We discussed a few days ago how the GOP was aggressively defending vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin with the broad (not a pun) counter that more or less any criticism of Palin’s public record, domestic life, etc. was indicative of “sexism.”
We noted at the time that some things being said about Palin were inappropriate, along with many subjects that really are fair game, but that Democrats needed to be on their guard against going over the top and turning Palin’s negatives into sympathetic positives.
Public opinion may be growing more cynical about the chip on the GOP’s shoulder for Palin after McCain’s campaign manager announced to the press that Palin would only be giving interviews to media organizations willing to show her the proper “deference,” as if any American politician were so entitled. And freshly hysterical pearl-clutching from the McCain campaign over the time-honored figure of speech “lipstick on a pig” may feed perceptions that the faux outrage expressed every time Palin is criticized is being purposefully embellished, as the Los Angeles Times reports:
Democrat Barack Obama lashed out at Republican John McCain this morning, accusing the Republican’s presidential campaign of creating a false controversy to avoid dealing with serious issues.
On Tuesday, Obama argued that McCain’s policies were similar to those of President George Bush even though Republicans were trying to repackage themselves as agents of change, an Obama theme. Obama said it was like putting lipstick on a pig, a reference that the McCain camp said was a sexist dig at GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin…
“You can put lipstick on a pig,” Obama said. “It’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years.”
For the McCain campaign, the comments were a not-so-subtle reference to Palin’s comments at the GOP convention. In an ad lib, she asked delegates if they knew the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom. “Lipstick,” she said.
In an e-mail this morning, the Obama camp noted that McCain once used the same phrase about pigs and lipstick to describe Hillary Rodham Clinton’s healthcare plan and President Bush’s Iraq war strategy. Other Republicans using the phrase include prominent conservatives and congressmen such as Minority Leader John Boehner and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the Obama campaign said.
But underlying the battle over whether lipstick is the latest barnyard epithet is the political reality of Palin’s candidacy and the problem it poses for the Obama campaign…
We say that “problem” needs to be clarified: is the problem entrenched sexism that is being exposed every time a seemingly innocent adage is used with Palin on the ticket, or is the problem a candidate whose gender is being deliberately turned into a shield against all criticism?
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It’s ridiculous political posturing. At least in ’04 the rallying cry of the GOP was: “Kerry is flip-flopper,” and they had that famous tape of Kerry saying he was for the war before he was against it.
Those attacks, thought not exactly crisp and clean, were at least based on Kerry’s record.
The fact that they are able to derive those remarks as sexist are a new low in politics. Can’t we talk about the issues? Of course not. You know why? Because John McCain is wrong on the issues. If he was right, then he wouldn’t have to stoop to this type of campaign.
Or at the very least, he could attack Obama on his record, or on the issues.
When McCain himself has used the innocuous “lipstick on a pig” phrase a bunch of times, accusing Obama of using it to insult Palin – when Palin wasn’t even being talked about! – was a tactical error on McCain’s part that will come back to hurt him.
The average American will look at these McCain talking heads sanctimoniously talking about how horribly “offensive” that remark was, and their response will be:
“Huh? Ohhh, I get it now!”
And as a consequence a lot of the other stuff the McCain camp has done to try to insulate and build up Palin will start to fall apart.
I hope Obama keeps using this as an example of how the McCain camp is trying desperately to do anything except talk about the issues and the facts. It’s just so ridiculous! It’s really hilarious.
I give you the comments from the South Carolina State Democratic Party Chair :
Source: Jonathan Martin’s Blog
http://www.politico.com/blogs/…
It is on the level of the state parties calling Obama a boy, muslim etc.
Earlier in the campaign, before McCain hired the Rove team, he would try to slap the state parties down. He doesn’t do that any more.
I hope Obama chastises the SC state party chair.
I do not take responsibility for every Democrat, but I do try to call them out when they are out of line.
I guess enough Democrats called her out and told her it was out of line. Too bad Republicans don’t police themselves as well.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/…
…I notice she didn’t apologize to Palin. Not that I’m saying she should, but I thought you were saying so. Am I wrong?
She owes Palin a major apology.
I didn’t say she owes anyone any apology. Danny seemed to say so, and I was wondering to whom he thought the apology is owed.
