Fact. Spin. Rumor. Opinion. What Really Matters

Today is the first day of the rest of this presidential election. Pay close attention. Do not get sidetracked. This is a message to myself. I, too, got snookered by small-bore bickering and secondary ephemera. I sat in front of the television and listened as so-called surrogates for the candidates played gotcha with obfuscation, misdirection and outright lies. A presidential election is a game now, and we're not playing, we're getting played. With very few exceptions—hats off to you, David Gergen—nothing being said has much to do with the future of this country or the well-being of its citizens. As a wise woman said to me the other day, talking points and talking are two very different things.

Once again we find ourselves planting our flag amid rubble. Now it is the rubble of the American economy, with great financial institutions faltering and failing and the stock market every which way. Rubble has become the symbol of this country over the past eight years: the still-unaddressed rubble of a decimated New Orleans, the growing rubble on the streets of Iraq.

At such a time, considering whether a tanning bed was installed in the governor's mansion in Alaska amounts to holding a barbecue on the lip of the volcano. For months I have been wondering how anyone could believe that Barack Obama, who has worshiped at a Christian church in Chicago for many years, was a Muslim. Then in the space of a few hours I received dozens of copies of a bogus list of books the Republican vice presidential candidate had allegedly banned from a local library while serving as mayor. The right no longer holds the patent on cyberbull. It is everywhere.

Maybe this campaign, which looked so promising, so dedicated to real issues and real change a year ago, can now get back on course. The debates are nigh, and they are crucial. The country is in a mess. And in November its citizens must decide who has the integrity, the intellect, the principles to steer us out of it.

Voters must become educated consumers to make that decision. They must draw on multiple sources, not just one. They must be conscious of what is fact, what is spin and what is opinion in a media world in which pundits seem to outnumber reporters. For example, here's my opinion: the only good news in last week's economic earthquake was that the political dialogue took a turn toward the substantive. But John McCain took a sad turn—a U-turn—for the worse. For most of the past 20 years McCain was a senator who was sure and stubborn and stood for certain things, many of them things with which I disagree. But disagreement is honorable; shape-shifting is not. In the space of a single news cycle Senator McCain went from being a longtime supporter of deregulation to a man inveighing against the lack of government oversight in the financial markets. He railed against the greed of Wall Street when Wall Street has been the ancestral home of his party.

In a speech after the 2000 race, Senator McCain had this to say about shifting his stance on the flying of the Confederate flag: "I feared that if I answered honestly, I could not win the South Carolina primary. So I chose to compromise my principles." Surrounded by the acolytes of Karl Rove, the carnivorous political operative who once savaged him, with a running mate he seems to have chosen out of calculation rather than the best interests of the country, Senator McCain last week was once again hedging principle in favor of victory. His party has been in power as the country has run aground, yet he and his people try to suggest that the same party with the same people and the same policies will somehow produce different results.

Anna Quindlen
Newsweek
September 29, 2008

Sarah Palin and South Park

A friend discovered an uncanny similarity between Sarah Palin and Principal Victoria from South Park. Primarily, Principal Victoria's voice is less shrill. Among other things.

The GOP is awfully quiet lately

Looks like they're hiding Sarah P. to avoid anymore bad press from her incessant parroting of all things Karl Rove.

John McCain took center stage this week following the 500 point drop in the Dow with his comment that our economy is strong. Sure it is, John. We are watching banks fail at an astounding rate and refusing to even lend to each other because there's no more trust. The housing market is at an all time low in this century. But damn if our economy isn't strong.

I liked it better about 8 years ago when it was apparently nice and weak and I was making 30 percent more at work, my houses had doubled in value and my 401(k) was worth the same as it is today.

So keep it up John. You have a great handle on all things America.

Let me see if I have this straight:

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard Law School, you're unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local sportscaster, beauty queen runner-up, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive. * If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

* If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

Earmarking is good unless I'm nominated as VP, Pt. 3

Confused, Pt. 4

To Secede or Not To Secede

Todd Palin, Sarah's husband, was registered as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party in '95 and again in '02. This party's intentions are to reconsider the 1958 decision to include Alaska as part of the United States. Primarily, the AIP promotes Alaska as an Independent and Separate Nation. The Party promotes the following goals:

Goals
According to the Alaskan Independence Party's web site:
"The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four alternatives:

Remain a Territory.
Become a Separate and Independent Nation.
Accept Commonwealth status.
Become a State.

