Wake up America |
| When The Media Starts Reporting Rumor Without Verifying Posted: 03 Sep 2008 12:33 PM CDT For the second time in the last seven days, the media has reported rumor as news about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, without verification or confirmation and has been proven to be wrong on both occasions. Yesterday again, another rumor based story hit the headline news at ABC and in the New York Times, with a piece based on the word of a woman, who took the rumor told to her by another person and gave it to the New York Times as fact, which in turn, the Times and other media outlets ran with it, none of them bothering to do the simple verification process that would have shown them before they reported, that it was all based in "incorrect" information. The false story was about Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin again, this time alleging that she has belonged to the Alaska Independence Party for two years in the 1990's. According to the New York Times, this issue was among the "news" that had been revealed about Sarah Palin. Documents were produced showing the information was wrong, but the Times did not and still has not issued a correction on the main story page that rippled across the Internet yesterday, linked to by various sources. "Governor Palin has been a registered Republican since 1982," Rogers says, providing voter registration documentation showing her to be a Republican. "As you know, if she changed her registration, there would have been some record of it. There isn't." ABC News did report on the documents showing the story could very well be false and to give them credit for doing what the Times did not, they also issued an update at the bottom of their piece which said, "This post has been updated one day later, after the McCain campaign responded, and again after Fenumiai returned several calls for comment. And then, once again, after Clark rescinded her assertion that Gov. Palin had been a member of the AIP." The New York Times Caucus blog, reported today how the "incorrect" information came to be reported. The information in the Times article was based on a statement issued Monday night by Lynette Clark, the party's chairwoman, who said that Ms. Palin joined the party in 1994 and in 1996 changed her registration to Republican. It turns out that Todd Palin once belonged to the group, but Sarah Palin never did. Once again, rumor was reported as news. No basic confirmation or verification was done by The New York Times, nor others that was spreading the rumor based so-called "news" and their Caucus blog was left to correct the mistake after the headlines and rumor spread throughout the day yesterday. Is it any wonder why the majority of the public distrusts the major media organizations? . |
| GOP Pushes Back At Media And Pundit Frenzy Over Sarah Palin VP Pick Posted: 03 Sep 2008 10:49 AM CDT The video below is of Newt Gingrich blasting the media. Text Via, NewsBusters:
After John McCain announced his choice of his running mate to be Sarah Palin, the media and political pundits went into what has been described as a frenzy with story after story, including unfounded rumors about Palin and now the GOP strikes back. The last three pages of The Politico article details examples of many of the media and liberal blogger's attacks on Sarah Palin, from the rumor of Palin's fifth child Trig being her daughter's child, to headlines shown on major media networks question if a mother of five has "time" to be a vice president without asking if Barack Obama, father of two, has "time" to be the president. Other examples include Democratic politicians and even liberal radio talk show host, Ed Schultz , who said Sarah Palin had started a "bimbo alert." The new ad which will detail and contrast the differences between being a junior Senator from Illinois and Barack Obama is and holding an executive position running a state the size of Alaska as Sarah Palin does, is only the beginning of the GOP push back against the firestorm of reports regarding Palin. Yesterday former presidential candidate and Senator, Fred Thompson, blasted the New York Ties for their coverage of Palin as well as using a portion of his speech at the Republican Convention to state the "media big shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit."