Sadly, I do not have access to a television at the moment so I don’t know, but that comment could possibly overshadow the “bridge to nowhere” war between the two camps and that is not what Obama wanted. Granted, the fact that Sarah is still the lead story and that the Obama camp is focusing on her rather then McCain is a positive anyway.
…that’s not a very long shadow. Plus, guess what, Palin, the VP candidate, told the “Bridge to Nowhere” lie. This random SC person is not a candidate for anything I know of.
Why don’t you look up Obama and Biden’s votes on the ‘bridge’.
They didn’t flip flop – they kept supporting it even when given the chance to give the money to Katrina victims.
Your dog isn’t just not hunting, he’s nowhere to be found for two weeks.
You know what else is insufferable bullshit?
Apologies like this:
WHether it’s an athlete or a politician of any cloth – this is crap. An apology should stop at “I’m sorry for what I’ve done“. Not this disingenuous ‘oh, I’m sorry if you happened to be offended by wwhat I said…’
Garbage. SO was the initial comment.
I can’t imagine that even Dem women really think that Palin isn’t accomplished in her life. Obama is inspiring to many Republicans in what he’s done – why would Palin be different?
She was initially for it, then changed her mind and kept the money for more needy infrastructure projects in her State. Pretty smart. Smarter than Obama or Biden..
..after losing funding was a done deal. Yet she doesn’t mention even the facts that you mention in her speeches. Yep that’s lying.
So she was for it before she was against it? You konw what they call that in politics? She’s sounding like John Kerry.
of which she has many years exercising.
Now to the SAME. The SAME theme = Democrat revenue enhancements; these are new age code for the SAME tired Democrat solution of … more and higher taxes*.
*see Hickenlooper and Ritter for examples
Congress had already killed it by the time Palin changed her mind.
She kept the money, and not for “more needy infrastructure projects”, but for more pork-barrel roads projects.
In fact, there’s now a $24m “Road to Nowhere” project underway in Alaska. It goes to, you guessed it, the place where the bridge was supposed to be. Why wasn’t it canceled along with the bridge? Because the $24m wouldn’t have stayed in Alaska otherwise. Palin has executive authority over that project, and she wants it.
Ever been to AK? The permafrost can destroy a large portion of roads every winter.
Smart lady.
PR, you guys are really freaking out.
you’re on notice – the next time some ‘pub uses that line I expect you to condemn it here in this blog. Because you KNOW it’s going to happen.
…is it below zero where you are typing?
I would respond, but instead I think I’ll take the high-road, unlike the Democratic Presidential Candidate.
…or didn’t you know that your piffle appears on the internet for all the world to see?
I could give some interesting hobby ideas, if you like, or maybe you could find someone who will write some talking points for you, so you don’t resort to first grade insults.
…don’t worry, you can think of “new” falsehoods to tell tomorrow…I won’t tell a soul that all your thoughts are recycled. But you can’t blame me if people figure this out for themselves!
Where is all the outrage regarding Obama and Biden voting for a “Bridge to Nowhere” rather then to direct those funds to Katrina victims?
Well here’s a theory… I’ll vote for your pork if you vote for mine
Besides for Palin trying to ban books, the Cons and the their thought police are going to begin banning phrases such as:
But calling your wife a cunt is perfectly acceptable.
You all know he was directly referencing Palin. The audience knew it – you know it. It was just a stupid mistake Obama made deliberately attacking Palin and likening her to a pig.
You can’t defend this. At the very least it shows Obama’s lack of judgement. He should just man up and acknowledge he was having a little joke at her expense. No big deal.
Obama is a wimp.
you would vote for him, right?
and quit loaning mortgage money to non-whites.
You must be a Republican shill.
Obama is no wimp. He puts his life on the line everyday.
I don’t belive that you are a Democrat. Once again if you are a Democrat then you are against Roe v.Wade, against equal pay for equal work, against environmental protection, against new energy resource development, and do not hold the values of a Democrat.
Why didn’t register Republican when yyou voted for GWB?
You can put lipstick on Nancy L Baldwin, but she’ll still be a transparent Republican shill.
I like its graphic picture…and nobody can call me sexist, they just call me crass.
That is so insensitive to people who are incontinent! You are totally anti-senior citizen.
I can’t believe you would make such racist remarks against people from Poland.
