Sat, Aug 30, 2008 1:25pm ET

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CBS' Schieffer asserted Palin was "against earmarks" and "bridge to nowhere" without noting her earmark requests, previous reported support for bridge

Summary: On the CBS Evening News, Bob Schieffer asserted that Gov. Sarah Palin is "[s]omeone, you know, who is against earmarks, who is against that bridge to nowhere." But Palin's administration has said it requested federal earmarks in 2008, and she reportedly initially supported the so-called "bridge to nowhere" project.
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Posted by the Grey Path

As you discuss government spending, and earmarks, remember that just because you don't like a project, that doesn't make it government waste.

The "bridge to nowhere" wasn't an example of waste, just a project which didn't effect most Americans.

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to the Grey Path

The bridge to nowhere was a waste of money. Not all earmarks are, but that one undeniably was.

The cost of the bridge versus the time saved for people travelling to the island where the airport is was not worth it.

For example, the ferry that transports people to and from the island took about 200,000 a year. The Golden Gate Bridge transports more than that many people in two days! The bridge that collapsed in Minnesota carried almost that many people every day.

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to BottleBlonde

it there was gold on " then thar hills " they'd be hero's now.

Posted by the Grey Path in reply to BottleBlonde

I assume you live in Alaska and have a complete understanding of the issue.

Posted by gg in reply to the Grey Path

You don't have to live somewhere to have complete understanding of an issue; it's called reading and research.

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to the Grey Path

You don't really think that one has to be immersed in a problem in order to understand it, do you?

In fact, very often people who are very close to an issue can't be fair examiners of the issues, and it takes someone removed from the direct impact of the issue to fairly examine it!

If we had unlimited money to foster growth in the Ketchikan area as well as help speed the transport of goods and people from the airport to the mainland, then the bridge would be a great idea. We don't, however, have unlimited money, so cost/benefit analysis is vital.

In addition, I understand that Alaska's infrastructure hasn't had 300 years to be built up like New York State, and so they may deserve some monies to help them play catch up.

It doesn't change the fact that the bridge was a huge wast of finite dollars, and the reason it was put into the authorization bill and then left there was because of the two federal legislators from Alaska who insisted upon it. Those two guys were really powerful. It was their abuse of that power that put that bridge into the mix, not the fact that it made onto the list on the merits of the project.

Posted by mefirst in reply to the Grey Path

so grey, give us your argument for the bridge to nowhere.  as i see it, it's a hugely expensive project that would serve a tiny group of people.  your take is what?

Posted by fantagor in reply to the Grey Path

Grey:

The bridge was pegged to cost 200 MILLION dollars to service an island with 50 inhabitants. That's 4 million per person. Imagine the flak Obama and Biden would've absorbed if either had proposed a project slated at a cost of 4 million per benefactor.

I can't believe I'm saying this but if this media distortion keeps up, Obama-Biden is toast. Bring on the debates NOW!

Randy

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to BottleBlonde

Just a few minutes ago, David Mattingly on CNN's Headline News did a puff-piece on Palin.

At the bottom of the screen ran a chyron that actually said-- and I'm not making this up:

Palin killed Bridge to Nowhere 

It's going to be a rough campaign with these corporate liars. This woman is a complete nightmare. 

Posted by dexteritas0071418 in reply to carlileb5935

Are corporations "bad", Carlisle?

Posted by laughinglefty in reply to dexteritas0071418

Left unregulated as Republican ideology calls for, corporations exhibit all the character traits of a sociopathic personality.

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to carlileb5935

It is true that she struck the fatal blow.

It had a terminal illness, however, before she did. The state was going to carry some portion of the cost. They could not bear the whole cost, and eventually it was determined that it wasn't wise to ask the Feds to reconsider their denial of funds for that bridge, so she took the request permanently off the table, which effectively killed it.

That's a gross simplification of the events for a news source to claim that she killed it and to give her much credit for it. What she did was mostly a formality. Without federal funding, it wasn't going to happen.

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to BottleBlonde

All she did was cancel the state funding for the proposal. Then she tried to pawn it off via federal earmarks, to get the feds to pay for it. It's a lie.

Even worse, just now, McCain claimed in his speech that, to paraphrase, 'she told the federal government we don't need your money. We're gonna pay for it ourselves out of state funds!'

Just astounding lies: Palin the reformer, Palin the moderate,  Palin the people's choice.

When are Dems going to get up and FIGHT, rather than be scaredy-cats all the time? 

 

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to carlileb5935

You're wrong. She didn't go after federal funding after she struck the fatal blow.

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to BottleBlonde

The point is, CNN tried to play it off as if Palin had "killed" the project, when in fact it was the Feds that actually did the deed. She had no intention of state-financing the project.

McCain claimed today that she did-- and that she rejected federal funds! 

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to carlileb5935

Did you even read what I wrote, or did you just do your typical knee-jerk reaction?

You were complaining about an accurate headline from CNN.

I pointed that out. It was a horribly misleading caption despite the fact that it was true, and I also pointed that out! Without telling us the whole story, it presents a distorted image that misleads voters. That distorted image one might come away with doesn't change the fact that what they said was true!

