Sarah Palin - God is on her side

Juliet Ellperin, writing at the WaPo, describes a "free-form commencement address she [Palin] gave in June to a class of commission students at the Wasilla Assembly of God. ... Palin exhorted congregants to pray so she could realize her public policy goals."

The Huffington Post has a video of the speech here.

And here's part of what she said:

"'I can do my part in doing things like working really, really hard to get a natural gas pipeline, a $30 billion dollar project that's going to create a lot of jobs for people in Alaska, and we're going to have a lot of energy flowing through here -- and pray about that also -- I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,' she told them, 'but I can do my job there, in developing our natural resources and doing things like getting the roads paved, and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms, their guns, and making sure out public schools are funded. But really, all that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God.'

"Switching to the war in Iraq, Palin told the group of students that they should not only pray for men and women in the military but to make sure the leaders of this country are sending U.S. soldiers 'out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan.'"

She ended up like this: "I love you guys, and thank you so much for dedicating your lives to Jesus Christ."


Isn't it nice to think that we might have another freak in the White House who thinks that what's really important is to have your heart right with God? Isn't it nice that this person believes her plans are God's plans? Isn't it nice that she wants a war plan from God?

Is she the governor of Alaska or the Christian pastor of Alaska?

McCain cancels on Larry King

What's with these people? They keep making commitments and then canceling.

John McCain was scheduled to appear on Larry King's show last night, but canceled. The reason? Old John was pissed at the way Campbell Brown (also of CNN) treated his lap dog, Tucker Bounds, on Monday night.

You remember. Ms. Brown referred to McCain's concern about national security and Tucker pointed to Sarah Palin's "experience" as commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guard.

Now, it should be noted that the Alaska National Guard has nothing to do with national defense activities other than go to war when called up by the President!

Nevertheless, Bounds had no answer and simply blurted out various Republican talking points. But Brown persisted - to no avail. Finally, she thanked Tucker for his efforts and cut off the interview.

Please note that Ms. Brown was polite and courteous throughout. She was also determined.

Evidently, so far as John McCain goes, real questions about real issues are off limits. He'll talk about his POW experience (even though he really doesn't like to) and how that gave him the experience to qualify for president, but don't ask him or his minions to be specific about the claims they make!

And, if you do, well, McCain will take his marbles and go home. Take that! Larry King!!!

More on Palin's "experience" or, "The Car Wash Saga"

The pundits leaning on the right side of the fence just can't understand why so many of us just don't get the fact that Palin is drenched in "experience." Mayor of a little bitty town in the wilds of Alaska, and 20 months as governor - well, hell - that's a lot of experience.

George Will wrote that "John McCain's opponent is by far the least experienced person to receive a presidential nomination ... "

Of course, he offers not a scintilla of evidence to back up that statement. He suggests it might have something to do with age - maybe age brings "experience." And we admit that McCain has lived longer than any of the other candidates currently running for Prez and V Prez.

But there's "experience" and there's "experience." No one has bothered to take note of that fact so far as I can tell. It might be claimed that George W. Bush had lots of executive "experience," and there would be some truth in that.

But it wasn't "good" experience. George W. Bush failed at every single thing he tried to do before he was elevated to political office! Furthermore, when governor of Texas, he saw fit to screw that state up almost as badly as he's screwed up the United States! To paraphrase one pundit who wrote recently - George W. Bush is the worst executive we've ever had in the Oval Office.

Some "experience" we can toss as it is bad "experience" and the one experiencing it didn't learn a damn thing.

It's sad to see these Republicans running about as if casting a net for butterflies trying to somehow portray Palin as "experienced." When the smoke clears, the fact remains- she has little or no experience, and what she's had has not been a learning experience.


Here's just one example: the Washington Post has revealed that Ms. Palin and hubby, Todd, owned part of a business that was shut down by the state of Alaska because it failed to follow state law.

"State records show the business ran into trouble with Alaska's division of corporations business and professional licensing after Palin became governor of the state in 2006.

"A Feb. 11, 2007 letter to the governor's business partner advises that the car wash had 'not filed its biennial report and/or paid its biennial fees,' which were more than a year overdue.

"The warning letter was written on state letterhead, which carried Palin's name at the top, next to the state seal.

"On April 3, 2007, the state went further and issued a 'certificate of involuntary dissolution' because of the car wash's failure to file its report and pay state licensing fees."


But there's more. And this speaks to her integrity. "A review of Palin's gubernatorial disclosure filings indicates that she failed to report her stake in the company on the form that requires candidates for governor to disclose any interest in a nonpublicly traded company."

And more. "Palin's gubernatorial disclosure filings also reveal her involvement in another failed startup -- a marketing business which was to go by the name Rouge Cou, which evidently is a literal French translation of 'red neck.' On the 2005 form, Palin describes the firm as one for which she secured a license but did not conduct any business."


What might we conclude from all this? It certain raises questions about her integrity. It also indicates she's had some "executive experience" running a car wash, but failed. There are people who might blame the "partner" or her husband, but that does not absolve her in the least as executives are always responsible for what their cohorts are doing or not doing.

Did McCain know about this or did his "vetters" miss this, too?

Palin a no-show at Republican pro-life bash

[New York Times photo]


The Republican National Coalition for Life is a right-wing, anti-abortion group that claims old Eagle Forum poohbah, Phyllis Schlaffy as leader.

The RNCL held a bash last night in honor of Palin. "The purpose of the event is to honor Palin for being a political figure who 'not only talks-the-talk, but walks-the-walk' when it comes to putting life first."

It was to have been a glorious, patriotic time, with flags waving and a bar. These Republicans know how to party! Everyone was so excited that the Republican Party Platform now includes the notion that a fetus is a person and should be accorded all the rights as a real, live human being.

About 800 people, paying $95 per, were to attend.

But Palin cancelled. At the last minute!

Schlaffy was pissed. Those pro-life folks who forked out $95 bucks to hear Palin are not going to be happy, she said.

Schlaffy is blaming McCain. "I am certainly going to say that it was McCain that canceled."

The question is why did Palin (or McCain) cancel? Has Palin been getting too much press, leaving poor old John in the dust? Were they afraid that Palin would say something really dumb? Did they think any pro-life remarks by Palin would further alienate the millions of pro-choice women whom they hope to attract?

Only the gods know.

(They did have a protester, though - see photo - who seemed to get what it means to be "pro-life" better than the yahoos who were in attendance).

Christian right is praying for Bristol and Levi

James Dobson, self-righteous theocratic founder of Focus on the Family, says that he'll be praying for the Palin family and he's proud that Bristol has decided to keep her baby, even though she got pregnant out of wedlock.

Gary Bauer, president of the right-wing Christian America Values organization, says he wants to support and encourage Gov. Sarah Palin and her family. "Bristol Palin and her family understand that a new life has been created. The commitment to bring that life into the world is a testament to their pro-life philosophy. I commend them for the example they are setting for other women in crisis pregnancies."

Tony Perkins, president of another right-wing Christian group called the Family Research Council, made this statement: "Unfortunately, teenage pregnancy has become all too common in today's society regardless of a family's economic or social status. It is a problem that we remain committed to reducing through encouraging young people to practice abstinence.

