The First Presidential Debate

6pm- Keith Olbermann confirms the presence of both candidates are in the building.

Moderated by Jim Lehrer

they're slipping some of the economy in, along with the theme of foreign affairs.

Obama takes the first go a tthe economic question right off the bat. MCain isn't laying down the principles to fix it like Obama did. (4 points) He's blathering about bipartisanship and brings it back (indirectly) to drilling oil.

Obama brings it to regulations. He's going to tee off on McCain's record, shortly.

what the hell does world war two have to do with whether or not he's going to vote for the plan?

McCain hasn't answered a question directly yet. (6:15)

6:18 now it's tit for tat on government spending.

6:31 McCain isn't answering how he would change his priorities, but Obama's dodging a bit too..

6:36 cucumber & ranch dip mmmmmm.... WHy isn't Obama going after McCain's record? Take the reins and go on the attack??

ahhh, there we go. 90% agreement with bush bush bush

mcCAIN's blathering about iraq and the success of the surge-
obama better come back with the fallacy of the iraq war all together...

6:42 ok he did. Home run!

6:48 still talking about Iraq, and the surge and whether or not the whole thing was necessary or not

6:52 moved on to afghanistan. THey're pretty much tit for tat still- this will be decided in the media... American voters need to decided between two totally different views.

THe Huffpoo liveblog is pretty good...

6:59 M Cain's distracting with the soldier/bracelet story... "I've got a bracelet too," says Obama.

7:08 McCain can't pronounce Ack madinijas (sp)

7:17 Steve from TVNewser: Scorecard from CNN HD analysts (two libs, two conserv. two independ): 34 positive for McCain, 52 positive for Obama THis is the merits versus rhetoric thing. Could it be that merit wins out?

7:20 Why won't Lerher shut McCain up? He's running all over this thing.

7:22 We've moved from Iraq to Afghanistan to Pakistan to Iran and now on to Russia- McCain's winning on sheer rudeness of debate rules. This moderator is LOUSY. Total empty chair.

7:24 Finally Obama brings up McCain's record 23 votes against alternative energy.

Barack Obama is on the defensive, performance-wise

7:31 we're now overtime. Obama's finishing by reminding us that Bin Laden is still out there, and brining up the trillion dollar debt we owe China, and they're helping those we deal with...

7:37 Holy shizer, JOHN MCCAIN ENDED WITH THE P.O.W THING!!

Asshat of the Week

Delusional Arrogance in Action. This ad was pulled from a screenshot of the Wall Street Journal online.

Ye gawds. Here's the list of bone-headed moves that McCain pulled this week.

He suspends his campaign, but forgets to tell any of his field operatives, who keep operations running as usual. Senior moment or example of mendacity?

He bails out of the debate, declaring that the economic situation was far more important and that his presence was needed in Washington. Washington, who'd been working on it just fine all week without him, gets all derailed, and the deal they'd worked goes right down the pooper. Chris Dodd dismissed John McCain's arrival and participation as a "photo-op" and "political theater." I thought he was being generous.

Today he bails back into the debate, realizing that all he's done is paint himself into a corner- if he ditches the debate he gives Obama and hour and a half of free primetime television coverage, and showing up makes him insincere and waffly.

Stick a fork in this poor bastard- by the time he's done, only the dyed-in-the-wool koolaid drinkers are going to vote for him. This election is way too portentious to not choose the best man for the job, putting all kinds of ideologies, religions, and second-tier issues aside. Our country's infrastructure is collapsing around us, and this guy's worried about spending more money on the failed Iraq war.

(Screw the Iraqis. It's time for us to put America first, and let them stand up or not, as they're able. )

Wicca is one thing, State Witchcraft is another

Hooray! Sarah Palin has her own Pastor Problem. This is equal-opportunity stupidism, but let's be serious. It's one thing for a Reverend Wright to rail against America's policies, but when you throw Reverend Hagee's anti-Semitic rants and Rev. Thomas Muthee's cries for God in the Departments of Education and the Hollywood Establishment (read: Jews) then we have a more fundamental problem. While Reverend Wright had no business using his pulpit as a place to castigate his country from, I find it more disturbing that this snake-oil salesman wants to inject God into the running of government. Hollywood is more than capable of resisting religious dogma- "The Passion of the Christ" may have done landslide business, but I honestly went to see it to measure the splatter patterns. Is that wrong?.

