Say It Ain't So Joe

Having watched the debate last night, I decided to take a look for the facts this morning. Given the obvious bias of this blog, I've decided to only include Palin's lies and deliberate distortions here in the blog. But if you want 'fair and balanced' you can read the source article here.

I will say this. Palin was not the train wreck I had hoped she would be. But that said, can she spare us the good ole local gal bullshit? She is not a good ole hockey mom, she is the Governor of Alaska. She is not from some blue collar working class family, they are millionaires.

Back in the day the Bush administration hijacked the Christian right to gain power. Today the McCain ticket is trying to play the role of maverick working class heroes. But if you are a millionaire with this kind of political power (like having so much power you refuse to testify for Troopergate), you are simply not just another working class family. So stop trying to insult the intelligence of the country.

Anyway, here are the facts:

PALIN: Said of Democratic presidential candidate Obama: "94 times he voted to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction."

THE FACTS: The dubious count includes repetitive votes as well as votes to cut taxes for the middle class while raising them on the rich. An analysis by factcheck.org found that 23 of the votes were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all, seven were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, 11 would have increased taxes on only those making more than $1 million a year.

PALIN: Criticized Obama's "plan to mandate health care coverage and have universal government run program" for health care, and added: "I don't think it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the Feds."

THE FACTS: Wrong on several counts. Obama's plan does not provide for universal coverage, only mandates insurance for children and doesn't turn the system over to the government. Most people would still get private insurance through their work. Obama proposes that the government subsidize the cost of health coverage for millions who have trouble affording it and he'd set up an exchange to negotiate prices and benefits with private insurers — with one option being a government-run plan.

PALIN: "Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell."

THE FACTS: Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska led an effort in 2005 to tighten regulation on the mortgage underwriters — McCain joined as a co-sponsor a year later. The legislation was never taken up by the full Senate, then under Republican control.

PALIN: Said the United States has reduced its troop level in Iraq to a number below where it was when the troop increase began in early 2007.

THE FACTS: Not correct. The Pentagon says there are currently 152,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 17,000 more than there were before the 2007 military buildup began.

PALIN: Said natural gas pipeline, which is North America's largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets."

THE FACTS: Not quite. Construction is at least six years away. So far the state has only awarded a license to Trans Canada Corp., that comes with $500 million in seed money in exchange for commitments toward a lengthy and costly process to getting a federal certificate. At an August news conference after the state Legislature approved the license, Palin said, "It's not a done deal."

PALIN: "Barack Obama even supported increasing taxes as late as last year for those families making only $42,000 a year."

BIDEN: "The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes."

THE FACTS: The vote was on a nonbinding budget resolution that assumed that President Bush's tax cuts would expire, as scheduled, in 2011. If that actually happened, it could mean higher taxes for people making as little as about $42,000. But Obama is proposing tax increases only on the wealthy, and would cut taxes for most others.

PALIN: Said a McCain-Palin administration "will support Israel," including "building our embassy ... in Jerusalem."

THE FACTS: Moving the U.S. Embassy from its present location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a perennial promise of presidential candidates courting the Jewish-American vote. In fact, moving the embassy is actually required by U.S. law. But successive administrations of both parties, including George W. Bush's, have made the same pledge only to find that the realities of Middle East peacemaking have forced them to invoke a waiver to delay it. Jerusalem is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians and Israel's occupation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. The city's status is one of the key issues of disagreement in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sarah Palin - Hiding From Justice

If anyone was in any doubt that McCain is the next George Bush, this story from the Associated Press tells you all you need to know.

In what seems to have become standard modus operandi for GOP tactics we have watched one of the most divisive campaigns in history. One smear after another. Lies, boasts, and a distinct lack of truthiness. A campaign that Karl Rove has stated is, "one step too far."

The latest move involves protecting the public from finding out facts about Sarah Palin by sending a 'truth squad' to manage what information is discovered by the news media. The team includes politicians and lawyers who seemingly are willing to do anything to hide the facts that might upset the public were they to find out.