"Fortunately, Bristol is following her mother and father's example of choosing life in the midst of a difficult situation. We are committed to praying for Bristol and her husband-to-be and the entire Palin family as they walk through a very private matter in the eyes of the public."


Question: What would be the response of these anointed representatives of the Almighty if the pregnant person out-of-wedlock were the daughter of one of the Democratic candidates? Do you think that they would offer such kind words of solace and comfort and offer to send up prayers to their god in heaven on that pregnant person's behalf?

Or, do you think they would immediately climb on their self-righteous horse and proclaim to the world that this is exactly what can be expected from liberals and pro-choice people and people who want sex education in the public schools?

Those are rhetorical questions. You know damn well what the answers are!

Palin's the one with executive experience?

It's just gets funnier and funnier watching the Republican poohbahs tripping over their tongues to try to justify Sarah Palin as vice presidential nominee.

Carly Fiorina, former head of HP, who was fired for making a total mess of that company, is working for the McCain campaign. At the RNC Convention, when interviewed by Andrea Mitchell, Fiorina gave an impassioned speech about all of Palin's "executive experience." I mean, my god, she was mayor of a little town and has been a governor for all of 20 months!

Obama's a neophyte next to her, suggested Ms. Fiorina.

But nothing beats the statement made by Bill McAllister, a McCain spokesman. He said that Palin is older than Jack Kennedy was when he ran for president even though the question of her age was and is not an issue.

The issue is the fact that she has almost no experience of any consequence. Responding to that, McAllister said that "of the four people on two national tickets, she is the only one with executive experience.


Two things: One is obvious - McAllister is claiming that not even the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, has as much "experience" as does Sarah Palin. The second is simply that such a statement is moronic. Running a campaign involves a tremendous amount of executive capability. Running a senate office involves a tremendous amount of executive capability. Organizing community organizations demands executive experience.

The Republicans are stuck. All they can do is try to gloss over the fact that this woman is simply not qualified to be on any national ticket.

Or throw her to the wolves. (Alaskan wolves, of course!)

Levi Johnston on way to RNC

So much for not wanting to focus on one's pregnant daughter.

Americablog reports that "Levi Johnston, the boyfriend, the boyfriend of the pregnant 17-year old Bristol Palin, plans to join the family at the Republican Party's nomination ... of mom and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for vice president..."

The McCain campaign, as you'll recall, wanted everyone to leave the children alone..."Now they're going to put them on stage before millions of Americans."

By the by, here's a quote from Levi:

"I'm a f---in' redneck...but I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some s--- and just f---in' chillin' I guess. Ya f--- with me I'll kick [your] ass."

He's also quoted as "being in a relationship" but doesn't want any kids.

Does John McCain have a clue as to what the hell he is doing?

Palin's message to the Alaskan Independence Party

Here's the video. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the heads up.

Does Palin put Alaska first?

The theme of the Republican Convention is "Country First," which is very strange when one considers the record of the Republican Party over the past eight years. A more fitting theme would be "The Republican Party First."

Now it turns out that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may have her own slogan, "Alaska First."

Since the 1970s, the Alaskan Independence Party has attempted to arrange a legal vote for residents of Alaska to decide whether they want Alaska to remain part of the United States or to secede and form their own country.

The motto of the AIP is "Alaska First - Alaska Always."

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, were members of the AIP in the 1990s! The chairman of the AIP, Lynette Clark, told ABC News that the Palins were members of the AIP in 1994 and attended the statewide convention of the AIP held in Wasilla.

"We are a state's rights party," said Clark. The API has "a plank that challenges the legality of the Alaskan statehood vote as illegal and in violation of United Nations charter and international law."

Palin is a member of the Republican Party today, but has not severed her ties with the AIP. Earlier this year she recorded a welcoming address to the AIP convention.


But there's more. Frederick Clarkson, writing at talk2action, reports "that the AIP is the Alaska affiliate of the Constitution Party, founded by Howard Phillips, and has been the political home to leading theocratic Christian Reconstructionism such as John Lofton, Otto Scotdt, Joe Morecraft and movement founder R. J. Rushdoony himself."

Christian Reconstructionism refers to the loony ultra-fundamentalists who are working to teach their brand of American history in our public schools and want to take over our government to institute a theocratic state, based not on the Constitution, but on their interpretation of the Old Testament. Think of Christian Reconstructionists as the American Taliban, for about the only difference is the book they use to force their views on everyone else. Those who resist will be dealt with severely -- using Old Testament methods. Stoning, anyone?


Joe Vogler, the founder of the AIP, said: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

Thomas Schaller asks this pertinent question at salon.com, "... what would have happened to that unpatriotic, American-hating Muslim the Democrats nominated for president if he had been part of a secessionist group led by a man who once said he was 'an Illinoisan, not an American'? To borrow Clarence Thomas' famous phrase, it would have been a high-tech lynching."


Another pertinent or impertinent question, depending on your affiliation: What the hell was McCain thinking?


Much more on the AIP here and here.

McCain hires Eskew and sells his soul again!

I've said from the beginning that John McCain would sell his soul, hell, maybe even his mother, to become president!

That became evident when he began running around the country kissing the asses of those whom he once called "agents of intolerance," but had, because of their political clout, become "angels of deliverance." No doubt McCain thought they could help deliver to him the White House.

You may recall, how back in 2000, when McCain was running against George W. Bush for the Republican nomination, the Bush campaign tore him apart in South Carolina with some of the nastiest and dirtiest tactics seen in American political history.


One of the architects of that nastiness was Tucker Askew, a protege of Karl Rove (which tells you how low he will stoop!). [How many of these Republican wastrels are named "Tucker"?] Askew, working with two other nogoodniks, Warren Tompkins and Neal Rhodes, so effectively smeared McCain that he never rose from the mud. You may remember also that one of the accusations these rotters leveled against McCain was that he fathered an illegitimate black child. Now, in South Carolina, having an illegitimate black child is the kiss of death if you want a political office!

McCain was so angry about all this he and Lindsey Graham held a press conference to denounce Askew and his tactics. McCain has claimed that he thinks "there is a special place in hell" for Tucker Askew and friends.


The more we've come to know McCain and the burning desire he has to sit in the Oval Office, the less we are surprised by the depths to which he will sink to achieve that goal.

Yes, he has hired Tucker Askew to work with him on this campaign.

When McCain campaign officials were asked if they would comment on this turn of events, they said, "No."

Tucker Eskew's blog here.

Tucker Bounds has nothing to say to Campbell Brown

It was wonderful. Last night, CNN's Campbell Brown ripped Tucker Bounds, McCain's mouthpiece, up one side and down the other. All he could do is look embarrassed, flick his eyes and sputter.

Brown talked about how McCain's is always blathering as to the importance of national security and she asked Tucker about that: How does Sarah Palin fit into McCain's national security concern? What about Palin's foreign policy experience?

Bounds had nothing to say except that she was wonderful and the right choice, blah, blah, blah. But Ms. Brown wouldn't let go! "You're not answering my question...you set a different standard..."

Bounds, with nowhere to go, settled on her experience as commander in chief of the Alaskan National Guard.

So Brown said, "...tell me one decision that she made in her capacity as commander in chief of the Alaskan National Guard."

Bounds mumbled about how she decides how to equip and how to command and deploy the national guard.

