Your turn at the Soapbox

Commentary: Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer

Not too many youtube moments. What did you all think?

Katie Couric: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundry that we have with Canada. It's funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don't know, you know … reporters.

Couric: Mocked?

Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.

It was bad enough when conservative pundits were pulling this baloney. To hear it from her mouth is more than awesome. I just don't have enough sarcasm to top that.

But I can try.

I had leftover sesame chicken for dinner. I am now an expert on Chinese foreign policy.

I don't want to say 'I told you so'... Aw, who am I kidding, yes I do!

Two weeks ago conservatives were all a twitter when polls showed that McCain had managed to pull a minor lead out of a hat. This blog was home to comments such as:

I have noticed, as have the polls, that McCain has all but wiped out any bounce that Obama woul've received. too bad he shot himself in the foot with that Biden guy...

The Dems are worried man. Joe Biden didn't affect the polls at all, which has them worried as well.

I don't care too much, but I can't resist getting a chuckle at Hollywood's expense. I think they might actually be hurting Obama's campaign.

I'm sure the Hollywood liberal conspiracy must be relieved. All thanks to political wizard Jason Bourne. I hear he hunted those polls down and choked them to death with his bare hands. With his eyes were closed.

As I said before:

You might be excited for now, but just wait. There's still plenty of time for McGrumpy to bore us all to tears before the election. And just wait until Minnie Mouse is asked actual questions instead of just repeating the tired, and patently false, "and I said thanks, but NO THANKS to your bridge to nowhere."

Give it a week, maybe two.

Then we'll talk.

Anyone want to talk about polls now? McCain is asleep at the wheel (dang ambien) and Palin can't answer four questions without that moose-in-the-headlights look on her face.

Let me be the first to admit: we're not there yet, but things are starting to get a little more comfortable. With any luck John McCain will have a few more Hail Mary's up his sleeve that will utterly decimate any hope he has of a meaningful political future. For his next trick we can expect him to suspend his campaign and threaten to skip any debates until Barack Obama joins him on a personal mission to find a cure for skin cancer.

Any legacy the man had of honesty and mavericky-ness have been erased by his stunning tailspin. It ain't over, but I feel better about it.

Que the Celine Dione music.

John McCain isn't content to flail hopelessly. He now has to make a complete embarrassment of himself by knighting himself Savior of the Economy. He has decided to suspend his already dead campaign so he can run to Washington and save everyone from evil capitalists. Populists rejoice.

Here are 9 good reasons John McCain should sulk back to his dark little corner and let people who know what they are doing fix things.

1. He isn't the Stephen Hawking of economics.
2. He isn't president.
3. Someday, he will have to debate issues with Barack Obama.
4. If he actually shows up in the Senate they'll have to scrape the dust off the seat he's left vacant since January. He already missed votes on the GI bill, energy policy, and basically everything that has gone through the Senate including, I'm sure, insignificant bills that would have saved your children from terrorists. But those weren't important.
5. He knows less about economics than Sarah Palin knows about foreign policy. The McCain campaign will soon announce that McCain's wife sometimes let him look at her credit cards and he is, therefore, an expert on the economy.
6. It's only been a month since the last time he promised to end his vacation from his elected duties and return, triumphantly, to DC to save the economy.
7. They don't want your 'help'.
8. The last time he was involved in 'fixing' banks the dang economy almost collapsed. I think it would be in our best interest if he started fretting about liberal media conspiracy again.
9. Having a press conference (first one in eons) to have your picture taken in Washington pretending you are actually doing something is not suspending your campaign. That's called a publicity stunt. He'd have more luck posing with Paris Hilton.
   

I would have done 10 but I have decided to suspend my blogging and return to Utah and save the beleaguered and collapsing education system. 'Cause, you know, I'm an expert on all things educatiomanal.

I wait, in rabid anticipation, for John McCain to sweep in and save us all from sure economic destruction. I'm so glad he's there for us. It's like he's superman for our wallets. And everybody loves superman.

