Since things obviously panned out so well for John McCain when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Iowa is following suit. Just today I found an article that revealed that Terry Branstad, in his attempt to again hold the Governor's office after a rather lengthy hiatus, has chosen state senator Kim Reynolds as a running mate.
Sen. Reynolds (R-Oceola), is in her first term as a state senator. Prior to that office, she was the treasurer for Clarke County (2000 census pop. 9,133). She's also served as president of the Iowa State County Treasurers Association and served six years on the IPERS board.
Though I know somewhere between little and nothing about this person, I can't help but liken this to what we saw John McCain pull during the presidential campaign. A woman (though in this case not as young) with very little experience being pulled from the ranks of obscurity and thrown into a campain for a position in which she is likely neither ready for nor capable of doing well. Again, the Republican party shows that it has no shame. As if it weren't bad enough that the party had to recycle a governor from a past decade; the Repubs seem to again be counting on a fresh faced woman to win votes - not records or experience. Glad to see they have so much respect for the mental fortitude of their constituents.
I wonder if Senator Reynolds can see Russia from her house too.
Showing posts with label Sarah Palin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Palin. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Dying Party
Seriously, what is the deal with the frenzy that the health care issue has caused? I see on the news where people are screaming and yelling at congressmen in "town hall meetings" or whatever you want to call them. Then there are people out there claiming that the new legislation promotes euthanasia (or as Sarah Palin put it, "Obama's Death Panel") and takes away Medicare, and...you name it, someone has made the claim. I even heard that the new legislation has Nazi influences. Euthanasia? Nazis? Really?
Obviously, by sheer merit of there being so many conflicting claims of what the legislation actually posesses within its pages, there must be some misinformation out there. But why? Who makes up those faulty claims? And who perpetuates them? Why?
Who: Republicans mostly.
Why: 1) because they're pissed that, if this passes, and works, they won't get credit for dealing with a f***ed up system when they should have (i.e. sometime between 2000 and 2008)...and 2) because if this passes, and works, their already floundering party will be rendered completely irrelevant and they'll have next to zero chance of regaining any significant political power for at least a generation.
That's just my opinion - formed largely on the basis that with every new effort, the Republican party looks more and more desparate. Rush Limbaugh sunk so low (as if "lower" was possible) as to claim the Dems have Nazi ties; Fox News had some guy in a "Crazy Tree" with a whiteboard basically claiming Obama was a Communist; and Rep. Virginia Fox (R-NC) was shown on C-SPAN claiming the legislation promotes euthanasia. And to think some people buy this crap...and still vote for the people who make it up.
All the while, these same people are doing everything in their power to prevent the single most beneficial piece of legislation this country (and maybe world) has ever had the opportunity to put in place to solve an awful lot of our problems: The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Through this bill, we could create millions of jobs in the clean energy sector, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and actually make strides toward combating global climate change. That one bill has the potential to pull us out of the recession by creating jobs that cannot be outsourced, transition us to a clean energy economy, break our slavery to oil-producing nations (another benefit to the economy), and start addressing the single biggest threat to the human species we've ever faced. But the Republicans fight tooth and nail to prevent this bill from passing.
Even if the Republicans do get their way, and Obama fails...it will be too late for them to do anything about it and their party will collapse anyway...only it will bring the rest of the country with it.
Obviously, by sheer merit of there being so many conflicting claims of what the legislation actually posesses within its pages, there must be some misinformation out there. But why? Who makes up those faulty claims? And who perpetuates them? Why?
Who: Republicans mostly.
Why: 1) because they're pissed that, if this passes, and works, they won't get credit for dealing with a f***ed up system when they should have (i.e. sometime between 2000 and 2008)...and 2) because if this passes, and works, their already floundering party will be rendered completely irrelevant and they'll have next to zero chance of regaining any significant political power for at least a generation.
