Replies

This will be my usual inelegant "fast grab, cut & paste"-- I will follow up with two more replies to get the ball rolling.

American businesses should not be hiring illegals and displacing American workers.

Yet in fairness to employers, have you looked around at the 'hirables' lately? Pants pulled so low you're staring at boxers and hats on sideways- and that's just the white guys.

The RNC Meets to Draft Their Platform: Sparks Fly on the Issue of Illegal Immigration

It's All About Me

Obama speech stage resembles ancient Greek temple

What I Saw At the Discombobulation

Is America Ready for an Affirmative Action President?

McCain Ad: Try to Silence Us, Senator Obama!

Poll Reveals Floridians’ Bipartisan Support for Offshore Drilling

73.2 percent... or 3 out of 4 Floridans...

The 1 and Only Solution to America's Energy Problem

12 Facts about Global Climate Change That You Won’t Read in the Popular Press

1 Temperatures have been cooling since 2002, even as carbon dioxide has continued to rise.

2 Carbon dioxide is a trace gas and by itself will produce little warming. Also, as CO2 increases, the incremental warming is less, as the effect is logarithmic so the more CO2, the less warming it produces.

3 CO2 has been totally uncorrelated with temperature over the last decade, and significantly negative since 2002.

4 CO2 is not a pollutant, but a naturally occurring gas. Together with chlorophyll and sunlight, it is an essential ingredient in photosynthesis and is, accordingly, plant food.

5 Reconstruction of paleoclimatological CO2 concentrations demonstrates that carbon dioxide concentration today is near its lowest level since the Cambrian Era some 550 million years ago, when there was almost 20 times as much CO2 in the atmosphere as there is today without causing a “runaway greenhouse effect.”

6 Temperature changes lead, not lag, CO2 changes on all time scales. The oceans may play a key role, emitting carbon dioxide when they warm as carbonated beverages lose fizz as they warm and absorbing it as they cool.

7 Most of the warming in the climate models comes from the assumption that water vapor and precipitation increase as temperatures warm, a strong positive feedback. Water vapor is a far more important greenhouse gas than CO2. However, that assumption has been shown in observations and peerreviewed research to be wrong, and in fact water vapor and precipitation act as a negative feedback that reduces any small greenhouse warming from carbon dioxide.

8 Indeed, greenhouse models show the warming should be greatest at mid to high atmosphere levels in the tropics. But balloon and satellite observations show cooling there. The greenhouse signature or DNA does not match reality, and the greenhouse models thus must greatly overstate the warming – and in a court of law would have to be acquitted of any role in global warming

9 The sun has both direct and indirect effects on our climate. Solar activity changes on cycles of 11 years and longer. When the sun is more active it is brighter and a little hotter. More important though are the indirect effects. Ultraviolet radiation increases much more than the brightness and causes increased ozone production, which generates heat in the high atmosphere that works its way down, affecting the weather. Also, an active sun diffuses cosmic rays, which play an important role in nucleation of low clouds, resulting in fewer clouds. In all these ways the sun warms the planet more when it is active. An active sun in the 1930s and again near the end of the last century helped produce the observed warming periods. The current solar cycle is the longest in over 100 years, an unmistakable sign of a cooling sun that historical patterns suggest will stay so for decades.

10 The multidecadal cycles in the ocean correlate extremely well with the solar cycles and global temperatures. These are 60 to 70 year cycles that relate to natural variations in the largescale circulations. Warm oceans correlate with warm global temperatures. The Pacific started cooling in the late 1990s and it accelerated in the last year, and the Atlantic has cooled from its peak in 2004. This supports the observed global land temperature cooling, which is strongly correlated with ocean heat content. Newly deployed N.O.A.A. buoys confirm global ocean cooling.

11 Warmer ocean cycles are periods with diminished Arctic ice cover. When the oceans were warm in the 1930s to the 1950s, Arctic ice diminished and Greenland warmed. The recent ocean warming, especially in the 1980s to the early 2000s, is similar to what took place 70 years ago and the Arctic ice has reacted much the same way, with diminished summer ice extent.

12 Antarctic ice has been increasing and the extent last year was the greatest in the satellitemonitoring era. We are running ahead of last year’s record pace.

What will it take for the media to let go of their biases and begin doing their job, reporting the truth?

Joseph D’Aleo is executive director of Icecap.

http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=970

Joe Biden, a Good One for Gun Violence Reduction, Says Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

...common sense laws to keep dangerous people from getting dangerous weapons

Gosh, you mean making murder, armed robbery, and assault illegal isn't working?

New John McCain Ad on Obama: "Tiny" - Video 8/27/08

Good Gawd! MoDo is actually starting to make sense again!

High Anxiety in the Mile High City (Dowd on the DNC - "Teresa Heinz Kerry reprising Blanche DuBois")--

this Democratic convention has a vibe so weird and jittery, so at odds with the early thrilling, fairy dust feel of the Obama revolution, that I had to consult Mike Murphy, the peppery Republican strategist and former McCain guru.

“What is that feeling in the air?” I asked him.

“Submerged hate,”

Hillary Goes Out With a Whimper

GAFFNEY: Democrats' 'soft' jihadist

Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America. With this choice, Barack Obama's campaign has committed a strategic error of the first order.

After all, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has been identified by the Department of Justice not only as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood - a global Islamist movement with the stated mission in America of "destroying Western civilization from within." Worse yet, it has also been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the United States' largest alleged terrorism financing conspiracy.

BODY LANGUAGE expert of the FBI says Hillary did not show support for Obama

John Edwards Scandal: Mainstream Media Adhering to Schieffer Standard of Coverage

Conservative Dems bailing on Obama; Rasmussen has no Michelle O bounce

Early this year I said on this forum that the more people know about Obama, the worse his polls would be. McCain was a known entity.

Did Soros Pick the Plagiarist? (Biden connections with Soros)

Video: Obama Ayers

About the Weather Underground-related police killings mentioned in the new anti-Obama ad (revised)

The Temple of Obama (Photo included)

Up to 80,000 supporters will see Mr Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of the White House, to accept the party's nomination for president.

He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.

Change: The miniature Greek temple created for Barack Obama's acceptance speech

Presidential image: A full-scale replica of Air Force One fuselage arrives at Invesco Field before Mr Obama speaks

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...

Remind you of some other egomaniacs we've known?

Video: Clinton Delegate Upset with her Party (breaks down and cries)

O SHOW A GREEK DRAMA....Title...."Barack Obama and the Temple of DUMB"

I just hope the crowd starts chanting “TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!”

Obama’s Friend, America’s Enemy (Bill Ayers)

Hillary Supporters for McCain: West Virginia Democrats aren't warming up to Obama.

Clip From New Film on Barack Obama: Obama and Terrorist William Ayers - Video

Many Clinton Supporters Say Speech Didn't Heal Divisions

JIM MEIGS IN POPULAR MECHANICS: Why Offshore Drilling Can Bridge Gap to U.S. Energy Future. Read the whole thing.

WIND ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE:

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.
That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.
The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

But building new infrastructure is hard, and limited by NIMBY efforts, regulatory gridlock, and money. The money part is easy -- cut entitlements by ten percent across the board -- but the other parts are hard.

