Biden's Muzzle is Off...

Wonder how many gaffe's he'll make between now and the election? I guess we shamed them into letting him loose. They picked him, now the Obama has to live with him...

Biden Tells Reporters McCain Won’t Give Up
by Aaron Bruns
LIMA, OH — The muzzle is off.
Joe Biden stopped by a local burger joint for late night take-out, but wound up taking 12 minutes of questions from national reporters who haven’t been able to talk to the Delaware Senator since a flight to Kalispell, MT on September 7th — telling them he expects a tight race.

This election is going to be a lot closer than everybody thinks it is,” Biden said. “I think it’s going to be close in Florida, it’s going to be close here, it’s going to be close in Missouri, I think it’s going to close…I don’t think it will be that close in Pennsylvania, I feel very good about Pennsylvania.”
http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/biden-tells-reporters-mccain-wont-give-up/

Re: Press shut down

"A Right Wing Conservative" asked what Obama would do to us on the blogosphere... I've already been wondering how long we'll have the luxury of using Blogger since the owner of Blogger is Google and the owner of Google is a staunch Obama supporter.

I know I get a bit paranoid at times with all this (at least I HOPE I'm being a bit paranoid), but when you see Obama in action and hear what he's telling us he's going to do, one has to worry about freedom of speech (among other things).

A lot of Dems / Liberals have been pushing the so-called "Fairness" Doctrine already. Bet that's one that comes up fairly quickly if we have Dems in control of all government bodies.

How long will it be before dissent or disagreement with Obama's policies becomes a national security risk and we all have to zip our mouths and quell our nimble fingers from typing on our keyboards?

"Lipstick Republican" pointed out something I missed --- "The shutdown began last week with the Obama campaign refusal to honor an interview appointment after Biden was asked something other than the usual softball questions. No major outcry over that, so this week they're going a little further. Which reporter gets muzzled next?"

We all know they're now "Hidin' Biden" to keep him from making any gaffes. I did see him today giving a scripted talk. I heard that Obama hasn't given an press availabilities for over a month, except the last time Biden gaffed and he was forced to talk candidly to the press.

I think the press is being patently stupid, no make that REALLY STUPID, by supporting someone who's going to turn on them before it's all said and done.

The Night Before Elections

I have no idea who wrote this, it came via email... but I just had to share:

'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!

I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys

They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink

He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!

'On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On ACORN, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!

They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!

So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!

"America will never be destroyed from outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

Joe Biden... ya think he's qualified to be our VP?

Subtitle: Open Mouth, Insert Both Feet. Walk Away.

One gaffe after another should tell you how this man's mind works. Can you imagine him at the table with world leaders? Our press may be in cahoots and manage to overlook every crazy remark that flows straight from his mind to his mouth, but we could be in some deep doo-doo if he says the wrong thing.

There's been a lot of talk in the past few days about his almost identical comments at two different events last weekend. He pretty much promised that if we elect Obama we'll be electing to face some international crisis. This from the man who said he'd love to serve with John McCain as his VP, more so than with Obama (said when he was running for the top slot).

(Side note: who says "gird your loins" anymore???)

Here's some of his comments from the event (I understand ABC was shamed into printing the remarks, article, video, etc.):

"Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate and he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

"Gird your loins. We're gonna win with your help, God willing, we're gonna win, but this is not gonna be an easy ride. This president, the next president, is gonna be left with the most significant task. It's like cleaning the Augean stables, man. This is more than just, this is more than – think about it, literally, think about it – this is more than just a capital crisis, this is more than just markets. This is a systemic problem we have with this economy."

"I've forgotten more about foreign policy than most of my colleagues know, so I'm not being falsely humble with you. I think I can be value added, but this guy has it. This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us."

"There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision'. Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made, which I believe you will when they're made, they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound."

"We do not have the military capacity, nor have we ever, quite frankly, in the last 20 years, to dictate outcomes. It's so much more important than that. It's so much more complicated than that. And Barack gets it."

"I probably shouldn't have said all this because it dawned on me that the press is here. All kidding aside, these guys have left us in a God-awful place. We have the ability to straighten it out. It's gonna take a little bit of time, so I ask you to stay with us. Stay with us."

Want to listen to Joe Biden say it himself? Here you go:



Biden to Supporters: "Gird Your Loins", For the Next President "It's Like Cleaning Augean Stables"
October 20, 2008 7:35 AM

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., on Sunday guaranteed that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama., D-Ill., will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in power and he will need supporters to stand by him as he makes tough, and possibly unpopular, decisions. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html



Here's Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright AGREEING with Joe Biden.



I can't imagine voting for a ticket with this man on it and I certainly would be fearful of ever having him become our President. He seems like a nice enough guy, someone I'd probably enjoy talking with as long as we stayed away from politics. Hmmm.... maybe I'll invite him to eat at Katie's Restaurant in Wilmington, you know the one he loves so much... oh wait, I forgot, it closed down something like 20 years ago. So much for being in touch with the little people, huh, Joe? Maybe we can hang out at the Home Depot and then go build something together.

Do I sound sarcastic? Good. I'm getting tired of being so darned nice while Obama and Biden slap Sarah and John McCain around with their malicious lies.

More on God, Character and Judgement

I hit the post button on that last blog just a bit faster than I should have... I had more to say.

I have been thinking about the Reverend Wright and his brand of Christianity. I've also been thinking about how difficult it is to talk about the Rev without being called a racist.

It's OK for Obama to slap at those who hold their Bibles and religion close to their hearts, but it's not OK for us to talk about a man who preaches hate simply because the color of his skin might be different than mine.

When race is used to stop people from honest discussion of events and issues, then to my way of thinking it's just a different kind of racism. When we can talk openly about things without being branded racist, then we will be a truly color-blind country.

Barack Obama gets a "pass" when he slams those who believe in God as being idiots (at least that's how I took his comment), but a white man or woman can't say they don't like the words someone speaks if they have darker skin. Stupid, silly and it's a huge hammer that is held over the heads of people. It's used to keep us from speaking out, it's used to keep John McCain's campaign from speaking out.