One of their current missions is to stall the 'troopergate' investigation until after the election.

Basically, the allegations are that while governor, Sarah Palin abused her powers to try and get her ex-brother in law removed from his job as State Trooper. She ended up firing the guy who refused to fire her ex-brother in law.

Originally Palin was all set to cooperate with the investigation. But now a team of Republican lawyers are deliberately stalling the investigation until after the election. Palin herself has chosen to flip flip on the issue (to put it in Republican terms). While she was once going to cooperate, it seems she is now 'too busy' to answer for her alleged crimes.

It really is sad and scary that some old guy can pluck a random person out of her life as a hockey mom, make her a vice presidential candidate, and suddenly the law no longer seems to apply.

At the end of the day, if this woman is truly the best candidate for the job, why is so much effort being made to suppress the truth? How can a woman with so little political knowledge and experience have so many skeletons in her closet? How can a man who claims to have what it takes to turn this country around, be so politically inept that he would pick this woman for VP?

Sarah Palin - No Comment

So it's been a little while now since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Republican VP candidate. Many facts have come to light about this woman, and many lies have been told too.

But what is interesting is that despite all the mud slinging, and disturbing verified facts about this possible president of the USA, is the fact that Sarah Palin herself has been reluctant to speak out in her own defense (or for any other reason for that matter).

In this article by the Associated Press we learn that since her acceptance speech she has toured around with McCain. Made various public appearances, but said pretty much nothing. Sure some lucky folks have heard her regurgitate portions of her acceptance speech, but in terms of who she is and what she believes, nothing. Likewise no rebuttle of the scary things we have learned about her.

The press have been kept at arms length by a team of handlers, and almost all of her comments have been made off record.

The Republican campaign manager, Rick Davis, told Fox News that she would conduct an interview, "when we think it's time and when she feels comfortable doing it." But then added that she was, "not scared to answer questions."

So just to recap, she's said nothing to defend herself against the numerous allegations made against her. She's unwilling to tell us what she personally believes in, on pretty much any subject. And although she is not 'scared' to answer questions, she will hand pick an interviewer when she feels 'comfortable' doing so. Seriously, what the fuck?

The election is some 54 days away. And this radical right wing fanatic who believes in speaking in tongues and faith healing, is not going to share with us her views on the world?

But there is more to the story than this. It's not just the fact that she won't tell us what she thinks, the issue for me is the inherent sexism, control and secrecy of this campaign. We've just about reached the end of the Bush era of double talk, lies, and refusal to participate in transparent government, and now here we have old man McCain keeping his VP under total control.

Is this because he is afraid of what she might say? Is it because she is a woman and Republicans tend to be inherently sexist? Are they terrified that the truth about this woman will get in the way of their message (or scare the shit out of voters)? What's the deal?

Maybe they are just afraid people will find out that her assertion that she sold the state private jet on eBay was a lie, like so many other things she said in her acceptance speech.

Just The Facts Ma'am

Palin had a lot to say last night, but how much of it was true, and how much was a lie?

Thankfully the Associated Press keeps tabs on such a thing. Here are some bits I paraphrased from this article:

PALIN: I protected taxpayers from wasteful spending, and said no to the bridge to nowhere.

FACT: As mayor of that tiny town with less than 9,000 people in it, she was responsible for $27m in earmarks. She has requested $750m as governor; more per capita than any other state.

As for the bridge to nowhere, she only rejected the concept of the $398m bridge to a village with 50 people in it, after the idea became ridiculed on national TV. Prior to that she was for it.

PALIN: Obama has written two books, but not written any major legislation.

FACT: Not true. He has been involved in numerous major bills both at state and national level.

PALIN: Obama plans to raise taxes. (Frankly, someone needs to so we can pay off all the debt Bush has run up)

FACT: A recent study showed that Obama would raise middle class tax by about 5% by 2012, and McCain would raise similar tax by 3% in the same period.

However Obama would increase tax on people and small businesses that make more than $250,000 per year. But he also has plans to give over $80Bn in tax breaks to the poor and needy.