Brown just about laughed in his face. No governor makes those kinds of decisions!

Brown kept pushing. Just one decision. Tell me ONE decision!

But Bounds couldn't. And finally, when there was nothing more to say, when Bounds could not name even so much as one little, bitty decision that Palin made as commander in chief of the Alaskan National Guard, Brown cut him off...which, in reality, was an act of kindness.

So much for Palin's foreign policy experience!

McCain's take on Palin

John McCain met Sarah Palin one time and talked to her once on the phone before deciding to select her as his vice presidential running mate. Now we are learning that his staff either did not properly vet her before that decision was made or didn't vet her at all. A number of people living in Alaska -- Wasilla and elsewhere -- with connections to Palin, said they were never contacted by anyone.

Maybe that's why McCain recently sent another team of operatives to the north country to find out what else they may have missed the first time around.

What follows is from Crooks and Liars. It's part of an interview between Chris Wallace of Faux News and McCain:

Wallace: "Let's start with your choice of running mate. Of all the people you could have chosen, all the Republican leaders you've known for years. Straight talk, can you honestly say that Sarah Palin is the best person to put a heartbeat away from the presidency?"

McCain: "Oh, yeah. She's a...she's a partner and a soulmate. [laughs] She's...she's a reformer. I don't particularly enjoy the label 'maverick,' but when somebody takes on the old bulls in her own party, runs against an incumbent governor of her own party, stands up against the oil and gas interests...I mean, they really are so vital to the economy of her...of the state of Alaska. I mean, it's remarkable. It's a remarkable person and I've watched her record and I've watched her for many, many years as she implemented ethics and lobbying reforms. I mean, she led on it; she didn't just vote for it. She led it, I've seen her...take on her own party. Look, one thing I know is when you take on your own party in Washington, you pay a price for it. You do. You pay a price for it."


Let's look at McCain's statement. A "partner and soulmate"? He's met her once and talked to her once on the phone and suddenly she's a "partner and soulmate"? A "soulmate" is the one closest to you, the one you live for, the one who is always at your side, the one you rely on for your very life. Does he expect anyone to swallow that kind of crap?

He doesn't like the term "maverick"? Please! He's made that term the centerpiece of his candidacy, even though it is not true! "Sidekick," as the governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer, called him, is a much more accurate label!

And this stuff about taking on the bulls of her party: Hell, she ran against a governor who was so hated in Alaska that Bullwinkle could have beat him!

She hasn't stood up against the oil and gas interests, she supports almost everything they want to do in Alaska!

He's watched her for "many, many years?" My god, she's only 44 years old! She's only been involved in state politics for 20 months. Does he mean he was spending his time "watching" the mayor of a little, dinky town called Wasilla in Alaska for many, many years? Does two mayoral terms count as "many, many years?"

Please!

Ethics and lobbying reforms? Which ones, John. Do you mean the ethics scandal in which she is now embroiled and for which she has just hired an attorney to make sure she doesn't get deposed and end up in an Alaskan clink?

Good god, what a mess.

Palin and the Pledge

One would hope that a candidate running for vice president on either ticket would have some knowledge of American history and American symbols.

Palin must have spent too much time cheerleading and praying with her Fellowship of Christian Athletes when in high school. I'm not sure what she did in college, but she neglected those boring history classes, for sure.

Daily Kos tells us that in a Eagle Forum 2006 policy questionnaire, Palin reveals the paucity of her knowledge.

The question was: "Are you offended by the phrase 'UnderGod' in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why of why not?"

Palin's answer: "Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance."

Okay...stop laughing.

So, she doesn't know that the Pledge wasn't written until 1892. So she doesn't know that the Pledge was not made the official Pledge of the United States until 1942. So she doesn't know that the phrase, "Under God," was not added to the Pledge until 1954 as a right-wing attempt to use God to fend off the godless commies.

This is the candidate that McCain thinks knows enough to step into the shoes of the President of the United States on Day 1!

Again, it's not so much about Palin. She's pretty much a cipher with extremist Christian credentials. But all of this certainly says that McCain's simply incapable of making the right decisions when it comes to ensuring the well-being and safety of the people of the United States!

Palin and Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens is that elderly Alaska senator currently under indictment for various unethical practices. Some folks believe that Mr. Stevens is the epitome of corruption and a symbol of how Republicans act in Alaska.

Sarah Palin, McCain's erstwhile pick for vice president, is said to be a "reformer," and hangs her hat on that nomenclature.

Maybe "reformer" is not the word she was looking for.

When Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., he "revealed the existence of the 527 group - a type of independent political corporation named for [a] ... section of the tax code..."

The Washington Post, in an article dated 9/1/08, says that "The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported that several experts called the group an example of the fine legal line between a legal effort to conduct political activity and then-new prohibitions against raising unlimited soft-money.

"Board members of Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service were legally allowed to raise as much money as they wanted from corporations or unions or unlimited donations from individuals -- all of which would have been illegal for Stevens to do himself."

Sarah Palin's name was "listed on 2003 incorporation papers of ... 'Excellence in Public Service, Inc.' ... She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings."

Before Stevens was indicted, Palin told Stevens to "be open about the issues behind the investigation. But she also held a joint news conference with him in July [2008], before he was indicted, to make clear she had not abandoned him politically."

That makes sense as Stevens had been helpful to Palin in her run for governor. He endorsed her and filmed a campaign commercial with her in 2006.

It is most interesting that "Shortly after Palin was announced as McCain's vice presidential pick, the ad was removed from her gubernatorial web site."

I wonder what "reform" really means to Palin.

McCain lies - about Palin and Obama

John McCain is truth-challenged.

On the last day of August, John McCain told Brian Williams on NBC's Nightly News that Sarah Palin, the 20-month governor of Alaska "was in elected office when Senator [Barack] Obama was still a, quote, 'community organizer.'"

McCain made the same statement on the same day to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday: "when she [Palin] was in government, he [Obama] was a community organizer."

That statement is false and McCain knows it is false!

From Media Matters: "In fact, when Obama was a community organizer, from 1985-1988, Palin was an undergraduate at the University of Idao (until 1987) and then -- according to National Journal's Almanac of American Politics -- was a television sports reporter. Palin joined the Wasilla city council -- her first elected office -- in 1992, the year Obama served as director of Chicago's Project Vote! -- the local chapter of a national voter registration organization -- and began teaching at the University of Chicago Law School."

Why can't John tell the truth?

Go to Media Matters here.

Lieberman praises Barack Obama

Joseph Lieberman is a weasel. He's supposed to speak to the RNC today. What will the weasel say about Senator Obama?

John Amato at Crooks and Liars has a video of a speech Mr. Lieberman made in 2006. Amato says "This is more evidence that Joe has attached himself to McCain out of fear of being 'left behind' in the Senate and not because he believes McCain is the right choice for president."

"Left behind" probably has to do with being stripped of his committee responsibilities by the Democrats, who after November 4, will no longer need his vote.

Here's what Lieberman said in 2006:

"As far as I'm concerned [Barack Obama] is a 'Baruch,' which means a blessing. He is a blessing to the United States Senate, to America, and to our shared hopes for better, safer tomorrows for all our families. The gifts that God has given to Barack Obama are as enormous as his future is unlimited. As his mentor, as his colleague, as his friend, I look forward to helping him reach to the stars and realize not just the dreams he has for himself, but the dreams we all have for him and our blessed country."