I have had discussions on this subject with some of my black friends. We've talked at length about the difficulties they've experienced in life because of their skin color. I grew up military, which is about the most color-blind group of individuals you can be around. I didn't know that skin color mattered to anyone until I was in my teens.

I judge a person by their character, their judgement and their actions. I expect higher character, better judgement and stellar actions from my President. If I were to take a piece of paper and start linking up actions, judgement, experience, choices, friends and associates, and other factors John McCain would leave Barack Obama in the dust.

Talking about God, Character and Judgement

Back in April of this year Barack Obama was "outed" for saying "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

In comment after comment he raises questions in the minds of many regarding his stated commitment to the Christian faith. I have no idea what is in his heart or whether he is a Christian as he claims, or a closet Muslim as some contend.

Recently the question of "using" the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's nasty version of religion has again come up. I for one think it's valid to bring up the subject. Obama chose to go to that church for twenty years. Whether he did it for political reasons as some assert or whether he simply liked what he heard Sunday after Sunday matters not to me. Either way he made a bad choice and it speaks to his judgement.

Add up all the questionable characters he's chosen to pal around with and I have huge doubts about his judgement and his foundation. How do you judge the people you meet? Often it's based on who they choose for friends along with many other factors.

You won't let your children hang out with kids who act out, who get into trouble, who have certain tendencies or problems. Life is all about choices and judgements. If Obama was blind to Rev. Wright's nature after hanging out with him, being mentored by him for that length of time, how easy will it be for the wrong element to pull the wool over his eyes?

It says a lot about a person's character if they're willing to overlook the elephant in the room along with the person who owns the elephant. Barack Obama has a herd of elephants hanging out in his room and half the nation is willing to ignore them. I suppose using an elephant in the room analogy isn't the best given what it symbolizes politically! Pretend it's a room full of donkeys. Hard to ignore either animal yet there are a lot of people who are doing just that, and doing it happily.

John McCain Speech, Blue Bell, PA -- Fantastic!

I just finished listening to John McCain give the following speech. It was phenomenal! Wow! It loses some of the impact when reading it rather than hearing it, but he really did a great job and I loved the ending!!! Let's FIGHT for our country! (I'll see if I can get a YouTube video for you)

Here's the speech:

Thank you all very much. I appreciate the warm welcome to Pennsylvania, and the hospitality of Montgomery County Community College.

Tomorrow will be the third and final presidential debate, and just 21 days remain until Americans choose their next president. Over the last 21 days, we have seen once-sturdy Wall Street institutions vanish, we have seen huge swings in the market both down and up, and we have seen new federal commitments in the hundreds of billions of dollars. We have seen how suddenly a crisis can unfold these last several weeks, and how great the costs can be in jobs, savings, lost opportunities and taxpayer dollars. What we need to see now is swift and bold action to lead this country in a new direction.

If I am elected president, I will help to create jobs for Americans in the most effective way a president can do this -- with tax cuts that are directed specifically to create jobs, and protect your life savings. I will stand up to the corrupt ways of Washington, the wasteful spending and the abuses of power and I will end these abuses, whatever it takes. I will lead reforms to help families keep their homes, and retirees to keep their savings, and college students to pay their tuition, and every citizen to afford health care, and America to reclaim its energy independence.

These will be my priorities. We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. The hour is late and our troubles are getting worse. We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now. We have to fight.

That is what I will do in my term as president, and when I leave office I can promise you that this nation will not be on the same path it is today. I will not play along with the same Washington games and gimmicks that got us into this terrible mess in the first place. I am going to Washington to fight for you.

I will begin by making certain that the 700 billion dollars already committed to economic recovery is not used to further enrich the very people and institutions that invited these troubles with their own reckless conduct. Instead of just propping up institutions deemed "too big to fail" in this crisis, we will use more of this public money to help businesses and homeowners that may be too small to survive.

This financial crisis started with our housing crisis, and we cannot fix our markets and the economy until we fix the housing crisis. My plan will protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him. I will direct the government to refinance troubled mortgages for homeowners and replace them with mortgages they can afford. This is what we did during the Great Depression and we can do it again. Helping families who face default, foreclosure, and possible bankruptcy helps all homeowners, and will begin the process of recovery from this crisis. With so much on the line, the moment requires that government act -- and as president I intend to act, quickly and decisively.

When the government does provide funds to shore up companies, the terms will be demanding, there will be complete transparency and the safety net for our financial system will not become a golden parachute for failed executives. Moreover, we will not merely inject billions of dollars into companies and walk away hoping for the best. We will require that those companies be reformed and restructured until they are sound assets again, and can be sold at no loss -- or perhaps even a profit -- to the taxpayers of America.

And when that is accomplished, in each instance, government will relinquish its interest in these private companies. We're going to get government out of the business of bailouts and equity stakes, and back in the business of responsible regulation. We will learn from this crisis to prevent the next one, with much stricter oversight. No more wild overleveraging, no more liabilities concealed from the public and from shareholders, no more bundling of assets to maximize profit by assuming insane risks. Those days are over on Wall Street. With new rules of public disclosure and accounting, my reforms will make certain these betrayals of shareholders and the public trust are never repeated.

We must restore trust to our financial system. On my orders, the Department of the Treasury will guarantee one hundred percent of all savings accounts for a period of six months. This will calm the understandable fears of widespread bank failure, while also restoring rational judgment to the choices of the market.

As president, I will also act to protect investors -- especially those relying on their investments for retirement. Current rules mandate that investors must begin to sell off their IRAs and 401Ks when they reach age 70 and one half years old. Those rules should be suspended to spare senior citizens from being forced to sell their stock just as the market is hurting the most. Under the emergency measure I propose, we will also cut the tax rate for withdrawals from tax-preferred retirement accounts to ten percent. Retirees have suffered enough and need relief, and the surest relief is to let them keep more of their own savings.

