Biden vs Palen

The long awaited Veep debate is now a thing of the past and I can breathe again. Here is "Fact Check" points on the errors.

Both candidates had some stumbles on foreign policy. Palin, in criticizing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's Iraq policy, said that President Bush's Iraq troop ``surge'' plan had worked and that U.S. troop levels in Iraq are now back at pre-surge levels.

In fact, there are 152,000 troops in Iraq. There were 137,000 troops there before the surge.

Palin also said that Obama has refused to acknowledge that the surge worked, but in a Fox News interview last month, he said, ``The surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated . . . I've always said it's succeeded beyond our wildest dream.''

In Iraq, Palin said, ``we're getting closer and closer to victory,'' and ``victory is within sight'' because of the surge.

That's far more optimistic than U.S. military commanders and analysts are. While the level of violence in Iraq is much improved, military commanders and a report this week from the Pentagon caution that the gains are fragile and threatened by a number of worrisome developments.

Most analysts also say that, while adding the extra troops in Iraq last year helped, other changes may have had more impact. These included the decision by radical Shiite leader Muqtada al Sadr to agree to a cease-fire and a U.S. program that paid Sunni tribesman to fight Islamic extremists in their midst.

While talking about Iraq and Afghanistan, Palin incorrectly called the U.S. commanding general in Afghanistan ``McClellan.'' The top military commander in Afghanistan is Army Gen. David McKiernan.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, misspoke when he said ``we kicked _ along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon.''

Hezbollah, a radical Shiite Muslim group, is very much alive in Lebanon, part of the government there, and in fact more powerful than it's ever been.

Biden may have meant to say Syria, which under intense international pressure withdrew its forces from Lebanon in 2005 after a two- decade-long presence.

On domestic issues, Palin attacked Obama, accusing him of voting 94 times to either raise or fight against tax cuts. FactCheck.org, a non-partisan watchdog Web site, called the claim ``misleading.''

According to FactCheck, Obama voted against proposed tax cuts 23 times. He also voted 11 times for increasing taxes on families earning more than $1 million a year to help pay for Head Start school nutrition programs.

Moreover, 53 of his votes were on non-binding resolutions on allowing scheduled tax cuts to expire.

Palin repeated a McCain campaign claim that Obama voted to raise taxes on Americans making as little as $42,000 a year, but that claim, too, is considered misleading. Obama voted for a non-binding resolution on budget guidelines assuming that the Bush tax cuts would expire on schedule in 2011. The resolution was not a vote to raise taxes.

Palin overstated Alaska's contribution to America's oil and natural gas needs. She said her state has ``billions of barrels of oil and hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of clean, green natural gas.'' Natural gas is cleaner than oil or coal, but it still emits hydrocarbons when it's burned.

Alaska produces 3.5 percent of all U.S. energy, 13.7 percent of U.S. oil and 2.3 percent of U.S. natural gas, according to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration

Palin added that Alaska is building a ``nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline which is North America's largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets.''

In fact, no building has begun, no federal pipeline approval has been issued and actual construction is years away _ if it ever happens.

This summer the Alaska Legislature, at Palin's request, passed a law under which the state will issue a ``license'' to a Canadian energy company, TransCanada Corp., and pay it up to $500 million as an incentive to attempt this enormous project, which Alaska politicians have long sought with little success. The license is not a construction contract.

Palin also put the price tag for the project at nearly $40 billion, an

exaggeration. This is roughly $10 billion more than most cost estimates industry players and consultants have made to date.

She also appeared to misspeak when she said that when she and others in the state legislature found out that Alaska had some millions of dollars investment in Sudan, they called for divestment ``to make sure we weren't doing anything that would be seen as condoning the activities there in Darfur.''

There's no evidence, however, that Palin had any part in the divestiture legislation, and one legislator who was involved said there's been no sign of her.

I apologize for the ads that appear in this blog. They do not show up in my Preview. I can't delete them because when I go to my template to try and fix something, another thing gets screwed up. Arrrrgh!

The Elephant In the Room

I am holding my breath like the rest of us who are frightened to death at the prospect of a McCain/Palin win. I am wondering if I will be able to stay grounded until the election is over.

This morning the news is mixed. The Senate passed a terrible bill to bail out the fat cats and it looks like the House will follow suit tomorrow. I am enclosing links to two articles on this subject. You will have to make up your own mind as to the advisability of the bailout. They are both from the NYT's editorial pages.

