Sarah Palin's attempts to ban books, among other blunders

Fat cats, Chinatown, San Francisco.

Somehow this photo reminds me of the Republican Party and their convention, in which dissenters and reporters -including Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and an Associated Press photographer - are being arrested and jailed.

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech? Not in Bush-McCain land.

On a lighter note, Sarah Palin's blog is absolutely hilarious. The mystery writer is brilliant.

John McCain, reckless gambler. Sad, but true. Sarah Palin, secessionist: Reporters dig and uncover what McCain didn't bother to investigate. Palin tried to ban books from the local library, then have the librarian fired, when she wouldn't comply. And McCain surrogates keep repeating the same "talking points" - which, surprise, surprise - are not true!

Because CNN had the audacity to question Palin's foreign policy credentials, John McCain has cancelled an appearance on Larry King Live. How dare a reporter question his judgment??!!

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times joins the chorus of newspapers and commentors criticising McCain's impulsive choice, comparing the spectacle to reality television.

Wonder what the next episode of the McCain-Palin soap opera will bring?

And George Bush really takes the biscuit. Pathetic.

So much for the Republicans' concern about the economy... They don't have any! It's all good, in their world of multiple houses and private jets.

Update Sept. 3 - So typical. Rather than admit he made an ill-informed choice for his running mate, John McCain blames the media for daring to question his decision. His campaign is spouting the same lies talking points over and over, hoping if people hear the rhetoric often enough, they'll start to believe it's true. But it's hard to ignore the soap opera-style dramas swirling around every area of Palin's life. Every day it's a new revelation! Meanwhile, McCain and his surrogates denounce all those who question Palin's qualifications as "sexist." That's rich, coming from a man who publicly makes nasty jokes about Chelsea Clinton, rape victims and his own wife.

Meg Whitman,  the female co-chair of McCain's campaign, told reporters "I actually think it's completely fair for the media to vet Sarah Palin," Whitman said, adding that it was "the right thing to do" for the media to dig into the background of someone who is "running for the highest office in the land."

Asked directly whether there had been any media sexism, she replied: "I wouldn't say there really has."

And the once widely-respected Associated Press continues its dizzying freefall into one-sided tabloid-style reporting. Time and time again, the Associated Press has fallen short in this year's presidential campaign coverage. The AP even issued a directive as to how its employees should address numerous complaints about sloppy, biased reporting of Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier, who considered working for John McCain.

Comments

[jeanie]

I love the maneki neko! They remind me of my time in Japan!

Everyday I am less and less impressed with Sarah Palin. Nuf said, because the rest wouldn't be very nice...

[stephanie]

I'm hoping this was a 'great' move on McCains part :) As I am typing I am listening to NPR talking about how the McCain campaign is brandishing Campbell Brown from asking questions of Ms Palin...Puleeeeeze, like they said, it sounds like a different planet from the one the republicans were on with hounding after Obama.

[Andrea Jones]

McCain's running mate? Unbelievably hilarious! A small town, hick girl whose daughter is pregnant, so Sarah must be doing something right as a mom! Of course, noone dares to say that she can't do a proper job of raising her kids if she is also possibly going to be president of the U.S. when McCain drops dead. It is pretty entertaining to imagine him dying before the end of the presidential campaign.

I just laughed until I cried thinking about all of this. Of course, I am assuming that American women are not going to fall for this idiotic ploy of --well --she's a woman, so that should buy your vote. And how cynical can you get -- a woman who wants to take her isolated state out of the union!!

[Christina]

Tara,

I'm sorry but these damn people are scary! I will continue to educate myself on what is going on and keep my mind open to learning what I don't know about politics but damn, I'm afraid. I need a few comfort items each time I pick up the newspaper- a flashlight, chocolate, a stuffed animal. : )

[My Mélange]

Watched the RNC last night and I was struck by the sea of old, stodgy, white people in the crowd. No diversity, no color- one or two young people in the bunch. Seems to me the world and the Dem's are changing- but the Rebub's are not!!

Palin is a poster child for abuse of power. Scary!! Why would we want someone who was advocating removing their state from the Union? Is THAT country first? I don't think so.

I think *taking on* people and issues is defined differently for Sarah- she just gets rid of them if they are in her way. That isn't exactly working with people now is it?

I saw the exchange that McCain got his panties in an bunch over on CNN. I thought it was great b/c Campbell Brown handed Tucker (McCain's aide) his lunch AND dinner. Cry baby McCain is upset b/c the press is asking the questions HE should have asked and so he pulls his interview off the air. He needs to GROW UP!

I think the Repub slogan should be *our way-or the highway*!!!!

[Allegra]

I was saying this afternoon that this woman is McNasty's Harriet Miers. Unfortunately one is clueless enough to select her and the other is even more clueless by accepting. I wonder if he is going to pull out of the race like he did out of Larry King's once Biden shows the nation and the world what the Republicans have to offer for the "one heartbeat away" material. Just think what Barack is going to do with this trigger happy, unable to reason president wanna be. Why, oh why are we "living in interesting times" as in the Chinese curse?

[Colette]

P.S. Palin's aircraft stops in Ireland to refuel, on the way to Kuwait, and Ireland is added to the list of foreign countries she has "visited." Wow! For all her holier-than-thou evangelical christian beliefs, she is a pathological liar, among other things.

Jesus wept!

[Colette]

Soap opera -- that's exactly what I called it in a conversation earlier this evening.

It seems to me that they keep repeating the lies in the hopes that if they repeat them often enough they'll become true. That may have worked before TV and the Internet, but not nowadays. What a mess! They don't even have the brains to know that if you stonewall a reporter, they'll dig even harder. Meh!

Karl Rove is just plain rude and crass. No surprise. When he called Sen. Biden names, his plan backfired. Biden's only response was to say "Karl Rove is a great American." Period. End of story. (Rove should be in jail anyway. Why is he even opening his mouth??)

{btw the BEST coverage of the RNC so far has been The Daily Show with Jon Stuart -- hehe!)

[Philip]

If Governor Palin becomes Vice President,( Lord save us all!)I feel badly about her handicaped daughter with Downes Syndrome. That child will be raised by a nanny and other professional help when it needs it's father's and mother's full care and attention. There are super-Moms; but, to care for a special needs child in its most formative years and fulfill the functions of the Vice-President office (or Presidency) is more super-Mom than one can imagine.

[Becca]

I'm simply horrified at the way this young girl is being victimized by her own family in the name of political posturing.

[urbanartiste]

I read some of the links you posted. It reminds me of another leader of the world who had extreme issues with loyalty- paranoid Joseph Stalin.

[tangobaby]

If you look at the photo in People Magazine, now it looks like the daughter is holding their baby over her stomach, like a disguise.

All of this actually scares me more than makes me laugh at this point. People so believe what they want to believe and I'm sure that Karl Rove can spin any of this drama into a wholesome family with values that we want in the White House.

Personally, I feel very badly that this poor girl is now in the national spotlight and will be used by both sides to emphasize their political agendas. Also the fact that her wikipedia profile has been updated mysteriously from nothing to almost sainthood right before the announcement of her being added to the ticket is more Orwellian than I am comfortable with.

The die-hards will vote for that ticket regardless of whatever scandals arise. It's the undecided that I worry about now.

[Rosa]

Hypocrites, all of them. Of course, now it's ok that her teenage daughter is pregnant. That poor child having been thrown into such an arena. Palin should be ashamed for accepting the veep nomination knowing her family needs her now more than ever. Family values? How sad.