Hey Sarah Palin...read this

Listen my friends and you'll hear a review
Of the politician who has not a clue...

I'm sure they have quality education in Alaska, but Sarah Palin has made it this far without a good understanding of our nation's history. This week she said that Paul Revere rang bells and fired warning shots to warn the British that Americans would not give up their arms.




In elementary school we read many poems and memorized some or parts of some.

Ever heard this? We learned this poem. I couldn't recite it now, but I did then.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

I realize this is a poem, and not out of a history text, but Longfellow was probably pretty accurate in his telling of the story. No bell ringing by Revere, no warning shots by Revere.

And no accurate portrayal of history by Sarah Palin.

Good Bye Sarah

I'm so glad I have better things to do than go to Brookwood Mall today.

Sarah Palin, (remember her?) is there. To honor the occasion, I will print this cartoon by Dan Darrow at the Ester Republic (he gave me permission in the comments of this post from when Palin was picked to help defeat John McCain).

"Good bye Sarah"



But Dan, why did you have to send her down here!!! Take her back. No wait, on second thought, please let her run for president in 2012. she's doing such a good job for the democrats now, I can't imagine the fun we will have for the next 3 years if she runs.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Magazine covers have been in the news, or close to the news, lately. I present three covers, and will let you choose which is the good, which is the bad and which is the ugly.

I was listening to Glenn Beck on the radio the other day and heard him say he was on the cover of Playboy. Something was not right. That just doesn't compute. Ah, silly me, his name is on the cover, not his picture.



Playboy trashed him. Rightly so.

To write a serious critique of Beck is almost a waste of time. After all,
the man has referred to himself as a “rodeo clown” and a “recovering
scumbag.”

Last night I heard about Newsweek's cover, featuring Sarah Palin, with a shot that originally appeared in the August issue of Runner's World.



Palin wasn't pleased and wrote about it on Facebook:

The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If
anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by
its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw
attention -- even if out of context.

Newsweek did not do her any favors.


Finally, People magazine is out with it's sexiest Man of the Year. Johnny Depp.



I've seen some questions about why they chose this picture for the cover. But here you can see more pics of the sexy guys in People, including Depp. Oh, and read the articles if you like.

Unemployment

Bessemer's unemployment rate is nearing 30%. Back in the 1980's just after the Pullman Standard plant closed, the unemployment rate topped 30%. Now it is at 27%. I hate to be cynical, but is this part of the "blessing" of Bessemer that we are hearing so much about?

One major unemployment announcement today is that Sarah Palin will step down as governor of Alaska at the end of the month. She said at the end of the Governor's picnic on July 26 the Lieutenant Governor, whoever he is , oh, Sean Parnell, will be sworn in. He seemed a little surprised at the announcement, but later it was reported he has known since Wednesday.

From CNN

"Either Sarah Palin is leaving the people of Alaska high and dry to pursue her long shot national political ambitions or she simply can't handle the job now that her popularity has dimmed and oil revenues are down," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said.
"Either way, her decision to abandon her post and the people of Alaska who elected her continues a pattern of bizarre behavior that more than anything else may explain the decision she made today."

The Republicans are very entertaining, is all I can say. And at least she knocked Michael Jackson coverage off the air for a couple for a couple of hours.

Now, more about the Fourth of July.

When you cook out, cook some corn. I usually shuck it and wrap it aluminum foil after applying butter and salt and pepper. A little cayenne is good too.

But earlier this week I decided to pretend I was a Native American teaching the early settlers how to cook, so I pulled the husks down, removed the silks and buttered the corn and then pulled the husks back up. I took the longest husks and made a tie to keep the husks in place, and then grilled the corn.

Man, you've never had such good corn. And it smelled so good while cooking. The burgers were good too.

Western Tribune Column October 15 2008

My Western Tribune column from October 15, 2008


McCain's ace in hole turns out a joker


The John McCain campaign was a hand of cards just waiting to fold under the up swell of support that Barack Obama expected after his acceptance speech in Denver. But McCain chose Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, in hopes that her experience in the Governor’s office and her fundamental Christian beliefs would excite Republicans as well as attract independents.

That strategy worked, as long as American voters were kept uninformed about her. Over time, we have learned a lot, and I could produce a long list of misstatements and missteps that she made, but the ethics violation announced on Friday trumps them all.

A bipartisan Alaska legislative panel found Palin in violation of the state ethics law. The statute says that holding office is a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal interest is a violation of that trust. In common language, she abused her power as an executive officer of the state.