RESEARCH: Red-light Cameras Don't Work. Except at enriching municipalities, which is all they're really about anyway.

===============================================

It's the O-cropolis!

O-Bama-Berg

click

Posted by Cjunk at 1:14 PM | Comments (18)

The Temple of Obama

Reuters reports that "Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple." John McCormack posts a photograph of the stage under construction here. The Political Inquirer visualizes the scene below.

McCain Aide Mocks Obama: 'Is This From the Onion?'

Ace is speechless.

"Clash of the Titanic Egos,"
by Slublog

I think he's pretty much baiting people to call him the AntiChrist at this point.

Behold the Temple of Obama

(H/T Hot Air).

Fausta made this connection before I did, and combined with the so-called “sign of progress”, Barack Obama may be better suited to run for the presidency of the United Federation of Planets than the USA. Allahpundit reported last night on the plans for Obama to deliver his acceptance speech in front of a fake Greek temple, and John McCormack has the picture... What genius thought of this motif? Probably the same one that concocted Vero Possumus and the Fleeing Eagle. It’s a paean to an ego run amuck — and if American voters wondered about the cult of personality that Obama has inspired, this settles the question and explicitly makes Obama the cult leader.

Posted by Scott at 6:47 AM | Permalink

Toga Toga Toga…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7sGyvOiVUo

Obama's Benefactor: Dr. Khalid al Mansour, I presume ...

Percy Sutton, NYC political icon in the African American community, tells a news reporter that Dr. Khalid al Mansour solicited favor and recommendation on behalf of Barack Hussein Obama in order to secure Barack's entry into Harvard. Think about that.

During the 1950's and 1960's, Percy Sutton became one of American's best known lawyers. He represented many controversial figures such as Malcolm X and argued many cases (photo: Malcolm X and Percy Sutton at a Harlem rally on Seventh Avenue between 125th and 126th streets, 1963)

Richard Fernanadez over at Fallback Belmont has a very curious piece on the ever changing Obama narrative concerning this jawdropper revealed by Amanda Carpenter in her post over at Townhall, Are Khalid al Mansour and Obama Friends?. This bombshell story asks more questions than it answers. And Wretchard's twist on just which Mansour we are talking about is a whole other question.

Obama's mentors, friends, comrades tells us his story. These associations show us who he is. Terrible, all of it.
I often wondered where Obama got the money for his long strange trip. But this, Dr. Khalid al Mansour development is .... outta hand.

Watch these videos. Stunning indictment of Mansour. He's a total racist Islamist very much in the mold of Obama's best buds Louis Farrakhan and Reverend Wright.

Check Mansour's diatribe video against the Jews here.

Video Dr. Mansour's "The Birth and Death of Christianity: posted by Muslims by choice here.

And this video, uploaded by IslamStudios and titled "Christians Designed Discrimination:"

Sutton is an unabashed Obama supporter. The last thing he would want to do is hurt Obama. And if you watch the video, it is obvious Sutton is telling the story of Mansour and Obama with great pride. And the reporter is sharing, kvelling along with Sutton. Both see nothing wrong with what he is saying.

Can any of my readers help me out here?

The Wrong Man, Sir

Townhall links to a video in which civil rights activist Percy Sutton claimed he was asked by a certain “Dr. Khalid al Mansour”, adviser to ‘one of the richest men in the world’ to write a letter of reccomendation on behalf of Barack Obama to help him gain acceptance to Harvard many years ago. Mansour was raising money for Obama at the time, according to Sutton, which is strange in itself. Townhall identifies the Mansour in question as a preacher from Islam Studios. A video purporting to show Dr. Mansour exemplifies his somewhat comical style of preaching is featured. However, Townhall may have erred in its identification of the right Mansour. The Islamic preacher featured in the video is unlikely to have been any kind of adviser to billionaries. But this other Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tario Al-Mansour’s biographical details fit the Sutton profile much better. However the lack of online information on such an august man leave me a little worried. Can Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tario Al-Mansour be the man? Sutton’s memory seems a little vague and confused, as would be natural for a man of his age. So the identification of Mansour and his connection to Obama might be a little hazy.

Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tario Al-Mansour is an internationally acknowledged advisor to Heads of State and business leaders in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America. He has been actively involved in structuring investments and joint ventures worldwide for over 35 years. Dr. Al-Mansour was also responsible for the Africa investment activities of Kingdom Holdings, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal’s investment company. During his distinguished career, Dr. Al-Mansour has been a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Bombay University, Columbia University, UCLA, University of Kenya, London School of Economics and the University of Ghana.

In addition to Africa Venture Partners, Dr. Al-Mansour sits on the Boards of: Saudi African Bank; Kingdom Holdings, Africa; Multimedia Super Corridor (Malaysia); Space Tech Inc.; AmNet Corp. International; New Avenues Fund Ltd; United Bank for Africa; United Networks; and Landmark Entertainment.
Dr. Al-Mansour has authored 24 books and is listed in Who’s Who in the World; International Who’s Who in the Arab World; Two Thousand Men of Achievement; Royal Blue Book of London; World’s Who’s Who of Intellectuals and American Hall of Fame. Dr. Khalid Al-Mansour has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University (Phi Beta Kappa) and Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of California at Berkeley.

[...] I wonder if the readers can shed any additional light on this matter. Knowing someone at the right hand of very rich men is a great thing when you’re looking for entry into law school. Sutton took Mansour’s advice, whoever he was, and wrote Harvard saying there was a “genius” who would soon be available to them. And the rest is nearly history.

UPDATE: JAD just sent me this and opined, "Al Mansour represents OPEC? No wonder Obama doesn't want the US drilling anywhere." Check it out! He's the preacher. Keep it coming folks:

Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al-Mansour
Dr. Al-Mansour is an International Attorney and Businessman. His college education was obtained at Howard University, where he majored in Philosophy and Logic, and at the University of California School of Law at Berkeley where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.
He is a Phi Beta Kappa recipient and is listed in the World's Who's Who in Finance and Industry, International Who's Who in the Arab World, Who's Who in Public Affairs, Royal Blue Book of London, International Who's Who of Intellectuals, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in California, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who in Black America.
Dr. Al-Mansour has spent most of his adult life as a businessman/lawyer, intellectual, religious activist, author and teacher. His business and professional interests include co-founding the International Law Firm of Al-Waleed, Al-Talal & Al-Mansour, representing the O.P.E.C. interest of the famous Los Angeles trial, I.M.A.W.C. vs. O.P.E.C.; and serving as a co-founder and director of the Saudi African Bank (SAB), the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the World United Bank for Africa (WUBA).