That was the beginning of the push back and reports show that it starts in earnest, on multiple fronts today. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be on multiple television and cable stations speaking about Sarah Palin's historic candidacy being the first female ever the Republic ticket as well as addressing the media's frenzy regarding her family. Former Democratic vice presidential candidate and sitting Senator for Connecticut Joseph Lieberman, who also spoke last night at the Republican Convention, and Congressman Eric Cantor will hold a press conference to denounce the Obama campaigns official spokesman's words implying that Governor Palin supported Nazi sympathy because she wore a Pat Buchanan pin on one single occasion. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, former Ebay CEO Meg Whitman, McCain senior advisor Nicolle Wallace, McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker and McCain senior advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer will also be pushing back against the media attacks. The Washington Post reports on Steve Schmidt, a top McCain official describes how the campaign was sieged with a "feeding frenzy" fueled by a rumor first posted on a popular liberal website, Daily Kos, and states that even the reporters forced to call were claiming they were ashamed as he tells the Post, "The campaign has been inundated by hundreds and hundreds of calls from some of the most respected reporters and news organizations. Many reporters have called the campaign and have apologized for asking the questions and said, 'Our editors are making us do this, and I am ashamed.' " The media frenzy continued yesterday with claims that Sarah Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party for two years in the 1990's, which was reported by the New York Times and other media outlets, yet today it is reported by the Times' Caucus blog, the woman that provided that information to the Times, who went on to publish the story as others did, without bothering to confirm and verify, has now said "her initial statement was incorrect and had been based on erroneous information provided by another member of the party whom she declined to identify." After checking the party's archives, Ms. Clark said that she could find no documentation that Governor Palin had been a member of the party. She said Ms. Palin attended the party's 1994 and 2006 conventions and provided a video-taped address as governor to the 2008 convention. Some claim the problem here is clear saying the media was caught flat footed when McCain chose Palin, they were unprepared and they started reported unconfirmed information and it takes their official "blog" to correct for them a day later, after the initial story was blasted across headlines. The Wall Street Journal calls this type of reporting a "Beltway outburst" and tries to explain the phenomenon. What's really going on here is that the Beltway class can see how popular the Palin pick is with Republicans outside Washington, and especially with middle-class conservatives. As Richard Land, a leader with the Southern Baptist Convention, said Monday, John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin closed the "enthusiasm gap" between the two parties. Some are pointing out the Republican Party speakers doing the media rounds need to focus on the smears, the lies reported on without confirmation or verification which end up being retracted or ignored the next day and the rumor reported as news, separating those specific attacks from any legitimate questions dealing with policy. Sarah Palin is due to address the Republican Convention and the American people tonight and for many that do not focus on blogs, Internet political sites or major news papers, will get a chance to meet her for the first time and decide for themselves whether they like her, hate her, believe her and more importantly, if they will vote for the McCain ticket with Sarah Palin on it. It is clear that Obama supporters are spinning in panic, especially the media which has seen one event from John McCain, choosing Palin, that has closed the enthusiasm gap, given the core base of the Republican party something to become excited about, and they are rallying around McCain and Palin in a spectacular manner. The attempts to discredit her, use her family and children against her, have backfired and the more they run from website to website, comment section to comment section continuing to the same, the more Republicans will rally and bring it home for McCain/Palin in November. They played their hand wrong and come November, if Obama loses the election, he will have his most ardent supporters to blame for it because they could and are throwing their own candidate, off the edge of the cliff without a parachute. Irony works in wonderful ways. . |
| Surprise Guest Poster--THOUGHTFUL and REASONED Dissent Posted: 03 Sep 2008 03:09 AM CDT Cross posted from Miss Beth's Victory Dance here.  Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a first for Miss Beth. I'm not known for allowing dissent to my views in general--after all, this is my blog and I'll rant as I like. However, I have a very dear friend, well educated, articulate (heckuva computer whiz as well) who is absolutely true-blue American to the core. We do have occasional disagreements on some issues, but nothing explosive because we are comfortable in our disagreements and can conduct ourselves in an adult fashion, we can have a rousing good discussion and learn from each other. To that end, I am more than willing to give her "dissent time" and ask you to really read what she has to say--this isn't just talking points, and she's not a fringe lunatic. THIS is how different view points should be presented--and hopefully learned from. Hopefully, too, my friend will allow her dissent to be presented here regularly. By the way, did I mention she lived in Alaska