Thursday, September 04, 2008
Whacko Rightwing Church
Check out Sarah Palin in her own words- this link from Huffington Post says it all.
This YouTube video is pretty funny.
Skip the first minute and a half or so. I don't like to make connections to YouTube but I couldn't resist this one. And this is sexist.
A few thoughts about last night.
There was so much going on between the diatribe offered by Guilianni and the first national speech offered by their VP candidate. These are both worthy of their own posts.
The point that I want to make today has to do with the attitude of the Republicans. Call it the entitlement of the rich. They can have anything they want- damn the cost to the country of the environment. We heard nothing about how we plan to pay for the war in Iraq or the growing wealth in that country. We heard a crowd chanting "Drill baby Drill" as if such an action will solve all of our problems. No thoughtful response to envronmental concerns or the cost to our future.
Haven't we learned after 7 and a half year that "take it now, pay for it later" is no way to run a government?
The next administration will need to find a way to pay for the past 7.5 years. Do we really want to choose a ticket that wil compund that cost for a future generation?
I believe there are radical elements out there who will just love the sarcasm and cynicism that was offered last night- even outside of the convention hall. But I have to believe also that the voters will reject for what they are -scathing unfair laugh lines from a convention.
When wll the media move away from the discussion about whether or not they are being sexist and ask real questions about her background- including the fact (she is apparently proud of) that her husband is an oil man who works for British Petroleum?
The point that I want to make today has to do with the attitude of the Republicans. Call it the entitlement of the rich. They can have anything they want- damn the cost to the country of the environment. We heard nothing about how we plan to pay for the war in Iraq or the growing wealth in that country. We heard a crowd chanting "Drill baby Drill" as if such an action will solve all of our problems. No thoughtful response to envronmental concerns or the cost to our future.
Haven't we learned after 7 and a half year that "take it now, pay for it later" is no way to run a government?
The next administration will need to find a way to pay for the past 7.5 years. Do we really want to choose a ticket that wil compund that cost for a future generation?
I believe there are radical elements out there who will just love the sarcasm and cynicism that was offered last night- even outside of the convention hall. But I have to believe also that the voters will reject for what they are -scathing unfair laugh lines from a convention.
When wll the media move away from the discussion about whether or not they are being sexist and ask real questions about her background- including the fact (she is apparently proud of) that her husband is an oil man who works for British Petroleum?
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
"This candidate is a showhorse and not a workhorse."
That has been the rap that Republicans have been placing on Obama- in various manifestations sinc ehe announced his candidacy.
However, Cindy Fiorina, a Republican, has appeared throughout the day on the different channels covering the convention with the claim that such a remark- when said about Sarah Palin is 'SEXIST.'
First, I haven't heard anyone say that about Sarah Palin.
Second, so what if they did.
Third, sexism does exist. and Sarah Palin has probably been a victim of it at some point in her life and even in this election so far. But let's not call everything sexism. And let's not jump on the rightwing bandwagon as they - newcomers to recognizing that such a thing exists- try to shelter their candidate's shortcomings by deflecting every valid criticism by accusations of sexism.
There are real questions to be answered about this candidate for Vice President as she prepares to prepares to hold the office under the oldest person ever to seek a first term for the highest office in the land.
Is she -following the standard McCain set for his own vetting process- ready top assume the duties of Commander-in -Chief on day one?
How does experience as a mayor- and then as a Governor of one of the least populated states (for less than one term -less than 2 years) qualify a person to be vice president?
At what point is she planning on learning what the Vice President does?
How can a person who was a rabid supporter of Pat Buchanan when he ran for president claim any hold on the center of the American voters?
I am sure there are more questions that need to be asked, but these should be enough to get people started.
However, Cindy Fiorina, a Republican, has appeared throughout the day on the different channels covering the convention with the claim that such a remark- when said about Sarah Palin is 'SEXIST.'
First, I haven't heard anyone say that about Sarah Palin.
Second, so what if they did.
Third, sexism does exist. and Sarah Palin has probably been a victim of it at some point in her life and even in this election so far. But let's not call everything sexism. And let's not jump on the rightwing bandwagon as they - newcomers to recognizing that such a thing exists- try to shelter their candidate's shortcomings by deflecting every valid criticism by accusations of sexism.
There are real questions to be answered about this candidate for Vice President as she prepares to prepares to hold the office under the oldest person ever to seek a first term for the highest office in the land.
Is she -following the standard McCain set for his own vetting process- ready top assume the duties of Commander-in -Chief on day one?
How does experience as a mayor- and then as a Governor of one of the least populated states (for less than one term -less than 2 years) qualify a person to be vice president?
At what point is she planning on learning what the Vice President does?
