On 9/11…
by tristero
On 9/11, would you feel safe if Sarah Palin was president?
On 9/11, would you feel safe if the man who picked someone as ludicrously unqualified as Sarah Palin as his running mate was president?
"what digby sez..."
On 9/11…
by tristero
On 9/11, would you feel safe if Sarah Palin was president?
On 9/11, would you feel safe if the man who picked someone as ludicrously unqualified as Sarah Palin as his running mate was president?
Sharks Patrol These Waters
by dday
When I last left the Internet for a delightful Labor Day barbecue, the questioned raised about Sarah Palin were merely the stuff of blog comment sections and the like. It took what ought to be a private occurrence of the Governor’s 17 year-old daughter’s pregnancy, but the traditional media has now caught on that this pick is exceedingly strange, and that the only people who knew less about her than the American public were John McCain’s Vice Presidential vetting team.
Greg Sargent has a great rundown.
* The news that Palin once backed the Bridge to Nowhere went national.
* It emerged that Palin has links to the bizarro Alaska Independence Party, which harbors the goal of seceding from the union that McCain and Palin seek to lead.
* The news broke that as governor, Palin relied on an earmark system she now opposes. Taken along with the Bridge to Nowhere stuff, this threatens to undercut her reformist image, something that was key to her selection as McCain’s Veep candidate.
* The news broke that Palin’s 17-year-old daughter became pregnant out of wedlock at a time when the conservative base had finally started rallying behind McCain’s candidacy.
* Barely moments after McCain advisers put out word that McCain had known of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, the Anchorage Daily News revealed that Palin’s own spokesperson hadn’t known about it only two days ago.
* A senior McCain adviser at the Republican convention was forced into the rather embarrassing position of arguing that McCain had known about the pregnancy “last week” — without saying what day last week he knew about it.
* It came out that Republican lawyers are up in Alaska vetting Palin — now, more than 72 hours after it was announced that she’d been picked.
* Palin lawyered up in relation to the trooper-gate probe in Alaska — a move that ensures far more serious attention to the story from the major news orgs.
There’s actually more. The lawyer she hired in the trooper-gate probe – which is being paid for by state taxpayers – asked for all documents from the investigator, a discovery request which may make sense in a grand jury but not in an independent legislative investigation. ABC is on the case of the Alaska Independence Party, which is kind of a big deal – a secessionist group which possibly has ties to separatist militias. The earmark story has gone national – turns out that as mayor she had a personal lobbyist that secured around $27 million in federal earmarks. There are at least 10 McCain operatives up in Anchorage at this point, and didn’t get there until THURSDAY, the day before the choice was announced. And major media is asking the forbidden questions:
While there was no sign that her formal nomination this week was in jeopardy, the questions swirling around Ms. Palin on the first day of the Republican National Convention, already disrupted by Hurricane Gustav, brought anxiety to Republicans who worried that Democrats would use the selection of Ms. Palin to question Mr. McCain’s judgment and his ability to make crucial decisions.
…and…
Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina said that he had heard no discussion about removing Ms. Palin from the ticket. In fact, he said, he thought her daughter’s pregnancy would not hurt her with voters.
What’s notable is that the media is asking the question of if she’ll be removed from the ticket. It’s not a far reach to go from if to when. When the traditional media smells blood in the water, ideology goes out the window. Check out Campbell Brown, married to Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor Campbell Brown, eviscerating a McCain spokesman.
Focus groups are weighing in with, shall we say, concern, and what’s more, major media is reporting on them. And the secessionist party thing is so hot to handle that McCain’s camp is not commenting on it. They tried to dump a lot of this news on the Labor Day holiday with a major hurricane hitting land and it didn’t work. They are completely off message, the revamped convention (which already lost a day’s worth of attacking Obama) is at a crossroads, and the questions from the talking heads will be all about Palin.
