’s vice presidential selection. Finally a new report shows that there are dozens of Bush and Rove operatives surrounding Sarah Palin and orchestrating her every move.
What’s the plan? It is this. McCain doesn’t matter. Reputable dermatologists are discussing the fact that in simply actuarial terms, John McCain has a virulent and life-threatening form of skin cancer. It is the elephant in the room, but we must discuss the health of the candidates: doctors put survival rates for someone his age at two to four years. I believe the Rove-Cheney cabal is using Sarah Palin as a stalking horse, an Evita figure, to put a popular, populist face on the coming police state and be the talk show hostess for the end of elections as we know them. If McCain-Palin get in, this will be the last true American election. She will be working for Halliburton, KBR, Rove and Cheney into the foreseeable future — for a decade perhaps — a puppet “president” for the same people who have plundered our treasure, are now holding the US economy hostage and who murdered four thousand brave young men and women in a way of choice and lies.
How, you may ask, can I assert this? How can I argue, as I now do, that there is actually a war being ramped up against US citizens and our democracy and that Sarah Palin is the figurehead and muse for that war?
Look at the RNC. This is supposed to be McCain’s America. But you see the unmistakable theatre of Rove’s S and M imagery — and you see stages eight, nine and ten of the steps to a dictatorship as I outlined them in The End of America. Preemptive arrest? Abusive arrest? “Newly released footage, which was buried to avoid confiscation, shows riot cops arresting and abusing a giant group of people for nothing.”
Journalists were arrested — for reporting. Amy Goodman and ABC producers were arrested. Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake and others were forced to lie face down as armed agents tied their hands behind their backs. The riot police wore the black S&M gear of the Rovian fantasy life and carried the four foot batons cops carry in North Korea. All this is not John McCain’s imagery or strategy: it is Karl Rove’s.
In McCain-Palin’s America, citizens who are protesting are being charged as terrorists. This means that a violent war had been declared on American citizens. A well known reporter leaked to me on background that St Paul police had dressed as protesters and, dressed in Black — shades of the Blackshirts of 1920 — infiltrated protest groups. There were also phalanxes of men in black wearing balaclavas, linking arms and behaving menacingly — alleged “anarchists.” Let me tell you, I have been on the left for thirty years and you can’t get three lefties to wear the same t-shirt to a rally, let alone link arms and wear identical face masks: these are not our guys. Agent Provocateurs framing protesters and calling protest “terrorism” constitutes step ten of a police state:
“In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism… [they] 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty.”
“Paid, confidential informants… infiltrated the RNCWC on behalf of law enforcement. They allege that members of the group sought to kidnap delegates to the RNC, assault police officers with firebombs and explosives, and sabotage airports in St. Paul. Evidence released to date does not corroborate these allegations with physical evidence or provide any other evidence for these allegations than the claims of the informants. Based on past abuses of such informants by law enforcement, the National Lawyers Guild is concerned that such police informants have incentives to lie and exaggerate threats of violence and to also act as provocateurs in raising and urging support for acts of violence.”
Under the Palin-Rove police state, you will see escalating infringements on your access to a free internet:
“Sarah Palin was baptized at Wasilla Assembly of God…Last Sunday our research team released a video, a ten-minute mini-documentary, focusing on the Wasilla Assemblies of God and the video seemed on the verge of a massive “viral” breakthrough when YouTube pulled it down, citing ‘inappropriate content’. At the point the video was censored by YouTube it had been viewed by almost 160,000 people. The short of it is that YouTube has censored a video documentary that appeared to be close to having an effect on a hard fought and contentious American presidential election…”
Under the coming Palin-Rove police state, you will witness the plans now underway to bring Iraqi troops to patrol the streets of our nation. This is not McCain’s fantasy: it is Rove’s and Cheney’s.
Under the Palin-Rove police state, there will be no further true elections. Mark Crispin Miller has done sensational and under-reported investigating t o establish that — as I warned — indeed the GOP staffers on the US Senate Judiciary Committee have been .
The evidence is also buried on the Website of the Majority House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
WASHINGTON — Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Commitee infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told The Globe. >From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access restricted Democratic communications witho ut a password. Trolling through hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight — and with what tactics.
– “Senate panel’s GOP staff spied on Democrats” By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | January 22, 2004
Do you think that spying like this will ever end under a Palin-Rove regime? Dream on. If she and McCain are elected, then every single strategy memo and speech and debate prep note from every opposition candidate from now and on into forever will be read by the regime in power while it is still in the computers of the challengers.
