Paul Begala, on CNN, said last night that the Democrats can't be intimidated by RIGHT WING political correctness.

Blitzer, Brown, et al, were dumbfounded.
Sigmund, Carl and Alfred | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 9:08 am | #

Begala is intimidated because someone disagrees with him? A little fragile, isn't he?
snoring citizen | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 9:16 am | #

I think Mr. Begala was being disingenuous, something he's proficient at.
snoring citizen | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 9:17 am | #

The people don't care about speechwriters. They saw a woman who wouldn't be embarrassed by their inabilty to order in French. They saw a woman who knows them and loves them, warts and all. They saw Piper grooming her baby brother's hair and they knew that this was a real family. Just like theirs.
expat | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 10:00 am | #

The words are basically hers. And their appeal to Middle America and the silent majority are what make them so powerful.

Of course she has speech writers helping her punch up her addresses. But, what MSNBC was trying to assert, in their inimitable breathlessly desperate way, was that words were being simply put in her typically white, rube, mouth; unlike the soaring rhetoric that Obama must surely "own".

The coming weeks, especially the debates, will tell the true story. I've seen Palin speaking extemporaneously with reporters on energy issues; she is very good off the cuff. So the public will be treated to her extemporaneous personality as well as Obama's unteleprompted "Wizard of Uhhs" act.

Regardless, everyone knows that politicians use speechwriters. And, in keeping with the hypocrite meme this season, I only see then targeting Sarah'Cuda; no talk about Ted Sorensen’s contributions and the "coincidence" of Obama's "sometime JFK-esque"-I guess Ted doesn't work on every speech.

Palin's performance was "real" last night, and regular folks know it; they can instinctively spot a phoney given a fair comparison. Perhaps her ability to deliver a "stemwinder" with a fresh authenticity might also lead to a more interesting scrutiny.

After some of her jibes last night perhaps folks will contrast her style with Obama's, and start to take take notice of the almost theatrical expressions he takes on to emphasize his words. People know the difference between true passion and a staged performance. If people begin to look more closely they might just start to realize that Mr. Obama is simply playing the role he has rehearsed, in the mirror, his whole life!
Bob | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 12:41 pm | #

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.
Some examples:
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.
MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.
MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.
Jacqueline E. Diaz | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 1:01 pm | #

Jacqueline:

You might have quoted your source,
rather than pull a Biden like that. I've seen this elsewhere.

Some of these points are perfectly legitimate, but the "argument" against one of the more important ones is no argument at all. Regarding the quote, "... But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate." If the reader actually pays attention, the "facts" given do not despute this statement at all. Working with Republicans on a major bill is not the same thing as authoring one.

In fact, the response highlights that there are scant few major legislative items that he was even involved with, must less show any leadership on.
Optimizer | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 1:54 pm | #

Doc, I must say I'm slightly disappointed. Isn't the whole teleprompter issue a classic example of projection, or the like? Obama was embarrassed earlier this year when his teleprompter malfunctioned and he instantly became incoherent. Now suddenly there's this bizarre fixation on teleprompters and Palin. It's hardly a coincidence. What's the diagnosis!?!

(Or is this a pop quiz for us, your loyal fans? Welcome back, Doc!)
Optimizer | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 1:58 pm | #

OPTIMIZER....
Ok great job, you found one thing that can be debated out of ALL the other claims vs facts that have been pointed out. Regardless of the source (if you want to know exactly what was her stance on issues BEFORE she had her 15 minutes conversation ("vetted") with McBush/Buscain just read about it .. do a search about where she stands) HOPEFULLY YOU WON'T BE TO HEARTBROKEN WHEN YOU READ WITH YOUR OWN EYES WHAT SHE REALLY STANDS FOR. And that my dear is all the time I have to spare on this blog. OBAMA/BIDEN 2008 CHANGE NOT MORE OF THE SAME
Jacqueline E. Diaz | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 2:29 pm | #

Ms. Diaz, I am not interested in your so-called facts or your opinions. Not surprising that, within five days, people who couldn't find a negative thing about Obama can throw all this trash about Palin
snoring citizen | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 3:44 pm | #

And that my dear is all the time I have to spare on this blog.


snoring citizen, I could've warned you. Notice the condescending 'my dear' thingy? After dropping a shitload of copied material, the lefty troll conveniently disappeared from view. Typical drive-by T.
always right | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 4:15 pm | #

Jacqueline-

What surprises me now is that the Doc even allows you to post here. You are obviously a partisan operative, and not representing yourself honestly.

As to some other points:

* Huckabee was obviously wrong it what he said. What's amusing here is it being termed as a "whopper" - as though it was in any way important. The two numbers he was comparing were "apples and oranges" - it was empty rhetoric, and would still have been meaningless if the correct numbers had worked out for him. This has nothing to do with any issues at all, was not said by the actual candidate, and was a small (and unimportant) part of a much larger speech (which I didn't really care for much, BTW).

*Romney's speech was also disappointing, and left me glad he wasn't picked. The part you mention *was* goofy. The thing is, Bush has been criticized by conservatives for his overspending habits. But what sense does it make to essentially call him a liberal at the RNC?

