Palin And The Law ?

The Immoral Minority has a story up about Sarah, Willow, and law enforcement. I have no idea but the comments sound as though some locals have some idea. It does sound as though wealth and position will out.

Fauxy Sarah

The NYT report that Sarah Palin is joining "News" Corp as a contributor isn't much of a surprise. What surprises me is that it took this long. I'm sure she'll fit right in, tits and stupid works, the question is if she'll finish her multi-year contract any better than the one she had with Alaskans. If that seems unfair, to make that accusation one would need to point at the other qualifications...

Since I don't care what Faux News gets up to, other than claiming to be news, what I find to be gold is the comments. A large portion of them are of the liberals laughing variety (me too), but the gold is the Sarah fans. The most common thread is how right on she is for regular Americans but the best is how afraid of her libruls are. I've noticed that some libruls have expressed a fear of a government run by someone like Palin, or her, but the most common fear is that level of incompetence getting anywhere politically. The more nuanced view liberals seem to have is fear that Palin reflects a large minority and are offended that it exists. Palin herself seems to be considered laughable by liberals, which is quite different from fear. It's kind of like seeing someone in clown garb and make-up and being scared by it becoming a fashion statement...

One thing I find appealing is that somebody at Faux has to be her boss ... Karmic justice.

When Quitting Ain't Quitting...Or Something

I'll admit I've sat on the Palin resignation for awhile, partly because I was at a motorcycle rally and missed the news when it happened and since then...well I've wasted time trying to figure out what she was talking about.

When I've heard "a higher calling" referred to it generally had something to do with god or simple unrecompensed service. Given the "desecration" term applied to Momma Palin and baby modified Trig there may be some Ascension in the works, but I'm doubtful. As far as I've been able to tell, Palin very much cares about being compensated monetarily, soooo.... I think there will be money. Lots.

Now I don't usually play grammar police or dictionary detective but the word quit or quitter don't seem to have many contradictory meanings. She has said pretty plainly (given that it was Palin speech) that quitters suck. (there seemed to be an implication that the left or libruls were it) Now I've had a problem working out how this works; not walking away from an elected position would be quitting and quitting is making the good fight. The easy way would be to spend the next year and a half doing the grunt work of running a state and trying to get along with a recalcitrant legislature and, rather than squabbling with critics, showing the critics why they are wrong. Actually that sounds like a tough job, especially with people being soooo mean.

I hear/read people talking about how crass and mean modern politics is, and I laugh my ass off. In the world of 24/7 news things get around faster and get farther around, but even the cretinous stupidity of Fox News is light weight blather. Maybe historical ignorance is a badge of honor or something in certain circles, but an easy question for these folks is just exactly what was it that Burr shot Hamilton for? Political speech - hey, you betcha. If I had a ten spot for every time the accusation of "palling around with terrorists" passed her lips I could take some serious Harley rides on the soon to be ex-Governor's ticket.

(parenthetically I've wondered for a while how it is that these tough talking kick ass Republicans manage to be such victims of practically everything in the world. Apparently being a personally responsible hard guy Republican means being able to crotch kick at will but folding into a whining tear stained pile over being bitch slapped.)

The post script to the quitter not quitting speech was pure gold, a threat of legal action against any reporting of rumors about her Ladyship and misbehavior. It seems the legal talent these Alaskan nimrods employ is equal in talent to Palin and unable to grasp the meaning of "public figure." As long as she wishes to put herself in front of the public I am free to mock her, satirize her, and report on any scurrilous rumor that is bruited about - entirely free of legal consequences. It is not only correct but also legally permissible for me to note that Sarah Palin is a lying ten pounds in a five pound sack of Republican dog-pile. I breathlessly await her legal beagle taking me on...

David Letterman may have told a stupid joke about her daughter, but Sarah made a stupid joke of herself with her own mouth and tactics. No one in the MSM or Blogosphere had to do spit other than pay attention and quote her. That does mean quote her, not only accurately but also in context. Some people wishfully prognosticate that she's done for politically, not so. She will be given a platform to purvey stupidity and meanness to the American public and be well paid for it. It has nothing to do with earning anything, beyond mockery, but with notoriety achieved at the hands of a deluded McPOW campaign. She takes herself entirely too seriously for it to be the Comedy Central Network so it about has to be the comedy of FoxNews, which takes jokes quite seriously.

