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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, September 4, 2008 3:41 PM CDT
COLUMN: Palin's daughter got pregnant - so what?

By HARRY REYNOLDS, Editorial Page Editor
hreynolds@jg-tc.com

“Outing” the fact Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, was charged with a DUI at the age of 22 — in the year 1986 — well, that’s understandable. And, I guess, quite commendable.

Pretty serious stuff, one would have to admit. Who can tell, Old Todd might be contemplating driving drunk again. Digging up ancient dirt on a guy who happens to be married for 27 years to the same woman is pretty important stuff.

What this has to do with Old Todd’s wife’s qualifications to run as John McCain’s running mate for the presidency has millions of Americans scratching their heads with one hand while talking on their cell phones as they turn a corner in the family’s SUV with the steering wheel gripped between their legs.

If Old Todd got drunk tonight, climbed into his car and dispatched a passel of Girl Scouts on their way to church, what would it have to do with Sarah Palin’s qualifications to be VP?

Like I said, this is serious, justifying legions of journalists, thousands of photographers, armies of private detectives, hundreds of thousands of lawyers and the full services of every gossip populating the Internet.

Bloggers Gone Wild is having a field day yapping about Old Todd’s youthful transgression. The rightful frenzy has reached the point where the U.S. government should kick Old Todd out of the country. The only trouble with it is most countries wouldn’t accept a man arrested on a DUI charge in 1986.

Given the seriousness of Old Todd’s DUI, the government might want to consider sending him to the international space station aboard the next shuttle flight.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting Old Todd be allowed on the space station. But, he could be ejected from the shuttle bay, perhaps, toward the moon.

This would serve two purposes. It would discourage the Old Todds (or Old Toddies) of the world from driving drunk while their spouses or significant others are running for president, or vice president.

Second (I hate secondly), millions of people — from toddlers to creakers — could peer through telescopes at Old Todd’s body sprawled in the dust of the moon.

Who knows, someone might even see a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand.

The press is demanding to know why McCain didn’t do something about Old Todd’s malfunctioning judgement when he drove drunk in 1986. There’s another important factor McCain should have taken into consideration in connection with Old Todd’s diabolical act:

The time.

And then, there’s the issue of what time bars close.

Stick with me, folks. A lot of heavy thinking has gone into this. It ranks right up there with the logic of injecting a DUI committed over two decades ago by the husband of a candidate for the vice presidency into an election campaign.

The way I figure it, Old Todd’s heinous crime against nature would have been worse if he was weaving down the the wrong lanes of Interstate 95 in the bowels of Chicago at noon on a weekday — guzzling a pint of whiskey — at 100 mph.

Ah, you’re a smart bunch of readers. You get my drift, don’t you?

You’re thinking if Old Todd was driving down I-95 at 3 in the morning, the odds of Old Todd running head-on into another car would be a lot less.

We’d be talking about two vehicles being demolished and everyone in the other car being killed while Old Todd escaped untouched. Thanks,of course, to the relaxing effects of the demon brew.

I’m a big believer in allowing bars to remain open to 3 a.m. It doesn’t make much sense shutting them down by 1 a.m. There’s still a lot of law-abiding, sober drivers on the roads.

The chances of drunks reaching the point where they pass out in the bars would be much higher.

Even assuming they made it to their vehicles after the bartenders locked the doors behind them, the odds of them plowing head on into another car would be much lower.

Most people don’t drive at 3 a.m. Democrats would be dreaming pleasantly about Old Todd cutting into McCain’s chances of reaching the White House.

Republicans would be screaming themselves awake. Not really over Old Todd’s DUI arrest, but the prospect of Obama in the Oval Office contemplating tax increases for the wealthy.

The only thing doing more harm to McCain’s campaign is the publicity the 17-year-old daughter of Todd and Sarah Palin is receiving for being pregnant.

The harm does not reside as much in the pregnancy, or even the age of the girl. The harm is born of the fact Sarah Palin is a strong advocate of teaching teenagers to abstain from sex.

Dispersing condoms by the truckload to teenagers is — in the eyes of the champions of the shades-of-gray morality — the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Even if a teenager gets pregnant, they reason, she can get an abortion. Problem solved.

This, of course, flies in the face of assuming responsibility for one’s actions.

The daughter of Sarah and Todd Palin is going to have the baby; she is going to wed the father; the Palins are going to get through this thing together.

That, in itself, is reason for McCain to admit his terrible mistake in judgement and give Sarah Palin the boot.

He won’t. Not John McCain. He is a man who accounts honor, loyalty, honesty, patriotism and all those out-of-vogue attributes as important.

Important enough, I think, to remain a maverick and just say “No.”

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injustice85 wrote on Sep 3, 2008 9:54 PM:

" lots of girls get pregnant at a young age but you wonder if her mom(Sarah Palin) had little influence on her or couldn't teach her daughter proper then why could she do better for the country? "

gringa wrote on Sep 3, 2008 11:21 PM:

" injustice85, please look up the word inane. It has become a favorite word of Early Bird, Harry Potter and father bob. If you can't find it in Webster's, ask one of them what it means. (Hmmm, more evidence that EB and HP and fb are the same poster.) "

Tuco wrote on Sep 4, 2008 3:25 AM:

" YGBSM, injustice85 (so noted).

You are obviously a child (okay, you spell reasonably well, I'll grant 'adolescent' at highest maturity) or a single person who has never served as a parent.

Well, perhaps that'd be a good thing, anyway.

It's a pathetic form of desperation that can entice a person to stoop so low as to imply that a parent with a child who has erred is unfit to serve in public office. Such tripe is laughable for a short while, at the tripe-monger's shameful expense, but the goofiness of it all gets tiresome pretty quick. Downright creepy, actually.

With logic like that, and flaunting such a poverty of common decency, it's no wonder the Democratic party is going down the drain. "

Beaches wrote on Sep 4, 2008 5:34 AM:

" injustice85
You just don't get it, do you? I have seen perfectly wonderful parents raise multiple children, some make good decisions and do very well, and others make bad choices. There's no guarantee that everything will go well. Also, there isn't a man out there who has been elected President who hasn't had questionable decisions in their past - and we don't jump on every single one of them! I haven't researched Sarah Palin enough at this point to have formed an opinion - but the factors that many people are focusing on with her (her daughters pregnancy, husbands old DUI, etc.) have nothing to do with what I am looking for to make an educated decision. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 4, 2008 5:41 AM:

" Palins daughters unplanned pregnancy and he husbands DUI are not topics that should be on the table when discussing her qualifications for being VP, Harry.

Palin is to be commended for standing by her daughter at this time, as any loving parent would do.

The same goes for her husband's DUI, now if he were a habitual drunk driver, that might be different.

There are other issues that should be bought up though, such as how she used her position to punish her "enemies", both during her tenure as a small town mayor and as governor. Her attempts to ban books, in the small town library, is another issue that seems legitimate to me too.

Upon learning that while serving as a mayor, she applied for and recieved almost 30 million dollars in federal grants is troubling to me, when you consider that she claims to be a reformer. This issue alone seems to indicate she is nothing more than a typical polictician, looking to Washington for the answers.

I have noticed over the last few days that Palin's defenders have mainly centered on pointing out the ridiculousness of the anti-McCain folks bringing up these minor side issues, while completely ignoring the significant things such as the one I pointed out.

Have the critics of the McCain/Palin ticket unknowingly strengthened those two with their attacks on Palin? I appears that the loyalists have circled the wagons for one of their own. It will interesting to see if any more scandals come out of the woodwork, and how Palin will be able to handle the pressure on the road.

I think McCain's plan for drawing the disgruntled women's votes may not pan out, but the result of picking her has, whether planned or not, resulted in securing the base from the entire Republican party. Will that be enough?

McCain has put himself in a position of having to defend this selection, and that is to Obama's benefit. After being in a position of being on the offense for weeks, I have to wonder why McCain would pick someone with such weak credentials.

Having said all that, it does seem that Palin will having no problem in taking on the attack dog role, that was perfected by another VP pick surrounded by questionable ethics and scandal, Spiro Agnew.

I'm guessing that when its all over, Palin will either get the credit for the victory or take the blame for a loss. "

Read all over wrote on Sep 4, 2008 6:27 AM:

" Mr. Reynolds doesn't know what he's writing about. The real causes of concern with the Palin nomination are many, and a DUI at 22 is not what has generated so much discussion. (What are the URLs of these blogs, Mr. Reynolds? Do you even know what you're talking about?)

Genuine causes for concern: Palin's apparent lack of expertise or interest in foreign policy, her ties to lobbyists, her vindicitve approach to personnel decisions, her no-exceptions position on abortion, her associations with a separatist political party and with Christianists who would like to see our country turned into a theocracy. Another even greater cause for concern: a candidate who chose Palin without sufficient vetting, as a cynical calculation. As Peggy Noonan said when she didn't know she was on mike, her choice is "political bull----."

I feel sorry for anyone who relies on the JGTC for news -- you're giving your readers a false picture of the world. "

gringa wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:19 AM:

" OK, Early Bird, thanks for the early-in-the-day salvo. Don't forget to sign in as HP or fb before your next post. "

Bettylou wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:46 AM:

" I think that a woman that is with a party that spouts family values and has five children and one of them with Down syndrome should be home more with those children than out and about trying to run this country. Obama was gracious about her daughters pregnancy and she was vindictive in her speech. Maybe if she was home more with those children that would not have happened. Have you seen the web site of the young man that is father to the baby. He says he does not want children and uses the f word to describe himself. Sounds wonderful husband material to me. If this was Chelsea Clinton or if Obama's daughter was older, they would go on and on about this. I do not like the way that Palin uses her fist in the air. Pretty soon we will see them wanting all of us to raise arms and fists in the arm and that reminds me of a certain German government years ago. This woman has little to no experience but is a good talker in front of a camera and mocks Obama and his lack of experience. Give me a break! "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 4, 2008 11:33 AM:

" The flak over inconsequentials keeps people from addressing, looking at the consequentials. McCain may be impetuous but he is no dummy and neither are his people/handlers/advisors. I see the choice as showing little respect for women or fundamentalist Christians, banking that they will ignore the consequentials in favor of the inconsequentials. "

The Question wrote on Sep 4, 2008 12:07 PM:

" Bill O'Reilly says the blame for teenage pregnancy falls "primarily on the parents of the girl." Don't you tighty righties agree with your own Fox News spokescreature? "

coonbug wrote on Sep 4, 2008 1:53 PM:

" What IS a proper topic about Sarah Palin is the latest news coming from National Enquire about her AFFAIR with another man.

