Palin Problems

How could you tell such lies?

2008-11-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

CNN invited the public to ask former Republican vice presidential candidate Palin questions, some of which Wolf Blitzer would ask during his interview, so I asked -

How could you Broadcast such Big Bad Bold Bombs including:

1. your Seditious Allegations against President-elect Obama, including that he would "experiment with socialism" and your spin on Ayers? How does it feel to have the Secret Service blame you for increasing the number of death threats against him? How could you incite so much unrest and aid our enemies this way during wartime? Do you understand that the First Amendment does sanction defamation and sedition?

2. the ORWELLIAN Lie you told about the Branchflower findings? How could you have such CONTEMPT of the law?

3. all your other "Odd Lies"? Why do you repeatedly publicly deny reality? Why are you unable to process and/or accept facts?

Surprise! Blitzer did not ask my specific questions. See the interview on CNN's "The Situation Room" - here's part from the transcript:

BLITZER: ... during a campaign, every presidential campaign, things are said, it's tough, as you well know; it gets sometimes pretty fierce out there. And during the campaign, you said this, you said: "This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America." And then you went on to say: "Someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he is palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

PALIN: Well, I still am concerned about that association with Bill Ayers. And if anybody still wants to talk about it, I will, because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol. That's an association that still bothers me. And I think it's still fair to talk about it. However, the campaign is over. That chapter is closed. . .

BLITZER: So looking back, you don't regret that tough language during the campaign?

PALIN: No, and I do not think that it is off-base nor mean-spirited, nor negative campaigning to call someone out on their associations and on their record. And that's why I did it.

Is her unrepentant position acceptable to you? Let her and the world know by commenting on this post. As for me, I say, Ms. Palin, your pathological lies make you unfit for office, so please step down as governor and NEVER seek public office again.

Artwork copyright by Qohelet (derivative of photo by Bob Weinstein and bookcover art believed to be owned by Secker and Warburg) 2008.

What can we do about Alaska's Stinky Election?

2008-11-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

Given Alaska's history of election hanky-panky, the bizarre anomalies in polling and voting in 2008 (not to mention Palin's ethics violations), reports from the field of ballots not being scanned on-site due to broken machines, Shannyn Moore asks if the 2008 has been stolen. Either way, gross irregularities warrant an investigation of Alaska's 2008 voting election process and results.

Go to "What can We the People do about Alaska's Stinky Election?" to see what we can do to help clean up this stinky mess.

Secret Service Sorta Says Sarah is Seditious

2008-11-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

When at first I saw and heard what was happening at McCain and Palin rallies (just because a particular statement could not be confirmed does not mean it was not uttered and even if it wasn't, plenty others were), I simply could not believe they were acting so reprehensibly. I knew in my gut what it meant, yet my mind denied it could be real. Needing to resolve such dissonance, I grabbed for my good ole online version of M-W. First word I looked up was "seditious" which means " disposed to arouse or be guilty of sedition" (incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority). Crowds members had called out"Terrorist" and "Traitor" and even suggested to "Bomb Obama" and the like. Yep, no doubt, (intentional or not) their behavior was seditious. It stepped over the line from, 'don't vote for that one' to 'he is so worthy of your contempt that we will FIGHT him to the end.'

And bitter it became. Many of us called McCain and his campaign (mostly Palin) to stop endangering duly elected (then) presidential candidate Barack Obama's life (who as a Senator, was a lawful authority in more than one respect) and public safety. Many demanded them to cease and desist their unwarranted and dangerous attacks. Though they toned it down a bit after that and McCain once publicly set the record 'straight' (at least with his words, if not exactly with his actions), they did not stop. Given that this was not McCain's usual way of dealing with matters, it is not surprising he apparently had to do mental gymnastics. For example, when Rep. Congressman John Lewis issued a well-deserved and pointed reprimand, instead of taking heed, he denied the allegation and projected his own apparently unacknowledged, yet unacceptable nonetheless behavior back onto Lewis, saying Lewis' remarks were beyond the pale.

In any case, now that the Secret Service has blamed Palin with a drastic rise in the number of death threats against President Elect Obama, I recently sent a note like the one below to my Senators and hope you will as well:

Dear Honorable Senator,

Trust that by now you have also seen news reports such as:

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama
Death Threat Against Obama (et al) Foiled
The Legacy of McCain-Palin: Hate
Palin Went Rogue With Ayers Attack
Idaho students chant 'assassinate Obama' on school bus: Report
Threats against Obama increase
Racial Incidents and Threats Against Obama Soar: Here Is a Chronicle

Given the increased and unprecedented number of death threat against President Elect Obama, McCain, Palin Rove, et al ought to be held responsible for their seditious campaign which incited these. Since the dangerous people they and their supporters emboldened through all the hate and fear mongering are still a threat, McCain and Palin should publicly apologize and issue public services announcements to set the record straight, quell fears, and extinguish the hate. The Senate should censor McCain for his reprehensible acts, for his robocalls, for Palin's pitbullish acts, and for all the times he pushed the same seditious agenda. They should seriously consider expelling him. If anyone harms President Elect Obama, his family or anyone else as a result of the unrest they stirred up, McCain, Palin, Rove, et al should be arrested for treason.