UPDATE: Richard Fernandez just tracked down the video promo on this dvd, Will the West Rule Forever? and his books. Please, check out the titles:

Americans Beware! The Zionist Plot Agnst.S.Arabia	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	19	$3.00	Out of Stock
Cultural Dynamism In The 21st Century	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	488	$19.95	Out of Stock
Laws Without Justice	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	343	$19.95	Out of Stock
PC Vs TV - Can America Be Saved?	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	289	$21.95	Out of Stock
Strains Of Modern Marriage	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	322	$21.95	Out of Stock
The Challenges Of Spreading Islam In America	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	213	$16.95	Out of Stock
The Destruction Of Western Civilization ...	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	316	$19.95	Out of Stock
The Pentecostals: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	343	$19.95	Out of Stock
The Reflections Of An African Arabian In Captivity	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	378	$19.95	Out of Stock
Welcome To Islam	Dr Khalid Tariq Al-Mansour	S	717	$27.95	Out of Stock

UPDATE: It seems to be a common thread in Obama's liasons. Heroyalwhyness sent me this link to 2001 NYT quote:

Today, Mr. Ayers and Ms. Dohrn, 59, who is director of the Legal Clinic's Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University, seem like typical baby boomers, caring for aging parents, suffering the empty-nest syndrome.
Their son, Malik, 21, is at the University of California, San Diego; Zayd, 24, teaches at Boston University.

UPDATE: From Slimguy:

African Leadership Academy ...

Dr. Khalid Al-Mansour, Senior Advisor, HRH Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal

Posted by Pamela Geller on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 01:29 AM in Muslim in the White House? | Permalink | Comments (11) |

Fire in the Night: The Weathermen tried to kill my family

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors

Document drop: Turning the tables again on Obama’s speech-squelching thugs

Pondering The Black Underclass

6% Of DNC Delegates are gay? (As per Foxnews screen-blurb)

I found an article that is a few months old, talking about the gay caucus pushing for : "the gay caucus is calling on all state parties to set as a voluntary “goal” a contingent of gay delegates to the 2008 convention that come to at least 6 percent to 7 percent of the total number of delegates.

Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Sikhs and Hindus Join to Fight Homosexual "Marriage"

Michelle Malkin CAN File Charges Videotaped Verbal Assault

GOP platform backs off pet issues to help McCain (Idiots all!)

Drilling is the main road to a victory for them. Looks like the idiots are going to throw away their only advantage.

It's almost comical.

Storm could swamp GOP convention

Be OK with me...

The GOP platform: Putting face-saving above principle

Illegals shock, suffocate, slit throats in U.S.

Despite Press Claims To Contrary, Corporations Do Pay Their Taxes

Mayor C. Ray Nagin Returns To New Orleans Due To Gustav (WE'RE SAVED!)

MoveOn.Org Uses Kids To Promote Lefty Talking Points(VIDEO)

Democrats vs. the First Amendment

We noted here Barack Obama's effort to drum up a criminal prosecution of those who disagree with him politically. The prospect of such a man in control of the Department of Justice is sobering, to say the least. Another instance of the Democrats' effort to suppress inconvenient First Amendment rights occurred in Denver today, when policemen arrested an ABC newsman, Asa Eslocker, whose camera crew, on a public sidewalk, was photographing Democratic Senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

If you follow the link above, you can see shocking footage of the ABC reporter being arrested for crossing the Democratic Party.

Will expressing conservative political opinions and taking pictures on a public sidewalk--pictures that are inconvenient for the Democratic Party--result in jail terms when Barack Obama is President? If Obama has his way, the answer appears to be Yes.

To comment on this post, go here.

Posted by John at 9:37 PM | Permalink

BILL CLINTON JUST DEMONSTRATED that he's still the best the Democrats have. And -- wonder of wonders -- he kept it short.

UPDATE: More: "Bill Clinton finally did what no one else has done effectively in the first two and a half days of the convention: He articulated a clear rationale for supporting Barack Obama, while also pointedly attacking McCain."

OBAMA KEEPS PUSHING BACK ON THE AYERS AD, ensuring that it gets further attention.

Meanwhile, more on who the Weathermen really were:

You Say You Want a Revolution: Political worshippers of the new Messiah.

Sparks fly as GOP battles over 'amnesty,' 'anchor babies'

Fox News Feels Wrath Of DNC Protesters: Reporter Besieged With F-Bombs On Live Air

Is America Ready To Send Its Political Opponents to Jail?

Gay Pride Parade Features Obscene Act (Barack Obama Marched In This 2004 Parade

The Blogger (Freeper)Behind the Obama Hit Job

Blogger Breaks the Mainstream Media's Wall of Silence

Bush's 2004 temple (from Politico's Democratic writer)

in 2004 Bush was the President, the backdrop could have been a type of replica of the White House...perfectly acceptable for a sitting President.

Obama’s mistake is the presumption of importance...he’s a nominee.

ABC News: Greek Tragedy(Dem:"Obama temple", a disaster of mythical proportions...)

Proper Attire For The Temple Of Obama (“The Barackopolis”)

Video-WSJ Hangs With The Angry PUMAs - NoBama Mamas (must see)

Times investigation reveals Biden family enmeshed in D.C. money game Obama denounces

How to Beat Joe Biden (Sarah Palin for Veep!)

Chilling News: “Sunspots May Vanish by 2015” (counter CAGW)

This is a hard scientific study out of the National Solar Observatory that seems to show that the current solar cycle is going to be longer and weaker than expected, and may portend something resembling the Maunder Minimum. The icecap.us article links two other articles, an analysis and the complete paper in PDF format. I'll provide those here as well:

paper:

http://www.astroengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/livingston-penn_sunspots2.pdf

analysis:

http://www.astroengine.com/?p=678

As the analysis points out, they don't yet have an extensive data set. Still, sure looks like the Farmer's Almanac has this winter pegged...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065287/posts

Some dems hope for catastrophic Hurricane Gustav

It was disgusting watching the giddiness of some of MSNBC's Democrat National Convention commentator panel at the possibility that Hurricane Gustav will slam New Orleans in catastrophic fashion, kill a lot of people, destroy a lot of property, and remind voters about the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina.

TEMPLE OF DEM ON MT. O-LYMPUS - GOP MOCKS GRAND STAGE FOR BAM AS GREEK HUBRIS

Russia Tests Intercontinental Missile (Topol ICBM)

U.S. Q2 GDP revised up to 3.3% (The Recession That Never Was)

============================================

New McCain Ad "Remote Control

Dems nervous over Invesco risks (Second thoughts!)--

Looks sort of like this.

TVA Nuclear Plan a Boost to DeKalb County (AL)

TVA seeks reinstatement of permit for two unfinished nuclear reactors at Bellefonte (AL)

For those too young to remember the Cold War...

Why Americans Want a Cold War 2

This is what you get when you let retards write philosophy.

British journalism student gang-raped by asylum seekers in Calais squatter camp

Why Taxes Don't Matter Much Anymore

Report: Clinton knew of bin Laden's 'murderous intent' in '96

The Mainstream Moron Media

NBC to ‘Gay’ Journalists: ‘Your Victories Are Our Victories’

Introducing FRED PAC (Thompson speaks out)

When Libs scream "80% of America thinks we are on wrong track"!

20 Reasons to Kill the Corporate Income Tax

Ronald Reagan - July 17th, 1980

Gay Activists Target Businesses

As Nation Watches Denver, Obama Campaign Muscles Chicago Station Over ex-radical Ayers

"WGN radio is giving right-wing hatchet man Stanley Kurtz a forum to air his baseless, fear-mongering terrorist smears,"

As opposed to the MSM which gives 24/7 airing of left-wing fear-mongering and smears.