What do you mean by this?
if you’d only make jokes like that instead of trolling and passing yourself off as a (former) Obama supporter, we wouldn’t give you as much crap.
You can’t put lipstick on a troll.
You are a mental midget.
Didn’t you hate it when they outed you in Venona? You’re too dumb to know what venona is, but I’m sure you can google it.
You are if you support Obama.
you claimed to support Obama?
Or are you lying now when you claim to support McCain?
And I guess you were not only too dumb to know what Venona was, you were even too dumb to goggle it.
I do believe you when you say you hate America though _ that part of your rants rang true.
Obama helped change my mind. His sexism is not helping him any.
Even Katie Choric acknowledged the sexism that is in Obama’s campaign.
on a 24/7 basis. You misspelled Couric, by the way, as well as misquoting her.
How are you doing on looking up Venona?
Hint: it’s not a cheap cologne like the ones you wear to your Klavern meetings.
How’s that KKK thing working out for you?
Psychopath? Hmmm…
you still haven’t told us how that’s working out for you. Inquiring minds want to know!
And, just for the record, are you on or off your meds today? It’s so hard to tell with lying psychopaths.
I don’t think the KKK allows people of my ethnic persuasion in. Did you think your remembered me from one of your meetings?
That bedsheet looks lovely on you. Still blaming them ——s for the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bust? You weren’t faking that one, were you, girlie?
Well it was nice of you to invite me. But I think I will pass. That isn’t my thing.
But that hood makes you look fat!
We haven’t discussed SAFE, the Romanoff measure to scratch 23 and make permanent Ref C, thus creating an educational trust fund.
Last year or this spring Bob and I discussed in great detail the issue of a permanent Ref C or de-brucing. He was posing a very favorable position to make this move. I did not inquire if he was posing or just being the good reporter he is and getting opinions.
Lets do a blog on SAFE … its for the kids
You wouldn’t have understood it.
Now, damnit, walk Jonathan’s dog. You’re late again.
You are about 6’5″ or 6’6″ with a Fred Thompson like presence. You are smooth and dis-arm when you want to, but can curl like a snake when needed. I think with a trim and contacts you’d be a great replacement for Russet.
I did have that night job with Ace Bail Bonds for a long time…;-)
You came to us after that wide stance thing, which I take it didn’t work out very well for you.
But that hardly makes us soul mates, does it? Now, damnit, walk the dog! Jonathan is getting really irritated.
Grrrrrr we are far from soul mates
Once in a while, not often, but sometimes, you do show a spark of humor. But then you go back to posting the same, and wholly irrelevant, section of the NRLA over and over and over. What’s the matter, you never read the Colorado Labor Peace Act?
Why are you bothering?
you are against SAFE, as it will help ordinary people and provide no immediate monetary advantage to big business.
I have yet to read it. I’d suggest POLS post the language then we can blog it out.
I am sure they are getting some sole source deals out of it already.
To make something bad look good–like McCain’s record with regard to women
You know like to portray a man like McCain who calls his wife a cunt, calls a 13 year old Chelsea Clinton ugly, voted against equal pay (said women needed more education and training), voted against requiring insurance prescription plans that cover erectile dysfunction medicine to cover birth control, does not believe women should be allowed to sue companies for discrimination and of course choice.
picking a woman as a VP is just a “beard.”
from the all time great movie “Christine”.
voted against equal pay for equal work.
Paid his female staffers with equal and better pay. Unlike Obama who is paying women a lower wage.
Oh and I figured out that your old screename was Classless Liar. Thanks for not telling me. Figuring it out was like a fun mystery solving game!
Is there actually somebody with the handle Classless Liar?
Now you are making things up just like Palin.
Just change parties.
What county are you registeered in? I can send you the forms.
Don’t be fooled. She’s no Democrat.
on the open thread a couple of hours ago. Great (or scatological) minds think alike.
A day has gone by. That’s almost 2 percent of the time left until election day (and a bigger chunk of the time until early voting) the Mainstream Media hasn’t talked about a single real issue in 24 hours.
I don’t think that’s jumping the shark. I think that’s by design.
The McCain campaign doesn’t want to talk about issues. They’ve said so. They can’t win on the issues and they know it.