It is a common right wing meme to assert that the left is scared of her and hates her, I may have been worried that a purported centrist like McCain could carry her into office with himself, but I have no fear that as a ticket leader she poses the least threat to any fairly credible Democratic Presidential candidate. I could care less if she stayed Governor or got a FoxNews time slot to gibber from, she is her own worst political enemy and a great example of why Republicans should be avoided at the ballot box. The thinking that in low turnout off-year elections she could be a factor by turning out the base ignores the reaction of the middle and the left to her politics and her in general and especially to the appearance of her rallies.

All I can say is "Go Girl"

Palin Desecration

I'm sure you recognize the lady holding the funny looking baby, who I'm pretty sure you don't know, one Eddie Burke. He's a radio talk show host ... conservative - some surprise there. Blogger Linda Kellen Biegel is in the middle of trying to raise money to pay for the State of Alaska records of emails between Palin and Burke, some extra coziness is surmised.

Now Alaskan politics and particularly Palin politics is a circus, but you've got to love Palin spokesperson Mehgan Stapleton:

Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love for a special needs child.

"Malicious desecration" is pretty, well, strong. Who exactly is worshiping at this temple or the feet of this idol? Is Palin and Trig the new incarnation of Mary and Baby Jesus - wow and I said mean things about her...

The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling. To learn that two Alaskans did it is absolutely sickening. Linda Kellen Biegel, the official Democrat Party blogger for Alaska, should be ashamed of herself and the Democratic National Committee should be ashamed for promoting this website and encouraging this atrocious behavior.

Babies and children are off limits. It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.

Ouch, the stupid, it burns. So it's no longer permitted to mock your political propaganda? You people put that child up on the stage for photo opportunities and his widdle face can't go away? Aren't these the same people that paraded their knocked up poster child for the failure of abstinence education and her shotgun fiancee for our amusement? Sorry Mehgan, I see a baby with the face of a fat bigot not a special needs child, unless you're referring to that bigot.

Juxtapose this picture with scenes from Palin rallies as she whipped the crowds into slobbering fury and tell me about off-limits. I like this kind of a fight, the Governor of a state in a pissing match with a blogger. I'm sure there are some real pissed off Palin supporters - good. Stirring up that ant's nest damn near guarantees an explosion of stupidity for our further amusement.

What they take seriously is a measure of your opponents, in this case a very small container is required for measuring. Minds that operate on this level require mockery, it's the only civilized thing to do.

Palin Re-illustrates Stupidity

Given the limited pool, one wouldn't expect the Alaskan Republican Party to provide real esteemed members of the intelligent policy types, they haven't. McClatchy reports some of the less than thought through of ARP Chair Randy Ruedr.

"We had a complete collapse of the Department of Justice case against him, and I think the proper way for this to be played is for former Mayor Begich to stand for election under fair terms, rather than presumed terms, so we have an opportunity for Alaskans to pick who they want to be their United States senator."

Enter Sarah, bright as ever.

"I absolutely agree."

Both of these people have decided that since the felon in question is a Republican that it is not just another case of a prosecution created technicality resulting in dismissal of charges. Teddy is not exonerated by any stretch of the imagination, the DOJ will not pursue and has asked Judge Sullivan to dismiss. Somehow in the face of their near constant mantra about liberal judges and other liberals being soft on crime and letting rat bastards off on technicalities, Ted isn't one. This is laughable. Their ordinary judgements are suspended if it involves the tribe.

Palin and Ruedr would like to play at what ifs. What if Ted had not been charged or had been found not guilty, but they don't want to go to what if the prosecution had played it right and Ted was still guilty, or what if the moon had crashed into the earth. What if is one of the stupidest games humans play, what you can be pretty sure of is what did happen after that it is pure guess work. But Palin and her coterie want to state this as though there is fact backing up their assertions. What if in 2000 FL had recounted the vote? Well we sure don't know because they didn't.

If wishes were fishes ...

Some Things You Can't Make Up

Elizabeth Hasselbeck on the View:

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Obviously both sides are trying to run and create image. So if we use this as, so they both have funds and are creating an image, making sure their candidates are where they need to be seen, as they need to be. I find it completely then repulsive to then - if we want to look at spending - see how Barack Obama now is going to spend what $3 million on two thirty minute ads that are going to run this week.