Op-Ed Columnist: Save the Fat Cats


Editorial: Show Us the Hope


To keep me from tearing out my hair, the latest polls show Obama with a 9 point lead. We all know anything negative about him can cause that lead to evaporate like steam. The undecided can sway the election at the last minute.

The elephant in the room is the dirty tricks that are being waged in some key states. Cards were sent to students telling them they couldn't vote if their parents voted in another state. Dispossessed homeowner's were told they couldn't vote because their address didn't match their driver's license. And then there are still those electonic voting machines that can be manipulated to change the results. Unless I am missing something, it appears that all of these dirty tricks are being initiated ala 'Karl Rove style' by Republicans. It makes me want to vomit. Please click on the following link for more on that subject :

http://www.truthout.org/article/red-flag-purging-voter-rolls

Stay tuned to see if my blood pressure rises to the boiling point.

The 65th Reunion

Ronni, of TIME GOES BY asked me if I was going to write about my High School 65th reunion and I told her that I wasn't. However, since I really need a break from politics for at least one day I think I will ruminate on it. After all, this is a hodgepodge.

As I usually do, I left Tucson sleep deprived. I am always afraid that I may have set my alarm clock wrong and won't wake up in time to leave. Add that to the stress I always experience before I travel and I am lucky to get in three hours.

This is the first time I have flown since the plastic bag rule was installed so I made a list of items I thought I needed to put in it. I ended up with the quart bag full of cosmetics, perfume and meds. I hoped that none of them would leak and spoil the others. I sealed my perfume so tight I had trouble getting it open when I needed it.

I had to change planes in Phoenix and that was not the problem that I anticipated. (I now get a wheel chair every time I board or disembark the plane to avoid standing in line.) Even so, I managed to fall down and bruise my ego on the plane. I was trying to stand from a very limited space and found there wasn't enough room to do my 'bend over and lurch" movement to achieve an upright position. I then tried using the arm rests on each side of the narrow aisle to gain leverage and ended up on my well padded rear. The flight attendant was a man and I was facing another kind man and between the two of them they helped me achieve my goal of being able to walk to the rear of the plane to the only facility.

That, unfortunately, was not the end of my embarrassing experiences. I fell outside at my friends house and discovered to my horror that I can no longer get myself up. You remember that commercial "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up." Well, that was me and my friend had to call 911 for assistance. Mercifully, it was dark so the neighbors couldn't see me; at least until the paramedics arrived. Again, the only thing bruised was my ego. It was a wake-up call and I am now researching medical alert devices.

My hostess met me in Colorado Springs and there was a mix-up in my arrival time and I had to wait an hour wondering what might have happened. It is still in the high 90's in Tucson and I think the Colorado temperature was around 68*. My coat, which I wisely took, was packed and the 'chair pusher' left me outside so I was cold. I guess I should have enjoyed that as I returned to Arizona extreme heat.

Our reunion was held at three wonderful clubs, plus a brunch at the High School we graduated from. The first night was a get-together in an old, but lovely, club. I had never been in it before and felt like I had stepped into an English movie - wood paneled walls, stained glass, comfortable leather chairs - the whole private club setting. Since my hostess was on the committee and had to stay at the sign-in table I decided to take photos of everyone as they entered.

Let me tell you, if you haven't seen someone for sixty or so years you sure find out how they have changed. You have probably heard the old joke about the two people who met and the first person said that the other person had gotten so old that she didn't recognize me. "Tain't funny, McGee." (And for all of you too young to recognize that quote, ask your mother.) White haired women and men (some with no hair) were in abundance. There were walkers, canes, and other aids used by we 83-84 year olds. Nonetheless, there were still those who could hop around like teenagers and those who could still 'cut a rug.' (Ask your mother). There were the usual success stories. One of our classmates was a retired Judge, another was a retired Oncologist and I am sure there were others that I didn't know about.

The following night was held at a golf course club house and was a dinner dance. I would like to think it was because I had a cane that no one asked me to dance, but I was probably a wallflower again. Some things never change.

If you read my previous blog on this you know my camera let me down that night. I did enjoy getting to chat with former classmates and renewing acquaintances. It is my hope that we continue our renewed friendship. I really was pleasantly surprised to find out how much we had matured and how comfortable we were with each other. Those teenaged clicques were missing, as was the tense competition of youth. Some things do change.

The next morning we had our last event. We were lucky that one of our fellow grads was a memeber of the Garden of the Gods Club and had reserved a room for our brunch. The view of the Kissing Camels (a red rock in one of my stories) was magnificent and I viewed it from an angle that couldn't be seen when I lived there. The fact that I couldn't photograph it was disappointing, but it was beautiful and I hold it in my memory.

