Surely, Sarah Palin must be thinking, “For all that is holy and sacred in this world, PLEASE Cindy, DON’T try to help me anymore!” Watch Cindy’s defense of Palin’s candidacy:
Folks, you just can’t make this stuff up!
Update! It’s bad enough Cindy goes there … but now McCain is spouting the same geographic proximity nonsense!
I’ve been beating myself up the past 48 hours because if only I’d known John McCain’s standards for a candidate for Vice President of the United States, I would have contacted the McCain vetting team and submitted my wife for consideration.
The Economy
My wife worked in a bank for several years.
My wife was elected VP of Finance for the local chapter of an international organization.
Foreign Affairs
My wife is the team leader of a group of systems analysts who maintain web servers 24×7. As such, she has frequent contact with teammates in India and Brazil. I might add that she has an excellent rapport with these folks, clear demonstration of her diplomatic ability.
Political Experience
As stated earlier, she was elected in a landslide victory for VP of Finance. Furthermore, I know of no one who has been more capable of cutting through office politics. She would end the gridlock in Washington!
That 3am Phone Call
Take it from me, my wife receives work related phone calls at 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am and just today 5:15am (she’s currently taking a well deserved nap).
Compelling Personal Story
My wife is a cancer survivor whose father had a physical disability, whose cousin has a cognitive disability and whose husband has a physical disability. She grew up in a small town in Illinois, rose through the ranks of the banking industry and then relocated to the East coast where she re-invented herself as an expert in information technology. She was an accomplished clarinetist in her home town marching band and she makes damn good caramel corn. Her daughter is about to be deployed to pre-K class this September.
If there are any independent candidates for President out there who have not yet chosen a running mate, please contact me.
In the ultimate example of his misogyny, John McCain has made the ultimate PUMA pander and chosen Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin to be his running mate.
Why do I say misogyny? If John McCain truly respected women he would have chosen a woman with a substantial reputation that at least marginally qualified her for Commander-in-Chief. The prime choice would have been Kay Bailey Hutchison but based on her assessment of John McCain on MSNBC this morning as a man who “sowed his oats” but then “matured” it’s obvious that McCain couldn’t choose a qualified woman who knows what a cad he is.
The beauty of this pick is that now experience is off the table as a campaign issue. Who would you prefer? A candidate who knows his limitations and chooses a running mate to bolster those limitations (Biden) or a candidate who grossly overestimates his prowess and chooses a neophyte to be one 72 year old heartbeat from the Presidency?
To those who would accuse me of disrespecting Ms. Palin, I reply that it is McCain who disrespects her. Ms. Palin earned her way to Alaska Governor and I don’t besmirch that accomplishment. But that does not make her ready to be Vice President of the United States. McCain is making a blatant play for disgruntled Clinton supporters and is using Ms. Palin as a pawn in that game.
While we’re here, let’s not forget that what little we do know about Palin makes her the next Dick Cheney. She is Annie Oakley without the ethics. She is currently under investigation by a Republican Alaska legislature for abusing her power. She would fit right in with Cheney’s methodology of abusing the Constitution for political purposes. This fact alone calls McCain’s judgement into question. His vetting of Palin didn’t even go as far as Googling her.
The fascinating by product of this choice is it gives Senator Hillary Clinton another chance to show her mettle. If Hillary does what I think she will do, she will tell women voters:
“Don’t be manipulated by this move. Don’t fall for the old oakie-doke. You don’t want just any woman in the White House. You want a woman who shares your values. Vote for McCain-Palin and you will at the very least, lose your right to choose.” As Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “I know Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton.”
If anyone had any doubt that Senator Barack Obama would take the fight to John McCain, that doubt was obliterated by Obama’s nomination acceptance speech that concluded the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado this week.
Barack managed to stay low to the ground, throwing bombs on the McCain campaign and then soared high with the lofty rhetoric we have come to expect from him. He served two masters with this speech. He, point by point, laid out his plan for this country and shot down the often ridiculous claims of his Republican opponent. At the same time, he delivered another inspiring message of hope and optimism.
First, the anti-McCain-ballistic missiles:
It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.
And then later, he lays to rest McCain’s most recent preposterous “celebrity attack”.
Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton’s Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.
In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.
When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.
And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She’s the one who taught me about hard work. She’s the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she’s watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.
I don’t know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.
But then there was the inspiration:
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours – a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
The convention is over and Barack Obama has landed the first substantive punch of the election season. He has said “Enough” not just to the past eight years of devastating Bush/Cheney policy but to the petty foolish politics upon which the McCain campaign has consistently relied.
In plain spoken, non-intellectual, non-elite words, the first African-American candidate from a major political party has declared, Let’s Get it On!