Obama has been given gifts from God! Now, how could Lieberman, or anyone, oppose Obama and vote for McCain, who has no visible or tangible gifts, other than the gift for telling lies and flip-flopping.

I think I'll vote with God this time, and punch my ballot for Obama.

Go to Crooks and Liars here.

Biden banned by Roman Catholic poohbahs

[Photo of Bishop Michael Saltarelli]

Senator Joseph Biden is a life-long Roman Catholic. He belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.

You would think that the Wilmington diocese would be immensely proud of the fact that one of its "sons" was not only a United States senator but now the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States.

Ah, sadly, that is not the case.

You see, Senator Biden is pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Understand, please, that does not mean he supports abortion or thinks that abortion is a good thing. It simply means that he is convinced that the woman actually carrying a fetus, not the government, nor a hide-bound religious institution run by celibate old men in dresses, should make decisions related to the potential life growing inside her.

Sound reasonable? Not if you're a Roman Catholic poohbah or one of the rabid, extremist Protestant fundamentalists. These clowns think they have the right to dictate what a woman should do with her body. And they base that on two things: 1) They know the mind of god, and 2) god has told them that semen deposited in the vagina is sacred. That's why not only is abortion bad, but so is contraception. It's not just that they believe god believes that life begins at conception, but that god believes the semen is potential life and therefore must not be interrupted on its way to create another little god-like creature. [I've never heard how they explain nocturnal emissions.]


Not only is the Roman Catholic diocese of Wilmington not proud of its senator and vice presidential candidate, but is refusing to allow Senator Biden to speak at Roman Catholic functions or in Roman Catholic schools!

The bishop of the diocese, Michael Saltarelli, wrote in a 2004 statement on "Catholics in Public Life," that "Our Catholic institutions will not honor Catholic politicians who take pro-abortion legislative positions or invite them to speak at our functions or schools."

A spokesman for the diocese confirmed that even if Biden becomes the Vice President, he will not be welcome at Wilmington's Catholic schools!

While Saltarelli does not come right out and say that Biden would be denied communion in Wilmington's parishes, it is clear that he wishes Biden would not present himself at the altar. The Archbishop of the Denver diocese, however, had no such compunctions. When Biden took communion at his home parish of St. Joseph on the Brandywine, Archbishop Charles Chaput told the Associated Press he should not do that because he was an abortion supporter.


Liberalslikechrist.org notes that "Many of the critics of the Roman Catholic Church fault it for being too strict. But the real problem is that ... the Catholic Church tends to be very strict where its perception of the wrongdoing of others is concerned, while being very lenient when it comes to its own wrongdoing.

"Millions of American Catholics are still reeling from the discovery that, over the years they have had a 4% chance of being assigned a priest who might use their church's sacristy or rectory to sexually molest their children and pretty close to a 100% chance that when their celibate, childless bishop found out about such crimes, that he would do everything in his power to defend the reputation of the 'One, Holy, Catholic Church', rather than the dignity of their innocent children."

The Roman Catholic diocese of Wilmington, Delaware is no exception to this scandal or to priestly sexual abuses. Numerous cases have surfaced over the past several years and the diocese has had to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars in "reparations." The diocese even has a website for persons who have been molested by clergy serving in the Wilmington diocese.


Now, I don't give a rat's ass what the Roman church believes about anything. But down through history, the Roman church has resorted to almost any tactic to impose its beliefs on the general population. When the Roman church has a majority, it can and does effectively enforce its beliefs on a nation. The Roman church is not a democracy and does not understand how a democracy works. It is a theocracy, and in a theocracy, dissent is not allowed. A theocracy, by definition, defines the word of god and demands obedience to that word.

Thus, the Roman church lives in certain and constant tension amidst the diversity that is the United States.

But, from John F. Kennedy to Joe Biden, it has failed spectacularly to rein in those politicians who cling to its ragging, fading robes out of duty, a sense of family or in hope the moribund institution will change someday.

It has failed spectacularly because it is a spectacular failure. Child molestation has become the signature of the Roman church. Thousands of clergy have been involved. Hundreds of bishops have been complicit in covering up their crimes. Tens of millions of the faithful's dollars have been paid out in reparations to those abused.

And still...this tattered and battered hypocritical and dysfunctional institution dares call Joe Biden a sinner because he believes a woman has the right to choose when it comes to dealing with her own body!


Read more about clergy abuse in Wilmington here.

Palin's faux pregnancy

[Photo of Palin about seven months pregnant]


While I have some discomfort about what follows, I believe it is important enough to at least air it out. If there are any real investigative reporters left in the MSM, they should be able to sort out the truth (if allowed to do so by their corporate bosses).

The story is from Daily Kos.

The gist of the story is that Trig Paxson Van Palin is not Sarah Palin's son, but her grandson.

When Sarah Palin announced on March 6 that she was seven months pregnant, people were astonished. "Even close members of her staff said they only learned this week their boss was expecting."

She did not look pregnant.

"Seven months into a pregnancy, and no one noticed."

"Her wardrobe still remained tight and professional." She continued to carry out her duties, run and attend a variety of events, including the National Governor's Association at the White House.


"On Friday, April 18, 2008, Sarah and her husband were in Dallas, Texas for a Republican Governor's Convention. They had been in town for three days already ... Then early Friday morning at 4:00am, Sarah began leaking amniotic fluid. Instead of checking into a hospital, she instead made a call to her doctor, and delivered the keynote speech."

Even more curious, she did not go to any medical facility but got on an airplane and flew back to Alaska, a trip of some eight hours. She failed to inform airline personnel of her condition. Alaska Airlines representative Caroline Boren said, "Governor Palin was extremely pleasant to flight attendants and her stage of pregnancy was not apparent by observation as she didn't show any signs of distress."

The plane landed in Anchorage, but the governor, instead of heading to a hospital well-equipped to deliver a premature baby, drove 45 minutes to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, "right outside the small village she used to govern as Mayor, Wasilla. Trig Palin is then delivered one month premature, Friday night. Sarah returned to work after three days."


Daily Kos suggests that it wasn't Sarah Palin who was pregnant, it was her 16-year old daughter. Reporters checking with Anchorage High School discovered that Bristol Palin was taken out of school because she contracted infectious mononucleosis. "The amount of time Bristol was absent shifts from five to eight months." That's strange. It seems to me that the high school should have very exact and detailed records as to how long Bristol was not in attendance!

Furthermore, that is an unusually long time to be out of school for mono, and mono has been frequently used by young women dealing with an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy as a means of disappearing for the necessary gestation period.


Gregg Erickson, a reporter with the Anchorage Daily News claims that "The press did a pretty good job of following up on the substitute child rumor. It proved baseless."


Maybe it is baseless. But interesting. I mean, if Bree on Desperate Housewives could pull it off, why not Palin?

Ultimately, perhaps none of this is important. I personally have no investment in the situation -- whether Trig is her child or her daughter's. And I don't care.

If the story should be true, however, what becomes significant is the deception: not just the pretense of pregnancy, but the self-righteous blathering about choosing not to abort even though the child would be born with Down Syndrome.