Even McCain's Staff Says Sarah's Not Ready

2008-11-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

From "Palin misreads First Amendment; Eagleburger: Palin's not ready" by Joe Garofoli:

...Lawrence Eagleburger, during what was billed an ahem, "making the case" appearance for McCain Friday on NPR, dissed Palin. When asked if Palin was ready to step in as Prez, Larry -- one of the five secretaries of state McCain loves to tout that endorsed him -- went rogue:

"It is a very good question," he said, pausing a few seconds, then adding with a laugh: "I'm being facetious here. Look, of course not."

Poor Palin' First Amendment Problem

2008-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Palin misreads First Amendment; Eagleburger: Palin's not ready
She just keeps getting it wrong, and wrong again, and worse and worse!

Sarah Snakes Across PA on Bus Tour

2008-10-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

I just saw, "Palin To Snake Her Way Across Pennsylvania On Bus Tour" by Scott Conroy and LOL, realized how apt it is because a snake is "a worthless or treacherous fellow" (www.m-w.com).

For example (and there are many) when Palin said Obama would "experiment with socialism" - she was both inaccurate (incompetent) and treacherous (from www.m-w.com):

1: characterized by or manifesting treachery; perfidious (faithlessness or disloyalty);
2 a: likely to betray trust; unreliable ("a treacherous memory");
2 b: providing insecure footing or support ("treacherous quicksand");
2 c: marked by hidden dangers, hazards, or perils.

Perfidious Palin plays upon people who are too prejudiced and/or incompetent and/or ignorant to see that she is lying. Her baseless lies incite undue fear, hate and unrest in her own base and are an insidious betrayal of their trust. Not only is she hoodwinking the people she is supposed to be leading, their Palin-induced unrest imperils the nation (and the entire world).

SARAH is a SNAKE.

Palin is a Rogue GOP Elephant

2008-10-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

She has decided to "go rogue" - listening to "Elizabeth" instead of the McCain campaign.

Diva?

2008-10-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

See the quote on Rachel Maddow's show.

The Palin Curse: Dropping the Puck = Dropping the Luck

2008-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin dropped the puck at a recent Flyers-Rangers game and the Flyers are now winless in three games since then. She has "Jessica Simpsoned-a-team" that was previously thought of as one of the best in the Atlantic Division this year.

But the Palin Curse does not stop there, since the St. Louis Blues also invited her to drop the luck, I amean the puck. As Stu Hackel observes, "Ho-hum, another N.H.L. team owned by a contributor to the G.O.P. presidential campaign invites that party’s V.P. candidate to drop the puck for tonight’s game." That was before the game. Turns out, the Blues did not escape the curse - their goalie slipped on Palin's blue welcome carpet causing an injury which took him out of the game. In the end, the team lost.

Palin drags down Republican ticket

2008-10-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Palin drags down Republican ticket (duh). Voters now say they are less likely to vote for McCain because of Palin, especially independent voters.

2008-10-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Before it got really ugly: Politics of Attack commented:

"It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember."

Why Some Women Hate Sarah Palin

2008-10-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

See: Why Some Women Hate Sarah Palin at time.com and note that most women I know do not care if men find Palin attractive. What we cannot stand is how she uses it to put one over on both men and women who are suceptable to her charms, to get away with big fat bold face lies. This would not matter except that her lies result in so much harm to people, the planet, the economy, etc. Thus, we hate both what she is doing and that sheeple fall for it. We are baffled that anyone would believe her and are horrified that some do. Our intense hate of her behavior has nothing whatsoever to do with envy. Rather, it is because her Orwellian acts are a threat to democracy, the rule of law and civil order. It is justified outrage that (for me) is directed at her public and political persona and behavior - not at her as a person.

Sarah Screws up Speech

2008-10-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) gave her first policy speech today (October 24, 2008) in which she urged the federal government to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). "Early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference" according to Palin. Claiming that the amount Congress spends on earmarks “is more than the shortfall to fully fund IDEA,” she ridiculed some of the projects, including one for “fruit fly research” - saying they have little or no value:

"Where does a lot of that earmark money end up anyway? [...] You’ve heard about some of these pet projects they really don’t make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."

Guess what Sarah?

