Give me a break...

Riiiiiiight…

In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one — the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.

Inside John McCain’s campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. "It would be fantastic," said a McCain insider. "You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week."

Well… isn’t that special.

Hat tip to Think Progress for this handy guide to a few choice responses from Gov. Quayle Palin in her first, and likely judging from her performance, last, one-on-one interview.

The quotes were pulled from TP, the snark is all mine…

On National Security Credentials: “Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy.”

(Uh-huh… you work on energy independence and that qualifies you to handle our national security issues… how? I don’t know whom I’m more disgusted with; Palin for this ridiculous answer or Gibson for NOT> asking what I just did. Way to be a journalist there Chuck)

On Alaska National Guard: “GIBSON: Have you ever given any kind of command decision to the Alaska National Guard?PALIN: We have called up National Guardsmen to help in other states who have gone in emergency status. We have assisted there.

(Oh, then we were wrong. She’s called up the National Guard, she’s more than qualified to lead… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form)

On Traveling Outside The Country:

GIBSON: Had you ever traveled outside the country prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?PALIN: Canada, Mexico, and then yeah — that trip was the trip of a lifetime to visit our troops in Kuwait and stop and visit our injured soldiers in Germany.

(Ok, new question: ‘have you ever traveled outside the American continent prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?’)

On Visiting With Foreign Head Of State:

GIBSON: Have you ever met a foreign head of state?
PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer.

(Seriously? That’s your answer?)

On Russia:

PALIN: We’ve gotta keep an eye on Russia. … You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.
GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing inside Georgia?PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relations with all of these countries, especially Russia.

(And we have yet another instance of the ‘Inane Palin Talking Point That Won’t Die’…she’s qualified to deal with Russia because you can see Russia from Alaska... aaaahhh, the stupid, it burns!

Seriously, has there ever been a worse performance by a VP candidate before; not counting Admiral Stockdale?)

Is the honeymoon coming to an end?

With each passing day, another development develops (imagine that) that further deteriorates Gov. Quayle Palin’s staunch support.

No, I’m not talking about her speaking in tongues… or the pathetic news that as Mayor of Wasilla she agreed that the town’s taxpayers shouldn’t be laden with a heavier tax burden so it was decided that the town would charge rape victims for their own forensic tests (stay classy Wasilla!)… but rather a seemingly long track record of lining her own pockets with government money.

During her acceptance speech at snore-a-palooza, Quayle Palin mentioned how she fired the chef at the Governor’s mansion because she knows how to cook and, in the words of Palin spokesperson Meghan Perino Stapleton; “From the start, she's been very uncomfortable with a gourmet chef. It's a luxury she doesn't think Alaskans should be paying for.”

Really? She doesn’t think Alaskans should be paying for a personal chef… interesting.

Perhaps she could explain why she saw fit to bill Alaskan taxpayers for 312 nights that she spent in her own home?

From WaPo; “Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. […] The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.”

Interesting… and if she did indeed fire the chef because she thought it would save her state money, why was the chef re-assigned as a “constituent relations assistant” in the governor's office and later to the state museum before finally landing as the chef for the Legislative Lounge while still getting paid the amount that she made as the chef of the governor’s residence?

To recap; she charged the people of Alaska $16,951 to live in her own house despite her claims that a chef would have been a $45,000 luxury the taxpayers shouldn’t pay for… but then she turned around and gave that woman another position within the government while charging the state to attend “Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference” where she stayed at a $707 per night hotel.

Uh-huh… explain to me how you’re a maverick and want to weed out corruption and unnecessary spending again Ms. Palin… I could use a good laugh.

And while you’re at it… explain all of this. Explain how this stacks up against your claims of being a different kind of republican….

We’re waiting Ms. Palin… and we want to hear from you, not the campaign.

Hello!!!!!! She's lying!!!!!!!!

I’ve written about the lack of guile in the McCain’s campaign constant lying on behalf of Gov. Quayle Palin about the bridge to nowhere.

Well, now they’re getting even more brazen about the lie… they’ve put it in a goddamn campaign ad.

In the new ad the narrator says of the two that they’re “the original mavericks” and she “stopped the Bridge to Nowhere.”

Bull. Shit.