Under the Palin-Rove police state, citizens will be targeted with state cyberterrorism. Bruce Fein of the American Freedom Agenda, a former Reagan official, warned me three years ago that the Bush team went after a Republican who had crossed them through cyberstalking: they messed with his email, messed with his phones and I believe messed with his bank account — he became a cyber-pariah, unemployable and haunted. With modern technology, there really is less place to hide from the state than there was in East Germany in the Cold War era. I remember feeling a chill: of course. That is the wave of the future once we breach the protections around citizens of FISA and the fourth amendment. That way lies the abyss for us all.
Am I trying to scare you? I am. I am trying to scare you to death and ask you to scare your Republican and independent friends most of all. How do you know when it is war on citizens? When there are mass arrests, journalists are jailed, the opposition is infiltrated, rights are stripped and leaders start to ignore the rule of law.
Almost everyone I work with on projects related to this campaign for liberty has been experiencing computer harassment: emails are stripped, messages disappear. That’s not all: people’s bank accounts are being tampered with: wire transfers to banks vanish in midair. I personally keep opening bank accounts that are quickly corrupted by fraud. Money vanishes. Coworkers of mine have to keep opening new email accounts as old ones become infected. And most disturbingly to me personally is the mail tampering I have both heard of and experienced firsthand. My tax returns vanished from my mailbox. All my larger envelopes arrive ripped straight open apparently by hand. When I show the postman, he says “That’s impossible.” Horrifyingly to me is the impact on my family. My childrens’ report cards are returned again and again though perfectly addressed; their invitations are turned back; and my daughters many letters from camp? Vanished. All of them. Not one arrived. Try explaining that to a smart thirteen year old. Try explaining it in a way that still makes her feel secure and comfortable.
I am not telling you this because it’s about my life. I am telling you this because it is about your life — whoever you are, Conservative or Liberal, independent or evangelical. Your politics will not protect you in a police state. History shows that nothing protects you in a police state. This is not about my fear and anxiety: it is about what awaits you and everyone you love unless you see this for what it is:
Scharansky divided nations into “fear societies” and “free societies.” Make no mistake: Sarah “Evita” Palin is Rove and Cheney’s cosmetic rebranding of their fascist push: she will help to establish a true and irreversible “fear society” in this once free once proud nation. For God’s sake, do not let her; do not let them.
Naomi Wolf is the author of ‘The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot’ (Chelsea Green, 2007).
I have been told today (not at DU, but in person) that I need to stop being so sensitive and toughen up with respect to my reactions to Sarah Palin. Apparently it is my fault I find it inappropriate when a woman resorts to playing the sex kitten in order to hide the fact that she hasn’t a clue what is going on in this world.
As a woman I am way beyond appalled when flirtatious folksy behavior is cited as holding one’s own in a debate. If Joe Biden had winked at the American people and spoken to us in such a manner he’d be tarred and feathered in the press this morning as a condescending prick.
I take comfort that the man in my life was equally offended. His comment, once he picked his jaw up off the ground, was “Does this brainless twit really think I’m going to vote with a beer in one hand and my dick in the other?”
Now if you haven’t seen this flow chart yet, it may help you understand how Vlad the Impalin’s mind works (and no, I didn’t come up with that tag … but thought it was hilarious and appropriate):
I found a great article appearing in the current Rolling Stone which is a MUST read for any sane voter. Make Believe Maverick
And if you haven’t clicked the link on the right to Zina Saunders’s site (look for the zany characterization of Palin) GO THERE NOW. She did a great pic of the debate. You really HAVE to see this! Here’s a quick link to the picture but please visit her site. I LOVE her work!!
I’m too drained to do much more here today. I’ve been fretting about the fact that on the first of October, for the first time in this country’s history, in DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION, an Army battalion has been deployed on American soil. What with the ditz from the Dominionists running for VP and being a heartbeat away from the top slot in the government this news has me frazzled. And I’m not the only one. Check out this piece.
Oh, almost forgot. All the lame ass LIES told by Palin during the “debate.” And the misuse of quotes to further her own agenda. Not to mention she wasn’t debating but campaigning. Why Gwen Ifill didn’t stop her I will never know. It wasn’t right. But OTOH it sure made the public realize what a twink Palin really is.
Palin’s final quote was from Ronald Reagan, warning that without vigilance, “you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free.”
In fact, Reagan was not warning about a general lack of vigilance about freedom, he was warning what would happen if Medicare was enacted.
Well the pundits have all had their say, the viewers are voting and it looks like the Pit Bull didn’t fool too many folks. Just the usual suspects who refuse to see the truth even as it’s rammed down their throats.