Ayers Head

Economy Grew 3.3% in 2nd Quarter, Much Higher Than Initial Reading (The Recession that Never Was)

Democrats Try to Minimize Stadium’s Political Risks

Great ad for McCain. Words of Dems screaming about the economy, poor people, kids with no food, two years of Dem majority in Congress; contrast with the messiah’s temple, rich convention spending, do nothing Congress... this is what happens when people believe their own hype.

Obama and His Temple

TEMPLE OF DEM ON MT. O-LYMPUS (Same people who built Britney Spears' set)

Barack Obama, Aspiring Commissar

Obama’s Aim (Despite the rhetoric, the candidate opposes gun rights)

Obama; If I Were President

Democrat National Convention-(The ascension of the messiah) LIVE THREAD - Day 4

The mothership has arrived!

ABC Suggests Viewing Obama 'A Religious Experience' (I think I'm gonna be sick Alert)

The Democrats' Missing History

Michelle Malkin: Fake “lifelong Republican” alert

Ministry of Illusion: Nazi Cinema and Its Afterlife

This is the Obama audience. They do not want reality, they want to be led away in illusion to a 'hopeful' place. If reality intrudes (Kurtz on WGN last night) they will have no part of it. The illusion is what is all to them. The One who brings the illusion, the magician.

Hillary Launches Her 2012 Campaign

Hillary’s Done, But Universal Health Care Proposals Live On

Live from DNC: The Big Dawg Delivers

Karl Rove: Biden's Exaggerations -- Inflating Obama's record will not resolve doubts.

Move Over Chuck Norris

Best Obama facts are here...

On a serious note, the US presidential election is taking on a real "soldiers in your cities" feel to it. When people start spoofing your candidate and their positions, there's real trouble in your campaign.

If Obama rises from the floor this evening as I've heard he will, this election is over.

Republicans will benefit more from that image during the rest of the campaign from the average voter, than the Democrats will from their partisan crowd tonight.

Posted by The Greek at 11:59 AM | Comments (29)

Morris: Dems’s big blunder and McCain’s big chance

They are so anxious to run against Bush, their animosity is so pent up, that they persist in running against a man who is not seeking a third term.

ANN ALTHOUSE CALLS THIS MCCAIN AD "devastating." She adds: "I want to post devastating Obama ads too. Please point me to some!" Weirdly, McCain seems to have taken a lead in the rapid-delivery YouTube department. I wouldn't have predicted that. The Obama stuff, meanwhile remains in this vein. It's well-produced and star-studded, but it's not hitting the key points. As Phil Bredesen suggests, he should get more specific.

Democrat National Convention-(The ascension of the messiah) LIVE THREAD - Day 4

New McCain Ad To Run Tonight "Congrats Obama"

In a switch, McCain to Obama: 'Well done'

Myths In The Making

Posted by Jay Tea
Published: August 28, 2008 - 6:00 AM

Well, it took a little time to fully develop, but the Boston Globe has gone fully in the tank for Barack Obama. And they're laying the groundwork for the spins and deceptions and outright lies that they will trot out to push their candidate.

This morning, they feature three columns on Barack Obama, but the one I'm going to focus on is by longtime Democratic activist Dan Payne.

It's such a predictable, by-the-numbers piece I almost could have written it myself, just so I could smack it down.

BARACK OBAMA can deliver a brilliant speech tonight, but its impact could evaporate within days. John McCain and his allies have opened the 2008 Swift Boating season. Four years ago, a smear outfit called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth began trashing John Kerry's Vietnam War record. Kerry was never the same.

True enough. He had to admit that he'd made up at least part of his story about his service in Vietnam, and never -- NEVER -- released his full service record to the general public, as he repeatedly promised. In other words, he had to admit that he'd made up some details (the "Christmas in Cambodia" fairy tale) and make sure no more embarrassing details were made public.

Helter Skelter. What the GOP does is throw out so many attacks that the target and voters get confused and disoriented. This all-out Helter Skelter Republican attack machine is something Obama has never experienced.

Oh, poor Bambi. He's a veteran -- hell, a product -- of the Chicago political machine; he's seen up close and personal how dirty politics can be. Also, he's surrounded himself with experienced Democrats who've been through the process numerous times, so they know what to expect -- precisely the same things that they'll do to McCain. It's called "politics."

It always starts small. A small lie. First, they say he's like Paris Hilton. Then he's why gas prices are high. Then he'll raise taxes on the middle class (Funny how powerful Obama is for a man who lacks experience.)

What, saying that Obama's famous for being famous? Sounds pretty accurate. Lord knows he has no lengthy record of accomplishments to run on.

And it isn't Obama that is so powerful, it's the office of the presidency. Look at all the things Bush has been accused of doing to the nation and the world. Some of them are even true, and that is the power of the presidency. That is the office Obama aspires to.

The escalation. McCain's part of the attack machine quickly ginned up a TV spot showing newly minted VP candidate Joe Biden at an early debate saying Obama wasn't ready to be president. Next they found video clips of Hillary Clinton criticizing Obama - imagine, one Democrat knocking another in the middle of a heated primary! Such things never happen to Republicans.

Um... minor problem here, Mr. Payne: those video clips are TRUE. Biden and Clinton actually said those things.

The last time I recall a presidential candidate tapping a former rival for the veep slot was 1980, and I recall a LOT of ads featuring George Bush's describing Reagan's plan as "voodoo economics" in that race. And when Bush ran again for president to succeed Reagan, a lot of his own clips from 1980 came back to haunt him.

Should McCain choose one of his primary opponents for his vice presidential nominee, then we can fully expect to see clips from the debates and ads that candidate ran about McCain, and vice versa. The main difference is that there will be a lot less of Payne-style whining about it, because that's how the game is played.

McCain vs. the Pig. During the Republican primary, John McCain and Mitt Romney tangled over immigration. McCain said this about Romney: "Never get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."

Case. In. Point. Thank you for proving my point so quickly, Mr. Payne.

The book of lies. Four years ago his book smeared John Kerry's war service. Now Jerome Corsi has a book out on Obama, published by none other than Mary Matalin, longtime hit-woman for the attack machine for the Bushes and Dick Cheney.
Corsi regurgitates every ugly rumor about Obama. He even asks if Obama has continued to use drugs since high school and college. The book contained so many lies and distortions that the Obama campaign had to issue a 40-page response.

Corsi's a nut, a 9/11 Truther. He's actually doing the Obama camp a favor -- while everyone dismisses HIS book, it draws attention away from another book that has far, far more credible -- and damaging -- stuff on Obama. The Democrats ought to keep this book on the top of the charts for as long as they can, just so it sucks up all the attention Freddoso's book would otherwise get.

And it was one of Hillary's national co-chairman, Bill Shaheen, who pushed the drug angle -- and had to resign for it.

The weirding begins. The favorite move of the GOP attack machine is to define an opponent as weird, outside the mainstream of America's Brady Bunch self-image. Michael Dukakis was weird because he was an ethnic, Northeast liberal who carried an ACLU card, and as governor vetoed a bill making the pledge of allegiance mandatory. Obviously, Dukakis hates America.

Again, just part of the game. McCain's weird because he spent five years as a prisoner. Because he has a temper. Because he married a wealthy woman who owns a lot of stuff. Because he's OLD.

