There are plenty of reasons why Palin is a bad choice.
Forget the juicy if ultimately irrelevant story of Bristol’s pregnancy, Sarah’s responsibilities as a mother versus her responsibilities as a worker bee, and the horrible MySpace page carried in the New York Post, among other places, where future son-in-law Levi Johnston expresses less than enthusiasm about “birthin' babies” — although that's what happens when one advocates abstinence-only education, it seems. (Why on earth didn’t anyone in the vetting process get the kid to take his page down, or at least clean it up a little?)…
Article comments
76 - Silas Kain
Our consumption of red meat is also a problem for the environment but the Beef Council which controls the heartland of America doesn't want us to know that!
77 - Dr Dreadful
Lisa, you made a hash of that link you attempted to insert into your last comment. I tried tidying it up, but it gave me a 'page not found' message when I tested it. Perhaps you'd care to try it again.
Assistant Comments Editor
78 - Lisa Solod Warren
didn't include a link with last comment. last link was long ago.
79 - Dr Dreadful
#75. You had a URL in there to something on Huffington Post, but it didn't link to anything.
80 - Lisa Solod Warren
Oh, yes, I see. Thanks, Dread. Can't find it now. Let's moved on:)
81 - Cannonshop
Not disgruntled at all. What I meant, and I think it is clear, is that were Sarah a man with the same thin qualifications, she would not have been the choice of McCain (which she wasn't anyway.... she was the choice of his "handlers).
That, I think partly depends on how important to the RNC Alaska's political machine is. Palin's been a nightmare for the Republican Machine in her state for the last couple years (at least). Getting her to run in the VP slot in an election they really aren't likely to win seems to be a pretty good way to get rid of her without pissing off that eighty percent approval she's got from the voters in her state, and without harming the Party.
On the flip side, Palin as a Man would be drawing roughly the same amount of criticism from the Democrats, but it would be more focused on her career, and less obsessed with her family life or religion.
82 - Lisa Solod Warren
What I meant was that were she a man her lack of qualifications would have kept her from being a serious contender. The party picked her to keep from having a floor fight, which there would have been had McCain chosen one of his two favs, Lieberman or Ridge, neither of whom would have united the party, according to many, many news reports, and a lot of party spokespeople. She DID bring new enthusiasm to what was essentially a moribund campaign. But what it says about the party makes me a litte nauseated, make that a lot nauseated.
83 - Clavos
But what it says about the party makes me a litte nauseated, make that a lot nauseated.
Good thing for you you're not a Republican, then.
84 - Jordan Richardson
Jesus, Clav. You're really working on a slant today.
85 - Matthew T. Sussman
"were she a man her lack of qualifications would have kept her from being a serious contende"
Change "a man" to "ugly" and I'm with you, which also explains Edwards, Quayle, and any votes Mary Carey accumulates.
86 - Cannonshop
What I meant was that were she a man her lack of qualifications would have kept her from being a serious contender. The party picked her to keep from having a floor fight, which there would have been had McCain chosen one of his two favs, Lieberman or Ridge, neither of whom would have united the party, according to many, many news reports, and a lot of party spokespeople. She DID bring new enthusiasm to what was essentially a moribund campaign. But what it says about the party makes me a litte nauseated, make that a lot nauseated.
Well... the Democrats chose Obama, who's even LESS qualified, so I don't see your point there, Lisa, except maybe in a kind of weird double-standard way in which being a mirror-man is more important a quality than having done a lot in very little time. Obama's been a politician of one sort or another his entire adult life, but nobody has been able to name a single thing he's accomplished beyond getting elected.
So, does that barf-bag you have over this choice include vomit for THAT electoral choice (since, after all, Obama wasn't chosen by the Party Leaders, but by the Party Faithful? and not for the second-banana, but the top job?)