for awhile, so she has some actual "working knowledge" we (or at least I) don't have on the issue of Gov. Palin? She has a better working knowledge of the actualities; unlike most people who can claim to have lived in Alaska during that relevant time, I know she actually did. She has the credibility, whereas people in a comment thread lose that credibility simply from anonymity. To that end, I present my friend, Sadie Adams. September 2, 2008 - Tuesday Sarah Palin is the noose around McCain's political neck: AKA Insult Me Some More '08 I am smack dab in the middle of the demographic of middle-class, educated, independent-minded women that the Republicans (and Democrats) currently seek to court. And in response to their mistaken impression that the Hillary-loving masses have been slapped in the ass hard enough by the Obama-gods that these intelligent though oft-times vocally rabid voting women will about-face and turn their votes to the "dark side" in response to Hill's failure to win the nomination, the Republican "smarty-pants" have brought inexperienced, backwoods, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to the ticket to fight the conservative fight alongside our infamous Arizona political maverick, John McCain? I, for one, am insulted. A vice-presidential candidate has never been a "make it or break it" deal for me, but the spit in the eye of what seems to be the "spoonful of sugar" to help the stale old Republican political "medicine go down", is utterly disgusting to me. Now don't get me wrong... I am not on the front lines of the Democratic Party's political battle. I am not one to be counted among the flock of Kool-aid drinkin' Obama lovin' sheep. Even as eloquently as he spoke during his recent nomination acceptance speech at the DNC convention in Denver, I will never vote for Barack Hussein Obama (AKA "God/Allah's Answer to All Our Prayers"). His communist/socialistic tendencies are all too reminiscent of the early rantings from our island neighbor/dictator to the south, Fidel Castro, for my taste. Couple this with Obama's rise from relative political and managerial Nowhere-land, I can't stomach the idea of this radically liberal "poster boy for change" leading the American people, like Moses from the Bible stories, out of wandering from the desert of despair which has come to exist on the social, moral, legal, and economic landscape of today's American society. But Sarah Palin as our country's wingman to the president, face of American women, ambassador to the world, leader of our legislative branch?! Are you freakin' kidding me?! Sarah Palin is proclaimed to be a skilled moose hunter and avid ice-fisherwoman. She is the high-school sweetheart wife to a "superstar" Alaskan snow-mobiler and a loving mother of five children: ranging from an adult son serving honorably in our military to a 4 month old newborn afflicted with Down's Syndrome. I have to admit she isn't all that hard on the eyes and I'll be damned if she doesn't look like she just walked off the set having nabbed the role of some "Hot For Teacher" babe in an 80s rock music video. But does Sarah Palin's résumé really do well to balance out the Republican argument against Obama's obvious lack of solid and proven experience to qualify himself to lead our nation, which has always been McCain's ringer retort? Even Obama was smart enough to go along with the DNC money-wielding politicos to pick a VP candidate with experience. Joe Biden got his start in Washington politics while Obama was probably still a pimple-popping, wave-surfing, binge-drinking, pot-smoking preteen back in Hawaii (even if it does scream "bullshit!" at his own "time for change" mantra). And so, the RNC's response is what?! Our 70-something year-old straight-talking and venerated war hero is paired up with the gun-toting beauty queen with heart of gold and a redneck brood of kids to go with it. I'll bet the National Enquirer is standing in the streets of the town of Wasilla (a small town, east of Anchorage - population approximately 8500 – where, as mayor, Palin "cut her teeth on the political polls" before becoming governor) just drooling at the chance to pay a measly $10,000 to the first toothless wonder in exchange for any viable yet juicy tidbit about the virtually unknown Sarah "Annie Oakley" Palin. Sarah Palin, though seemingly a well-rounded and well-spoken "All American Girl" from what little us "Lower 48-ers" know and have heard from her, is NOT my idea of a viable and experienced running mate to ANY candidate for president, regardless of party affiliation, nor should she be slated to be considered the voice of the intelligent, middle-class American woman. I, too, lived in the Last Frontier for a time myself. After driving over 4,000 miles of treacherous road from my home in Arizona, I lived in Alaska long enough: - to earn a decent wage, making nearly double in one year than I had in the previous year in Arizona doing the same job, and pay off some bills, even despite the increased cost of living; - to take out a fishing pole and troll for salmon with my two daughters in a small boat along the glacial silt-filled rivers and fjords, surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains; - to wonder at the moose trolling around among the residential neighborhoods and city streets in Alaska's larges city (which swelled to a "whopping" 250,000 or so people during mid-summer); - to be cautious enough when venturing out exploring into the vast forests and mountains to remember to bring along a shotgun and plenty of ammunition (aware of the presence of hungry bears); - to endure (as a desert rat accustomed to 60-70 degree Christmases) one of the harshest winters the city of Anchorage had seen in years; - to escape death just before Thanksgiving with only nine staples to my scalp and a cracked kneecap, injured when my vehicle slid backwards, downhill, about 100 yards, then rolled over