Not slip-ups. Not half-truths. Not misunderstandings. Not quotes taken out of context. These are bold-faced, outright lies.

Iraq is like Arizona. Only without all the crazy old golfers:

"There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today."

A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Genocide!
Even Mittens called him a liar after he said:

"If we surrender and wave a white flag, like Senator Clinton wants to do, and withdraw, as Governor Romney wanted to do, then there will be chaos, genocide, and the cost of American blood and treasure would be dramatically higher."

Barack Obama wants to burn money to keep poor people warm
On nuclear power:

it's 'clean and it's safe and we can recycle -- excuse me -- reprocess and we can store. My opponent is against nuclear power...'

Uh, no. Maybe his campaign needs to visit Obama's website to see what their position really is instead of making up one for themselves.

Raise taxes
McCain has repeatedly claimed that Barack Terrorist Obama will bring about:

'the largest tax increase since the Second World War.'

Right. Liar. According to that liberal smear machine Factcheck.org McCain's tax plan would decrease taxes for zillionaires all over America. Both plans would decrease taxes for middle-class American's. Barack's would give my tax bracket almost $300 dollars more than McCain's.


Sarah Palin was the inspiration Democracy in the Soviet Union.
There isn't enough time to go into the lies they churned out for her. One of my favorites:

"You know what I enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay -- and made a profit!"

Nope. Someone else thought of putting it there. It didn't sell. So, they sold it privately. At a loss.

Another whopper: Sarah Palin is qualified to be president because she stopped needless projects that sucked up tax dollars. What a maverick.

Truth: She campaigned for the $300 million dollar bridge. Then cancelled it when the fed wouldn't allow it. But she still took the money.

I could go on about her all day. But I won't. Bill Clinton wouldn't like it.


John McCain is the new Aerosmith
McCain campaign claims the Secret Service counted 23,000 raging fans waving lighters and singing 'More than Words' at a Palin-Some Old Dude rally.

'We didn't provide any numbers to the campaign,' said Malcolm Wiley, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service.

Real crowd? ~8,000

Pigs ears will fuel future wars for generations to come.
Again from factcheck:

"McCain's talk about eliminating $100 billion a year in earmarks is largely fantasy. His advisers are now promoting a more realistic plan of eliminating $100 billion in overall spending. But it is difficult to take even that promise very seriously given the fact that the senator refuses to identify exactly which projects he will be cut. To use a phrase coined by George H.W. Bush, this is 'voodoo economics,' based more on wishful thinking than on hard data or carefully considered policy proposals."

Barack Obama wants to give pornography to your sweet, innocent, little children.

"Obama's one accomplishment? Legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? Barack Obama. Wrong on education. Wrong for your family."

Liars everywhere will look to this ad for generations to come, it will be the standard by which all future lies are judged. McCain's pants are still burning from this one. Not only did they lie about a well-intention and meaningful bill (it's akin to like me claiming McCain wants to destroy freedom and kills babies in his spare time because he supports the war) but also Obama's role in it.

Carol Ronen, the now-retired state senator who sponsored the bill, said its main intent was to make sure that teenagers got information that was "medically accurate," a requirement that wasn't then part of the school code. A secondary effect was to expand age-appropriate sex education down to lower grades, to allow things like teaching school children to avoid sex predators, Ronen said.

"Barack never had anything to do with it," she said.

McCain is an honest, folksy, old-timey politician.
Uh, what happened to the Straight Talk Express?

There's no more need for honesty in his campaign. Just a concerted effort to keep up appearances. It doesn't matter what's true, it's just about what people think is true. Campaign manager Rick Davis:

"This election is not about issues, this election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

I'd keep going but I've run out of energy. And when you've told too many lies for me to whine about, you know you have gone too far. I'll close with the words of someone else on this here blog. A year or so ago James summed up what we are all thinking about McCain at this stage in the game: that he's lost it. He's crashing and burning. He's abandoned his good image and resorted to lies to get anyone to listen.