Witchcraft? Really? The only witchery I see here is the determination by this lil updo-wearing Governor is to inject her close-minded world-view into the American political structure. That is unacceptable.

The following is pulled from Mudflats, and Alaskan blog that has been ballooning into national prominence as a result Palin's nomination.

Palin and the Witch Hunter - Chapter II.

25 09 2008

We have not seen the last of the witch hunter. We know Pastor Thomas Muthee was back in Wasilla this past weekend, and I posted a link previously of Sarah Palin recounting the time that Pastor Muthee had prayed over her, but now a video of the actual event has surfaced. Do not, I repeat do not watch this if you plan on sleeping any time soon. It’s a long clip, but here are the highlights:

2:57 - First mention of Sarah

5:00 - We need God to ‘take over the education system.’

5:27 - We need God to ‘take over the media’ and Hollywood itself.

6:08 - We need the government run by born-again Christians.

6:58 - Praying for Sarah to become governor (Doesn’t this impact their tax-exempt status? Anyone?)

7:12 - Sarah herself enters and is “prayed upon”.

8:38 - Another witchcraft reference.

Oh boy. The suspension of Mcain’s campaign, the beyond devastating Couric interview, Return of the Witch Hunter and the takeover of every facet of society by God, and the (strangely credible these days) National Enquirer releasing a story about an affair with Todd’s business partner…all in 24 hours. Not a good day for the McCain-Palin campaign.

It appears as if Pastor Muthee is working hard to fulfill the vision statement of his church, known as “The Prayer Cave”:

“Touching lives for total community transformation, thereby taking cities and nations.”

Resistance is futile, Wasilla. You have been assimilated. I wonder if Palin mentioned “taking cities and nations” for God during her chat yesterday with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai?

I’ll be sleeping with the lights on tonight.

What Else Would President McCain Postpone in a Crisis?

McCain's choice to call for a suspension of Friday's debate is the stupidest thing on the planet. This is the point at which a true President would want the opportunity to present his viewpoint to the AMerican people without any delay and as clearly and concisely as possible. The idea that we should delay this debate is cowardly- one of the greatest things about this American experiment of a country of ours is that the turn of events isn't what determines the succession of our government- it's the will of the people.
About John McCain
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sarah Palin- Extremist at the Clinic

Soon after the book controversy, Bess found himself again at odds with Palin and her fellow evangelicals. In 1996, evangelical churches mounted a vigorous campaign to take over the local hospital's community board and ban abortion from the valley. When they succeeded, Bess and Dr. Susan Lemagie, a Palmer OB-GYN, fought back, filing suit on behalf of a local woman who had been forced to travel to Seattle for an abortion. The case was finally decided by the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled that the hospital must provide valley women with the abortion option.

At one point during the hospital battle, passions ran so hot that local antiabortion activists organized a boisterous picket line outside Dr. Lemagie's office, in an unassuming professional building across from Palmer's Little League field. According to Bess and another community activist, among the protesters trying to disrupt the physician's practice that day was Sarah Palin.

read the rest of the article here

Is this who you want representing you when it comes to reproductive health in America? I don't trust this woman with her own daughter's uterus, never mind my own.

Richard Cizik is one of the country's most powerful and outspoken Christian evangelical leaders. He happens to be a Republican, and he has known the GOP's presidential nominee for many years. "I thought John McCain was a principled person," Cizik says. "But John McCain has backed off, not just on climate change but on torture and a sensible tax policy -- in other words, he's not the John McCain of 2000. ... He seems to be waffling on issue after issue.

It's not illogical for someone to conclude that John McCain is going to be more like George Bush than John McCain is going to be like John McCain in 2000."

rest of the article here

Wow, it really tells you something if the Evangelical Right is turning its nose up at John McCain. We can disagree on issues, we can disagree on policies, we can disagree on the direction we think this country ought to take; what seems to hold the center is the fact that good judgment, honorable ethical behavior and the undeniable sense of rightness that comes from working honestly for the public good never really goes out of style.