McCAIN: Palin is responsible for 20% of the nation's energy (Alaskan Oil). And runs the largest state in the country.

FACT: She is not really responsible for the oil at all. Just like Bush wasn't responsible for Texan oil when he was governor of Texas. And while Alaska may be physically big, by population it is the 47th largest state.

McCAIN: She's commander of the Alaskan National Guard.

FACT: Not really. There's only about 4,200 of them in Alaska and if they are ever to be deployed, they report to the Defense Department, not her.

HUCKABEE: She got more votes running for Mayor than Joe Biden got running for President of the United States.

FACT: Palin got 616 votes to become mayor. When she ran for re-election she got 909 votes.

Biden got 76,165 votes before dropping out of the race.

ROMNEY: We need change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington.

FACT: George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been in charge of Washington since 2000. Congress only changed to a slight Democratic edge in January 2007. And much of their efforts have been vetoed and blocked by Republicans and the President.


So thanks for all the lies. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. In fact, I'm sold: let's vote old man McCain and his Hockey Mom VP!

Sarah Palin II

I thought I had been pretty thorough in my previous post about Sarah Palin, the Republican VP candidate. But since old man McCain announced his choice for VP, a lot more facts have come to light. Like the fact that her conservative pro-abstinence, yet oddly pro-contraception stance, has not worked for her unmarried teenage daughter who is now pregnant. Or the fact that she has had to hire a law firm to defend herself in the ongoing investigation where she allegedly abused her power to seek the termination of her ex-brother-in-law from his job as State Trooper.

I came across this interesting blog today that includes some of the answers she gave in a questionnaire she completed when she was being considered for Governor in 2006. The questions and her responses have been paraphrased (except where otherwise indicated), but her full answers and the exact wording of the questions are available at the source. Please enjoy, and as you read, do remember that this is the woman who could be one heart beat away from the president if old man McCain has his way:

• Should abortion be legal in cases of rape, incest, a handicapped baby, cases of genetic defect or to save the life of the mother? Her response: Only if, in the opinion of a doctor, the mother would DIE by having the baby.
• Should children be taught biological facts in sex education classes, or should they be taught abstinence until marriage (without biological facts, such as safe sex practices)? Her response: "Explicit sex education will not find my support." (Too bad her teenage daughter was not given the benefit of a proper sex education.)
• Will you expand laws that try to prevent hate crime? Her response: No.
• Do you support modernising gaming laws, or expanding gambling in the state? Her response: Gambling destroys families. (Alaska is one of a handful of states that don't raise money for good causes with a lottery.)
• Should same sex couples be allowed spousal benefits? Her response: No.
• Are you offended by the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance? Her response: "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." As a little education for the wannabe VP, the Pledge of Allegiance was created in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a baptist minister and Christian socialist (yes socialist). He proposed a fifteen word pledge that did not include any reference to a deity. He also proposed the Bellamy Salute, that rather embarrassingly looked exactly like a Nazi salute, and so this was later replaced with the hand on heart gesture. It wasn't until 1954 that the words 'under God' were added, after a few years of religious campaigning. And although I am only a lowly immigrant to these shores, I am pretty sure the Founding Fathers were dead by 1954.
  
• What are your top three priorities as Governor? Her response: "1. Creating an atmosphere where parents feel welcome to choose the venues of education for their children.
  2. Preserving the definition of “marriage” as defined in our constitution.
  3. Cracking down on the things that harm family life: gangs, drug use, and infringement of our liberties including attacks on our 2nd Amendment rights." (Yes that's right, her top three priorities included supporting locking up more people for drug crimes; a policy that has worked so well thus far. And of all the priorities that must exist in that state, her number two priority is to discriminate against homosexuals.)

As some blogs are beginning to observe, this is like a younger female George Bush. While I already suspected that McCain was far too old to attempt to run for office, I honestly never did imagine that his judgment was so badly impaired as to select a woman like this for a running mate.

It's almost like he has given up already. Which is fine with me.