Some quotes for your reading pleasure put together by John Aravosis (DC):
Huffington Post Ex-Bush Officials: Biden Won The Debate: Said Torie Clarke, who worked with McCain back in Arizona and with the Bush Administration’s Department of Defense, had the following remarks on ABC: ” I think Joe Biden had his best night tonight. He came with one mission, and that was to go after John McCain, and he did it, backed up by facts. I think he did a better job tonight of tying McCain to the Bush administration than Obama did last week. Matthew Dowd, who worked for George Bush’s communications team while in the White House, followed Clarke and he too agreed that the Delaware Democrat took the evening.
ABC Dowd 10:52 PM: “I think fundamentally the American public came away with this tonight, just like they came away with the debate last night, saying, you know, I’m leaning in Obama and Biden’s corner, and this didn’t change my mind.”
Gibson: I’m amazed that we have agreement from all three of you.
CNN David Gergen 10:05 PM: People underestimating how good Biden was, Biden “was really good”
CNN Alex Castellanos 10:38 PM : “The second part of the debate, you know Republicans aren’t going to win debates on Iraq, I don’t care who you put on that stage tonight, we’re not going to win debates on Iraq and we didn’t tonight. But overall, we’ve had a rough week as Republicans. You know, this has not been our best week.”
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I thought Senator Biden had a very good night. He seemed comfortable with the facts, it was clear he has dealt with these issues over the years, I thought he put his experience on display in a very good way.”
MSNBC Chris Matthews 10:35 PM: “Not only did she say I’m not going to do any more interviews, it seemed, but she was saying, I’m not going to listen to uh Gwen Ifill tonight. She said I’m not going to uh give the answers the moderator wants to ask for. What an extraordinary statement. I’m not going to play by the rules and when I get elected I want more power in the office than it’s had before. Hmm.. Not too much humility here.”
CBS Bob Schieffer 10:35 PM: “I must say, I found it a little disconcerting, time and again, Governor Palin would just choose not to answer the question and launch into some dissertation, sometimes talking points, and not really address what Gwen Ifill had asked her.”
PBS David Brooks 10:39 PM: “When he talked about his family and the death of his wife, that is a moment people remember, what they remember about the debates is the moment when you think you see the person and that was a moment where I thought you saw Joe Biden.”
MSNBC Andrea Mitchell 10:38 PM: “She didn’t answer the questions. And, in fact, she would say, I want to talk about taxes, which hadn’t even come up.”
FOX News Frank Luntz 10:44 PM: With the Luntz Polling Group was in the Anheuser-Busch Headquarters, When Asked Independent Voters Their Reactions One Voter Said, “she had a presentation about her, but that also annoyed me, too. She catered to kind of an adorability and lacked substance.”
Washington Post (Eugene Robinson): Exactly an hour into the debate, Joe Biden began an answer by saying, “Facts matter, Gwen.” To him, maybe. To Sarah Palin, maybe not. The pattern, so far, has been one of Biden presenting facts and Palin countering with… saying stuff. Sometimes she throws in a fact, but mostly she seems to be offering a string of approximate policy positions, encomiums to the American spirit, disputed interpretations of Barack Obama’s record and anecdotes from Alaska.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Go Biden Go! Again, very good moment for Biden. The more he talks “Bush=McCain” the better.
Philadelphia Inquirerer (Will Bunch): Biden points out that Ahmadinjad isn’t the surpreme ruler of Iran — how come people don’t bring that up. Hammering McCain on the Spain issue — the McCain camp really screwed up on the way it handled that one.
Salon (Joan Walsh) How Sarah Palin blew it: Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were talking to two different Americas Thursday night. Actually, that’s unfair to Joe Biden; he was trying to talk to everyone. I can say for certain, though, that Sarah Palin was talking to – and winking at – her own private Idaho, and for long stretches of the debate, it was an unnerving experience.
Washington Post: (E.J. Dionne Jr.) McCain’s Dicey Gamble: Gambling with his presidential candidacy is McCain’s right. Gambling with the country McCain says he puts first is another thing entirely. And last night’s vice presidential debate took place at precisely the moment when a majority of American voters decided that having Palin in line for the presidency is more than a little bit scary.
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin’s answers do not lack confidence, they lack coherence.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): She pivots to executive appearance but her answer on the role of the vice presidency was REALLY bad.
TIME: Palin didn’t make any big mistakes, but she also didn’t reassure that she could handle the presidency.
Washington Post (Chris Cillizza): Palin: Worst spot in the debate. Looking down at her notes a lot. Really struggling.
