Sarah Palin: Palin Kept Under Wraps by McCain Campaign

SISTER SARAH AND THE TRAVELING BARBIEHOOD



Snowmobiles.

Caribou.

Mooseburgers.

Before the Republican National Convention, most people wouldn’t have been able to pick Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska out of a beauty queen lineup. Now she’s the toast of the Republican base, a virtual Annie Oakley, a champion of the weak, the poor and the repressed. Guns and God.

Who could ask for anything more?

However, to her detractors, Sarah Palin is a flash in the pan, this week’s Britney Spears, a walking train wreck ferrying her chaotic personal life around on the campaign trail. As US Weekly put it, “Babies, Lies and Scandal”: a distraction from the real issues.

And she didn’t sell the plane on E-Bay!

Since the Republican convention, Palin hasn’t deviated much from the speech she gave. The media has clamored for press conferences and interviews. After all, this is the woman whom John McCain has touted as fully capable of being President if he’s unable to fulfill the duties of his office should his ticket be elected. The public wants to hear what she has to say on such weighty issues like Iraq, terrorism, immigration, Social Security, the economy, abortion, etc.

Not so fast: while Sarah Palin may be ready to take on Osama Bin Laden, she’s not ready to face Meet the Press. The reason: people don’t give a flying leap.

In an appearance on MSNBC with Joe Scarborough, Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign opined that “ the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. The American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.”

As one could imagine, this went over about as well as McDonald’s announcing their intent to use caribou meat in their Big Mac’s instead of ground beef.

Later though, Todd Harris, a Republican strategist, allowed that Palin eventually would take questions from the press--oh say, in a couple of weeks--but only and until she’s properly briefed. As Harris said, to do otherwise, the McCain campaign runs the risk that if Palin “ goes out and makes a mistake, that is something that [voters will] care about, and that’s something that will haunt [McCain] for awhile, so I think this is a smart move.”



But never fret. While Sarah Palin may not yet be ready to talk about bank failures and unemployment, she has no compunction about discussing her predilection for “skinny white chocolate mocha” --courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.

In this biting, haunting, no-holds-barred interview, Palin also reveals that she loves to run, has dumbbells at home, and in a stunning revelation sure to ignite a fiery debate among Christian Evangelicals, confides that her workout pitfall is “being pregnant every few years”. She also shockingly admits that her ideal fantasy “is to be running on a hot dusty road just wearing running shorts and some kind of top that wicks away sweat.”

It’s comforting to know that while Palin may not yet be available to appear on Face The Nation, she serves her family a healthy diet of “wild Alaskan seafood, moose, caribou and fresh fruit."

Somewhere, in a dank Afghan cave, Osama must surely be trembling.

by CB
images: CB; wall street journal


* CB writes for PJ McIlvaine at www.pjmcilvaine.blogspot.com

Sarah Palin: Who is GOP VP Pick, Sarah Palin?

Who is Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick to be his running mate?

Soccer mom of five--the latest born in April--and a reformer, Palin played point guard while leading her basketball team to the state championship in high school.

Nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda", opponents and admirers alike say Palin is "tough".


Wikipedia has already updated Sarah Palin's bio page:

Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska, and the presumptive 2008 Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States. She is expected to be the second female Vice Presidential nominee representing one of the two major American political parties.

Born in Idaho and raised in Alaska, Palin gained statewide recognition as a championship high school athlete and was the 1984 runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant. After graduating from the University of Idaho and working as a sports reporter at an Anchorage television station, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected mayor of Wasilla in 1996, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2002. After charging ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders, she won election in 2006 by first defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary, then former Democratic Alaskan governor Tony Knowles in the general election.

On August 29, 2008, presumptive GOP nominee John McCain chose Palin as his nominee for vice president.

McCain's pick of Palin brings a lot to the GOP ticket. She's young, conservative, a soccer mom, energetic, pro-life and pro-gun.

Previous polls showed Alaska's three electoral votes in play between McCain and Democrat nominee, Barack Obama.

John McCain's pick cannot help but to excite some conservatives who were previously lukewarm toward McCain.

The two GOP picks will be in the Pittsburgh PA area tomorrow at a rally.

by Mondoreb
image: Wikipedia

Sarah Palin is McCain's VP Choice

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Tortured Dog and Gun: Is Press Romance with Huckabee Over?

In this booking photo released by the Pulaski County Sheriff's office, David Huckabee, 26,

a son of former Arkansas Gov, and Republican presidential hopeful Mike

Huckabee, is shown in Little Rock, Ark., Thursday, April 26, 2007.

David Huckabee was arrested at Little Rock's airport Thursday after a

federal X-ray technician detected a loaded Glock pistol in his carry-on

luggage. (AP Photo/Pulaski County Sheriff)

Mike Huckabee has found that along with press love comes press scrutiny.

Touted with headlines such as the "surging" Huckabee, the "Huckabee support strong" and "Surprising Huckabee", Huckabee's campaign has to now deal with the "A Son's Past Deeds Come Back to Bite Huckabee" headline and story at Newsweek.