The McCain campaign has SPECIFICALLY stated that they don’t want this campaign to be about the issues.
It’s a variation on the lawyer’s creed: if the facts are with you, pound on the facts; if the law is with you, pound on the law; if neither is with you, pound on the table. McCain/Palin is pounding on the table and working their way up to the Chewbacca Defense because nothing else is in their favor.
if Bill O’Reilly will accuse the McCain campaign of being insanely politically correct.
Oh no, I forgot, IOKIYAR.
Rush accuses McCain of caving into the “feminazis”
Neither. A VP candidate was picked to fire up the base and change the dialog. It worked. Nothing was said by McCain or Palin this morn to extend this debate. Obama did and honest and effective job describing the misinterpretation. It’s the decideds (L & R) that are turning this into a fight.
The undecideds are the ones that matter. They might be swayed by the arguments that Obama is sexist, maybe swayed by arguments that McCain is a political opportunist utilizing incendiary non-issues to create debate.
I think undecideds should look at this as a test of Obama in a delicate situation. He’s now in a mine field and how he navigates will be telling. He said
No the ad isn’t catnip. Obama’s comments, rightly or wrongly, are the catnip. He just stepped on a landmine.
it was a slow news day and the press jumped all over it.
It was just as out of line as what they did to Palin for 5 straight days.
Torie Clarke, “Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories…
I guess the Repubs can write books about it and bad spin. Other politicians have also used the phrase in recent years, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Rep. John Mica of Florida and Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, among others.
America are you this stupid!!!! This is the politics of distraction. Get back to the facts. the fact that Sarah Palin wants to ban books, lied about the bridge to no where, took per diem while staying at home and the many other issues with a McCain Presidency.
Source for Palin banning books?
There is none. Stop lying about the good Governor of Alaska.
“She asked the library how she could go about banning books,” he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. “The librarian was aghast.” That woman, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn’t be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving “full support” to the mayor.
http://www.time.com/time/polit…
Standard response to you from now.
you are presented with one.
Time magazine is considered a good source.
You ignore evidence and counter with … bull?
You can not simply wish a way the facts. The facts surrounding the pressure on Mary Ellen Barker to ban books the mayor found offensive are not in question, even Palin agrees on the basic facts.
You may argue their interpretation, Palin argues it was a “rhetorical question” (I think she meant hypothetical).
Given Palin’s history of retaliation against those that cross her (troopergate, firing all department heads in Wasila and forcing them to reapply (a “loyalty test” in her words), she attempted to strong arm the librarian into banning books and when the librarian stood up to Palin, Palin fired her.
Only the outrage of locals who felt Mary Ellen was right and Palin was wrong forced Palin to reinstate Mary Ellen.
Are you idiot or ideologue?
Are you liar or fool?
Check your facts Danny the Liar.
http://www.snopes.com/politics…
That is debunking a LIST of books banned. The fact that she WANTED to TRY to ban books is what is being discussed.
I’m only replying to you so that casual readers to this site won’t read what you post and think it’s true.
She never banned anything because she couldn’t get away with it. And she didn’t want any specific books banned, she was just inquiring about it to the librarian.
I never said she actually SUCCEEDED in banning books, Mary Ellen stood up to her.
I never said there was a specific list.
When using snopes, which is a good source, you can not use it ti disprove a claim I never made.
(That is also from the snopes)
This is the original article that snopes relies on.
So Palin agrees that she did question the librarian on banning books, whe just said it was “rhetorical”
http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin…
You are either immune to facts or an ideological liar, which is it?
So let me get this straight. Ms. Palin made a rhetorical remark about people wanting to burn books at libraries and she is a book banner. But, Obama makes a very clear reference to Palin as a pig and – nope…
It was just a figure of speech.
Amazing. How do you live with that line of reasoning?
First she incorectly used the word rhetorically. Rhetorical questions imply their own answer.
Accordig to Palin’s framing, the correct word is a hypothetical question.
But why would she ask it 3 times and then attempt to fire the librarian for “not supporting her agenda? What is Palin’s agenda as it relates to a public library?
The facts are relatively undisputed and their interpretation is clear if one is not immune to reason and fact.
if he was quoting the Encyclopedia Britannica she would have had a problem with it.