That's just my opinion - formed largely on the basis that with every new effort, the Republican party looks more and more desparate. Rush Limbaugh sunk so low (as if "lower" was possible) as to claim the Dems have Nazi ties; Fox News had some guy in a "Crazy Tree" with a whiteboard basically claiming Obama was a Communist; and Rep. Virginia Fox (R-NC) was shown on C-SPAN claiming the legislation promotes euthanasia. And to think some people buy this crap...and still vote for the people who make it up.
All the while, these same people are doing everything in their power to prevent the single most beneficial piece of legislation this country (and maybe world) has ever had the opportunity to put in place to solve an awful lot of our problems: The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). Through this bill, we could create millions of jobs in the clean energy sector, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and actually make strides toward combating global climate change. That one bill has the potential to pull us out of the recession by creating jobs that cannot be outsourced, transition us to a clean energy economy, break our slavery to oil-producing nations (another benefit to the economy), and start addressing the single biggest threat to the human species we've ever faced. But the Republicans fight tooth and nail to prevent this bill from passing.
Even if the Republicans do get their way, and Obama fails...it will be too late for them to do anything about it and their party will collapse anyway...only it will bring the rest of the country with it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Aw, Crap! Not again!
Well it looks like Sarah Palin is getting smacked with ethics violation charges again.
What?! You mean charging the taxpayers to fly your kids around with you on "official business" to places they've not been invited or even have any business being at is wrong? Gee, I never would have guessed.
Seriously? If she can't keep from abusing her power as Governor, how does anyone expect her to not abuse her power at VP of the United States?
What?! You mean charging the taxpayers to fly your kids around with you on "official business" to places they've not been invited or even have any business being at is wrong? Gee, I never would have guessed.
Seriously? If she can't keep from abusing her power as Governor, how does anyone expect her to not abuse her power at VP of the United States?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
At first it was a letter
When Sarah Palin first popped front and center onto the stage of American politics, I came across a rather lengthy letter that talked about her...and not much of it was positive. I posted links to it here simply in an effort to show people (okay, the two people that read this blog) what other folks (supposedly from Alaska) think of this power-mongering governor and potential VP (see "And more Palin goodness" post below).
But as time went on, many of the claims in that letter were fact-checked by the media and the letter started to carry some credence. Upon last check, the site that initially posted the letter had added quite a few links that verify much of the information. Now, this scary letter is really starting to pack a punch.
Then I came across this article on Grist which referenced a NY Times report that outlined how shrewd and secretive Palin has been as governor. For a woman that touts administrative transparency and claims to be a "Maverick" in rooting out corruption, I'm sensing a bit of hypocrisy.
But as time went on, many of the claims in that letter were fact-checked by the media and the letter started to carry some credence. Upon last check, the site that initially posted the letter had added quite a few links that verify much of the information. Now, this scary letter is really starting to pack a punch.
Then I came across this article on Grist which referenced a NY Times report that outlined how shrewd and secretive Palin has been as governor. For a woman that touts administrative transparency and claims to be a "Maverick" in rooting out corruption, I'm sensing a bit of hypocrisy.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fish apparently Palin comparison to Industry
"...the greatest threat to Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery will have come from bad decisions made by homegrown politicians."
That homegrown politician who (maybe illegally) signed the death warrant for a body of water that provides 1/2 of America's seafood is none other than Sarah Palin.
That homegrown politician who (maybe illegally) signed the death warrant for a body of water that provides 1/2 of America's seafood is none other than Sarah Palin.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tale of the Tape clarification - with sources
So there's this nice little email floating around that compares Sarah Palin to Barack Obama. It can be found on Redstate (and can also be found on this blog - where I posted this rebuttal). The post is very superficial so I had to take the opportunity to address some of those comparisons AND back them up with the sources - something the original post does not do.
Current job: Palin - Governor of Alaska (population 683,478); Obama - Junior Senator from Illinois (population 12,852,548).
Previous public jobs: Obama - Community organizer (of the grassroots kind that won women's suffrage, ended slavery, keeps the Red Cross going, funds the NRA, and gives the 'common man' a voice in DC).