I actually hope he keeps her on the ticket at this point, this is too entertaining…
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Palin Hearts Federal Earmarks
by tristero
Sarah Palin, we hardly know ye! But I suspect that unless she is forced out by the McCain campaign, what we’ve learned about her in the past 24 hours or so – her membership in a radical secessionist party; her position helping to run Stevens’ 527, and so on – is only the tip of the iceberg.
Now, it turns out, despite the denials typical of conservative hypocrites, Sarah Palin likes to feed on federal pork:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.
There was $500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project — all intended to benefit Palin’s town, Wasilla, located about 45 miles north of Anchorage.
In introducing Palin as his running mate on Friday, Sen. John McCain cast her as a compatriot in his battle against wasteful federal spending. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, hailed Palin as a politician “with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies — someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past, someone who’s stopped government from wasting taxpayers’ money.”
McCain’s crusade against earmarks — federal spending sought by members of Congress to benefit specific projects — has been a hallmark of his campaign. He has said earmarks are wasteful and are often inserted into bills with little oversight, sometimes by a single powerful lawmaker.
As for her specific anti-pork claim, the one about her opposition to the Bridge To Nowhere, the inimitable Bob Somerby eviscerates it:
PALIN (8/29/08): I told Congress, Thanks but no thanks on that Bridge to Nowhere.
From that statement, citizens get the idea that Palin high-mindedly “told Congress” to pull the plug on that much-derided bridge project—to stop wasting all that tax-payer money. That isn’T close to what actually happened. But your career liberal player are simply too dumb—too undisciplined—to explain it. And so far, the mainstream press hasn’t done better.
Duh. Palin was elected governor in November 2006. One year earlier, in November 2005, the “bridge to nowhere” earmark ceased to exist.
Emphasis in original.
There are reports of GOP teams swarming north from the lower 48 to do the proper vetting of Palin St. John McCain, so sure of his gut instincts, couldn’t be bothered to do. Meanwhile, crotch-sniffing reporters will be turning the state upside down to uncover other salacious scandals. They don’t have to; it’s besides the point.
Sarah Palin’s record speaks for itself. She is a far rightwing nut who has abused government power for personal reasons. Repeatedly. She was a member of a group calling for secession from the very country she now wants to lead. She is a bald-faced liar. She is as ignorant of science as she is of American history. She may be well-liked in Alaska, but even there they think it’s ridiculous to imagine her a heartbeat from the presidency.
It has been said we should be careful not to denigrate Palin’s very real achievements. It is not I who denigrate them, but John McCain who, under pressure from the right, picked a not-ready-for-primetime player.
Indeed this is all about McCain. This is about his erratic, bizarrely irrational decisionmaking. This is about his own extremist conservatism, championing not only coat hangar abortions for the poor – bad enough – but even opposing funding for contraception services. This is about the huge extent to which St. John McCain is an abject servant of the “Religious” Right, an amalgam of extremist political pressure groups aligned with genuinely anti-American secessionists and theocrats. People, it’s real simple:
McCain – not Palin, not Gustav – is the real disaster.
UPDATE: You may have heard that Palin lawyered up for her corruption investigation. Now we learn Alaska taxpayers are footing her lawyer’s bills. And it’s also been confirmed that she was lying when she claimed to cooperate fully with the investigation. Her lawyer is doing his level best to delay the proceedings so the investigative report comes out after the election, not before as it was scheduled.
UPDATE: Revised slightly after original posting.
Republicans Don’t Get It: Two More Chapters In An Endless Saga
by tristero
The Quote of the Day, from the second stupidest guy in the world: David Brooks:
The Palin pick allows McCain to run the way he wants to — not as the old goat running against the fresh upstart, but as the crusader for virtue against the forces of selfishness.
In Senate votes, McCain has opposed some proposals to pay for teen-pregnancy prevention programs. In 2006, McCain joined fellow Republicans in voting against a Senate Democratic proposal to send $100 million to communities for teen-pregnancy prevention programs that would have included sex education about contraceptives.