Sarah Palin has been hammering the voters with questions about Barack Obama in an attempt to cast doubts on his trustworthiness. Now that she has been shown to have violated the public trust, should she be casting stones at Obama?

In past weeks Palin has claimed that her executive experience has prepared her to lead the country. Now, when we think about her executive experience, we are reminded of her abuse of power. Do we really want to send someone to Washington with that record after enduring eight years of Dick Cheney?

Moving up the ticket to John McCain, questions have been raised about his judgment. Barack Obama highlighted this argument effectively during the second debate when he questioned McCain’s judgment in voting for the war in Iraq.

Now we can really question his judgment in choosing his vice presidential pick. The investigation was authorized in July, well before he announced his choice. He or his staff had to know that the investigation was underway.


McCain is known to be a gambler, but why would a candidate take a risk with the most important decision he makes during his campaign? What does it tell us about the kind of forethought that might go into his selections for cabinet members?

McCain’s ace in the hole has turned out to be a joker, and it’s time for the voters to call his hand.

Wins and Losses

You win some, you lose some.

Here’s a win.

October 11 is National Coming Out Day, and is a good day for men and women to evaluate their lives, and if they are gay, to come out, at first to themselves, and later to others.

Coming out is a difficult process for many, but acknowledging one is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is the first step. Hey, it’s OK. You’re OK.

But don’t think that once you come out, it’s all over. It’s a continuing process. As you meet new people, some may be interested, some may be offended. You may choose not to tell some people because it could cost you, you may choose to write a book and tell the world.

Those are just some thoughts. I am not a counselor or therapist and am not really giving advice. Well, yes I am. My advice is: Feel good about yourself. You are who you are.

Here’s a loss.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has refused to issue a proclamation recognizing National Coming Out Day. After her remarks in the vice presidential debate, in which she said "If there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know, I am tolerant, and I have a very diverse family and group of friends.” So Alaskans Together for Equality asked her to proclaim. But, alas, she refused, even though in October she has issued proclamations for Careers in Construction Week, 10th Annual Christian Heritage Week, Biomedical Technician Week, Alaska Taiwan Friendship Week, World Farm Animals Day, Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and Grand Opening of Rilke Schule Day.

Here’s a win.

The Supreme Court of Connecticut has ruled that same sex marriage is legal. Now there are three states offering full equality in marriage. Which state will be next?

Here’s a loss.

McDonald’s caved in to the anti-gays and will no longer support the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Well I can live without a Big Mac.

Here’s a win. It’s good to end on a win.

Newsweek has Obama 52 McCain 41 in a national poll as of October 10.

Sandy Miranda

I want to welcome Sandy Miranda to The Western Tribune. Her first column was in this week’s paper. Will she be "a progressive" and earn a spot on Bessemer Opinions as well? Time will tell, but for now, here is her first column. Why don't you email her and let her know your opinions? She's asking.

For women only: Well, men can take a look

Hello ladies! And welcome to my world. Our world, lives and problems are probably very similar no matter your race, religion, income, age or whether you worship Alabama or Auburn.

It just so happens I live in your neighborhood and have for more than 23 years.

We’ve probably passed one another at the supermarket, cheered together at the ballpark, or shared the same pew at church.

Hopefully, God willing and planets aligned, I will be writing about issues we care about and understand, explaining issues we care about but don’t understand.

Things like the job, the home, child care, teenagers, elder care, friendships, relationships, marriage, divorce, our bodies, our looks, our mental and emotional as well as physical health.

And of course, every column will include the fun stuff – fashion, home and garden, make-up, hair, travel and so on…just not all at the same time.

The thing I look forward to the most however, is interacting with you, the reader.
Your questions and opinions are the inspiration for columns like this one.

I’m sure sometimes we will agree and sometimes disagree but boy, wouldn’t it be a boring world if everyone always thought and supported the exact same things?

Through this column I hope to expand your view of the world, inspire you to bigger and better things, give you tips to make your life easier and healthier, make you laugh, and occasionally make you cry.

So this is for you, my sisters.

But also, encourage your man to read it. There are going to be things guys should know. It might even make their lives a tiny bit easier.


I’m sure we are going to be great friends, girls. Maybe not after you read this first column, but in truth, I hope you do come back and keep coming and keep coming. Because I hope my column not only entertains you, but educates you, infuriates you and makes you laugh, not always in that order, of course.

The column is about women, women’s issues, mom’s issues, career women’s issues, any issues involving the female sex. It is about young and old, teen and middle age, every religion and every race.
Conservative? Liberal? Yep, you are welcome here as well.