BARBARA WALTERS: He's got the money and he wants to win.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: That to me is, in terms of the economy is - that is repulsive.

She doesn't like Obama's half hour commercial, it' repulsive in light of the economy, the average contribution is about $180 so that's coming straight out of the broken economy. On the other hand, there's Sarah Palin's wardrobe:

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: I brought it up – prior to the clip that you ran… I said in between that I believe the focus on her wardrobe has been deliberately sexist. I said, following that, so let me speak in terms that they – meaning those who have been criticizing her – might understand and then I followed with those examples. And I just wanted to parallel the tone that I thought and had been set by the media and use that right back at them.

Her claim to fame and political accumen? A Survivor contestant with fairly good looks and a shrill and over-amped approach. Someone feeds her talking points, it's obvious since she's on them nearly at the same time as the Republican spokespersons. It is fairly pathetic that this is what the VP candidate has to use for a warm up act. Well, pretty similar on the qualifications end.

McMavericky Alaskan Corrution Fighter...

We all know that Sarah Palin made her bones in Alaska fightin' against corruption. With Alaska sucking furiously on the Federal teat and awash in oil money there's been an awful lot of money floating around in a pretty small pond. Some fair sized frogs have been caught out and now the big daddy bullfrog himself has been gigged. A federal court jury found Sen Ted Stevens guilty of all seven felonies he was charged with, lying on a gift disclosure form.

Whether Alaskans gave a damn or not, this isn't exactly a newsflash that Ted was dirty. A forty year veteran Senator is a big frog in any pond and big Alaska with its tiny population spread all over the place makes him a monster. If you want to sit on one of the lily pads you'd best see Ted. A moderate sized city in most of the other states would make up Ted's voters, that isn't much of a pond. So maybe it really isn't much of a surprise that an ambitious Republican woman would hitch up with the big croaker.

Clear back on September 1st WaPo's Matthew Mosk covered the Palin coziness with Ted.

Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

Such a position might have come in pretty handy in the small world of Alaskan politics as long as Ted was a force to be reckoned with. In 2005, with a Republican Congress and President, Ted was the king of Alaskan pork - a veritable fount of Federal largess - and that equates to serious swat. With the 2006 Governor's election in the works Sarah could always use some more help, and she got it.

Stevens had been helpful to Palin during her run for governor, swooping in with a last moment endorsement. And the two filmed a campaign commercial together to highlight Stevens's endorsement of Palin during the 2006 race.

Sarah's elevation to the original McMaverick's VP slot and Ted's problems becoming public in a national sort of way that became a bit of an embarrassment.

Shortly after Palin was announced as McCain's vice presidential pick, the ad was removed from her gubernatorial campaign web site. It remains available on YouTube.

Damned internet is almost as inconvenient as filmed statements she made touting that Bridge she was for before she was against it after Congress cut that project. So I guess Sarah has been pallin' around not only with witch doctors and violent secessionists but also a convicted felonious public servant. Kind of makes you go, "hmmmm," about her inability to call abortion clinic bombers terrorists doesn't it?

You can put a Palin in a $10K dress and spray paint a tan on it, but it is still a Palin. I sure the hell hope the Republicans decide she's their future... Johnny McPOW is of limited potential for real fun.

Palin's Future

Starting with an assumption about the outcome of the November 4th election can be an 'iffy' proposition but I'll go there anyhow. People are talking about Sarah Palin's place in the Republican Party after 2008 and a loss. I'll not only go along with the loss part, I'll postulate a severe beating at the top and down ticket and not be afraid of being out on a limb. The question seems to be about whether the #2 position on the Presidential ticket won't launch her into Republican national political power.

There is in her column the energizing of the base and her good looks and her ability to read a teleprompter convincingly (harder than you may think). This success has been achieved with the backing of a national campaign - including wardrobe.... It is foolhardy to deny these assets but the questions start at the level of their value.