We said our fond goodbyes and promised to meet again there in five years. Now that's optomism.

My sister picked me up after the reunion for a family mini-reunion. I am glad I went in spite of the mishaps.

.

Political Thoughts

Yesterday morning I followed my normal Sunday routine and watched the talking heads give their opinions on the current "mess of the day". It was baffling. On SUNDAY MORNING George Stephanopolos had an interview with McCain who proudly announced that he was going to give everyone a $5,000 tax credit to buy health insurance. On MEET THE PRESS his stooge (oops - I meant spokesperson), Schmidt, confidently changed that amount to $4,000. Doesn't the right side of the 'mouth' know what the left side of the 'mouth' is saying? Schmidt was falling all over himself trying to give McCain credit for the bailout. I don't know if it was hilarious or pathetic. It was almost as bad as Palin's interview with Katie Couric.

Sylvia, of THE VIEW FROM OVER THE HILL, had an excellent post on defining the satirical meaning of political beliefs and it started me thinking about the distortions that work their way into politics.

Name calling has been a part of politics since the first election of our first president. That doesn't make it right, but it has become an accepted fact. I tried to think of the current crop of labels that first surfaced with, I believe, Ronald Reagan. (I am relying on memory now so make no claims to accuracy.)

For brevity I will use the following abbreviations: PD = perverted description. DD = dictionary description.


ELITIST

PD: Uppity (for a black person), snob (educated individual)or anyone who thinks
they are better than Joe Six Pack.
DD: The choice or select part of a group as a society.


INTELLECTUAL

PD: See PD for elitist
DD: Showing high intelligence


INTELLIGENCE

PD: See PD for Intellectual
DD: The ability to learn or understand. The ability to cope with a new situation.


LIBERAL

DD: Tax and spend individual. Bleeding Heart. Sometimes a Pinko Commie.
Sometimes a Socialist.
DD: Tolerant; broad minded. Favoring realism or progress.


DEMOCRAT

PD: See Liberal
DD: One who practices the principle of equality, of rights, etc.


DEMOCRATIC

PD: Conservatives
DD: Of and for the people.

When you read the Webster's New World Dictionary definition of the words you will note that they accurately describe Obama. Therefore, when someone sneeringly refers to Obama by any of those terms I will simply reply, "What a nice compliment. I am so glad that you realize what a smart, caring, and progressive individual he is. And that you realize that he will be able to cope with any situation."


Language aside, a more dangerous threat to our future is in the mishandling of the economy. Be sure to check out Paul Krugman's article in the NYT to see how dangerous to your future a McCain presidency would be.


The 3 A. M. Call

A Real Leader

While George Bush is using his usual scare tactics to stampede the nation into a bailout for his rich friends, we should look at what a real leader had to say at a time when the economic conditions paralleled today's crisis. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a different approach. He showed true leadership during a crisis. He said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." But that was not all he said. The text below is the rest of his speech:


This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure, as it has endured, will revive and will prosper ...

"In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunk to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income ... More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment ...

"The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of that restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit ... If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize, as we have never realized before, our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take, but we must give as well."

(The entire article can be found by clicking on the link.)

http://www.truthout.org/092708Y

If ever this country needed a savior, the time is now. It is inconceivable to me that anyone who buys groceries, fills his gas tank, or watches his savings dwindle would vote for John McCain. Is half the country brain dead?

It was obvious that Obama showed better judgment in his debate answers, but I fear common sense does not sway voters. Critical thinking is sadly lacking in today's culture.

I wanted to have a stop-watch last night because I thought Jim Lehrer allowed McCain to ramble on way beyond the time limit. His constant repetitions grew tiresome, but I suppose he needed to drill, drill, drill them into the skulls of the non-thinkers as a necessary way to get his point across. I hope that some of the people understood that McShame (not a typo) was lying when Obama corrected his statements. I fear most of it was over the heads of the McCain believers.

Roosevelt was correct then and he is correct now. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And I have great fear that McCain's sleazy tactics might work.

More Reasons

For now I will leave the posts on Paulson and Bernanke to those who are more knowledgeable than I. I do want to make a few comments on other subjects.

While others are covering the economy, and doing it very well, I just found another reason a McCain presidency would be a total disaster. It is diplomacy, or lack thereof.