Through the next few months we will agree and disagree. I can promise you that.
I can also promise if you are the type of person who spouts opinions without facts, or if you make racist, cultural, catty, mean-spirited remarks, they too will be addressed.

But you probably will not like my response to such remarks.

There’s no room in my column for mudslinging over gossipy, unproven fairy tales.

But there is ENDLESS room for heartfelt, intelligent, opinions and stories.

So to get the ball rolling, I say let’s start out with the biggest ball we can find. I’m talking about the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin. And I would like for you to provide some answers to the following questions and submit your responses on this hotter-than-fire topic:

1. Do you believe Sarah Palin was the correct choice as John McCain’s running mate?

2. Are you familiar with Sarah Palin’s family background?

3. Are you familiar with her political qualifications for the job?

4. Do you think that if should something happen to McCain, Palin could step into his shoes and become president of the United States of America?

5. In your opinion, compare Sarah Palin with Hillary Clinton.

6. Most important, did you watch the debate?

Whew. I can feel the heat already. Let’s get started ladies.

You may address your letter or emails to sanmiran7891@hotmail.com or thewesterntrib@bellsouth.net.

Extra Credit!!!

Sarah Palin's shout out to the third graders and her promise of extra credit for them if they were watching should get her a lot of votes.

But regarding an actual issue, when speaking of gay relationships, Sarah Palin said, "I am tolerant."

That is supposed to make us feel better.

But was tolerance enough in 1947 when white bus drivers in North Carolina tolerated black riders as long as they sat at the back of the bus?

No, because tolerance ended when Bayard Rustin and other Reconciliation activists upset things by having blacks sit up front and whites sit in the back.

And when tolerance ended, over a two week period twelve riders had been charged with disorderly conduct or other "crimes", and resulted in Rustin and others being sentenced to the North Carolina chain gang.

Silver lining: Rustin was released after serving 22 days on good behavior. He travelled to Chapel Hill and spoke at the University of North Carolina and got the ball rolling. Within two years North Carolina had abolished chain gangs. Bayard Rustin had proven that nonviolence could topple a violent system.

Anyway, back to the debate.

Palin: "But I also want to clarify, if there’s any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know, I am tolerant... But in that tolerance also, no one would ever propose, not in a McCain-Palin administration, to do anything to prohibit, say, visitations in a hospital or contracts being signed, negotiated between parties."

Anybody that believes this stand on your head (a favorite expression of my mother). And let's see how long until the fundies skewer her over this remark.

Joe Biden, on the other hand recognized constitutional protections that gays should have:

"Absolutely. . . . Look, in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple...The fact of the matter is that under the Constitution we should be granted - same-sex couples should be able to have visitation rights in the hospitals, joint ownership of property, life insurance policies, et cetera. That’s only fair. It’s what the Constitution calls for. And so we do support it."

Poll results:

CBS: Biden won 46% Palin won 21%

CNN Biden 51% Palin 36%

A reader had these concerns about the debate and about Governor Palin.

1. Why was Sarah Palin's microphone on before and after the debate so that we could her her comments to Joe Biden and to the moderator but Joe Biden's microphone was not on?

2. When is someone going to make an issue of Todd Palin's job with BP?

3. When is someone going to make an issue of her lack of political science, law, or government education? (Like lacking the ability to name a supreme court case?)

4. During the debate she referred to Joe Biden as Joe while he addressed her as Governor Palin. (He said that would be OK).

5. If he would of been as aggressive as she was...he would have been attacked for attacking, being rude to a woman. (The bar was set so low for her that it didn't matter what she did. Biden, however was held to different standards, and surpassed expectations, according to polls.)

6. At the beginning of the debate there was a shot from the back of the stage that clearly showed her flipping through notes on her podium. (Needs no explanation. I used to cram right before big tests, too, when I didn't have a thorough understanding of the material.)

After considering the debate I don't think it will make a difference one way or the other for either candidate. The race is between Obama and McCain, and while Obama's policies were clearly put forth by Biden, and nothing but generalizations and folksy talk ("Yer darn right") from Palin, voters feel that Obama can handle the economy, as McCain drops out of the race in Michigan. Maybe I should say, "suspends his campaign."

Sarah Palin Does Read!!!

No wonder Sarah Palin wouldn't admit what magazines or newspapers she reads.

From:

Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner at Daily Kos, Ben Smiths Blog at Politico and others. Thanks Jim.

