Monthly Archives: August 2008

Funny Bit of Palin Interview

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Boztopia, links to a funny Palin quote, “What exactly is it the VP does every day?”.

In context, it's not as bad as it could be, but I could see it in commercials out of context, over and over and over…

Posted in Politics: US: 2008 Elections | 1 Comment

McCain’s Desperation Move: Sarah Palin

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

I look forward to how the GOP explains that Gov. Palin is ready to be President.

Meanwhile, here is a tiny bit of Palin-bashing, since it is Friday.

The kindest thing Progressive Alaska can say is that she's Photogenic. Note: the Vogue cover is photoshopped; reality is boring.
What's the right historical parallel?
- Jonathan Singer, MyDD, Sarah Palin is Spiro Agnew?
- Harriet Miers (pace Scarborough)?
- Dukakis?
- Powerline, a very conservative blog, says, Geraldine Ferraro: “If she really is the nominee, will it come across as a desperation move, a Hail Mary, as Mondale's choice of Ferraro did in 1984? I'm afraid so. Her experience just doesn't justify a place on the ticket.”
Palin's Foreign Policy Experience — none, basically.
A little whiff of scandal: Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired:

Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday revealed an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister.

Posted in Politics: McCain | 21 Comments

Friday McBush Bashing (Democratic Convention Edition)

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Seems Democrats were busy with something or other the past few days.

Kevin Hayden, Quote of the day from mild-mannered Clark Kent-ish guy:

“There isn’t a Republican serving in the Senate that’s happy he’s the nominee. Now, they’re all supporting him, but I’ll tell you they have told me. I’ve had Republican senators tell me they don’t think they’ll vote for him,” Reid said.
Juan Cole, Informed Comment, McCain: Iraq is a Peaceful, Stable Country
TPM, Still Hope

If you're bummed about not getting a ticket to watch the Obama speech at the Invesco Center, you'll be happy to know they're still giving away tickets for John McCain's veep announcement tomorrow at the aptly-named 12,000 seat Nutter Center.
AFL-CIO, Welcome to Ohio, John McCain!
Crooks & Liars, It’s Not Just McCain, It’s Republicanism
US Magazine (!), Cindy McCain's half sister: “I'm voting for Obama”
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
This: McCain’s solution to health care crisis: Redefine “uninsured” (via Crooks & Liars) … leads to this: Digby: “Another day, another McCain advisor thrown under the bus for accidentally telling the truth about his candidate's indifference to the struggles of ordinary Americans.”
McCain's Million Dollar Parking Lot
Fred Clark, 1989: A reminder
Crooks & Liars, Richard Dreyfuss Calls Out Bush, McCain and their “Corrupt” Republican Party
Brian Schweitzer's evisceration of McCain at the DNC

(He's a pretty interesting guy, by the way. See Kos, Three Schweitzer stories)
Batocchio at Hullabaloo, McCain POW Bingo
Senator Clinton on the twins in the twin city
kath25, Kos, John McCain : No Choice for Women
Via Crooks & Liars, Daily Show: Howard Dean goes “inside John McCain’s brain”
Also via Crooks & Liars, Sen Kerry Blasts McCain: “Let’s compare Senator McCain and Candidate McCain”
Again, Crooks & Liars, John McCain’s Evolution on Abortion
DeLong, Morning Coffee: Why McCain's Health Reform Plans Frighten Me (August 25, 2008)
TPM, Puffed-Up Hypocrite Watch
smintheus at Kos, Stupid Republican VP tricks
TPMTVMcCain on Houses Gaffe: I Was a POW (used to be that he said it was a subject he didn't like t bring up…)
Obama Campaign, “Don't Know Much” TV Ad
Via Needlnose, McCain’s Vice-President Announcement:
McCain's Respectful Campaign
“Roger Ailes” writes,

The McCain campaign keeps emphasizing that McCain was a prisoner in Vietnam, as proof of his qualification for the Presidency.

Well, so was Gary Glitter, and I'm not voting for him either.
Progressiveaccountability.org, Media Fact Check: McCain’s Houses. McCain — and some news outlets — say four. “CORRECT ANSWER: McCain Owns At Least Ten Properties Worth $13,823,269.”
Jed Report, 007: GoldenMansion, starring John McCain:
Lindsay Beyerstein, All the Pretty Houses (Part II): Lifestyles of the Rich & Befuddled
Obama Ad, Out of Touch:

Get Energy Smart! NOW!!!, Get Energy Smart! NOW!!! » Blog Archive » Calculating John's Housing Carbon Footprint …

[More or less reverse chronological order this week — the newest thing first instead of last]

Posted in Politics: US: GW Bush Scandals | Comments Off

Gov. Crist Does Florida No Favors With This One

Posted on August 29, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Freed from tacking to the center for his national ambitions — or smarting from being rejected for being insufficiently red-meat conservative perhaps — Gov. Crist has pulled a Jeb Bush:

Figure in Clinton Impeachment Is Named to Florida Supreme Court: In a move that drew praise from conservatives, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday named to the State Supreme Court a former congressman who played a major role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
The appointee, Charles T. Canady, 54, spent eight years in Congress before being named an appeals court judge in 2002 by Gov. Jeb Bush.

While in Congress, Mr. Canady was one of the House managers who handled the impeachment case against Mr. Clinton.

This is a divisive appointment.