Despite the fact she campaigned in support of the bridge and repeatedly pushed Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure the funding for the bridge, she’s constantly moaning that she told Congress “thanks but no thanks” for bridge funding.

Liar, liar.

And despite this knowledge being known by thousands of people, the traditional media continues to fellate the McCain campaign and turn a blind eye.

Enough is enough.

She’s lying, and there’s proof… so where the hell is the outrage?

Where the hell are the calls for her to step down from the campaign?

Oh right, they only call for that when it’s a Democrat.

I weep for the future…

The Inane Quayle Palin talking point that won't die

I’ve written a few times about Sen. McCain surrogates spewing the fact that Gov. Quayle Palin has foreign policy experience because Alaska is so close to Russia…

Fox “News” Steve Doocy… Cindy McCain and Sen. McCain himself have all thrown that ludicrous reasoning out there.

Now a McCain surrogate is reaching a new low…

Tylwe Harber, a republican strategist, appeared on Fox “News” today and laid out a specific reason as to why the proximity of Alaska and Russia gave her foreign policy experience.

“Fishing issues.”

So there you have it… the woman who would be one heartbeat away from the presidency will use her years months of expertise in dealing with “fishing issues” to deal with places like North Korea, Iran, Pakistan and Iraq.

I hope my bomb shelter is big enough.

Wow...

who would have ever thought that Quayle Palin would have brought up the fact that McCain was a POW?

What I want her to tell me is why that makes him qualified to be president... I'll be waiting for her answer.

I bet her pants are on fire under the podium...

Gov. Quayle Palin just said that she told Congress "Thanks, but no thanks," on that bridge to nowhere... but in September 2006, via Balloon Juice via the Ketchikan Daily News;

"Palin said Alaska’s congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge as part of a package deal and that she ‘would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge."

Uh-huh...

Silence speaks volumes

It’s not as much as what was sad at last night’s snore-a-palooza, aka the republican national convention, but more so what wasn’t said.

“President” Bush wasn’t mentioned at all… that’s right, not one, single, time.

I’ll pause for a moment until you stop laughing…

...

...

You okay? Don’t strain something laughing too hard...

It’s no surprise that last night’s speakers have failed to discuss the economy (it’s one, of many, McCain weaknesses)… but it IS a tad surprising that they never once mentioned the leader of their party, “President” Bush.

Per the fine folks at TPM Election Central who searched the texts of the speeches so Iyou don’t have to found no mention of the words “Bush” or “president” as relating to Dubya.

This isn’t a surprise… when you’re trying to sell yourself, you focus on your best points and downplay your weaknesses.

That’s what the republicans are doing right now…

Of course they’re not going to talk about the economy or Bush, aka the Human Lliability, for the same reasons they won’t point to their record on affordable healthcare, the war on terror or Iraq.

It sucks.

And yet they continue to trot out the line that they’re proud to be republicans… but if they’re so proud of their own party and how they’re “just” and “right for our country”… why wouldn’t you talk about your party’s leader…

Because he sucks… even more so than the party in general… so they’re trying to put as much space between them and the White House as they can.

We won’t let that happen, will we?

No way. No how. No Quayle Palin. No McCain McBush.

Give me an effin' break...

Apparently republicans are running out of things to say... because Sen. McCain's wife Cindy became the third republican to counter the accusations that Gov. Quayle Palin doesn't have any national experience because; "Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia."

Their stupidity with this talking point is mind-boggling... no one can be this dense, can they?

"To the backlash mobile!" Part 2

"If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?" - National Review's David Frum

(Ouch... and that's from a conservative... well, I bet other conservatives are happy with the choice... right... RIGHT??? Helloooooooo, anyone there???)

To the backlash mobile!

While I had resolved myself to not speak about Sen. McCain’s VP choice of Sarah Quayle Palin… the conservative backlash succeeding her selection is something I can NOT pass up.

Keep this in mind… she was the mayor of a small town in Alaska, population 6,500, a mere 20 months ago… and that town’s largest concern was if they would have enough snow on the ground for the Iditarod. But in 1984 she was runner-up in the Ms. Alaska beauty pageant… so she has that going for her. And now… now she’s been tapped to be a heartbeat away from the presidency… and with McCain’s age (by the way. Happy Birthday today Senator), that could very well come into play.