She did kill it. Like I said, it had a terminal illness because the federal funding had been removed, and the state couldn't/wouldn't pay for it all themselves (because the state knew that it didn't deserve that large a share of the finite funds available for bridge projects, amazingly enough - if they could get the feds to give them some pork, they could swing the rest of it but couldn't justify paying for all of it because the benefit just wasn't there to justify the cost).

CNN said she killed it. She did.

If McCain distorted the record and her responsibility related to it, that's a totally different matter, but I understand how people try to change the subject rather than admit their own errors or misunderstandings!

Posted by BottleBlonde

I don't think that all earmarks are bad. There are local projects or issues dear to the hearts of specific Congressmen that don't get the attention and funding they need without those earmarks. Reforms were needed, and I think a lot of the problems have been resolved with the reforms pushed by the Democrats after the Republicans went hog-wild with earmarks in the late 90's through 2008.

That having been said, again we see the hypocrisy of the righties in full force.

Palin said in answer to questionaires before the November, 2006 election that put her in the governor's seat, that she supported the bridge to nowhere, supported the federal funding of that bridge, and wanted to take full advantage of the power the Republican Alaskan congressional delegation had before they lost it!

No she's claiming, and Bob Schieffer is echoing that claim, that she's against earmarks? She's still not against earmarks in general. She does agree that there were excesses, but she was willing to allow those excesses as long as they benefitted her state! Now she's perhaps seen the error of her ways, or more likely has seen the political costs of blindly supporting earmarks, and has changed her views. But even those changed views don't include no support for any earmarks!

Such hypocrites on the right!

Posted by watershed

After doing some "vetting" of my own of this woman, I have discovered that she is a psycho-lady Religious Right mouth-breathing fuss-nut who thinks evolution is crazy talk, that dinosaur bones are the 6,000-year-old remains of dragons, and that there's no good reason a woman should control her own body even if she's been raped by her uncle.

And now I really think Obama's gonna win!

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to watershed

I've loved hearing all the rightie pundits saying that she's got 'executive experience' that Obama doesn't have.

Like being the governor of a homogeneous state 1/5th the size of the city of Chicago for 20 months gives you the skills needed to run the USA? Or being the mayor of a city of 9000 that she left in bad financial straits because of poor choices she made?

She solidifies the base, and this is a grooming exercise for her future in the Republican Party.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to BottleBlonde

And somehow being the head of the PTA counts as experience, while being a community grassroots organizer is a joke...

 

It's amazing what party affiliation can do for the perception of one's background...

 

I for one don't hold Palin's inexperience against her any more than I hold Obama's inexperience against him. But please, when we make standards, can we not make convenient exceptions? When we set precedents, can amdendments to those precedents apply to all of the participants of the precedent?

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to DAWUSS

Fast tracking to the highest office in the land with all the problems GW Bush left the next president with is irresponsible stewardship.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to wolf kotenberg

1) Bush inherited Clinton's problems, who inherited Reagan's (for all intents and purposes) problems.

 

2) Both tickets have someone with experience (McCain, Biden) with someone who quickly climbed the political ladder (Obama, Palin). Of course, the difference is, on the left you have the experienced one in an advisory-like role to the inexperienced one, and on the right you have the inexperienced one in an advisory-like role to the experienced one. Similar yet opposite situations...

Posted by neon desert in reply to DAWUSS

Or...

You've got the promise of one party's administration promising change from the status quo, against the example of the other party's administration which has put us where we are now under the "leadership" of the guy in who has the most executive experience in his party.

And one question you have to ask yourself is "Is McCain already bought and paid for by the neocons currently in power in Washington?".  I think there are plenty of examples which would indicate that yes, he's now their tool. 

The only "experience" everyone should be paying attention to is their own.  Are you feeling like the U.S. is in a better place today than it was 8 years ago?  16 years ago? 

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to neon desert

I can't speak for 16 years (I'm not that old), but I think life now is better in some aspects, but worse in others. For example, technology is better now than it was 8 years ago, but the economy is worse than it was 8 years ago thanks to things like a weak dollar.

Posted by neon desert in reply to DAWUSS

Aside from the latest and greatest foreclosure software, potato chip extraction gear, and testicular-conductivity-equipment, what technology has King George's policies been responsible for?

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to neon desert

the political dismantling of constitutional law by signing cerimonies and political appointees with no credentials required. i don't think GW has the skills to solder resistors together.

Posted by neon desert in reply to wolf kotenberg

But Wolfie, the "you-can't-make-me" rock and "loyalty" buffalo femur used by Bushman to tear apart the constitution pre-date the tools used to construct it.

http://www.jcglv.org/caveman.jpg

Posted by annes10 in reply to neon desert

cool

is that a polyester knit?

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to neon desert

you got me.

Posted by dbeden4153 in reply to DAWUSS

A weak dollar brought on by the deregulation of the banking industry, which fueled the greed to unload sub-prime loans.

technology is better, but that's because technology can't inherently get worse, except under some cataclysmic event.  That has nothing whatsoever to do with the Bush administration, or our government in general, especially noting that most of the technological advancements have been made overseas.