Yep - scientific research with fruit flies has led to valuable discoveries that have boosted autism research. Last year, for example, the University of North Carolina's Drosophila fruit fly study let to advances in understanding autism spectrum disorders (something having to do with human neurexins as having been identified as a genetic risk factor for autism). The study of fruit flies has also been used for other autism research and has revolutionized the study of birth defects.

Gotta look out for those Gotcha policy speeches!

FMI (including a video clip of the speech), see: Memo To Sarah Palin: Fruit Fly Research Has Led To Advances In Understanding Autism.

Sarah Palin On 'Pyramid'

2008-10-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin On 'Pyramid'

Good for a few laughs!

Sarah Songs

2008-10-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin Song "Anyone Can Be VP"

The Ballad of Sarah Palin

The following songs contain language that some might find offensive:

Hey Sarah Palin (with lyrics/subtitles)

Sarah Palin Song! (I Picked a Girl!) BBK#3

The Vet Who Did Not Vet

2008-10-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

The Vet Who Did Not Vet

FUNNY (and scary) ~ a MUST see!

The Final Undoing of Sarah Palin

2008-10-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Final Undoing of Sarah Palin by: Dan Amira -sorta says it all right? Well, just in case you do not click and read the article, here are highlights:

"With each remaining day as precious to the McCain campaign as a newborn fawn, the recent distractions coming from Sarah Palin can't be helpful. The maverick governor apologized yesterday for her remark abut the "pro-America" parts of the country. Then she gave a dubious answer to a third-grader's question about the role of the vice-president in the United States government. Meanwhile, an AP investigation found that she charged the Alaska government for her kids' travel expenses, and a new NBC/WSJ poll shows that Palin's qualifications are voters' No. 1 concern about voting for McCain. And that was all before Politico revealed that the RNC has spent $150,000 on Palin's wardrobe since late August, the kind of spending spree that doesn't mesh with the candidate's image as a regular hockey mom, nor the campaign's appeals to middle-class Joe the Plumbers."

Amira then list comments made by others, my favorites being:

• Chuck Todd and friends believe the story "could further add to the perception that Palin isn’t a serious candidate." And Andrea Mitchell wonders whether Palin is "permitted to accept these kinds of gifts under Alaska ethics laws." [First Read/MSNBC]

• Jake Tapper wonders whether Palin realizes that even if she donates the clothes to charity, as her campaign claims, she still has to pay taxes on "those fancy new duds just as if someone had written her a check for $150,000." [Political Punch/ABC News]

Naturally, I have to add my own:

Just proves yet again that Palin/McCain are not Eco-Friendly!

Gotta love their spin: "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign" (McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt). What a waste of energy and natural resources. Why not just shop at a reasonably priced store and donate the MONEY to a worthy cause - like say, paying for Palin's kids to go traveling with her?

Palin does not know what the VP does!!!

2008-10-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

She is not smarter than a 3rd grader!

Or maybe she is just using another smoke screen? Perhaps she goes on and on without even mentioning the VP's main duty because she does not want people to think about what would happen if her team got in and something happened to McCain!

For a scary/satirical glimpse of what that would be like, go to PalinAsPresident.com and click everything in the oval office. It will be updated daily until November 4th. Doubtless, they will soon add a shopping bag or two. Until then, be sure to find & click the bunny!

Palin/McCain in Bizzaroland

2008-10-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

See Rachel Maddow, et all discuss the latest "Scare Card" the McCain/Palin are now playing. Not only are they calling Obama's proposed refundable tax credits "welfare" (a code word laden with racial tension), they are also using hte "S" word (socialism)!

Good grief!

Truly they are desperate in Bizzaroland at this late stage in the game. Good thing smart commentators like FRANK REILLY (October 19, 2008) see through the mud and explain how Barack Obama "is the exact opposite of what we've been hearing" that he "is nothing like what his opponent portrays him to be."

Is Palin Losing it?

2008-10-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Is she pulling down the campaign? See how Rachel Maddow approaches this question on her show.

Palin's SNL Stint a GOP Disaster?

2008-10-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Robert Kubey (October 19, 2008) claims, "Sarah Palin's Appearance on SNL a Huge GOP Disaster" - yet I am not so sure. I did not see the entire show, but thought she looked better that I thought she would. Wish I would have seen the whole show! How do you think she did?

Also see "On ‘SNL’ It’s the Real Sarah Palin, Looking Like a Real Entertainer" by ALESSANDRA STANLEY (October 19, 2008) who that that the "comic tempo was just right; it was the strategy that looked a bit odd. Ms. Palin may have charmed Democrats who viewed her as a narrow-minded zealot; her performance did little to assuage the concerns that have troubled many Republican and independent voters."

Pro-Pollution Palin?