and landed upside down in a ditch in the icy, snow-filled mountainside; - to learn first-hand, working for a reputable law firm, about the ins and outs of the oil industry (as much from the big oil perspective as from the environmentalist's perspective) and fishing industry; - and to get a literal "bird's eye's view" of the landscape and throngs of wolves, and caribou, and bears which outnumber humans so greatly in the vast and great last frontier; But none of this translates to experience to stand toe-to-toe with political heads-of-state of foreign governments and to preside over our legislature or to possibly step in as Leader of the Free World and Commander-in-Chief of our military (should any ill fate happen upon our elderly statesman McCain, while possible serving as President), does it? Picking Sarah Palin to try and bolster the conservative agenda is political suicide for the Republicans and for any chance that the so-called conservatives might have had to keep Obama from "preaching his way into the White House" with his socialist rhetoric, and letting the deep pockets of the MoveOn-type Libs get a final stranglehold over our nation. The Dems are getting at what some people at first, undoubtedly, thought HAD to be a joke when "The Mav" made the announcement on Friday of "his" VP pick. The gossip train has been given all the fuel it needs to grind it's way right over McCain's pasty and war-scarred back, right on into the Metro station closest to Michelle Obama's freshly painted, pretty, new WhiteBlack House. I sat at work today, surrounded by the jabbering of the liberal, elitist, cream-of-the-crop, well-educated and highly overpaid lawyers that I work with (actually for, since we "pee-ons" who actually do most of the work they take credit for are truly not, nor ever will be, equal to them). These same persons who sell their souls daily to represent big business all in the name of the mighty dollar that they earn as a result, while piously preaching and seething about their rich clients' injustices on the world and "everyday, little man" behind their backs, were giddy and excited today in their chatter about McCain and the RNC's choice of Sarah Palin for the Republican VP running mate. And who can blame them for their exuberance? Palin has brought with her to the Republican stage: - a political scandal of allegations of abuse of power while having only been Governor of Alaska since 2006; - a very, very, very short list of political "accomplishments" before her current gubernatorial position, including beating out a Republican "political giant" who had faced some scandal of his own and being the mayor of a very small town; - and a baby sadly afflicted with Down's Syndrome, which might not be hers, but actually her grandchild, born from her 17-year-old daughter, now pregnant (again?) out of wedlock. I am sure the Enquirer will find something more for the Dems to complete their "wet dream" with. Regardless of what truth any of the produced gossip might actually bear, I cannot argue with the "oh-My-GOSH" truth of the fact that Sarah Palin has got to be the most ridiculous choice that the Republicans could have pushed McCain to endorse. Mitt Romney with his painted face, plastered hair and strict Mormon conservative base would have at least helped to lock in the conservative vote, regardless of any of the differences between the former presidential hopeful and his previous rival, now nominated candidate/victor, John McCain. But a "Beauty and the Beast" ticket? What the hell is the RNC thinking? As a woman, I am insulted. I cannot and will not stupidly chant the party's spin on this one. I am an independent, intelligent and VOTING woman. I vote in every election cycle, even when there isn't a presidential position at stake. I take my daughters to stand in line at the polls while I wait, sometimes hours, to make my mark and complete my civic duty. I try to teach them of the importance of having a vote and in taking a stance on issues important to our everyday lives and putting people into office to represent the common good. But in thinking that Sarah Palin is the answer to bring in the "minority" woman's vote they are attempting to court in the wake of Hillary's sunken hopes for the first woman to steer the American ship from the helms of the Oval Office (well, from behind, not below the desk, anyhow) – the Republicans have got their read on American women all wrong this time, baby! They should re-draw the Republican Party's mascot elephant's ass with a big ole' Democratic Donkey hoof-print on it now. Shit! I'd even give Monica Lewinsky credit for more experience than I would Sarah Palin. (But Ms. Altoids wears blue, and not red, so I guess she couldn't have made it to the Republican short list, could she?) Sarah Palin should gracefully bow out now while the "gettin' is good", and none of us would fault her for it. Sad as it is to say it, the rigors of a campaign trail, as they choke on Obama's dust in the polls and as the Obama lovin' media rips her and her family's still somewhat good name to shreds, will prove to be too much for the Alaska girl and her December romance hero in the end. Mrs. Palin needs to go home and earn her stripes before this intelligent, All American girl will even think to stand in line and consider her worthy of the No. 2 spot in my nation's government. She should go home and take care of that sweet baby who is going to be challenged enough in his lifetime, without the added difficulty of missing some very crucial bonding time early on, and go encourage that 17-year-old daughter to put down the fishing pole, and press forward, baby in tow, to complete a college education so that she can adequately support herself and unborn child in the future, head held high. Mrs. Palin, go sit down in the Governor's mansion and listen to your state's workers and citizens to learn about the challenges of governing from all angles, from