 

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to DAWUSS

Stop your wingnut bs. GW Bush . the only " problem " GW Bush inherited from Clinton was the fallout from Lewinsky thing, which put this numbskull in office. If you want to continue this non-sequitor, go ahead but your credibility in the debate arena is shattered.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to wolf kotenberg

So things were perfect in this country when Clinton left office?

 

Clinton himself said he had some regrets when he left office, including his failed attempts to get Osama bin Laden.

Posted by dbeden4153 in reply to DAWUSS

Yeah, because he thought he could trust Bush to handle it.  The Clinton administration had designed a plan to capture him, but they finalized it in December of 2000.  Instead of handing Bush a war when he took office, the Clinton administration felt it best to give him the plan to implement.

9 months later, with Operation Ignore in full swing (Cheney, the head of the counterterrorism task force, didn't hold ONE meeting.  Bush said he would personally chair a few of the meetings, but you can't chair a meeting that has never been held) ... yeah, 9/11 happened.

The worst mistake Clinton ever made was trusting the judgement of GWB.

Posted by dbeden4153 in reply to dbeden4153

Oh, also, Clinton was running a budget surplus with a strong dollar and even libertarian Republican Alan Greenspan praised Clinton's fiscal discipline.  And you can't contribute that to the Republican majority in congress, because the Republican majority under GWB produced our current economic situation.  Greenspan has excoriated Bush for his unconditional 2001 tax cuts, and his otherwise utter lack of fiscal discipline.

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to DAWUSS

which GW Bush made worse by not paying attention to the Clinton debrief. it has been demonstrated and proved that Condoleeza rice, a trusted advisor , did not pay attention to this debrief either ( there is documentation )  GW Bush is responsible for the coinduct of his presidency and your feeble attempt to " pass the responsibility buck " to the previous administration is laughable. Stop listening to the hannity/ Limbaugh comedy duo and train your critical thinking skills.you sound like my young but adult son who got his wheels stuck in between the train track.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to wolf kotenberg

  GW Bush is responsible for the coinduct of his presidency and your feeble attempt to " pass the responsibility buck " to the previous administration is laughable.

I agree. By the end of the second year, the current administration should be making its impact on the country. I don't think anyone was still blaming Reagan for anything in '96 (for the problems Clinton inherited), like some Bush-backers were blaming Clinton in '04.

Bush isn't as bad as Democrats say he was, Bush isn't as good as the Republicans say he was.

 

And to look ahead, how long will it take for McCain or Obama to start making an impact on this country? Both of them will inherit Bush's problems.

 

Stop listening to the hannity/ Limbaugh comedy duo

Can I listen to them the day after the November election? Or is that script already available (I'll take spoilers - they're not much of an issue for me)?

Posted by loonz in reply to DAWUSS

Can I listen to them the day after the November election?

That's up to you.  Limbaugh went deaf listening to his own BS and it might happen to you.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to loonz

Well, basically, I wanna' hear them:

 

If Obama wins -- Their backpedaling and questioning of what happened, and wondering why they didn't win since, to them, the McCain-Palin ticket had it all. Maybe they can start a countdown of the number of days they have left on the radio starting that day, with Obama's likelihood of passing the Fairness Doctrine once he resides in the White House.

 

If McCain wins -- I think they've earned their day in the spotlight. Hannity can talk about how the Stop Obama Express worked, and Limbaugh can take all the credit for McCain's victory.

Posted by loonz in reply to DAWUSS

with Obama's likelihood of passing the Fairness Doctrine once he resides in the White House.

Who told you this?

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to loonz

Neal Boortz

Posted by loonz in reply to DAWUSS

Did you attempt to verify it?

Posted by magnolialover in reply to DAWUSS

Hahahahahahaha!! Hohohohohohohoh.. Phew, I thought you said Neal Boortz told you something and you believed him. Oh wait, you did say that. Your comment is even funnier now that I realize that you really wrote that.

Posted by annes10 in reply to loonz

Obama doesn't support restoration of the FD. He doesn't like nukular power either.

Just two of his positions I don't agree with.

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to annes10

Not sure about the Fairness Doctrine - with so many different options for news and commentary (the Fairness Doctrine was about a fair way to expose opinion, not news, remember) I don't think it would have much impact in our world today - it would only force groups that use the public airwaves to allow some rebuttals, but would not change the overall scene.

On nuclear power, however, I agree with your wholeheartedly. Sure, nuclear power is not without its own set of difficulties, but I don't see how we continue on this planet without that solution. Wind and solar just don't cut it in some locations and for some applications. Nuclear power has costs but great benefits and I don't see how we can fail to help subsidize nuclear power plants to bridge the gap until we find (if we ever find) a way to make solar and wind (or other alternatives) total solutions.

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to DAWUSS

You can do what you like. the first ammendment garantees you can do that. You can be as brilliant as you want as well as repetitive as you want. both are covered.

Posted by worrierking in reply to DAWUSS

I see where you're going with this and under nornmal circumstances there is some truth to the preisident inheriting problems from the prior administration.

The Bush administration is the exception.  Their problems are their own. No one else's.