But I’m getting off-topic… back to the real point of this post; conservative backlash.

HT to Daily Kos …

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review; “She Just Is Not Ready to Be Commander-in-Chief [said] Pat Buchanan on MSNBC just now, about Sarah Palin. I'm liable to agree.”

Lopez wasn’t done as she shared this email she received; “As much as I loathe Obama-Biden, I can't in good conscience vote for a McCain-Palin ticket. Palin has absolutely no experience in foreign affairs. Considering both McCain's advanced age and the state of the world today, it is essential that the veep be exceedingly qualified to assume the office of president. I simply don't have any confidence in Palin's ability to deal effectively with Iran, Russia, China, etc. I certainly will not cast a vote for Obama-Biden, but nor will I vote for McCain-Palin. Looks like I'll either sit this one out or vote for Bob Barr. Why, o, why, didn't McCain listen to Rove and just pick Romney?”

(Because trying to use the label of elitist towards Obama wouldn’t work when the presidential and vice presidential candidate own over 11 homes between them… I’m just sayin’)

Steven Chapman calls her selection “inexcusable” and says; “But worse, this decision mocks McCain's seriousness on the issues that are supposed to be his strength. It tells us that he puts his own political fortunes above the safety of the nation.”

(Yup… welcome to the self evident point we knew months years ago Steve. McCain is a pandering flip-flopper…)

Mark Silva of the Chicago Tribune; “Yet, as McCain often has joked, one of the few requirements for the vice presidency is looking after the health of the president on a daily basis. So, should Palin find no breath on the mirror held under McCain's nose some day, is she ready to be president? […] On the question of national security, the McCain campaign has offered Palin's control of the Alaska National Guard. Really?”

(She controls the National Guard so she’s qualified to handle national security… seriously? That’s that the campaign is going to say? That’s about as stupid a comment as Fox “News” host Steve Doocy’s rationale of her being good at international relations because she’s “right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia.”)

Ramesh Ponnuru of National Review; “Inexperience. Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain's age raised the stakes on this issue. […] As a political matter, it undercuts the case against Obama. Conservatives are pointing out that it is tricky for the Obama campaign to raise the issue of her inexperience given his own, and note that the presidency matters more than the vice-presidency. But that gets things backward. To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins. [..] And it’s not just foreign policy. Palin has no experience dealing with national domestic issues, either. (On the other hand, as Kate O’Beirne just told me, we know that Palin will be ready for that 3 a.m. phone call: She’ll already be up with her baby.)

(Her selection does eliminate, partially, McCain’s argument about Obama being inexperienced. And the line about her already being up at 3 AM is perfectly snarky…)

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough; “It Sounds Like a Harriet Miers Decision. Let's Find a Woman, Whether She's Experienced or Not.”

(Ouch)

Erstwhile conservative tool and blowhard Pat Buchanan; “(Picking Palin is the) biggest political gamble I think in American political history.”

(this is starting to scare me... first Pat says that Obama's speech was the "greatest convention speech ever" and now he's unsure about McCain's running mate... do we need to call Hell to see if it's frozen over?)

Town Hall's Ron Fournier; “If Obama is an empty suit, as McCain has suggested, is Palin suited for the Oval Office herself? […] She is younger and less experienced than the first-term Illinois senator, and brings an ethical shadow to the ticket.”

(Or an empty pantsuit if you want to get technical)

You say you want Liberal reaction, here ya go…

Rep. Rahm Emmanuel; “Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency? Given Sarah Palin's lack of experience on every front and on nearly every issue, this Vice Presidential pick doesn't show judgment: it shows political panic.”

(Yup…)

Sen. Chuck Schumer; “After the great success of the Democratic convention, the choice of Sarah Palin is surely a Hail Mary pass. It is a real roll of the dice and shows how John McCain, Karl Rove et al realize what a strong position the Obama-Biden team and Democrats in general are in in this election. Certainly the choice of Palin puts to rest any argument about inexperience on the Democratic team and while Palin is a fine person, her lack of experience makes the thought of her assuming the presidency troubling. I particularly look forward to the Biden-Palin debate in Missouri.”

(you ain’t the only one Mr. Schumer…)

Obama Campaign Spokesman Bill Burton; “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same.”

Fasten your seatbelts people…the ride has just begun.