Sarah Palin, no doubt in support of her husband's politics, but also because this woman appears to do nothing but indulge her own agenda, can be seen on a website video welcoming the members of the Alaskan Independence Party to its Convention in '06 and encouraging them to "keep up the good work." Her husband resides on its membership roster for 2 months short of 7 straight years. The founder of the Party, Joe Vogler, is quoted on the web site as stating: "I've got no use for American or her damned institutions."

McCain's campaign slogan, on the other hand, is Country First. Huh.

Palin Under Investigation

The State Legislature voted 12-0 in support of a full investigation into whether Sarah Palin abused her power in firing the Public Safety Commissioner who refused to fire her sister's ex-husband - an Alaska State Trooper.

Read the article here...

Palin Turns Alaska's Clock Back 36 Years

Every time I pass a dog on the street or in the airport or wherever it is I am and there's a dog in sight, I am drawn to it immediately. I can't help myself. Just ask my boyfriend. I approach the owner so I can say hi (to the dog, of course) all the while gritting my teeth because I love dogs so much I just want to squish them all really hard. The only time I won't bend down and have a chat with my new friend is when the owner alerts me to its unfriendliness (the owner's of course).

I'm a sucker for animals. Mainly because, and particularly in the case of dogs, their love is unconditional. Animals mean no harm; they are simply protecting their territory and they were here long before we were. Animals don't have weapons and are all about the law of natural selection. I have my favorite breeds (Westies, Goldens, Wheatons, Corgis, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Bichons, Brussels Griffons, Yorkies, Pomeranians, and then my not so favorite breeds (Poodles, Dachsunds and Chinese Crested) but honestly, there isn't a single breed of dog that I could imagine wanting to kill. Really not interested in shooting animals at all because they are so clearly the underdog in this mess, but dogs in particular are off limits.

NOT SINCE 1972
Apparently, everyone's newest favorite Alaskan Governor put a bounty on the lives of wolves in Alaska last year - just a few months into her term as Governor. A bounty on wolves hasn't been incorporated into the Alaska predatory control practice since 1972. Thirty-six years. But Palin did it without skipping a beat. She's like the company I work for - screw them over now, make amends later. And all of this in order to save two other animal species: the Caribou and the Moose. Is she pretending she cares? Did you see the dead Caribou thanks to Sarah's quick trigger finger as her young daughter looked on, lying beneath her foot? Palin's administration is "anteing up the cash" for the fryfest and will pay $150 per right leg, (obviously, this would involve detaching the right leg as proof of kill to be paid).

"State biologists wanted 382 to 664 wolves killed... As of Tuesday morning, 98 wolves had been killed by aerial gunners, hunters and trappers."

Honestly, the thought of this slaughtering of these beautiful, innocent animals makes me want to put a wolf costume on her and secure a hunting license of my own as soon as possible. And I'll pony up her right leg without demanding a dime.

*The wolf bounty began before Alaska became one of the United States. It ended 13 years later, "in part because wolf pelts had become so valuable there was no need to encourage kills."

By the way: What is up with this woman? I truly am trying to find something endearing about her. There MUST be something. If you know what it is, you know where to comment.

Seven years ago

I was in my apartment in Bedford, TX, watching the Today show's live feed of the North Tower on fire when I saw the South Tower struck by the United Airlines jet.

It is impossible to forget what it was like working at APFA headquarters throughout the week trying to figure out how to deal with something so magnanimous. Those of us who were stuck away from our homes spent the next 7 days straight in Euless trying to help flight attendants who couldn't get home all the while ignoring our own situation because dealing with everyone else's was so much easier. That's what union reps do on a smaller scale. But this was a whole new ball game.

It took me months, long after I had published the 9/11 magazine for APFA followed by the crash of AA 587 and a subsequent memorial magazine, to deal with my grief. Ultimately, my response to that grief was to move back to New York as a sign of loyalty. I have no regrets about that decision and made the most of my 3 years enjoying the city I consider my second home.

I love New York. Always have and always will. Even before I'd ever traveled west of Utah, I knew New York and I would be good together. Following 9/11, I made a point to visit Ground Zero by either hopping on the subway when I lived there or flying to New York from my home in San Diego, and spending the day enjoying the city and honoring the memory of the World Trade Center and all its absence represents.

This year, I decided that it was okay to stay put and just remember in my own way. Just let it be personal and not feel like I had to be anywhere other than where I am. Home. It was an uneventful day. I like it that way.