2008-10-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

"Palin refined her pro-business attitudes after becoming governor in 2006. Faced with choosing between development and the environment, she has sided more often than not with business interests" (Palin hometown a window into her environmentalism by MATT APUZZO 10/19/08).

Hey, I can see how Alaskans would want warmer temps, yet this seems insane!

The Odd Lies Of Sarah Palin

2008-10-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew Sullivan is collecting "The Odd Lies Of Sarah Palin." As of 10/19/08, he has posted the following:

I: Firing Monegan
II: The Bridge To Nowhere
III: Firing Stambaugh
IV: Endangered Species
V: The Oil Pipeline
VI: Gays
VII: Climate Change
VIII: Habeas Corpus
IX: Alaska's Energy Contribution
X: The Teleprompter
XI: Asking The Girls?
XII: Her Pay Cut As Mayor
XIII: Accessing Wooten's Medical Records
XIV: What Trade Missions To Russia?
XV: Her Israeli Flag
XVI: Divestment From Sudan
XVII: "Pre-Surge Troop Levels"
XVIII: Abuse Of Power (See the very 1st post on this blog about this one.)
XIX: "Fear" Of Wooten
XX: The Clothes Still On The Airplane

Palin "publicly denies reality, insists on repeating that denial and is unable to deal with real world the way psychologically healthy people do. . . . They are not the lies of a devious politician. They are much more troubling than that. They reflect a psyche unable to process fact when it conflicts with a delusional self-image. She is even worse in this psychotic denialism than Bush. She is a politician who can only survive in a propaganda state" (Sullivan, 19 Oct 2008 06:06 pm).

Next thing you know, she will be lying about lying about the Troopergate Report! Doubt McCain & Co. will not acknowledge that their veep choice is a pathological liar - either because they are as well ("like attracts like"). What is especially scary is that some voters (and journalist!) apparently still think she is a viable candidate! Perhaps that just goes to show the extent to which we have become an Orwellian propaganda state.

Powell on McCain/Palin Smear Campaign

2008-10-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

Everyday, Colin Powell becomes even more of an American Hero! Click "Colin Powell denounces McCain's Negative Smear Campaign" to see it. "We have got to stop this kind of nonsense" (a swipe at Bachmann's McCarthyism). "Over the top."

Per Palin: some parts of USA are Not "Pro-America"

2008-10-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Palin Explains What Parts Of Country Not "Pro-America"
by Sam Stein (HuffPost Reporting From DC, Oct 17, 2008)

"The McCain campaign is seeking to clarify a remark reported from a Sarah Palin fundraiser in North Carolina yesterday in which the Alaska Governor declared that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country -- implying, implicitly, that there were some parts of the United States she viewed as not pro-America."

Good Grief! If she had something decent to say about the issues (or a better attitude in general), maybe she would not have made such a stupid gaff!

Palin's Plunge

2008-10-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

See: "Palin's Plunge: Voters Sour on McCain's VP Pick" by Thomas Edsall, Huffington Post (posted October 19, 2008), who says, "the more voters learn about Sarah Palin, the more wary they become. Her favorability numbers are dropping like a rock."

UNDERSTANDABLY!

"As it stands, Palin's polling numbers are daunting: with the unfolding economic crisis, her favorable to unfavorable ratings have switched from a positive 40-30, according to a September 12-16 New York Times survey, to a negative 32-41 in an October 10-13 survey."

UNDERSTANDABLY!

More than any single factor...

2008-10-19T13:06:00.001-07:00

"More than any single factor, McCain's bad judgment in choosing the inarticulate, insular and ethically challenged Palin disqualifies him for the presidency" (for the rest of the story, see, "A simple choice: The nation needs Barack Obama in the White House" by The Tribune Editorial Board 10/19/2008 09:07:57 AM MDT).

Republicans & Conservatives alike Support Obama

2008-10-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

The last version I saw of John Martin's list of "Republicans and Conservatives Endorsing Barack" (which is well worth a look) did not yet include Colin Powell (though no doubt soon will). In addition to Powell, my favorites include:

Francis Fukuyama, Advisor to President Reagan -
"...Obama probably has the greatest promise of delivering a different kind of politics."

Richard Riordan, former Mayor of Los Angeles -
"I'm still a Republican, but I still will always vote for the person (Obama) who I think will do the best job."

Rita Hauser, former White House intelligence Advisor to George W. Bush -
"McCain will continue the wrong-headed foreign policy decisions of Bush, while Obama will take us in a new direction."

David Friedman, prominent economist (Milton & Rose Friedman's son)
"I hope Obama wins. President Bush has clearly been a disaster from the standpoint of libertarians and conservatives because he has presided over an astonishing rise in government spending."

Andrew Sullivan, Columnist for the Atlantic Monthly and former Editor of The New Republic
"Obama's legislative record, speeches, and the way he has run his campaign reveal, I think, a very even temperament, a very sound judgment, and an intelligent pragmatism. Prudence is a word that is not inappropriate to him."