John McCain has become a joke, and a sad shell of the politician he used to be. Unfortunately, the politician he used to be was a member of the Keating Five.

We need to finish this stupid election and get to the business of the American People!

Don't Forget Joltin' Joe!

Here's the first few paragraphs on today's New York Times article on Joe Biden. He's been shuffled aside for ole Caribou Barbie, and it's a shame. He's got a lot to say. Please feel free to click on the headline and read the rest of the article; it's pretty awesome.

Meanwhile, the Other No. 2 Keeps On Punching

By MARK LEIBOVICH

FLAT ROCK, Mich. — As the economy reels, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. — the Other Running Mate — has been absolutely butchering Senator John McCain across the Rust Belt this week. It is not clear who has noticed.

“John is so out of touch, he just has no idea,” charged Mr. Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, who called his “old, dear friend” someone who “just doesn’t think,” who is behaving in a repugnant manner and who is peddling “Republican garbage,” and malarkey.

The older woman who introduced him at a rally here called Mr. Biden’s Republican counterpart, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, a “bucket of fluff,” and he rewarded the woman as he took the microphone with an “I love you” and a gentle kiss on the head.

“If I sound angry, it’s because I am angry,” Mr. Biden told a few hundred people gathered at a high school football field. Yes, he sounds angry, yelling through his stump speeches, flailing his arms and telling a (supportive) member of the audience to “Shush up, will you?” (“I’m kidding,” he added, but did not sound it.)

But the reality for Mr. Biden is that while running mates are second-fiddlers by definition, the phenomenon of Ms. Palin has rendered him something of a fourth or fifth fiddle. It is not like last month, when reporters swarmed Mr. Biden’s Delaware home and delegates swooned at the Democratic convention. He is now trailed by just a few national reporters, and struggling to break through in a race marked by historic firsts, political celebrities and charismatic newcomers — none named Joe Biden.

Gender and God

This morning, as is occasionally my wont, I called Stephanie's show so that I could respond to the two right-wing callers that she had on during the bottom of the 6am hour. After chatting with Becks for a few minutes (gawd I love that gal!), I held on 'till I had to hang up. Being on the Stephanie Miller show is fun, but as of yet it doesn't pay; teaching high school does. I had to drop the line to go to work.

The first caller I had wanted to respond to was a woman who rapidly became unhinged as she berated Stephanie for bashing first Hillary, and then Palin. The point I was going to make is that while we still work for gender parity in this country, while women still on average make .77 the dollars that men in equivalent positions to, that is not an excuse to scream "sexism!" every time someone takes issue with a female politician's stance. I respected Hillary enough to appreciate her achievements and disagree with her viewpoints. Gender has never had aught to do with it. I respected her enough as a woman to disregard her gender as a candidate.

Then we get to right wing tool caller #2: This guy comes on and declares that he's a pro-choice evangelical, and that's why he's voting for Sarah Palin. Now, it's his right as an American to vote under any premise he chooses, but to suggest that Sarah Palin is a woman's candidate because she is female merely continues the disparaging monolithic thinking that keeps women back. I get very nervous when people start talking about Jesus Christ and the government- there are lots of passages that our Founding Fathers wrote that discourage this kind of theocratic thinking.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Since there shall be no law respecting the establishment of a religion, I cast a weary eye at Americans who choose their candidate on the basis of shared faith. I find it tiresome, and short-sighted. I find it foolish, and against the interest of the American people's business of government.

So did, apparently, the Founding Fathers (from Article VI of the Constitution):
"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States... no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States... no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Should we make Sarah Palin and her tribe of glazed-over freaks write this on the blackboard a thousand times?

From Daily Kos today

This is a relief! This is the kind of ad we've been waiting for, and all of us gun-shy liberals thought that we would fight fair (be wusses) and not hit the Republicans hard on their screw ups. Tragically, we've found our voice because it's gotten to the point of the end of America as we know it if we don't stop them hijacking the Constitution. From Karl Rove refusing to appear before Congress to "Palin/McCain" running out the clock on Troopergate, it looks like the tone-deaf Republicans are going to finish this one up in fine Neocon style.Deny deny deny! Lie! Lie! Lie! How fabulous that we're starting, starting to evince an immunity to their wretched contempt for America and her Constitution.