top to bottom. A pretty face and some pretty rhetoric, even if touted and paraded by the likes of Hannity and Rush, will not stupify this independent woman into "plugging my nose and voting McCain". I'll not be placing my vote for President this year - Not if I have the choice of Old Man McCain and his lovely assistant, What's Her Name versus Barack Hussein Obama and his unproud, American wife and white-haired friend Joe, who has a sad case of verbal diarrhea from time to time. I'd rather eat glacial silt for breakfast. I'll let the dogs just fight this one out without me this time. Now… where's my TiVo remote? That 30-second fast forward button might be just enough to bypass those "I'm Dodo Bird, and I approve this message" ads and get to those really cool Geico gecko and caveman commercials and the next season's episodes of Heroes to begin. That should keep the bile down and me entertained at least until it's time for the World Series, when I can start ranting again about overpaid, steroid-junkie athletes again. |
| Video and Text of Joseph Liebermans Speech At Republican Convention Posted: 02 Sep 2008 10:35 PM CDT First video is 10 minutes long as is the second one below it. The start of the second one is where Lieberman says, "Sen. Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But eloquence is no substitute for a record — not in these tough times.." Part Two (10 minutes 6 seconds): Great speech and really hit home. His appeal to independents, a Reagan Democrats or a Clinton Democrat, or just a Democrats, at the end was especially good. Watch them. His remarks are slightly different from the prepared text, especially his appreciation for such a warm welcome. Democratic blogs are already having a little fit over his speech. Text below as prepared for Delivery: (He did make sure to tell everyone how he appreciated the warm welcome saying "you have to me to know how I appreciate it." Thank you for that warm welcome. I am honored to be here. We meet tonight in the wake of a terrible storm that has hit the Gulf Coast but that hurts all of us, because we are all members of our larger American family. At times like this, we set aside all that divides us, and we come together to help our fellow citizens in need. What matters is certainly not whether we are Democrats or Republicans, but that we are all Americans. The truth is, it shouldn't take a hurricane to bring us together like this. Every day, across our country, millions of our fellow citizens are facing huge problems. They are worried about their homes, their jobs, and their businesses; they are worried about the outrageous cost of gas and of health insurance; and they are worried about the threats from our enemies abroad. But when they look to Washington, all too often they do not see their leaders coming together to tackle these problems. Instead they see Democrats and Republicans fighting each other, rather than fighting for the American people. Our founding fathers foresaw the danger of this kind of senseless partisanship. George Washington himself — in his farewell address to our country — warned that the "spirit of party" is "the worst enemy" of our democracy and "enfeebles" our government's ability to do its job. George Washington was absolutely right. The sad truth is — today we are living through his worst nightmare, in the capital city that bears his name. And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? The answer is simple. I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American. Both presidential candidates this year talk about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and special interests that are poisoning our politics. But only one of them has actually done it. Only one leader has shown the courage and the capability to rise above the smallness of our politics to get big things done for our country and our people. And that leader is John McCain! John understands that it shouldn't take a natural disaster like Hurricane Gustav to get us to take off our partisan blinders and work together to get things done. It shouldn't take a natural disaster to teach us that the American people don't care much if you have an "R" or a "D" after your name. What they care about is, are we solving the problems they are up against every day? What you can expect from John McCain as president is precisely what he has done this week: which is to put country first. That is the code by which he has lived his entire life, and that is the code he will carry with him into the White House. I have personally seen John, over and over again, bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face _to reform our campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws, to create the 9/11 Commission and pass its critical national security reforms, and to end the partisan paralysis over judicial confirmations. My Democratic friends know all about John's record of independence and accomplishment. Maybe that's why some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince voters that John McCain is someone else. I'm here, as a Democrat myself, to tell you: Don't be fooled. God only made one John McCain, and he is his own man. If John McCain was just another go-along partisan politician, he never would have taken on corrupt Republican lobbyists, or big corporations that were cheating the American people, or powerful colleagues in Congress who were wasting taxpayer money. But he did! If John McCain was just another go-along partisan politician, he never would have led the fight to fix our broken immigration system or to do something about global warming. But he did! As a matter of fact, if John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. And I'm not. Sen. Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But eloquence is no substitute for a record — not in these tough times. In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party. Contrast that to John McCain's record, or the record of the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who stood up to some of those same Democratic interest groups and worked with Republicans to get important things done like welfare reform, free trade agreements, and a balanced budget. Governor Sarah Palin, like John McCain, is a reformer who has taken on the special interests and reached across party lines. She is a leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington. That's why the McCain-Palin ticket is the real ticket for change this year. The Washington bureaucrats and power brokers can't build a pen strong enough to hold these two mavericks. And together, you can count on John McCain and Sarah Palin to fight for America and to fight for you! And that's what our country needs most right now. What we need most is not more party unity in America but more national unity! Especially at a time of war, we need a president we can count on to fight for what's right for our country — not only when it is easy, but when it is hard. When others were silent, John McCain had the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq. When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge, and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor! Before I conclude, I ask the indulgence of those in this hall tonight, as I want to speak directly to my fellow Democrats and independents who are watching. I know many of you are angry and frustrated by our government and our politics and for good reason. You may be thinking of voting for John McCain but you're not sure. Some of you have never voted for a Republican before and in an ordinary election, you probably wouldn't. But this is no ordinary election, because these are not ordinary times, and John McCain is no ordinary candidate. You may not agree with John McCain on every issue. But you can always count on him to be straight with you about where he stands, and to stand for what he thinks is right regardless of politics. As president, you can count on John McCain to be a restless reformer, who will clean up Washington and get our government working again for you! So tonight, I ask you whether you are an independent, a Reagan Democrat or a Clinton Democrat, or just a Democrat: This year, when you vote for president, vote for the person you believe is best for the country, not for the party you happen to belong to. Vote for the leader who, since the age of 17, when he raised his hand and took an oath to defend and protect our Constitution, has always put our country first. So, let's come together to make a great American patriot our next great president! Highlights of Fred Thompson's speech found here. . |
| Fred Thompson At Republican Convention- VIDEO added Posted: 02 Sep 2008 10:19 PM CDT The Corner has the entire text of the speech but I wanted to highlight a few things and I will slap the video up of his and Lieberman's speech as soon as it is available. Fred Thompson on Sarah Palin: Speaking of the vice presidential nominee, what a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is. Video of Thompson's remarks about Palin is below: Thompson's comments on John McCain after telling of his history as a POW said: Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President. Thompson's references to Obama: What I remember most about those years is sitting next to John on the Senate floor as he led battle after battle to change the acrimonious, pork barreling, self serving ways of Washington. Thompson received a wonderful ovation after this next comment: The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship. The best line of the night from Thompson about Obama and Congress: To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president. Taxes: Video below: Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases. For those that criticized Fred Thompson for a lack of "fire in his belly" during his campaigning when he was running for president.....he sure made up for it tonight!!! He was on fire. Video and complete text of Lieberman's remarks as prepared for delivery found here. . |
| Obama on Palin's Family: Taking the Moral High Ground or Merely a Convenient Ploy? Posted: 02 Sep 2008 08:53 PM CDT   From CNN.com Obama Says Palin's Family Off Limits MONROE, Michigan (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama said firmly that families are off-limits in the campaign for president, reacting to news that GOP running mate Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. "Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president." -----------------------------------------------------------------------  A note from Radarsite: After all that I have written about the very real dangers of an Obama Presidency, whenever I hear the leftist media -- and even some delusional conservatives shmoozing about how Obama has taken the moral high ground on an issue, my antennae start tingling. The latest example of OB's claim to moral heights is his kind and generous admonishment to his followers not to attempt to draw Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin's family into the fray. This high-toned rhetoric would have carried much more weight if his army of sycophantic minions in the leftist media had not already jumped all over these personal family issues in what they themselves later characterized as an orgiastic "feeding-frenzy". A media frenzy so blatant and tasteless, so vile and contemptuous, that even some well-known liberal talking heads appear to be genuinely shocked.So then this is what we have -- a perfect example of how you can have your cake and eat it too. Have your character assassins do the best and most efficient hatchet job they can possibly do, as quickly and expeditiously as they can do it; then after the deed is done denounce the denouncers. After all the bloody knives have been put back in their sheaves, you can step back and look aghast at the carnage. And there is another game afoot. If we are to make all candidate's family members taboo for investigative journalists' probings, doesn't that also have the added benefit of removing OB's embarrassingly anti-American rhetoric-spilling wife from the field of battle? Barack Hussein Obama as president would be absolutely disastrous for this vulnerable nation of ours. To lend him or his campaign any moral weight, based on their cynical manipulation of their sympathetic media is delusional and foolhardy. The only way Barack Obama can take the high moral ground in this race is to withdraw himself from it, and not to unleash the chaos on this country that his presidency most certainly would. |