Before you jump down my throat about using the Nat Enquire for info -- keep in mind they broke the story on John Edward's affair.

Another point that is important is Alaska's legislature is investigating Palin for ethic violations (she claims to be the one to pass the new laws on ethics).

Lastly, the only reason Bristol's pregnancy is important is the very idea that Republicans, including Palin, push abstinence and parents watching OVER their kids. Who was watching Bristol while she got PG? If you watched Fred Thompson's or Guiliani's speech the other night - when he talked about Palin's family values and having time to take care her kids (she left her 3 mo old child to be Gov) and people having the nerve to question her's -- the camera's zoomed in on Bristol. Bristol didn't look like a kid that AGREED with the speaker. She looked like she was saying to herself, "Yeh Right, like we see much of her". "

Hahvahd wrote on Sep 4, 2008 2:09 PM:

" What makes this relevant is that Mrs. Palin's voodoo mentality (we must all fear the big boogie-man in the sky sending us to hell) leads her to advocate public policies that don't work!!! They haven't even worked in her own friggin' household!!!!!

Surely Mrs. Palin took the time to teach her daughter the importance of abstinence (unless she was too busy being mayor and governor to effectively raise her children). Then how on earth did her 17-year-old end up pregnant?

And for those who applaud the shot-gun wedding approach and say that it makes it okay because the girl isn't getting an abortion and is going to marry the 18 year old father, all I can say is OMFG! Let's just roll back the clock to 1950, shall we? Yes, those kind of moral values worked ever so well back then, didn't they, with women barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen at 17, tethered for life to the mistake they made?

NO, abortion isn't the answer, Harry, but a little birth control can prevent a lot of heartache. Staying away from birth control didn't keep this girl a virgin, did it? Having access to it won't turn our children into sl-ts, either.

But this woman's extremist religious views about human sexuality aren't even working in her own home, that's the point. Why on earth do we want her a heartbeat away from the Presidency, trying to put those ineffective views into public policy that we'll all have to live by.

At least her daughter got to choose, and she made a choice that was right for her and her family. But if the government makes it so other 17 year olds don't have access to complete sex ed (not just abstinence-only), to birth control, and yes, even to abortion if they choose that instead of getting married at 17, then we're not really giving them a choice, are we? It can only be called a choice if you have more than 1 option from which to select. "

Locke wrote on Sep 4, 2008 7:27 PM:

" Palins daughters unplanned pregnancy and he husbands DUI are not topics that should be on the table...

Actually, they are. Why? Because she put them there. How? Peaching abstinence only, decrying homosexual relationships as pure evil, and saying stupid things like, "We are working God's Will in Iraq." If you cast stones, you better not live in a glass house.

This is exactly what McCain wants. The GOP wants people to feel sorry for Palin and to draw in women voters. For all the GOP posturing, they still run 23-25% behind the Democrats with women.

The GOP convention has been pointless, and well, disappointing for independent voters.

We've heard all about McCain the hero, Palin the reformer, Country First, the evil media, the Eastern Elitists, Obama the Community Organizer, and a lot of chants for good old USA. Great red-meat stuff for the base.

We've not heard a single thing about the economy, gas prices, the budget, or anything about Iraq. If the GOP does not start offering solutions, and sticks with their cliche mantras, Obama will be the next president. It worked in 2004, it won't work in 2008. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 4, 2008 7:31 PM:

" Three people use the term inane on a regular basis, so that makes them the same person? What a stroke of genius on your part Do...oops I mean gringa. LOL!

Actually nj85, I think the girl might be a chip off the old block, morals wise. Have you seen her pictures floating around the Net holding up the booze bottles? "

injustice85 wrote on Sep 4, 2008 8:08 PM:

" sure have harry, makes you wonder why mom isn't keeping control and by the way TUCO I am a parent and it isn't just her parenting that makes her unfit to be in politics, either way just check out the polls, It seems independents and Americans alike feel the same "

injustice85 wrote on Sep 4, 2008 8:10 PM:

" I'll go as far as to say her parenting doesn't effect(reflect)her politics but the rest of her crooked history does, and seriously are people actually backing this woman up, she looks like a bimbo, it took them an entire day to fine tune her speech for god sake "

injustice85 wrote on Sep 4, 2008 8:11 PM:

" well said locke "

Techno-less wrote on Sep 4, 2008 11:17 PM:

" Sounds to me like the American public has fallen for it again. Where modern media is concerned, it isn't about fair and honest reporting. It's about sales and ratings (which translate into more advertising dollars.) And since we have turned into a nation of "peeping toms" the best way to achieve both is to provide us with something to peep at, even if you have to stretch a little to accomplish it. Unfortunately, we just eat it up.

So far that I have seen, the best the media has come up with is a twenty year old DUI and a pregnant teenage daughter. Oh My God, we're doomed!

And Bettylou, if you are a woman you should be ashamed of yourself. If she has children she should stay at home? How very 1950's of you. The idea that women cannot participate in the political and/or economic flow of this country because they have families is inane (oops!, I used that word, didn't I. So Sorry!) When a male candidate flashes images of his family it's a political plus. When a woman candidate flashes pictures of her family, she draws a lot of flack about not being a stay at home mom. And when something difficult comes up at home, it becomes her fault because she wasn't home with the kids. Wake up and cruise into the 21st century. Women can take public office (which could put them into an even better position to improve those children's lives), and children reach an age where you trust that your teaching will pay off, but it still comes down to their own personal choices. And we all know those choices aren't always for the best. We didn't always make the best choices at that age, did we?

I think it is way past time to include the indepth education of Political Science into a school's curriculum. Actually, there are three topics that I believe should be required courses: Political Science, Home Economics, and Auto Mechanics. The middle one because I feel that everyone should know how to feed and clothe themselves even if they end up letting someone else handle this for them (like most men.) And the remaining two which provide the knowledge to look at the provided information and sort out the real issues from the BS. They won't have to actively participate, but they will have a better understanding of what is going on. And it will be more difficult to fool them, or to divert them with ridiculous issues.

As for the media, I lost confidence in that years ago after listening to a famous national anchor delivering a report on Mike Tyson (long before his arrest and conviction for rape.) It was a terrible report of Tyson supposedly beating someone so badly the victim was hospitalized. The anchor ended his report with the disclaimer "but this hasn't been confirmed." My thought was, if you didn't know if it was true, why are you reporting it? Edward R. Murrow probably turned over in his grave. In my opinion, the media has gone down hill ever since.

And now for the politicians. I keep thinking about a line from "The West Wing": "...I'm tired of choosing between the lesser of Who Cares." Or even e e cummings: a politician is an arse upon which everything has sat except a man. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 5, 2008 4:43 AM:

" So I'm the same person as H Potter and father bob, huh gringa? I'm not insulted about that claim at all. I just hope they aren't. Is there anyone else you think I am? You right wing nuts just can't accept the idea that there can be more than just a few critics of your ideas, and therefore try to claim all critics of the right are the same person.

Actually the "inane" piece of evidence was pretty hilarious, and speaks volumes about your intelligence.

Hmmmm...come to think of it, your ideas seen to bear a striking resemblance to some of the stuff posted by ed miller, cd and others. Could you really be them too?

No, I really don't believe you are, but then again I'm not burdened by paranoid thinking, as you seem to be.

We can play this game all day long, but I would prefer to stick to a real debate of the issues and not focus on this little diversion on your part to distract from the real issues.

Nice try on your part, but I doubt many are buying into your paranoid theories. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 5, 2008 5:19 AM:

" So far that I have seen, the best the media has come up with is a twenty year old DUI and a pregnant teenage daughter. Oh My God, we're doomed!

If you think those are the only issues involved, you're not keeping up. Yes those are the two being focused on, but there is a host of things that should be looked at with this selection. She has served in two capacities, and her record should be looked at. Those two little side issues only serve as a detraction to keep people from really looking at her track record. Hopefully we will move past those two issues and will review her record.

It appears that she has lawyered up and is taking the stone wall approach to the troopergate story. I wonder if she really thinks the public and the press will go along with that?

Actually I think it's the Palin supporters who want the pregnancy and DUI story to be upfront, and hope that it will distract from the real story, which is becoming more apparent daily to be a history of shoddy political practices.

Palin appears to be nothing more than a cutthroat self serving politician. "

The Question wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:31 AM:

" Something about reading your posts makes a lot of people think of the word "inane," Gringa. "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:58 AM:

" Technoless I agree with you on something, civics, home economics and shop/automechanics should be taught to all students. When I attended Edison Junior High in Champaign, the school did just that. Now to the issue at hand, I would think that there are many women Republicans, who are fuming, women governors/senators/college professors, who have better credentials than Palin. I would hope there is more to being a qualified candidate for president or vice president than being a woman,a mother, a Christian, and a prolifer. "

Techno-less wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:27 AM:

" Actually, people, my Oh My God! reference was to the way media types seem to go straight to the peep-show aspect. I then stated that we need to be able to see past the peep-show and take a look at real issues. But people continue to yield to publicity about the pregnancy and the DUI and the media keeps dishing it out. The politicians are probably patting themselves for making the score while the team has been diverted.

My view is still out on Palin. I only just heard of her and I need more info. And I do believe that there are several others with experience who would probably be superior Vice Presidents. I just refuse to close the door now on Palin until I know more about her.