It is essential that we avoid an exodus of capital from the market. Senator Obama yesterday offered up a proposal that would have the effect of encouraging early withdrawal of funds from 401(k) accounts, by suspending penalties through 2009. This is an invitation to capital flight, and therefore to continued instability in the market, at a moment when exactly the opposite is needed. Any family that takes part in this will not see the benefits of the market recovery that smart policy can help bring about. In my administration, we will instead revive the market by attracting new investment. I will cut in half the capital gains tax on stocks purchased and held for more than a year -- from a rate of 15 to 7.5 percent. This vital measure will promote buying, raise asset values, help companies and shore up the pension plans for workers and retirees.

We should also not penalize Americans who are forced to sell investments in today's tough markets. I will increase the amount of capital losses from $3,000 to $15,000, which can be deducted from your ordinary income in tax years 2008 and 2009. So much of this decline in our markets and value destruction was due to the failure of Congress and the Administration to come out with a timely rescue package. Investors are always responsible for their investment decisions, but the hard earned savings of Americans should not be penalized by the erratic behavior of politicians.

It will not be enough for the federal government to correct the excesses of Wall Street without reforming its own reckless practices.

Spending in Washington is out of control and I am going to rein it in. As president, I will veto the pork barrel special interest projects that are wasting your tax dollars, driving up our debt, and weakening our dollar. I have proposed a one year spending freeze with certain exceptions for such things as defense and veteran care. We are going to use that year to turn Washington inside out and get rid of wasteful, inefficient programs that do no one any good.

While we put government back on your side, we must reform our tax system to deliver needed tax relief to working Americans, and to create jobs. I will double the child deduction, from 3,500 dollars to 7,000 dollars. Every person in America who chooses it will receive a 5,000 dollars towards the purchase of health insurance -- health plans that will be theirs to keep, even if they change jobs or move to another state. And we will reduce the federal business tax rate from 35 percent -- the second-highest in the world -- to 25 percent. I am also proposing today that for those who are between jobs, we eliminate all taxes on unemployment benefits. It is unclear to me why the government taxes money it has just sent you, and we should relieve this burden from Americans who've been hit the hardest.

Reducing business tax rates has the potential to stop and reverse the rise of unemployment, and could create millions of new jobs. Despite the frequent changes to my opponent's tax plans in recent months -- he seems to revise them with each new poll -- his plan to raise taxes on 50% of small business income has survived. And even as he rails against companies that shut down their plants and move overseas, he refuses to cut the tax rate that drives many of these companies away.

A typical middle-class family of four making 42,000 dollars a year with health insurance will get 4,350 more dollars under my plan than they would under Senator Obama's plan. That example of 42,000 a year in wages is especially relevant, because just last year Senator Obama voted to raise taxes on individuals making that amount.

Senator Obama is also the same fellow who requested a million dollars a day in pork barrel earmarks ... who thinks that wasting 18 billion dollars a year in earmarks is not worth worrying about, who proposed a near doubling of the taxes on dividends and capital gains during the primary, who has voted 94 times for tax increases or against tax cuts, who is promising almost a trillion dollars in new spending, who came to the Senate a few years ago and already earned the title of its most liberal member -- this is the man who now presents himself as a tax cutter and champion of middle-class America.

He is an eloquent speaker, but even he can't turn a record of supporting higher taxes into a credible promise to cut taxes. What he promises today is the opposite of what he has done his entire career. Perhaps never before in history have the American people been asked to risk so much based on so little.

You can look at the record of what he's done or you can just go with your gut, but either way you're left with the same conclusion: Senator Obama is going to raise your taxes. And in this economy, raising taxes is the surest way to turn a recession into a depression.

Senator Obama also promises to restrict international trade and risk access to foreign markets for American goods and services. The last President to raise taxes and restrict trade in a bad economy was Herbert Hoover. That didn't turn out to well. They say those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Well, I know my history lessons, and I sure won't make the mistakes Senator Obama will. And were my opponent elected with a Democratic Congress in power, not only would there be no check on my opponent's reckless economic policies, there would be considerable pressure on him to tax and spend even more.

This weekend, a plumber concerned that Senator Obama was going to raise his taxes asked him directly about his plan. The response was telling. Senator Obama explained to him that he was going to raise his taxes to quote "spread the wealth around." This explains how Senator Obama can promise an income tax cut for millions who aren't even paying income taxes right now. My friends, my plan isn't intended to force small businesses to cut jobs to pay higher taxes so we can "spread the wealth around." My plan is intended to create jobs and increase the wealth of all Americans.

My plan for economic recovery does not require guesswork or blind faith from the American people. You know my record. You don't have to hope I will do what I promise. When I say I will cut spending, you need only look at my record to know it's true. When I say I will defend taxpayers, you know it's true because it's what I've always done. When I say I will work across the aisle, you can see it in the results I've delivered.

And when I say I will change Washington, you know I'll do it, because for me change isn't a political slogan, it's what I've been doing my whole career.

I know you're worried. America is a great country, but we are at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. Will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?

My answer to you is yes. Yes, we will lead. Yes, we will prosper. Yes, we will be safer. Yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country. But we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly, with courage and wisdom.

I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength.

I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will.

I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight.

Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight.

Fight for a new direction for our country.

Fight for what's right for America.

Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.

Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here.

We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again.

What's "Liberal" Mean?

Over and over I hear (and I've written) that Barack Obama is either the most or one of the most liberal senators. It struck me as I heard someone say that yesterday, that for many who aren't involved, who are still sitting firmly in the middle, that while to us that's anathema, it may not resonate or have any real meaning.

What does it mean to be the most liberal? Why should it matter to people?

I think that we need to spell it out. We don't just need to say "he's the most liberal", we need to follow it up with what he's done and be clear about why that is not the best direction for our country. We need to connect the liberal dots for dummies ;-)

Hey, that's a great blog name "dots for dummies". I may just set it up to have it!

Anyway, anyway, anyway... I don't have time at the moment to go into details. I have work piling up in stacks that are falling on the floor simply because I'm so committed to getting Sarah Palin and John McCain elected!