We do not need any more politicians whose method of operation is based upon deceiving the American public.

So, what the heck, maybe the press ought to take another look.

Read the entire story here.

Contraception as abortion

I don't know for certain whether Sarah Palin is opposed to contraceptive devices, including condoms, for married couples.

But it would not be surprising. Joe Sudbay at Americablog tells us that Roe v. Wade was based upon another case, Griswold v. Connecticut. McCain and Palin are committed to overturning Roe v. Wade. Sudbay says that "If Roe goes, Griswold is on the chopping block."

In 1965, in the great state of Connecticut, it was illegal for married couples to use contraceptives. Griswold overturned that law. 1965!!!! Did the Roman Church run Connecticut in 1965?

Certainly, as Sudbay points out, McCain and Palin should be asked the question: "Do you oppose the use of contraceptives in our country?"

It's an important question because more and more Christian right-wing extremists are defining contraception as abortion, including the theocrat, Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has said the "pill" is equivalent to abortion!

But he's one of many. Congresswoman Diana DeGette has a new book out, "Sex, Science and Stem Cells." She discusses this very issue, and when asked whether people like Rep. Chris Smith and his colleagues are desirous of banning access to contraception, DeGette said:

"There are many examples in my book where far-right members [of Congress] have tried to deny access to birth control. For many years, we gave international HIV/AIDS prevention money to religious organizations which would not provide information about condoms [or] about AIDS prevention. Rep. Smith tried to exclude certain types of birth control methods [from being] covered in federal employee insurance plans and exclude birth control pills, IUD's, the patch, and others."

DeGette goes on to suggest that many powerful politicians in and out of Congress "want to ban birth control altogether and think we should have some sort of Christian nation (according to their views) where people should be abstinent until marriage, and then only have sex for procreation."


Cristina Page raises this same issue in an article at RH Reality Check. She notes, first of all, "that between 1990 and 2004, abortion rates plummeted by 50 percent in the U.S. The researchers suggest one common-sense policy approach is most responsible: access to contraception."

She fears that in the abortion discussion in this country, the issue of reproductive rights may be shoved aside because "the issue many candidates don't want voters to think about is not abortion, but contraception..." They want to do their nasty work behind closed doors.

Page notes that "Across the U.S., anti-abortion organizations have added anti-contraception activities to their agenda ...

"North Kentucky Right to Life, for instance, will not endorse a candidate unless he or she states that the standard birth control pill is an abortion method ... Pro-Life Wisconsin asked legislators to ban emergency contraception from state university campuses and opposed efforts to provide rape victims with pregancy prevention ...

"Missouri Right to Life convinced its allies in the state Legislature to completely discontinue the state's family planning program. Georgia Right to Life organized its favorite legislators to support a bill that would reclassify all hormonal methods of birth control as abortion. ...


Has our country gone totally crazy? Who are these fruitcakes and how in hell did they get so much power?

You have to wonder about people who whine that abortion is killing babies and the most terrible sin in the world while at the same time strive to make illegal the information and the means by which to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

It's religion run amok. It's Roman Catholic and fundamentalist Christianity taken to its most extreme and its insane!

Read all of Ms. Page's article here.

Is Palin a practical joke?

Could it be that McCain is playing a practical joke on the GOP? On the country?

1. The Jed Report writes that "Del Ali, president of the nonpartisan research firm Research 2000," has written a post on Political Wire "arguing that Sarah Palin may prove to be the worst pick ever in modern presidential politics."

He may be right. Read on:

"In fact, as Palin's cultural views become better known -- she opposes abortion in all cases and opposes the use of birth control pills and condom even among married couples -- she will undoubtedly scare the hell out of the soccer moms and 98% of Hillary voters."

I can't confirm that, but click here for more.


2. According to the Associated Press, scientists are warning of a global "tipping point" currently underway. "Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second lowest level in about 30 years."

Mark Serreze, senior scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, says that we're likely to be sliding downward "in terms of passing a tipping point." NASA ice scientist, Jay Zwally warns that in "five to less than 10 years," the Arctic could be ice-free during the summer.

Sea ice is the primary habitat for threaten polar bears.

Sarah Palin argues that "Climate models that predict loss of sea ice ... are unreliable." Sure they are. And Palin, the consumate scientist, would know that!

But then, she doesn't care much for polar bears anyway.


3. In her acceptance speech as McCain's running mate, Ms. Palin noted her opposition to the multi-million dollar bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina, the so-called "bridge to nowhere." Actually, that wasn't quite true.

When she campaigned in Ketchikan in 2006, she promised Ketchikan residents she would deliver on the bridge.

On October 22, 2006, during her race for governor, she responded to a question by the Anchorage Daily as to whether she would continue state funding for the Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges this way: "Yes, I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."

When the bridge became a national joke, her support evaporated, but she kept the money by directing it back into the state's general fund.

A couple of days ago, Alaska's second-largest newspaper, posted an editorial on its website which stated flat out that Palin was not qualified for the office of vice president, and referenced her claimed opposition to the "bridge to nowhere," but also said she kept the money - in other words, the bridge wasn't built but Alaska still got the pork from Washington.

Already we see that Ms. Palin is somewhat challenged by the truth.


4. I love this one from Crooks and Liars. August 10, Karl Rove went on Face the Nation to argue that Barack Obama should not pick Virginia governor Tim Kaine because he's only been a governor for three years. He was merely mayor of the 105th largest city in America, Richmond, Virginia. "So, if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, 'You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States.'"

So what is Rove saying now about McCain's choice of a "hockey mom" for his vice presidential running mate?


5. This from Americablog. McCain is really impressed by Palin's taking on special interests when she ran for the PTA. This from People magazine:

People: "Sen. McCain, of all the candidates you considered, what drew you to her?"

McCain: "Obviously, I found her to be very intelligent and very well-versed on the issues. But I think the important thing was that she's a reformer. She's taken on special interests since she ran for the PTA and the city council and mayor. The courage, I guess, is what most impressed me."

Right. It takes a hell of a lot of courage to run against other PTA hockey moms!


6. TPM raises another curious issue. "After the allegedly improper firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan ... Palin appointed former Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp to the post.

"Kopp served just two weeks this summer as the head of law enforcement in Alaska, resigning on July 25, after a past complaint of sexual harrassment and a subsequent letter of reprimand surfaced in news reports.

"But Palin made sure he had a soft fall from grace, giving him a $10,000 severance package for just two weeks served.

"While Palin has conceded she was aware of the past complaint against Kopp, she claims that she thought the complaint had been unsubstantiated and was unaware of the letter of reprimand."

All of which might make one question her credentials as an administrator. Would she not thoroughly vet her appointee?


7. TPM Muckraker wonders if Palin's earnest desire to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will affect McCain's opposition to such drilling. Back in June, Palin told CNBC "that McCain was likely to 'evolve' into supporting drilling.

"Earlier this week, McCain told the Standard that he's considering flip-flopping on his anti-drilling stance, and that he plans to talk to Palin about the issue."

TPM Muckraker then quotes "The Institute for Energy Research, an industry-backed group," which "sent out the following message to reporters: 'FYI: John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate naturally places ANWR energy production front and center in the policy debate once again..."