| Republican Convention Watch: Day Two Schedule Posted: 02 Sep 2008 05:56 PM CDT The schedule for day two of the Republican National Convention is set and the speaker lineup schedule has been announced with tidbits of what certain speakers will offer. The overall theme of the Republican convention is "Country First", to which yesterday in deference to the pending Hurricane, Gustav, that was approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast, Republican delegates and convention attendees took to the phones and collected over a million dollars in relief funds for the victims of Hurricane Gustav. Gustav did far less damage that projected and tonight the Republican Convention is back on track and the schedule of speakers and events have been announced which was changed originally because of Hurricane Gustav as reported by Bellingham Herald.. Via the Republican Convention website, the featured speeches for tonight will come from Senator Joseph Lieberman in what is being described by sources as a "trans-Partisan" speech as The Politico describes it. Lieberman will speak of John McCain's record of leadership and service. It will be, promised the source, "like no other that has been given at any convention." Also featured tonight is a speech that will be given by Former presidential candidate and Senator, Fred Thompson. Excerpts of Thompson's speech has been released to show that he will discuss a number of topics. On John McCain's qualifications to be president: "This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength. Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the presidency?'" On John McCain's dedication to doing what is right – not what is popular: "He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular." On John McCain's commitment to taking real action to reform Washington: "But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen – always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place." On John McCain's ability to restore integrity to our government: "My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put 'Country First' with John McCain. Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country." The Weekly Standard has been given tips as to other subjects that Fred Thompson will address, one of which being Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarh Palin: "What a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is. She is from a small town, with small town values, but that's not good enough for those folks who are attacking her and her family. Let's be clear, the selection of Governor Palin has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic. She is a courageous, successful, reformer, who is not afraid to take on the establishment." Thompson will also address Barack Obama answers at the Saddleback Church from last month regarding abortion, where he will say, "We need a President, and Vice President, who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shaking. And we need a President who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade." The full list of schedule speakers as of now will be : * President George W. Bush (via satellite) * First Lady Laura Bush * U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) * Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) * U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) * U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.) * U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) * Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee * Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements It is expected that further speakers will be appear as well, due to the conflict of some members of delegations having returned to their home states to deal with the hurricane yesterday the schedule was altered. [Update] Excerpt from Joseph Lieberman's speech: "And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? The answer is simple. I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American." . |
| Breaking: Plane With Blown Tire Circling LAX Preparing For Emergency Landing Posted: 02 Sep 2008 02:40 PM CDT An American Airlines plane, flight 1586, a Boeing, carrying over 100 passengers is circling LAX preparing for an emergency landing because of a shredded tire. Right now the plane is burning up fuel while circling LAX airport preparing for their emergency landing. Fire fighters and emergency airport crews are awaiting the landing. Pilots told officials they were planning to circle the airport for 45 minutes to an hour before attempting the emergency landing according to Albert Rodriguez, an LAX spokesman. According to ABC7 it is a Boeing 737 and has nearly 130 passengers on board with a flight crew of five. [ Update] Watching the landing on television and there were no sparks and everyone is safe and sound from reports on multiple channels. Happy ending and the pilot, despite his asking for emergency crews to be on scene for a bad case scenario, landing the plane without any difficulty and looked as normal as if all tires were fine. Pilots use simulations to practice this type of scenario but do not land planes with blown tires as part of training. . |
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