Don't be disheartened by the polls, we're way ahead of many in past elections! If anything, use the polls to give you motivation to get your friends to vote (if they're voting McCain-Palin). Use every opportunity to talk to people about the upcoming election. Most of us are great at making friends in the check-out line... for the rest of the month make McCain votes instead!

The Lies Biden Told

"For all the focus on Sarah Palin's graceful performance in Thursday's vice presidential showdown, a more significant spectacle was taking place behind the other rostrum. That's where Joe Biden, speaking with the pompus self-importance befitting his 36 years in the Senate, told one baffling fib after another." -- New York Post

"The Lies Biden Told"
Editorial
New York Post
October 4, 2008

For all the focus on Sarah Palin's graceful performance in Thursday's vice presidential showdown, a more significant spectacle was taking place behind the other rostrum.

That's where Joe Biden, speaking with the pompus self-importance befitting his 36 years in the Senate, told one baffling fib after another.

Some, of course, were just Biden being Biden. He smeared Dick Cheney as "the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history."

To which we must take specific offense: After all, the founder of this newspaper, Alexander Hamilton, was killed in a duel by then-Vice President Aaron Burr. (Certainly Burr was a better shot than Cheney.)

But that's a matter of opinion.

Not so, some other Biden gems:

* It's "simply not true" that Barack Obama said he'd meet Iran's president without preconditions, Biden insisted.

Yet when Obama was asked if he would in a debate during the primaries, he said yes - a position Biden back then termed "naive."

* Biden said he's "always supported" clean-coal technology - after stating emphatically only last month, "We're not supporting clean coal."

* Biden asserted - repeatedly - that the US spends more money on three weeks' combat in Iraq than it's spent in Afghanistan since the war began.

That claim's only remotely intelligible if he limits Afghan expenditures merely to US rebuilding efforts - and even then, he's off by a factor of three, according to State Department numbers.

* Also on Afghanistan, Biden insisted - repeatedly - that "our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work" there.

That may not be an out-and-out lie, but it took supposed foreign-policy neophyte Sarah Palin to bring any context or nuance to the statement.

What Gen. David McKiernan had said was that tribal realities in Afghanistan are very different than in Iraq - requiring a different form of cooperation.

But he flatly said more troops, and more local engagement, are needed.

Sounds like a surge to us.

* Then there was what might have been the biggest head-scratcher of the night. Said Biden of the Bush administration's supposed Middle East follies:

"When ... along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, 'Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't, Hezbollah will control it."

Huh?

Assuming that Biden was referring to when, in 2005, American and French pressure helped the Lebanese people kick Syrian troops out of Lebanon, who ever thought NATO occupation of that deeply divided country was a good idea?

As if America's NATO allies would have gone in the first place.

But hey, as long as it makes Biden sound presidential.

At some point, Americans have to wonder: Is this a fellow who should be a heartbeat away from the White House?

Read The Editorial

Some more comments and headlines on Sarah

"Palin Stands Her Ground" -- "She's The Real Deal"

The Associated Press Headline: "Palin Stands Her Ground In VP Debate With Biden" (Liz Sidoti, "Analysis: Stakes High, Palin Tops Expectations," The Associated Press, 10/2/08)

The New York Times' Peter Baker: "Palin Meets A Test." (Peter Baker, "Palin Meets A Test," The New York Times' "The Caucus" Blog, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com, 10/2/08)

NPR's Michelle Norris: "[S]he delivered a performance that filled in the resume and also helped people perhaps connect to her on a very visceral level." (NBC's "Vice Presidential Debate Coverage," 10/2/08)

CNBC's Larry Kudlow: "I Think She's Going To Be The Clear Winner In This." "I think she's going to be the clear winner in this, and oddly enough, it's directly symmetrical to what happened with McCain and Obama. In this case, she held her ground. She was informed and she was strong. ... And I'll tell you what, she made very strong distinctions on energy drilling for lower prices and lower taxes not higher." (CNBC's "The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch," 10/2/08)

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire Blog: "A confident, folksy Sarah Palin attacked the Democratic presidential ticket on taxes and partisanship, holding her own against her senior vice-presidential rival." ("Who Won The Vice-Presidential Debate?" The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, blogs.wsj.com, 10/2/08)

The Wall Street Journal's T.W. Farnam: "Joe Biden tried to critique Sarah Palin's call for using successful techniques from Iraq and moving them to Afghanistan, but her response seemed to leave him uncharacteristically at a loss for words." (T.W. Farnam, "Palin Gives Biden Pause On Afghanistan," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" Blog, blogs.wsj.com, 10/2/08)

NBC's Savannah Guthrie: "She really played to her strengths saying in words and demeanor, I'm one of you, and she was not afraid to go on the attack." (NBC's "Vice Presidential Debate Coverage," 10/2/08)

National Review's Andy McCarthy: "She's the real deal." (Andy McCarthy, "Sarah," National Review Online's "The Corner" Blog, www.nationalreview.com, 10/2/08)

National Review's Mark Levin: "I have been involved in and observed politics for a long time. Governor Palin is a truly unique national figure. She is down to earth, personable, and smart as hell. That's right. She has been on the national scene for a little over a month, she has been campaigning everywhere, she has had to bone up on all kinds of national issues, and she has shown class throughout. Too often too many are persuaded by the mainstream media's opinion and react to that. This should be another lesson in that regard. As for some of her populist views, she cannot openly campaign against the positions of her presidential running mate. She is the bright light in this campaign from my perspective." (Mark Levin, "Palin Tonight," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 10/2/08)

NBC's Ron Allen: "The [Obama-Biden] campaign was saying today she's a very skilled debater, and that's what they got." (NBC's "Vice Presidential Debate Coverage," 10/2/08)

Democratic Strategist Paul Begala: "Sarah Palin's strategy was to defend Sarah Palin and repair her damaged image and I think she did pretty good job of that." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 10/2/08)

The Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer: "I am speaking as the resident Palin, and representative of the effete Eastern establishment, I thought that she did extremely well. ... I think over all, as an impression, she left a very good one" (Fox News' "Vice Presidential Debate," 10/2/08)