I also think Palin was chosen because she was a woman (and maybe for not being much of a threat four or eight years from now?) I think the party wanted a minority to trump/match Obama, and choosing a person of color would have been too blatantly obvious. And I also think they might have chosen one who wouldn't have a ghost of a chance of sliding into the White House when the next administration is finished. Politicians can be tricky. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:39 AM:

" What it boils down to is that the Republican's also have a flashy, good-looking, dynamic speaker on their team now and the Dems are jealous she is stealing Obama's thunder. Now they are trying to dig up anything, no matter how trivial, to smear her character. She has an 80% approval rating in her state. That's the highest in the NATION. She must be doing something right. What's the approval rating of Obama's Democratic congress BTW? Obama was hand picked and fast tracked because he's a handsome, well-spoken, minority candidate and you all know it. There is no other reason to pick someone with no experience to lead a nation at war. He's basically a political version of a "Boy Band". Even the majority of Dems knew Hillary was a more qualified candidate. Obama knew he had the media and liberal Hollywood in his pocket so he could pull off the populated states with all the delegates. He didn't waste his time with us small town losers. Just like he would if elected.

Maybe Gov. Palin is not the most experienced candidate, but at least she will have the chance to get some OJT and she already has more executive experience than all the other candidates. Her popularity is gaining and you all can't stand being out of the limelight. Already only 43% of Americans think Obama is more qualified than Palin (rasmussen), and he's the PRESIDENTIAL candidate. Obama's big fan base was the youth, who are notorious for losing interest and not voting. Already the numbers are down to like 20% who say they will definitely vote. I don't think you Dems should panic quite yet. You still have Joe Biden to fall back on, LOL. "

father bob wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:49 AM:

" gringa wrote on Sep 3, 2008 11:21 PM:
" injustice85, please look up the word inane. It has become a favorite word of Early Bird, Harry Potter and father bob. If you can't find it in Webster's, ask one of them what it means. (Hmmm, more evidence that EB and HP and fb are the same poster.) """""

nice call- Doh...er ....Bryant....er....ed miller....er.....arrogant....er....gringa "

father bob wrote on Sep 5, 2008 10:55 AM:

" and, mr. ed.......be sure your blood pressure meds are stocked up, i'd hate for you to stoke-out over the stuff that's going to come out. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:06 PM:

" nice call- Doh...er ....Bryant....er....ed miller....er.....arrogant....er....gringa "

Good one fb, but I think you might have left out a few. I quit counting. No matter how hard the village idiot tries to disguise his style his personality always comes out in his "inane " postings. LOL! "

The Question wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:24 PM:

" What John McCain's speech boils down to this:

My fellow Americans,
I me my, I, I, I Me my; I. I. I, I, I -- I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my, I, I, I. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. P.O.W. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. P.O.W. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. P.O.W. I, I, I. Me, My, I. I, I, I.

My friends,
I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. P.O.W. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. P.O.W. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, me, my. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I. Thank you, and God you, and God bless America. "

julio wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:30 PM:

" The argument is if her mother would offer an alternative other than abstanance she may not have got pregnant. What was foremost on you mind in high school??? "

ed miller wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:40 PM:

" FB,

I really don't care what else the tabloids dig up on her. I'm sure she has some skeletons as we all do. I'm sure she has made some poor political decisions as well, kind of like opposing the surge. But you know, chances are Gov. Palin will not be calling the shots in the White House. A very qualified man who has demonstrated his devotion to his country will be in charge. She will obviously play a reduced roll as VP. I know you are just attempting to distract everyone. You figure if the Republicans have to waste time defending Gov. Palin, they will have less time to point out Obama's shortcomings. The fact remains that your candidate severely lacks experience to be the President and his desperation pick of Biden as his VP was just as good as admitting that himself. No amount of tabloid press about Gov. Palin will change that. "

The Question wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:47 PM:

" Ed says, "FB, I really don't care what else the tabloids dig up on her."
Translation: "Don't bother me with the facts. I can't use them." A remarkably clear statement of the right-wing American thought process. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 5, 2008 12:54 PM:

" So McCain is not a dynamic orator. Obama gives pretty speeches. Some of us prefer substance over flash. There is a reason Boy Bands never last long. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 1:49 PM:

" Pathetic right wingers get called out by Jon Stewart:

Wednesday night on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart hit Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly with damning evidence of their hypocrisy regarding Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

While Rove recently praised Palin's experience as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Stewart showed video of Rove trashing Virginia Governor and former Richmond Mayor Tim Kaine's executive experience, listing all the cities that are bigger than Richmond and calling such a pick "political."

Then, after recent video of O'Reilly describing Bristol Palin's pregnancy as a family issue, Stewart showed a clip of the Fox News host blaming Jamie Lynn Spears' parents for her teenage pregnancy. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 5, 2008 2:59 PM:

" So besides the Enquirer, your other news source is The Daily Show. That explains quite a bit.

If you want hypocrisy, read all the quotes from Hillary bashing Obama on his lack of experience and how he wasn't fit to "answer the White House phone at 3am." "

injustice85 wrote on Sep 5, 2008 3:39 PM:

" has anyone ever heard of equal coverage time? "

The Question wrote on Sep 5, 2008 3:42 PM:

" Roger Simon:
We should stop making with all the questions already. She gave a really good speech. And why go beyond that? As we all know, speeches cannot be written by others and rehearsed for days. They are true windows to the soul.
Unless they are delivered by Barack Obama, that is. In which case, as Palin said Wednesday, speeches are just a "cloud of rhetoric."
Fifth, we should stop reporting on the families of the candidates. Unless the candidates want us to.
Sarah Palin wanted the media to report on her teenage son, Track, who enlisted in the Army on Sept. 11, 2007, and soon will deploy to Iraq.
Sarah Palin did not want the media to report on her teenage daughter, Bristol, who is pregnant and unmarried.
Sarah Palin thinks that one is good for her campaign and one is not, and that the media should report only on what is good for her campaign. That is our job, and that is our duty. If that is not actually in the Constitution, it should be. (And someday may be.) "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 3:56 PM:

" Glad you brought that up ed. I'll try to dig up a few more quotes on McCain from his fellow Pubs. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 4:02 PM:

" A little Karl Rove story for your enjoyment:

Rove's own tendency to be sick-minded originates with his mentor Segretti. The 2000 GOP primary was a chance for Rove to hone his skills in dirty tricks. His target then was Senator John McCain who appeared to be within striking distance of Dubya in South Carolina after the then-GOP maverick's surprise upset victory in New Hampshire. Rove's operation proceeded to target McCain with false stories: McCain was a stoolie for his captors in the Hanoi Hilton (this from a lunatic self-promoting Vietnam "veteran"); McCain fathered a black daughter out of wedlock (a despicable reference to McCain's adopted Bangladeshi daughter); Cindy McCain's drug "abuse"; and even McCain's "homosexuality." In the spirit of Segretti, Rove engineered a victory for Dubya but at the cost of trashing an honorable man and his family. Muskie, McGovern, Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Hart, Tsongas, Clinton, Biden, Dole, Perot, and others had all seen the Segretti/Rove slash and burn tactics before.

Ya gotta love that Karl... "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 4:17 PM:

" Other notable right wingers thoughts on Mr MaGoo.

John McCain is not oblivious to his predicament: hes the first presumptive Republican nominee in the modern era to ascend despite opposition from the partys far-right base. Indeed, after a month of contests, McCain has done quite well without the support of conservatives and traditional GOP voters, much to the partys consternation.

Going forward, the Arizona senator would clearly love to spend the next nine months with a united Republican machine behind him, but thats obviously a tall order hard-line conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santorum, Tom DeLay, Ann Coulter, and James Dobson appear to loathe everything about him. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 4:20 PM:

" More:

r McCain, 71, is intensely disliked by hard core Republicans who have been at the receiving end of his sharp tongue. But the avuncular senator from Arizona is no moderate, as can be seen by his enthusiasm for the war in Iraq and other American military adventures. "

pj1983 wrote on Sep 5, 2008 4:31 PM:

" i didn't read harry's article, i find them rather hard to get through, but i agree with the headline at least. i don't see what her 17 year old daughter has to do with her ability/inability to help run the country. i don't think the fact that her daughter got herself pregnant makes he a bad mother and therefore a bad person to have as a V.P. candidate. nor do i think her husband's DUI from 20 years ago (when he was 22!! who doesn't make bad decisions when they're a kid) has any relevance. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 5, 2008 5:54 PM:

" So who is lying?

There is some chatter about Palin once being apart of the AIP (Alaska Independence Party) which calls for the session of Alaska from the United States.

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." After refraining from commenting on the charge for a day, the McCain campaign on Tuesday asserted that Palin was never a member of the AIP.

But 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.

It just keeps on getting better, doesn't it? "

what? wrote on Sep 5, 2008 8:05 PM:

" The Grand Old Party is in a shambles. Grasping at straws. The've latched onto Palin. Fine with me. After all, it was a straw finaly broke the camels back. They deserve it, the've earned it. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 6, 2008 7:26 AM:

" Guess which on line news source is running a feature on what it calls the lies being told about Sara Palin?

I have to wonder if I missed their defending Obama the last year on the issue for all of the lies, distortions etc being put out by the Republicans and the out and out racists on Obama? Being fair and balanced, I'm sure they did.

Fair and balanced, right?

I'm sure media "fairness" guru, Brett Bozell will be reporting on this issue too.