Remember Bush making the absurd statement, "You are either for us or against us." And we know how that turned out -- with the exception of Tony Blair most countries were against us. Now McCain is proudly claiming that he will continue this idiotic policy. Did you notice that Palin is only meeting with the heads of friendly nations? She will meet with close allies of Colombia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

I may not be the brightest bulb, but even I know that you must meet with unfriendly nations if anything is to be accomplished. It reminds me of what my late husband used to call a "Mother-in-law survey." If you poll 'like thinking' friends you will get the results you want. You need to poll a mixture of ages, demographics, and cultures to get a true reading.

It's a small world after all, to quote Disney, and McCain's policy is antediluvian and simply won't work in today's shrinking world.

While the world is focused on the economy a related issue is being shoved into the background. Privatization is one of the biggest factors causing the economic meltdown and I am including the link to a video by Keith Olbermann regarding John McCain's stand on Health Care. He would like to do to health care what he helped do to the investment community. Beware!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwy9UK9d9Ac


Please take the time to watch it. Keith nails it.

I'm Back

Here I am - back in sunny (interpretation, hot) Arizona after being cold in Colorado.

On the previous post I promised to bring back photos. Sob, cry, rant and rave; I have no photos to show. My new Canon digital camera stopped functioning the second day. I spent the rest of the trip seeing opportunities for magnificent photos and feeling like weeping with each missed opportunity.

Someone suggested that I buy a disposable camera but forgot to get me to the store. One day we were driving in the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain and a black bear with her cub crossed the road in front of us. I almost wept with frustration at that missed shot. Another great scene that caused me endless frustration was at the Patty Jewett golf course club house. I stepped out on the balcony to view Pikes Peak centered and soaring above a long green fairway with trees flanking each side. It was breathtaking in it's beauty and my camera said "error 5".

Sorry, but I have no photos to show. Canon is on my bad list right now.

I guess it's really petty to gripe about such a trivial matter in the midst of the economic meltdown that happened while I was gone. I had over 500 e-mails to sort through and am still trying to read some of the political editorials so I can catch up on the bad news. I will be back with my rant on politics when I finally absorb it all.

Goodbye For Awhile

I am leaving for Colorado Springs so this will be my last post until I return late in the month. Thanks for visiting and I hope to have lots of new photos to show you. Keep the heat on the McSame campaign while I'm gone. I was just wondering, When will this political crap be over! ____________________________________________________________

Slash and Burn

Now I'm beginning to get it. Of course everyone knows about Karl Rove's slash and burn style of politics. Obama and the Democratic party expected it and thought they were prepared to fight it with rapid response. Its not working all that well, it turns out.

I may have hit on the reason. Obama just hasn't realized how devious Karl Rove really is. Rove knows that some of his smears won't stick, but that doesn't matter because Rive's real strategy is working like a charm. Subtly he is playing on emotions and not facts. Innuendos about Obama's middle name, Hussein, are sly messages that Obama is really a Muslim disguised as a Christian.

A comment made by Rep. Davis, (Republican, Kentucky) referred to Obama as that 'boy' and Rep. Westmoreland, (Republican, Georgia), referred to Michelle and Obama as "elitist class individuals that thinks that they're uppity." They can apologize to high heaven later, but the message has been delivered --- "You just can't trust Obama because he's so - well - different. He's not one of us - be warned."

But Karl Rove is clever and more subtle. He has his minions using the term 'elitist' endlessly and any Southerner knows thats code for 'uppity". The other term the Republicans use is 'The One' and we all know that means uppity.

Even a compliment about Obama's intelligence is disguised as a slur. Who does that elitist (uppity) guy think he is? And it speaks to the fears of many voters. The message is so subtle (or not) that it's like slippery Jello - it is impossible to counter.

Palin is as different from , say a Kansas housewife, as she is from me. But her image is, "She's one of us. She's tough, she won't take our guns away, and she will keep America strong. She's just an ordinary hockey mom like us." Of course that's utter nonsense, but emotions are 50% of what many voters base their choice on. And the religious right are delirious at her choice. She is anti gun control, anti choice, anti gays, and anti science. All issues important to them. Do you want creationism taught in your school? Elect McCain. Do you want anti-abortion judges who will overturn Roe vs Wade? Elect McCain. Do you want ideology over science? Elect McCain.

The Republicans don't have one single accomplishment they can point to so the strategy is to appeal to the emotions with smoke and mirrors. Factually, McCain and Palin are probably two of the worst choices anyone could make to run this country. McCain's judgement is so flawed that he has to run against himself. He has changed positions oftener than I have changed my linens. The few good things he did as a Senator are now the very things he is against. If it weren't so serious it would be laughable. He either can't remember vital and extremely important issues or he is lacking in knowledge. Palin is a loose cannon with absolutely no experience in foreign policy or issues vital to being President. She is a good showman and that's why she is being used. She fires up the base and appeals to them emotionally.