I, too, remember the 1988 campaign, Mr. Payne. And you're right about most of the things, but I don't recall Mr. Dukakis' ethnicity being much of an issue. Indeed, I recall it was just the opposite -- he was held up by his backers as the embodiment of the American dream, the child of Greek immigrants who would grow up to be president. Well, maybe. And, thank heavens, not.

Obama is weird because of his race, name, upbringing outside the continental United States, and a host of malicious lies: He doesn't put his hand on his heart during the national anthem (wrong). He's a closeted Muslim (false). He attended an anti-American madrassa school (nope). He was sworn into office on the Koran (untrue). He snubbed hospitalized veterans while in Germany (bogus).

Yup, and it's been a lot of Democrats who pushed those crocks, during the primary season. I lost count of how many Hillary Clinton campaign people "resigned" after being caught pushing them.

And Obama DID snub hospitalized veterans in Germany. It appears to have been an accidental snub, a series of errors and whatnot, but that just shows that Obama's "judgment" and priorities and competence are not what they claim to be.

Michelle Obama, according to attack machine gunner Rush Limbaugh, was seen on a video berating "whitey" at some meeting. Supposedly she wasn't referring to Bulger. Regardless, no such video has ever been found.

Um... minor problem there, Mr. Payne.The earliest and biggest pusher of the "whitey" tape story was Bob Beckel, longtime Democratic activist and Hillary Clinton supporter.

Got surge? The right-wing Vets for Freedom has started a $1.1 million TV campaign in key states that uses three veterans of the Iraq war who knock Obama for not supporting the surge in Iraq.

So? It's true. And those veterans aren't being "used" as Mr. Payne wants you to think. They CHOSE to make the ad, of their own free will, with no deception or manipulation involved.

The Ayers TV spot. The American Issues Project is running a TV commercial making it seem as though Barack Obama and Bill Ayers, an unrepentant radical in the 1960s and '70s, are best friends and that Obama supports his violent acts.

No, Mr. Payne, Mr. Ayers is an unrepentant TERRORIST. When the prosecution against him fell apart due to government malfeasance, Ayers himself proclaimed "Guilty as hell, free as a bird--America is a great country."

And Obama has repeatedly tried to minimize his relationship with Ayers, only to have to go back and revise it as more and more details of their history together come to light. The reason that the Obama camp finds this ad so frightening is that it not only shows a pattern of Obama choosing to surround himself with people of extremely dubious character (Tony Rezko and Reverend Jeremiah Wright come to mind), but that goes to their single strength of Obama's they tout -- their judgment.

And just how badly to they fear attacks like this?

Get some Justice. Obama's campaign has demanded that the Justice Department investigate the Ayers spot, claiming it's electioneering, not issue advocacy. Dallas megamillionaire Harold Simmons is bankrolling the ad. By himself. Simmons was a major donor to the Swift Boat smear job against Kerry and has raised more than $50,000 this time for McCain. Hard to call this an independent expenditure.

Hey, Mr. Payne, unless you can show that McCain had anything to do with the ad directly, it's "independent." The issue of the ad is "keep terrorists and buddies of terrorists out of the White House."

But if you wanna play that game, Mr. Payne, can we take a look at those who are spending literally millions on behalf of Obama? Let's start with George Soros, and MoveOn down the list. Careful what precedents you might set.

Yet another hit man, who shall go nameless because he thrives on publicity, created the infamous Willie Horton TV spot that attacked Dukakis for a weekend prison furlough program that resulted in a convicted murderer traveling to Maryland where he brutally beat a man and raped his fiancee.
The nameless one is now attacking Obama in a TV spot for opposing in the Illinois state Legislature a bill to extend the death penalty to gang murderers, after the killing of innocent Chicagoans during gang gunplay.

Hmm... who could this be? As I recall, it was Al Gore's campaign that first made Willie Horton a campaign issue.

And in both cases, the charges have the virtue of being true. If Obama felt so strongly about that law, why shouldn't he have a forceful defense of his opposition?

Formula for defeat. White bigots + lies about Obama + Hillary holdouts = President McCain. Nothing Obama says tonight can change that. Enjoy it because the next 68 days won't be fun.

Alternately, it's more like "guilty whites + lies about Obama + willful blindness = President Obama."

Obama can change that. Literally anything can happen in the next 68 days.

I've often spoke of my disregard for polls, and I'm going to make my own analysis about how the election: it's a dead heat. There's a 50% chance that Obama will win, and a 50% chance that McCain will win.

And it's going to stay that way right up until the actual election -- the only poll that counts.

Oh, and one last thing, Mr. Payne: there's a very good chance that the next 68 days could be very fun. For example, your "analysis" gave me some great belly laughs.

Permalink | Comments (20)

Democratic far-left wing sees its best chance in decades

Barry's Delusions Of Grandeur (Don't You Know Who I Am? I'm The Messiah, Damnit, Alert)

================================================

THE DAY AMERICA STOOD STILL

But, but...

If we just elect the new, improved black Jesus, bunnies will dance with unicorns, and all manner A' tings will be made well in the land again...

Russia tests missile that can beat shield

Keep in mind-the Russians put a LOT of their money and technology into their military—while we tend to spend it for health care for illegals, gay pride parades, “Global warming” studies, etc

Russia tests out new lethal nuke

DAVID BERNSTEIN ON THE AARP'S "ridiculous claim that 1.85 million Americans go bankrupt every year due to medical bills. In other words, the AARP is claiming that every single bankruptcy in the U.S. is due to medical bills. Even Elizabeth Warren doesn't go that far. The AARP has launched a mass media campaign, including television ads, based on this blatantly dishonest premise. One can only hope it will damage its credibility." Yeah, every time I turn on the TV I see this commercial.

H.I.V. Is Spreading in New York City at Three Times the National Rate, a Study Finds

GDP Shows Economy Is Far from Recession

When is somebody going to say, "enough with the perpetual victimology, already!?

Katrina survivors turn to Venezuela for support

Katrina survivors turn to Venezuela for ~~support~~ Handout

There, fixed it!

If Catastrophe Were To Strike

================================================

HERE'S THE FULL TEXT OF OBAMA'S SPEECH. As with McCain, I have to go to The Corner for these things.

UPDATE: The trademark five-minute take from PoliPundit.

I can usually sum up the impact of a speech or debate within the first five minutes of watching it (I did this, for example, after John Kerry’s 2004 convention speech, and the 2005 California gubernatorial debate.)

After watching the first five minutes of Obama’s speech, I’m certain that - barring some unforeseen event - John McCain will be the next president of the United States.

Obama’s problem is that he’s too Mandela, too MLK. In his effort to rise above it all, he has made himself the perfect ultra-liberal, post-partisan candidate for almost any high position but the American presidency.

-- PoliPundit

Posted at 10:17 pm Link to this post | Comments (241)

Is This Dr. King's Dream for Black America?

In Los Angeles, illegal alien gang members randomly shoot down Black Americans, but Mr. Obama says immigration raids are ineffective and that illegals should have a 'path to citizenship.'

Was It Effective Demagoguery, Or Ineffective?

Fireworks! The perfect end to an evening of BS slinging of historic proportions. Barack Obama is a demagogue who will stoop to any lie or distortion; the question is how many people he can fool. On that, the jury is out. The answer will emerge between now and November.