Good old Brett always lets us know when there is lopsided reporting, but for some reason I don't recall him ever pointing out any distortions and half-truths on a certain network. In fact he has made a career of bashing the main stream media, while defending the right wing smear machine, Fox news, and lauding the distortions, lies and insinuations being put out by the darling of the Republican party, the bombastic windbag, Rush Limbaugh. "

The Question wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:42 AM:

" To its its regular inventory of greed and fear, the GOP has added one other product it can sell: resentment of intelligent people. "

The Question wrote on Sep 6, 2008 10:13 AM:

" The GOP's legacy is already apparent, and it's an unsupportable national debt doubled by Bush, the greatest foreign policy disaster in history, a crippled national economy, the shredding of the Constitution and the transformation of America into a nation of torturers.
Congressional testimony revealed that Bush's Pentagon covered up for KBR electrocuting U.S. troops in their showers. Just another little favor to Dick Cheney's Halliburton pals - who cares how many troops are murdered by their avarice and negligence? Troops are fungible, as Rummy observed.
I will agree that Bush has been steadfast in his utterly relentless support of power lust, greed, stupidity and corruption. "

deep thoughts 45 wrote on Sep 6, 2008 11:32 AM:

" I was just thinking again the other day and here's what I thought. The Republicans have given us John McCain just like they gave us Bob Dole. They knew Bob Dole didn't have a prayer against Bill Clinton but it was his last hurrah. This is John McCain's last hurrah. The difference is that John McCain can win. Why? Because he is running up against a non experienced black man. If you want to know the truth about the candidates then watch The Daily Show with John Stewart on comedy central. He will make you think and you will be saying hmmmmm. Sarah Palin will definitely help John McCain and possibly help him win the election. But no matter what, it will always be about the color of the man's skin. For all those naive people who think that we have passed that, think again. You will soon see how passed that we are. "

The Question wrote on Sep 6, 2008 12:30 PM:

" But why is that wonderfully experienced, ready-to-be-prez Caribou Barbie refusing to appear on TV and answer questions in front of the American people?
Every Democrat on the Sunday public affairs shows should say, "Of course, I understand that I'm here today because the Republicans are afraid to expose their vice presidential candidate to public scrutiny. What does that tell you? Can you connect those dots?" "

The Question wrote on Sep 6, 2008 1:50 PM:

" I know it's confusing, but just use the Bill O'Reilly formula to sort it all out.
A pregnant teenager in Hollywood equals "a slut with bad parents." A pregnant Christian teenager whose mom is a GOP candidate equals "the virgin Mary whose pregnancy is special and how dare you mention it."
See how easy it is? "

The Question wrote on Sep 6, 2008 2:17 PM:

" Sarah Palin snaked her way through six colleges in six years, indicating a level of intelligence that we haven't seen in action since George W. Bush. "

Dottedline wrote on Sep 6, 2008 2:54 PM:

" Roger Simon, once Editor in Chief at The Baltimore Sun, I think, now with Politico.com - but long before that, the student editor of The Daily Illini back when he was a University of Illinois journalism student, wrote a great piece yesterday for Politico.com in which he puts tongue in cheek and writes about which questions are legitimate questions to ask of or about Sarah Palin. You can find it at www.politico.com and search for Roger Simon. It makes a pretty good rejoinder to this Reynolds piece. "

Mike P wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:07 PM:

" Perhaps it took six schools to find one that fit her fear of being asked questions. Pull her string and get one of any prepared party lines is all she has. Perhaps toy story could do a goes to a convention movie, and broken toy could repeat the same lines for more than a week. What does a vp do any way? is my Favorite attributed pre pick quote. Last week broke records, on being a broken record. Wait till it gets into it, and the phrases start mixing like a broken see and say. Paris Palin, is a tv show in the works I can feel it. "

Locke wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:29 PM:

" "Guess which on line news source is running a feature on what it calls the lies being told about Sara Palin?"

The same one that is running a completely unverified story titled, "McCain Camp Rescues Flags From Obama Rally." "

Mama says wrote on Sep 7, 2008 5:14 AM:

" In history, we have read where children born and parents not married have become great leaders. In 1962 a teen age 13 had a baby and father was age 32.
Her mom took care of baby when she in school and then she took care of the child. She was good for her age with this child. They grewup together. The DAD went to prison, he paid child support, the girl graduated and had a job and the child in daycare with kids his own age. The parents were highly religious and were ministers. The ones pointing fingers may be like woman who was pregnant and married at age 12 and she always first point finger at others.
Mother and I helped another mother with a child and born to girl 12. He was perfect and smart and best friend to his mother as they grew up together also. I feel for political candidates as nothing is sacred in private lines.

Hey Harry I liked your column. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 7:30 AM:

" Be sure to watch the special Fox news will be running on Sara Palin.

I'm sure it will be hard hitting and will probe into her history of firing anyone who opposed her in her long and illustrious political career.

I'm sure they will question her fiscal conservative claims and will point out how she put a small town into deep debt with her spending habits too. I can't wait to hear about the book burning ideas she has too.

No doubt they will help us to understand how being the mayor of a town about a third the size of Mattoon and the governor of one of the least populated states in the union translates into he being qualified to be next in line to the president of the most powerful nation in the world.

I'm sure they will help us to see how she was the best choice for McCain and how there were no other Republican women who even came close to her when it comes to qualifications.

We'll all gush over the prospect of her pregnant teenage daughter being married in the White house too. I just hope Pat Robertson or some other good Republican preacher like Benny Hinn performs the ceremony.

I just hope it's as insightful as the Dick Cheney interview regarding his infamous shooting in Texas.

Seriously, I doubt it will be a fluff piece with flags flowing and talk of her deep religious convictions and strong family values. You know like the e-mails the base is flooding the Net with.

I can't wait to watch this hard hitting piece from the fair and balanced folks at the Faux...oops ..I mean...Fixed.. darn it, I mean Fox news. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 7:49 AM:

" Obama says the Palin daughter's pregnancy is off limits and he will fire any staff member who he finds out is talking about it.

Remember Bush promising to fire any one of his staff who was involved in the outing of the CIA agent, Valarie Plame?

If will be interesting to see if Obama, unlike the prevaricating Bush, sticks to his promise, if that happens. "

The Question wrote on Sep 7, 2008 9:21 AM:

" The poor gutter-trash Republican. He believes the people he supports are "good" and "nice" because they wear American Legion hats and carry around Bibles. He thinks he's a victim of those awful "liberals" he hears so much about on Fox News the people who fought slavery and child labor and poorhouses for the elderly and then somehow became, oddly enough, servants of evil.  
In England, liberals being proponents of freedom and equality were the people who fought for free enterprise. Conservatives fought against it, naturally, in favor of class and privilege. 
In fact the gutter-trash Republican is the victim, as his "good" heroes drain his Social Security account with national debt and carefully prepare his grandchildren to invade the next resource-rich country that happens to catch Dick Cheney's reptilian eye. Insisting that the U.S. can do no wrong (except when a Democrat is president), he therefore lets it get away with murder - literally.  "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 10:16 AM:

" For those buying into Palin's claim of being a regular soccer mom, I would remind everyone that George Bush campaigned on the promise of being a compassionate conservative. We're still waiting to see that side of him. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 10:41 AM:

" Once again the main stream media turns its head. Just like they have given John and Cindy McCain a total pass over their adulterous affairs, it looks like Palin will get one too. It's too bad that a supermarket tabloid like the National Enquirer had to break the Edwards affair wide open, and now appears to be ready to expose Palin for the same thing.

If the National Enquirer gets the goods on Palin, will Fox news run features for days on it, like they did over the Edwards affair? Any thing coming out of the Republican smear machine, Fox, will be total denial.

I think we know the position the good folks at the Fox news channel will take, regardless of any facts. LOL! "

ed miller wrote on Sep 7, 2008 12:46 PM:

" The liberal posters are still at it. It's more important for voters to know that Sarah Palin pushed someone off the playground swing in 5th grade than to know that Obama is chummy with domestic terrorists, wants a government bureaucrat to manage your health care, and will tax all of our jobs out of the country. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 1:08 PM:

" Cindy McCain should be the happiest woman in America right now, Sara Palin makes trophy wife Cindy look like a girl scout. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 7, 2008 4:38 PM:

" So tell us, eddie, besides the silly pregnancy stories, that I suspect were really no more than tongue-in-cheek, what has anyone said about Palin that wasn't true? Palin is a train wreck waiting to happen, and you know it. A new scandal a day. What will we learn tomorrow? "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 7, 2008 4:47 PM:

" Tuco:"It's a pathetic form of desperation that can entice a person to stoop so low as to imply that a parent with a child who has erred is unfit to serve in public office."
I would agree BUT abstinance is a keystone of the Republican party, so
presmably it should have been at the
ABSOLUTE TOP of the mother's priority
to demand the child preactice abstinance.
If she cannot convince her own child of the correctness of party polity, how can she be expected to convince
anyone else.
Of coure it's been proved by research that abstinence-training has failed, but the Republican party continues to
claim it works. "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 7, 2008 4:49 PM:

" " I think that a woman that is with a party that spouts family values and has five children and one of them with Down syndrome should be home more with those children than out and about trying to run this country. Obama was gracious about her daughters pregnancy and she was vindictive in her speech."

That's why they call her Sarah Baraccuda in Alaska. "

coonbug wrote on Sep 7, 2008 7:44 PM:

" So now we're told Palin will no interviews until "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference,", according to McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis (TPM).

Who the HELL does he think he is? Who the HELL does she think she is? She works for US --it's not the other way around.

Meanwhile, anybody interested in discussing why we should get the bulk of troops out of Iraq? I have a commenter taking me on -- seems to think he/she is an expert now, which I've never claimed to be -- just stating my opinion and desires.

TROOPS SLOW TO LEAVE - WHY? http://coonsey.wordpress.com/ "

Rotty wrote on Sep 7, 2008 8:55 PM:

" Tell he/she to come on over, & take on the democRATS, here, Coonsey.
LOL! "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 8, 2008 7:00 AM:

" coonbug wrote on Sep 7, 2008 7:44 PM:

" So now we're told Palin will no interviews until "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference,", according to McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis (TPM).

Could this be because he knows the press won't give up, and knowing that he goofed in picking a loose cannon, this is a way to keep her under wraps till election time? Maybe Sara will be a stealth VP candidate, and will not have to face the scrutiny of the press and the public, and the McCain camp will just release updates about her glorious career as the mayor of boon-dock city in Alaska, and how that prepares her for the world stage. You know, all of that executive experience the Repugs keep crowing about.

Who can blame John, after all a new scandal a day comes out. It looks like today's scandal is that another of her former lovers has been found. Maybe this guy will talk, that is unless the Repugs pay for his silence too. "

The Question wrote on Sep 8, 2008 8:16 AM:

" Palin is getting a pass from the corporate media, and propaganda specials promoting her on Fox News. Palin thinks the founding fathers wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, and inserted the words "Under God" into it. Those are, on their face, the views of a know-nothing moron. "

People are grasping wrote on Sep 8, 2008 9:53 AM:

" Why are the lefties and Obama supporters so rabid??