There hasn’t been much fire in the primetime, network covered portions of the Democratic Convention so far. Kerry’s speech which had bite didn’t get a full TV airing (unless perhaps you were watching CSPAN). Biden’s speech had moderate bite but did not hit hard enough.
That brings us to William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States. The night before, his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton urged her followers to back Obama but she never explicitly revised her previous stance that he was not experienced enough to hold the office. Still, as I said in a previous post, I think she did what she had to do. Bill came dangerously close to blowing it. When he said that Obama’s judgement combined with Biden’s experience and knowledge would make a great team, I sat there holding my breath. Was he really going to feed the McCain propaganda machine with the implication that we had an upside down ticket with a VP nominee more fit to be President than the guy at the top of the ticket?
So how did Bill pull his speech out of the ditch? Towards the end of the speech, he said that Barack’s experience predicament reminded him of a Presidetial candidate who ran in 1992. That candidate was none other than himself, Bill Clinton. With that comparison, he essentially said that the experience attacks of the McCain campaign are irrelevant. The only other thing that could have happened to top this would have been for Barack to join Bill on stage and give him a hug! (Obama did make an appearance later after Biden’s address.)
With the Obama-Clinton feud apparently over, the PUMA’s and their ilk now look sillier than ever. Now we need to conclude this convention, stop playing nice, and tear McCain limb from limb.
I’ve spent the past few days fuming at Hillary Clinton because her primary trash talk has fueled new ads by John McCain. The most grievous example being her assertion that she and McCain were ready to be President while Barack Obama was merely a speech maker.
I approached tonight’s speech by Senator Clinton at the Democratic Convention, with limited expectation. I was fully prepared for a self serving, half hearted endorsement of Obama. I’m glad to say I was wrong. There was not much Hillary could have done better tonight.
Of course the Republicans have already issued a statement saying that no where in Hillary’s speech did she say that Barack is ready to be President. Technically, this is true. I would have been happier if Hillary had explicitly repudiated McCain’s latest series of ads and if she had said without any doubt that Barack Obama is ready on day one to be President of the United States. However, upon further reflection, I think that had she done THAT much of an about-face, she would have lost credibility. It was almost more effective for her to say that regardless of Obama’s preparedness for office, the alternative of McCain is no alternative at all.
By comparing her husband’s accomplishments with Democrats by his side to the anticipated accomplishments of an Obama administration, she basically passed the proverbial torch to Obama in much the same way that Kennedy did the night before.
So, my hat is off to Hillary tonight. She did what she needed to do and did it convincingly. Perhaps she put it best with the plain spoken words that may become a new campaign mantra:
When I was a kid, there was a family drama on TV called “The Waltons”. It was about a rural family struggling during the Depression. What I recall was that while I found the show a bit corny and didn’t watch it religiously, every time I did watch it, I came away feeling better than before I turned on the television.
Two moments during this, the first night of the Democratic convention, left me feeling so much better than I did beforehand. The first moment was the appearance of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who against great odds appeared before the adoring crowd to reiterate his support of Barack Obama’s candidacy. I have a loved one who is a cancer survivor and I know through her the terrible physical burden placed on the body by chemotherapy and radiation. In keeping with his passion for service to this country, Teddy made the trip to Denver and delivered a rousing speech. Using a variation on his 1980 convention speech closer, he said “the work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on.” For a man battling brain cancer, it was a stirring courageous moment.
As if the emotional impact of the night could not get any more profound, Michelle Obama then appeared and delivered a speech that crystallized her and Barack’s embodiment of the American Dream. Born on the south side of Chicago, raised by hard working parents, one of whom rose above a debilitating disability, Michelle Obama excelled far beyond expectation. In perhaps the most masterful part of her speech, within one sentence she honored the historic campaign of Hillary Clinton and the life’s work of Joe Biden. It was as if to say, Hillary did a great historic thing, and now we have to move on and accept the candidacy of a life-long public servant, Joe Biden. She managed to say, implicitly, that Biden’s selection does not diminish Clinton’s accomplishment.
Tonight was a night of themes that could not help but lift the spirit. Courage, hard work, hope, achieving the American Dream and loving our country for providing the potential to achieve that dream.
Next week, when I watch the Republican convention, I will stay as open minded as possible and see if I come away with such a feeling of hope. All I can say is tonight, I feel inspired. I feel that if the Democrats emerge victorious in November, our country will have a chance to set aside fear, cynicism and hopelessness and once again make people believe they can achieve their dreams.
Today, John McCain had an interesting exchange with one of his supporters at a town hall meeting. Admittedly, the supporter’s question was somewhat lengthy and circuitous so there is a chance that McCain got tired of listening before he made his response.