It will take some time to dissect all of the foolishness we heard tonight, but here are a few observations:

Obama outlined, in the vaguest terms possible, countless billions or trillions of new federal spending. How would he pay for it? By "closing corporate loopholes"--like what? The idea that Obama's orgy of spending can be funded by "closing corporate loopholes" is frankly childish. By increasing taxes on the top 5% of taxpayers, i.e., precisely those who are grossly over-taxed already. The top 5% already pay 60% of all federal income taxes. And by "eliminating programs that no longer work." Really? Which ones? No one seriously imagines that Obama--let alone the Democratic Congress!--has any intention of eliminating any significant government programs.

Obama says he wants to become independent of foreign oil in ten years. How? By tapping natural gas reserves. I wonder whether Obama, unlike Nancy Pelosi, understands that natural gas is a fossil fuel for which we must drill offshore, in ANWR, etc. There was perhaps some news here: Obama also came out for developing nuclear energy, yet another flip-flop. But does anyone imagine that nuclear energy development would go forward in a Democratic Congress and White House? In one of his many cheap shots, Obama said that we import three times as much foreign oil as when John McCain went to Washington. That's no doubt true, because the Democratic Party has enacted legislation that makes it illegal to develop our domestic resources.

Obama said he is happy to debate John McCain about who has the judgment and temperament to guide foreign policy. Of course, he has had many opportunities to do so, and has ducked them. Does this mean that Obama will now accept McCain's challenge to a series of town hall appearances? But what about Obama's foreign policy judgment? He barely mentioned Iraq--once, in the distant past, his signature issue--but never referred at all to the surge. Obama was dead wrong on the most important foreign policy issue that has arisen during his time in the Senate, and he failed even to mention it, let alone try to justify his error.

Rather weirdly, Obama attacked McCain for alleged unwillingness to "follow Osama bin Laden to the cave where he lives." If this means anything, it means that Obama is still in favor of invading Afghanistan. Again, no one really believes Obama will do this; it's just another example of how he doesn't feel any obligation to conform his words to reality.

He says we "don't deter Iran by talking tough," so how, then, do we deter Iran? Obama offers no clue. Likewise with Georgia; "talking tough" won't stop the Russians. True enough; deterring the Russians requires military capability. Yet Obama has pledged to reduce our military capability. So how, exactly, are the Russians to be stopped?

Obama is utterly unreliable every time he recites a statistic. Examples could be multiplied endlessly; to take just one, he said tonight that "the average American family saw its income go down $2,000 under George Bush." That is untrue. Here are the real median household income figures from the Census Bureau; click to enlarge:

Inflation-adjusted median income during the Bush administration is up, not "down $2,000" since 2001, and it increased again last year.

Of course, Obama has no intention of appealing to the well-informed. Like other Democrats, he feeds on ignorance. Whether a majority of voters are ignorant enough to swallow Obama's whoppers is, as yet, unknown.

One last thought: was there a single sentence in Obama's speech that could not have come from Jimmy Carter?

Posted by John at 9:56 PM | Permalink

15,000 Reporters At The DNC

And not of them has heard of William Ayers. "Oh, you truth-telling rebels!"

Posted by Kate at 11:09 PM | Comments (3)

Obama's DNC Speech

OK, let's hear it,

If you watched it, what did you think? Was this a turning point in the US presidential election? Or will people forget this come November 04th?

All comments welcome...

Posted by The Greek at 11:07 PM | Comments (37)

"What really amazes me however is the complete and total grovelling of the media over Obama. I've never seen anything quite like it. They are no longer even trying to hide their bias. They might as well all be wearing Obama buttons. The Obama movement in my mind has become a cult."

DOG BITES MAN: Media Cheers Obama Speech. "Several members of the media were seen cheering and clapping for Barack Obama as the Illinois senator accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday. Standing on the periphery of the football field serving as the Democratic convention floor, dozens of men and women wearing green media floor passes chanted along with the crowd."

"...just couldn't stand the faux-ness of its surroundings - show-biz hype and optics masquerading as a political event.

Much the same reason why I hated KISS. "

He cometh; the money tree shaketh

August 28, 2008 09:54 PM by Michelle Malkin278 Comments

"What we are witnessing tonight is the Disneyfication[new word] of the election of one of the most important political figures in the entire world."

protein wisdom delivers his review of Barack Obama’s coliseum speech

All’s I can tell you is, I doubt it was as entertaining as the re-runs of “Monk” I watched instead.

– Though I grant, it was probably a bit more street, as the kids say.*

****
update: Inexplicably, these folks all bothered to turn on and tune in.

Reached for comment, the ghost of Timothy Leary papered his uppers with happyface tabs, then tried, with mixed success, to reach the ghost of Timothy Leary for comment.

Posted by Jeff G. @ 9:40 pm
Comments (89)

"I admit not listening to everything at the 3 day Leftist Infomercial, but did anyone else notice that for these Dems, 9/11 never happened? There’s no such thing as Al Qaeda or Islamism? That Americans suddenly are all victims - homeless, healthcareless, jobless, educationaless .. and all those dire victim-making things started at 8 am on Jan 20, 2001? (everything being full employment, perfect health, et al) And why is it the only time the Dems talk about the military (if they aren’t bashing them as evil) they speak of the troops as victims?"

Anti-Obamanomics: Why Everyone Should Be in Favor of Reducing Taxes on the "Rich"

Obama Desperately Trying to Keep Lid On Bill Ayers Story

What Lurks in the Ayers-Annenberg Files?

Stanley Kurtz's Fairness Doctrine Preview (Obots try to shut down talk of Obama - Ayers connection)

Obama supporters will riot whether he wins or loses. If he wins, they’ll riot just to show us our new masters (thugs, who will probably soon be wearing the uniforms of Obama’s new domestic security corps) and what they can get away with.

I think we have a better chance of living through this and saving our country if we resist now. If they lose, they’ll riot; but after the smoke has cleared, we’ll be able to rebuild out country. If they win, we’re going to see repression like Stalin only dreamed of.

McCain appears set to name Palin as running mate (FR exclusive analysis)

Gov. Palin was choice all along...

John McCain Selects Alaska Governor Sarah Palin [From the McCain official site]

Brilliant McCain Stroke: Now Hillary & Bill Can Vote For A Female... (Debbie Schlussel Thumbs Up!)

Palin's First Shot at Obama

BUILDING A SARAH PALIN PICTURES THREAD

Palin for America: A true conservative: “She knows when to stand up and doesn’t let anyone tell her to sit down”

By Michelle Malkin • August 29, 2008 11:03 AM

Scroll down for updates…vid of the announcement at HA…

The announcement from Dayton will start any minute. There’s a new rock star in town. Conservatives are full of Hope that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will bring much-needed Change to McCain Republicanism.

Catch the fever.

I’m starting a new thread and kicking off discussion with this YouTube ad from Palin supporters.

Yes, I’m impressed. Very impressed.