*McCain's obscure quotes aren't really disputed either, just as the "authored" quote wasn't. The author acts as though it's unusual for a politician to present facts in a way that best makes his case. Certainly Palin has had significant dealing with large oil companies, and the purpose of the Alaska national guard (when it's stateside, and regardless of its size) is to defend Alaska, which is part of the greater mission of national defense.

* On Palin's tax-related statement, there isn't enough information presented in the rebuttal to even tell if what she said was factually incorrect.

*That leaves the discussion of earmarks. This is relevant, given her theme, but it gives no documentation as to the source of the information. At this point everybody should be aware that a lot of stories regarding Palin are simply being concocted by her political rivals. How are we to know this isn't "MORE OF THE SAME"?
Optimizer | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 6:08 pm | #

Watch the RNC convention on TV tonight - it will make you proud to be an American.
nan | Email | Homepage | 09.04.08 - 10:11 pm | #

Jaqueline Diaz

I will only take your first stupid "truth" and leave the rest of your garbage to rot by itself.

She didn't claim to eliminate earmarks, she claimed to have reduced them. And she DID! ...by about half!

"The state requested earmarks for 31 projects worth just under $200 million this year. Rehfeld said five of them are new and four have been funded intermittently in the past. She said it's down from last year's request of 54 projects for around $550 million.

OVER 350 EARMARK REQUESTS

Stevens said he's had more than 350 earmark requests this year from Alaska -- from municipalities, school districts, advocacy groups and others. That's more than ever before, Stevens said, something which he attributed to the condition of the economy.

He [Senator Stevens] said it's tough to get earmarks now, and having them criticized in Alaska makes it harder. What's needed is for the state to chip in and share the cost of projects that receive federal support, he said.

"It is a difficult thing to get over right now, the feeling that we don't represent Alaska because Alaska doesn't want earmarks," he said."

Jacqueline - get a blog. This is a section for comments, not posts.

Re the post... Can we flip the ticket?

I'm only half joking...

Sarah Palin rocks, of that there's no doubt. She's everything that scares the left; a young attractive woman who's articulate, well-poised, with a winning personality, pro-gun, pro-life, pro-traditional family, and with a son headed to Iraq must think right on foreign policy. Sounds like a winner to me.
Tom the Redhunter | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 8:05 am | #

Whenever Governor Palin's critics say that she "has no foreign policy experience" they should be reminded that Alaska is bordered by Canada by land, and Russia is just a ferry ride across the Bering strait.
TomTB | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 9:30 am | #

Typical leftist dissembling, half truths and outright lies.. Notice the instant change in demeanor of a person caught in a lie who really knows that all of her diatribe will be exposed, but desires to keep the fiction going.
Please come back again with more facts so everyone can see the lack of truth telling from Obama knee pad wearers.
I can understand Obama's, radical feminists, et al's fear of Palin. This is a real woman who does not whine, ask for special treatment, or play victim in order to succeed. She just goes out there faces the challenges and makes it happen.
I know it must be terrible to see a woman who can succeed and love her husband and children too.
It must be hard to accept someone who shows respect to men and horrors actually likes the things that men enjoy. As much as leftist women complain about men they really need men more that an accomplished woman like Sarah Palin. For who else would they blame for their inadequacies ? Who else would be there to shift responsibility to for all the bad things that happen? Without men liberal and leftist women would actually have to do reall work, take real responsibility and make it on their own abilities.
Since so many liberal and leftist women need so very much help dealing with life because apparently they lack the work ethic or desire to actually be the best they can be. They really fear this woman.
Salute and kudos to a real woman and really strong women like Sarah Palin with the wherewithal, desire, intelligence, skill, and capacity to represent us all. To the rest of you I hope you abort yourselves and the rest of your ilk out of existence.
Dennis | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 9:41 am | #

MSM PITBULLS

They attack the innocent, and praise the guilty

Listen to this to find out how Obama's friends Ayers and Dohrn are MURDERERS, and how the Chicago Tribune is lying for them to cover it up and give them an Ayer of respectability they do NOT deserve.

That seems to me criminally malicious. I wonder if, even though Ayers and co., got off, could charges be brought against the Trib as a kind of accessory? I mean, we all know that Libby was nailed not for what he was accused of cause he didn't do it, but on a trumped up technicality. I say, do the same to the Trib. And, go after the little fish around them. Maybe we could even get them to loose their teaching positions. We have more legitimacy in that regard than do the MSM in their attacks on Pelin. (Gee, I wish she could sue for slander.)
yonason | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 3:29 pm | #

Jaqueline:

How is the Biden pick not "More of the same"? Do you even listen to what you regurgitate?
Dave D | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 4:31 pm | #

UPDATE - ROOTS OF MSM EVIL

The rot goes deep and has been spreading for a long time
http://www.usasurvival.org/ ck07....k07.20.07.shtml
OR HERE
http://video.google.com/ videopla...126608705279626

Remember, "Krankheit" means "sickness" in German.
yonason | Email | Homepage | 09.05.08 - 5:13 pm | #

Gov. Palin verbally ate Obama's lunch, rubbed his face in the dirt AND gave him a wedgie! I want her for President!!!
Ms. Pat | Email | Homepage | 09.06.08 - 1:34 am | #