Anyone running for office is going to be outed on questionable behaviors, whether they are current or from the past. Who cares? Is Palin's pregnant daughter going to force me to vote for someone (Obama) that I do not believe in as a leader or trust as a human being? Um, no. Is Palin's husbands 20+ year old DUI going to make me support a man for President who has under 200 days experience in his Senate seat? Um, hell no.

Let them say what they want... it all boils down to who we believe will make the best decisions for our country, and no matter what the lefties dig up that won't change. As a matter of fact, it only makes them look desperate. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 8, 2008 9:54 AM:

" The Question - You keep saying that, implying she's dumb. The question was, "does Under God" offend you. As God is mentioned or referred in many of the documents at the founding of this country, from Plymouth Rock to the Declaration to the Federalist Papers, I think she can be excused for saying "under God" was not offensive to the Founders in relation to the State.

Even if you interpret her comment to believed the Pledge was written by one of the Founders (which you are too intelligent to really think that, but like to make us think you do), that doesn't exhibit any more ignorance than Obama saying he doesn't know when life begins (an idea easily refuted by simply asking him if he and his wife have ever used birth control). "

The Question wrote on Sep 8, 2008 1:08 PM:

" Here's Sarah Six Colleges answering a candidate questionnaire:
---
Question: Are you offended by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?
Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.
---
The pledge, of course, was not written until 1892 and the words "under God" were not added until the 1950s, in a fit of rabid McCarthyism. "

The Question wrote on Sep 8, 2008 1:16 PM:

" Tell me, do you Republicans think a candidate for vice president should know whether or not the nation's mortgage giants are taxpayer-funded before she shoots off her moose-mongering mouth? "

The Question wrote on Sep 8, 2008 2:05 PM:

" Fiscal responsibility! They rave. As they run up the national debt to unprecedented heights. Freedom! They shout. As bombs are dropped on foreign lands and innocent people are murdered while the Constitution is diminished, subverted, disrespected, and why? Personal responsibility! They cry. As U.S. corporations need another taxpayer funded handout to correct their unregulated greed.
Conservatives dread the light of day. They know that if their true motives are revealed, theyll be lucky to get away with their lives.
Jon Faulkner "

Collatine wrote on Sep 8, 2008 3:52 PM:

" The Question - Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae each receive $2.25 billion lines of credit with the U.S. Treasury. These special pipelines give the institutions an implied federal guarantee available to no other private sector competitors in the mortgage market. That protection makes them immune to the costs normally associated with riskier and riskier behavior. Moreover, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not required to pay state and local income taxes. In addition, the standard for how much money the government requires them to keep on hand in case homebuyers default on their mortgages is lower for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae than for fully private banks and thrifts. The two corporations receive an estimated $10 billion a year in hidden taxpayer subsidies. Of course, this is all before the socialist bailout announced Sunday. Bottom line: they were and are taxpayer supported and she understands more about our financial institutions than you do. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 8, 2008 3:55 PM:

" As for the other point, I stand corrected. She made a foolish comment, as we all do from time to time. I'm sure it's not her only one. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 8, 2008 4:09 PM:

" Forgot to mention that Freddie and Fannie were Government Sponsored Enterprises ... GSEs, basically set up by Congress to allow more Americans to purchase homes. While this seemed a good idea at the time (and my mortgage was sold to Freddie, I think), they went wildly amiss when they bought sub-prime mortgages. Bottom line, it shows the hazard of allowing a vast portion of the American financial system to be restructured by Congress... hope it's a lesson they take to heart when they consider universal health care. In the meantime, once the economy recovers, let's hope Congress breaks up Freddie and Fannie into smaller units, so they can compete - allowing the weaker ones to fail, without undermining our whole economy. "

Hahvahd wrote on Sep 8, 2008 5:16 PM:

" To People are grasping: so if McCain gets elected and the very real possibility happens that hekeels over in office, you really and truly believe that Sarah Palin's
"experience" as the mayor of Podunk, Alaska, with a population of less than 7,000, and her less than 20 months of experience as Governor of our 47th most popular state makes her more qualified to serve as President than Obama's nearly 4 years in the US Senate and years in the IL legislature before that qualify him? Get real! And if you're going to subtract the time in which he's been campaigning for President from his service, then you need to subtract the past 10 years off McTheseluh's resume, too.

Besides, judgment means more than experience, and I certainly trust Obama's judgment more than anything the Republican party has offered forth since, say, Lincoln. Certainly McCain Palin would be the final nails in the coffin for the demise of the good ol USA. "

RAK wrote on Sep 8, 2008 5:47 PM:

" "4 years in the US Senate"

You mean 4 months of actually serving in the Senate? When was the last time he attended a session? A committee meeting? "

ed miller wrote on Sep 8, 2008 5:49 PM:

" Freddie and Fannie are reasons why the government should stay out of that business. Elect Obama and the government will be meddling in EVERYTHING. "

The Question wrote on Sep 8, 2008 5:49 PM:

" Did you hear that the Silver State bank of Henderson, Nevada was closed by federal bank regulators on Friday. On or about July 27, a scant six weeks ago, John McCain's son Andrew McCain, resigned from its Board of Directors for, ahem, "personal reasons."
Is that news? We'll see. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 8, 2008 6:20 PM:

" Yes RAK, apparently voting "Present" equates as experience. "

People are grasping wrote on Sep 8, 2008 6:46 PM:

" Hahvahd--

Sarah Palin may not have a great deal of experience in terms of time, but her experience with getting things done in the political arena far surpasses that of Obama. I know, you know, we all know it.

As far as McCain keeling over--I'd rather take my chances electing the ticket with the experienced NO. 1 (McCain) rather than the (some say) experienced NO. 2 (Biden). How can you even suggest that we don't elect McCain because he might die leaving Palin in charge? LOL But if McCain is elected, and God forbid something DOES happen to him, I do believe that Sarah Palin would have a better shot at leading our country than Obama has right out of the gate.

And since we're talking about a lack of experience please don't let us forget Obama. He has sat in his senate seat to the tune of around 150 times. He has accomplished NOTHING. He gives his minions lip service. Apparently that's all they require.

Judgement? You trust Obama's judgement? That's laughable! Did you come to this decision before or after he spent the majority of his adult life attending and tithing to a church full of bigots and racists otherwise known as Trinity United Church of Christ?

I'm not here to argue whether Republicans or Democrats are right. In my opinion there will never be a perfect candidate. I am a middle of the road girl and see great ideas from both parties. But McCain is the most liberal Republican I've ever had the chance to vote for, and for me that's as close to perfect as I'll likely ever get. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 8, 2008 7:44 PM:

" More Palin Lies?

It seems that much of Sarah Palin's pre-political background may be fabricated, including her claim that she was Miss Congeniality in the 1984 Miss Wasilla pageant.
Amy Gwin, 43, of University City, grew up in Alaska and competed in the Miss Wasilla, Alaska, competition in 1984 against GOP vice presidential choice Sarah Palin. Gwin said Friday that she won the Miss Congeniality award in the competition, although Palin's Wikipedia entry says she won the contest and the Miss Congeniality award. Gwin was a year behind Palin, now 44, at Wasilla High School, which had about 800 students. Gwin said Palin was "a high school star in a good way," a beauty who got good grades and excelled at athletics. Gwin, who was president of her class, does not recall Palin holding school office. The Wikipedia entry on Palin said she was head of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes and captain of the basketball team. Gwin said she was not surprised when Palin became the governor of Alaska, but is astonished that she got the GOP nod for vice president. Asked whether she would support Palin because she knows her, Gwin said: "I wouldn't support her if she was my very best friend. I support Obama and don't share any of her (Palin's) politics. She's very shallow."

Did this woman actually think no one would check into her background. I'm beginning to think she must be a pathological liar. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 8, 2008 8:23 PM:

" Someone implied that her being the governor of the 47th most populous state meant she's not qualified for VP. Maybe so, but consider that she manages a $13 Billion budget, and runs a surplus. That's a larger budget than the three men combined have ever managed... really, the experience argument just doesn't hold, when you consider the alternative. One way or the other, we're going to have inexperienced blood in the White House. Deal with it.

Something that she has done is levy a gross-profit tax on Big Oil companies, and then returned that tax to the people of her state in the form of a rebate (no wonder she has an 80% approval rating).

I have been against a gross profit tax in principle, arguing it would just drive up energy prices... but Gov. Palin's success is forcing me to reconsider that position... with oil dropping to almost $100 per barrel, and gas NOT dropping precipitously, maybe Palin, who has EXPERIENCE taking on Big Oil and winning, isn't such a bad choice. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 8, 2008 8:48 PM:

" C,mon Collatine, none of that trivial stuff matters. After all, she wasn't REALLY the beauty queen. She has a pregnant daughter. She has a kid with Downs Syndrome and can't be a VP. Her husband had a DUI a hundred years ago. She apposes abortion and the Enquirer said she supposedly had an affair.

It doesn't matter if you are chummy with criminals and terrorists AND have no experience. All that matters is talking about "change" and "hope" and getting the gullible public to buy into it just like they were suckered into "Ending the Iraq war" in 2006. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:56 AM:

" Something that she has done is levy a gross-profit tax on Big Oil companies, and then returned that tax to the people of her state in the form of a rebate (no wonder she has an 80% approval rating).

So now the GOP supporters are advocating additional taxes on the oil companies? That seems to contradict everything they have been saying for months now.

If a Democrat says it, look out, but now that very idea is being used to justify voting for a Republican.