As long as you’re talking about it. The Fix has the best analysis on this:
http://voices.washingtonpost.c…
There are only so many news cycles left, and the less time spent between now and then discussing issues, the better off the McCain campaign is. I wondered earlier if Palin fatigue was coming soon, and perhaps it is, but its becoming a clear strategy of the McCain campaign to keep the frenzy going as long as possible (preferably November 5). Its a strategy that hasn’t failed yet, and so I don’t imagine they’ll cut back any time soon. After all, senator Obama spent a lot of time talking about education today, but all the press is covering is his response to the most artificially-flavored “gaffe” in the campaign to date.
But I’m not going to sit idly by while they attack Obama for using a figure of speech that John McCain himself has used.
When are the debates?
I am soooo sorry that simple things have to be explained to you. But here you go:
Obama’s lipstick on a pig joke followed Sarah Palin’s speech about her being a hockey mom.
If Obama made the comment BEFORE Sarah Palin made her speech – no harm no foul.
But since it was following her speech the context meant everything. The audience got the joke.
But I guess you are one of those guys that a person has to explain the punchline to.
I understand. Some people get it – some don’t.
Come on. You can give up the act.
So once Sarah Palin uses the word lipstick in a speech, no one can ever say the pig-lipstick cliche ever again?
He was talking about the economy, and John McCain’s lack of a plan with dealing with it.
Remind me again what his plan is? And how it’s different from Bush’s economic plan?
Lipstick and Pig = Sarah Palin
OLD Fish = McCain
Oh well. There is other proof that he meant it as a slam on Palin. It was in the talking points that the campaign has been passing around prior to Obama making the joke.
“Bury your head” indeed. Yours is the worst cranial-rectal inversion I’ve seen in quite some time.
Have you all seen the ad of Obama speaking about Kwame Kirkpatrick about two years ago?
The ad is showing Obama saying he is pleased to be in the city with a great Mayor and then showing the mug shots and counts Kwame against him.
The ad is Willie Horton all over again!!! Governor Granholm just said it was played in wealthy white suburbs.
She called the ad racist. Stating the remarks from Obama are common for any politician visiting a city and at the point of the visit Kirkpatrick was not on trail.
The Governor called the McCain campaign wrong on all counts for America.
A US Gov just called the McCain camp racist.
link to Gov. Granholm’s comment? I would love to have that.
It is time for the Democrates to formally call out McCain for joining the dark side, the “ends justify the means” crowd, of Bush Cheney, Rove, etc. They will say anything and do anything to obtain power and maintain power. McCain’s “Country First” theme is a joke and he needs to be called on it.
It is despicable. Why is he hiding a “racist” ad?
is that the ad isn’t from the McCain camp. That’s why it’s not on his site. I’m sure that won’t stop you from calling him a racist though…but whatever…
I’ll probably regret this but here’s the ad.
http://www.freedomsdefensefund…
WLJ has a hard time understanding that 527’s are NOT a part of the campaign.
All that excitment for nothing. You bursted his bubble.
Never has been. It is also doubtful if “she” stands for half the things “she” endorses. All available information points to her being a conservative masquerading as a liberal woman.
Look, I understand that a campaign can not control the 527s. That is why Barack has been against them.
I would have thought that John McCain would have come out by now and denounced this type of attack. John McCain who believes he has the leadership to be the most powerful man in the world should be leading the charge against the racial divide, instead of acting like he has no responsibility in this.
This ad really makes me sad.
As I said I caught the end of the interview and only the last part of the ad, I didn’t know who made the ad – but I do know who has not come out against it.
Dabee, you don’t think this is entirely racist? I mean that honestly, I am not being at all snarky here. This commercial deserves an honest conversation.
No, I don’t.
It makes the former mayor of Detroit look bad and it makes Obama look bad for praising him and calling him a friend and a great leader.
As to it being “entirely racist,” sure, if that’s the way you want to see it. Kilpatrick violated his bail and went to jail. If showing his mug shot is racist then what about ads that showed Tom Delay’s mug shot last election cycle? Delay’s is OK because he’s white but showing Kilpatrick’s is racist because he’s black? The guy broke the law and had to resign as mayor before Granholm booted him from office. That’s not the type of person Obama should be praising.