Under the mug shot from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department of son, David, is a story detailing Jr. Huckabee's past run-ins with the law: allegations of torturing and hanging a stray dog, being arrested with a pistol at the Arkansas Airport and allegations that dad Mike leaned on some people to keep the dog story from escalating.

One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. The incident led to the dismissal of David Huckabee, then 17, from his job as a counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Ark.

It also prompted the local prosecuting attorney— bombarded with complaints generated by a national animal-rights group—to write a letter to the Arkansas state police seeking help investigating whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws. The state police never granted the request, and no charges were ever filed.

But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request.

Bailey, a career officer who had been appointed chief by Huckabee's Democratic predecessor, said he viewed the lawyer's intervention as improper and terminated the conversation. Seven months later, he was called into Huckabee's office and fired. "I've lost confidence in your ability to do your job," Bailey says Huckabee told him.

One reason Huckabee cited was "I couldn't get you to help me with my son when I had that problem," according to Bailey. "Without question, [Huckabee] was making a conscious attempt to keep the state police from investigating his son," says I. C. Smith, the former FBI chief in Little Rock, who worked closely with Bailey and called him a "courageous" and "very solid" professional.

There have been whispers that Huckabee advocates have dropped phone messages to voters questioning candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon faith. Huckabee himself made a sly remark that implied that Romney believed Jesus and Satan were brothers.

Questions cut both ways: now questions are popping up about Huckabee's son and Huckabee's involvement in quashing an investigation.

Perhaps the allegations are nothing more than rumors or sly remarks from rival campaigns. Either way, the national press is now paying attention to them.

As we earlier stated in articles, Huckabee is just the latest in a long line of 'media darlings'. When the press ends its fickle love affair, often times the break-up is acrimonious.

Newsday's article on David Huckabee's past troubles may be the latest proof.

by Mondoreb
[image:ap;megahurt]
Source: A Son's Past Deeds Comes Back to Bite Huckabee



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Romney's Pro-Life Claims on 'Meet the Press' Questioned

Republican candidate Mitt Romney was on NBC's Meet the Press and made the following blanket claim: "...every piece of legislation which came to my desk in the coming years as a Governor, I came down on the side of preserving the sanctity of life."
--Mitt Romney, Meet the Press 12/16/07

Pretty impressive.

We like Mitt, but a quick check of his record throws doubt on the claim.

Some facts about Romney's record as Massachusetts governor and abortion.

* Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50.
o Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, but he did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation.

* Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative.

* Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups.

Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50. Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, including the expansion of dental benefits to Medicaid recipients. He did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation. Under the program, abortions are available for a copay of $50. (Menu of Health Care Services; "Romney's Health Care Vetoes," Associated Press, 4/12/06)

More:

Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative. "You cannot be personally opposed to abortion and then contribute money to an organization whose purpose is to provide abortions," said Jerry Zandstra. "Given the Romney family's support of Planned Parenthood, it now makes sense why he mandated that a member of the RomneyCare Policy board be appointed by the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts." (RepealRomneyCare.com, "Pro-Life Leaders Denounce Romney's Planned Parenthood Connections," Press Release, 5/10/07)

Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups. "Governor Mitt Romney reversed course on the state's new emergency contraception law yesterday, saying that all hospitals in the state will be obligated to provide the morning-after pill to rape victims. The decision overturns a ruling made public this week by the state Department of Public Health that privately run hospitals could opt out of the requirement if they objected on moral or religious grounds. Romney had initially supported that interpretation, but he said yesterday that he had changed direction after his legal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, concluded Wednesday that the new law supersedes a preexisting statute that says private hospitals cannot be forced to provide abortions or contraception. 'And on that basis, I have instructed the Department of Public Health to follow the conclusion of my own legal counsel and to adopt that sounder view,' Romney said..." (Scott Helman, "Romney Says No Hospitals Are Exempt From Pill Law," Boston Globe, 12/9/05)

Catholic leaders urged hospitals to reject Romney's mandate or risk "compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity." "C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, a conservative Catholic organization, said Catholic hospitals should refuse to abide by the law. 'T he appropriate response for Catholic hospitals is noncompliance. Otherwise, they would be compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity,' he said." (Steve LeBlanc, "Confusion Over New Emergency Contraception Law Deepens," Associated Press, 12/9/05)

Like we said, we like Romney and cheered him on, especially after his great speech on faith last week. We applauded his standing up for his beliefs.

We understand that a person can change their views. We applaud that, too, especially when they come around to supporting the pro-life position.

However, it helps neither Romney's current campaign, nor his attempts to build rapport with pro-life groups to muddy the waters about what was done in the past, while he was governor of Massachusetts, arguably the most liberal state in the union.

He demonstrated he was a political survivor during his tenure. He continues to show that same trait.

Speaking up honestly about his past actions concerning abortion while heading Massachusetts would be a further sign that he's comfortable with, not only his past actions, but his future ones too.

In a tight contest, things like honestly stating what you believe and what you did in the past can be big pluses with the voters.

Abortion is a subjec fraught with pitfalls. But pro-life voter confidence isn't served by Mitt Romney obscuring what actions he took in the past.

It's too easy to check the facts.

by Mondoreb
[image:2004dnc]
Source: Mitt Romney Fact Check on Preserving the Sanctity of Life



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.