Flashback: You go, girl: Alaska GOP Gov. will sue Bush administration over polar bear listing

***

The official statement from McCain:

U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.
Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.
Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us – Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.
In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.
As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.
Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

***

The ACU raves:

CONSERVATIVES HAIL MCCAIN VICE PRESIDENTIAL PICK
(Minneapolis, MN) - David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union, has issued the following statement on Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
“The selection of Governor Palin is great news for conservatives, for the party and for the country. Her dedication to principle, her courage both before and after her election as Governor of Alaska and her personal qualities make her a perfect choice for Vice President. I predict any conservatives who have been lukewarm thus far in their support of the McCain candidacy will work their hearts out between now and November for the McCain - Palin ticket.”

***

Jennifer Rubin at PJM:

…Palin will argue that in fact Obama has no more experience than she does, and that Palin has the advantage of sharing McCain’s views (and thus being right) on the surge, Russian ambitions, and meetings with state terror sponsors. The VP debate against Biden may be dicey, but the McCain camp knows full well that a vice-presidential debate isn’t going to make or break their candidate. In short, McCain is hoping that Palin is good enough on this score for a number two pick against a Democratic ticket headed by a man with virtually the same meager national security credentials.
As to the second, Palin has much to offer McCain. On a non-political level few can doubt her Q-factor. (She will be the first former beauty queen to run on a national ticket.) The daughter of a teacher and mother of five, she has an ebullient personality and an excellent TV presence. The Right will be entranced : a pro-life hunter with a passion for domestic energy development? And in the battle for “change” she has the record of reform and the identity of a complete Washington outsider. Finally, as a lifelong NRA member, an outdoorswoman, and a western governor she may provide extra help in mountain and western states such as Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico which are certain to be in play.
On the policy front, Palin can make the case that the Democratic program of higher taxes, more spending, and a government takeover of health care is a proven loser. She will argue that she can bring practical experience from as far outside the Beltway as one can get. And, of course, the presence of a woman on the ticket creates instantaneous excitement and puts into play Clinton voters looking for a new champion.
The pick also tells us something about McCain: he thinks he can win. He was not willing to rock the boat with his conservative base. He can use Palin on offense to make a run at women voters and on defense to blunt the populist attacks from the Democrats. And it shows he understands the need to generate enthusiasm and “newness” in his own campaign.

Ed Morrissey: Change conservatives can believe in!

LifeNews has an excellent overview of Palin’s staunch, pro-life activism.

James Pethokoukis sends the 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sarah Palin:

. Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was “Sarah Barracuda.”

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the “First Dude.” He’s worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world’s longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She’s a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she’s Alaska’s first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.
***

12:22pm Eastern. McCain: It is with great pride and gratitude that I tell you that I have the right partner for those who value their responsibilities over their privileges, someone who has fought corruption, stopped government from wasting taxpayers’ money…someone with executive experience, who has shown great tenacity and skill in tackling tough problems, especially our dependence on foreign oil, someone with strong principles, a fighting spirit, and deep compassion, someone who grew up in a decent, hard-working middle-class family…

Good stuff: “She knows when to stand up and doesn’t let anyone tell her to sit down…She’s exactly who I need, she’s exactly who this country needs…”

Really good.

The next vice president of the United States, Gov. Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska.

Huge roar of applause. Huge.

Obama-Biden has to be in full snit-fit mode.

And Hillary must be experiencing a schadenfreude-licious moment right now.

It’s McCain’s birthday and the Palins’ 20th anniversary today.

12:44pm Eastern. Palin gives props to Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton. “The women of America aren’t finished yet…We can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all!”

Palin coopts the Hope and Change mantra. Sweet.

Audience coopts “Yes, we can!” Sweet.

God bless America!

For real.

Posted in: John McCain

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JIM LINDGREN reports that Sarah Palin is playing well with Hillary supporters.

Palin bio - not just another pretty face
http://www.hillaryclintonforum.net

Posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 10:25:47 AM by Brookhaven

Sarah Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska, and a member of the Republican Party. She is the youngest and first female governor of Alaska. Brought to statewide attention because of her whistleblowing on ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders,[1] she won election in 2006 by first defeating the incumbent governor in the Republican primary, then a former Democratic Alaskan governor in the general election. On August 29, the Associated Press reported that "speculation [has] moved to [Palin as a] darkhorse" pick for the vice president running mate slot by presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.[2] The CNBC news service is now reporting that Palin will in fact be the GOP vice-presidential nominee.[3]

She is reported to be a possible choice for the Republican Party's nomination as Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. Formal announcement of the presumptive nominee will be made in Dayton, Ohio on August 29, 2008, by Presidential candidate John McCain. Palin was born as Sarah Louise Heath in Sandpoint, Idaho, the daughter of Charles and Sally (Sheeran) Heath.[4] Her family moved to Alaska when she was an infant.[5] Charles Heath was a popular science teacher and coached track.[5] The Heaths were avid outdoors enthusiasts; Sarah and her father would sometimes wake at 3 a.m. to hunt moose before school, and the family would regularly run 5k and 10k races.[5]

Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors, in Wasilla, Alaska, when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982; she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play.[5] She played the championship game despite a stress fracture in her ankle, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds.[5] Palin, who was also the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes, would lead the team in prayer before games.[5]

In 1984, Palin was second-place in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, winning a scholarship to help pay her way through college.[5] In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.

Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She hunts, eats moose burgers, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane.[6][7] Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.[8]

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics. She briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband, Todd, her high school sweetheart.[5] One summer when she was working on Todd's fishing boat, the boat collided with a tender while she was holding onto the railing; Palin broke several fingers.[5] Outside the fishing season, Todd works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope[9] and is a champion snowmobiler, winning the 2000-mile "Iron Dog" race four times.[5] The two eloped shortly after Palin graduated college; when they learned they needed witnesses for the civil ceremony, they recruited two residents from the old-age home down the street.[5] Todd is a Native Yup'ik Eskimo.[5] The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Anchorage.[10]

On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Eighteen years old at the time, he is the eldest of Palin's five children.[10] Track now serves in an infantry brigade and will be deployed to Iraq in September. She also has three daughters: Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7.[11] On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.[12] She returned to the office three days after giving birth.[13] Palin refused to let the results of prenatal genetic testing change her decision to have the baby. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"[13]

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996. In 1996, she challenged the incumbent mayor, criticizing wasteful spending and high taxes.[5] The ex-mayor and sheriff tried to organize a recall campaign, but failed.[5] Palin kept her campaign promises, reducing her own salary, as well as reducing property taxes 60%.[5] She ran for reelection against the former mayor in 1999, winning by an even larger margin.[5][14] Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.[11]

In 2002, Palin made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a four-way race. After Frank Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in mid-term to become governor, Palin interviewed to be his possible successor. Instead, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-Alaska State Representative Lisa Murkowski.[5]

Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission[15], where she served from 2003 to 2004 until resigning in protest over what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders, who ignored her whistleblowing complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest.[5] After she resigned, she exposed the state Republican party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.[16] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned; Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine.[5]

In 2006, Palin, running on a clean-government campaign, executed an upset victory over then-Gov. Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary.[5] Despite the lack of support from party leaders and being outspent by her Democratic opponent, she went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Governor Tony Knowles.[5] Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three cornerstones of her administration.[8]

When elected, Palin became the first woman to be Alaska's governor, and the youngest governor in Alaskan history at 42 years old upon taking office. Palin was also the first Alaskan governor born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood. She was also the first Alaskan governor not to be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on December 4, 2006.