"...the more I listen to McCain and Rudy though, the more I'm convinced they can't beat Clinton or Obama"

Let's hope you were right, James. Let's restore some honor to the office. Don't elect McCain.

Just to break up the monotony a bit, does any other college football fan think the Pac-10 should finally admit, (or be made to admit) that they just aren't all they are cracked up to be? After all, last week every WAC or Mtn. West team beat whatever Pac-10 team they were playing: Boise State, BYU, and Utah. Boise State even knocked off #17 Oregon in Eugene. Pretty awesome considering the stats stacked against any of those teams in any other conference but their own. I know this has nothing to do with politics, but just wanted to see if anyone else had interest in it. Thanks for indulging me...

Nuff Said

Well, I assume most (if not all) of us have seen the youtube video of Obama's defense strategy.....uh, err......or lack thereof.

The American Thinker has a great article from Ed Lasky that is worth a read.

Click here to read it.

Obama Backtracking on Wide Range of Policy
--Ed Morrisey
(article provides direct quotes from Obama)

"...........Less than 48 hours after telling CNBC that his health-insurance plan was fully funded and would not get affected by a massive government bailout of the credit markets, Obama has reversed himself and put his expensive federal programs on hold.

"...........Now Obama wants us to forget the massive spending that he proposed because the Treasury bailout will pre-empt it. Okay, fair enough. But even before the credit market meltdown, we faced (and still face) an entitlement program meltdown of even larger dimensions. Neither candidate has adequately addressed that, but at least John McCain acknowledges its existence and its size. Obama has campaigned on adding to that burden without the least thought of reform, at least until he belatedly realized that the money simply doesn’t exist now, and it never really did.

"............The most amazing part of this is that he reached this conclusion not at the start of the current meltdown, but more than a week later. The general parameters of the bailout were widely known on Friday afternoon. Sunday morning, Obama tells John Harwood that it won’t affect his big-spending policies, since they’re “paid for”, in his words. By Tuesday morning, Obama’s hitting reverse. What happened to all that funding? Obama realized that the meltdown will rock the economy, and all of those soak-the-rich tax increases will produce little or no revenue — and imposing them will worsen an economy threatening to go into shock.

"Obama appears to be seriously adrift. Circumstances have forced him out of the entire range of his domestic policies, including a middle-class tax cut, while the two Democrats seem more at war with each other than with Republicans. What argument does he have left for the Presidency — his deep executive and foreign-policy experience?"

Mitt Romney was labeled a flip-flopper over abortion. That was, in fact, the only legitimate thing that he changed his political stance on.

Why isn't Obama held to the same standard, especially when his flip-flops are only months/weeks apart? Mitt's abortion stance happened years before running for POTUS. Josh, that was your major beef with Mitt.......his flip-flops (which again, abortion was the only thing with any credibility). Well, I must say, you're championing a real winner.

The AP 7/5/2008 (Italics are my own words):

"On Iraq, Obama said that his trip there might lead him to refine his promise to quickly remove U.S. troops from the war." He was the guy to say "I will bring this war to a close. ... I am not searching for maneuvering room with respect to that position,"......didn't he?

"Obama recently supports broader authority for the government's eavesdropping program and legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in it." He voted against this a year ago.

"After the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's gun ban, the handgun-control proponent said he favors both an individual's right to own a gun as well as government's right to regulate ownership."

"Obama became the first major-party candidate to reject public financing for the general election after earlier promises to accept it."

"He not only embraced but promised to expand Bush's program to give more anti-poverty grants to religious groups."

"He objected to the Supreme Court's decision outlawing the death penalty for child rapists, even though he has been anti-capital punishment."

"Obama also said 'mental distress' should not count as a health exception that would permit a late-term abortion, saying 'it has to be a serious physical issue,' addressing a matter considered crucial to abortion rights activists."
-----------

Okay.......The flip-flops that are bothering me the most lately concern energy. I was against off-shore drilling before I was for it. I was against nuclear power before I was for it........I think I'm against it again. I was always against coal burning.....except when I'm in Kentucky, Montana, or any swing state that might make me reconsider.

