President Palin

On Isreal:


On Foreign Policy:


On the bail-out package:


Olbermann Piece on Palin/Bush:


On Abortion:


Why do I find myself looking at clips like this before bed? Is it because I'm a masochist, or because I'm simply terrified of VP or PRESIDENT Palin? It's a relief, not anything more, that McCain seems to now be regretting his decision to cast aside his responsibility of choosing a running mate who is actually capable of being President of the United States. I'm relieved because it indicates that at least some Americans and some Republicans are paying attention.

I wanted to also mention that since arriving in Morocco I have engaged in numerous discussions with Moroccans about the election. It is the very first thing that people ask me when they learn I am an American. The fact that I have not met a McCain supporter yet is secondary in importance to the fact that only about 10% of the population seems to know much about Palin. If more people did, I don't know if I would have been received as kindly here as I have been, representing a powerful country that seems to care less about the people it puts into power.

Can you imagine the public opinion of Islamic nations if Palin were to become President, or even VP? Here is a woman who not only has trouble completing sentences in interviews, but who basically equates Muslims with terrorists. You can say that isn't fair, but in my extensive research into this issue I am yet to find an instance in which Palin mentioned Islam and did not mention terrorism. You win a pat on the back from me and the other readers if you find one.

Okay, time to sleep and dream, hopefully, of a time when America is no longer run by people who think that people of different races and cultures should be feared.

Goodnight

Sarah Palin Disney Trailer

A friend sent along this clip today. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought Matt Damon was onto something:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ricky-van-veen/sarah-palin-disney-traile_b_129387.html

(View the Damon interview which spawned this trailer here: http://maxwellshammer.blogspot.com/2008/09/im-with-professor-damon-on-this-one.html)

Update: Palin's Trooper-Gate Troubles

Sarah Palin's original claim that Walt Monegan was ultimately fired for taking an unauthorized trip to Washington, D.C. is false. Documents recently obtained by ABC include a Travel Authorization form which was filed and approved prior to Monegan's trip to the nation's capitol. The former Public Safety Commissioner was also said to have been "egregiously insubordinate" and a "rogue" actor within Alaska's public sphere. Those claims are yet to be supported by any tangible evidence.

It's obvious now that this scandal in not so clear-cut after all. Palin initially welcomed a full investigation but has now been stonewalling for the better part of 2 months. She's apparently caught in a bold-face lie here with this "unauthorized trip" nonsense, and who knows what other revelations will be revealed before the official report is published on October 10th. The one thing that is certain is that Palin has the capacity for duplicity.

She jumped on the Straight-Talk Express after the engine had quit and tried to fix it with some good ole folksy- hockey mom- abortion hating-gun toting-creationist tools, and some lies of her own. Now she's in a muddled mess that could derail the Express for good.

Hagel Speaks Out Against Palin

I respect Hagel for speaking up for common sense and reason:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10435997

Trooper Gate Cover-up

Five Republican state officials have filed suit to halt the investigation into the firing Walt Monegan, who refused to dismiss Palin's ex-brother in-law from Alaska's state police force. Monegan claims that he repeatedly came under pressure from Palin to dismiss the officer, who was engaged in a bitter custody dispute with Palin's sister at the time. Monegan feels he was dismissed for not firing the trooper.

Palin initially welcomed a full investigation but has since appeared reluctant to let it run its course. Todd and Sarah Palin have been accused of pressuring the then-Public Safety Commissioner to fire the trooper and of having him dismissed when he refused. Palin claims Monegan was dismissed over budget disputes and "egregious insubordination".

Before the GOP allies filed this latest suit, the Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpeonas to Todd Palin and 10 members of Palin's administration. The initial probe gained bi-partisan support in the AK Legislative Council but has recently been deemed "partisan" and "tainted" by McCain camp officials who seem intent on stalling or halting it altogether.

We'll keep close tabs on the story as it unfolds, but at this point, Palin's reluctance to allow the investigation to run its course does seem curious.

Drill Baby Drill! - What for?

The debate over drilling for oil offshore and in Alaska has become increasingly visible since McCain selected Palin as his running mate. In her year as Governor she's persistently advocated for drilling both in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore. "Drill now to make these United States safer and more energy independent" is something we've heard her say nearly as often as "I told the Congress thanks, but no thanks, on that bridge to nowhere". Both statements are of course misleading, if not patently false.

While it is true that Alaska's oil and natural gas reserves are significant, the argument that authorizing drilling in those areas now will make gas cheaper and us safer anytime in the near future is simply off-base. George Bush's own energy department's official position regarding offshore drilling is that we would not see a drop of oil from it until 2017. So, were drilling to begin today, we would not see any additional oil supplies for at least 9 years. The amazing thing is that Palin has admitted this point in the past but continues to speak of drilling as a legitimate energy alternative that will lower prices at the pump for Americans who are hurting now. She speaks of "feeding our hungry markets" when she knows that precisely zero sustenance is to be found in AK and offshore for perhaps a generation.