Larry Hunter, President Reagan Policy Advisor
"I suspect Obama is more free-market friendly than he lets on. He taught at the University of Chicago, a hotbed of right-of-center thought. His economic advisers, notably Austan Goolsbee, recognize that ordinary citizens stand to gain more from open markets than from government meddling."

Which are your favorites?

Powell Puts Palin into Perspective

2008-10-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

"I think he is a transformational figure,'' Colin Powell said today on NBC's "Meet the Press" (MTP) "...and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.'' Powell's thoughtful, gracefully articulated endorsement is a MUST see! Click here to see him on MSNBC and/or read a transcript of his announcement [typed by a friend] here:

[Tom Brokaw]

General Powell, actually you gave a campaign contribution to Senator McCain; you have met twice, at least, with Barack Obama. Are you prepared to make a public declaration of which of these two candidates that you are prepared to support?

[Colin Powell]

Yes, but let me lead into it this way. I know both of these individuals very well now. I’ve known John for 25 years, as your setup said, and I’ve gotten to know Mr. Obama quite well over the past two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who are patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Either one of them I think would be a good president.

I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that’s a choice the party makes. And I’ve said to Mr. Obama: You have to pass the test of Do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president. And I’ve watched them over the past two years, frankly, and I’ve had this conversation with them. I have especially watched over the last six or seven weeks, as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I’ve gotten a good measure of both.

In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we are having, and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem, and that concerned me, it’s got the, sensing that he didn’t have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She’s a very distinguished woman and she’s to be admired. But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don’t believe she’s ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the Vice President. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.

On the Obama side, I have watched Mr. Obama. and I have watched him during this seven-week period, and he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge, and an approach to looking at problems like this, in picking a Vice President that I think is ready to be president on Day One, and also in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well.

I also believe that on the Republican side, over the last seven weeks, the approach to the Republican party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama at the same time has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He’s crossing lines -- ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He’s thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.

And I’ve also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign has, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that’s been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he is a washed-up terrorist, then why do we keep talking about it and why do we have these robo-calls going on around the country, trying to suggest that because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow Mr. Obama is tainted. What they are trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that’s inappropriate.

Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another, and that’s good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It’s not what the American people are looking for.

And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that’s what we’d be looking at in a McCain administration.

I am also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say and it is permitted to be said. Such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is: He is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian, he’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is No, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be President? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop this suggestion, he’s a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone, and it gave his awards, purple heart, bronze star, showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death, he was 20 years old, and then at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have a Star of David, it had a Crescent and Star of the Islamic faith, and his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Kahn and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey, he was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could go serve his country and he gave his life.

Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know, but I am troubled about the fact that within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

So when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we’ve got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now, which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I’ve come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities, and we have to take that into account, as well as his substance, he has both style and substance, he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president, I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming into the world, onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason, I will be voting for Senator Barack Obama.

(Given the global import of this announcement, that Powell is a public figure and that the transcript is not posted for commercial purposes, the posting of it here should be allowable as 'Fair Use' under copyright laws.)

Also click here to see Powell on what is the #1 problem that the new President will face?

"Palin candidacy is a symptom ... of a new vulgarization"

2008-10-19T09:34:00.001-07:00

In "Palin's Failin'" PEGGY NOONAN asks, "What is it she stands for?" Saying that "After seven weeks, we don't know."

I disagree, yet let's hear what Noonan has to say:

"There has never been a second's debate among liberals, to use an old-fashioned word that may yet return to vogue, over Mrs. Palin: She was a dope and unqualified from the start. Conservatives and Republicans, on the other hand, continue to battle it out: Was her choice a success or a disaster? And if one holds negative views, should one say so? For conservatives in general, but certainly for writers, the answer is a variation on Edmund Burke: You owe your readers not your industry only but your judgment, and you betray instead of serve them if you sacrifice it to what may or may not be their opinion."

Okay, I agree with that.

"Here is a fact of life that is also a fact of politics: You have to hold open the possibility of magic. People can come from nowhere, with modest backgrounds and short résumés, and yet be individuals of real gifts, gifts that had previously been unseen, that had been gleaming quietly under a bushel, and are suddenly revealed. Mrs. Palin came, essentially, from nowhere. "

Fine.

"But we have seen Mrs. Palin on the national stage for seven weeks now, and there is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office. She is a person of great ambition, but the question remains: What is the purpose of the ambition?. . . For seven weeks I've listened to her, trying to understand if she is Bushian or Reaganite—a spender, to speak briefly, whose political decisions seem untethered to a political philosophy, and whose foreign policy is shaped by a certain emotionalism, or a conservative whose principles are rooted in philosophy, and whose foreign policy leans more toward what might be called romantic realism, and that is speak truth, know America, be America, move diplomatically, respect public opinion, and move within an awareness and appreciation of reality. ... But it's unclear whether she is Bushian or Reaganite. She doesn't think aloud. She just . . . says things."