In 2005, McCain opposed a Senate Democratic proposal that would have spent tens of millions of dollars to pay for pregnancy prevention programs other than abstinence-only education, including education on emergency contraception such as the morning-after pill. The bill also would have required insurance companies that cover Viagra to also pay for prescription contraception.
Special Note: For those who forget their recent history, Douglas J. Feith is the stupidest guy in the world.
Amy Goodman Arrested
by tristero
Your police state at work. Be sure to listen to the mp3 of the arrest. It’s chilling.
UPDATE: Video of Amy Goodman’s arrest. h/t Avedon at Eschaton.
UPDATE II: Call to demand Goodman’s release:
Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).
Obama 7 To 8 Points Ahead, Pre Gustav
by tristero
There is something seriously wrong with this country. Forty percent support for McCain is ludicrously high.
Advice From Dr, James Dobson
by tristero
From Adolescent Rebellion by Dr. James Dobson:
The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health surveyed 11,572 teenagers to determine which factors were most helpful in preventing harmful behavior, such as violence, suicide, substance abuse, early sexual behavior and teen pregnancy. Here’s what the researchers found: The presence of parents is beneficial at four key times of the day — early morning, after school, dinnertime and bedtime.
When that regular contact is combined with other shared activities between parents and kids, the most positive outcome is achieved. The researchers also observed that adolescents who felt a sense of connection with their parents (feelings of warmth, love and caring) were least likely to engage in harmful behavior.
You might be asking: “How can I be with my teenagers morning, noon and night? I have too much work to do.” You simply have to decide what is most important to you at this time. It won’t matter as much a few years down the road, but your availability right now could make the difference for your child between surviving or plunging off the cliff.
My father and mother were faced with the same difficult choice when I was 16 years old. Dad was an evangelist who was gone most of the time, while my mother was home with me. During the adolescent years, I began to get testy with my mother. I never went into total rebellion, but I was definitely flirting with the possibility. I’ll never forget the night my mom called my dad on the phone. I was listening as she said, “I need you.” To my surprise, my dad immediately cancelled a four-year slate of meetings, sold our home and moved 700 miles south to take a pastorate so he could be with me until I finished high school.
It was an enormous sacrifice for him to make. He never fully recovered professionally from it. But he and Mom felt my welfare was more important than their immediate responsibilities. Dad was home with me during those two volatile years when I could have gotten into serious trouble. When I speak with reverence about my parents today, as I often do, one of the reasons is because they gave priority to me when I was sliding close to the brink.
You may not be called upon to make such a radical change in your lifestyle. But if you are, the investment in your teen’s life is worth it. We can’t put a price tag on our child’s life…
Parental involvement is the key to getting kids through the storms of adolescence.
Emphasis added.
Yes, Sarah Palin Was Vetted
by dday
It certainly doesn’t seem like it, given the stories that have emerged within the past 48-72 hours. But she most certainly was vetted, only not by the McCain campaign. She was vetted by the only group that matters – the super-secretive Council for National Policy.
The CNP deliberately operates below the radar, going to excessive lengths to obscure its activities. According to official CNP policy, “The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs before or after a meeting.” Thus the CNP’s Minneapolis gathering was free of reporters. I only learned of the get-together through an online commentary by one of its attendees, top Dobson/Focus on the Family flack Tom Minnery.
Minnery described the mood as CNP members watched Palin accept her selection as John McCain’s Vice Presidential pick. “I was standing in the back of a ballroom filled with largely Republicans who were hoping against hope that something would put excitement back into this campaign,” Minnery said. “And I have to tell you, that speech by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin — people were on their seats applauding, cheering, yelling… That room in Minneapolis watching on the television screen was electrified. I have not seen anything like it in a long time.”
Minnery added that his boss, Dobson, has yearned for a conservative female leader like Margaret Thatcher to emerge on the American scene. And while Palin is no Thatcher, “she has not rejected the feminine side of who she is, so for that reason, she will be attractive to conservative voters.”