Dealing with corrupt individuals: Palin - Received gobs of media attention by resigning as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after deciding that she hated the structured hours, commute, and $122,400 salary - a job that was handed to her by then-governor Murkowski even though she had no qualifications for it. Upon finding out that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) had engaged in some unethical behavior, she used her resignation as a strategic media-grab opportunity to garner her the reputation as an 'ethics reformer' (source).
Earmarks: Palin - "Opposed bridge to nowhere" only AFTER supporting it to win votes.
Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects, yet she employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 MILLION in federal earmarks for her town of 6,700 people while she was mayor.
Energy: Palin - believes energy independence is a matter of national security; for drilling in ANWR (even though McCain is not). The problem is that drilling, unfortunately, will not solve anything. According to Energy Information Administration, "It is expected that the price impact of ANWR coastal plain production might reduce world oil prices by as much as 30 to 50 cents per barrel [in 2025]." There are 42 gallons in a barrel - so basically that translates into a penny or so per gallon. "Don’t spend it all in one place, American public!"
Environment: Palin - Announced plans to...address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in AK - even though she is "not one to attribute it to being man-made."
Oh and where's the mention of her stance on polar bears and their subsequent federal protection? In her own words, "I strongly believe that adding polar bears to the list under the Endangered Species Act is the wrong move at this time." Oh, so they're not in danger? I must've missed that memo.
Obama on energy - He's surrounded himself with A-list advisors and it just so happens that he has a legitimate, comprehensive, sensible AND sustainable energy plan backed by plenty in the environmental scene.
On a final note, be sure to dig a bit deeper for the facts, then make a decision. Don't base a vote on a shallow, superficial email floating around.
And more Palin goodness
I found these links on a comment posted by Greyflcn on this Grist post. They're definitely worth checking out - especially since her speech last night was a 'perfect populist speech'.
The first one is an audio clip of the second link.
Audio
A note to all by Anne Kilkenny
Palin’s Start in Alaska: Not Politics as Usual
Documents detail Palin's political life
Palin's pork requests confound reformer image
And as a side note, I find it mildly ironic that woman who is in line to potentially become the second most powerful person in the world is bashing 'community organizers' when it was the 'community organizers' of the suffrage era that made it possible for her to stand where she was.
The first one is an audio clip of the second link.
Audio
A note to all by Anne Kilkenny
Palin’s Start in Alaska: Not Politics as Usual
Documents detail Palin's political life
Palin's pork requests confound reformer image
And as a side note, I find it mildly ironic that woman who is in line to potentially become the second most powerful person in the world is bashing 'community organizers' when it was the 'community organizers' of the suffrage era that made it possible for her to stand where she was.
Who is Sarah Palin?
I came across this little tidbit of scary goodness on the website of a friend of mine who lives in Anchorage, AK. I modified it a bit to link the footnotes to references at the end of the article:
Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.
Huh?
Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:
She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.(1)
Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.(2)
She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. (4)
She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change. (5)
She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska. (6, and this, and this)
How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position. (7)
This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.
We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:
She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK
She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK
As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK
Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK
She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK
I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK
So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.
In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.
In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.
Thanks for all you do.
–Ilyse, Noah, Justin, Karin and the rest of the team
ALSO: She is in favor of aerial hunting of wolves and supports mining in the best salmon fishing river in Alaska (supports five species)
Sources:
1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=1
3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=2
4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=3
5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=4
6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=5
"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=6
"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=7
7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=8
Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.
Huh?
Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:
She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.(1)
Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.(2)
She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. (4)
She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change. (5)
She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska. (6, and this, and this)
How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position. (7)
This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.
We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:
She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK
She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK
As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK
Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK
She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK
I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK
So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.
In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.
In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.
Thanks for all you do.
–Ilyse, Noah, Justin, Karin and the rest of the team
ALSO: She is in favor of aerial hunting of wolves and supports mining in the best salmon fishing river in Alaska (supports five species)
Sources:
1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=1
3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=2
4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=3
5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=4
6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=5
"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=6
"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=7
7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-8370428-YsJcQXx&t=8
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