TIME: This closing statement sounds like she’s giving a speech to the College Republicans. It’s really amateur hour.
Politico (Ben Smith): As this debate has gone on, Palin’s gotten more abstract, Biden more concrete.
ABC News (Rick Klein): Palin: “So Joe, there you go again.” Anyone else over that line? Couldn’t it have been retired with Reagan? Shout-out to third graders at her brother’s elementary school? What world were we just in there for a few minutes?
CNN (Bob Schneider): Palin needs to define the terms she uses. Reform, corruption, maverick…these are words that Palin often uses, but she needs to define them.
FOX News (Aaron Bruns): Palin calls the supreme NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen David McKiernan, “McClellan.” Does it twice.
Politico (Jonathan Martin): Biden explains how McCain is not a maverick On voting for Bush’s budgets, health care and education. No dispute from Palin.
TNR: Palin’s final quote was from Ronald Reagan, warning that without vigilance, “you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free.” In fact, Reagan was not warning about a general lack of vigilance about freedom, he was warning what would happen if Medicare was enacted.
We went over to Bruce & Nancy’s to watch the debate and play PalinBingo. I won … with the help of the Air Space. I don’t know how I managed because EVERYtime the bimbo spoke the flurry of non-answers, talking points, and misinformation just about put me into a stupor.
Like most of the rest of you I’ve spent the last several days glued to my computer screen, my satellite radio and the tv and sending missives to my Congress critters. In the midst of this chaos, we have another campaign debate tomorrow night where the VP nominees square off. I’d like to say I expect a route given Palin’s idiotic performances every time her handlers let her off the leash but you never know. She’s great at reading a teleprompter. Maybe they’ll have one installed in her podium so she can be force fed her answers.
Whatever.
Before I go any further I want you to take a look at this:
This man is so arrogant I cannot believe it.
I ran across the following post at the DU forums and wanted to share with you all. I won’t put it in a block quote because then it’ll run even further down the page. It was written by Essene:
Mayor Sarah Palin… God’s Will Be Done
Sarah Palin became Governor of Alaska less than 2 years ago. Sarah Palin claims her arctic state is a “microcosm of America” (ABC interview with Charlie Gibson). No disrespect meant to Alaska, but that’s a real stretch.
As Mayor of a town of about 6000 people, Sarah Palin pulled in $27 million in federal “pork.” She increased taxes. She increased the budget from $7.6 million to $13.6 million and put the town into $22 million in debt (Alaska Journal-1, AP-8, Washington Post-12). As an ironic aside, Palin’s rationale for digging her tiny town into debt to build a major sports complex (among other things) was that government should be in the business of “preventing social ills” - i.e. the proposed sports facilities would stop teens from getting into drugs, sex and crime (CBS-10, Palin’s email to the Wasilla City Council-12). Oh yea, and she began building this huge complex on somebody’s private property which turned into a costly legal mess and the City eventually just took it under “eminent domain” powers (Wall Street Journal-7).
Palin’s beloved Wasilla federal pork was publicly attacked at least 3 different times by Senator McCain, in years gone by (LA Times-14). We’ll get to her state-level pork requests later.
When running for Mayor, she allegedly suggested that she’d be the “first christian Mayor.” The current Mayor was not an active church guy and his name was John Stein (i.e. sounded Jewish). Even though he was Christian, the implication is that the town needed a “real” christian leader (NY Times-31). A wonderful way to rise to political power.
Enjoy this 1995 mayoral campaign ad.
As Mayor, one of the first things she did was to spend $50,000 on redecorating her office (without city council approval). When her political mentor, the guy who selected her and groomed her, confronted her on this she allegedly responded that “I’m the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can’t.” Yes folks, her own political mentor tells us this, and added: “That’s Sarah. She just has no respect for rules and regulations.” (Salon-23)
As Mayor, she didn’t actually have the managerial duties that most Mayors do. In Alaska, due to the spread in population, there are “Borough” governments akin to County systems. They take care of planning, fire departments, ambulances, property taxes and stuff like that. Even so, Palin had to hire a city manager to keep her own mess in order. She apparently wasn’t all that good at managing what little she had to manage (Salon-23), other than to spend spend spend and raise taxes.
As Mayor and activist, she sought to install creationists in the government and worked hard to take over a local school board (Salon-28). She also advocated for creationism as a gubernatorial candidate (LA Times-32).
As Mayor, she told a local minister that she believes “dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time,” some 6000 years ago (Salon-28). Hmmm.