The Mental Acuity Issue Looms

OK, so on both Huffpoo & Daily Kos, we've got McCain's mental condition under question:

When asked about Spain and Zapatero, by a Spanish reporter for a Spanish newspaper, McCain responded about Mexico and Latin America. A reader suggested something that Josh had already considered, that perhaps McCain thought the reporter was talking about the Zapatistas in Mexico, the guerilla group. But that's not possible as the reporter clearly said she was talking about Spain and Spain's leader, Zapatero. She told McCain this twice. Let me tell you exactly what she asked McCain (per the translation):

"Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you invite President Zapatero to meet with you in the White House?"

McCain then gives this odd answer about America's friends and America's enemies. He also, oddly, talks about Mexico (why Mexico? The question was about Spain) and how he'd invite friendly leaders to the White House. She then asks him again, would that invitation include President Zapatero? He says again that he'd have to review relations first, blah blah. She then says again, "so you'd have to wait to see, so would you meet with him in the White House?" He again repeats his weird statement about friends and enemies. McCain also throws in, oddly, to the Spanish reporter, when she's asking him about meeting the Spanish president, a line about the importance of our relationship with Latin America (this is now the second time he answered a question about meeting the president of Spain with an answer about Latin America). She then says to McCain one last time:

"Okay, but I'm talking about Europe - the president of Spain, would you meet with him?"

This time, there was no room for confusion. McCain then gives this very bizarre answer:

"I will meet with any leader who has the same principles and philosophy as us in terms of human rights, democracy, and freedom and I will stand up to those who do not."

If this doesn't scare the living crap out of rationally minded thinking people, then we are doomed, and a generation of swine will truly take us over.

O Hunter, wherefore art thou when we have need of thee?

I wish I could embed this

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1799203760

please watch!



and a great big fat shout-out to "shock is all in your head" from the myspace for finding me the code button! Woot!

It's the Economy, Stoopid.

"Just imagine if Bush and McCain had had their way and privatized Social Security," said Brown. "People would have seen their private social security accounts just disintegrate the last two days. And imagine what that would mean in rural America, urban America, suburban America and small town America?"
read the whole article here

Dear God, what a close shave we had with that one. Privatizing Social Security would have brought this economic meltdown home to a lot more kitchen tables than it's currently doing now, but at what cost? There'd be no damn food on the table; we would probably end up with breadlines just like we had during the Great Depression.

John McCain is a fraud. He's for responsible fiscal regulation and the "cleaning up of Wall Street and Washington" the same way the sea isn't very wet. Now that the Keating Five are coming up in conversation (and mark my words, we're less than 24 hours away from the national headlines reminding us of this piece of history) perhaps this "maverick" bullshit will finally be put to rest.
The Senator is too old, too sick, too bought and too paid for to be the President of the America I pray to see continue on into the future. His thinking is dead-ended and flawed; his approach is false and cynical.

Hell, he won't even tell us how sick he is; before ANYONE votes for this fossil, they should be aware of how close Palin is to seeing Russia nuked from her house.

George Bush Let Companies (plural!) Go Down the Pipe Too!

Here is a link to George Bush's corporate failures.

Sarah Palin couldn't run a watch.

This would cut my meager income even further

and my insurance blows wad as it is.


"...the McCain health plan would treat employer-paid health benefits as income that employees would have to pay taxes on. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.html?th&emc=th

and 20 million more Americans would lose their health insurance as a result of this plan, bringing the total up to about 70 miliion, or

TWENTY PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY!!!

John McCain Believes The Key To Health Care Reform Is To Restore Control To The Patients Themselves. We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Health care should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their health care dollars and have more control over care.
-from John McCain .com

What this means is that not only will families have to work for a living, they'll have to do their own research and get their own insurance on their own time, without the benefit of bulk purchase that employer-based benefits bring.