Is this something like Bush grabbing Obama's idea about reducing the number of troops in Iraq while increasing the number in Afghanistan? "

The Question wrote on Sep 9, 2008 6:36 AM:

" Here's how the Trojan Moose rips off taxpayers.
Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.
Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.
The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:55 AM:

" Early Bird wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:56 AM:
" Is this something like Bush grabbing Obama's idea about reducing the number of troops in Iraq while increasing the number in Afghanistan? "

No, fortunately for everybody, the Republicans actually listen to the MILITARY for troop strategy and not politicians. I'm sure Obama has tried to claim it was "his idea", just like all those bills he "co-authored". Just because one was a good "community organizer", does not make one a good military organizer. "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:52 AM:

" I wonder how many of the folks here supporting Palin and McCain are also the ones that supported Bush and lauded his great accomplishments, moral uprightness, experience as a governor,Christian beliefs, ....... sounds like the same old arguments to me and look at what happened. "

The Question wrote on Sep 9, 2008 1:45 PM:

" "No, fortunately for everybody, the Republicans actually listen to the MILITARY for troop strategy and not politicians. "
---
Complete claptrap.
On Feb. 25, 2003, Gen. Eric Shinseki, then Army Chief of Staff, told a Congressional Hearing that "several hundred thousand" American soldiers would be required to achieve the least costly success in Iraq. Two days later, Rumsfeld and his toady Wolfowitz told Congress that Shinseki was crazy, and that a successful invasion of Iraq could be completed with far fewer troops. Then they stabbed Shinseki in the back, and we've been spending $3 billion a week in Iraq ever since. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 9, 2008 1:49 PM:

" shumphreys- I'm not sure what Bush and morality has to do with Palin. I could easily look to the experience Gov Bill Clinton brought or Gov Howard Dean would have brought, and that would lead me to believe she'll be a good executive, but I don't have to. I'm looking at her issues.

Early Bird - if you read my point again, you'll see I was making an argument based on principle and theory... but Palin has actual experience that might prove me wrong.

The Question - Come on, buddy, you can do better than that. Those costs of doing business as a governor might be a concern IF it were Illinois where there's a budget deficit, but in Alaska, she's running a huge budget SURPLUS. They have money to burn in running state, and she STILL managed to return money to tax payers.

Newsweek.com has a interesting article debunking most of the false Internet rumors about Palin floating around (i.e., she wanted to ban books, teach creationism in schools and so on). Check it out. It's amusing.

Frankly, it doesn't matter how we vote... this state is head over heels for Obama, and Prez Obama will be great for Coles County (i.e., Futuregen)... but she has sparked my interest in the election, and that makes it fun. "

The Question wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:56 PM:

" When McBush and the Moose Woman, leaders of the party that has controlled the White House for eight years and both houses of Congress for five of them, pose as "outsiders" and "reformers" and "agents of change," they are lying.
That's because they are liars, like most people in their neo-fascist party. And that's because they running from the chimpanzee's disastrous record as fast as their expensive little shoes will carry them. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:56 PM:

" Not very good with reality are you, eddie? Obama was pushing for pulling troops out of Iraq and increasing troop levels in Afghanistan quite awhile back. Even before Bushes Generals came to the same conclusion.

As usual, you got it wrong.

Nice try though. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:37 PM:

" No, you got it wrong Potter. Little thing known as "the surge", which turned the tide in the Iraq war. If Obama had got his way, progress would be slow and casualty rates higher. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:57 AM:

" A lot of things seem to go right over your head, don't they, ed? "

The Question wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:44 AM:

" I have one favorite quote from Sarah Palin, and it applies to her: "Thanks, but no thanks."
--------------- "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 10, 2008 10:15 AM:

" Collatine, a candidates position on abortion, sex education in public schools, fighting corruption/standing against the Big Guys, even presenting ones self as a Beauty Queen (cheer leader in Bush's case) are all morality issues--playing up ones moral character,virtue, uprightness, patriotism, as the main qualifications for the job as though your opponent was less moral, virtuous, patriotic, upright than you. Morality issues attract votes but aren't as important as stances on war, economics, Americas position in the world in this new century. Self-portrayed moralists often turn out to be something other than moral in their character. "

The Question wrote on Sep 10, 2008 10:37 AM:

" Self-portrayed moralists often turn out to be something other than moral in their character.
---
Right, Susan.
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons." "

K.S. wrote on Sep 10, 2008 1:25 PM:

" It's amazing to me how you people point fingers at each other and claim how the "other" political party is corrupt. The fact of the matter is, ALL politicials are corrupted liars. The systems is set up that way. Politicians are bought by special interest groups, and when a politician claims he's doing something for the American people, he's lying. "

The Question wrote on Sep 10, 2008 2:12 PM:

" The fact of the matter is, ALL politicials are corrupted liars. The system is set up that way.
----
Look, the Republicans have wrecked our foreign policy, the economy and the Constitution. If you would like them to finish you off in short order, vote for them, by all means.
When I have a choice between the weak and the evil, I'll take the weak. "

K.S. wrote on Sep 10, 2008 3:58 PM:

" Mr. TQ:
What, in my post, makes you think I vote Republican? To be quite honest, I've never voted in a Primary before, because one must declare to be of one party or the other. I will admit that I voted for Bush / Cheney, a move that I regret. However, at the time, seemed to be the best choice. (In hindsight, I don't know how there could have been a worse choice). I get tired of the pompous, self-righteous attitude of "My political party is not corrupt - yours is", when they both are!! "

The Question wrote on Sep 10, 2008 4:48 PM:

" The Democratic Party is by far the lesser of two evils, KS. The modern Republican Party is literally fascist. "

father bob wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:03 PM:

" If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you're a "baby daddy." If you're the same in Alaska you're a "teen father." (Actually, according to your own MySpace page you're an F'n redneck that don't want any kids, but that's too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to take out of context and flog morning noon and night).

Black teen pregnancies? A "crisis" in black America.
White teen pregnancies? A "blessed event."

If you grow up in Hawaii you're "exotic."
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you're the quintessential "American story."

Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you're "unpatriotic."
Name your kid Track, you're "colorful."

If you're a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fulling vetting the individual you're "reckless."
A Republican who doesn't fully vet is a "maverick."

If you say that for the "first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country" it makes you "unfit" to be First Lady.
If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that advocates secession that makes you "First Dude."

A DUI from twenty years ago is "old news."
A speech given without proper citation from twenty years ago is "relevant information."

If you get 18 million people to vote for you in a national presidential primary, you're a "phoney."
Get 100,000+ people to vote you governor of the 47th most populous state in the Union, you're "well loved."

If you are biracial and born in a state not connected to the lower 48, America needs darn near 2 years and 3 major speeches to "get to know you."
If you're white and from a state not connected to the lower 48, America needs 36 minutes and 38 seconds worth of an acceptance speech to know you're "one of us."

If you give your wife a dap on stage, it's actually a "terrorist fist jab."
If your daughter licks her palm so that she can slick down your youngest child's hair on national TV it's an "adorable moment." (Seriously, forget about abstinence only, teach these folks some grooming skills).

If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America, you're an "extremist."
If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you're a "fundamentalist."

If you're a black man and you use a scholarship to get into college, then work your way up to being the president of the Harvard Law Review, you're "uppity."
If you're a conservative and your parents pay your way to Hawaii Pacific University . . . you only have four more schools to attend over the next five years before you somehow manage to graduate (it might be five more school over the next five years. No one has yet verified whether or not Palin was actually ever registered at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
But, you know how shady people are who ever attended any kind of school in Hawaii).

If you're 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant "life happens."
If you're 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you're a "registered sex offender."

If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of "Change,"
it's just "empty rhetoric."
If one week before your party's national convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about "Change," that's "red meat."

And your last lesson for the day:
If you are a Democrat, an Independent, or even a moderate Republican, if you're female, male, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, bi-racial, multi-ethnic, or GLBT, if you're a Jew, Gentile, Muslim, agnostic or atheist - "Yes, we can!"
If you're a pitbull with lipstick from Alaska, "Yup, yup!" "

Mike P wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:19 PM:

" Shoot first and ask or answer questions later, is not a strength. Having more of a concience and being cognisant of reality, history, and effect before rushing into anything is not a weakness.

We are a super power, it takes more strength to get things done without force, than it does to occupy a region with the stroke of a pen. Intelligence was faulty, but GW's deffinately was. It is now his trademark. His legacy is our demise. This guy was a puppet. one of his puppetmasters, Rove is front and center, in the McCain campaign. He was just off stage in Palins acceptance speech. Liebermen is getting her up to speed on issues for her upcomming interview.

The big picture this campaign is trying to paint, is nothing more than abstact impressionism, of what they think people want to hear. The pulse of the people is easily taken. Some candidates use it to simply tap into the tell them what they want to hear, till november political game.

Having Rove and others imbeded in the current administration, is real. Will a little change here and there, but using the same inside guys, really be more than changing the names on the desk? No president will have easy work, to get from where we are to a beter place. McCains economic proposals will leave trillions in debt more than Obamas. Neither on its own, can even get the debt out of the trillios of dollars. Bush is still running up the tab as we speak. Hurricanes are lined up one after the other, headed for the country. No convention, no front page story, same old stuff. Opec is cutting production to keep oil over 100 a barrel. It will be rough, it won't be solved in 4 years. Those economic figures were based on old debt, and the plans spread out for 10 years. Side by side, by finance experts skeptical of both, not being adequate to make much of a dent in this monstrocity, on their own.

Its going to take sacrifice, and a lot of time to fix the last eight years. 9/11 didn't have to lead us here. It wasn't Bush not winning the popular vote, that led us here. It was a group effort over eight years, that allowed us to be here. Things need big change, that many entrenched folks on any side aren't going to like.

A new paint job on the same old structure, won't fix whats broken in the foundations. They are crumbling. We all are in the same building. Huddling in rooms on opposite sides of the hall, will not keep it from falling down around and on us.

Our local and state governments are suffering from exactly the same problems the federal level has. Things need to change right here. Evidently there is a constitutional convention authorization on the ballot, sometime in the next year. We need one. Look at the article on it, find out about it, and decide if we do for yourselves. Change is needed, there are ways we can begin to make changes as citizens, starting right here at home. Little things are broken we have the ability to work at solving.

We can't count on our local paper to properly inform us of upcomming possibiliies to be a factor in effecting needed change. We can't even count on them to inform us of complete facts. We are on our own, to do it for our selves.