Now, should McCain denounce the ad? Maybe, I really don’t care. The ad makes a valid point. How “racist” it is is up to the viewer. If he doesn’t see it as such then there’s not much of a reason to come out against it.
Let’s get some perspective here. The ad makes a false link between a past association and a current scandal. If your best friend went out and murdered a dozen people two years from now, would it be fair to bring up your past association with him as evidence of your character?
And yes, it’s race-baiting in the most classic tradition of the GOP’s Southern Strategy.
are the pictures of Bush and McCain they show in the broke-ass Sam Cooke cover Obama commercial?
Same deal.
McCain still supports Bush’s policies, or thinks they didn’t go far enough.
Similar platforms (Kwame and Sen. Obama).
Totally not race-baiting.
it would be politics.
I don’t think it’s an entirely “false link” because there have been ethics issues with Kilpatrick since 2002. No, he hadn’t bee indicted yet, but he was hardly a “great leader” at any point during his tenure.
As to “race-baiting,” like I said, to each his (or in WLJ’s case, her) own. We used Delay’s and Duke Cunningham’s mug shots in ads against repubs. Now they do the same thing and it’s out of bounds because the image is of a black man?
Tying politicians to corruption that involved their judgment and taxpayer’s dollars is a little different.
To use a sports analogy – if a player gets arrested for assault, that’s bad. When Pete Rose went down for betting on his team and fixing games, a whole different circumstance.
Obama was in no way involved with Kirkpatrick. Their only link is they are both Black. If Hillary was to travel to a state with a Female Gov or Mayor, I am sure she would praise her. A black mayor is a rare thing, I would expect America’s only Black Senator say something positive.
This ad is nothing but showing the world what bad Black men look like. Kirkpatrick could have been pimp or drug dealer in that commercial.
We know racism when we see it – and this is clearly racist. Even the Michigan Gov stated that.
The Repub party has played racism for so long that you are accetping it as being OK and I will not allow it to go unchecked.
If McCain wants to be Presdient he needs to stand up against this type hatered. If he doesn’t all people of color should be outraged.
Hearing no objections…
Why the hell do people bother to fight with this “Nancy Baldwin” troll?
All it does is make the rest of us scroll further to read the worthwhile comments.
As I said about five threads ago, this is a person not worth fighting with.
Like most trolls here, if you ignore him/her/it, his/her/its attention span is probably short enough to go piss people off somewhere else.
Besides, you’re giving him/her/it “McCain Points.”
I feel like John McCain: Someone’s taking all the heat off me.
Thanks, Sir Nancy!
I kick your ass and now I can’t possibly be a woman. You are a pathetic excuse for a man.
First rule of the Net – don’t feed the trolls.
You’re a troll. You don’t actually refute points, you just talk over and past them. That’s not “kicking your ass”, it’s “playing in a different reality”.
Have fun in your alternate reality. I highly recommend Ralphie’s suggestion and will be following it from here on out.
Here’s a simple recipe to tide you over:
Whine and Cheese:
Ingredients: McCain/Palin campaign comments
Preparation: Just wait – they’ll make more
If we don’t answer, then people reading here will think her lies ar truthful as they are not responded to. If we do answer, it pollutes the thread.
I think we have to answer but my suggestion is one response to each of it’s posts, that directly call the comment a lie and post the refutation. But just that.
No second post doing the same thing, no name calling to get in to that tit for tat. Just very straightforward kill it with facts.
Do that for a couple of days and it will go away.
Sarah Palin knows that most people don’t know what a small-town mayor does – and doesn’t do. So she has, so far, been allowed to show her best Rethug qualification – her ability to lie easily and completely without conscience – as she vomits forth her false and insulting claims of leadership credentials. (blue in NC’s diary :: :: )Other diarists on dKos are right: we need to shift our foucs back to Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the positive direction our country must turn toward if we as a people are to survive the next four years.
We need to shift our focus away from Sarah Palin’s daughter and her mooseburgers and her snowmobiles. But we can’t let her get away with whitewashing her governmental failures: failures so abject, so major, so complete, that the fact that she accomplished so much failure in a 12-year political career is amazing in and of itself.
If she’s going to use her stint as small-town mayor as a prop for her vice-presidential aspirations, then we need to remind the voters exactly what she did as mayor. Let’s use her own words against her. As she said in that verbal spew that passed for a “speech” last night, as mayor she was “like a community organizer” but with “actual responsibilities”.