7. The New Yorker magazine has an especially interesting piece. "Before she was running against him, Sarah Palin--the governor of Alaska and now the Republican candidate for Vice-President of the United States--thought it was pretty neat that Barack Obama was edging ahead of John McCain in her usually solid red state. After all, she said, Obama's campaign was using the same sort of language that she had in her gubernatorial race. 'The theme of our campaign was "new energy,' she said recently. 'It was no more status quo, no more politics as usual, it was all about change. So then to see Obama--literally, part of his campaign uses those themes ...

"She also noted, 'Somethings kind of changing here in Alaska, too, for being such a red state on the Presidential level. Obama's doing just fine in the polls up here, which is kind of wigging people out, because they're saying, 'This hasn't happened for decades that in polls the D' -- the Democratic candidate - 'is doing just fine. To me, that's indicative, too. It's the no-more-status-quo, it's change.'"

There's much more and you can access The New Yorker here.


8. Sarah doesn't know what a vice president does, but occasionally a vice president is involved in foreign affairs -- meeting and greasing the palms of important foreign poohbahs. But Palin's experience in foreign affairs is almost nil. In fact, he knowledge of the United States is about nil.

When she and McCain stopped at Tom's Diner in Pittsburgh the other day, Palin told reporters she was having a lot of fun. She said, "It's great to see another part of the country."


Maybe Palin is McCain's practical joke on the GOP -- especially Romney and Pawlenty -- and the country. Maybe he'll soon tell us that he didn't really mean for Palin to be his VP mate, and she'll withdraw and then he'll announce his "real" candidate.

Maybe.

McCain's "freudian" slip

Things are changing. Now it appears neither Bush nor Cheney will put in an appearance at the Repug Convention.

The Repugs are trying to figure out what to do. Bush, Cheney and Schwarzenegger were all supposed to speak tomorrow. Charlie Crist of Florida is also not coming and he, too, was slated to speak.

Bush isn't going to Louisiana at this time as he fears his being there might negatively impact emergency operations. He might also get hung from the nearest tree by those who are still suffering from Katrina! "I'll get to Louisiana as soon as conditions permit," he said.

That might be never. He might have another fundraiser to attend or a birthday celebration to partake of. It's interesting that both McCain and Obama made it to the Gulf Coast, in spite of "emergency operations."

The Repugs are still struggling to figure out how they can be of assistance to those affected by the storm. Obama, meanwhile, has "offered to tap his sprawling network of donors and volunteers to help any victims of Gustav."

"I think we can get tons of volunteers to travel down there if it become necessary," said Obama. "I think we can activate an e-mail list of a couple of million people who want to give back."

What should we do, wondered the Repugs.

McCain however, stepped into "it" once again. "I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary throughout our convention, we will act as Americans and not as Republicans because America needs us now."

In other words, Repugnicans don't normally act like Americans. But, in this case, they'll try!

Sheesh!

Gustav & the Repugnican Convention

There's good news and bad news.

The bad news, of course, is that Hurricane Gustav has already killed too many people, torn up too many towns and devastated too many dreams. Even worse, Gustav is not done yet. As he heads toward the Gulf Coast, people are literally fleeing for their lives, many of them on buses to nowhere - they don't know where they are going or what they will find when they get there. Some are not planning to return to New Orleans no matter what. They've had it.

It's a scenario from hell. Weather and other pundits are calling it a "monster storm," the "storm of the century." That may be hyperbole, but if not, the storm could make Katrina look like a bad rain. Nothing could be worse for those who have carefully crafted a place for themselves along our nation's Gulf Coast.

Fortunately, this time our leaders appear to be trying. Whether what they do is effective remains to be seen. Not many are convinced of either their sincerity or their abililty.


The good news is that Gustav has already disrupted the meeting of Repugnicans scheduled to begin in St. Paul, Minnesota tomorrow. According to news reports, George Bush and Dick Cheney will not be in attendance. [Arnold Schwarzenegger won't be there, either, but I don't think anyone really cares]

What Bush and Cheney are doing is anyone's guess. They are said to be "focusing on Hurricane Gustav." With their record, that is not necessarily a good thing.

John McCain is off to the Gulf Coast with Cindy and Ms. Palin. I suppose they plan to be a force for good or a "sight for sore eyes," or perhaps a gleaning of hope? I don't know what else they could do. Ol' John, of course, needs to redeem himself as when Katrina hit, he and Bush were eating birthday cake on the tarmac of Luke AFB in Arizona!


One wonders why the Repugs don't continue with their convention as usual, as it is unlikely the delegates will be able to do anything of significance to assist those fleeing the coming catastrophe. Actually, they're more concerned about their image than anything. As McCain said, "It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster."

One could always argue, of course, that the Repugnican Convention is a disaster in and of itself. The Party Platform was written by the radical right and the religious freaks and puts the Republicans on the fringe of our political life, out of touch with the majority of people, and shows Republicans to be a immoderately concerned to control your life and mine by imposing their extremist views as the "morality" of the nation.


It looks like there's been an update. Cheney is now planning to speak to the convention on Monday, as is Laura Bush. For Cheney to speak is especially appropriate, as he represents the absolute low in Republican politics and has been a true tragedy, an unmitigated disaster so far as the well-being of this country is concerned. Who the hell needs him in the Gulf Coast anyway?

Some of the governors in states potentially affected by Gustav may stay home in order to deal with the impending crisis, including Jindal of Louisiana, Crist of Florida, and Rick Perry of Texas. What a trio that is! Three extremist Christian rightwingers who agree on abolishing women's right to choose, teaching the crap of Creationism in our public schools, vouchers to use taxpayer money for private, religious schools, denying gays the same rights the rest of us enjoy ...

They won't be missed, though, as it appears most Repugs agree with them. They represent the heart and the worst of Republicanism in 2008.


One final, funny note. Cindy McCain, noted for her intellectual achievements and brilliant analysis of international problems, said that Sarah Palin is ready to be president because "She is heavily experienced in what she has done."

Yikes!

The reason she would be effective in terms of national security, says Cindy, is that she's the governor of Alaska and Alaska is close to Russia. "And," Cindy continues, "she has a very serious direction in where she goes."

Yikes again!

Let's not leave out another partisan poohbah, Tim Pawlenty, the ultra Christian governor of Minnesota who does nothing without his Jesus. Pawlenty thinks that Palin would be an effective leader in terms of national security because "Palin is commander in chief of the Alaskan National Guard."

Oh, stop laughing. He actually said that!


Let us pray!

Dobson flip-flops, will vote for McCain

Maybe it was Sarah Palin.

James Dobson, the fanatical Christian fundamentalist goofball who runs the massive monument to ignorance and superstition, Focus on the Family, has flip-flopped and said he will now vote for John McCain for prezident. Not so long ago he said, unequivocally, he would never vote for John McCain!

Why? Nothing has changed. McCain's still the same old guy he was before. He's still John McSame.

Could it have something to do with McCain's choice of the vapid Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate? Could Palin's opposition to abortion and homosexual rights be all that it took for Dobson to stagger into the McCain camp?

It is beyond comprehension that in this world with so many massive problems facing us nationally and globally, Dobson and hundreds of others of his ilk base their support of a political candidate on one or two issues - in Dobson's case, abortion and homosexuality.