CNN's Alex Castellanos: "[W]hen you look at Sarah Palin, you saw America, you saw outsiders, you saw Main Street, not Wall Street. The Republican brand needed to see that tonight and they got it." (CNN's "Debate Coverage," 10/2/08)

· Castellanos: "There were two debates, the first on economy and energy. I thought Palin won that. In that, she established herself as a legitimate contender for the vice-presidency of the United States." (CNN's "Debate Coverage," 10/2/08)

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "AND THE WINNER IS ... Sarah Palin is the breath of fresh air on the political scene so many hoped she is. And she'll be honored to beat the guy who's been in the Senate since she was in the second grade." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "And The Winner Is," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 10/2/08)

(Hi all, I'd love to take credit for compiling these headlines, but they come from the McCain campaign. Other than these headlines, all else in this blog are my words and thoughts!!! I am a member of the not-liberal-media and get these. I share these at times with friends who also post them on their blogs. You are all welcome to copy and paste and use them however you'd like! The more good news we can spread about our Sarah, the better!)

Ha! You go girl!

Sarah Palin showed them.

Ha.

I was just listening as Rove listed ten factual, not debatable, errors by Biden. So much for knowing the facts and being the vaulted experienced one.

Rove looked up the votes and Biden was wrong.

But back to the best stuff: Sarah did fantastic!

Here's a statement from the campaign:

McCain-Palin 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker issued the
following statement on tonight's Vice Presidential Debate:

"Tonight, Governor Palin proved beyond any doubt that she is ready to
lead as Vice President of the United States. She won this debate, putting Joe
Biden on defense on energy, foreign policy, taxes and the definition of change.
Governor Palin laid bare Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes,
opposing the surge in Iraq, and proposing to meet unconditionally with the
leaders of state sponsors of terror. The differences between the Obama-Biden
ticket and the McCain-Palin ticket could not have been clearer. The American
people saw stark contrasts in style and worldview. They saw Joe Biden, a
Washington insider and a 36-year Senator, and Governor Palin, a Washington
outsider and a maverick reformer. Governor Palin was direct, forceful and a
breath of fresh air."

I loved it when she turned things back to what she wanted to talk about!

Oh man the media is going to tear into her for the next few weeks! They've been proved wrong so they are going to have to go after her with a vengeance.

More on Gwen Ifill and her book

I've been glued to the television watching the bailout, flipping between Fox News and CSpan. The topic of Gwen Ifill's book was a topic of discussion on a number of shows and the more I heard, the more upset I became.

She did not disclose the fact that she was writing the book to the debate commission.

If Obama is elected she will make a minimum (best guess by Dick Morris I believe) of $350,000. She could make a million on this one.

Can you imagine the uproar if she were writing a book supporting Sarah Palin? or John McCain? or, heaven forbid, President Bush? The Democrat candidate wouldn't show up, it would be front page news and the outrage would be over the top.

If you don't think the fact that she is openly biased is wrong, or that making money if her candidate wins (her book is worthless if Obama doesn't win) then think of it in a different context.

If someone was going to write her a check for $500,000 if Obama won, would it bother you? If we found out she'd get a new car if Obama won... if she had a guaranteed paycheck of $500 a month for a year if Obama won... you get the picture.

This is outrageous and PBS should be ashamed, she should be ashamed and the debate commission should be ashamed. She should have the grace to step down as the moderator.

On the flip side, maybe now she'll be more cautious with her questions.

I'm going against the grain here as I expect great things from Sarah tomorrow night.

I just found an interesting blog on the subject by Michelle Malkin: http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/30/a-debate-%E2%80%9Cmoderator%E2%80%9D-in-the-tank-for-obama/

Gwen Ifill is writing a book supporting Barack Obama!

Gwen Ifill of PBS fame is writing a pro-Obama book. In case you're wondering why that is important, it's because she is also the so-called independent moderator of the Palin - Biden debate tomorrow night.

She's known for her zinger questions and we can expect she'll shoot a few of the unexpected at Sarah Palin, but will she be even handed in her questions? Are we getting ready to see another attempted attack on Sarah?

How can expect anyone not to question her credibility when she's openly for one of the candidates?

I hope all my blogger friends will bombard PBS with emails telling them to at least try to fake being non-biased and get another moderator for the debate.

Of course, we run the risk of getting an even more biased moderator who's a lot better at hiding their partisan views.

What a crock this is going to be! I am so tired of the media running our lives and leading the American pubic by the nose. Even the staunch supporters of Sarah Palin have been letting the media get to them at times. It's so subtle, they are so sneaky!

I once did a blog (on another of my blogs) about how the media leads us down the path they choose without our knowledge. We think we're independent and that our views aren't shaped, but oh it is so subtle. I may dig that up and reprint here.

Anyway be aware, tomorrow night is yet another ambush of Sarah and John McCain.

Email I rec'd tonight: 143 Days Experience

You couldn't get a job at McDonalds and become district manager after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't become chief of surgery after 143 days of experience of being a surgeon.

You couldn't get a job as a teacher and be the superintendent after 143 days of experience.

You couldn't join the military and become a colonel after a 143 days of experience.

You couldn't get a job as a reporter and become the nightly news anchor after 143 days of experience.

BUT....

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World .... 143 days.

We all have to start somewhere. The senate is a good start, but after 143 days, that's all it is - a start.

AND, strangely, a large sector of the American public is okay with this and campaigning for him. We wouldn't accept this in our own line of work, yet some are okay with this for the President of the United States of America? Come on folks, we are not voting for the next American Idol!

Please, please forward this before it's too late!!!!

Red State Fem

Interesting commentary on Red State Feminists website:

Topic A: Can a Feminist be a Conservative? Can a Conservative be a Feminist?
Red State Feminists are convinced that you can sincerely be both a feminist and a conservative. Many believe that feat impossible, but millions of women in the United States already live its precepts everyday.
What is a feminist? As you can imagine, the definitions are legion. However, all share the view that women are the equals of men while being different from men. What "equal" means and how "different" women are from men are terms also subject to debate. For example, can women be as brave as men? Sure. Can the strongest women lift a heavier weight than the strongest man? No. Does that make them different? Well, they are apparenty different in some things but not others. Does that difference mean women can never be the equals of men? Red State Feminists do not believe so.
http://www.redstatefeminists.org/commentaryA.html

Chaplain Wants Students to Have College Credits for Voting Obama?