How can a person who was a rabid supporter of Pat Buchanan when he ran for president claim any hold on the center of the American voters?
I am sure there are more questions that need to be asked, but these should be enough to get people started.
Claim: "It is 'SEXIST' to talk about Sarah Palin's Daughter"
This is being asserted by Andrea Mitchell and Mika Brazynski of MSNBC. I will offer the caveat that I really do not care about Mika's opinion. She is a relative newcomer to political commentary. However, Andrea Mitchell is an old hand at this and has even served as White House Correspondent. As such her opinion carries weight and she should be much mor ecareful about checking her opinion against facts.
There are countless examples where the behavior of children has ben closely scrutinized during political campaign's. I would expect that if Sarah Palin had run for high elected office more than once she would know that.
If she had run for Mayor of a large city- some larger than her state- Governor in a more populous state or for the senate she might have been exposed to such scrutiny before.
If you doubt me- google it. But looking strictly at running for the highest office in the land (or a heart-beat away) one need look no further than Al Gore in 2000. His son Al was in an incident involving driving while intoxicated. For about 2 weeks or more we heard a constant barrage- from the hypocritical right about the elder Gore's fitness as a father, his ability to juggle job and family, his judgment and ability to control his own son- his 'family values.'
The issues- if you really care about the values the Repugnicans claim to care about- of fitness and abilities as a parent, ability to handle the rigors of the job, judgment and ability to manage her family are indeed issues to be explored.
Try it this way: What if Barrack Obama had a son who impregnated a teenage girl? Would it be enough to say- He has had "to grow up faster than we would have liked" and that the two intend to get married? I hardly think so.
Separate gender of the child from the equation and this issue is one that Repugnicans would not ignore. Frankly, given their track record on women's issues, They would attack an opponet if the situation were exactly reversed.
And their attack would be unapologetically sexist. They would would wonder out loud how this girl came to be pregnant. They would want to know more about this father. They would use surrogates to ask the most embarrassing and personal questions you can imagine all for the purpose of making the point- If she can't handle her family, how can we expect her to handle the government.
But since we are liberals. We tear our garments and beat ourselves up with self examination over issues of mercy and compassion.
Maybe, in reality, this all is and should be out of bounds. But let's say that without calling anyone sexist. If she cannot take the heat, she should get out of the boiler room.
There are countless examples where the behavior of children has ben closely scrutinized during political campaign's. I would expect that if Sarah Palin had run for high elected office more than once she would know that.
If she had run for Mayor of a large city- some larger than her state- Governor in a more populous state or for the senate she might have been exposed to such scrutiny before.
If you doubt me- google it. But looking strictly at running for the highest office in the land (or a heart-beat away) one need look no further than Al Gore in 2000. His son Al was in an incident involving driving while intoxicated. For about 2 weeks or more we heard a constant barrage- from the hypocritical right about the elder Gore's fitness as a father, his ability to juggle job and family, his judgment and ability to control his own son- his 'family values.'
The issues- if you really care about the values the Repugnicans claim to care about- of fitness and abilities as a parent, ability to handle the rigors of the job, judgment and ability to manage her family are indeed issues to be explored.
Try it this way: What if Barrack Obama had a son who impregnated a teenage girl? Would it be enough to say- He has had "to grow up faster than we would have liked" and that the two intend to get married? I hardly think so.
Separate gender of the child from the equation and this issue is one that Repugnicans would not ignore. Frankly, given their track record on women's issues, They would attack an opponet if the situation were exactly reversed.
And their attack would be unapologetically sexist. They would would wonder out loud how this girl came to be pregnant. They would want to know more about this father. They would use surrogates to ask the most embarrassing and personal questions you can imagine all for the purpose of making the point- If she can't handle her family, how can we expect her to handle the government.
But since we are liberals. We tear our garments and beat ourselves up with self examination over issues of mercy and compassion.
Maybe, in reality, this all is and should be out of bounds. But let's say that without calling anyone sexist. If she cannot take the heat, she should get out of the boiler room.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Why is it okay to talk about Sarah Palin's Daughter?
From my point of view- it is noble that Sarah Palin's Daughter (after finding herself a pregnant teenager) has chosen to keep the child instead of abort.
However, if this were a Democratic candidate we would be having a discussion about values, about responsibility for the behavior of children (remember Al Gore's son and the drunk driving incident) and about promiscuity (which is apparently just a problem when people on the left are the culprits). If she were a candidate from the left there would undoubtedly be questions about the age of the fatehr and the potential for illegal activity.
So without politicizing this: Is it fair to ask about the wisdom of a 17 year old getting married because she is pregnant (SHOT GUN WEDDING)? Afterall, these are the 'pro-family', 'pro-marriage' people.