Things can be better, possibilities to ensure they might, are out there for people to be heard, in how they need to be, and must be. How can we expect the big picture of the country to be much different then things are here and in the state. Govenment spending money it doesn't have, on anything needs to be addressed. From TIF to leasing the lottery, it needs to be confronted, and needs to not be one blank check after the other written on tax payers accounts. "

Rotty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:36 PM:

" zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[awakens]
[yawns]

Thanks, Mike, I was in need of a power nap. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:54 PM:

" Well, looks like father Bob has been cutting and pasting his little heart out. It's a shame it's mostly biased, skewered "facts" from some obviously liberal web site.

Rev. Wright is a racist. Saying he "rails against inequality" is bunk. I don't need to post all of his hatred again.

If you brag about how many votes he got in the primary, why don't you mention that MORE democrats wanted Hillary because they knew she at was qualified.

Why don't you ask yourself how someone with Obama's means GOT into Harvard. Why don't you look up Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al-Mansour?

Most of the other junk you copied is more slams on Gov. Palin's family, which has been done to death. I'm sorry that Obama has nothing to brag about that you have to resort to cheap shots and the V.P.'s family. Better luck next time. "

ed miller wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:54 PM:

" Rotty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 6:36 PM:
" zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[awakens]
[yawns]

Thanks, Mike, I was in need of a power nap. "

I thought it was just me. "

Locke wrote on Sep 10, 2008 8:47 PM:

" The surge... turned the tide in the Iraq war.

Good call. Allying with the Sahr militia, bribing foriegn Sunni terrorists opposed to Iran, allowing political leaders to seize oil revenue, and throwing cold, hard cash around surely helped somewhat. Seriously, the two are connected -- the surge allowed this to progress more rapidly -- but I guess it's more patriotic to just look at body counts, wave the flag, heap praise upon our soldier.

A doofus knocks a vase off a table and it breaks into hundreds of pieces. The doofus then goes and glues the vase back together, but it is still clearly broken. Only a simpleton would applaud the doofus for fixing what he just broke. "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 11, 2008 7:23 AM:

" Father bob I think you add to your list if a Democrat says something it is a "cheap shot" if the Republican says something it is uncovering the facts. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 11, 2008 8:01 AM:

" Anyone else remember those pallets of cash that disappeared in the early days of the Iraq invasion? I'd like to get a peek at the Swiss accounts of the likes of Paul Brimner (?), Dick Cheney, the Carlyle Group and the rest of the Bush cohorts who have turned this fiasco into their own personal cash cow. "

citizenofmattoon wrote on Sep 11, 2008 8:51 AM:

" RIGHT%&^$*&#@ Who cares?
I'm not a Palin fan. However, I can't figure out what in the world, her daughter being pregnant has to do with the world affairs? &(%$^@
Kinda like; it didn't effect my life over the Clinton scandle. Some people just don't have enough to do to keep them busy..........:))) "

The Question wrote on Sep 11, 2008 9:49 AM:

" I remember them, Harry: $12 billion in American taxpayer CASH just VANISHED in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, and the Bush administration was distinctly incurious about where it might have gone. The cash was in the form of shrink-wrapped $100 bills so heavy they had to be moved by fork lift.
Bremer waved it all away with some vague, self-satisfied statement about "bad Iraqi accounting procedures."
LOL. Republicans must love having their corrupt government officials rip them off right in front of their eyes. Maybe it's some kind of weird GOP S&M thing. "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 12:43 PM:

" Collatine wrote:"Something that she has done is levy a gross-profit tax on Big Oil companies, and then returned that tax to the people of her state in the form of a rebate (no wonder she has an 80% approval rating)."
Collatine apparently heard only the Republican version.
(1) The oil companies have ALWAYS been
taxed and usually that oil tax is returned to the people, but the governor can keep it for putlic use.
Palin (1) returned the tax to the people to make them feel good, then
(2) passed a big bond issue to build roads and infrastructure.
So (a) give money now for political purposes, (b)borrow money their kids will have to pay off.

Incidentally I'll bet she didn't know that when Plan became Mayor of Wasilla,
there was NO PUBLIC DEBT; when she left
their indebitedness was $22 Million.
Figure up how much each member of the little town now owes. She did this to built a big sports palace which she claimed would be a big money-maker, would pay off the debt. WRONG; the
people themselves are going to have to
pay for itr. "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 12:55 PM:

" Collatine wrote:".... that doesn't exhibit any more ignorance than Obama saying he doesn't know when life begins (an idea easily refuted by simply asking him if he and his wife have ever used birth control). "
The question of when life begins is not quite so simple as Collie thinks.
Here in Colorado the radical right is trying to pass an Amendment to the Colorado Constitution that "a human being" is
created at the moment of conception.
However embryologists tell us that twinning often occurs up to 4 to 6 days
after conception. HOW EMBARRASSING -- the amendment (if passed) claims that a = "one" is created and now we have TWO on our hands. What the H... are we going to do with the extra?? A half-abortion would set the circumstances right with the state constitution. But which one will you take? "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 12:58 PM:

" Collatine wrote re Frddie Mac, etc:"
Of course, this is all before the socialist bailout announced Sunday."
Let's see, who was it who bailed out the savings and loans?????????????
Paid $1 billion to rescue Silverado which had gone belly up with Neil BUSH
on their board, slipping money up the back doow to rich land developers who were slipping some of it back to him.
Hmmm. Where did Neil end up these days????? "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:12 PM:

" citizen of Mattoon wrote:"However, I can't figure out what in the world, her daughter being pregnant has to do with the world affairs? &(%$^@"
=====================================
Let me explain it slowly so you can grasp it.
ABSTINANCE is a cornerstone of Republican policy. They have even spent millions of our tax $$$ to promote ABSTINANCE, and claim (contrary to evidence) that it works.
If Palin cannot explain to her daughter a bacic Republican principle of ABSTINANCE, then how in H*** can she convince the leader of a foreign country that the
McCain-Palen principles are correct???
It's a bit like claiming to be a fiscal
convervative and leaving a poor little town like Wasilla with a $22 million deficit after 6 years when she started with a village that had NO DEBT. She cxreated a debt of about $5,000 (I've forgotten the exact population of Wasilla) on the head of every man, woman & child -- which was not there when she became Mayor. AND has the audacity to claim to he a fiscal conservative -- LIAR would be more like the truth. And I'll bet that soon
or leter she'll use the old phrase about Democrats who "borrow and spend" in
complete contradiction to WHAT SHE DID
to the poor folks of Wasilla. "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:20 PM:

" One writer reminds that the Republians claim:" The surge... turned the tide in the Iraq war.
======================================
LET IS NEVER FORGET GENERAL SHINSEKI, who told George Bush AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR 400,000 troops would be needed. Shinseki was humiliated and forced to resign by 'General' GWBush, who greatly reduced the size of the invading force.
Had Shinseki been allowed to "SURGE"
from the beginning, the war might have ended several years ago.
How STUPID that Bush is now praised for the surge by Republicans when he opposed it at the beginning when it would have counted -- and saved American $$ and American lives.
Shinseki should be given a medal and GWB should be given a kick in the @@@. "

Cognitus wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:28 PM:

" ed miller:"" No, you got it wrong Potter. Little thing known as "the surge", which turned the tide in the Iraq war. If Obama had got his way, progress would be slow and casualty rates higher. "
ED Get your head out of the well.
I've just explaiend that IF GENERAL SENSEKI HAD HAD HIS WAY AT THE BEGINNING, the war would have ended much earlier.
DO NOT BLAME OBAMA: rattle your brain and remember that your hero
GEORGE W BUSH vetoed the surge back in
2003, humiliated Shinseki and CUT the
troops he sent over. It was only later
that he, in desperation, tried to remedy the blunder he made in 2003. So is you want to kick @@@@, ask GWB to bend over and kick a field goal. "

William Ayers wrote on Sep 11, 2008 4:21 PM:

" Cognitus- did anyone happen to mention that Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson both who have served as CEO's of the failed housing institution Fannie Mae and who are both neck deep in the mortgage debacle, are both key political and economic advisers to Obama and have been since day one?
Did you know that? "

The Cleveland Steamer wrote on Sep 11, 2008 8:56 PM:

" Palin's daughter got an abortion? - So what? "

zeldalu wrote on Sep 12, 2008 5:49 AM:

" Ok this is just my two cents. Why is it that the McCain side of this issue is so willing to accept this teenage pregnancy but if it were to happen to the Obama side of the issue, I wonder if they would be spouting off the "Family values" politics. And I would be saying this if it were to happen in the reverse. I just think that you have to be able to lead by example. I would hate it if my daughter who is 17 were to become pregnant then maybe come to me and say "if it is ok with Palin, then why isn't it ok with you?" Just food for thought. "

Early Bird wrote on Sep 12, 2008 6:00 AM:

" It looks like the pseudo Ayres, aka Doh, hasn't heard about the John and Cindy McCain connection to the convicted criminal Charles Keating, Cognitus.

Actually, I'm sure he has, he's just practicing the Karl Rove technique of politickin'

The only problem is that he isn't very good at it. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 12, 2008 7:11 AM:

" I have to wonder how many American lives were lost because of this idiot not going a long with his generals. One would think Bush would have learned a lesson from Vietnam about politicians getting involved with strategic military decisions. I guess he was too busy boozing and cokeing it up while AWOL from the Alabama Guard. "

The Question wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:04 AM:

" Palin has traditional Republican values. She is incompetent and a liar. "

citizenofmattoon wrote on Sep 12, 2008 10:17 AM:

" Like I said: I'M NOT A PALIN FAN...
EVIDENTALLY, U aren't either.
Just don't think Palin's daughter being pregnant will affect my life and I hope it doesn't affect anyone else's.