Good people on all points of the political spectrum disagree on these issues. Furthermore, they are of minor significance when compared to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; or the threat that nuclear powers might decide to blow up the world; or in the face of Russia's seeming new belligerence; or in light of Bush's incredible missile posturing; or an economy down the toilet; or the refusal of the Bushites to so much as begin looking at alternative energy sources; or the threat of global warming, which in a few years, may make all the other threats moot...etc...

What is really sad is that millions of people will walk into the polling places on November 4 and, like the sheep they are, will punch the ballot as James Dobson's told them to do.

Charlie Crist appoints rightwinger to Florida Supreme Court

Charlie Crist tries to appear as a political moderate. He is not. He never has been. When push comes to shove, Charlie lines up on the extreme right.

Nowhere has this been more clear than in his recent appointment of Appellate Judge Charles Canady to Florida's Supreme Court.

Canady is 54, and speaks of the judicial role as "limited." What that means, of course, it is limited to decisions which bolster right-wing " Republican conservative" political ideology.

"Canady was part of the GOP-controlled House's legal team that argued Clinton should be removed for lying under oath about his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky." Canady has also served as general counsel to former Florida governor Jeb Bush who later appointed him to the appellate court. [Payback, perhaps?]

It isn't surprising then, that Canady supported Jeb's illegal voucher program (ruled by the Florida Supremes as unconstitutional). It is also not surprising that while in Congress, Canady voted "to ban gay adoptions in the District of Columbia, end preferential treatment by race in college admissions, establish voucher programs and restrict federal aid only to schools that allow voluntary prayer."

Crist thinks this is "the kind of man that certainly will serve the people of Florida well ... he'll do great."

Maybe. If you're rich, white and Republican and you love using taxpayer money for private (mostly religious) schools, and you think gays should be discriminated against, and you don't want minorities to get a fair shake in college, and you believe that only schools that allow voluntary prayer to a particular god should get federal aid.

If you are a minority person, or if you don't think the Christian god should be enshrined in our public schools, and if you don't want your tax dollars used to send other parents kids to religious schools, you are gonna be out of luck with Judge Canady.

Thanks for nothing, Crist!

The people of New Orleans are on their own

Hurricane Gustav is coming. Where, exactly, is uncertain. Probably somewhere near the city of New Orleans.

The city of New Orleans is not opening the Superdome this time. No rowdy crowd is again going to get stuck in there for days without sanitary facilities, food or water!

In fact, the city is not planning to open any shelters.

Insteady, the city is preparing to evacuate 30,000 resident in 700 buses. I'm not sure where they will be going.

New Orleans has between 310,000 and 340,000 residents - nobody knows for sure the exact number. Notice the evacuation is anticipated to move less than 10 percent of the residents!

Here's the situation. You can leave on your own or you can get on a bus. If you decide to stay, well, you're on your own. Good luck and farewell!

Oh, never fear, Bush, with Katrina on his mind and a Republican Convention to consider, has already done the politically-correct thing and declared an emergency which means nothing to people left behind in New Orleans, but will allow the feds to get busy before the storm to try to do something of value after the storm.

Don't let them put you in a FEMA trailer, though!

God is sending Gustav

Gustav, now a category 4 hurricane and forecast to become a category 5, is a monster and extremely dangerous and people living along the Gulf Coast are in its path. There isn't much to be done except prepare by taking all precautions possible and getting the hell of out its way!

Ironically, down in New Orleans yesterday, they were commemorating the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, laying to rest the "last seven unclaimed Katrina victims. A horse-drawn carriage brought bodies for entombment at a memorial site, and the mayor helped guide a gleaming casket into a mausoleum."

Ray Nagin, still the mayor of New Orleans said that "We look forward to a better day, as we also prepare ourselves for another threat."

But the quote of the day came from retired Army general, Russell Honore, the man who was responsible for rescue efforts three years ago:

"I think God is reminding us on the eve of Katrina, God can bring nature back."

What does that mean? Does he think, ala John Hagee, that Katrina was god's punishment for New Orleans' acceptance of homosexuals? The general's statement is incredible on the face of it. Why assume, without any evidence whatsoever, that a deity is involved in sending a hurricane to the Gulf Coast?

Perhaps he just wasn't thinking. A lot of public people these days believe they have to introduce god into every conversation, no matter how innocuous.

I'm sure the general is a good man, but his statement is moronic.

Sarah Palin - an insult to the American people

I'm sure that Ms. Palin is a fine Christian woman and that she loves her husband and children, but none of that has anything to do with her qualifications to be vice president, or a heartbeat away from the big house. In fact, her selection as McCain's running mate is an insult to the American people!

McCain met Palin ONE time before inviting her to join the GOP ticket! Last February. Oh, he also talked to her on the phone. That's the extent of their relationship until this past week.

Palin was chosen, it would appear, for two reasons: 1) to appeal to women voters, especially those unhappy that Hillary is not the Democratic nominee, and 2) as a sop to the extremist religious right, those who McCain used to call "agents of intolerance."

Let's look at Palin a bit closer:

According to Andrew Sullivan, both Stevens and Young, two of Alaska's most ethically-challenged politicians, appeared at Palin fundraisers in 2006. On the environment, her record reeks of oil. She "vetoed wind power and clean coal projects, including a 50-megawatt wind arm on Fire Island and a clean coal facility in Healy..."

Firedoglake notes that Alaska TV news station KTUU reported Palin "was so determined to defeat a Clean Water ballot measure this summer that she broke the law to oppose it.

"'It is against the law for the governor to officially advocate for or against a ballot measure; however, Palin took what she calls "personal privilege" to discuss one of this year's most contentious initiatives ...' [Sounds like she also took a lesson from G.W. Bush!]

"Along with taking a position on the big mines' side, Palin's administration apparently used state Department of Natural Resources resources to lobby for defeat of the Clean Water Initiative under the pretense of creating a state run website to 'educate' citizens.'"

The Alaska Public Offices Commission order the website be abandoned as it was illegal.

Note that the Clean Water initiative "was opposed by mining interests" because it required that wild salmon runs be protected by any new mining operations."

"The initiative was defeated -- with the Governor's help -- on August 26 -- opening up Bristol Bay for the largest open pit mining operation in the world."

And to hell with the salmon.

How about the polar bears? Well, Joe Sudbay at Americablog reports that Palin is one of the oil company "cronies fighting the new rules designed to protect polar bears."

"The state of Alaska will sue to challenge the recent listing of polar bears as a threatened species, Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday.

"She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts.

"Palin argued there is not enough evidence to support a listing. [Again, she sounds like a clone of G.W. Bush!] Polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation, she said.

"Climate models that predict continued loss of sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears, druing summers is unreliable." [Yes, that's exactly like G. W. Bush. Totally ignore reality and truth!]

Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity responded by saying, "She's either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading and both are unbecoming."

I think she sees the economic interests of the oil and gas industry as being of more value than the polar bears. Polar bears can die. Who cares?


Palin is also a member of Feminists for Life, a group founded in 1972, which "now focuses exclusively on practical alternatives to abortion for college-age women. The mantra of the group is that no woman should have to choose between having a career and having a child. The problem is that, for this group, choice means choosing to carry a fetus to term; it never refers to abortion. Ruth Posen says that its website carries "the slogan, 'refuse to choose' ... repeatedly."