They took over and set their own path. The path that ignored terrorism as a threat and then, when it was too late, threw everything they had into fighting terrorism in the country that was contained and was no threat to us.

Posted by eb in reply to worrierking

People need to remember that the big debate for W in the beginning was what to do with all the federal surplus.  They believed it was bad for the economy and they decided to give it to the rich.

Bush also put O bin lauden on the back burner, wanting to refire the cold war with a missle defense instead

Bush also blew off  initiatives in Korea and in the middle east.

The USA was respected around the world to a greater degree than now

Yet somehow, all our troubles are because of liberal/progressives.

Posted by the Grey Path in reply to DAWUSS

Obama is a helluva lot smarter than Palin .... or McCain, for that matter.  Go listen to his interview with Fareed Zakaria.

Posted by annes10 in reply to BottleBlonde

Bottle Blonde, nevermind Obama! As a sitting governor, Palin has executive experience that McCain doesn't even have!  

We had some impressive governors from both parties to pick from during this election, Romney and Huckabee to name two GOOPers. They were put through a vetting process during the primaries ... but Palin wasn't. Who's to say she even would have made it past New Hampshire? And now McCain elevates her to second-in-line, pending the general election?

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to annes10

I don't believe that we needed to vet the VP through the primary process. We elect a President, not a VP.

And the experience thing you mention is a non-starter too, because decades in the Senate is more than equivalent to being Governor, so no, she doesn't have more experience than McCain.

 

Posted by wolf kotenberg

Bob Schieffer said " He really was attracted to her life story. "

What makes him think I believe that full of bologna story, knowing how McCain met his current wife ?  Ithink she was a last moment choice after finding out Obama picked Biden, who is a real political threat to McCain.

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to wolf kotenberg

Did you see the timeline of when he picked her? It's almost certainly a reaction to Obama's pick.

I think it's like the reaction you get sometimes when you wake someone up from a deep sleep, and they flail out and give you a black eye - a totally unconscious and undesirable result.

They told us before Thursday morning that McCain would announce his pick on Friday, but he didn't even have one picked!

Karl Rove was on a talkshow a week or two ago, saying that Obama better not dare make a politically motivated VP pick - then that's exactly what McCain did. I wonder if Karl Rove will chide McCain for that choice?

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to BottleBlonde

It was reported last night that it was Liebermann until Biden was picked.

Posted by the Grey Path in reply to BottleBlonde

Palin is being applauded by the Christian Reconstructionist movement.  One more supreme court justice and they can essentially replace the Constitution with their Bible.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to the Grey Path

And then I'll hear time after time about how the Constitution was based on Christian Law...

 

And then I'll wonder what separates a government school from a parochial school...

Posted by magnolialover in reply to DAWUSS

Except, there is no such thing as a government school. Stop listening to Neal Boortz, he's rotting your brain. I'm sure you're a Fair Tax proponent as well no doubt.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to magnolialover

Yeah. It would work too.

 

There are some things I disagree with him about, though.

Posted by magnolialover in reply to DAWUSS

No, the Fair Tax would not work. This has been debunked by every economist who is worth anything, but that's OK, don't stop believing.

You seem to be putting talking points out straight from the Boortz show so far. I stopped listening to him, mostly because every day it was more of the same thing. Government schools (whatever those are)... Government waste... Blah blah blah blah... Fair Tax this, Fair Tax that. Funny thing is, is that when anyone calls in to challenge him on the Fair Tax BS, he cuts them off short (or takes calls from complete idiots), yells over them, and gets the last word in, and doesn't actually present the facts.

Boortz is an even bigger fool and idiot. Why? Mostly because he calls himself a libertarian, when he isn't even close. He's just someone who likes to claim that he's a "libertarian", but it does seem funny that I hardly ever hear any criticism of any republican on his show, only democrats. Why doesn't he just quit the charade and call himself (R), and get over it. The only thing worse than Boortz is his sometimes replacement Herman Caine (did I spell that right??). He has GOT to be the biggest largest moron on radio. Talk about a know nothing ignorant person of the world.

Posted by Brabantio in reply to BottleBlonde

Karl Rove also said Tim Kaine was a poor choice for Obama because he was the mayor of Richmond and was only governor of Virginia for three years.  Then McCain picks Palin.  I'd quit the campaign, personally, but Rove doesn't seem to mind being a blatant hypocrite by defending the choice.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to wolf kotenberg

SCHIEFFER: This was John McCain the old POW, putting it all out on the line there, taking the risk, out of the blue. This was John McCain who made this decision. He really was attracted to the notion of having a female on the ticket in an attempt to one-up the Democrats having a black man on their ticket. But I got to tell you, Katie, a none of his newly formed friends like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are really worried about this. As to whether this is going to knock down Obama, I think -- I think -- it remains to be seen....

 

 

There does that read better?

Posted by DAWUSS

Is McCain throwing the election?

 

Intelligent commentary regaring Palin or mere whining? We'll let you decide.

 

Anyway, does anyone think that as this election increases Palin's skirt will be getting shorter and shorter? It's probably something for the Colonel or WZWriter to observe at the end of the day with B&A photos...