Dear Ms. Noonan, Palin has said enough to know she is neither Bushian or Reaganite. Palin is Orwellian.

"In the end the Palin candidacy is a symptom and expression of a new vulgarization in American politics. It's no good, not for conservatism and not for the country. And yes, it is a mark against John McCain, against his judgment and idealism.

I gather this week from conservative publications that those whose thoughts lead them to criticism in this area are to be shunned, and accused of the lowest motives. In one now-famous case, Christopher Buckley was shooed from the great magazine his father invented. In all this, the conservative intelligentsia are doing what they have done for five years. They bitterly attacked those who came to stand against the Bush administration. This was destructive. If they had stood for conservative principle and the full expression of views, instead of attempting to silence those who opposed mere party, their movement, and the party, would be in a better, and healthier, position."

I agree, yet what does that mean to you? Are you ready to vote for change?

Rednecks for Obama

2008-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Rednecks in the "Show Me State" for Obama show us Sarah is not the only gun enthusiast! I once lived with my Grandparents in MO (where my dad was born & his folks RIP) and still have family there, so I am particularly proud!

Palin Problems 101+

2008-10-19T00:33:00.000-07:00

Even back at the BOM September, the folks at Kos Media, LLC had "identified over 100 issues, problems, and embarassing comparisons for McCain's unbelievably reckless VP choice in 1 weekend."Click here to see The Comprehensive List of 110+ Palin Problems (w/ quotes, links & poll). Boy, it is now clear that my little blog cannot hope to catch up or even stay up on all the Palin Problems!

Palin Problems

2008-10-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

"This week on RadioNation: John Nichols and Michelle Goldberg come back from Alaska with some pretty frightening stories to tell about Sarah Palin... Click here to listen to the broadcast."

McCain's Palin Problem

2008-10-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

This story (published by the Nation) concludes with a question reasonalbe minds would like to like to know:

In the six months McCain had to make a vice presidential pick, couldn't he have sent a few more lawyers to Alaska? They seem to be vetting their candidate ex post facto. McCain wanted to select Joe Lieberman but was told such a move would destroy the Republican Party. So he went in the other direction, picking a completely unknown hardcore conservative with virtually no relevant political qualifications. And we wonder why controversy ensued.

Short list of Palin’s Problems

2008-10-19T00:18:00.000-07:00

See the short list of Palin’s Problems for Independent voters - especially if you have not yet decided.

Palin a "Crazy Bitch"

2008-10-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Betty White calls Sarah Palin a "Crazy Bitch" & other funny stuff.

A Messsage to Sarah Palin

2008-10-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

From young women. Get your tissue ready & click here to see it.

Palin Pals Around With Seccessionists

2008-10-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

See: Sarah Palin Pals Around With Seccessionists | Maher 10/17/08 - Her husband was very recently with the Alaskan Seccessionist Party.

Palin is not McCain's only Problem!

2008-10-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

See: "McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare" - he would be a problem even without her! See more of the Real McCain and tell him to END the Politics of HATE at www.therealmccain.com.

"singling out his choice of Sarah Palin"

2008-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 17, 2008; Page A24:
Election 2008: Washington Post Endorses Obama

"The choice is made easy in part by Mr. McCain's disappointing campaign, above all his irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president. It is made easy in larger part, though, because of our admiration for Mr. Obama and the impressive qualities he has shown during this long race. Yes, we have reservations and concerns, almost inevitably, given Mr. Obama's relatively brief experience in national politics. But we also have enormous hopes."

Polly Palin the Parrot

2008-10-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

"Polly Palin the Parrot; Barbie Doll on Steroids" by Bill Hare (10/03/2008 05:32:18 PM EST) goes just a little too far in that it is not fair to Barbie!

John Cleese on Sarah Palin

2008-10-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Worth a quick watch - John Cleese on Sarah Palin.

Polly want a Palin?

Facts Flush the Plumber's attack down the Drain

2008-10-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

See: "Joe the Plumber's attack on Obama goes down plughole" by Leonard Doyle, October 19, 2008

If the McCampaign thought their "Joe the Plumber" could rescue the ailing bid for the White House, they better think again. The "Joe" who confronted Barack Obama, in the key state of Ohio is not a qualified plumber, is behind on his taxes and Joe is not even his first name. The real topper though it that this "Joe" would actually get a tax cut of about $500 under Obama's plans, because his real income is much lower than he claimed. Even so, for some crazy reason, Mr Wurzelbacher is still being courted by the Republicans. What's up with that? Proof yet again that McCain and Palin live in lalaland of the lost?