Just didn't want to let the day go by without acknowledging what it means to me.

Snopes

Whenever I receive an email regarding the latest/greatest web virus from one of my not-so-techy friends, if it contains anything remotely believable, I go to Snopes to read more. Even though viruses aren't really designed for the MAC so much as Bill G. and his long list of friends, it occurs to me that if my 15" Intel MacBook Pro 160 GB hard drive ever failed, I'd poop pink twinkies and contort all 5'8" of me into the fetal position next to Elwood's litter box for a month.

Sarah Palin is, at least to me, like a web virus. There must be at least one redeeming quality about her in order for her to land support of the top Republican spindoctors in America. So what the hell am I missing?

In order to be as fair and balanced as possible, I am compelled to share the following page from Snopes - the Internet's unofficial site for rumors, fact checking, etc. I rely on this site as it is all about the facts so far as I can tell, and I have yet to find anything that's been confirmed/denied by Snopes that was done so for political gain. Bottom line, snopes.com has a solid reputation not just in my book but throughout the Internet world. Wikipedia can't boast that status, nor can Fox News, McCain/Palin.com OR Obama/Biden.com. All of these resources are politically motivated, or, in the case of Wikipedia, can be edited by those who are.

I'll post more in the morning. Just got home from a wonderful night with 4 of my favorite girlfriends and it's time for my nine-hour nap.

I CAN SEE

Wow - just got my first pair of contacts at the ripe age of does it really matter. This is amazing. I can see the screen without my glasses. I can read my iPhone without widening the window. I can even read the letter from Countrywide apologizing for the data security breach of my two mortgages by a former employee who may have sold my SSN, full name, address and zip code to some random thief. This is awesome.

Triumph the Insult Dog at the Republican Convention

"...So Cool Growin' Up in this Church; Gettin' Saved Here"

Sarah Palin addresses a group of ministry students in Wasilla, Alaska. Listen to and watch more of her religious views here as she gets down with her peeps via YouTube.

Palin Does 180 on Bridge to Nowhere

This article by the Boston Globe addresses Palin's 180 degree flop on the "Bridge to Nowhere" she promised to the residents of Ketchikan. Now that she's running for VP, she's changed her mind.

In her acceptance speech, she proclaims "I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," to the cheering McCain crowd. Prior to her candidacy, she campaigned on a promise to build the bridge for these residents.

Palin on the Issues

Wikipedia is a well-known online resource similar to Encyclopedias of old. I have found some mistakes as posted on Wikipedia from time to time but generally speaking, it is considered a fairly reputable source.

Since there is so little information established about Sarah Palin and her position on issues, I turned to Wikipedia for more information. There, I found a short, sweet list of topics and her purported positions on each. I admit that some of her responses are sharp and appealing, ex: "What will you do with Alaska's new state jet?" A: "Figure out how to sell it."

The following seems to be a fairly thorough listing of her position on the issues complete with referenced citings. These are very similar to that which is published ontheissues.org.

I find it particularly interesting that she is against stem cell research, abortion even in the event of rape or incest, sex education in schools, same-sex marriage (however, in August of '08 she vetoed a bill that denied benefits to gays stating it was unconstitutional). Props for that. She also stated to have smoked pot when it was legal in Alaska. Not sure what year that was, but it's worth mentioning.

Sarah P... why not? Five good reasons for starters

From the Dallas Morning News, August 29, 2008:

Seriously? Sarah Palin for VP? It's one thing for millions of voters to put forward a sitting senator as a possible commander in chief, but for John McCain to hand-pick a first-term governor of a tiny state is bizarre. Here are five reasons why, if she is the pick, this is a huge mistake:

1. There goes McCain's best argument.
He cannot say Obama is not ready but she is. Obama started organizing his campaign for president the same month she was sworn in to lead the third-smallest state's government.

2. She has no base of support.
Obama won his senate seat with 3,597,456 votes, that's more than five times the population of Alaska. He has won more than 18 million votes in a long, tough primary that tested him and prepared him. How has she been tested? She lost her first bid for statewide office, then won the governor's office with 114,697 votes, not a majority, but enough to take office. And apparently, enough to set her up for the Oval Office.

3. The "woman card" will backfire.
She's no Hillary Clinton. And this is such an obvious ploy. It would be different if she were known to anyone or qualified or something.