Posted by annes10 in reply to DAWUSS

Makes you wonder what the people who are really in-the-know are expecting economically. Why not pass of Bush's Enormous-Depression onto a democrat?

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to annes10

And then it would be Obama's fault if we continue to stay in a recession, but if we pull out, it will be due to Bush's policies really starting to come to fruition...

Posted by worrierking in reply to DAWUSS

Bush's policies may have caused generational problems for the economy. We've squandered so much, in such a short time, and the costs will continue to escalate for years to come.

My children's children will be paying for long term health care for thousands  of those wounded from this misbegottn war. They'll be paying for the war the Bush administration chose to wage.

Posted by eb in reply to worrierking

This needs to be emphasized and effectively broadcasted.  Republicans have done long term damage that will not go away in one presidental term.  It might even be worse.  Its possible that the best we can do is slow the decline. 

You know from day one of an Obama administration, the brain atrophied Rushworld will blame non-conservatives for every bit of bad news and the bad news is not going to stop no matter who is elected.

Posted by annes10 in reply to eb

Yeah, El-Rushbo is already blaming the 2007 Dem congress for high gas prices. Predictable, but still irritating: we all know that it was Greenspan's Fed, lowering interest rates in the early aughts, that brought the dollar devaluation and real estate bubble on. The post-Carter through now gasoline binge ... well that was a product of Reagan-Republicans who were so happy to be told they should be optimistic about the future that they neglected to plan for one.

Don't fall for GOOP rewritten history! To them there is no such thing as truth, just spin.

Posted by eb in reply to annes10

Oil - Geological factors are beginning to play into the oil markets as well- we just can't pump out what we want as cheaply and easily as before. 

Just wait... if the wingnut blowhards ever come around to admitting there was only so much oil in the ground to begin with, they'll blame the liberals somehow.  Maybe God knew progressives would exist in these times so he didn't put so much oil into the earth 6000 years ago. 

Non-conservatives will be blamed for everything.  Its the only way they can back out of the corner of being always right about everything.

Posted by annes10 in reply to eb

Have you studied up on the crazy-con abiotic-oil hypothesis? The claim is that hydrocarbon fuels (methane and aliphatic daughter products) are generated in the mantle abiotically. The claim has been debunked (particularly with respect to generation rate) but the righties don't care so long as they can imagine a future that contains sparkly SUVs.  

Peak oil? Don't confuse the righties with facts.

Posted by annes10 in reply to annes10

To be clear: I'm blaming high gas prices partly on dollar devaluation, and partly on not getting an energy plan together and passed 20+ years ago. And the situation is actually worse than it was 20 years ago: there is not a single city in the inland west that you can survive and prosper in without a car.

It's easy to blame the democrats, environmentalists, and NIMBYs, but BIGOIL is the big culprit. Follow the money.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to annes10

One thing we should have done (and I think it's too late now) is to build an efficient mass-transit system and build an efficient sidewalk system for pedestrians and cyclists. Once you head out of the big city or the neighborhoods, sidewalks are essentially nonexistant.

Posted by loonz in reply to

I just flagged the above post.  I shouldn't be advancing rumors.

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to loonz

I almost had a father-son closed door meeting with you..........

Posted by proudconservative in reply to loonz

Be careful loonie, too much self flagging can make you go blind.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to

Are you implying that she slept with her oldest son?

Posted by Brabantio in reply to DAWUSS

Put the bong down.

Posted by congero6189599

You know the conservatives are really hard to take seriously anymore since it's hard to believe anything that copmes out of their mouths.  they seem to do things for political expediency without regard to people .  We were told by McInsane that experience and judgement mattered and that he would always put the country first as opposed to his opponent who would rather place politics ahead of country.  McInsanes pick for VP throws that whole argument in the trash. He's shown poor judgement in his pick and all his experience this is all he could come up with(talk about Affirmative action).  Even his supporters were caught off guard(a sign that this was a hasty pick)telling me that this was a decision based on politics and not what is good for the country.  Country first my behind, McInsane has shown with his flip-flops and pandering that he is only interested in obtaining power at any cost, while drapping himself shamelessly in the flag and his POW history.  look behind the words and the empty suit is not Obama but John McInsane.  Joe Conason says this : http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/08/30/palin/?source=newsletter

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to congero6189599

Palin I think was a good choice, but the conservative double-standard on this is almost beyond words (I think there's some words in the dictionary that can describe it, but that would require reading it front to back).

 

Sometimes I think I was better off living in a fantasy world with other Dittoheads. Unfortunately, I was cursed with a functioning brain that allowed me to question and think and reason...

Posted by the Grey Path in reply to DAWUSS

Yeah, that functioning brain thing can be real problem.  I voted for Reagan too.

Posted by loonz in reply to DAWUSS

Palin I think was a good choice

There are better republican women.  He could have chosen Kay Bailey Hutchinson or better yet, Olympia Snowe.

Posted by fawltylogic in reply to loonz

They probably rejected his advances.

For the VP spot, of course. 

Posted by BottleBlonde in reply to fawltylogic

I think that's true. I think he got turned down by a lot of people who said 'don't vet me, please'.