Palin's "Post Turtle" Predicament

2008-10-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Got this in an email from my conservative sister in OR. It is apt.

While suturing a cut on a 75-year-old rancher’s hand that had been caught in the gate while working cattle, a doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a 'Post Turtle.'" Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle’ was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a ‘post turtle’."

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he explained: "You know she didn't get up there by herself, that she doesn't belong up there, that she doesn't know what to do up there, what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with, and if you have time to stop and help her down."

Need a hoot? See "Palin as President"

2008-10-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

at http://palinaspresident.com/ and click on each of the different objects in the room. I suggest clicking hte PC monitor 2nd to last and teh red phone last, yet the main thing is to have fun with it.

Gotta laugh - other wise, we would be too busy crying!

Palin Plumb out of Plumb on Plumber w/Plum Patrons

2008-10-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

As per www.M-W.com:

²plumb "to a complete degree : absolutely <‘you're plumb crazy’, she remarked, with easy candor — Harper's Weekly>"

¹plumb "— out of plumb or off plumb : out of vertical or true"

See "Palin Talks Joe the Plumber With Donors" - Elizabeth Holmes' October 17, 2008, 9:56 am report from Greensboro, N.C.

Dear Gov. Palin:

What about all the hard working folks who have lost everything and cost the US economy billions (billions that w/preventative healthcare would have been saved), EVERYTHING they had saved for over decades because in the ‘free market’ they were not ‘free’ to buy health coverage? Not 'free' to buy insurance b/c no 'for-money-only-profit' company would sell it to them b/c they had "pre-existing" medical conditions, conditions that could have been managed had they adequate care, and b/c their Joe the Plumber employer (a small business that makes $250k/year for its owner) did not offer group insurance for its employees b/c his and his family are covered by his wife's insurance (supplied by her employer, Jamba Juice) b/c he firmly believes the ‘free market’ takes care of this sort of thing?

No market is FREE when such huge & unfair costs are passed onto 3rd parties the way in the USA health care costs are passed on to tax payers, to health insurance premium payers and to folks who contributer to "non-monatery-profit" organizations (and the folks who work for them) the way they are now! Such a gross externality THREATENS capitalism.

If you are reading this and you value People, the Planet AND Profits, VOTE for Obama/Biden on or before 11/04/08!

Wasilla Teens Beat Palin in Battle for Skate Park

2008-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Click here for the story by Zachary Scott Carothers (Oct 17 2008 8:00 AM EDT)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With a Mayor like this, how/why would anyone want this person as next in line for the highest office in the land?

Sarah Palin's Mother-in-law Uncertain about Palin

2008-10-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Click "Sarah Palin's mother-in-law uncertain about how she'll vote" to see the story by Nancy Dillon, DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF (August 31st 2008, 2:27 AM), which includes the line: "Faye Palin admitted she enjoys hearing Barack Obama speak, and still hasn't decided which way she'll vote."

Let's hope by now she has decided to help save the Nation from Palin!

What McCain Didn't Know About Sarah Palin

2008-10-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

And why he probably would have picked her anyway

by Marc Ambinder

The article includes:

McCain's campaign seemed unaware that she supported a windfalls profits tax on oil companies and that she is more skeptical about human contributions to global warming than McCain is.

They did not know that she took trips as the mayor of Wasilla to beg for earmarks.

They did not know that she told a television interviewer this summer that she did not fully understand what it is that a vice president does.

Europe mocks 'half-baked Alaskan' Palin

2008-10-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

Story Highlights

Palin's confession that she didn't have a passport until 2006 plays badly in Europe
(WHY DO YOU NEED A PASSPORT WHEN YOU CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN STATE?)

Europeans skeptical about Sarah Palin's nomination as Republican V-P candidate
(THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES!)

Europeans have been astonished that America has never had a woman president
(THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES!)

Europe has already been swept by a deep wave of "Obamamania"
(THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES!)

CLICK HERE to read the story

Fiscal WHAT? Take a look at the mess she left behind in Wasilla

2008-10-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

Click here to see another episode from the Wasilla Project Film Makers and pass the info around. It is important to get the word out about the financial problems Palin created when mayor of Wasilla, and how she abused her power there as well.

Mayor -> Abuse of Power -> Governor -> Abuse of Power -> VP Candidate -> Abuse of Power ->?

We have the power to make the abusive pattern stop.

Get out the vote 2008!

Tina Fey: the most influential woman in America?

2008-10-15T01:26:00.000-07:00

As per Neil Midgley (9:05AM BST 15 Oct 2008) of telegraph.co.uk:

Three weeks from now, Sarah Palin may be the Vice-President elect of the United States of America. But today, few people would call her the most powerful woman in American politics.