Sarah Palin

In an attempt to steal the limelight from Barak Obama, old man McCain decided to name his vice president a couple of days ago. He picked Sarah Palin; a move that shows the depth of his ineptitude for all but the most stupid people to recognise.

After all the campaigning about the need for experience in the White House, he picks this 44 year old former pageant girl, who has been Governor of Alaska less than two years, and prior to that was mayor of a town with less than 9,000 people in it. A women that McCain has met once.

John McCain was 72 just the other day. If elected he would be the oldest president ever, with a slew of medical problems. And if he dies, this woman would be our president. WTF? How is she qualified to do that?

I think that McCain's decision only goes to show why he is utterly unqualified to run this country. It's not just that he is fucking old, or that he has voted with George Bush over 90% of the time, it is the fact that he is willing to abandon his own principles just to get elected. He seems to think that this young hottie will entice women to automatically vote for him because he picked a lady VP. Now I am sure that some women are that stupid, but seriously, any intelligent woman is going to notice that Palin is not Hillary, and never will be. Her politics are dangerously stupid, and she is not qualified to be VP.

Apart from he laughable lack of experience, here are some other interesting facts about her:

• She is strongly anti-choice, and believes that abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape and incest. In fact she is a member of a right wing feminist organization called Feminists For Life. In a letter to them she once called abortion an 'atrocity.'
  
• In 2000, she supported right wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president.
• She thinks that Creationism is science, and should be taught in schools, along side evolution. Although despite stating this in a televised debate, she changed her mind the following day, and said that students should be encouraged to debate evolution, rather than place creationism on the curriculum. Fuck it, why not have them debate Pi and Gravity too. Let's not educate the kids, let's just have them learn to argue with teachers.
  
• She attacked the Bush administration for saying that polar bears are endangered (she didn't want environmental concerns to get in the way of drilling for oil in Alaska).
• She wants more oil drilling because she doesn't think that renewables will be around for years (which they probably won't be if people like her get to make decisions).
• She doesn't think that humans have any impact of global climate change.
• Although she claims to have gay friends, she has consistently campaigned against gay rights.
• She came second in the 1984 Miss Alaska beauty pageant.
• Her five children are called, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Track and Trig.
• Palin has been accused of abusing her power by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from his job as State Trooper. She is part of an ongoing investigation into her abuse of power, that has cost the tax payer over $100,000 thus far.
  
• Palin claims to have tried smoking pot (perhaps not enough of it). But despite this, is in favor of people being sent to jail for possession, since she claims relaxing the law would send the wrong message to children. Maybe she should spend some time in jail since she has admitted to committing a crime.
  
• She favors the death penalty.
• She has left the country twice. Once to visit Ireland, and in 2007 she had a trip to Germany and Kuwait. UPDATE: Turns out I was misinformed here. This was another lie by her people to make her sound more worldly. She never actually went on a trip to Ireland. Her plane merely stopped in Ireland to refuel, on her way to Kuwait.
  

At the end of the day, as an Obama supporter, I think it is wonderful that McCain has chosen this women to be his VP. He has now shown beyond any reasonable doubt what a severe lack of good judgment he has.

Voters now have a clear choice. A man with vision and charisma and a genuine desire to repair the damage that the Bush administration has caused. Or an old fool, who thinks having an unqualified women on his ticket will win him the election.

Finally, on what should be a separate blog entry (but I am too lazy) I'd just like to ask those assholes who claim to be voting for McCain now (because Hillary didn't win the nomination) to go fuck themselves. Your dream candidate Hillary Clinton fucked up. She was the prohibitive favorite at one time, yet managed to lose to Obama. I was truly shocked, because I really thought at one time she was a slam dunk. But now she has lost, so stop being so childish and stop threatening to vote for old man McCain and his right wing bimbo instead. That's like being hungry, going to a restaurant, and then refusing to eat anything because they ran out of the daily special.

A vote for McCain is an indication that you are fucking stupid, and that you think that George Bush has done a great job. Don't be that person.