The voters need to be reminded every day how badly she failed at exercising those responsibilities. Because we (YES, I said we)small-town mayors do have actual responsibilities. Chief among them is the responsibility to exercise fiscal responsibility with the citizens’ money. Sarah Palin has demonstrated complete failure at that basic responsibility. She took a town of ~7,000 people that was debt-free in 1996 and ran it over $18 million into debt by 2003.
And, while we theoretically do not have sole authority to do such things – only the town council has such authority – a bad and dishonest and self-serving mayor can, and frequently does, accomplish such glaring misfeasance by either intimidating of misleading her town council.
Sarah Palin has done both.
She implemented a 25% increase in the most regressive tax possible – the sales tax – to finance her hockey rink project. Yes, the Queen of the Common Man sure likes to stick it to the common man…every man, woman and child in Wasila is still paying for her self-promoting delusional expenditures. She was taking a $68,000 per year salary in 1996 for her job as mayor, and yet used additional taxpayer funds to hire an “administrator” to do her job for her while she enjoyed her “regal” salary for a sinecure job. Most mayors of towns less than 10,000, nationwide, are practically volunteers with salaries generally below $10,000 per year. In fact, the job of the Wasilla mayor, according to the city code, is as follows (this is typical for most small-town mayors). The Mayor shall preside at Council meeting, act as ceremonial head of the city and sign documents on the city’s behalf upon authorization by the council. Pretty easy work for $68,000/year, isn’t it? In 2002, Pailn used city employees (on the clock), city equipment, and city facilities to work on her campaign for Lt. Governor. I mean, come on…this is small-town government 101: Thou shalt not use municipal assets for personal campaign purposes. By 2003, the city of Wasilla owned $741,599 worth of office furniture and equipment (from the city’s own Comprehensive Annual Finance Report; I assume that is net of depreciation). Now that’s a whole lot o’ desks and staplers for a town of 7,000 folks. Well, the town only owned $342,449 worth of that stuff when Palin started in 1996. More than double! Word among locals has it that she had her office lavishly redecorated at least twice while mayor. So much for her stupid story about selling the governor’s jet on ebay.
After our almost-sacred fiduciary responsibilty, we mayors are responsible for ensuring the safety of the people who have entrusted us with the office. Palin placed the financial success of campaign-donor cronies above public safety. She opposed an ordinance changing the closing time of bars in Wasilla from 5:00 AM to 3:00 AM. The Wasilla police chief at the time, Irl Stambaugh, supported the change as a public-safety measure. Palin, who had accepted numerous campaign contributions from local bar owners and the liquor lobby, fired Stambaugh immediately upon taking office.
Palin opposed adopting basic building codes within the city. In 1997, she broke a tie in a city council vote to kill building codes. Even some area homebuilders supported the building codes.The bottom line is: yes, we small-town mayors do have responsibilities…and Palin demonstrated a complete lack of ability or inclination to handle these limited responsibilities.
Meanwhile, I’d be the first to say that I don’t consider my own experience as a small-town mayor to in any way qualify me to serve as vice president of the United States, much less serve in a situation where the president is a doddering old man bordering on dementia who may well cause invocation of the 25th amendment.We preside over council meetings…the VP theoretically presides over the Senate. There’s a world of difference.Our responsibilities are limited. Very limited.And, we’re not a mere heartbeat away from the US presidency. These United States of America do not need one in the office of the vice president.Palin is now, in true Rethug fashion, attempting to distort people’s concerns with her lack of experience, accusing us of “insulting small towns” and being “elitist”. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’re not criticizing small towns; I’ve lived in one and serve as mayor in one and love and respect small towns. What we are criticizing is, first: Palin’s lack of national experience and, secondher complete failures at exercising responsibility and integrity during what limited “executive” experience she has.
She is the worst of both worlds: she is corrupt and incompetent. The voters need to know that.
ANYONE CAN READ A SPEACH WRITTEN BY OTHERS. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH PEOPLE. IF ANYTHING HAPPENDS TO MCCAIN DO YOU THINK THAT WITH PALIN’S TRACK RECORD THAT SHE CAN LEAD OUR GREAT NATION?