This picture is from 1995 and is of Governor Palin when she was a member of the Wasilla city Council.

The magazine in front of her is The New American, a John Birch Society publication.

The John Birch Society is the ultraconservative scary group formed in 1958. Their objectives have been the repeal of Social Security legislation (No!), the end of U. S. membership in the United Nations (No!), re taking the Panama Canal and an end to racial mixing.

This magazine is The New American and the headline has to do with stopping a proposed constitutional convention.

It seems they are claiming the magazine was just handed to her by a citizen, but it looks to me like she's taking notes. Maybe she was just drawing a mustache on Mike Leavitt, Utah governor (at the time) whose picture is on the cover. (He was floating the idea of the convention).

At any rate, if this is where she gets her "World View" (a term she throws around a lot), then please don't let her near D. C.

No Wonder They Keep Her Sheltered

Now I feel better. Sarah Palin was asked to clarify her comment that living in Alaska, being next to Russia, gives her foreign policy experience.

"Well it certainly does, because our next door neighbors are foreign countries."

So not only Russia, but Canada!!!

Well at least she's right about the geography:

Here you can see how good she is at repeating what she is told to say. She just repeats the same phrase over when asked to really answer the question:

She just repeats the same phrase over when...oops, its catching. Sorry.

She knows absolutely nothing!

I can't wait till the vice presidential debate. But like David Letterman said, John McCain is wanting to delay the presidential debate until after the bailout is settled, Sarah Palin wants to delay the vice presidential debate until after the election.

Watching Palin is depressing. This will cheer you up.

Signs of Hope and Change

Sarah Palin and Witchcraft

Sarah Palin has protection from witchcraft. Well, if Pastor Thomas Muthee's prayers are effective. He and others laid hands on Palin and gave her this protection.




This is a little bit troubling.

First of all, witchcraft in this country was dealt with in Salem a few hundred years ago. We don't have troublesome witchcraft in this country. Yikes! A picture just fell off the wall. Maybe we do. But if you're going to be praying for deliverance from witchcraft and demons, shouldn't you be in Washington laying hands on W?

Second. This Pastor is a Kenyan preacher. He, along with others, used "spiritual mapping" to hunt down a witch named Mama Jane, who they believed was causing crime and spiritual oppression in the area, and blamed car accidents in the area on her. He whipped the town into a frenzy and the people wanted to stone her. Police tried to intervene, and thought they were being confronted by a demon when they entered her house. Alas, it was just her pet python, but they shot it anyway.

Third. And the media tells us Jeremiah Wright was wacko and divisive? They need to look into this guy.

The Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally

The Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally was said to be the biggest rally in Alaska history. Thank God, we were beginning to have our doubts about the state.





The photographer gives permission to use the pictures so spread the news. And lets hope Alabama women are as smart as these Alaska women.

Lots to Think About Here

This post ends up with gay porn (sort of) and white privilege, so be prepared.

While in Alabama we have to suffer through embarrassing ads for candidates like Mike Rogers
("That don't fly down here") ,

voters in Florida's 18th district get to see and hear ads like this one for Annette Taddeo:




A positive, happy ad where the candidate actually talks about some issues (speaking in English), instead of using Hee Haw characters for the ad(speaking in Hic).

Moving on.

Every day we can compile a list of Republican gaffes such as:

Who's campaign is it really? Sarah Palin referred to her and the presidential candidate as the "Palin - McCain administration". Isn't this a little too much like the "Cheney - Bush administration" we had in Bush's first term?

The Pain in Spain falls Mainly on McCain

McCain either does not know who the prime minister of Spain is, or where Spain is,or doesn't realize Spain is an ally of the United States. In a radio interview when asked about meeting with Spain's leader he said, (after talking about Mexico)

Uh, again, I, I don’t... all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not and that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America. And the entire region.

Senator, Spain is not in this hemisphere, it is not part of Latin America, it is not in the region.

The campaign came out with this as part of a statement trying to rescue their candidate: He also is not going to make reckless promises to meet America's adversaries.

Spain, an adversary? And we thought Palin had a poor understanding of foreign policy.

And now First Dude Todd Palin is refusing to heed the subpoena issued regarding troopergate, and will not testify about his role. Again the secrecy and avoidance of legal duties here is right out of the Cheney playbook.

But, speaking of First Dude, some seem to think he looks like gay porn star Vinnie D'Angelo. We haven't seen Todd shirtless, but let's compare.