So whether Palin's statements are misleading or manipulative or just false, I think I can speak for most Americans and say, please stop. Please stop lying to us. Please stop leading us in the wrong direction. It's so obvious that we need to be moving away from oil dependence altogether, not towards it. Talk to us about alternative energies and how we can create clean energies that don't destroy the global environment. And if you decided one day that human activity is contributing to global warming, talk to us about how we can address that too. Just please, for now, stop lying.

Obama's stance on the issue is that offshore drilling is not a legitimate option for the reasons noted above. Instead, he would tax the record profits of oil companies and redistribute that tax money back to middle class families (95% of US families would qualify). In a populist pitch, he is also ready to issue a second round of tax rebates to ease the hurt that people are feeling at the pumps. Lastly, he would investigate possible fraud and market manipulation in the oil and gas industries. Those seem to be three logical steps that could actually give Americans some immediate relief.


Thomas Friedman's Op-ed from 9/13:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14friedman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Accompanying Video:

Drill Baby Drill!




Palin Lying in LaLaLand:



Barack on Drilling:

Palin's Substance

The McCain camp hasn't allowed Sarah Palin to answer a single question from the media since her nomination. Nevertheless (and possibly as a result), her personal story and charisma have revitalized the GOP over the past week. Her speech at the RNC received rave reviews from both liberal and conservative commentators who commended her for hitting "all the right notes" in her introduction to the nation. It even appears now that "the speech" was so dead-on in its message that it has propelled McCain ahead of Obama for the popular vote, according to CNN's "Poll of Polls".

And who doesn't love a great political speech? We chuckle with each witty quip and jab at the opposition. Some of us clap, some of us hoot and holler, and plenty of us Americans go into chants of USA when the speaker's voice hits a crescendo and an emphatic point is made.

But you know, as much as we value a good speech, we should value the knowledge and vision of a leader more. We should value the substance of a person over the style. Right now, in 2008, American citizens have a crucial responsibility; to vote for those individuals who are capable of solving out country's crises.

How do we, the voters, tell who will be capable of addressing the issues that loom over the '08 Presidential race? We look to their records first, and then we listen. We listen to their answers to tough questions and we see how they either match-up with or conflict with our viewpoints. That's how we decide who to vote for.

So, a news flash for those managing the McCain campaign: The Vice President of the United States becomes President of the United States if the Presdient dies or is otherwise unable to continue serving as Commander in Chief. The Vice President is therefore a rather important post. Given McCain's age (72) and the average life expectancy of American males (75.2), we'd really like to hear Sarah Palin's solutions to our nation's problems. The sooner the better, because we messed up pretty badly the last two times and we want to be sure to get it right in '08.

Bristol's Right to Choose

Earlier this week Governor Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter Bristol's pregnancy fell under the national spotlight. The McCain camp's official position is that they were aware of the pregnancy before selecting Palin and considered Bristol's personal life to be outside the bounds of electoral politics; off-limits to the media and hence a non-factor in November. The fact that McCain is anti-abortion and in favor of making that personal decision a matter of state discretion has yet to be picked up on by the visionaries of mainstream news media.

But in retrospect, the McCain camp may have been a step ahead of the game by anticipating the media attention and using it to build sympathy for Palin before her RNC address. Conservative commentators made the media's coverage of Bristol's predicament a central talking point. McCain's spokespeople went out in full force to denounce the media's use of the gender card. Palin topped it off with a direct jab at the media in her acceptance speech. Eh, I'm probably giving them too much credit.

Either way, let's say they knew all about the pregnancy. They alerted McCain and through his own unique cost-benefit analysis The Maverick decided to go with her. With that choice comes a set of new realities for his campaign. One new reality that seems particularly relevant is that Palin, a devout Evangelical, stated in an '06 gubernatorial debate that she opposes abortion even in cases of pregnancies caused by rape. (Read, Palin is dangling off the pro-life edge of the abortion discourse that has raged in this country since Roe v. Wade and seems to surface with renewed strength around election time. Her aggressive pro-life posture is attractive to the Evangelical voting base that elected Bush in 2000 and 2004 but is still hesitant to throw its full weight behind McCain. The GOP VP vetting team put a huge check mark with a halo hovering above it in the row labeled "Views on Abortion" on their list: Palin - Pros and Cons).

And it's Palin's staunch opposition to a woman's right to choose that must make her statement regarding Bristol's decision to keep her child so disheartening for the logically sound, "Can't we get back to the pre-Bush days" Republican who's looking for some straight talk. Here's Sarah and Todd Palin's official statement from September 1st:

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her
grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and
even prouder to become grandparents."

Proud of Bristol's decision! I think John Stewart put it best when he told Newt Gingrich that, "What she is in essence saying is 'Respect my family's ability to make this decision, and elect me so that I can keep your family from having the same opportunity'."

It's Palin's bold hypocrisy on the issue which should be where Stewart tried to put it; under the media's microscope. Because if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that four more years of executive level double-talk is the last thing this country needs.