Are we expecting that this daughter and the father of her child will move into the white house so that she can continue to be among the support structure of her family?
I do believe the daughter deserves her privacy. That being said, I think it is absolutely fair to call out this candidate on the inconsisencies between her own family life and the policies she supports as a conservative Republican.
Now, a far more interesting story, as far as I am concerned, involves her husband. Do we really need another oilman anywhere close to the next administration?
However, if this were a Democratic candidate we would be having a discussion about values, about responsibility for the behavior of children (remember Al Gore's son and the drunk driving incident) and about promiscuity (which is apparently just a problem when people on the left are the culprits). If she were a candidate from the left there would undoubtedly be questions about the age of the fatehr and the potential for illegal activity.
So without politicizing this: Is it fair to ask about the wisdom of a 17 year old getting married because she is pregnant (SHOT GUN WEDDING)? Afterall, these are the 'pro-family', 'pro-marriage' people.
Are we expecting that this daughter and the father of her child will move into the white house so that she can continue to be among the support structure of her family?
I do believe the daughter deserves her privacy. That being said, I think it is absolutely fair to call out this candidate on the inconsisencies between her own family life and the policies she supports as a conservative Republican.
Now, a far more interesting story, as far as I am concerned, involves her husband. Do we really need another oilman anywhere close to the next administration?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A bit of news about the Beauty Queen who would be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
She calls her husband ( who works for British Petroleum) "Alaska's First Dude." She has served as Governor for 18 Months and prior to that she was a mayor of a town of 8500 people.
She is pro-life. She is anti corruption (but involved in ways that are not yet clear in an abuse of power allegation involving a family member and involved in the bribery scandal surrounding one of their senators).
She plays with guns, rides a motor cycle and eats mooseburgers. She is a mother of 5 and her eldest will soon be going to serve his country in Iraq. She is a creationist. She supported Pat Buchanan in 1992.
She is pandering to Hillary Clinton Supporters:
" Hillary Clinton is not who I would want to see in the White House but given the choices Obama had, and the fantastic Campaign she ran, Hillary Clinton was clearly the better choice." ( As an aside- shifting the focus from qualifications to what kind of campaign a candidate ran is a great move for someone who has been Governor of one of the least populated states in the union for fewer than two years.) So the question: Do she and McCain and all Repugnicans truly think so little of women that they think women will vote against their own interest simply to get a woman into a position? Aren't these the guys who oppose affirmative action and quotas? This smacks of pure tokenism.
This pick for a VP candidate embodies the height of political cynicism. Attract women by choosing a woman. Attract blue collar people by choosing a candidate who apparently acts the way Repugs think blue collar people act.
While participating in the Miss Alaska competition she wasvoted Miss Cogeniality. Yeah- she is nice. And the one thing I have heard from every person who is speaking on behalf of Repugnicans She is a woman and she is 'an attractive fit' for John McCain.
The two women who are currently the most important women in John McCain's life - his second wife (who he was involved with before he dumped his first- the one who stuck with him during his whole POW experience) and his VP pick were both contestants to represent their states in beauty pageants.
Yeah, These guys value women. Bring on the swimsuit competition!!
She is pro-life. She is anti corruption (but involved in ways that are not yet clear in an abuse of power allegation involving a family member and involved in the bribery scandal surrounding one of their senators).
She plays with guns, rides a motor cycle and eats mooseburgers. She is a mother of 5 and her eldest will soon be going to serve his country in Iraq. She is a creationist. She supported Pat Buchanan in 1992.
She is pandering to Hillary Clinton Supporters:
" Hillary Clinton is not who I would want to see in the White House but given the choices Obama had, and the fantastic Campaign she ran, Hillary Clinton was clearly the better choice." ( As an aside- shifting the focus from qualifications to what kind of campaign a candidate ran is a great move for someone who has been Governor of one of the least populated states in the union for fewer than two years.) So the question: Do she and McCain and all Repugnicans truly think so little of women that they think women will vote against their own interest simply to get a woman into a position? Aren't these the guys who oppose affirmative action and quotas? This smacks of pure tokenism.
This pick for a VP candidate embodies the height of political cynicism. Attract women by choosing a woman. Attract blue collar people by choosing a candidate who apparently acts the way Repugs think blue collar people act.
While participating in the Miss Alaska competition she wasvoted Miss Cogeniality. Yeah- she is nice. And the one thing I have heard from every person who is speaking on behalf of Repugnicans She is a woman and she is 'an attractive fit' for John McCain.
The two women who are currently the most important women in John McCain's life - his second wife (who he was involved with before he dumped his first- the one who stuck with him during his whole POW experience) and his VP pick were both contestants to represent their states in beauty pageants.