I would love to see John McCain get medical care like the rest of us- he'd be decrepit in about six months.

Don't forget, he's rich, and married an heiress who will pay all his medical bills, depsite his Senatorual coverage. He knows regular Americans as those he can use and scrape off his shoe.

Responsible Media Management

Hi kids, it's time to play "watch what you step in!" I'm your host, Lavender Pitt, and I'm here to tell you a little story about what happens when you express your opinion. First, a little background:

Anti-Palin rally organizers receive threats

by Lori Tipton
Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska-- Opponents of Gov. Sarah Palin's policies are being threatened.

Alaska Women Reject Palin, a local group that opposes the Republican vice presidential candidate, on Wednesday announced plans to host an anti-Palin rally this weekend.

Since that announcement organizers say they've received intimidating messages.

A press release for the Reject Palin rally went out to practically every media outlet in town Wednesday. And one talk radio host decided to share the names and phones numbers of the two contacts on-air.

That decision has left organizers feeling somewhat fearful of practicing their First Amendment rights.

KBYR talk radio host Eddie Burke admits he is a conservative and a "Palinista."

But on Wednesday Burke resorted to name calling when he found out Alaska Women Reject Palin planned to host a Saturday rally.

"They're a bunch of socialist maggots, that's what I'm going to call them -- socialist maggots, that's what they are, a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots," said Burke.

Please feel free to click on the title for a link to the full story; however, this is not the point of the story. I emailed the station casually with the following email:

From: Rai Goldin

To: myopinion@kbyr.com

Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 5:09 PM

Subject: Eddie Burke's right to swing his fist

end's at the tip of people's noses, ans he is responsible for every harrassing phonecall those women reveived. He had no right to give out those people's phone numbers and he should bloody well be fired for working against the public's safety.

Rachel Goldin
Tucson AZ

Please note that all embarrassing punctuation mistakes on my part have not been edited out of this edition; sometimes veracity trumps accuracy! I figured I'd get no reply, or at best a boilerplate generic acknowledgment. Instead, this is what I got:
From: "myopinion@kbyr.com"
To: Rai Goldin
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:55:53 PM
Subject: Re: Eddie Burke's right to swing his fist

weaaaaa....y dont you cry a little more....it is called free speech for a reason....go cry to your mom...not to us

I was floored by this response, as it confirmed my worst-nightmare fears about the kind of wing-nut loonies they let play with the transmitter when they get snowed in up there. Alaska's finally getting the kind of attention that one of the fifty United States ought to get; some journalists are blossoming under the light, but other media outlets seem to wither under the glare. I thought I'd have to write this one off, and sent a reply indicating as such:

From: Rai Goldin

To: myopinion@kbyr.com

Cc: senchirai@gmail.com

Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 4:45 AM

Subject: Re: Eddie Burke's right to swing his fist

Wow, are you representing a broadcast radio show? Or do you let staffers' middleschoolers answer the mail?! I thought I was reaching a media outlet; sorry, my mistake.

This was, as I figured, the end of the nonsense; but lo, another email just fluttered my way, from the general manager of the station:

Rai,

I do not know who sent that message, I will check our records and see who was here then. But it is station policy not to give out numbers and Eddie will be punished accordingly.

Again sorry for the previous email.

Justin McDonald-GM

I thanked him for his concern in the matter, and let him know I was very interested in the follow-up for the conclusion of the matter. If and when I receive any more correspondence, I shall let you know.

A few points:

1. Eddie Burke does not have the right to give out people's numbers on the air with an implicit go-ahead to call them up and give them a hard time
2. This is an abuse of the freedom of speech- any emotional wear and tear these anti-Palin organizers got as a result of Mr. Brke's actions are a responsibility that is at his feet.
3. The anit-Palin organization was bigger than her welcome -home rally, and is being under-reported as of this hour by the mainstream media.

*sigh*

Psh. It's just too easy.

And the women of Alaska seem to agree with me. This is an amazing article covering the anti-Sarah-Palin demonstration that ' surely going to send a note along to ole Keefy to make sure he covers tomorrow. Like he's pay attention to ME. However, we need to make sure someone is paying attention to the women of Alaska:

"Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here."