Lisa, don't get me wrong-I Really liked Obama's book, he's a fine speaker, and probably a very engaging conversationalist and debater. But he hasn't DONE anything-at least, his supporters seem unable to point to a single thing he's accomplished as a Legislator, Senator...even Community Activist. (Beyond getting elected.)
I can look at Palin, she's been a governor for two years and has tangible results for the time-more results than most Pols get in ten or twelve in the same position. Obama promises change and talks a good line, but he fails to deliver over and over again, and really his behaviour is that of a party apparatchik more than an agent of change or unity.
I've been dumbfounded as to how he could win the Democratic Primary-Dems are supposed to, after all, value reason and science, abhor emotional choices, and be pragmatic (at least, if you read the ad-copy from the Clinton years.)
I really WANT to be convinced, Lisa...but I'm not. I weigh Obama against Palin, and Palin wins on deeds alone.
87 - Clavos
Yeah, but only to the right, Jordan...
88 - Lisa Solod Warren
Just for fun, check out the Daily Show in which Stewart skewers Rove for saying Tim Kaine wasn't qualified to be Obama's VP because he had only been governor of a small state like Virginia for three years...... It's hilarious!
And tonight's show has Stewart back-to-backing Bush and McCain with the same talking points in speeches. Hypocricy and political expediency rules.
BTW, Palin lied royally when she said Obama authored no legislation in the Senate. Check the record for, among other things, his bill with Dick Lugar.
And she clearly has no idea what community organizers do; her contempt for them, palapable in its ugliness (when she was talking about serving her community as a veep) was nasty beyond belief.
More, as they say TK. Other fish to fry for now.
89 - Cannonshop
So...he DID author legislation? great. Let's see what it was...
hey, lookit that-there's some experiences there after all...
politifactcheck
Why, oh why, can't Obama's supporters remember this one?
90 - Cannonshop
But, you know, as exciting as that is, it's not authoring legislation. co-sponsoring doesn't count unless he's got a writing credit ON the legislation.
91 - Lisa Solod Warren
Canonshop, Please, get serious.
By that, um. logical extension, McCain's books are not his, nor is Palin's speech hers.
PALIN: “ But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.”
REALITY: OBAMA PASSED THE MOST SWEEPING REFORMS SINCE WATERGATEIN BOTH THE ILLINOIS AND US SENATES, AMONG OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Obama Helped Pass The 2007 Ethics Reform Law, Which Curbed The Influence Of Lobbyists And Was Described As The “Most Sweeping Since Watergate.” In the first week of the 110th Congress, Obama joined with Senator Feingold to introduce a “Gold Standard” ethics package. Many of the Obama/Feingold bill’s most important provisions were included in the final ethics reform package passed by the Senate in late January: a full ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists including those paid by the firms that employ lobbyists; an end to subsidized travelon corporate jets; full disclosure of who's sponsoring earmarks and for what purpose; additional restrictions to close the revolving door between public service and lobbying to ensure that public service isn't all about lining up a high-paying lobbying job; and requiring lobbyists to disclose the contributions that they "bundle" - that is, collect or arrange - for members of Congress, candidates, and partycommittees. In January 2007, the Washington Post wrote in aneditorial that “…Mr. Reid, along with Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), deserves credit for assembling and passing this package.” In September 2007, the AP reported, “President Bushsigned a bill Friday that will require lawmakers to disclose more about their efforts to fund pet projects and raise money from lobbyists, a measure that backers call the biggest ethics reform in decades…Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. who had pushed for the bundlingprovisions and was one of four lawmakers who participated in a Democratic conference call to reporters said the measure marks "themost sweeping ethics reform since Watergate.” [S. 230, 110thCongress; S.1, Became Public Law 109-110-81, 9/14/07; AP, 9/15/07;TheWashington Post, Editorial, 1/21/07]