If that doesn't mess you up for the rest of the day, watch this (with thanks to Jim):

Tim Wise with This is Your Nation on White Privilege:

I'll get you started.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay. See the rest:

Western Tribune Column September 17 2008

What an odd day September 11 turned out to be. Of course the anniversary (for lack of a better word) of the 2001 terrorist attacks brought memories of where we were when the attacks occurred and replays of television footage of the World Trade Center being hit.

We were later reminded that President Bush’s advice to the American people following 9/11 was to go shopping, by presidential candidates who say we should have been called to service instead. But wait, that’s a little too close to being a community organizer, so we see why the Republican president wouldn’t recommend that.

After the attacks Americans were brought together for a brief period and we were reminded of this by Senators McCain and Obama coming together at ground zero in New York to honor the dead by talking with their families and tossing flowers into a reflecting pool.

Maybe just slightly less significant was the coming together of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who met outside Clinton’s Harlem office, spoke with reporters, then went inside for a two hour lunch meeting.

Clinton said he would do “whatever I’m asked to do” to help Obama get elected, then predicted the Democrat “will win and win handily.”

Meanwhile John McCain is hoping the current president will not do anything to help him, since he is trying to deny he is running for Bush’s third term, in spite of agreeing with current president 90% of the time. As Al Gore said, “Hey, I believe in recycling, but this is ridiculous.”

The alignment of the stars that produced this temporary truce in campaigning also allowed Sarah Palin to be interviewed by the media. She showed herself more than ready to continue the policies of war hungry Bush, in spite of a complete lack of understanding of the Bush Doctrine which she equated to his world view.

Her answers did nothing to assure America that she could be commander in chief.

For instance, when asked “What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state (Alaska) give you?” her reply was “They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”

I feel safer already.

Good Try, Republicans

Once again the conservatives who read this blog have come through. On a day when the focus is on the economy, instead of trying to make a case for their guy, they post comments on this post trying to shift the focus to Bill Clinton. Astonishingly, one said

"...9/11 was TOTALLY on Clinton's watch..."

Most Americans realise Clinton was not president on September 11, 2001. Click on the link above to see my response to that.

Their reason for trying to focus on Clinton is obvious. John McCain offers nothing for the economy. Yesterday he said he wanted to form a "commission" to look into it. That is what republicans do, pass the buck to a commission. Commissions take months if not years to come to any conclusions, and I think the American people want solutions now.

Who remembers Herbert Hoover saying "The economy is fundamentally sound..." then what happened? For those who don't remember, the Great Depression began during the first year of his presidency. And McCain says the "fundamentals of our economy are strong..." And what will happen if he gets elected? Let's not find out.

McCain's economic advisor is Phil Gramm, who wrote the legislation that allowed the deregulation that resulted in the current crisis. Read this .

Another McCain advisor, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, was asked what McCain did as chairman of the Commerce Comittee to help him understand the financial markets.

“He did this,” Holtz-Eakin told reporters yesterday morning, holding up his BlackBerry. "...you're looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

John McCain invented the Blackberry?

The Blackberry was actually created by Research in Motion, a Canadian company.

The McCain campaign, as Karl rove reminded us, is depending on half truths, untruths and flat out lies.

The truth detectors have finally caught up with Sarah Palin as well, and her popularity is dropping like a rock. Her favorable rating is less than 50% now and she is the least favored among the four presidential and vice presidential candidates.

McCain's Economic Fundamentals

John McCain, in his own words, admitted he "doesn't really understand economics," and, if you remember back to January he indicated he depends on advisers like Phil Gramm. Well Gramm, and by extension McCain, of course, said we are just in a "mental recession" and that America is made up of a "nation of whiners".

Investors and common folk are whining today, after yesterday's Wall Street meltdown, and McCain has solidified his misunderstanding of the economy by proclaiming that the "fundamentals" of our economy are strong.



If people were not really suffering, whether it is from $4.59 gasoline, shrinking wages, rising unemployment, unaffordable health care, disappearing retirements or losing their house, McCain's response to the crisis yesterday would be comical.

"Senator McCain, what economy are you talking about?" Obama asked.

I will tell you what economy he is talking about...the Bush economy. Here is what he is trying to do. McCain is trying to convince you that the Bush economy is strong, because he is offering nothing different from the policies that got us into this mess.

And we can not afford to elect McCain as "Bush 44", and we can not afford 4 more years of Bush economics.

While we are waiting to see what happens with the economy today, we can consider whether Sarah Palin is a racist, and whether she called Obama "Sambo" and Hillary a "Bitch"?