As Mayor and activist, she pressured a public librarian on censoring books and may have fired her for challenging the notion (Anchorage Daily News-24, ABC TV report-25).
Under Palin’s tenure, Wasilla rape victims were forced to pay for their own forensic evidence kits. This was such an outrage, that the state felt the need to pass a law banning the practice (Anchorage Daily News-30).
Palin strongly opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest… even as children (Anchorage Daily News-26). It should be added that the next President is likely to have the opportunity to replace the 2 oldest US Supreme Court justices. Justice Stevens is age 88ish & Justice Ginsberg is age 75ish. Both are progressive. The court already leans right.
Palin is lying about her fringe Pentecostal background and somewhat alarming affiliations. On August 29th, when asked what church she attended she claimed: “A non-denominational Bible church. I was baptized Catholic as a newborn and then my family started going to non-denominational churches throughout our life.” (Time magazine-27). Non-denominational throughout her life? This is a lie. She spent most of her life in a fringe Pentecostal church with views so radical that they are considered heresy by mainstream evangelicals & fundamentalists: faith healing; being possessed by the supernatural holy ghost and speaking in tongues; teaching prophesy & gnosticism; christian theocracy & dominionism, etc. While she did switch to a more non-denominational church in 2002, she maintains strong relations with the fringe Pentecostals: she attends their services when in the capital; she funnels public funds their way; her pentecostal pastor resided over her inauguration as Governor; and, she continues to make appearances at the church. She even recently participated in an anti-witchcraft ceremony they had to bless her new political career - I kid you not, see the video (youtube-29).
Palin’s fringe pentecostal community is a major player in the “Third Wave” dominionist movement (look it up). This is the theological home of “Joel’s Army” and you can see for yourself what preachers like Rodney Howard-Browne are about by a simple search for videos which include him calling to take over government and speaking in tongues. They believe the Apocalypse is very soon and that they have special insight into & role within God’s plan. Palin’s own home church recruits youth to learn how to prophesize (about the coming apocalypse) and how to go out into the world to do God’s work. The famous video of her speaking about Iraq being “god’s will” was for a graduating class of such recruits. See for yourself (youtube-29)
She believes in the ability to prophesize about God’s Will. She said the Iraq war was “god’s will.” She also said her proposed Alaskan pipeline was “god’s will.” (Youtube-21). She also said that there are signs unfolding today and implied that her rise to power in Alaska is something special, having to do with growing up in that Pentecostal church. (Youtube-29).
Enjoy this video exploring her pentecostal roots & her sense of prophesy
Sarah Palin has had long-time affiliations with the Alaskan Independence Party (secessionists that don’t see Alaska as true part of the USA). Her husband was a formal member of the Party for 7 years. They both attended conventions. Even as Governor, she openly supported the Party. There’s even a nice video of her, as Governor, addressing one of their conventions (LA Times-33, Youtube-34).
Palin does not believe climate change is caused by human behavior (ABC News-35).
Enjoy this 1995 video of her gum chewing.
A judge had to tell Mayor Palin to stop slandering and harassing her sister’s ex-husband, in 2005, and that it had risen to the point of being “child abuse” during custody proceedings (Newsweek-43). That’s how bad it had become. This happens to be the same guy at the center of the current investigation about her abusing her power as Governor to seek personal vengeance. She continues to slander him in her defense, saying he’s “a threat to the first family” (Charlie Gibson interview on ABC, Newsweek-43)). This is problematic, considering that the custody proceedings have yet to end.
Palin couldn’t let go of her small town grudge. Palin’s own ethics adviser told her, months ago, to come clean in this investigation of abuse of power (Wall Street Journal-46). The committee running this “Trooper gate” investigation has a majority of Republicans. The Republican state representative from her home town of Wasilla cast the deciding vote to subpoena 13 affiliates of Palin on this matter (AP-44, Anchorage Daily News-42). Palin’s response has been to hide behind lawyers, making contradictory claims, telling everybody not to cooperate and to generally stall the investigation (Youtube-47). The investigation has reportedly expanded into other abuses, including illegal compromise of confidential information and perhaps obstruction (AP-45).
Governor Palin… loves Moose but prefers Pork
(you may want to refresh your cup of hot cocoa)
Sarah Palin was Governor of Alaska (population 680k) for about 1.5 years before becoming the VP Candidate. Palin has called Alaska a “microcosm” of America. Alaska’s entire population (#47) is on par with the cities of Austin, Memphis and Columbus (ohio). By comparison, the New York City school system has 1.1 million children in it and feeds/transports about the entire population of Alaska every day. Yes, that’s right, there are school systems with bigger budgets than the State of Alaska. The 2nd largest city in Alaska has a population of 30,000 people. There are 125 football stadiums in America bigger than that (wikipedia ftw).