Highlights of Governor Palin's tenure include a successful push for an ethics bill, and also shelving pork-barrel projects supported by fellow Republicans. Palin successfully killed the Bridge to Nowhere project that had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending.[13][17] "Alaska needs to be self-sufficient, she says, instead of relying heavily on 'federal dollars,' as the state does today."[6]

She has challenged the state's Republican leaders, helping to launch a campaign by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell to unseat U.S. Congressman Don Young[18] and publicly challenging Senator Ted Stevens to come clean about the federal investigation into his financial dealings.[13] Palin supports holding occasional legislative sessions outside the state capital, and municipal revenue sharing to help local governments.[citation needed]

Palin's tenure is noted for her independence from big oil companies, while still promoting resource development.[6][13] Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors, to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska. [19]

Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded an appointment by Murkowski of his former chief of staff Jim Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, one of thirty-five appointments made by Murkowski in the last hour of his administration that she reversed. [20][21] Clark later pled guilty to conspiring with a defunct oil-field-services company to channel money into Frank Murkowski's re-election campaign. [22]

In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope.[23] Only one legislator, Representative Ralph Samuels, voted against the measure,[24] and in June Palin signed it into law.[25][26] On January 5, 2008, Palin announced that a Canadian company, Transcanada, was the sole AGIA-compliant applicant.[27][28]

In response to high oil and gas prices, and in response to the resulting state government budget surplus, Palin proposed giving Alaskans $100-a-month energy debit cards. She also proposed providing grants to electrical utilities so that they would reduce customers' rates.[29] She subsequently dropped the debit card proposal, and in its place she proposed to send Alaskans $1,200 directly and eliminate the gas tax.[30][31]

SOCIAL ISSUES Palin is strongly pro-life and belongs to Feminists for Life.[8] She opposes same-sex marriage(we will have to work on this one, but she has stated that she has gay friends and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination.[8] While the previous administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin complied with a state Supreme Court order and signed them into law. [32]

She supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter.[33] Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.[34]

Palin's first veto was used to block legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partners. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with Alaska's attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation.[35]

THEY'RE SAYING THAT MCCAIN HAS PICKED SARAH PALIN. The Insta-Wife is ecstatic, which may bode well for that demographic. I'd like it if she had more executive experience, but to be fair, she's got more than anyone else on either ticket. Is she too liberal on gay rights? Not for me, but maybe for some people.

UPDATE: Sissy Willis has more, including video of an interview of Palin by Larry Kudlow.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Judging from SayUncle, Palin will play well among the crucial bitter gun-clinger demographic. [They prefer to be called 'blasty-Americans' now -- ed. Oh, good grief.]

Plus, the WaPo's Ben Pershing on Sarah Palin's Porkbusting.

The pick is getting good marks from Geraldine Ferraro.

And, Palin as the anti-Ted Stevens."In an election where the Republican’s biggest liability isn’t Iraq but Ted Stevens and the Alaskan Bridge To Nowhere, McCain took his maverick mantle by the reins and just signed up the Anti Stevens to help him root out the corruption endemic in DC."

This rather churlish response from the Obama campaign won't help them -- dissing small towns doesn't fit well after Biden's "nobody is better than anybody" talk. [LATER: McCain response: "I'd think the Obama people would have learned by now not to belittle the experience of women."]

By contrast, I just saw Palin praise Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro as pathbreakers. And that "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling" line was delightfully sly.

MORE: Reader Kyle Griffin emails: "Did the Obama campaign just accuse the Republican campaign of having a VP with insufficient experience? Was that really smart? Will we see an ad about that tomorrow from the McCain youTube team?" Yeah, it did seem like an unforced error.

An "I told you so" from Katie Granju. [LATER: Granju emails: "I'm telling you. She's got the goods. Of course, I disagree with her on, well, mostly everything, but she's super impressive." Yeah, I'd never seen her speak before, and I was wrong to discount her, though I thought she'd said she didn't want the job.]

Ha! Say the Online Hillary Supporters [Rat Remorse Alert]

Sarah Palin Video

The Base Hearts Sarah Palin

Defending Against the First Attacks on Sarah Palin

Gov. Sarah Palin: On The Issues

Kudlow: Drill, Drill, Drill: My Interview with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin and Experience

From the Comments:

Brilliant choice. It will be hard to criticize her on experience as she probably does more before breakfast than Obama does all day.

American Thinker:

That's an easy one to dismiss. Sarah Palin has had more executive experience, meaning experience in running either a business or a government, than either Barack Obama or his running mate, Joe Biden. She has more executive experience than even her running mate, John McCain. Governor Palin served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1999 to 2002. She was elected as President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. She was elected as Governor of Alaska in 2006. And she has quite a few concrete achievements, considering the amount of time she's been in office.

Double Think:

The McCain campaign is hoping and praying that someone will say that Palin is unready for the job. “Please,” John McCain is praying right now AS I TYPE, “Let a Democrat say that an executive with 2 years of experience and no foreign policy expertise isn’t ready for the presidency. Oh pretty please. Because you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to take that soundbite, put it in an ad, slap Obama’s mug up there, and run it over and over and over again.”

Posted by Cjunk at 3:02 PM | Comments (9)

'Israel decides to stop nuclear Iran' (Israel Prepares for Military Action)

Read the above carefully.

If you really think Happy Dancing Bunny Talk is going to help, vote for the New, Improved Black Jesus...

Otherwise, vote for the adults.

Sarah Palin and Experience

From the Comments:

Brilliant choice. It will be hard to criticize her on experience as she probably does more before breakfast than Obama does all day.

American Thinker:

That's an easy one to dismiss. Sarah Palin has had more executive experience, meaning experience in running either a business or a government, than either Barack Obama or his running mate, Joe Biden. She has more executive experience than even her running mate, John McCain. Governor Palin served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1999 to 2002. She was elected as President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. She was elected as Governor of Alaska in 2006. And she has quite a few concrete achievements, considering the amount of time she's been in office.

Double Think:

The McCain campaign is hoping and praying that someone will say that Palin is unready for the job. “Please,” John McCain is praying right now AS I TYPE, “Let a Democrat say that an executive with 2 years of experience and no foreign policy expertise isn’t ready for the presidency. Oh pretty please. Because you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to take that soundbite, put it in an ad, slap Obama’s mug up there, and run it over and over and over again.”

Posted by Cjunk at 3:02 PM | Comments (9)

CNN’s John Roberts: Palin Might Neglect Her Disabled Infant?

Here’s what Palin said about the arrangements she has ALREADY made for Baby Trigg as Governor of Alaska...

Anchorage Daily News
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/382560.html

“The governor said she won’t take a maternity leave but will bring Trig with her to work. Her spokesperson later clarified, at Palin’s request, that the governor will take time off for medical appointments, physical therapy and whatever Trig needs.”

Sarah’s bringing a Baby to the White House!

"The last two callers to Michael Medved show, both claiming to be lifelong Republicans, were “appalled” that McCain would pick a mother with a disabled baby. They said she should be home caring for her child and not running for VP. Clearly the seminar callers have received their marching orders and the Dems are well along on one of the most despicable attacks on a candidate in history."