Sarah Palin is Governor of Alaska, she is going back to Alaska for at least two more years, assuming she doesn't get impeached. Alaska has a population of 700,000 and limited media markets and limited media appeal. Alaskans are starting to have questions about Sarah and that isn't a good thing. Oil is down and with an extended economic down turn it will stay down, that is a problem for Alaska and problems for a state come home to the Governor. If she takes much of hit in her state she looses her platform, there. The national media needs a hook to hang attention on.

Fame can be a very fleeting thing in America and television attention is primary to a politician. Alaska just doesn't play much in national media. If Alaska played her name would already have been familiar before McCain tapped her for VP. She was, instead, a blank slate for the campaign to write on. That hasn't worked well. There are very large letters on that slate spelling incompetent, vacuous, right wing, and worst - loser. McCain and Palin didn't get to define her in their manner, she is labeled, probably indelibly.

If the election plays as it looks with serious Republican blood letting there is still a Party out there that wants to win elections. That Party is not solely composed of the religious right, although is sometimes looks that way. There are an awful lot of interests out there that frankly give a damn about the religious right other than the vote. In point of fact, they are embarrassed by that wing of the Party despite having to hold them. These people have access to large amounts of money and the levers of power. They are seriously unamused by the track of this election, their hands are being yanked out of the money pit. Palin's polling shows her as a drag on the McCain ticket and that will be seen as an unnecessary impediment to their agenda. A loser who helped the loss is not attractive and these people won't go at this on the basis of emotional attachment. Their ideology may stink, but they're cold eyed pragmatists.

There is going to be a struggle for the control of the Republican Party and it is going to be bloody. The gloves will be off. Sarah Palin will not have the advantage of a national campaign staff to deal with this fight and she doesn't have the personal tools to wage that warfare. This is not just a case of her having to struggle for a platform to stay in the lime light, this is a case of her having to fight with experienced and resource rich interests actively trying to marginalize her. All the reichwing blogs and James Dobsons of the Republican sphere don't amount to a hill of spit next to the power that will be brought to bear.

What happens in Congress for the next two years and the 2010 election will have great effect on the power centers of the Republican Party. They are going to be well into minority territory in the House and may lose their filibuster power in the Senate. If they keep that power in the Senate good Democratic propagandizing can make them publicly pay for obstruction. At least one tool is to make filibusters actual rather than faite accompli. Beohner isn't going away and his brand will be in the forefront along with the Senators. The public will watch if the Democrats help them watch. If the 2010 election goes south for the Republicans the elite is going bring out serious firepower aimed at anyone they deem responsible. Identified Republican voters are now seriously outnumbered by registered Democrats and the Non-affiliated voter ranks are growing. This means that in any large scale election Republicans cannot count on the base to make sufficient differences - they absolutely have to have a large chunk of Independents who are not in any scale reichwing.

If Sarah Palin's ambitions lead her to try for the role of Party leader; I think she will be one of the bloodiest of the corpses that will litter the Republican landscape. The only way this doesn't happen is if the Republican Party splits into two separate parties. There may be some like Reagan Democrats who come back to the Democratic Party, but the large unhappy group will not go there and I do not see the formation of a Third Party as realistic.

Bye Barracuda

Palin's Terrorists

Now you can do with this as you please.



I find it the height of irresponsibility to not state clearly that bombings, arsons, and shootings with the desired end being political change are terrorism. I also note the caveate of "innocent people." I could easily enough read some nasty things into this kind of equivocation.

Juxtaposing her extreme stance on abortion with her insistence of speaking to Ayers rather than the question and the hard core rhetoric of the campaign makes for some interesting speculation. I don't like her and guessing at motives beyond the transparent one of Ayers staying in the forefront is risky stuff, but...

The Public Trust

We've been hearing, to the point of near violence, for the past week and some about Sen Obama's connections and how he doesn't see America the way we do. He's not truthful and you can't trust him has been the thrust of McCains and Palin. The criticism of the campaign has been deafening from those other than the spit flecked base the attacks were aimed to please. There was, in this, a basic violation of the public trust in our Presidential candidates and that message seemed to get to McCain himself this late afternoon.

Whatever your beliefs regarding McCain's previous behaviors, his campaign just ran into something rather nasty. The Alaskan legislature just released its report regarding Gov Sarah Palin's troubles with the firing of Walt Monegan and it hits a rude note. Gov. Palin violated the public trust by using her office for personal gain. The report does not allege that the personal agenda was the sole reason for Monegan's firing but that it was a significant element. This is after Palin agreed to cooperate, then refused to cooperate and told Alaskans and Americans that there was nothing there at all. This would qualify as a bald faced lie - right up there with the infamous Bridge she's been trying to sell us.

