Clipmarks | DanaGarrett's clips

Troopergate: Palin Acting As Though She Has Something to Hide

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:57:59 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: One of Gov. Sarah Palin's top aides refused to be interviewed under oath as part of the Alaskan legislature's investigation into "troopergate." he aide refused because the Palin administration believes that the legislature doesn't have the jurisdiction to look into the matter; rather the state personnel office does, which happily happens to be under Palin's jurisdiction. Nice coincidence, eh?

Of course, this NEW position contradicts Palin's initial vow to cooperate fully with the legislature. Obstacles and delaying a swift resolution of the investigation will undoubtedly serve the interests of the McCain campaign.

Clip Source: www.adn.com

One of Gov. Sarah Palin's top aides was supposed to be interviewed under oath Wednesday as a key witness in the ongoing investigation into her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. But the aide, Frank Bailey, abruptly backed out amid what his lawyer said is uncertainty over jurisdiction.

"I canceled that," Bailey's lawyer, Greg Grebe of Anchorage, said Wednesday. "I'd say about 6 o'clock last night I learned that the governor's office was contesting the jurisdiction of the Legislature to handle this matter. It's my understanding that they believe the jurisdiction is properly with the personnel department. I can't make a judgment or a call on that."

Sarah Palin's E-Mail Trail

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:39:48 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: These e-mails could be the undoing of Sarah Palin. They provide prime facie evidence that Palin pressured former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire her ex-brother-in-law from the Alaskan police force over family matters. In short, they provide apparent evidence that she abused her power as Governor.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Gov. Sarah Palin sent e-mails to the state's top police official, criticizing Alaska State Troopers for their investigation of an officer who went through a bitter divorce with her sister, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan showed copies of the e-mails to The Washington Post. He didn't provide copies to the newspaper, but said he has turned copies over to an investigator probing the firing for the Legislature.

Monegan has said he felt pressured by Palin family members and her administration to fire Trooper Mike Wooten, whom they say threatened to kill Palin's father, among other accusations, all taking place before she became governor. Monegan was fired by Palin in July.

Monegan has said he was never told directly to fire Wooten but felt pressured by members of the governor's family and administration.

Two GOP Pundits Mock McCain VP Choice Off Air

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:44:03 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: LOL! It's okay, Peggy. We knew that Sarah Palin was a stunt (a bad one) all along. No serious person believed the sophistry that she was well prepared or even subtle enough to make a good president.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan and former John McCain adviser, Time columnist, and MSNBC contributor Mike Murphy were caught on tape disparaging John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

"It's over," Noonan said.

When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it."

[Video]

Palin was on McCain's Earmark Hit List

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:36:24 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: Now this is embarrassing. As mayor and governor, Palin requested and supported congressional earmarks that McCain called excessive. How, then is she like him? Opportunistic comes to mind.

LOL!

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

For much of his long career in Washington, John McCain has been throwing darts at the special spending system known as earmarking, through which powerful members of Congress can deliver federal cash for pet projects back home with little or no public scrutiny. He's even gone so far as to publish "pork lists" detailing these financial favors.

Three times in recent years, McCain's catalogs of "objectionable" spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin.

records show that Palin

was far from shy about pursuing tens of millions in earmarks for her town, her region and her state.

The Arizona senator targeted $1 million in a 2002 spending bill for an emergency communications center in town -- one that local law enforcement has said is redundant and creates confusion.

McCain also criticized $450,000 set aside for an agricultural processing facility in Wasilla that was requested during Palin's tenure

Palin was a Last Minute Pick for VP

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:00:03 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: The speech that the McCain campaign had prepared was "masculine" and now it has to be changed for Sarah Palin--someone that the campaign manager didn't think that McCain would choose.

Case closed.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sitting around a dining room table, the McCain team has talked to her about Iraq, energy and the economy but has focused on what she should say in her speech, struggling almost as hard as she has to prepare for what will be, along with a debate in October, her main opportunity to shape the way she is viewed by voters. Not anticipating that McCain would choose a woman as his running mate, the speech that was prepared in advance was "very masculine," according to campaign manager Rick Davis, and "we had to start from scratch."

US Teen Suicide Rate Rising

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:22:45 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: Take away the meds from kids and this is what happens. Yet the reason for keeping kids away from psychiatric medication persists however absurd it might be.

And the reasons are absurd. If a teenager had a malfunctioning liver, only religious weirdos would say to keep the child off the medication. But when a child's brain malfunctions and there is is a medication that can help, many people cry foul and become suspicious. Why? We are only talking about organs of the body. Just as yellowing skin can be a symptom of a malfunctioning liver, so depression can be a symptom of a malfunctioning brain. The meds can save lives.

Clip Source: www.upi.com

A spike in U.S. teen suicides in 2004 -- sharpest increase in the past 15 years -- appears to have persisted into 2005, researchers said.

Jeff Bridge of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus said researchers have identified what may be an emerging crisis, but the next step is to figure out why. One answer may lie in the prescription of antidepressant medication. Because of concerns over side effects, the number of teens prescribed antidepressants has dropped by as much as 20 percent.

"The vast majority of young people who complete suicide have some sort of psychiatric disorder. Most commonly depression or some mood disorder," Dr. John Campo also of Nationwide Children's Hospital said. "Kids who need the medicine most may not be getting it."

Republicans Play the Sexism Card

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:41:18 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: "It's that damn liberal press" was the first excuse that the McCain campaign gave for the discoveries that the press and bloggers easily made after the campaign was caught failing to vet Sarah Palin.

Now the new excuse targets the Obama campaign. Criticism of Palin makes one sexist. Specific criticisms don't have to be answered. They can all be dismissed by playing the sexism card. The translation: make all the criticisms go away because we can't answer them.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

In a comment sent out by the Arizona Republican's aides, adviser Carly Fiorina said she was "appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin's experience. The facts are that Sarah Palin has made more executive decisions as a Mayor and Governor than Barack Obama has made in his life. Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin."