But I was listening to the McLaughlin report today I think it was, and I think I heard the real reason Palin was nominated.

Remember, he's the Maverick. But actions speak louder than words, and we've seen that he really hasn't been a maverick, and has recently moved closer and closer to following the party line.

But when he named Palin he named someone who is clearly outside of the party hierarchy, someone who is a true maverick (as are most citizens of Alaska!) and someone who can help reinforce his muffled message that he was just as interested in bringing change to Washington as Obama.

Obama was clearly winning the "I am for change" message. McCain wants to have some of that love too, so he is the "my VP is a big change, so please let some of her street cred rub off on me" guy now.

Posted by worrierking in reply to DAWUSS

Careful, next comes that pesky thing we like to call a conscience.

Once it takes root, you're doomed. You'll be ostracized by the right.

Posted by pearlene_scott1602 in reply to DAWUSS

Palin I think was a good choice,

Palin was chosen because she's a woman and because she a religious nut!

Republicans think they'll be able to appeal to Hillary supporters by picking a woman. Notice how Palin spoke so glowingly about Hillary. WHEN has ANY Republican had ANYTHING nice to say about Hillary?

Republicans think women are more concerned about simply having a female candidate than what that female candidate stands for. I can't wait for them to see how wrong they are.

Palin is against abortion EVEN in the case of rape or incest! It anyone thinks that women want that type of woman appointing supreme court justices they're totally insane. Then there's Palin trying to get her former brother-in-law fired and Palin firing the state public safety commissioner for NOT firing her former brother-in-law. Questions about Palin recent pregnancy and who is the child's mother. 

I've got a feeling that Palin is going to bite the GOP in the butt. Kind of like Gustavo happening right around the Republican convention, reminding people how badly Republicans handled Katrina.

As time goes buy, I'm liking the Palin pick.

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to pearlene_scott1602

WHEN has ANY Republican had ANYTHING nice to say about Hillary?

Operation: Chaos

I... I think that's about it....

 

Republicans think women are more concerned about simply having a female candidate than what that female candidate stands for. I can't wait for them to see how wrong they are.

They definitely painted that picture about why women were voting for Hillary, and why blacks are voting for Obama. And there you have another hypocrisy - "Don't vote for Hillary because she's a woman!" "Vote for Palin - she's a woman!"

 

Palin is against abortion EVEN in the case of rape or incest! It anyone thinks that women want that type of woman appointing supreme court justices they're totally insane.

You all know my stand on abortion, and you all know I agree with her on that issue.

 

Then there's Palin trying to get her former brother-in-law fired and Palin firing the state public safety commissioner for NOT firing her former brother-in-law. Questions about Palin recent pregnancy and who is the child's mother.

But we do know the father, right?

The whole BIL issue is something that should come up. Heck, the conservatives still love to bring up Jeremiah Wright!

Posted by pearlene_scott1602 in reply to DAWUSS

You all know my stand on abortion, and you all know I agree with her on that issue.

Most women do not agree with you or Palin when it comes to issues like pregnancy due to rape or incest. Most women feel it's adding additional emotional and physical harm to FORCE a woman to have a child from someone who has already brutalized her.

Both you and Palin will find plenty of religious nuts agreeing with you, but most women, even those who dislike the idea of abortion, don't want a woman forced to have her rapist child or the child of her father or uncle. 

But we do know the father, right?

It doesn't matter who's child it is, but it does smack of total hypocrisy to not practice what you preach. She preaches abstinence only, but hides the fact that her own abstinence only teaching may not have worked.  

Posted by eb in reply to congero6189599

I hope Media Matters can document the squirming rush and sean H. are going to need to do to 'splain this one.

Lets face it, this was a cynical attempt at identity politics, something supposedly the repubs and conservatives are above.  All their talk of democrats doing whatever the can to win will be a joke if they talk about Mccains brilliant strategy to undercut the dems.

Also i especially have heard hannity foam at the mouth about how Obama, with no experience is nothing but a celebrity identity candidate whose ability to react to dangerous situations is unknown.

I suspect  that when the dust settles, VP Pallin will make a mockery of much of the vapid right wing echo chamber since it contradicts all the supposed faults of Obama and supposed strengths of Mccain. 

He picked the best possible VP? -- only if this is about wedging identity demographics

Experience is vital at this point and time?  -- See above point

This leaves the Hannitys, BOs and Rushes a lot of spinning to do.  Keep an eye on em media matters!

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to eb

A lot of spinning, a lot of backpedaling.

 

McCain may have given the GOP a Trojan Horse. They welcome it with open arms, but it may indeed be a trap.

Did you see how GIDDY Bush Sr's golf partner Bob Scheiffer was " this was john mcCain the fighter pilot "  " he sees himelf in her " assertions he can't prove . How does he know he was " attracted to her life story " , bcs it seems that somebody else (poss. Rove picked her ) and why does he claim it's a " risk" . 

Actually it is a risk but for reasons Bush Sr's golfing partner didn't mention and that's TROOPER GATE , the abuse of power investigation , authorized by BOTH dems and Reps in Alaska . In poker it's called a bad bet . Why take a chance at all , that this could turn into a huge scandal , making McCain into the laughing stock of the nation .  