Fortunately for Obama, he can weasel his way out of most messes......he can make a pile of crap sound appetizing. It is my belief that Romney was too honest and straight-forward for his own good.

Josh, I know you are going to try to pull an Obama and make him seem flawless through a bunch of fluff and by redirecting blame........but you held Mitt to such a high standard, why is it so different now?

This video is interesting, because when Obama visits Kentucky or Montana, he's singing a different tune..........

Check out this article:
"Obama, in Montana, Supports Clean Coal"

Hey! I hate coal burning.....it's non-renewable. But does anyone else tire of Obama's flip-flops on energy? I mean I still don't know what he believes TODAY about off-shore drilling, nuclear power, and clean coal. What the heck? Is anybody calling him out on this crap?

Ha! Beat down by the ladies on the View. If you get a chance it's worth watching the whole thing, there are several other parts on youtube.

My favorites:

On the latest lies the campaign calls ads: "Senator Obama chooses his words carefully. He shouldn't have said it." I on the other hand, have all my words chosen for me or I say something stupid in a fit of rage. But it's ok. I'm a POW.

On Sarah Palin as a reformer: Barabara Walter: "You've been in Washington for twenty years. Who's she coming to change, You?" McSame: "She'll change Republicans, she'll change Democrats even an independant. She'll CHANGE ALL OF WASHINGTON! She's Mary Poppins and Harry Potter all mixed together but without all the horrifying anti-christian cult stuff. Don't ask how, you can't explain magic. She'll just wave her wand and *poof* we'll all be princesses and princes. Washington will be renamed the Land of Love, Temperance, Congeneality, Cooperation, Prosperity and Mooseburgers and we will all move to Alaska where we'll frolic through the happy fields of oil. The Caribou will be our friend and the Wolf will be our shoe-warmer. All thanks to Sarah Palin. Yay.

On earmarks: "She's a reformer. She cut a half a billion dollars in earmarks... She never took them as governor." Except for that 300 million or so this YTD. But it's OK. If I smile hard enough nobody will notice that I'm lying through my teeth.

And Whoopi being worried that John McCain wants to make her a slave again. Yea, makes you look at those supreme court candidates and their 'strict constitutional interpretation' a little differently. Kinda-sorta sounds like a bigot.

You have to watch the conductor and how the band responds to his every gesture to understand this post.

One of the only things I can compare this too is marching band. (Just bear with me for a second.) I am as tired all both of you with the lack of better candidates. Josh, you could even admit that there were far more qualified candidates on the Democratic side of things than Obama for President. I agree that even though McCain isn't the most ideal candidate, his goods definately outweigh Obama's goods and bads. In comparison to a well directed marching band it takes skill, precision, and pin point accuracy to know how to direct a group of highly talented and qualified musicians. Having directed a prestigious band for two years in college, I know what that entails. No one in their right mind would pretend to have that kind of skill set, be awarded that position and know the first place to begin if they didn't have the training. Obama has none of that. At least McCain has learned how to read music, play an instrument and marched in a few bands. Obama has just picked up his recorder to squeek out Puff the Magic Dragon. Experience must be in play here. (No pun intended.) I hope this makes sense, becuase it did to me at least.

Here's what John McCain had to say about why he is ready to be president as compared to some other... less ready... people.

The fact is, I'm running on my record as a reliable conservative of 24 years. And the indicators of that, obviously, is that I've fought wasteful spending, I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I've been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced since Beirut, I understand the issues, I understand and appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face from radical Islamic extremism.

I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training.

I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time.

He was referring to not-so-ready Mitt and inexperienced Captain 9/11, for reference. Why does McCain think Sarah Palin was a much more prepared and qualified candidate than anyone else in his party?

Q: Can you honestly say you feel confident having someone who hasn’t traveled outside the United States until last year, dealing with an insurgent Russia...

MCCAIN: Sure...Alaska is right next to Russia. She understands that.

