Beating the Dead Horse

The scandals just keep piling up for poor Sarah Palin. From her daughter's teenage pregnancy to her embarrassingly false claim that she said "Thanks but no thanks" to funding for the Bridge to Nowhere, and now her affiliation with the Alaska Independent Party, the girl just can't seem to get a break. Never mind those hilariously photoshopped pictures that I'm sure ended up in your email inbox.

I am confused as to why McCain made this choice. Perhaps that's not entirely accurate: I think I can assume why he selected this underdog from Alaska to round out his ticket. I believe it was a misguided attempt to scrape up a few die-hard Hillary fans, whom he blindly assumed were bent on getting a female into office, no matter her political position. Unfortunately, this has backfired more loudly, smokily, and stinkily than a tired, decrepit Jalopy circa oh, say, 1936. What happened to Hutchinsen, the presumptive pick? How about our friend Olympia Snowe, a refreshingly moderate Republican, one of TIME magazine's "Top Ten Senators" in 2006? TIME noted; "Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in Washington."

Snowe secured a seat in the Maine House of Representatives in 1973 at age 26, and has had an illustrious non-stop political career ever since, culminating in her current run as senator, enjoying a comfortable 79% approval rating in her home state. Her moderate views would certainly tantalize an Independent voter, doubtless the deciders of this historic election, far more than the hard-right leanings of our dear Governor.

But what's done is done. I predict that over the course of the next two months, the country will lean harder and harder in Obama's favor, even if no other scandals are unearthed.

And in that case, I'm writing in Olympia Snowe for President.

-Rogue Reporter, Fairbanks, AK

McCain Flying Blind by the Seat Of His Pants

Mr. McCain wrote in his 2002 book, "Worth the Fighting For."

"Often my haste is a mistake, but I live with the consequences without complaint."

Senator John McCain

Is is OK if we complain?

"She's a partner and a soul-mate," he said of Sarah Palin, whom he had met once, in addition to a single phone call, before making her his VP pick. Hopefully the consequences of this hasty mistake will include the overwhelming victory of Mr. Obama. Because once again McCain shows his style and judgement should disqualify him for the Presidency. Sarah Palin is not ready.

One third of Vice Presidents have wound up serving as President.

Our beloved Governor has, in her twenty short months, flip-flopped on earmarks (she was in favor of the bridge to nowhere before she was against it), frustrated the state legislature with her sphinx-like lack of communication and shown poor control over her own staff. She's only in her very first improper use of power scandal! This would all be fine with us Alaskans: a good lead sled dog must be trained in the traces. But Mr. McCain has taken a promising puppy and put her on an Iditarod team. She will end up hurt, along with the team.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/02/AR2008090203462.html?nav%3Dhcmoduletmv&sub=AR

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103127.html

Obamanomics

Why it is better to give a tax cut to you than to Exxon.

A new book detailing Obama's economic policies is worth a look, whether you support him or not. The basic premise is that "trickle down" economics must be replaced by "bottom up". This will be achieved by giving a tax cut to the middle class rather than the wealthy and big corporations. This can only be achieved in conjunction with a ban on corporate lobbyists.

Take a gander: http://www.realpolitical.net/2008/06/obamanomics/

Republicans Arrest and Gas Journalists

Shades of China

Amy Goodman, the soft spoken host of "Democracy Now" was arrested at the RNC convention yesterday, along with a fellow journalist ..... Reports of tear gassing the crowd don't sound surprising. Isn't this program of suppression a contrast to the DNC's convention, which if anything, had an excess of enthusiasm?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-kilkenny/amy-goodman-arrested-at-r_b_123051.html

Palin Not Ready to be President: Here's Why

I count myself among the earliest Palin supporters. I first met her at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage with her daughter when she debated gubernatorial candidates for the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference. I immediately liked her for her habit of looking into your eyes and really listening.
But my vote was predicated on the idea that she would see out her term in office and learn on the job. Because Mrs. Palin is an absolutist. She sees the universe in shadeless black and white. Her positions on abortion and sex education illustrate this perfectly.
She would have every rape victim give birth to her rapist's child. And she would end public funding of contraception education in favor of abstinence only.


"The explicit sex-ed programs," she added, "will not find my support." The stance, which reflected the priorities of the GOP, nevertheless led to an incredulous editorial in the Juneau Empire:
"Abstinence may be a laudable goal, but failing to educate teenagers about how to protect themselves from disease or unintended pregnancy is tragically misguided."
The recently announced pregnancy of the governor's unmarried 17 year daughter is an ironic top note: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/512560.html
Mr. McCain has espoused the same, in his own awkward way:
He was asked if he supported the use of contraception or President Bush's abstinence-only education program to stem the spreading of AIDS.
"After a long pause, he said, 'I think I support the president's policy.' Does he believe that contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV? After another long pause, he replied, "You've stumped me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/sarah-palin

Breaking News! Karl Rove is Vladmir Putin

Wears Sumo Suit When Inside U.S.

I was as disappointed as anyone when Senator John McCain crawled out of the 2000 election as a slithering henchman to the Bush White House.

How had they done it? How did they break him? Was it simply the horrifying realization that the dark side is very effective? In 2000 he bet his political shirt that truth would always conquer lies. His foe Karl Rove, Master of Puppets, had risen to power by using the opposite philosophy: lies work better, they work faster, and can be crafted to acheive the stated goal. Rove made road kill out of the crusading McCain. In the eight years since, The Rove Model: start with the desired conclusion (invade Iraq, subvert the democratic process, etc.) and fill in middle part, (where many of us would foolishly use facts) with juicy delicious half truths and outright lies, to get back to the beginning (where many of us would foolishly start) and pinpoint the problem.

So, we start with the conclusion, let's say "It's Time to Invade Iraq Now", then fill in the middle with yellowcake, unsubstantiated single-source "intelligence" and foam flecked rhetoric, and we get back to the beginning: a braying goat in the desert named Saddam is at the center of world terrorism.

Let's do another. Start with the conclusion, "It's Time to Invade Georgia Now", fill in the middle with paranoia about the west, and false sense of urgency, to get to the beginning: United States proxies in Georgia are killing Russians in South Ocetia. Oh wait a minute, that was Putin.

Hey, hang on! He stepped back from his official position to a more oblique one in which he is still in the spotlight, and still firmly in power. Is it President Putin, or Fox analyst Karl Rove?

Have you ever looked into their beady eyes? They're the same I tell you! They're the same!

And here' why I hope they are not:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/dissentious-website-owner_n_122819.html