If you had any doubts, any at all, that our colleges were staffed with liberal nutcases, here's a story to take you to the believin' side of things!

A Chaplain at the University of Massachusetts sent out an email offering two college credits to students who would be willing to campaign for Barack Obama. Yes, a Chaplain, a supposed servant of God at a school of supposed higher learning wanted to circumvent ethics and give away college credits if someone was willing to help elect his earthly god, Barack Obama. What minister would ever do something like that? It's cheating. It's slimy. It should cost him his position. But it won't.

Whatever happened to separation of church and government? Isn't that some big tenet of libs? Guess it's another one of those situational things. If they like the situation they change the parameters and their actions.

If the Chaplain isn't fired for the ethical side of things, then he should be let go for stupidity. He should have to go sit with the dumb kid who hacked into Sarah Palin's email account. Both of them crossed the line, went way over the line, when it came to their politics.

I believe if this Chaplain hadn't been dumb enough to put his in writing that it would be happening. Of course, it may still happen but who's going to be able to prove it? Of course the college has to deny it and back pedal. They're probably irritated the Chaplain sent our a public email.

Just when I think this election can't get any wackier, along comes a chaplain who has his god's mixed up.

UMass chaplain fails in effort to boost Barack Obama’s
chances

University of Massachusetts officials yesterday quashed efforts by an
Amherst campus chaplain to offer two college credits to any student willing to campaign in New Hampshire this fall for Democrat Barack Obama.

Chaplain Ken Higgins told students in a Sept. 18 e-mail, “If you’re
scared about the prospects for this election, you’re not alone. The most
important way to make a difference in the outcome is to activate yourself. It would be just fine with McCain if Obama supporters just think about helping, then sleep in and stay home between now and Election Day.”

Higgins added that an unnamed “sponsor” in the university’s History
Department would offer a two-credit independent study for students willing to canvass or volunteer on behalf of the Democratic nominee.

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_09
_23_UMass_chaplain_fails_in_effort_to_boost_Barack_Obama_s_chances/

Inquiring minds (mine among them) want to know who this "sponsor" might be. Do you think the university mucky-mucks are going to follow up to find out? Do you think they'll do anything to this Chaplain (if they even can)? Do you think schools across the country are going to take note and say, gee, maybe we ought to institute a similar program? What kind of thought process did this Chaplain and the "sponsor" engage in (and what were they drinking)? Did the guy not take logic in seminary? ethics?

Boycott NBC! Boycott Saturday Night Live. This is DISGUSTING!

What do you think would be happening right now if Saturday Night Live had done this skit on Barack Obama or his wife rather than Todd Palin? Do you think it would ever hit their radar? I found this reprehensible. Incest is never funny and I would feel the same way if they HAD smeared Obama like this. They hide behind "it's a joke about newspaper coverage". I just finished listening to one of Barack Obama's spokespeople saying the New York Times went after THEM. So what's SNL doing just picking on Todd Palin? And why in the world would they do it using incest? We need to write NBC. We need to email NBC. We need to stop watching the channel after we get a list of advertisers to boycott. Free speech is one thing, this goes way, way over the line.

Today's rash of Google Alerts...

FBI Searches College Student's Home In Sarah Palin E-Mail-Hack ...MTV.com - USA... David Kernell early Sunday morning in their investigation into the hacking of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's e-mail last week. ...See all stories on this topic

US Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican vice-presidential ...Jewish Telegraphic Agency - New York,NY,USAClinton (DN.Y.), who was scheduled to speak at Monday's anti-Iran rally in New York before pulling out when Palin was invited, told an Israel Bonds dinner ...See all stories on this topic

FBI Investigates Hacker Suspected of Breaking into Sarah Palin's ...Livesteez - New York,NY,USAComputer hackers accessed the email account belonging to Sarah Palin late Tuesday night, September 16. Several self-proclaimed members of Anonymous, ...See all stories on this topic

Sarah Palin's MO all too familiarSan Francisco Chronicle - CA, USASome members of the chattering classes - Pinot-swilling, arugula-chomping snobs - seem to think Sarah Palin is not qualified to be vice president. ...See all stories on this topic

Sarah Palin email hacker FBI targets Democratic politician's son ...Bild.de - GermanyIn chat rooms, Rubico claimed he was the one who hacked the email account of Sarah Palin. Many Facebook members immediately drew a link between Kernell and ...See all stories on this topic

Sarah Palin and Pentecostalism: Some media coverage as theological ...Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USAIn the days right after Sarah Palin was named as John McCain's VP selection, one angle several of us in the media tried to explore had to do with her ...See all stories on this topic

Sarah Palin's Yahoo Email Problems ExposedNational Ledger - Apache Junction,AZ,USABy Josh Hart Many were stunned when Sarah Palin's Yahoo email was hacked and several of her own personal family photos and other email correspondence were ...See all stories on this topic

John McCain and Sarah Palin campaign will campaign in Media, PA ...It's Our City - Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,USARepublican presidential candidate John McCain and his VP running mate Sarah Palin will visit Media this afternoon at 4:00pm. Palin has turned out to be a ...See all stories on this topic

Sarah Palin a (small “l”) libertarian?Third Party Watch (press release) - USASarah Palin asked for and received the endorsement of the leadership of the Libertarian Party of Alaska for her Governor’s race in 2006. ...See all stories on this topic

PC WorldPalin Update: Tenn. Student Implicated in HackPC World - USASarah Palin, according to a report by WBIR, Knoxville's NBC affiliate. When agents arrived at Kernell's apartment a party was underway. ...See all stories on this topic

Google Blogs Alert for: "sarah palin"