What We Learned Last Night

1. Barack Obama knows when it is the right time and the wrong time to do a comedy show. "In light of the unfolding crisis in Texas, Senator Obama has decided it is no longer appropriate to appear on Saturday Night Live," the campaign said in a statement.

2. Michael Phelps can not act. So bad, that I will not even post video. But...he can still swim I am sure, and is still pleasing to look at.

3. Tina Fey does a great Sarah Palin.

McCain's Slime, Palin's Ethics

How can I write about Bessemer issues when the McCain/Palin fib machine puts out enough garbage everyday to fill a dumpster?


John McCain has allowed his campaign to sink the the lowest slime level I have seen in decades in a political campaign. Worse than...Slimy the Worm, Oscar the Grouch's friend!

There are many similarities. Slimy is known for such things as parachuting out of an airplane and doing things heroic. He used to just squeak and wiggle, but more recently began to talk. But enough of the similarities.






So Barack Obama supported teaching children about inappropriate touching to help protect them from pedophiles, and McCain comes up with an ad saying he was wanting to teach them "comprehensive sex education."

So John McCain is against protecting little girls from sex perverts, I guess?

The Obama campaign responded:

"It is shameful and downright perverse for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls."

Palin ? Ethics?

Sarah Palin takes per diem pay for staying at her own home, and let's the taxpayers pay for her 7 year old daughter's plane tickets and claims to be against wasteful spending?

Sarah Palin lies about being against the bridge to nowhere, and McCain flat out lies about it saying she "stopped the bridge to nowhere." And you McCain/ Palin fans are still considering voting for them?

Does integrity not matter to Republicans?

And shouldn't the Vice President of the United States understand our government's role in issues like housing?




She said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers."

Shouldn't she know that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not taxpayer funded and are private companies? (It's the Bush (Bush=McCain) bailout that might be too expensive for taxpayers, however, but that is another story).

"You would like to think that someone who is going to be vice president and conceivable president would know what Fannie and Freddie do," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "These are huge institutions and they are absolutely central to our country's mortgage debt. To not have a clue what they do doesn't speak well for her, I'd say."

And you Republicans still think she is qualified to run the country?

My suggestion if McCain is elected: let's start the life support on November 5 just to insure that "heartbeat away" thing doesn't become a reality.

The Sarah Palin Email

Ann Kilkenny is a resident of Wasilla Alaska, who has known Sarah Palin since 1992. In response to inquiries, she wrote an email response which has been widely circulated on the "internets."

Photo credit Anne Kilkenny (by Erik Hill, Anchorage Daily News)

Her email is quite revealing. Read it here.

Excerpts

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

...........

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.


Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

CLAIM VS FACT See the email.to read these. Hmmm.

People are going to have to make up their own minds about this person. Learning how she treats her neighbors and "friends" tells us a lot.

Community Organizers

I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning, because I woke up and remembered Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and the whole crowd of well to do's making fun and laughing at community organizers.

Barack's campaign let me know that "community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies."

And from Jason Linkins:

"Community organizers mobilize volunteers that are young and old. They work from churches and community centers. They go to work in small towns and big cities. They assist people of all ages, and all walks of life. They tutor children, care for the infirm, spend time with the elderly, get food to the hungry, clothes to the needy. They expand opportunities and improve lives.

"Why, if I'm not mistaken, they even make sure that voters can get to the polls on those odd Tuesdays in November."

Palin said community organizers don't have real responsibilities. Governor Palin needs to read this Guide to Organizing to learn what they do, but maybe after the election.

And Northwest Progressives offers this as to why Palin hates community organizers.

1. Community organizers work to bring people together for the common good. The only interest Governor Palin and Senator McCain care about is their own interest (and likely the rate their bank gives them).

2. Community organizers frequently assist the poor to improve their circumstances. Senator McCain, Governor Palin and their fellow Republicans only care about improving the circumstances of corporate America and the richest 1%.

3. Community organizers work for change. Barack Obama will bring us change we can believe in. Senator McCain and Governor Palin love the status quo and will bring us four more years of the same old thing.

4. Community organizers develop leaders among regular folk, like you, me and our neighbors. Senator McCain and Governor Palin fear regular people coming into power because it will put a halt to the gravy train that they and their rich friends are on, and send them off into the political wilderness.

Community organizers play a big role in public health. I have personally seen this in Birmingham, Bessemer and Jamaica.

Oh, and Governor Palin, contrary to what you said, the world is a community, and by all counts the community of nations could use a little organizing. You and McCain sure aren't going to do it.