One of the first things Palin did as Governor was to install an expensive tanning bed (LA Times-37). And for the record, this cannot be used for treating depression from low northern light exposure, as her defenders have claimed. That’s a different band of EV radiation (look it up).
Her big “success” so far in Alaska was to increase taxes & regulation on oil, driving up prices for the rest of America. A true maverick. 14% of America’s domestic oil comes from Alaska (EIA-16). On top of other hefty fees and taxes, Palin increased the windfall tax rate to 25% on all Oil coming out of Alaska (Anchorage Daily News-4) and has brought in $11 billion in revenue this year alone (Bloomberg-17, LA Times-15). Industry experts have stated that for every barrel of American oil coming out of Alaska, she’s taking about $.75 cents of ever $1 as taxes and fees (Seattle Times-39). I wonder if the Republicans consider this a “model” in fiscal conservative government?
Palin has repeatedly claimed that Alaska makes up 20% of America’s domestic energy supply. She was off by 600%. It’s only about 3.5% of America’s domestic energy supply (Factcheck.org-38). That’s how little she understands her own state’s economy and the general energy politics in America. Off by 600% while talking on national television about her expertise.
Alaska has a $5 billion budget surplus because of her aggressive energy taxation (Bloomberg-17, LA Times-15) and is giving residents checks for $3200 this fall. That’s approximately $13000 for a family of four (LA Times-15). Alaska has no state income, property or sales tax so these residents are literally being paid royalties to live there - because of high gas prices. Chew on that a bit.
Under Palin, 1/3rd of Alaska’s jobs depend on Federal funds (The Economist-18). Makes you rethink the “rugged individualism” image, huh?
Palin has requested over $750 million in federal pork in her mere 1.5 years in office (AP-8, Washington Post-13). Remember that $5 billion surplus from taxing energy? Well, she’s still requesting hundreds of millions from the rest of us… even after we pay more at the pump.
Under Palin, Alaska has the highest pork-per-person ratio in the nation (Washington Post-13, AP-9). Alaska is 71% above the national average in pork requests (The Economist-18). This doesn’t count the $329 million she had hoped for to build the Bridge to Nowhere (CNN-19). She did cut down her pork requests to a mere $200 million so far in 2008, but mainly at the request of the President and because Congress cut her off. Even after her cuts in pork, Alaska remains at the top of the list of pork states.
See her wearing a pro-”Bridge to Nowhere” shirt here:
Palin lied when she claimed that she said “thanks but no thanks, and i told Congress to keep the money” pertaining the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. In truth, Palin supported the project while running for governor and mocked those who didn’t understand Alaska’s infrastructure needs (Anchorage Daily News-3). In fact, she supported using STATE funds for it in addition to the federal pork (Anchorage Daily News-2). Only 11 months into her first term, as Congress refused to fully fund it, did she declare the program dead. She simply refused to make good on her promise to use state funds. Her official press release blamed Congress (Press Release-5).
The “Road to Nowhere” lives on…
Palin never returned the funds. She went ahead and spent the left-over $36 million in federal funds for the “bridge to nowhere” on the “road to nowhere” (NY Post-6, Press Release-5). By the way, her administration is actually still pursuing the Bridge to Nowhere project according to folks in her administration (Propublica-22).
Palin claims to have cut spending, but Alaska’s operating budget actually increased (Bloomberg-17). Her cuts were primarily on local Capital expenses - cutting $231 million in local infrastructure projects including “hydropower projects to ball fields, roads and bridges to police cars” (Anchorage Daily News-4). She also line-item vetoed funds for family counseling and adoption programs, a shelter for homeless, repairing sidewalks for elementary schools, replacing fire stations, etc. (Bloomberg-17). Having a $5 billion budget surplus and $750 million federal pork sure drives one to make hard decisions! She did manage to add public funding for her Pentecostal church’s evangelical outreach & training program where folks may learn to speak in tongues, experience the Holy Spirit, learn to divine prophecy from God, and learn to go out into public life in God’s name - the same church where she told practitioners that her proposal for a new pipeline was “God’s will” (Blogspot-20, Youtube-21).
She spent $400,000 taxpayer dollars on a campaign to push aerial wolf killing even though the state had already voted the other way, twice (Anchorage Daily News-36).
Palin requested & funneled state funds to support her old Pentecostal church’s recruitment and training center (DailyKos review of sources-40). The video they had on their website stated that they teach how to engage in prophesy. They have since removed the video, but it can be found with a little digging about “third wave” and such.
