Once again, underestimate her at your own peril

I can't spend much time talking about this, because my break's about over, but this writer from across the pond has an interesting take on the mayor of the 9000-person town of Wasilly:

Her rise from parent-teacher association to city council gave her a natural political base in her home town of Wasilla. Going on to become mayor was a natural progression. Wasilla's population of 9,000 would be a small town in Britain, and even in most American states.

But Wasilla is the fifth-largest city in Alaska, which meant that Palin was an important player in state politics.

Her husband's status in the Yup'ik Eskimo tribe, of which he is a full, or "enrolled" member, connected her to another influential faction: the large and wealthy (because of their right to oil revenues) native tribes.

[...]

As with most poor, distant places that suddenly receive great natural-resource wealth, the first generation of politicians were mesmerised by the magnificence of the crumbs falling from the table. Palin was the first of the next generation to realise that Alaska should have a place at that table.

The writer makes a point that the moose-hunter stuff, while true, serves as a smokescreen to hide a true political talent that causes people to underestimate her.  So while Sarah Palin is building coalitions, other people are saying "oh, she's just a mayor," and she ends up surprising them. 

Awesome.

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It Was Four Years Ago Tonight

Four years ago this evening, this mockery of journalism took place.

Four years ago this evening, a lawyer from Atlanta posted a comment at Free Republic, disputing the accuracy of a document used in the segment on 60 Minutes II.

Four years ago, three old friends from Dartmouth posted updates on their blog questioning the segment.

Four years ago, a computer programmer and Zappa fan posted a .gif document demonstrating how the 60 Minutes documents could not have been authentic.

Four years ago, the old media was exposed as the partisan hacks most on our side always suspected they were.

Four years ago, Dan Rather and his sidekick, Mary Mapes, were forever discredited.

Four years ago, the blogosphere became a major player in the political scene.

That night, my then-pregnant wife had to retire to bed early due to nausea and fatigue, while I stayed up way too late participating in and witnessing digital history unfold.

Man, has it been that long?

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Man stopped near Capitol with weapons

He was found with a rifle and an AK, some mags and ammo, as well as a grenade, Capitol police detained him, seized his weapons and an investigation is underway.  The guy decided to ask a Capitol police officer for directions.  The officer saw the rifle in his vehicle and quickly detained him, and he's being charged for having unregistered weapons and ammunition. 

The man was recently convicted for illegally carrying weapons concealed in Virginia.  During that arrest, again in his car, it was found he had two (I'm guessing deactivated) grenades with powder inside and a firecracker meant to act as a fuse. 

I'm glad the Capitol police detained the guy, he sounds a bit off, and he's already been convicted for charges related to illegal weapon possession once.  We already had one crazy guy manage to push his way in to the Capitol with guns blazing, I'd rather they be safe than sorry.

(h/t- Alice H)

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I didn't see Hancock, but I'll assume this is right

Speaking of the Obama campaign's response to any and all things Palin, Jim Treacher writes:

Did you guys see Hancock? Remember when Will Smith just stood there while the train hit him, and it derailed all over the place? Sarah Palin's kind of like that, except happier.

It can't be said enough: they have no idea how to approach her. 

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U.S. Backs Ukraine's Entry To NATO

Some more fallout from Russias little adventure in Georgia:

The United States has backed Ukraine's bid for NATO membership a day after similarly supporting Georgia, in a move which may further stoke tensions with Russia.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, left, welcomes U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Kiev on Friday.

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney met with Ukraine's pro-Western president Victor Yushchenko in the capital of Kiev on Friday, the third stop of a tour that has already taken him to two other former Soviet republics -- Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The meeting came on the same day as the United States' top warship arrived in the Georgian port of Poti to deliver humanitarian supplies, fueling Russia's fears that its superpower rival is making its presence felt in the Baltic region.

Russia said the vessel's technical characteristics raised questions about whether it should be allowed into the area, Russian news agency Interfax reported.

What characteristics were those?  The ability to shit-stomp the entire Russian navy by itself?  Yeah, we have a bunch of those lying around so any time you wanna get froggy, go ahead and jump.

Anyway, I'm wondering if Pooter is feeling buyer's remorse about South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  First Poland refuses to party like its 1949 and now Ukraine?  Wow, its almost like the world isn't feeling that imperialistic kick you're on with integrity.

It shocks the conscious.

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Palin beat Obama in ratings

She got 40 million viewers to Obama's 38 million.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 12:07 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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In defense of Debbie Schlussel

Actually, I'm just kidding. There's no real defense for this, other than wanting attention or angling for a job with the Family Research Council.