It does when a horrorshow like Palin shows up on the scene.
Read the whole story here.

Is It Sexist To Want The Person Flying The Plane To Be A Pilot?

Kathleen Reardon is one wise muppet. It's a shame that there are those who have turned it around and asked the same question with the word "racist" substituted for sexist; the truth of the matter is that with the treatment that Presidential candidates receive, America's best and brightest wouldn't touch politics with a ten-foot pole.
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Panic at the Disco

In 2000, Al Gore was too polite to come back to the dirty tricks of the Right, and George Bush won (albeit by theft). In 2004 John Kerry was too weak to combat the lies of the swiftboat bullshit. I feel a sense of desperation building amongst the Democrats of my acquaintance; are we really going to be too nice to win? If John McCain wins this election, this country will deserve the resulting chaos that it will reap.

John McCain's ads are full of lies, and the lies are starting to stick. This puts the Democrats at a distinct disadvantage, since the base will discount it, the Republicans will buy it as gospel, and the Independents will be left to filter through the noise and static that results. Obama wants porn in the classroom? Sounds like a great ad. Obama's going to raise taxes everywhere? No problem, get it out there. For some reason, the lies are starting to stick, whereas the truth is dismissed as unimportant. It's enough to break your heart.

What kills me is Obama's lack of punch back. I want him so much to stand up and scream to the world that these are lies, lies, lies, and that theses people are simply selling a bill of goods to the American people yet again, and that we can't let fear blind us to the damage that the Republicans will do yet again. Why will the press not expose them for what it is?

ABC's softball interview is going to be a load of crap. Gibson isn't going to hold her toes to the fire, and this is a symptom of the spinelessness of the current media. The intelligentsia is all on the net, both on the left and the right, and the sheeple who rely on the mainstream media are being led around by the nose.

I wish relying on facts and records were enough for people to see through the spin and lies that is the Republicans' stock-in-trade; I wish national election were run like state elections in Arizona. Keep them clean, and give them free air-time on an equal basis, and no outside money at all!

This is the most astonishing thing.

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/09/08/why-women-bash-sarah-palin-marc-h-rudov/

a sample:

Women bash Sarah Palin because she has shattered the farce of the glass ceiling, and now there’s no place for them to hide. Sarah Palin is living proof that women derive their power through guts, brains, raw talent, and achievement — as true equals to men — not through victimhood. Moreover, Sarah Palin has achieved success while expressing love and admiration for her husband, anathema to the misandrist underpinning of fascistic feminism.

Sarah Palin has exposed the truth about feminism, which has for decades kept women dysfunctionally addicted to victimhood and viciously cast men as their enemies.

Instead of disempoweringly “pursuing” equality through whining and lobbying, women, who already enjoy more rights and privileges than men, can emulate Sarah Palin to demonstrate it. Will they?

The scary thing about this article is that it is well researched and well-supported. It's the conclusions he draws, and the caliber of commentators he attracts that make for the real nightmare.

A Timely Reminder

+ edwarvir See Profile I'm a Fan of edwarvir I'm a fan of this user permalink

Bliggers stop talking about the Baracuda and let's beat up the Media
and Methuselah until she comes out and Meets the Press. As long as
we blog about her he gets what he wants to keep the spotlight off of HIM

He didn't vett her we don't know her and she must come out and answer
questions. Lets keep talking about him and him being unprepared to tell
us what he is going to do for us besides start a WAR. Leave her alone
Blog his old head off. Attack him for not telling us what he is going to do
to get this economy back on track. Him and his buddies destroyed our
economy and don't let him forget it. for mintute.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:03 PM on 09/09/2008

- + Darwinita See Profile I'm a Fan of Darwinita I'm a fan of this user permalink

Wow, this is a great reminder. Good post.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:48 PM on 09/09/2008

How Did the RNC Insult Troops and Veterans? Let Me Count the Ways...

"I was deployed in the Persian Gulf when Clinton took office. The vast majority of the guys I was with did not like Clinton. They especially didn't like him after that "don't ask, don't tell" CRAP!