Posted by DAWUSS in reply to temphandle anise57conifer

I think it's a "risk" because I think McCain doesn't have much to lose, and he needed something to attempt to catapult himself over Obama in the polls.

 

Once the whole freshness of McCain's choice wears off, it's not going to make a big an impact as he or the GOP may have hoped. I mean, the VPILF crowd is going to make a quick bang and then limp out since there wasn't much that was keeping them erect.

Posted by magnolialover in reply to DAWUSS

He doesn't need her to boost his polling numbers, he would need her to win the election, which, she isn't going to do. She's a kook. She's ill fitting for the job, and he only nominated her because she was a religious nut, and because it could harden his position with evangelicals who didn't like him. I don't think, any longer, that it was about trying to pry Hillary voters away. He had to try and get the evangelicals to come out en force and vote for his ticket, like they did for Bush. I honestly think that this is what it's all about.

Posted by wolf kotenberg in reply to magnolialover

If she is in fact such a religious person, where does she go to church, who is her pastor and how much of her income is being given to church ? of course the answers to these questions might bite me in the behind......

Posted by juliajayne

I just want to know how this Bob Schieffer feller got to be so old, and yet so clueless? Old dude is still characterizing McCain a maverick? And how did John McCain get to be so old and still be so impulsive as to pick this woman as VP? Am I missing something? (or someone :-0)?)

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

I hope that someone you're missing is me my sweet Julia ;-)

I don't know that I'd blame age on Mr. Schieffer's cluelessness. He's a member of the MSM & they simply continue to refer to McCain as a Maverick even though it's been well documented that he is far from being any such thing.

McCain isn't so much impulsive as he is losing his bearings ;-)

Hope my typing is ok, I had a little too much to drink at this cookout I went to today. I should know by now that booze is only a temporary crutch to wipe out pain.

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Poor feller, I wish I could help with the pain, sweets, I really do :-0) 

Posted by juliajayne in reply to juliajayne

Hey Jeter, my sweets, check out the last thread of the day today. I'm up for VP and you're up for the First Fella.

I do hope you had a good Labor Day Holiday :-) !!!!!!!!!! 

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Ha! I saw it darlin. I left a few comments.

Ain't it cute that everyone just naturally sees us as a couple?

I may have to beat up Prince for showing you disrespect! Grrrr...

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Don't beat 'im too bad. He may get sore and sell those secrets of ours to the National Inquirer like he threatened. Wouldn't want us "outted" now, would we?

I don't think our coupledom is in question here though, sweetheart. Everybody knows it :-0)

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Well I just challenged him to a duel, so we better hope I take him out...permanently :-O

I bet if this forum gave out superlatives we'd be voted "Cutest Couple" hands down. Come to think of it, I guess that would be a no brainer, nobody else here has hooked up. We should do something about that How about the Colonel & Mary?

I kinda like that everyone here knows we're sweethearts :-)

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

How about the Colonel & Mary?

Well they did produce Mary five-niner according to the Colonel's family tree, so maybe ,just maybe we can get those two crazy kids together.

Posted by juliajayne in reply to juliajayne

Gotta get supper on the table like a good wife. See ya soon?

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

I'll be here waiting :-)

Enjoy your dinner.

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

I can't come back until about 12 midnight CST. I'm afraid you'll be passed out drunk by then. :-( And you do have to work tomorrow. See ya soon though.

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Hey sorry about that "in bed" post on the other thread. I was trying to funny. Are you really angry? Did you really flag it? I guess I'm in the Dog House. I'd wait here till midnight for you, but if you're pissed I understand. Have I just blown everything? Sorry love. I didn't mean to embarrass you.

Goodnight, I guess :-(

I'll be around later. If you wanna talk.

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Oh now, you know me well enough to know I'm not upset at all. I came back early 'cause I was worried about your sweet little feelings. And no, I didn't really flag you (just putting on a front is all). But somebody may do it :-0) I can't stay though, not right now. Don't stay up if you can't, that's like 1 am your time. I'll come back regardless though. Love. JJ

Posted by juliajayne in reply to juliajayne

You do know I'm crazy about you, right? I never, ever want you to be sad for even a second. If I ever sound mad without actually talking to ya, just know I'm protecting us. I don't think I could be mad at you, but you could prove me wrong :-0) Kidding.....! Love, your JJ

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Hey darlin,

I'm sobering up. Guess I'm a bit too liberal with what I say in my posts when I'm plastered ;-)

I figured everyone kids about "Us" anyway, so they wouldn't think twice about our exchanges, no matter how X rated. But I understand now what you were doing. Thank you for coming back early. I was down. I guess I can blame some of it on the booze. It's a damn depressant. You do know I'd never hurt you deliberately, & I thought I had.

Hey thank you for being such a sweetheart. How'd I get so damn lucky?

I may be around for awhile more, but if we miss each other, goodnight love. Sweet dreams.

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

I'm a bit circumspect since that jealous person kept us away from each other so long. I can't go through that again. You don't suppose we'll get kicked off of here someday do you? I hope not, but please email me if that ever happens. Please. I don't care if you have to go to an internet cafe or something.