We've had almost eight years of the lies, secrecy, and personal agendas of the Bush administration and now we're to swallow this without a whimper? This is the Change We Can Believe In? We get a narrow window to control our leaders, primarily what we get to do is elect them and elect the Congress that acts as a counter. Once these windows are closed the there is no legal recourse. To make this clearer, there were not the votes in Congress to deal with President George W Bush's illegal activities, nor was there the will. Two elections failed us, the 04 Presidential and the 06 Congressional. The situation we are in today, domestically and internationally, is the outcome of those votes. That was the window.

This nation was founded on some pretty outrageous ideas, at the time. Today we have grown to take them for granted. Separation of powers and a restricted government are not archaic elitist principles, they are the bedrocks of our way of life. One of the pieces of that is the idea that a governmental official will not use their political office against one of us. In the very recent past Sen McCain and Gov Palin have used their positions to spread fear, hate, and distrust of a fellow named Barack Obama and Gov. Palin used her position to attempt the professional destruction of one Trooper Wooten. Both of these individuals were placed into such positions of trust by the public for what it perceived as good reason. There is no law against what Palin and McCains have done in regard to Obama, at least there is nothing beyond simple ethics that would forbid such behavior.

There is a complete difference between questioning someones ability to do a job or judgement to do it correctly and stoking fear and hatred of that someone. Whatever else it may say about a campaign, this brings its ethical standing into stark relief. No campaign should be able to survive such behavior, that this one is still standing is an unfortunate statement on our public conscience. This late afternoon the Base perception of Obama apparently became a bit much for McCain when a woman stated that she had read about him and that he was an Arab. McCain took the microphone back and said that Obama is an American citizen and a decent family man. This is exactly where the campaign has been attempting to lead people, but an out and out blathering of their point was too much. I have no sympathy for John McCain.

Let me be clear John, you loosed these dogs deliberately. You sowed these winds of hate and you can reap the whirlwinds of that destruction. You placed this in the public view and played at it and you are now available for the judgement of that public and I sincerely hope it is harsh. We can either have a debate around ideology and policy or we can have the politics of personality destruction. Senator McCain, you are not free and clear of that. Chuck Keating hangs like a specter over you, your wives and affairs, your wife and drugs and your role in it, your association with right wing associations and Cuban terrorists, the POW/MIA issue, and the unverifiable questions regarding your POW behavior. These could be thrown at you and made to stick enough to muddy you and it is not correct to do so. The mud that is now stuck to you is the mud you've thrown, it is your personal ambition and the win at any cost element of your ambition. You are what you've done and your campaign has done and you should be made to pay for it.

Pantomime of Leadership

Jeff Alworth nails Sarah Palin to a board and filets her:

The pantomime of leadership is, in Palin's mind, the same as leadership. When I was a small child, I used to think that making loopy squiggles on the page was writing. I assumed that since I couldn't understand the adult squiggles on the page, no one could. Mine were therefore just as good. Palin spent the night making loopy squiggles and thinking it was prose.

I like that bit, it is accurate and as sharp as a newly stropped razor and will also leave a blunt force trama. Jeff's a friend of mine who writes for BlueOregon mostly, but this is his little private corner I visit regularly.

He's also written a book I reviewed awhile back. He seems to still have some for sale. I liked it.

What Is The Literacy Level At Camp McPOW?

A hat-tip to Balloon Juice through to Daily Kos for finding this jem. Now if you're wondering who the "Famous Person" is, it seems to be Peggy Noonan at WSJ. Now I'm no real admirer of Peggy, she was and remains a shill for the Republican Party, but what astonishes me is the linkage the McCain campaign makes to this article. Now there are the first two paragraphs:

She killed. She had him at "Nice to meet you. Hey, can I call you Joe?" She was the star. He was the second male lead, the good-natured best friend of the leading man. She was not petrified but peppy.