Obama Passed Illinois State Gift Ban Act “Heralded As the MostSweeping Good-Government Legislation in Decades.” In 1998, Obama passed the Illinois Gift Ban that prohibited legislators, state officers and employees, and judges from soliciting or receiving gifts from a person or entity with interests affected by government. The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Gov. Jim Edgar signed into law Wednesday anethics and campaign finance package heralded as the most sweeping good-government legislation in decades.” The law also required greater campaign finance disclosure and limited the uses for which raisedmoney could be spent. Obama said, “I have seen a general cynicism from taxpayers about government. They believe they have no influence on the process since they don't have the money of special interest groups. With the gift ban and the ban on Springfield fund-raisers that are contained in this legislation, I think at least some of thisconfidence will be restored.” [HB672, 3R P 52-4-1, 5/22/98; PA90-0737, 8/12/98; Chicago Tribune, 8/13/98; Chicago Independent Bulletin, 6/4/98]
Ø Illinois Ethics Bill Most Far Reaching Since Watergate,Product Of Bipartisan Work. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote ofObama’s bill, “The ethics restrictions would be the most far-reaching since the Watergate-era campaign financial disclosure law. They are the product of months of negotiations among two lawmakers of each party, other state officials and Mike Lawrence. He is an aide toformer Sen. Paul Simon, a Democrat, and used to be an aide to Edgar, a Republican.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/24/98]
Obama And Lugar Passed Law Boosting U.S. Efforts To Keep WMDs AndOther Dangerous Weapons Out Of The Hands Of Terrorists. In 2006,Obama and Lugar introduced The Cooperative Proliferation DetectionAct, which was passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committeeunanimously on May 26, 2006 and was eventually incorporated into the Department of State Authorities Act of 2006 and signed into law onJanuary 11, 2007. According to a Senate Foreign Relations Committeereport on its legislative activity in the 109th Congress, “The committee passed S. 2566, The Cooperative Proliferation Detection,Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006by unanimous consent on May 26, 2006. The legislation authored by Chairman Lugar and Senator Obama enhances: (1) U.S. cooperation with foreign governments to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles aroundthe world; and (2) the United States' ability to provide assistance to foreign governments aimed at helping them detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction. The legislation, which garnered 26 co-sponsors (including 8 committee members), sought to energize U.S.programs to secure lightweight anti-aircraft missiles…The initiative was modeled after the Nunn-Lugar program that focuses on weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union. The legislation was signed into law on January 11, 2007, as a part of H.R. 6060, theDepartment of State Authorities Act of 2006.” [P.L. 109-472, 1/11/07;House Report 109-706, 9/3/06; S. 2566, 109th Congress; S.1949, 109th Congress; Senate Report 110-40, 3/29/07]
Ø Lugar Said It Was Accurate That Said Obama Reached Out To HimAnd They Passed Legislation To Lock Down Loose Nuclear Weapons.“Republican Sen. Dick Lugar (IN) today said an Obama campaign ad which features him is ‘accurate.’ The ad makes the point the Obama previously ‘reached out’ to Lugar to ‘help lock down loose nuclear weapons.’ Lugar is widely considered one of the most knowledgeable in the area of nuclear weapons proliferation and the coauthored of the1991 Nunn-Lugar Act on cooperative threat reduction. ‘He did’ reachout, Lugar said. He explained that in 2005, Obama asked if he couldjoin Lugar on a trip to Russia and other countries to visit sitesunder the Nunn-Lugar program. ‘After that, we had legislation that we cosponsored together which passed’ dealing with dangerous missiles.‘So I am pleased we had that opportunity to work together,’ Lugarsaid. ‘I'm pleased we had the association Sen. Obama describes.’ But Lugar made clear up front that while the ad was accurate, and he's comfortable with the association, ‘There is no chance I will consider running with Barack Obama.’” [MSNBC, 7/15/08]