The End-Times And Sarah Palin
By Andrew Sullivan Yes, she believes in them. Of course she believes in them. Her former pastor believes that Alaska will be the refuge for the faithful in the lower 48 states when the Rapture comes. She is a Biblical literalist who denies evolution - who ...The Daily Dish By Andrew Sullivan - http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/

Sarah Palin Jokes
By politicalhumor.guide@about.com(politicalhumor.guide@about.com)
Read late-night jokes about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.About.com Political Humor: What's... - http://politicalhumor.about.com/

Sarah Palin’s Worth - McCain’s Mistake
By Michael van der Galien, Editor-in-Chief John McCain’s choice for running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, ignited a well documented firestorm. As most readers will know, conservative Republicans were suddenly re-energized, white women got involved in the elections because they had ...PoliGazette - http://poligazette.com/

'Palin Syrah' Wine Drops in Sales After Sarah Palin Veep Pick
By The Serious Eats Team John McCain tagged Sarah Palin as his running mate, sales of the wine with the conservative's inverted name plummeted—not surprising in famously liberal San Francisco. As with the GOP ticket, the Palin falls second in the lineup. ...Serious Eats - http://www.seriouseats.com/

Busted... Sarah Palin Smear Video Linked to Hopey-Changers
By Gateway Pundit(Gateway Pundit) An internet smear campaign against Sarah Palin is tied to the Democratic Party and the Obama Camp. The ring of deception was discovered by The Jawa Report. It looks like Rusty could have come across illegal campaigning tactics that lead ...Gateway Pundit - http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/

McCain has new ad out, Chicago Machine

Hard hitting, but not long enough since a lot of people aren't going to have a clue who those people mentioned in the ad are (although you'd have to live on the moon not to know who Tony Rezko was)! Most of us will know, and we know the list of bad associates of Barack Obama is a long one (read the book Obamanation). I have a marketing background so I understand they're having to paint with broad strokes and that they are building a picture of Obama. Every ad chips away a bit of the facade that Obama has built around his true self and designs.

Being a Barracuda Babe with access to factual data and good info (ta da), I'm here to help all those who don't know who the people mentioned in the ad might be with the ad facts put out by the McCain-Palin campaign . I've posted them after the ad.



AD FACTS: Script For "Chicago Machine" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Barack Obama. Born of the corrupt Chicago political machine. BARACK OBAMA: In terms of my toughness, look first of all, I come from Chicago.

· Barack Obama: "And, You Know, In Terms Of My Toughness, Look, First Of All, I Come From Chicago." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 4/2/08)

· Barack Obama Assuring Democrats He's Tough Enough Because "He's Been Schooled By Chicago Politics." "The feistier, more sarcastic tone came as worried Democrats urged Obama to get tougher and show more passion. Obama has tried to assure donors and voters that he's been schooled by Chicago politics. 'I'm skinny but I'm tough,' he says." (Kathleen Hennessey, "Obama Mocks McCain In Nevada Stops," The Associated Press, 9/18/08)

· The New Yorker: "Obama Had Won His First Campaign By Using Old-Fashioned Chicago Machine Tactics At A Time When The Notion Of Machine Politics Was Increasingly Anachronistic." (Ryan Lizza, "Making It," The New Yorker, 7/21/08)

ANNCR: His economic adviser, William Daley. Lobbyist. Mayor's brother.

· OBAMA ECONOMIC ADVISER: As An Obama Adviser, Former Commerce Secretary William Daley Participated In A Meeting Of Barack Obama's Top Economic Advisers Last Week. "The press conference followed Obama's meeting with top economic advisors and his running mate Biden, who participate d by phone. The meeting participants included former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin; Gene Sperling, former National Economic Advisor for Pres. Bill Clinton; former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers; Laura Tyson, the former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors and former Fed Chair Paul Volcker; Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett; former Commerce Secretary William Daley; former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill; and Joseph Stiglitz, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers." (Domenico Montanaro, "Obama: Tax Cuts, Stimulus Needed," MSNBC's "First Read" Blog, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com, Posted 9/19/08)

· ECONOMIC ADVISER AND CHICAGO MAYOR'S BROTHER: Daley Serves As An Obama Adviser For Economic Policy And Is The Brother Of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. "At his stop in New Mexico, Obama sought to keep the focus almost exclusively on the economy, appearing with a panel of experts that included William Daley, brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and a former U.S. commerce secretary." (John McCormick and Jill Zuckman, "Rivals Spend Day As Frequent Fliers," Chicago Tribune, 2/2/08)

· LOBBYIST: Daley Was The Chief Lobbyist For SBC. "Then this spring, Whitacre and his chief lobbyist, SBC President William Daley, produced banner headlines with an effort to bypass the Illinois Commerce Commission and appeal directly to the Illinois General Assembly for relief. ... In late 2001, he hired William Daley, a Clinton administration Cabinet member and the Chicago mayor's brother, charging him with lobbying for change." (Michael Oneal And Jon Van, "Tone-Deaf Approach Hinders SBC," Chicago Tribune, 7/6/03)

· LOBBYIST: While Serving As SBC President, Daley Also Led A $40 Million Lobbying Effort For Industry Deregulation. "Last week those three companies, led by SBC President William Daley, summoned chief executives of several large vendors, including Christopher Galvin of Motorola Inc., to a Washington dinner where they outlined plans to launch a $40 million marketing and lobbying offensive to abolish industry regulations." (Jon Van, "SBC Competitors Seek Congress' Help," Chicago Tribune, 11/1/03)

· LOBBYIST: From 2002 Through 2005, Daley Was A Registered Lobbyist For Fannie Mae. (U.S. Senate Office Of Public Records Website, soprweb.senate.gov, Accessed 7/27/08)

ANNCR: His money man, Tony Rezko. Client. Patron. Convicted Felon.