4. Alaska, a corrupt hinterland.
Yes, she is a hard-nosed, tough reformer. But the McCain campaign will have to deal with the fact that Alaska seems like a foreign land as corrupt as Louisiana. It's longtime senator will stand trial smack dab in the middle of this campaign season, and McCain may have to vote to remove him from office. Yes, they can spin it that she is someone cleaning up the mess up there, but what Americans realize is that they don't know much about what goes on up there. Will they be comfortable with her?

5. Was this McCain's choice?
It seems clear that McCain wanted to go with Lieberman but was talked out of it by the right wing of his party. Rove admits calling Lieberman to ask him to pull his name out. Bush lost his way because he never stood up to Rove et. al. McCain is headed down the same path.

Mr. McCain's Soulmate? - by me

Since I've yet to give birth - and it appears that I won't be doing so anytime soon - I'll admit I can't relate to Sarah Palin's obsession with squirting out babies nonstop. Further, her lack of interest or effort in keeping the world's population down via birth control eludes me. She is against education programs relating to sex for kids and openly opposes it as Governor. She also opposes abortion in the event of incest or rape. Fortunately, I haven't had to face the incest/rape factor but I'm really glad she's not my mom just the same.

Most recently she gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome. This neither makes her a hero nor extraordinary. But it does make her a parent with added responsibilities to her family.

I hear women state that because of this child, Mrs. Palin will pave the way for families with special-needs children if she becomes Vice President. Really?! Mrs. Palin has done nothing during her two years as Governor of Alaska to improve the lives of children in general and special-needs children in particular. What makes anyone think that she will alter her course if she succeeds in her quest for national office? Not gonna happen.

With her acceptance of the Vice Presidential nomination, Palin's life is now subject to vetting by the pros. Like Britney, OJ and Ted Kennedy, she has made her choice and it's open season. America is comprised of curious folks and the press will undoubtedly deliver. So far, they've not let anyone down. Except maybe Sen. McCain, Sarah Palin, the state of Alaska and Bush fans nationwide. Only Mrs. Palin herself knows what else is in store for us and I'm guessing we haven't seen the last of her past.

I'm all about the underdog particularly when there's a bully involved. And Palin has surely seen her share of bullies since the GOP announcement of her candidacy. But beyond Her Victim-ness is something that undermines any compassion I may have held for her public beatings. Sarah Palin enjoys hunting animals. This just pisses me off beyond belief. Her calloused approach toward animals has thoroughly turned me away from all things Republican at least during this election. I don't do animal suffering and when I hear about anyone setting out to kill for sport, I can only hope the animal has a gun, a jeep, an opposing thumb and 10 Uzi lessons under its belt.

I'm no angel. I don't possess any delusions of or desires for becoming the second most powerful person in the free world. But Mrs. Palin does. I have a healthy fear of public scrutiny and have learned that - following 9 years of union work on a national level - people can be relentless and downright mean when you are standing between where they are and where they want to be.

Frankly, I would rather live in a refrigerator box under the Brooklyn Bridge than have someone broadcast my shortcomings in every national newspaper and on every TV show across America. I have not led my life in such a way that a full-court press would render me anything but a mess. So I'll continue to stay right here, planted firmly behind my keyboard and express my opinions on someone who has chosen the exact opposite for their future.

The whole "mother of five including a pregnant daughter and Down's Syndrome son" smörgåsbord doesn't make her a stronger candidate. It just makes her a distraction. If the Republicans are asking America to keep their hands off her personal life and focus on her professional record, why pass her youngest of five (a four-month old baby with Down's Syndrome) around at the Republican Convention like a shower gift? Instead of protecting her son from national exposure and the venom of reporters, she is using him as a political tool to blur the line between personal and professional choices. She has blown the door open on her family vault and when the press accepted the invitation and stomped through her hallways dirty feet and all, she tried to throw her international stop sign. Too late ma'am. You can't have it both ways.

I am stunned by McCain's choice for a replacement. It's clear that he kowtowed to conservative spindoctors. Bottom line, Sarah Palin is a snapperhead. She needs help; not a new job. And if she's elected, so will we.

In closing, following is the final paragraph of the Vice Presidential Candidate's bio as published on the official page of the Governor of Alaska:

"Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA and enjoys hunting, fishing, Alaska history, and all that Alaska's great outdoors has to offer."

In the spirit of Jay Leno to Hugh Grant following his faux pas with a hooker: "Mr. McCain: What the hell were you thinking?"

Moist, Damp and Saturated

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