COGNITUS: wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:12 PM:

" citizen of Mattoon wrote:"However, I can't figure out what in the world, her daughter being pregnant has to do with the world affairs? &(%$^@"
=====================================
Let me explain it slowly so you can grasp it.
ABSTINANCE is a cornerstone of Republican policy. They have even spent millions of our tax $$$ to promote ABSTINANCE, and claim (contrary to evidence) that it works.
If Palin cannot explain to her daughter a bacic Republican principle of ABSTINANCE, then how in H*** can she convince the leader of a foreign country that the
McCain-Palen principles are correct???
It's a bit like claiming to be a fiscal
convervative and leaving a poor little town like Wasilla with a $22 million deficit after 6 years when she started with a village that had NO DEBT. She cxreated a debt of about $5,000 (I've forgotten the exact population of Wasilla) on the head of every man, woman & child -- which was not there when she became Mayor. AND has the audacity to claim to he a fiscal conservative -- LIAR would be more like the truth. And I'll bet that soon
or leter she'll use the old phrase about Democrats who "borrow and spend" in
complete contradiction to WHAT SHE DID
to the poor folks of Wasilla. " "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 12, 2008 6:05 PM:

" She took over a small little rural town with no debt and left it with a 22 million dollar debt. Hmmm...now what president took a country over with a budget surplus and drove in in the ground with trillions of dollars of debt after just a few years? Sounds like Paris is a miniature Bush.

Reformer? yeah right, just another big spending Republican politician, who hides behind the smaller government lie put out by Republicans like Bush and Reagan who have given this country the biggest debts in history.

I hope she's not a compassionate conservative too? "

Mike P wrote on Sep 13, 2008 12:48 AM:

" It wen't on refferendum.

If it got voted down and she had it built anyway, she would be from here, not there. But the parallels to our situations, and hers have me wondering if those swiss scientists, didnt tear some hole in a demension or something, with their new toy. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 13, 2008 7:13 AM:

" It's becoming increasingly obvious that the Republicans are hell bent of dummying down their party. First Reagan, who seemed to walk around in a confused fog, then Bush/Cheney who have singlehandly tried to destroy this country, and now they give us a doddering old worn out political hack and a Paris Hilton-like shallow bimbo. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 13, 2008 8:17 AM:

" When the National Enquirer broke the story of Edwards affair, the good folks at Fox news were all over it, for weeks in fact, but now that the same tabloid has caught up with a possible Republican affair, the are noticeably silent. Why is that?

I have a feeling there are going to be some red faces over at the McCain camp before this is over. Tabloids like the Enquirer are good at ferreting out dirt on the high and mighty. They pay cash for stories, and greed is quite a motivator. Those sycophants hoping to ride on Palin's coattails might change their tune when the NE starts throwing around cash.

It will be to late for McCain to change his mind, so the only thing left will be to try to spin it into a positive, and the rabid sheep, like ed miller and Martha Y. will most likely eat it up. "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 13, 2008 8:29 AM:

" Harry I have got to caution you about portraying Palin as a "shallow bimbo". That language only gets her supportors to cry foul, sexism, say you are picking on her, and dig their heels in deeper. The whole purpose of choosing Palin was to keep the talk away from issues. Their own campaign guy said this election isn't about issues. Those with intelligence have GOT to stick to issues and not fall into the "fluff" trap the Republicans have set up. "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 13, 2008 9:16 AM:

" Thanks to Coonsey's world for the following:

This Doesnt Sound Good For Palin (or McCain For that Matter)
An Anchorage judge three years ago warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop disparaging the reputation of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who at the time was undergoing a bitter separation and divorce from Palins sister Molly.

Court records obtained by NEWSWEEK show that during the course of divorce hearings three years ago, Judge John Suddock heard testimony from an official of the Alaska State Troopers union about how Sarah Palinthen a private citizenand members of her family, including her father and daughter, lodged up to a dozen complaints against Wooten with the state police. The union official told the judge that he had never before been asked to appear as a divorce-case witness, that the union believed family complaints against Wooten were not job-related, and that Wooten was being harassed by Palin and other family members.

Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wootens behavior and character. Disparaging will not be toleratedit is a form of child abuse, the judge told a settlement hearing in October 2005
********************************************
If people ignore this story about Palin - after knowing about John McCains own problem withholding his temper, and they go ahead and vote for a McCain/Palin ticket anyway they deserve whatever happens in the White House.

Thanks Coonsey, and yup old get-even Paris Palin sounds like she's ready for prime time. LOL! "

The Cleveland Steamer wrote on Sep 13, 2008 10:13 AM:

" I'd steamer that. "

The Question wrote on Sep 13, 2008 12:58 PM:

" McCain knows Palin is completely unqualified to be president, but doesn't care.
After all, he'll be dead. "

Collatine wrote on Sep 13, 2008 1:20 PM:

" Cognitus: Re: the socialist bail out, are you suggesting that since Republican administrations orchestrated a government takeover of private industries, it's somehow not socialist? It reeks of socialism, of "command" economies, of anti-capitalism, no matter who's in charge. I guess unlike you, I can criticize and attack the administration on some issues, and support them on others. I try to keep emotion and extreme name-calling in political issues limited.

Re: when life begins: obviously I'm relying on common sense, not a legal or scientific definition. Have you read Roe v. Wade? The decision uses 1974 science to say that the government cannot ban abortions in the first trimester at all (but can restrict in the second, and ban in the third). The justification the justices used in 1974 was that science could not confirm brain waves and other scientific declarations of human life until the second trimester. Well, as you so aptly explained, science has advanced since then, so using the Roe v. Wade argument, you could justify banning abortions after about the first week or so of conception. Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.

To me, when an egg is fertilized, a human DNA molecule is formed by natural processes, and that human DNA molecule has the genetic code and machinery to form a fully functioning human adult within about 19 years, if allowed to develop in a healthy environment. To me, it's human from day 1 or at most, week 1... certainly by the time a woman realizes she's pregnant, the little guy (or gal) is human.

But anyway, it doesn't matter what any President or VP really believes about abortion, does it? If it did, Roe v. Wade would have been overturned many times over (certainly under Bush II's first term with his Republican Congress), and thrown the decision to legislate abortion where it belongs - in State legislatures. Let the will the people in the democratic process determine... If Illinois wants abortion (and it would), fine. If Indiana doesn't, fine. It's the will of the people that should determine this issue, not a few white men in robes using a decision based on 34 year old science.

But simply put, Congress and the President does not have that kind of power under our Federalist system, so what does it matter? Why the litmus test?

Regarding Palin - ultimately the American primary process has determined that our options to lead the executive branch include two senators who have been in DC since the 1980s, one Senator who got elected largely because his opponent at the state level was a pervert and had Ryan for a last name when Ryan was a bad last name to have in Illinois, and a governor of a small state who achieved her success by herself (didn't rely on her husband's last name), just like Pelosi did - but unlike Pelosi, has a little bit of executive experience.

The options are not impressive. I would have voted for Giuliani in the primary, but he pulled out too soon, so I was stuck voting for the only other good option with Executive experience; Romney.

The question is not if McCain/Palin is qualified for Presidency (no one truly is)... It's if they are MORE qualified than the alternatives. McCain is more qualified than Obama. Biden is more qualified than Palin. It's too bad Obama (or the Democrats in general) didn't pick Hilary, because then the debate would be over, probably. It's humorous watching the Democrats struggle with Palin, when really they should be hammering McCain!

On another note, I'd like to see Obama held up to the same scrutiny as Palin... can you imagine if Palin went to a church with a racist pastor for however many years? Or if a major donor had been indicted? Or another supporter had been a terrorist? Oh well... those reflect Illinois politics maybe, but hopefully won't reflect on how he'd govern. "

shumphreys wrote on Sep 13, 2008 2:11 PM:

" The problem Harry is that those who vote Republican this go round may get what they deserve as you said, BUT the rest of us will also be stuck with their choice when we deserve something better. "

1 cav wrote on Sep 13, 2008 4:11 PM:

" Didn't Berry just say that if his daughters make a mistake he doesn't want them punished with a child ? "

K Rove wrote on Sep 13, 2008 4:51 PM:

" For all of you who are enjoying this prosperity Bush has brought, vote for John McCain to see it continue. Hey. what's a little debt? Don't worry it will be your grand kids problem to deal with, not yours. Vote McCain! "

The Truth wrote on Sep 13, 2008 5:43 PM:

" Vote the woman in. Just more proof of the low moral standards of this country. Maybe Palin will have an adulterous affair and become pregnant herself - then she would be a shoe-in for vice-president. "

Rotty wrote on Sep 13, 2008 8:18 PM:

" http://tinyurl.com/5rb4qo

http://tinyurl.com/6f7frr

http://tinyurl.com/4s57r9

http://tinyurl.com/6egpgk

.......

Yep!
We should definitely believe the National Enquirer!
LOL!
:-P "

The Question wrote on Sep 14, 2008 10:07 AM:

" McCain/Palin is campaigning against the press.
If you have a lot of dirty dealings to hide, always campaign against the press in an attempt to preemptively discredit any bit of truth that might leak out.
Republicans have been doing that for decades. "

The Question wrote on Sep 14, 2008 11:09 AM:

" Spin on this one, Fox News.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan offered a woeful outlook of America's economic situation on Sunday, saying the crisis with the country's financial institutions was as dire as he had ever seen in his long career, and predicting that one or more of those institutions would likely collapse in the near future.
"Oh, by far," Greenspan said, when asked if the situation was the worst he had seen in his career. "There's no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I've seen and it still is not resolved and still has a way to go and, indeed, it will continue to be a corrosive force until the price of homes in the United States stabilizes. "In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Greenspan argued that the country couldn't afford the tax cuts being proposed by John McCain without an equally massive reduction in spending.
"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," he said. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending." "

Harry Potter wrote on Sep 14, 2008 1:47 PM:

" TQ, if you recall a few months ago, McCain admitted that he was pretty ignorant about the economy, and quipped I did read Greenspan's book though. Sounds like he must have just looked at the pictures. But, having Greenspan's book sitting on his credenza probably looks impressive though to visitors, even if he really didn't read it. "

injustice85 wrote on Sep 15, 2008 12:25 PM:

" McCain said himself he voted with Bush 90% of the time, isn't that enough to make even you republicans squeem? "