Arguably, that honour doesn't go to former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi either. Today, the most influential woman in America is probably Tina Fey – a television comedienne. (Click here to see the rest of his article.)

Not sure I agree, yet I know one thing for sure:

Most of the people I know would vote for Tina Fey as VP (and especially as the POTUS) over Sarah Palin in a heartbeat, even if it meant she could no longer make us ROTFLOL as much if that happened.

SCARY STUFF - Palin Problem Overload!

2008-10-15T01:18:00.000-07:00

SCARY STUFF: too many Palin Problems to keep up with all the links I could add, let alone comment on all of them!

And, I used to like Lee Greenwood! Oh well.

So what's up? Take your pick:

Two More Dangerous Incidents on the Campaign Trail - One Involving a Palin Rally (the most serious of the lot)

Saradise Lost - Chapter One Hundred-Twenty-Nine -- Palin Investigations, Lawsuits and Ties to Terrorists Gain Momentum as We Prepare to File a Recall (maybe all this will bring an end to her aspirations?)

Saradise Lost - Chapter One Hundred-Thirty -- David Neiwert on CNN Today

Saradise Lost - Chapter One Hundred-Twenty-Eight -- The Recall Petition Possibility Gains Momentum

Palin's Contempt for Legislature Makes her UNFIT for Office

2008-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

On Oct 10, 2008, the independent legislative Branchflower investigation concluded that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin violated ethics laws and abused her power as governor. Patti Higgins, Alaska's state Democratic Party chairwoman probably expressed the sentiments of many when in reference to the report's findings she remarked, "Gov. Palin has violated Alaskans' trust" and "I hope that in light of this finding, Gov. Palin will stop playing partisan politics to the detriment of Alaska's future" (as quoted by Charles Piller and Kim Murphy in the Los Angeles Times, October 11, 2008).

What does Palin say about the findings? On Oct 12, 2008, in a conference call with Meg Stapleton of the Anchorage Daily News, and local TV stations KTVA, and KTUU, and without being prompted or 'set up' by these journalists, Palin herself asked to address this issue and said, "Well, I’m very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing … any hint of any kind of unethical activity there." (emphasis added).

(?!Sorry?!)

Stapleton then asked Palin her first question, "Governor, finding No.1 on the report was that you abused your power by violating state law. Do you think you did anything wrong at all in this Troopergate case? To which Palin replied, "Not at all and I’ll tell you, it, I think that you’re always going to ruffle feathers as you do what you believe is in the best interest of the people whom you are serving."

According to Sen. Kim Elton, the Juneau Democrat chairs the Legislative Council, which authorized the investigation (one that began prior to becoming McCain's running mate), Palin's characterization of the report is wrong. "Finding No. 1 says she violated the ethics law," Elton said, adding that "Anybody who suggests that the report does not say she broke the law, they just need to read the report. They don't even need to read all 300 pages of it, just page seven or eight" (see LISA DEMER's story for the ADN on October 12th, 2008)

At this point, it does not matter if Palin was within her legal right to fire Monegan and it does not matter it she thinks the legislative investigation had turned into "a political circus" (Palin, in the 10/12 phone interview). Even the FIRST finding that she HAD breached the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act might not matter that much in and of itself. And, that she did not do so for money does NOT matter, because there are infinite types of personal gain. In this case, she seems to have done it to indulge and abet an unethical and illegal personal vendetta. Palin's acts demonstrate that she is unethical and vindictive. That is bad enough, yet she might have been able to get away with such character flaws because of her popularity.

Instead, Palin's Orwellian response to the findings takes the Alice-in-Wonderland cake. Now we know once and for all - even without being set up by the 'gotcha' media - that in addition to being unethical and vindictive, she is a compulsive liar. Her latest distortion is not poli-spin. It is such an obvious and self-defeating falsehood that it crosses over the line to pathology. A competent politician would not have so freely offered such an abnormal and unnecessary lie.

It demonstrates abject CONTEMPT for the Legislature and the American people.This is nothing new. Time and time again, Palin has indulged in a LaLaLandish total disregard for the truth - so much so as to incite violence against a US Presidential candidate. This time her venture from reality is not even directed at her opponent. All the same, like many of her other lies, it undermines the rule of law and the commonweal. The Alaskan Legislature could charge her with contempt; some Alaskans are preparing to file a recall and others are discussing impeachment; Trooper Wooten intends to sue Gov. Palin (et al) for defamation of character and civil rights violations (see http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com). New and unusual Palin Problems surface every day. What is next? Primetime - why not? Sanctioning by the GOP? I should hope so (and maybe even poor McCain for selecting such a disgraceful character). VP? Clearly Palin is unworthy of the position.