Then the SOB began butchering the military. A lot of good men had to hit the unemployment line after that."



So what about all the Arabic-speaking translators who were fired from the military 'cuz they're gay? THERE's and example of making sure we utilize America's resources best.



As for your questions, do your own damn homework. I'm not going to educate you under your guise of "debate."
About Republican Convention
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sarah Palin and the "Women's" Vote

No one's arguing about Sarah Palin's view on her reproductive choices- obviously she practices what she believes. My sympathy for her ends at MY uterus. She would legislate my choice away, and after that, she's no woman's friend to me.



Good for NOW for seeing through McCain's cheap and cynical ploy. a) it gives them the opportunity to prove that just because a candidate is female they don't automatically get the gender vote- women do not vote monolithically. b) they're true to their mission statement, no matter what gender the threat is.



I signed up for their email today. Sarah Palin is no representative of me.
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

done with snark, but hey...

Jam For Us Today, None For You Tomorrow

I am very strongly against the slut-shaming spectacle to which Sarah and Bristol Palin have been subjected. This continues the disturbing virulent misogyny directed at Hillary Clinton. No woman should be a target for this kind of bigotry and hatred.
Posted by: Zrusilla | September 02, 2008 at 10:49 PM

This is in response to an article con the California NOW blogsite that really questions whether or not the newly-minted Republican acceptance of teenage pregnancy is political hypocrisy or merely dangerous to the reproductive rights of women everywhere (it's both).

Abstinence-only sex education has never worked as well as informed and sober discussion of sex and its consequences. If a girl making a big choice on the cusp of womanhood has been denied relevant, scientific information on human sexuality and disease-preventative measures, then using the sanctity of life to force her down a path she may not be ready for is a cruelty that the Republican Party wants to legislate and judiciate down our throats as a nation.

What hasn't been discussed as much is the unfairness to ole Levi, the boyfriend in these circumstances. Quite frankly, does anyone think that he is enjoying the consequences of that sweaty evening in the backseat? Based on his former myspace page comments, I seriously doubt it. I mean, honestly, sporting a new tattoo and canoodling with your infant to-be brother-in-law is never going to convince anyone that you're not feeling like a fly in amber, watching the world around you drip over your life and freeze you where you are.

If these two are the product of abstinese only sex-ed, then please Lord, educate them chidrens
quick!



PS: this is hilarious

Comments from a Feminist

Froom Gloria Steinem's piece in the LA Times today:

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

I don't know where I read the following idea, but I agree with it wholeheartedly: Palin is standing on the shoulders of the women who came before her to knock women back from where they came. She is not a woman's woman; she's a tool of the patriarchal Republican mainstream to appease women, who they obviously feel are stupid.

One thing is for sure, Sarah can totally rock the stripper heels.

Rachel Sklar, I love you!

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Buck Up, Media. If You're The Enemy, You're Finally Doing Something Right

September 3, 2008 10:59 PM

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Sarah Palin isn't even finished her speech and already the "blame the media" meme has been pushed explicitly to the forefront — this woman who has spent less than a week in the media spotlight, who has thus far made herself completely unavailable for interviews, has blasted the media with both barrels, deriding them for daring to cover her and the revelations that continue to emerge about this untested, unknown and unvetted candidate.

Here's how she characterized the media's coverage of her for these past few days, since it's been revealed that John McCain met her once and didn't investigate her political past:

I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.

Really? Care to qualify that with any examples? Because I haven't seen you submit to any interviews, sit for a grilling on "Meet The Press" (oh, to have Russert here right now!), or open yourself up willingly to the scrutiny of the fourth estate, whose importance as a check on the political process is so critical that it was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution by the founders.

I don't think the press has any problem with mavericks — hell, John McCain has gotten by on that one with the help of his 'base' for eight years now. And I don't think that the press requires any candidate to be party of the "Washington elite" or the "permanent political establishment" — otherwise a certain former community organizer (new dirty word!) wouldn't have had a hope in hell of those glowing magazine covers. But it's not unreasonable to expect that a candidate for the second-highest office in the land make herself available to the media — the representative of the people, at least in terms of asking the hard questions that a governor might, say, hire a lawyer to consult with before answering. Just by way of example.