"The real goal," writes Posen, "is to convince professionals to persuade young women to 'choose' to bear a baby."

"In the end," Posen says, "... Feminists for Life is neither about feminism nor about choice. It is a cunning attempt to convince young women that choice means giving up the right to 'choose.'"


Back to Andrew Sullilvan. Sullivan further notes that, "According to the Frontiersman newspaper, Wasilla's library director Mary Ellen Simmons said that 'Palin asked her outright if she could live with the censorship of library books.' Palin later dismissed the conversation as a 'rhetorical' exercise."

When Repugs start waxing "rhetorical," watch your back!


The Pensito Review reports that Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, was quick to pounce on Palin's palid past and lack of experience.

In an email, Thurman said "Don't let your friends, family and co-workers be fooled: Alaskan Sarah Palin is a dangerous right-winger who lacks the judgment to lead.

"In 2000, Palin endorsed Pat Buchanan for President. Yes, that Pat Buchanan.

"She's no Hillary Clinton. She's Dan Quayle in a dress.

"Women who care about equal rights, choice, family and other issues, will not see a partner in Palin.

"She is in lockstep with Bush and McCain on issues important to women. Every one of them. That's scary.

"The corrupt trio of Ted Stevens, Don Young, and Lisa Murkowski all raised campaign money for Palin."


Penultimately, it should be noted that Palin doesn't have a clue as to what a vice president does. About a month ago, in an interview with Larry Kudlow of CNBC's "Kudlow & Co.", she was asked about her chances of being chosen as McCain's vice presidential running mate.

Palin said, "As for that VP talk all the time. I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers to me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we're trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question."

Well, it looks like someone must have explained what the VP does every day, and she must have liked the answer, and isn't it nice she's decided that the VP position is potentially a good enough slot for a hard-working mama like herself, and that it is a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans?


Andrew Sullivan sums up McCain's choice of Palin this way: "Putting country first? This is a reckless act of egotism and politics. The more you think about it, and the more you consider how many charges he has leveled against Obama's alleged inexperience in a time of peril, the more outrageous it is that ... he picks an unknown politician he has only met once before to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

"Palin isn't the issue here. McCain's judgment is. It's completely off the wall. Is there something wrong with him?"

Yes.

Sarah Palin - another of McCain's monumental errors in judgment

The extremist Christian right is ecstatic with McCain's choice of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Conservative GOP strategist, Greg Mueller, claims that "Conservatives will be thrilled with this pick." Ralph Reed, the ethically and morally challenged former head of the Christian Coalition, says "social conservatives" are "...beyond ecstatic. This is a home run. She is a reformer governor who is solidly pro-life and a person of deep Christian faith."

That might matter if we were engaged in choosing a Christian pastor for the country.

The reality is something else altogether. We're not choosing a pastor. One's religious faith has no relationship to one's qualifications for president or vice president. In fact, Ms. Palin's qualifications for vice president or president are almost nil: She's been governor of Alaska for less than two years. As noted by Ron Fournier of the AP, before her elevation to the state house, "[S]he was a two-term mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of 6,500 where the biggest issue is controlling growth and the biggest civic worry is whether there will be enough snow for the Iditarod dog-mushing race."

That did not stop the McCain campaign from releasing this idiotic and inane statement: "As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Gov. Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops."

Which, of course, begs the question: What does heading the Alaskan National Guard and being the mother of a soldier have to do with leading our nation? That's more or less comparable to McCain's claim that he should be president because he was a POW.

The McCain campaign also put out a statement promising that "She is ready to be president." Why would they say anything that stupid, number one, and on what grounds would they say it? Are they afraid McCain won't make it through four years? Even more curious, how can she be "ready to be president" when her experience is close to zip, nada, nuttin!

It's also important to consider that one of the things the McCain bunch has blasted Obama for (unjustly, in my opinion) is his lack of foreign policy experience. Compared to Gov. Palin, however, Obama is a master of foreign policy!


Daily Kos points out that "Obama felt no need to use his VP pick to rally the base and unite his party. Biden was picked precisely because Obama felt he was the best pick for the ticket, not because he needed to mollify one group or another.

"Now we see McCain's pick of ... Palin, and it's clear that he was forced to kow-tow to the Huckabee/Dobson wing of the Republican Party."


Who is Sarah Palin? Here are some highlights:

Born in 1964. Has lived in Alaska since a small child. Runner and basketball player. Hunter. Eats moose that she kills. Leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in high school. First runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska beauty pageant. Smoked marijuana when it was legal but didn't like it. Lifetime member of the NRA. Bachelor's degree in journalism. Married high school sweetheart, Todd Palin. Five children. Oldest son is in the Army. Youngest son has downs syndrome. She refused an abortion. City councilwoman for two terms before being elected as mayor of Wasilla. Served on Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation.

There are a few good points: She proposed plans to cut green-house gases and address climate change. (McCain may have a problem there with the dingbats on the right, such as Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission .) She has bucked her party and "campaigned on ethics reform in the 2006 GOP primary."


Palin's problems: She strongly opposes abortion and she supports capital punishment. (That's always an interesting position - save one life and take another.) She supports the teaching of Creationist nonsense in the public schools. She opposes same-sex marriage, and even though she signed a bill ordering same-sex benefits, she was against it and "supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter. In 1998, Alaska passed a constitutional ban on gay marriage and she has stated she supports that amendment. Palin is also a big supporter of drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Preserve.

At the moment, her biggest problem may be the fact she is under investigation for unethical conduct by the Alaska state legislature. The lawmakers are trying to determine whether or not she was involved in the firing of an Alaska state trooper who was involved in a nasty divorce and custody battles with Palin's sister.

Palin has denied being directly involved but has acknowledged that dozens of phone calls were made by her husband and members of her staff to the trooper's bosses in an attempt to remove him from his job.

Is it believable that she did not know what her husband and staff were doing?


The Obama campaign has not been silent about McCain's choice of running mate. The New York Times quotes Bill Burton, an Obama spokesman, as saying, "Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 [I think that should be 6,500, but who's counting?] with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same."

Perhaps Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, put it best: "On his 72nd birthday, is this really the one-heartbeat away he wants to put in the White House? What does this say about his judgment?"


It says that McCain has made a monumental error in judgment and his choosing of Palin dramatically portrays why John McCain should never come close to taking up residence in the big White House in Washington, D.C.

Karl Rove doing McCain's dirty tricks?

Karl Rove, the man who has become synonymous with gutter politics, is still in the middle of John McCain's presidential campaign, even though he denies any "advisory" status.

Matt at ThinkProgress tells another story, noting how Rove is "dialed in" with McCain's campaign efforts:

"In private, Rove speaks regularly with the McCain campaign, where his former protege Steve Schmidt is now the manager. He's also dialed in at the Republican National Committee, run by Mike Duncan, another former aide. And he still lunches two or three times a month with President Bush."

Ugh!

Matt goes to to suggest that "As ThinkProgress has previously noted, one reason Rove may be reluctant to admit his ties to the McCain campaign is the fact that he is also reported to be 'developing outside groups' to help Republicans and McCain in November. It is illegal for outside groups to coordinate with campaigns."

Why isn't this SOB in jail?

You can read Matt's article here.