Obama and Coburn Passed A Bill Creating A “Google-like” Database ForThe Public To Search Details About Federal Funding Awards. In 2006,Obama and Coburn co-authored a bill to create a “Google-like” database of information on federal spending. The bill requires the OMB byJanuary 1, 2008, to make available to the public a searchable, freewebsite that includes the (1) amount; (2) transaction type; (3)funding agency; (4) North American Industry Classification Systemcode or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number; (5) programsource; (6) an award title descriptive of the purpose of each fundingaction; (7) the name and location of the recipient and the primary location of performance; and (8) a unique identifier of the recipient and any parent entity. The site must allow users to conduct separate searches that distinguish between awards that are grants, sub-grants,loans, cooperative agreements, and other forms of financial assistance and awards that are contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, task orders, and delivery orders. [S. 2590, Passed by Unanimous Consent,9/7/06; Became PL 109-282, 9/26/06]
Obama Passed Law Ensuring That Wounded Veterans Recovering In Military Hospitals Do Not Have To Pay For Their Meals Or Phone Calls To FamilyMembers. In 2005, Obama sponsored and passed an amendment that to the2005 emergency supplemental appropriations act ensuring that wounded veterans recovering in military hospitals do not have to pay for theirown meals or phone calls to family members. The amendment was then passed in each of the following Congresses. Prior to passage of the amendment, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals. Obama’s amendment required the military to provide free meals for service members in militaryhospitals undergoing recuperation or therapy as a result of wounds sustained in Iraq or Afghanistan. The amendment was retroactive toJanuary 1, 2005 in an effort to provide those injured service memberswho received bills for their meals with some relief from those costs.The amendment became law. [S. Amdt. 390, Passed by unanimous consent,4/14/05 to H.R.1268, Signed by the President, 5/11/05, Became PublicLaw No: 109-013; Obama Press Release, 5/11/05]
Obama Proposals Providing Improvements In Health Care For RecoveringSoldiers Were Passed Into Law, Including Requirements For Post-Deployment Mental Health Screenings And National Study On The Needs OfIraq War Veterans. H.R. 976, passed by the Senate on August 2, 2007,includes several provisions from bills originally sponsored by Senators Obama and McCaskill. The provisions would improve healthcare services and health care tracking for service members, and would require post-deployment, face to face mental health screenings for returning service members within 30 days. The bill also adopts other Obama-McCaskill legislation, the HERO Act, which would launch a major national research endeavor into the readjustment needs of returningservice members, veterans and their families. The bill also included measures to improve and reform the disability rating process. [Vote307, H.R. 976, Passed, 68-31, 8/2/07; S. 713, 110th Congress; S. 1271,110th Congress; Obama Press Release, 7/25/07; H.R. 4986, Became PublicLaw No: 110-181, 1/28/08]
Obama Worked With Republicans To Pass Legislation, Which Became Law, Improving And Increasing Services For Homeless Veterans. In 2006,Congress passed a Veterans Affairs Committee bill which includedseveral provisions originating in Obama’s SAVE Act (S. 1180) and Homesfor Heroes Act (S. 3475). “The legislation…includes a number of proposals from legislation Senator Obama had previously introduced (S.1180, the SAVE Act and S.3475 the Homes for Heroes Act) to expand and improve services for homeless veterans. The bill permanently authorizes and increases funding to $130 million per year for a competitive grant program to provide homeless services to veterans. It greatly increases a successful program to provide rental vouchers tohomeless veterans. The legislation extends programs to providing treatment for veterans with mental illnesses and other special needs.And it permanently extends VA's ability to transfer property it owns to homeless shelters.” Obama worked with VA Committee RepublicansCraig and Burr on the committee legislation that eventually became law. [S. 3421/P.L. 109-461; S. 1180, 109th Congress; S. 3475, 109thCongress; Obama Press Release, 6/26/06]