Yeah, These guys value women. Bring on the swimsuit competition!!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Here We Go!!!
This article from slate ends with an outstanding paragraph about the Republican nominee.
Talk about "Out of Touch"
You have got to see this link (above). A hurricane couldn't interupt a vacation but if it is going to diminish their political convention they consider changing a nations schedule. My question is: to what end? It is not as if any of the white men in the stadium can do anything about a hurricane anyway. That is what they proved with Katrina. I hope above all that everyone in the south stays safe and that Gustav blows right over them. But I hope also that this tactic by the Repugnicans is seen by the population as a whole for what it is- a media grab.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Dems start convention- Gas hits $3.49 and continues to fall.
Locally gas prices were on a roller coaster this weekend. We saw 3.59 on Thursday afternoon- then up to 3.79 by Friday AM, only to fall to $3.63 by Friday PM and up to $3.82 by Saturday afetrnoon. Then, filling up this morning, I paid $3.49.
The word is that gas prices will continue now to drop throughout the fall. The flip side is that we are being told that heating oil and natural gas will increase in cost this year and most in this reigon ca expect to pay 25- 30 % more for heating their homes this winter.
Coverage in well underway for the Democratic National Convention. Fox News is delighting in covering a group of people who claim to be former Clinton supporters who are now backing McCain. Olbermann did an interview with the woman who founded this group and she voted for Bush twice and claims to be an independent. PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) is a wolf in wolf's clothing. These people are not to be trusted.
The word is that gas prices will continue now to drop throughout the fall. The flip side is that we are being told that heating oil and natural gas will increase in cost this year and most in this reigon ca expect to pay 25- 30 % more for heating their homes this winter.
Coverage in well underway for the Democratic National Convention. Fox News is delighting in covering a group of people who claim to be former Clinton supporters who are now backing McCain. Olbermann did an interview with the woman who founded this group and she voted for Bush twice and claims to be an independent. PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) is a wolf in wolf's clothing. These people are not to be trusted.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Daddy must be proud!
I always expected this headline, but it does not mean what I would have expected it to mean.
The main reason to look closer at this story is because it hints at a kind of nepotism- or at least a fraternal favoritism behind the scenes of American Idol. It also is a bit creepy to think about the logistics of this- in a Michael Jackson kind of way.
I suppose, however, congratulations are in order, just the same.
The main reason to look closer at this story is because it hints at a kind of nepotism- or at least a fraternal favoritism behind the scenes of American Idol. It also is a bit creepy to think about the logistics of this- in a Michael Jackson kind of way.
I suppose, however, congratulations are in order, just the same.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
One year since bridge falls
iamerqI live in Minnesota so that story line filled the news this past weekend. As a result of that, there were several talking heads- mostly conservative- who criticized the 5 cents per gallon gas tax imposed by the state to pay for infrastructure repair. Tim Pawlenty- our governor who is tripping over himself to be McCain's VP pick- also used the opportunity to slap a round the Dems for that choice saying that the democrats in the state house and senate chose to burden families who are already overpaying at the pump.
The facts are these-
While the national average price per gallon remains at about $3.88 local pumps are flowing at $3.53 (including the higher state gas tax). So apparently, the higher gas tax doesn't really matter and is serving to provide some of the much needed infrastructure repair that is long overdue (without passing the burden on to our children).
$3.53 is still high. High enough to get us to continue to look for ways to reduce our usage- tune-up your car, properly inflate your tires, reduce use of the vehicles where possible, car pool, and thew like.
Then there is all this moise about off-shore drilling. Until these people who are spouting this as a great idea- the same ones who were saying as recently as a year ago (explaining why the cost was so high) that drilling isn't the problem, its the capacity of our refineries- can explain how exactly it will help (without development of those same refineries)- I think we all should just tell them to shut up.
But that is just me.
The facts are these-
While the national average price per gallon remains at about $3.88 local pumps are flowing at $3.53 (including the higher state gas tax). So apparently, the higher gas tax doesn't really matter and is serving to provide some of the much needed infrastructure repair that is long overdue (without passing the burden on to our children).
$3.53 is still high. High enough to get us to continue to look for ways to reduce our usage- tune-up your car, properly inflate your tires, reduce use of the vehicles where possible, car pool, and thew like.
Then there is all this moise about off-shore drilling. Until these people who are spouting this as a great idea- the same ones who were saying as recently as a year ago (explaining why the cost was so high) that drilling isn't the problem, its the capacity of our refineries- can explain how exactly it will help (without development of those same refineries)- I think we all should just tell them to shut up.
But that is just me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