Palin opposed a shelter that serves troubled teen mothers (Washington Post-41). Sports centers to keep kids out of pregnancy trouble. Yes. Shelters for kids in trouble? No. How very christian of her.
They lied when they claimed that she “put the governor’s jet on ebay and sold it for a profit,” and she “fired the governor’s chef.” Real maverick stuff. The truth is that she failed to sell the jet on ebay and had to sell it through a contractor for a loss (CBS-11). And in fairness, the state is nearly the length of the entire USA so the state having a small $2.5m plane isn’t exactly extravagant. Similarly, she didn’t actually fire the chef. She merely gave her another job in the state government (AP-9).
See a map of Alaska compared to the rest of the USA to realize how a small plane isn’t a big expense
Governor Palin… Commander Pants on Fire
To review: she’s lied about her religious background. She’s lied about her state’s role in domestic energy production. She’s lied about her record on taxes, spending and pork. Everything from the bridge to nowhere, to the jet on ebay, to the fired chef… all lies. Liar liar pants on fire!!
While two of her best skills seem to be being cute and lying about herself, she’s clearly even better at lying about her political opposition. I won’t go into depth on this, but just remember the silly claims about how Obama never authored “a single major law or even a reform in the U.S. Senate or the Illinois Senate.” Apparently, she’s so cynical that she’s more concerned about the aesthetics of her statements than their voracity. It’s a sad moment in American politics.
Keep in mind that the first things a President Palin might do is redecorate, add a tanning bed to the White House and wonder if she’ll have to use nuclear weapons as part of the imminent Armageddon.
I wondered all through the debate last Friday why John McCain never once looked at Obama or the camera. I thought perhaps it was because he’s not the sharpest knife in the block and he knew he was outgunned and outmatched.
Seems I’m not alone in wondering about that. Here’s a heartbreaking take on the matter:
(I first want to apologize for posting about this topic yet again, after so much has already been said. But I have to get this off my chest.)
It takes awhile, they say, for the result of a debate to settle in. A bit of time for the words and images to weave their way into our souls and deposit there a lasting image – the impression we then take away for all time. I guess that is why the pundits get it so terribly wrong so very often. They’ve allowed no time for the settling. And anyway, they see what they want to see, what they’re told to see; and from there, try to influence and mold what we see.
I’ve been mostly sad today. I left the TV off. And I didn’t know why until I watched a re-run of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and was dumbstruck by this line, this scene:
“ Miss Jean Louise, stand up, your father’s passin’.”
The people relegated to the balcony stood in unison as Atticus Finch passed. A silent gesture of respect, of honor, to a man who struggled to do what was right, no matter what the personal cost. A man who fought for principles greater and far beyond himself.
And I cried, realizing then that I was thinking about Barack Obama and how hard it must have been for him to stand on that stage and talk to a man who refused to even acknowledge his presence. Who refused, out of a meanness of spirit unfathomable to me, to look him in the eyes, man-to-man; human being to human being, Senator to Senator. I realized then why the picture of him hugging Michelle afterward touched me so. She alone would understand how that hurt him. A hurt he would likely never voice to anyone but her. Yet he stood there, for 90 minutes, without acknowledgement from his opponent. Stood there brave and calm and unflinching, fighting for us and for the principles he believes in.
I can only shake my head in sorrow at this. I know McCain is the poorest possible choice for President (next to his running mate … Mooselini) but this is just unacceptable in the man who would be the leader of the United States of America. The man who will have to be prepared to deal with leaders world wide no matter what their color.
And if that isn’t enough to convince anyone McCain is the WRONG choice, how about this:
I just saw this one… too funny. And too true:
There’s a great post over on dailykos. Here’s part of it:
A Former Clinton Supporter Sighs With Relief
by litigatormom
Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:55:12 PM PDT
“Did you see it?” my friend J., her eyes wide and horrified, asked as she opened the door to her apartment last night at 7 pm. “Did you see it?” She was talking about Sarah Palin being interviewed by Katie Couric. I hadn’t, but I’d seen enough video clips on YouTube to know why she looked so terrified.
My husband and I were going to eat dinner with J. and her husband T. and then watch the presidential debate, armed with cabernet and several tubs of premium ice cream. All four of us had been Clinton supporters, J. and I most passionately. Like many professional women who came of age in the late 70s and the 80s, we had seen ourselves in her, and we were infuriated by the way Clinton had been treated by the press, the DNC, and yes, some Obama supporters. And now we faced the first presidential debate in a state of high anxiety.