Update: Credit where credit is due, the FRC actually defended the Palins. Oh, and if Debbie Schlussel wants a piece of my $19,000 a year salary, I'm sure that would be a fantastic PR opportunity. I promise I'll make sure it gets her some attention.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 10:13 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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PALIN SPEECH EXCERPTS!!

It sounds great!  My favorite quote:

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

I'm less nervous than I was, but we'll see!  She goes on at 10:00pm Eastern, right after Rudy Giuliani.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 06:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Russian Conquest Complete

Looks like Russian isn't leaving until Georgia recognizes large chunks of its sovereign territory as independent:

Russia will withdraw its troops from the "buffer zone" it has created in Georgia when they are replaced by international peacekeepers and once the Georgian government has signed non-aggression pacts with the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Moscow's ambassador to London, Yuri Fedotov said today.

Allow me to introduce the New Russia*

Update: The U.S. has pledged 1 billion dollars in aid. It is dedicated to purely non-military purposes but, like with giving money to the homeless, any dollar they don't have to spend on rebuilding they can spend on the military. Russia is predictably belligerent.

Fedotov warned that any Nato attempts to rebuild Georgia's military after the conflict would be destabilising.

"If Nato now plans to rearm Tbilisi, to restore or even enhance its military potential, of course it will be very deplorable. And it would not help ... a political solution," he said.

Of course, 'destabilising' means something different in Russian.

* - Same as the Soviet Union but with 100% less idiological purity.

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RIP, Jerry Reed

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What does Fred's speech mean for Palin?; Update!

Allah is right, Fred rocked the house tonight.  If I could put that on a continuous loop in my head, I might just do that. 

But wow...I hope this doesn't make Gov. Palin's acceptance speech tomorrow seem weak by comparison. 

Update: Allahpundit has me in brown paper bag hyperventilation mode over Palin. I'm stressed. Someone calm me down!  (For realsies, not for play-play.)

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Palin 2006!

I think this was posted over at Ace's, but I've found this televised debate from her 2006 gubernatorial campaign very informative.  She gets handed some tough questions and handles them gracefully. 

It's a must watch if you're worried about her debating style in advance of her October 2 debate with Joe Biden*.

*That debate will obviously be much different and less friendly, but the video still helps.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 06:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Tower of Pisa No Longer Most Flamboyant in Europe

It appears other towers are even less straight than Pisa:

The Tower of Pisa is being challenged by a lesser-known 12th-century building in the northern Dutch town of Bedum as Europe's most steeply leaning tower.

Retired geometrician Jacob van Dijk said measurements this week on Bedum's 36-metre church tower of Walfridus revealed it is now leaning more than its Italian rival, which lost part of its tilt following restoration works.

At a height of 55.86 meters, Pisa's tower leans about 4 meters, while Bedum's tower leans 2.61 meters on its height of 35.7 meters. If both towers were the same height, Bedum would have a greater tilt of 6 cm, Van Dijk argues.

"In Italy they're happy with the result, but here in Bedum we are much more happy, because the tower of Pisa is now leaning less than the tower of Bedum," said Van Dijk.

He added, "You might even call us gay. Being Dutch we are glad to see the trend of diminishing straightness in Europe continue.  For years we have tried to ensure that our military and government institutions are free from rigidity and it is good to see even ancient architecture cooperating.*"

* - I may have made up that last part.

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In a world gone mad...

...Don LaFontaine won't be doing voice-overs for movie previews anymore.  Seriously, it's just not going to be the same.



Rest In Peace, Don.  A whole generation of moviegoers is going to miss that low, growly voice of yours.

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And So It Begins

As many may know, Sally Quinn is one of the Heavyweights of the DC Social Circuit. From what I gather, getting an invite to her parties is a sign you have "arrived" in the Beltway. But also, she is one of the big time meme setters for The Deciders; when she says something, it's as good as a stamp of approval for a talking point as anything.

Well, she is one of the first non-Kossack Deciders who has written the line of attack on McCain-Palin over the pregnancy of Palin's daughter and tie in the "unprepared" meme, along with a gross misunderstanding of evangelical voters and a claim that only Beltway Insiders will make good Executive Level candidates.

And now we learn the 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. She and the father of the child plan to marry. This may be a hard one for the Republican conservative family-values crowd to swallow. Of course, this can happen in any family. But it must certainly raise the question among the evangelical base about whether Sarah Palin has been enough of a hands-on mother.