Obama Passed Bipartisan Legislation That Expanded Health Care CoverageTo 154,000 Residents, Including 70,000 Children. As a state senator,Barack Obama sponsored and helped pass legislation that expanded andmade permanent Illinois’ KidCare program by raising eligibility from 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level. The legislation provided coverage for an additional 20,000 children and 65,000 more Illinois adults in the first year, and by 2007 had expanded health care to70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In its endorsement for his Senate race,the State Journal-Register wrote, “Obama brings similar common-senseviews to improving health care in America - for example, as a state senator he championed the successful KidCare program that assiststhousands of children of the working poor.” The bill was sponsored inthe state House by Sandra Pihos, a Republican and passed 42-13. [93rdGA, SB 130, 3R P 42-13-2; Signed into law 6/30/03, PA 93-0063; ChicagoDaily Herald, 7/2/03; Blagojevich release, 1/9/07; Blagojevich release, 4/13/07; Kaiser family report, 5/07; State Journal-Register,10/29/04]
Obama Passed A Bill Creating $100 Million Earned Income Tax Credit AsA Member Of The Minority Party In The Illinois Senate. In 1999, Obamawas the lead sponsor of a bill making Illinois the 11th state to adoptan earned income-tax credit. The bill provided that each individualtaxpayer is entitled to a credit against the tax imposed by the Act inan amount equal to 5% of the federal earned income tax credit allowed.Then-Gov. George Ryan opposed the move, but an unlikely politicalalliance " including Republicans and Democrats " formed to reduce thetax burden on working poor families. The AP wrote, “The new law, whichoffers about $105 million in tax breaks over the next three years,gives a state income tax credit equal to 5 percent of a similarfederal tax credit. For the average working family making less than$30,580, that amounts to about $55 a year, or 15 cents a day. Themaximum credit for families with two or more children is $191 ayear.” [91st GA, HB 3939; 4/14/00, 3R P; 59-0-0; P.A. 91-0700,5/11/00; Chicago Tribune, 4/10/99]
Obama Passed Near-Unanimous Death Penalty Overhaul Package. Obama wasthe chief co-sponsor and voted for bill creating the CapitalPunishment Reform Study Committee Act. The proposal, which wasapproved on a 57-1 vote, was virtually identical to reforms pushed in2002 by then-Gov. George Ryan. If passed by the House and signed intolaw by the governor, the bill would let judges rule out a deathsentence for someone convicted solely on the testimony of a jailhouseinformant, accomplice or single witness; let the state Supreme Courtoverturn a death sentence that was “fundamentally unjust.; Reduce thecrimes eligible for the death penalty by focusing on “inherentlyviolent” offenses; Expand defendants’ access to genetic evidence usedagainst them; Ban police officers from the police force if theycommitted perjury in a murder case; and Require juries to consider adefendant’s history of abuse or mental illness when deciding whether to impose the death sentence. Obama said, “As far as the Bill goes, it doesn't address whether the death penalty is applied fairly to allraces and in all regions of the state. And it doesn't appease those who want capital punishment eliminated.” [93rd GA, SB 0472; 4/3/03,3R P; 57-1-0; 5/29/03, HA1 SC; 56-3-0; 11/5/03, OAV P; 58-0-0; P.A.93-0605, 11/25/03; Pantagraph, 4/4/03; Associated Press, 4/24/03]
(this is taken from The Reality Based Community
92 - Cannonshop
Canonshop, Please, get serious.
By that, um. logical extension, McCain's books are not his, nor is Palin's speech hers.
Well, if they didn't write them... Palin's speech would only be "Hers" as a presenter (bit like a newsreader). I have no problem with that.
Now that we've got a list of Legislative accomplishments, we can compare, and contrast effectiveness of these laws, and the Pro-Obama side have something to cite besides pretty words.
Lisa, this is EXACTLY what I've been asking for for going on two months from your side-proof that Obama's supporters are supporting him for reasons other than his dashing good looks, rich speaking voice, pretty yet vague good intentions, and mirror-man image. (a Mirror man reflects back whatever the observer hopes he is. it's a pretty common trait among con-artists).