The members of the Council for National Policy are the hidden hand behind McCain’s Palin pick. With her selection, the Republican nominee is suddenly — and unexpectedly — assured of the support of a movement that once opposed his candidacy with all its might. Case in point: while Dobson once said he could “never” vote for McCain, he issued a statement last week hailing Palin as an “outstanding” choice. If Dobson’s enthusiasm for Palin is any indication, he may soon emerge from his bunker in Colorado Springs to endorse McCain, providing the Republican nominee with the grassroots support of the Christian right’s single most influential figure.
That’s all this was about. Forget the press reports grasping at straws trying to figure out this pick, whether it represents a new reform message or was targeted to exurban voters. This was a wet kiss to the religious right. There was only one group doing the vetting. The theocons were waiting for a signal to start up the phone banks and the ground work and now they have it. They probably would have done so anyway, but this was the tipping point.
And so the fact that Todd Palin has a DUI record is just a sign of temptation followed by redemption. The pregnancy of the Palin’s 17 year-old daughter, which should show the failures of abstinence-only education (which the Governor opposes firmly supports), just shows the importance of coming down on the side of life (UPDATE: Interesting that the McCain campaign felt the need to mention that the kid made her own decision to keep the baby, since McCain and Palin want to take that choice away from all women). The fact that she thinks the Founding Fathers wrote the Pledge of Allegiance means that she believes this is a Judeo-Christian nation. The fact that she’s appeared at a secessionist movement meeting in Alaska means simply that she is appalled by the cultural decline of America.
Oh, she was vetted all right. By the religious right. The question is whether or not Palin’s extreme, radical philosophy is distasteful to the wide swath of Americans. In a sane world, the support for creationism and questioning of man-made global warming and rejection of birth control would indeed be disqualifying.
…What this also means is that she was totally forced on John McCain, which must call into question his erratic, shoddy judgment, and his ability to carry out anything but the most extreme agenda.
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Slower And To The Left
by dday
As I hoped, Hurricane Gustav changed course slightly, moving to the West and away from New Orleans, and the storm downgraded to a Category 2 storm upon landfall. The eye of the storm is 40 miles west of the city, toward Houma. Now, the Industrial Canal is being overtopped, and some runaway barges and tugboats are flying around in the area, and there are at least six hours to go here. But the absolute worst option has not materialized… yet. And I’m hopeful that the storm is far away enough that we won’t see catastrophic flooding.
But you never know. The Port of New Orleans is underwater. If this was a Category 4 storm we’d be in a tremendous amount of trouble. The Army Corps of Engineers simply never built anything to stop water from Lake Pontchartrain to stream in through the Industrial Canal. If there’s real breaching, the Lower Ninth is going to fill up. Again. (UPDATE: CNN reports “spurts of water” are coming into the Lower Ninth Ward already. This isn’t that big a storm and the levees are already starting to fail.)
Good thing that evacuation efforts were so successful.
I think the Republicans are jumping the gun here. It sounds like Laura Bush and Cindy McCain are going to offer some kind of nonpartisan messages, but the split-screen potential is not good. Essentially, the RNC cancelled their prime-time schedule today because they had to. Not only did Bush and Cheney cancel, but Arnold Schwarzenegger said he couldn’t make it because of the California budget crisis. That leaves Joe Lieberman. For the full hour. Not even Larry King would book that.
Meanwhile, you won’t get this from the major media, but the GOP delegates are doing plenty of partying. It’s not like they’re TOTALLY refraining from fiddling while Rome may burn. I mean, come on, the booze has already been shipped! And also, there’s one 10,000-member event going on as scheduled today, from the real PUMAs, the Ron Paul libertarians. Since the airtime is all booked, you’d think that the media would head on over and see what the fuss is about, right? Right?
I know the answer to that question.
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