McCain claims he knew about the pregnancy, and was not at all concerned. Why not? Not only do we have a woman with five children, including an infant with special needs, but a woman whose 17-year-old child will need her even more in the coming months. Not to mention the grandchild. This would inevitably be an enormous distraction for a new vice president (or president) in a time of global turmoil. Not only in terms of her job, but from a media standpoint as well.

McCain's cynical choice has created a dilemma for many women. For still-angry Hillary Clinton voters, they will have to decide if they want to vote against their concscience and political interests by voting to elect a Republican woman who's even more conservative than McCain.

Evangelical women also will have to decide if they will vote against their conscience by voting to put the mother of young children in a job outside the home that will demand so much of her time and energy.

I guess she missed the Dr. Dobson statement on this whole mess.

But Quinn doesn't stop there. She goes on to give the blessing for The Deciders to keep up their attack on McCain-Palin over this story.

Palin's lack of experience and her family situation are both valid and vital considerations here, especially when she will be running with a 72-year-old presidential candidate who has suffered four bouts of a deadly cancer.

And by the way, how can McCain call Barack Obama unqualified, inexperienced, not ready from Day One, not able to be commander in chief, and then put someone like Palin in a position that is a heartbeat away from the pesidency?

Anyway, I could go on. But you get the point. Even though Obama-Biden '08 has declared this story off limits, it doesn't seem to appear that their friends in the media will do the same.

And it seems that the sorest of sore losers on our side of the aisle is staying classy regarding this story as well.

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Palin's daughter is pregnant

But not in a DKos/Andrew Sullivan Rovian conspiracy way....in the actual factual way:

The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said on Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

[...]

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support," the Palins said.

[...]

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates," the statement concluded.

This is about as close to "real family" as one could get.  All families--even the evil conservative ones--worry about this happening.  I wish them the best.  They'll be growing up quickly.  Luckily for Bristol and Levi, there aren't too many paparazzi in Wasilla. 

Exit question: How will the conspiracy theory be altered to address this new information?

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 11:32 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Good question...

If McCain-Palin wins in November and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell wins his tight primary battle against Rep. Don Young in the recount and the general election....who will be in charge of Alaska?

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 06:09 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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****** ITS PALIN******

CONFIRMED!

SEXY LIBRARIAN GLASSES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL!

\

I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Yowza!*"

Update: This is simply the most exciting political news I've had in my lifetime!  She's PERFECT.  Her inexperience is something to be noted but it is countered by the fact that she is the only person with ANY EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE RUNNING!

She gives me a tingle up my leg.

* - For a politician and a mother of five, she's smokin' and you know it.

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 09:53 AM | Comments (41) | Add Comment
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Should I be elated about this or scared?

It's being reported that Mitt Romney is out of the running for John McCain's vice president. 

I'm really afraid this means we will have and incredibly boring McCain-Pawlenty ticket. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 08:45 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Some lazy afternoon VP speculation for you; UPDATES!

I know, I know.  I'm addicted to veepstakes nonsense.  Deal with it, crackas!  Byron York has been keeping an eye on the chatter for us over at The Corner and had this to say:

McCain is scheduled to be with his vice president at a rally in Dayton, Ohio at 11 a.m. Friday.  Next, the pair will appear at a rally in Pennsylvania, in a small town south of Pittsburgh, at 5 p.m. Saturday.  If memory serves, in 2000, Lieberman, an observant Jew, did not campaign or take part in campaign activities from Friday evening to Saturday evening.  The Pennsylvania rally certainly seems to fall in that period.  I am not saying that there might not be other factors at play in the rollout of McCain's choice, but it is hard to imagine that that would not be a factor.

Hmmmm.  I doubt that this means much, but if we're reading the tea leaves right this could be a good sign for Rep. Eric Cantor who, like Jack Abramoff, is Jewish.  We know that he has been vetted, has the support of conservatives, and would likely need a three-day "getting to know you" rollout as described.

I'd be 100% on-board with a McCain-Cantor ticket. 

Update: Just wanted to remind everyone is still Jewish.

Update:  It looks like I may have read that report all wrong.  The schedule might mean there will be no Jewish VP.

Yet another update: Byron answers a question I've been asking:

It turns out Cantor does work and travel on Saturdays, so no, it doesn't appear that that would be a factor.  On the other hand, I haven't heard anything to suggest that Cantor is in the final mix in the McCain veep search.

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