QUESTIONER: If we don’t reenact the draft, I don’t think we’ll have anyone to chase Bin Laden to the gates of hell.
[Applause]
MCCAIN: Ma’am, let me say that I don’t disagree with anything you said.
Either McCain will agree with anything his supporters say just to move onto the next question OR he thinks reinstating the draft is a good idea. Neither alternative speaks well of him.
So, my young Republican friends (as McCain would say), be happy in the knowledge that the finger that you use to pull the lever down for McCain in the voting booth will be the same finger that will be poised on the trigger of a gun once McCain is in office. Republican mothers across the country, you too can take comfort in the knowledge that your vote for McCain will result in your sons and daughters getting their brains blown out in one of the many wars McCain has planned for his administration.
At least they’ll get to travel overseas to Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Georgia or Russia before they die.
I stumbled upon a quote today that struck me as particularly apropos with respect to our current state of affairs.
Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. general and 34th president (1890-1969)
And this from a military man to boot. So, when and where did the Republicans go wrong?
It isn’t as though Obama’s platform is entirely devoid of merit for the Conservative, and I shall prove it. Despite being a socialist, Obama is still an empty suit into which even good things can be carelessly shoved and an optimistic ( or desperate ) Conservative can find hope if he digs hard enough. I’d like to believe I’m optimistic.
Turn with me to page 25 of Obama’s Blueprint for Change and find, at the bottom of the page, the section “Deploy and Develop Clean Coal Technology.”
Over the years I have heard the empty Liberal ( or Liberal empty ) accusations that President Bush was in the pocket of the oil companies. Honestly, it wasn’t until early in his second term that I set out to investigate the charge for myself. I discovered that there was a kernel of truth in the accusation but the Liberals dare not speak it. President Bush has jump started serious research into hydrogen and fuel cell technology. He has brought down the price of gasoline in my town $.50 a gallon with his pressure to open up all our coastlines to offshore drilling. However, it is in his shunning of coal fuel technology that we find evidence of the Liberals charge.
The fuel cell to successfully compete against the current gasoline engine does not exist. The problems of delivering hydrogen fuel are huge and daunting. The existence of further major oil fields off the American coast is unproven.
Coal fuel, clean coal fuel, is as certain as an AM radio. Not only are there no significant unknowns, there are simply no unknowns. Its economic competitiveness is proven. It was break even when oil was $45 per barrel. Sasol, the South African energy company, is making money with it hand over fist. Some of the links I have used to confirm this for myself are appended.
Of course, John McCain has coal fuel stuck under the bottom of his energy platform, like old gum, as well, but he says lots of things. One of the things he said was he wanted to spend another $2 billion “Advancing Clean Coal Technologies”, that is to say “reinventing the wheel.”
Barack Obama’s commitment to coal is positively breathtaking. I was stunned when I found his pledge to finally put those “green” idiots in his own party on a short leash in the economic interests of all Americans, and national security. I applaud his courage in taking this position and I’m going to do my part to support him in this. McCain on energy The Feasibility of Coal to Oil for the US – technical thread -
@chrislhayes Don't let the fools get u down on the hero thing. I know what u meant. Ask your critics how many of them signed up 2 b heroes. 2 hours ago
If Only I’d Known
I’ve been beating myself up the past 48 hours because if only I’d known John McCain’s standards for a candidate for Vice President of the United States, I would have contacted the McCain vetting team and submitted my wife for consideration.
The Economy
My wife worked in a bank for several years.
My wife was elected VP of Finance for the local chapter of an international organization.
Foreign Affairs
My wife is the team leader of a group of systems analysts who maintain web servers 24×7. As such, she has frequent contact with teammates in India and Brazil. I might add that she has an excellent rapport with these folks, clear demonstration of her diplomatic ability.
Political Experience
As stated earlier, she was elected in a landslide victory for VP of Finance. Furthermore, I know of no one who has been more capable of cutting through office politics. She would end the gridlock in Washington!
That 3am Phone Call
Take it from me, my wife receives work related phone calls at 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am and just today 5:15am (she’s currently taking a well deserved nap).
Compelling Personal Story
My wife is a cancer survivor whose father had a physical disability, whose cousin has a cognitive disability and whose husband has a physical disability. She grew up in a small town in Illinois, rose through the ranks of the banking industry and then relocated to the East coast where she re-invented herself as an expert in information technology. She was an accomplished clarinetist in her home town marching band and she makes damn good caramel corn. Her daughter is about to be deployed to pre-K class this September.
If there are any independent candidates for President out there who have not yet chosen a running mate, please contact me.
Mrs. Lawson is ready to serve!
Respectfully,
Rutherford
WordPress.com Political Blogger Alliance
August 31, 2008 at 3:27 pm Rutherford 6 comments