The whole debate was about Sarah Palin. She is not a person of thought but of action. Interviews are about thinking, about reflecting, marshaling data and integrating it into an answer. Debates are more active, more propelled—they are thrust and parry. They are for campaigners. She is a campaigner. Her syntax did not hold, but her magnetism did. At one point she literally winked at the nation.

You'd have to go some to write something that was a more disgustingly drooling example of sycophantism. I'm not proposing that she imploded, she survived and managed to not look incurious, incompetent, and anti-intellect. But for god's sake.

The thing about the article is that the first two paragraphs have one thing to say, something that sounds good for John McCain, then as you read on and get about three paragraphs from the end the wheels come off the POW Express:

We witness here a great political lesson. When you are president, it matters—it really matters—that a majority of the people support and respect you. When you squander that affection, you lose more than mere popularity. You lose the ability to lead when your country is in crisis. This is a terrible loss, and a dangerous one, for the whole world is watching.
***
...presidential popularity is a jewel to be protected, and to be burnished when possible, because without it you can do nothing. Without the support and trust of the people you cannot move, cannot command. You are left, like Mr. Bush, talking to an empty room.

We saw this week, too, a turn in the McCain campaign's response to criticisms of Mrs. Palin. I find obnoxious the political game in which if you expressed doubts about the vice presidential nominee, or criticized her, you were treated as if you were knocking the real America—small towns, sound values. "It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency," Mrs. Palin told talk-show host Hugh Hewitt. This left me trying to imagine Abe Lincoln saying he represents "backwoods types," or FDR announcing that the fading New York aristocracy deserves another moment in the sun. I'm not sure the McCain campaign is aware of it—it's possible they are—but this is subtly divisive. As for the dismissal of conservative critics of Mrs. Palin as "Georgetown cocktail party types" (that was Mr. McCain), well, my goodness. That is the authentic sound of the aggression, and phony populism, of the Bush White House. Good move. That ended well.

You've been able to tell over time that I do not work for or shill for McCain or Republicans, but that is not an article that I'd link into were I associated with McCain. If you can find something in the last paragraphs I've quoted here that sounds remotely Pro-McCain you're welcome to point it out to me. As a blue collar sort I'd say that was a 2x4 up the side of the head.

I do recognize that this is the outfit that releases ads claiming a win in a debate yet to take place and even put into doubt by the claimant. I understand that these folks didn't see huge drawbacks in Sarah Palin's record and performances. I know their candidate claimed "the fundamentals of the economy are sound" on the day the "Street" tanks on the news of the failure of investment banks and claims a few hours later that in the face of all use of language that the fundamentals of the economy means workers - a lot of words to say 'workers' with. All of that may add up to a failure of massive scale, but either illiteracy or an inability to read more than a few lines resulting in advertising your own failures is stupidity on an unprecedented scale.

This is the disorganization that claims they know how to run a Presidency, to keep us safe and "reform" the system. These are John McCain's hires, the kind of people that he surrounds himself with in the most important endeavor of his career. Phil Gramm is his economic guru, a coterie of lobbyists over a hundred strong runs his campaign and their level of competence is demonstrated by our economy of the last 7+ years, our international standing, and this campaign. It is the campaign of Washington DC inside insiders and this is what they can manage?

I'm a Democrat and I don't like McCain's policy ideas nor his claimed ideology but I find this level of incompetence stunning and frightening. While conservative pundits have been busy kicking the snot out of the Alaskan Barbie Doll for incompetence their lead man, the big Kahuna, has been about as capable a Presidential candidate as a high school freshman would be with a grade school team. This guy makes them look almost competent and here's what it takes at NRO Online:

Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America.

I think I'll puke. But here you go, this is what the Conservatives have become, natural selection in operation. The continual purging of intellectuals and actual achievers from the ranks has natural consequences. Whatever you thought of Bill Buckley here's where they're at today and it makes you want to wipe off your computer screen. What is scary is that this election is within 20 points.

Your Challenge, Translate The Expert

It sounds like an answer until you try to figure out what the heck she's actually saying. Good luck.

Senator Sarah Bush Palin

So according to AP the Palin Administration and family and McPOW are going to Bush the Monegan/Trooper investigation. Between law suits and ignored subpoenas and general national political interference the thing seems to be going nowhere fast. "Alaska Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican, said she does not believe the investigation will collapse or be delayed by "outside interlopers" trying to protect Palin." Boy, I don't know who she's listening to.