I’m STILL a Clinton supporter. Women my age have suffered near unspeakable outrages throughout our lifetimes (although to be honest, it could have been worse. We could have been living under the Taliban … Muslim or Christian, take your pick). Women under 40 just don’t get it and men don’t get it at all. My husband’s SIL and I are dear, dear friends and we weep occasionally about what we went through in the workplace as young women. Having doors slammed, literally, in our faces as some MAN shouted we don’t hire girls! Being told if you wanted the job (or wanted to keep the one you had) you had to fuck the boss. Having a boss who made unbidden and blatant sexual remarks to you. gah. On and on and on and on and on.
Yes, it angered me no end the way Hillary was treated. It angered me to the point where I swore I was NOT GOING TO VOTE this year (and I’ve never missed a general election). But I calmed down. I swallowed my grief and let my anger go. Because Hillary asked me to.
I was fortunate enough to get to hear her speak live here in Wyoming. We have a tiny population here and Joe and I are lucky enough to have a dear friend who is a very active Democrat. She was a super delegate and, among other things, traveled to Taiwan last year with other high ranking Dems. She’s being courted by the Governor (get this we’re a red state but in the 30 years we’ve lived here had mostly Democratic governors. Go figure) and other higher ups to run for the State legislature. ANYway. Because of that we had great seats (while everyone else had to stand, mind you) at Hillary’s speech. She was AWEsome. I don’t know how she does it. I felt she was sincere, honest, on point. She never hesitated. She hit point after point after point. No pausing, no stumbling, no searching for the next sentence. Wow.
So when she gave her speech in Denver (and I passed on a chance to attend the convention because I was so angry about the entire primary and I HATED OBAMA) I watched on TV. I cried. Several times. And when she was done and I had stopped weeping I realized something. She is commited to seeing to it that this country returns to what made it great in the first place. She may or may not be hurt or angry about the Primary. I don’t know. But she APPEARED to take it all in stride and basically said OK, I”m not the candidate. So be it. Let’s get Obama elected. BECAUSE ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF BUSH POLICIES WILL DESTROY US.
I hear talk about Obama being arrogant. I watched him closely in the debate. I don’t see it. I see a very, very intelligent man who is thoughtful, well informed, calm and prepared (much to my surprise) to lead. He loves his wife. Watch them together. They actually LOOK at each other. He listens to her. They touch each other with apparent affection. That’s all very telling about who this man really is.
So even though I am a reluctant Obama supporter, I’m there. Standing behind him, urging others who are not decided to take a long hard look at this man. Then go back and look at McCain.
Can this country take another 4 years of truly arrogant half-assed leadership or are we ready for change?
After the debate last night Joe Biden spent quite a bit of time doing interviews. As the nominee on the Democratic ticket that was appropriate. What was apparent, however, was Sarah Palin’s absence from the scene. BUT a lot of folks found where she was hiding (shades of Darth Cheney) and sent their love:
I really tried to remain neutral for this thing. But about the 4th time McLame said about Obama “… he just doesn’t understand,” I wanted to bitch slap the old fart. And Obama could have been a little more forceful instead of just standing there and letting McCain go on and on and on and on and on and on. Without saying anything of substance. Just “… he doesn’t understand.”
Of course there was the obligatory reference to his time spent as a POW. Yeah John. We’ve all said how much we appreciate your service to your country (never mind you crashed 7 planes before they caught you and never mind you graduated 5th from the bottom of your class) … we do, really we do. We’re JUST SICK AND TIRED OF YOU USING IT AS A CLUB TO BEAT US OVER THE HEAD WITH so stop it the fuck already.
In all respects, McCain showed how clueless he really is and how old and tired he truly is and how terrified most of us are that, on the off chance he does manage to GET to the White House, that after 2 years he might succumb to some ailment or other and then we would be stuck with Sarah “Clueless” Plain in the top spot. Of course, HER handlers aren’t clueless. It’s looking more and more like the Christian Taliban in the USA have a plan for us.
My only gripe with Obama is that he kept letting McCain talk over him. There’s polite and then there’s wimpy. Come on Barack! You are better than that.
And for your viewing pleasure (I finally figured out how to embed a youtube video), this ought to sink McCain once and for all:
My favorite quote directly from his mouth … “Well, I disagree with what the majority of the American people want.”
WTF????? I’d like to remind the “esteemed” Senator from Arizona that it is the PEOPLE who OWN the fucking goverment. That the President WORKS FOR US not the other way around. We’ve already had 8 years of King George, now McCain would be King John.
Recent Comments