So the McCain campaign was so miffed by Campbell Brown's tough questioning of their surrogate — a trained, smooth, competent, TV-ready surrogate well-versed in talking points — who still couldn't muster up proof of Palin's leadership mettle in the Alaska National Guard — that they pulled McCain from an interview? So they're accusing the press of being "on a mission to destroy" Sarah Palin? That's crazy. No one has had time yet to form an opinion — let alone enough information. And a campaign with nothing to fear would have no problem throwing open the doors and saying, come on in, we've got nothing to hide...and we know that because we actually, you know, checked. You need a whole lot less bluster when the facts are on your side.

There's no reason for Sarah Palin — or the McCain campaign — to be so shocked that the media might want to actually know something about a VP nominee. My God, how many weeks of speculation and discussions about vetting did we endure between the end of the primaries and this point? Palin was a wild-card candidate, so far better known for her penchant for moose-burgers, aerial wolf hunting, and — yes — her pregnant and unmarried 17 year old daughter than she is for her actual qualifications that being a heartbeat away from the presidency. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the media's desire to even that score. That is its job, plain and simple — and if it doesn't always thrill the guy on the Straight Talk Express, well, so be it.

So — here's a little newsflash for Sarah Palin, to paraphrase her speech: The media isn't writing about you to seek your good opinion — they're writing about you to serve the people of this country. Americans expect the media to investigate their candidates for office for the right reasons, not just to get the right access. If you really want to serve the people — as opposed to just your party, or yourself — then you'll do well to remember that.

O God, I know It's Wrong But He's So Funny

Doug Stanhope, he of the black comedy and blacker soul:

Bristol can thank Jamie

Jamie Lynn Spears, that is, for putting her pregnancy right out there and not giving a crap what people think of her. The flagrant publicity Jamie received made Bristol, for good or ill, a target for attention. Precedent-setting is a bitch, ain't it?

Tough shit, there, Bristol (I actually like that name for a girl); both you and your baby have become political poker chips for your mom's campaign. Make sure you get her something nice for Christmas.

I really feel sorry for that poor girl- she's got to be an emotional trainwreck right about now. This morning Stephanie rightfully said that her mom totally threw her under the bus. How's that feel for your mom to do that to you? Damn.

Sarah Palin wouldn't make me nauseous if she stayed in Alaska dealing with things Alaskan- I'm sure she's a great Governor. She's certainly popular enough in her home state. However, she is so badly suited for national leadership it makes me ill. Not because of her daughter, or her daughter's pregnancy- but to know that she's a former recessionist? The stars & bars will fly high in bigots' hearts all over the country when that gets around.

BIzarre Weekend News Cycle

Never mind the Down's Syndrome baby of now-questionable parentage, never mind that Bristol Palin is knocked up and 5 months gone with it (Here's what "pro-life" looks like kids! At leas-they're consistent), here's the thing that puts it over the top: Sarah Palin is anti- America:

Members of 'Fringe' Alaskan Independence Party Say Palin Was a Member in 90s

September 01, 2008 6:52 PM

The campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., likes to herald the independence of its new running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.

And while McCain's motto -- as seen in a new TV ad -- is "Country First," the AIP's motto is the exact opposite -- "Alaska First -- Alaska Always."

Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, tells ABC News that Palin and her husband Todd were members in 1994, even attending the 1994 statewide convention in Wasilla. Clark was AIP secretary at the time.

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

She says it's not accurate to describe the party as secessionist -- they just want a vote, she says, adding that the members of the AIP hold different opinions on what Alaska should be.

"My own separate opinion as an individual is that we should be an independent nation," Clark says. Others in the AIP "believe that being a commonwealth would be a good avenue to follow." Some advocate statehood -- but a fuller statehood than exists now.

She doesn't know what Palin's position was.

"It never came up in conversation," Clark recalls. "But when she joined the party, our platform was right under her nose."

Clark says that Palin left the party and became a Republican in 1996, when she first ran for mayor of Wasilla.

The McCain-Palin campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.