Now I don't think the explanations I've heard from Palin/McPOW make a bunch of sense, they've shifted all over the place ending up with her firing him for seeking Federal funds for fighting sexual assault - in the State with the worst problem. Um.

Now I may think using governmental office for personal vendettas is really major nastiness and seriously against any kind of political ethics, but this stupidity blows the thing past spinning it. Yes, spinning it. People like me are not going to vote for Palin/McPOW (her phrasing). People like me loath George II for his actions in this arena, and generally don't like his enablers - McPOW. That isn't the audience that could be spun, but there is one and that one would buy into "I made a bad decision regarding a bad person and I'm sorry." The whole thing would come to a screaming halt, now it is going to drag on and on; getting messier and messier as time goes on.

Whether the investigation is dead or not, it isn't going to go away. What the Legislature doesn't find out the media will dig at. Media digging is messy, they don't really care if stuff splatters, the story (and ratings) are the key. The Republican dominated Alaska Legislature actually does care who gets splattered - some may hope it's Palin - but not most. What the Legislature does want is this crap or even its appearance stopped in its tracks. That doesn't mean the Crucifixion of Palin. Me, I'd rather the media takes care of it since they don't mind a cross and nails.

Besides, what happened to the Republican mantra that you have nothing to fear if you've done nothing wrong? Oh.

Reform

Pigs and Lipstick and Pitbulls and Other Craziness

John McCain, when you got nothing you insult pigs by calling them Palins, I like pigs - they're smart, ordinarily clean, taste real good cooked right, and they don't lie.

By the way, idjits, what would you call a female pitbull wearing lipstick? Not my label, but the first thing that occurs to me is a crazy bitch. What would you call a lying, halftruthing, character assassinating old man running for President? POW. (Republican is way too generic)

I may be a political junkie and pay real close attention and not get side tracked by stupidity; but really John, the American public deserves better - if service is more than campaign slogan for you. I have generally assumed that whatever Party or ideology and however mistaken most politicians are in the arena out of a desire to serve their country - and fellow citizens. Whatever it is that your campaign has descended into in search of win at all costs, it is not service. For Pete's sake, why lie about earmarks? They amount to real money at $13 Billion, but a drop in the Federal bucket and lying about them is not worthy of a Presidential campaign. Why lie about an Illinois Bill aimed at protecting small children from sexual predators? Are you in favor of child predators? We already know you're in favor of gorilla rape and insulting Presidential teenage daughters, but b.y all means drag out sexism to cover your stinking dead fish policies. But we know, Naval POWs are a raunchy bunch and they're allowed, because...well because...POW.

John, I work like a dog, scrambling daily to find work to keep the show going and right now construction ain't exactly thriving. I give my customers good prices for good work and I produce a concrete product. You can touch it, feel it, see it, frequently live in it or under it. If I ran my business the way you've run this campaign - I'd be run out of town on a rail or in court. You want to be President and in my business you could be in jail? What the hell is wrong with you? The Navy may have deemed you to be an officer and a gentleman, but fact and Naval fictions are in conflict here. Supposedly that Commission included an assumption of honorable behavior - you've claimed it in regard to your POW - it's fiction today. You've followed your Rovian instincts into a hole.

This campaign will exist for a long time, print and video archives will be available for any student to peruse - to find out what the Republican Presidential candidate of 2008 was like. Your own words and your hired help's words will be there. They will lay in wait to expose you and the pit the Republican Party has turned into. I don't mind hard hitting policy arguments, but I loathe lies and character assassinations. I loathe the practitioners of them - that means you and the Sarah, John. The fact that you want to repeat George W Bush's policies is enough reason to oppose you, but when you take your boot licking to the extent of practicing his politics I take exception. You, sir, are a dishonored lying sack of unmitigated shit - deserving the scorn of all those with honor and intelligence.

You live in politics today on a possibly earned reputation from 2000 and POW, whatever that may have been it is not reflective of today's John S McCain. The depths of my disdain for you and George W Bush are not possible to plumb with anything like polite language and I respect my readers too much to indulge myself. You have demonstrated that the man who beat you in 2000 taught you all the wrong lessons and you learned them well. Too bad.