Why'd it take two months before an Obama supporter could list anything substantial? This is th e shit you should be LEADING with.
93 - Lisa Solod Warren
Canon
It's ALL been out there for months. But people insist they don't know anything about him. People don't want to know. Don't want to read. Can't spoon feed them, kiddo. That's what makes democracy such a bitch.
94 - Clavos
HAVE to spoon feed them. They're Americans; if it ain't entertainment, it doesn't get their attention.
95 - Cannonshop
Lisa, did I say "Thank You"?
no...didn't.
Thank you. I'll back-check the sources you've cited and see if I can find copies with authorship. If I find even one, then Palin's speechwriter needs to have his research staff shoved where the sun don't shine, I will roast and eat a crow, and reconsider my positions.
If not...well, we'll work something out.
Right now, I'm up WAAAY late 'cause the wife isn't on strike at HER job, and needs a ride in to work.
96 - Dave Nalle
Cannon, you need to read a bit more closely. Most of the things Lisa managed to come up with were only co-sponsored by Obama, not authored. Plus several of them seem to be the same item just described differently. Plus most of them are amendments to laws, not actual laws. Hell, one of them is a bill he didn't even sponsor which has some provisions vaguely similar to a bill he did sponsor which wasn't passed and another seems to be a bill he made a nice comment about and voted for.
Dave
97 - Cannonshop
See, dave, that's why I'm gonna dig a bit, 'cause co-sponsorship is kind of like signing a popular petition, it doesn't mean you wrote the petition, or that you even necessarily know what's in it. (given the Strike, I may even have time to dig up the law-dictionaries and look for unintended consequences in these bills...which should be fun to point out!)
98 - bliffle
Lisa,
thanks for mentioning "S. 2566, The Cooperative Proliferation Detection,Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006", which probably represents our most powerful weapon against terrorists.
Indeed, Obama was largely responsible for initiating this bill, as Dick Lugar (R) has acknowledged.
S.2566 will be more effective protecting us against terrorists than all the pre-emptive wars we can afford, assuming we can afford any more.
S. 2566 is cheap, too.
I'm only surprised that the Mighty Brains of the BC Right didn't know about this since they're always so hepped up on National Security, and all.
Could it be that they're lazy?
99 - Lisa Solod Warren
It seems if one has not written the legislation with a quill and blood, it does not count.
But thanks for your efforts. But I do appreciate your efforts.
100 - Silas Kain
No wonder Obama didn't go with public financing! With all the soldiers of Barack out there in the field flooding the Internet it costs lots of dollars. Oh, I know, McCain's people do it, too. But the Obama people are are executing their mission with the zeal of a member of Liberty Baptist Church.
101 - troll
Bliffle - I'm not sure that funding/supporting Governments in their attempts to disarm their populations will serve to forward my goals of anarchy and pacifism
what defeated the Soviets: manpads
102 - bliffle
What follows anarchy is pacifism: the Peace Of The Tomb.
103 - bliffle
What defeated the Soviets: Paranoia.
Two weeks before the soviet collapse I heard Jeanne Kilpatrick give a speech in which she said that the soviets would rule for another hundred years because of their dossiers on every citizen.
Instead, the paranoia that drove them destroyed them because no one could trust anyone. So, society could not hold together. Compulsion is not enough.
Even the Untrustworthy can't be trusted to be untrustworthy. cf. "Other peoples Lives" from east germany.
104 - troll
(true bliffle - my fantasy of a future free from government organized mass murder still seems to require the arrival of Wells' comet)
105 - Cannonshop
It seems if one has not written the legislation with a quill and blood, it does not count.
But thanks for your efforts. But I do appreciate your efforts.
If we could only make them DO that! It would invariably be briefer, less ambiguous, less contradictory, and the legislators would actually read it before they voted/supported it. After all, if they had to transcribe it with their own blood...why, there would be a genuine argument against term-limits...