Categories
Social & Political

Palin's pal: Anti-American, Iranbuddy

<![CDATA[Salon takes a look at Sarah Palin’s hypocritcal portrayal of Barack Obama as “friend of terrorists.”

“My government is my worst enemy. I’m going to fight them with any means at hand.”
This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.
Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that’s the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. (“Keep up the good work,” Palin told AIP members. “And God bless you.”)

That’s a “God bless you” aimed at secessionists who, as the article goes on to explain, have solicited the support of the Iranian government to gain United Nations support for Alaskan independence.]]>

Categories
Media Comment & Crimes

Palin meets Couric, again, with maverick back-up

<![CDATA[I'm astonished that Senator McCain has to sit by his vice presidential candidate to defend her statements, blaming the press for Governor Palin's clearly stated position about Pakistan, a contradiction to what McCain said in the debate Friday. McCain calls a question by a voter a "gotcha journalism" tactic.
Palin's position, that cross-border strikes are necessary, is exactly what McCain condemned as naive and dangerous. Either she’s naive and dangerous or McCain’s characterization of Senator Obama is mere posturing.
We get to decide. Do you want these people running the country?]]>

Categories
Social & Political

This makes me sick…

<![CDATA[In the comments at ABCNews.com, about the Palin interview, the following

“from all the anti Palin post, I gather that the Liberal Extremist (Democrats) are still full of hate and anti American attitudes. If you don’t love American and all this country provides you(security, freedom etc.) leave, go away. There are countries out there that are full of hate and never protect their freedom and security, that would love to have you.
moralityusa 9:27 PM”

It is sickening. That is ugly, unamerican and misrepresents the majority of Americans and Republicans. But it is increasingly the message being sent by the far right. We’ve moved from talk of liberal extremists to lumping all Democrats into a category that should leave the country. When I refer to members of the far right, I mean people who want to legislate the way we live, not someone who should leave the country. With this kind of rhetoric, they should not be honored with elective office. And we should mark that this is the language of the Palin proponents, who are resorting to rabid attack on any honest effort to ask her a question.
Voters have every right to ask Gov. Palin any question as they judge her ability to make decisions that will impact every American. Anyone who thinks the McCain campaign’s strategy of insulating her from the press is correct is missing the point of democracy: Elections are a test. When you win, you don’t get to take over and run the country, you get to lead the government. If this kind of hateful response from moralityusa is what can be expected in response to our questions about Sarah Palin, the election is a fight for the American future.
Doors to avenues of thought and freedom of opportunity are closing all around us. We have to kick them open by voting against this kind of closed-minded hatred of other Americans and everything that makes this country great.]]>

Categories
Social & Political

Palin: Flashy distraction, unvetted incompetent, but still dangerous

<![CDATA[Heed the words of Frank Rich at The New York Times:

That’s why the Palin choice was brilliant politics — not because it rallied the G.O.P.’s shrinking religious-right base. America loves nothing more than a new celebrity face, and the talking heads marched in lock step last week to proclaim her a star. Palin is a high-energy distraction from the top of the ticket, even if the provenance of her stardom is in itself a reflection of exactly what’s frightening about the top of the ticket.
By hurling charges of sexism and elitism at any easily cowed journalist who raises a question about Palin, McCain operatives are hoping to ensure that whatever happened in Alaska with Sarah Palin stays in Alaska. Given how little vetting McCain himself has received this year — and that only 58 days remain until Nov. 4 — they just might pull it off.

This is exactly the problem with Gov. Palin’s “candidacy” for vice president: She is not running for anything, instead she is serving as a distraction from the torpid reality of the presidential candidate on the Republican ticket and as attack dog while dodging relevant questions about her qualifications on the basis that, if she were a man people wouldn’t be asking these questions. In fact, I do think everyone wants to know if the vice president is running on a fictional record of “reform” and “fiscal conservatism” (she is a “fiscal conservative” if you measure her against every Republican elected since 1980, as they’ve all contributed mightily to a dangerous national debt). However, it may just work.

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Categories
Social & Political

Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women — No Sarah Palin

<![CDATA[I just got Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women issue. Condi Rice is on the cover. Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, ranks number 1 overall.
No Sarah Palin. There are, however, a number of prominent Republican women on this list that would have made excellent running mates for John McCain.
In fact, Sarah Palin has never been mentioned in Forbes based on this search. She appears in online results on Forbes.com only since being named VP nominee. Wow.
Just saying….]]>

Categories
Social & Political

Not a bad speech

Categories
Social & Political

A virus in our genes, think about that….

<![CDATA[I ended up writing a better version of this posting over at ZD Net. Please, go read….]]>

Categories
Social & Political

McCain's bizarre VP choice

<![CDATA[There are many things being said about Gov. Sarah Palin being on the Republican ticket, which smacks of a tokenism worthy of a South Park parody, but what strikes me most is that it thoroughly undercuts the Republican argument against Barack Obama: That he is too young and inexperienced. If Palin can be a heartbeat away from the presidency under a 72-year-old four-time cancer survivor, Obama is eminently qualified to be at the top of the Democratic ticket.
Republicans can just put away the “Obama’s experience is the issue” rhetoric now. And I’ll take Joe Biden as president over Sarah Palin on any day, even the quietest one of any presidency ever.
That his VP destroys his argument against Obama speaks volumes about McCain’s judgment and willingness to pander mindlessly to the far right.]]>