That's the best they can come up with?

Pressed about what insights into recent Russian actions she gained by living in Alaska, Palin told Gibson, "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

Almost being able to see Russia from an uninhabited island in Alaska's territory does NOT a foreign policy expert make. That's like saying you are an expert on technology because you live near the Silicon Valley.

Who forgot to teach her that the answer to any question about war is, at least, "war should be avoided at all costs," or, "all avenues of diplomacy should be explored." Instead she jumps right into the war mentality and say: 'Perhaps so.' What is obvious from her shockingly poorly-handled 'war with Russia' question is she lacks the experience and judgment for the job she's running for. What American thinks reigniting the potential for nuclear war should be a "perhaps so" kind of thing.

I'm done with Sarah Palin. She is the unfortunate pawn in an ugly campaign. She is in a position where she has to lie continually to maintain her talking points. Judging by the way she is coming across on these celebrity-style interviews I don't think the future is boding well.

If her running-mate doesn't think she's qualified, I don't know why I should give her the time of day.

Done with Palin. Can we get back to the issues now?

What Is the Bush Doctrine, Anyway?
--click to read article from the Washington Post.

Awkward!
1st. What experience does she have in the field of National Security? ENERGY! (wha?)
2nd. She's the most knowledgeable person on energy in THE WHOLE UNITED STATES! (Bill Nye is crying somewhere, right now.)



My two cents: I'm no expert, but knowing what the Bush Doctrine is, that basic understanding of our foreign policy approach that was the justification of two invasions and thousands of detainment... that's not just required reading. Where has she been for the past 8 years? Moose hunting? She doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is! I can forgive most people for not knowing, we're all kinda stupid. But she's got no excuse for this one. She was clueless!

McCain, send her back to to the classroom. She's got more learnin' to do. Next, earmarks. After that we should address the proper way to answer questions like "war with russia?" Perhaps so, is the wrong answer war-monger. The minute this lady opens her mouth she dooms this campaign. Straight talk express has taken a severe detour folks. From here on out, it's straight bull.

"In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points for both samples."

--Susan Page, USA Today

The McCain campaign is stooping to lows that the Obama campaign had the decency to rise above.



Instead of doing the right thing, McCain and Palin have trotted this private matter around the yard like their favorite show-dog. It's a simple attempt of faux-outrage. They have no answers to the legitimate questions that have been raised about Palin's lack of experience, her alliance to a party that is set on succession from the union, her abuse of power, her desire to ban library books, and MUCH MORE.

Instead, they make Palin's 17 year-old daughter a straw-man. They trot her boyfriend out on the tarmac where John McCain proceeds to give him a full-contact massage in front of the national media to make Evangelicals hearts go all a flutter. They concoct nonexistent liberal stories about DNA tests and media scrutiny in order to fool Americans into thinking the Obama campaign is unfairly targeting an innocent girl. It's the same as the person who runs into the street, dives in front of an oncoming car, and calls it attempted homicide.

Make no mistake. The Obama campaign has too much class to descend to this level of political desperation. It is, however, telling that the McCain campaign has no problem taking a private matter and using a 17 year-old as a human Pinata. It's no surprise. Before this came out their only approach to legitimate questions was, "You can't ask that. She's a woman. You're sexist."



Not even Tucker Bounds has answers. He's only the head of the McCain campaign. He loved it when voters new little about Obama. Now, he can't even defend their own VP candidate. The irony is so rich I can almost taste it.

What on earth were they thinking? How can they sleep when they think that spending 15 minutes on a plane in Ireland or "Alaska borders Russia" is a legitimate answer to people questioning her foreign policy experience.

Alaska borders Russia? Are they claiming that Sarah Palin is the reason we haven't been living a real-life version Red Dawn is because Sarah Palin protected us from the communists?

I would laugh but it can't bring myself to do it. You just can't laugh at a car wreck, when innocent people are going to get hurt. So I weep for you, Republicans. It's no longer a nomination. It's a travesty.