· MONEY MAN: Tony Rezko Was "One Of The Biggest Fundraisers" For Barack Obama. "'This was discussed a lot. They wanted to have a good showing,' said a source familiar with the fund-raiser [Rezko held for Obama], speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Tony was one of the biggest fund-raisers.'" (Chris Fusco and Tim Novak, "Rezko Cash Triple What Obama Says," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/18/07)

· MONEY MAN: Barack Obama Has Admitted To $250,000 Worth Of Campaign Funding Provided By Tony Rezko. "For the first time, Sen. Barack Obama put a figure Friday to the amount of campaign contributions that indicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko raised for the senator's campaigns, and the number -- about $250,000 -- was far more than he previously acknowledged." (Tim Novak, Chris Fusco, Dave McKinney and Carol Marin, "More Rezko Dough Found," Chicago Sun-Times, 3/15/08)

· CLIENT: Barack Obama Did Legal Work On Some Projects Involving Tony Rezko's Company, Rezmar. "But Obama did legal work on real estate deals while at Davis' firm, according to biographical information he submitted to the Sun-Times in 1998. ... And he did legal work on Rezko's deals, according to an e-mail his presidential campaign staff sent the Sun-Times on Feb. 16, in response to earlier inquiries. The staff didn't specify which Rezmar projects Obama worked on, or his role." (Tim Novak, "Obama And His Rezko Ties," Chicago Sun-Times, 4/23/07)

· PATRON: "As A State Senator, Barack Obama Wrote Letters To City And State Officials Supporting His Political Patron Tony Rezko's Successful Bid To Get More Than $14 Million From Taxpayers To Build Apartments For Senior Citizens." (Tim Novak, "Obama's Letters For Rezko," Chicago Sun-Times, 6/13/07)

· PATRON: Barack Obama Paid $300,000 Less Than The Asking Price For His Mansion, While Tony Rezko's Wife Rita Paid Full Price For A Vacant Lot Next Door On The Very Same Day. "Two years ago, Obama bought a mansion on the South Side, in the Kenwood neighborhood, from a doctor. On the same day, [Antoin 'Tony'] Rezko's wife, Rita Rezko, bought the vacant lot next door from the same seller. The doctor had listed the properties for sale together. He sold the house to Obama for $300,000 below the asking price. The doctor got his asking price on the lot from Rezko's wife." (Tim Novak, "Obama And His Rezko Ties," Chicago Sun-Times, 4/23/07)

· CONVICTED FELON: Tony Rezko Was Convicted Of Wire And Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, And Aiding And Abetting Bribery. (Bob Secter and Jeff Coen, "Rezko Convicted," Chicago Tribune, 6/5/08)

ANNCR: His "political godfather." Emil Jones. Under ethical cloud.

· POLITICAL GODFATHER: Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones Is "Barack Obama's Political Godfather." "Ethics legislation is stalled in the Illinois State Senate, bossed by Barack Obama's political godfather, Senate President Emil Jones who put the brakes on the measure and may let it die. Obama called Jones from the road in Nevada this morning. Jones indicated to Obama--according to the Obama team -- he would bring the bill to a vote and would support it." (Lynn Sweet, "Obama Urges Political Godfather Emil Jones, Illinois Senate President, To Pass Stalled Ethics Package," Chicago Sun-Times' "Lynn Sweet" Blog, http://blogs.suntimes.com, Posted 9/17/08)

· POLITICAL GODFATHER: "When Obama Praised Jones As 'My Political Godfather,' Jones Began Using The Theme Music From 'The Godfather' As His Cell-Phone Ringtone." (Ryan Lizza, "Making It," The New Yorker, 7/21/08)

· ETHICAL CLOUD: "[S]tate Senate President Emil Jones, Serves Under An Ethical Cloud. He Has Several Family Members On The State Payroll And Uses His Clout To Aid Their Business Interests." (Ron Fournier, "Obama's Life And Record In Springfield, Ill., Hint At The President He Would Be," The Associated Press, 6/16/07)

ANNCR: His governor, Rod Blagojevich. A legacy of federal and state investigations. With friends like that, Obama is not ready to lead. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

· INVESTIGATIONS: Governor Rod Blagojevich Has "A Legacy Of Federal And State Investigations." "The bill of particulars against Rod Blagojevich is numbingly familiar. His is a legacy of federal and state investigations of alleged cronyism and corruption in the steering of pension fund investments to political donors, in the subversion of state hiring laws, in the awarding of state contracts, in matters as personal as that mysterious $1,500 check made out to the governor's then-7-year-old daughter by a friend whose wife had been awarded a state job." (Editorial, "Removing a governor," Chicago Tribune, 10/28/07)

· INVESTIGATIONS: In June 2008, A Federal Judge Unsealed Records That Showed That Blagojevich Was Questioned By Federal Agents For His Involvement With Tony Rezko. "Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been interviewed multiple times by federal investigators looking into allegations that he and key members of his administration offered contracts and state work in exchange for campaign fundraising help, according to documents unsealed Thursday. The documents were made public in the Antoin 'Tony' Rezko criminal case on the same day that Blagojevich held a major fundraising event at the River East Arts Center. Similar events in past years have reaped millions of dollars for the governor's campaign, much of it coming from firms that landed lucrative state contracts and individuals given coveted state jobs or board appointments." (Jeff Coen and Bob Secter, "Feds Quizzed Blagojevich," Chicago Tribune, 6/27/08)

I'll vote for the steel magnolia

Rod Dreher: The Beehive buzzes for Sarah Palin
07:47 AM CDT on Sunday, September 21, 2008
If you want to understand why Sarah Palin has made such a powerful connection with American voters, don't listen to the political professionals. Listen to the voice of the Beehive.

The Beehive is the Wasilla hair salon where Ms. Palin has had her hair done since 2002. She kept going back to the Beehive even after she became the state's governor. A New York Times profile of the salon revealed a Steel Magnolias-style place where a close-knit community of women shares their everyday trials and triumphs. Ms. Palin remained loyal to the Beehive even after she hit the big time. She's that kind of woman, and people sense that about her.

It should be obvious, of course, that one shouldn't choose vice presidents based on hair care. That's not the point. Ms. Palin's relationship to the Beehive telegraphs both her authenticity and her sense of community. She's the real deal – and that made a "gut values connection" with Americans.

Read more:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/columnists/rdreher/stories/DN-dreher_21edi.ART.State.Edition1.26c4760.html