Yes, my dearest, you do seem a bit less inhibited, not that I mind. It's other people. But aren't the guys WK, Snoop and POW just great? I love those guys. They broke up our exchange pretty good. God, otherwise we'd just hog that whole thing and get somebody pissed off.

Why can't they see we're in love? :-0) Or think we are :-), just as good. I wish I could go on. I'm gonna spoil you with love the next time we meet here. Good night for just now.

Love, your JJ

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Hey darlin,

Got a throbbing head this morning. I don't drink much so I sometimes forget what a hangover feels like. Now that I've been acutely reminded, I won't be drinking again for awhile.

I think folks have gotten pretty used to the Jeter-Julia playful flirting, but you're right, certain posters here have made it their business to call attention to it...in a bad way. King, Snoop Prince & most of the rest could care less, they just play along with us. I'd hate for us to have to weigh everything we post out of fear that someone will get offended. We, especially me, probably needs to draw a line on what is acceptable humor here.

I can't believe some of the stuff we posted here this past weekend :-O I'm too afraid to even go back & read it [though I want to] I don't want either of us to get the boot. But I'd hate giving up our private conversations even more. When you think about it, we really took a chance! But I'm happy we did love.

No matter if the worst happen here, we'd never lose touch. I promise. Our love is here to stay.

Till later my lady. I'm looking forward to the next time we meet here :-)

I can't quit her
She's got a hold on me
She got her hand on my soul
I can't quit her

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Hi my sweetheart,

You don't wanna read what we posted? Now me, I saved it to my email so I can read it over and over ! :-) Can't wait til the weekend to tell you where I live, etc., etc.. And I have some more comments to make as well regarding your last missive before your cookout.

Make a wish, baby
Well, and I will make it come true
Make a list, baby
Of the things I'll do for you
Ain't no risk, now,
In lettin' my love rain down on you,
So we could wash away the past,
So that we may start anew

 

 

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Hey darlin,

I saved all our stuff too, I meant going back & actually seeing it posted here on line where anyone could stumble upon it. Boy would they be in for a shock! I am too afraid to see it in black & white here...I think it would be almost surreal. Can you believe we did that? We are a couple of daredevils ;-)

I'm living for the weekends now.

BTW, I love that song you just posted. It's gonna be in my head all day long now! And so of course are you. I feel like I'm in limbo here, I just want to reach out for you.

Now, I told you so you ought to know
It takes some time for a feeling to grow
You're so close now I can't let you go
And I can't let go
With you I'm not shy to show the way I feel
With you I might try my secrets to reveal
For you are a magnet and I am steel

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Well dearest, Foregt daredevils. We're more like desperados. :-0) Desperate desperados :-0) Damn desperate :-0)!!!!! And lovesick! God, what a pair! 

Posted by juliajayne in reply to juliajayne

Damn, guess I should have previewed that! Hey, are you a Buckingham/Nicks fan? What about Fleetwood Mac? Mick Fleetwood is one damn weird looking guy when he plays the drums but that group is very interesting in so many way - what a story they have. Oh, you have to work don't you? Guess I'd better get after it too. But then I don't have a regulation schedule. It's pretty free form. stop blathering, girl :-) Bye, sweetie.

Posted by jeter2 in reply to juliajayne

Yeah I have work to do darlin, but of course I keep popping in here hoping to find that you've left something for me. Damn desperate lovesick desperado. Yup that sums it up perfectly.

I'm a Fleetwood Mac fan, & like most everybody else back in the 70's wore out their Rumors album from overplaying it. I like Lindsey Buckingham's & Stevie Nick's solo stuff too.

I have a copy of Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits CD [2 vol set] that I got last Christmas, or maybe the Christmas before. Do you have a few favorite songs? I think Go Your Own Way is my favorite, but they had so many good ones. Silver Springs, Sara, Rhiannon(sp?), I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. There was a song I really like on Rumors [that wasn't a single] called The Chain.

Ok, back to work I go. Bye for now love.

I'm sure I'll be back soon. I can't seem to get enough of you :-)

Posted by juliajayne in reply to jeter2

Now, that Stevie Nicks is way abstract in her writing. I sort of like her lyrics. I'm kind of surprised you like her :-0). She and Buckingham really rounded out that group. I'm not their biggest fan, but have come to appreciate them more over the years after seeing some of their concert specials and stuff on the TV. We have HD net and we get fantastic concerts. Renewed my love of Boz Skaggs too. Now he is very underrated imo. He has some roots in this area of the world. He and Steve Miller went to the same private school here in Dallas (St. Marks). But I digress. We're supposed to be working. Damn, I could talk with you all the day long, love. Too bad we can't get paid for that!

Your JJ

Posted by juliajayne

Hey, that "desperado" stuff we've been talking about reminds me of when Elaine and some guy were dating. And Elaine wanted "Desperado" to be "their song".

Hey, I know you're a big Seinfeld fan, so if anybody could appreciate that, it's you, right? :-0)

See I posted this so the thread wouldn't get any skinnier. I think we're alone now, doesn't seem to be anyone around. Ha!