As evidence, Fiorina pointed to comments from Joe Biden calling Palin "good looking" and Obama comparing his campaign staff to the "50 employees" under Palin's control as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

Gov. Palin Slashed Funds for Unwed Teenage Mothers

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:47:30 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: I really can't understand how a governor could slash funds for teenage unwed mothers unless increasing their hardship is supposed to teach those sinners a lesson. I believe that is about the correct righteous tone that masquerades for apathy and stinginess in "fiscally prudent" circles these days.

Of course, if one wants to get really biblical about the matter, one could always consider the significance of "Whatever someone sows that also he reaps" if you get my meaning.

Clip Source: voices.washingtonpost.com

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live

After the legislature passed a spending bill in April, Palin went through the measure reducing and eliminating funds for programs she opposed. Inking her initials on the legislation -- "SP" -- Palin reduced funding for Covenant House Alaska by more than 20 percent, cutting funds from $5 million to $3.9 million. Covenant House is a mix of programs and shelters for troubled youths, including Passage House, which is a transitional home for teenage mothers.

According to Passage House's web site, its purpose is to provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

McCain Decides to Punish Larry King Over CNN Interview

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:02:29 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: What a petty, angry little man John McCain is. Nothing happened in the interview that required retribution. He just didn't like anyone pulling off the mask on his awful vice presidential pick.

The "punishment" is a shot over the bow to the press warning them to back off asking difficult questions. Sadly, the press probably will back off. Who wants to risk losing future interviews and exclusives? It's bad for business.

Clip Source: thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com

Hey, what did Larry King ever do to anybody?

Nothing, said aides to Senator John McCain. Still, Mr. McCain will no longer be sitting down with Mr. King on CNN on Tuesday. He canceled a long-scheduled interview with Larry King of CNN as punishment for what his aides said was an unfair interview of a McCain campaign spokesman by the network host Campbell Brown on Monday night.

Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, announced the news on Tuesday afternoon, saying, “A senior McCain adviser tells CNN the interview has been pulled because of a segment CNN ran last night during Campbell Brown’s ‘Election Central’.”

[Video]

More of the Same

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:31:26 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett

Clip Source: thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com

[Video]

The Bodies of 2 Dangerous Terrorists Killed by Nato Forces

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:26:23 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: Two little boys that will never laugh and play again.

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

KABUL - Foreign and Afghan forces killed five children in two separate incidents Monday, further inflaming tensions in the country over the killings of civilians by troops from the U.S.-led coalition.

Slain Afghan children lie on a bed covered with flowers, in Kabul on September 1, 2008. Hundreds of Afghans took to the streets Monday in protest at what they said was the murder of four civilians, including two baby boys, in an early morning raid by international troops. (AFP/Massoud Hossaini)

Palin was Once

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:59:43 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett

Clip Source: blogs.abcnews.com

The campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., likes to herald the independence of its new running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.

And while McCain's motto -- as seen in a new TV ad -- is "Country First," the AIP's motto is the exact opposite -- "Alaska First -- Alaska Always."

Is Sarah Palin George Bush in Drag: DUMB?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:30:19 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: At some point someone needs to ask the question: what do Republicans have against smart people?

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

In a 2006 questionnaire for Alaska's gubernatorial race, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin seemed to muddle her American history.

Question: Are you offended by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.

The pledge, of course, was not written until 1892 and the words "under God" were not added until the 1950s.

Obama is Correct about the Palin Pregnancy Story

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:18:51 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: Barack Obama is correct. Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy is no one's business. It should be totally off limits in assessing Gov. Palin's ability to be a Vice President.

Her young daughter isn't the first teenager to get pregnant outside of wedlock and she won't be the last. In itself the event says nothing about anyone.

Barack Obama has shown himself to be a man of real integrity in this matter. He didn't resort to the no comment response that some politicians use when they hope that the scandal will hurt the opponent. Instead of viewing this as a political opportunity, he told the press clearly that they were stepping over a line that should be sacrosanct. Good for him.

Clip Source: blogs.abcnews.com

At a brief press availability in Monroe, Mich., ABC News asked Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., if he had any response to Gov. Sarah Palin's statement that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.

"Let me be a clear as possible: I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits," Obama said, "and people's children are especially off limits.

"This shouldn't be part of our politics," he continued, "It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor, or her potential performance as a vice president.

"And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories," he said.

From the Mouth of a Conservative: The Palin Pick

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:58:26 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: "To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins."

No kidding. That's why the Palin pick appears superficial, a desperate grab to pick up disaffected Hillary voters, and to help us forget that John McCain has been in Washington DC a long time.

And while the pick temporarily distracts the US from one of the greatest speeches delivered in history of the US (Obama's last night), within 2 weeks Palin will be seen as a liability, another deer caught in the headlights like Dan Quayle.

The allegation that she had a trooper fired for divorcing her sister won't help, especially since the firer said he was pressured from her to fire the trooper. That no doubt credentials her with Rove and his Rovian minions within the GOP.

Clip Source: corner.nationalreview.com

Inexperience. Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain's age raised the stakes on this issue.

As a political matter, it undercuts the case against Obama. Conservatives are pointing out that it is tricky for the Obama campaign to raise the issue of her inexperience given his own, and note that the presidency matters more than the vice-presidency. But that gets things backward. To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins.

And it’s not just foreign policy. Palin has no experience dealing with national domestic issues, either.

Debates. Maybe, as Jonah said the other day, Biden will look like a bully going up against her—and maybe she’ll shine. But I can think of a lot of other picks who would have been lower-risk.