We can point out that Obama's experience as a community organizer helped 90,000 people as opposed to Palin's job as Mayor for under 7,000 residents. ( It must really take chutzpa to say she has more experience.) Facts don't matter in slash and burn politics. In fact they are a massive detriment to this crowd. They stand up and proudly say (with emphasis and a rah rah delivery) that she has more experience. Ridiculous as it is, those who vote with visceral feelings instead of their heads will believe it.

The Rove minions are told to keep the message short so that it will fit on a bumper sticker and then 'stick it to the Democrats'.

The Republican strategy is to appeal to veiled racism, the dislike of the wealthy elites (Never mind that Cindy and John McCain could buy the Obama's ten time over) and fear of the unknown. Then add the story of John McCain's prisoner of war status and repeat those messages over and over. Drill, drill, drill it into the skulls of the gullible. Make people afraid of Obama and obscure the facts with lies. Naturally the Fox bubble heads and Rush will help enormously.

I hate to tell you, folks, but it works. Now will someone explain how you fight a slippery emotional appeal with fire? I'm afraid the obvious way is to get down in the gutter with the opposition and Obama is trying very hard to avoid that. He truly wants to unite this country and not play into the Republican divisive culture wars.

John McCain's Speech

I watched the entire Democrat's convention coverage on C-Span and in so doing missed the blather from the pundits. last night I chose PBS and heard some of the blather.

I couldn't bring myself to watch the Republican's convention because I knew it would make me mad and I would end up arguing with the TV. (How pathetic is that?) However, I did force myself to go to PBS and take in McCain's entire speech, including the well done video of his life. I pride myself on reading all editorials from the right and the left. How else can you discover what the opposition is thinking if you don't bother to find out? There have even been occasions (rare lately) when I agree with a position on the right.

The only good thing I found in my McCain viewing was when he ran down the steps of the stage without using a hand rail. Now that really impressed me!

I found McCain's speech to be a contradiction in terms. He seemed to be against everything he had voted for the past eight years. (I can't wait to see Jon Stewart's comedy routine on this travesty.) The bulk of McCain's speech sounded like every other political speech I have heard in my long lifetime - but from a Democrat. The irony is almost laughable.

Of course there were the Republican positions on 'every man for himself ', big corporations being the solutions, privatize, privatize, privatize and drill, drill, drill.

About half way through I was getting so bored because I had heard all of it before. He actually stole references from other convention speeches; all of them from Democrats. Kind of an "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." I wanted him to hurry and wrap it up so I could go to bed.

I stayed with the program long enough to hear Judy Woodruff, Michael Beschloss and another guy praise it to high heaven. I wondered if they heard the same speech that I did. Then my favorite two commentators came on. Mark Shields, from the left, agreed with me. David Brooks, from the right, found it hard to praise the speech. I felt vindicated. I guess beauty and politics are in the eye of the beholder.

What are your thoughts if you had the courage to listen?

Oh No! More Sarah Palin.(Updated)

If you read my last post on the column by Bob Herbert you will remember it was about Republican's changing the subject. This next bit of garbage is along the same line.


Before Sarah Palin is history I will comment on the latest bump in the road.

It seems that the Palin family photos are disappearing from the Alaska government site and the Republican site. The conspiracy theory crowd are interpreting that to imply that Sarah is not the mother of Trig (the Down Syndrome baby) but that her (then 16 year old) daughter is. A family photo showing a 'baby bump' on the daughter and showing the adorable youngest girl to be much older than another photo (that was supposedly taken later) combined with a story of Sarah's activities on the day she was supposedly in labor are fueling the suspicions. This whole convoluted scenario gets weirder.

If the media would just ignore the whole thing, as they should, there would be no need for speculation or interest. Who cares? Well, unfortunately, the type of people who read the National Enquirer do.

The conspiracy theorists carry this further by wondering if, by fueling suspicion and creating a feeding frenzy of news, this is the object of the whole issue. They speculate that Karl Rove has masterminded this whole scenario to take the news away from Obama. Then at the last minute, Palin will resign and a more acceptable candidate will replace her. Talk about George Orwell!

I couldn't care less who the mother of the baby is and I sincerely wish no one else would. If rational people would ignore the whole issue and get down to what we should be talking about it would be a much more interesting and worthwhile election.

Having said all that, here I am fueling the controversy. I guess I'm as guilty as the next guy.

After I finished this more information came into my mail box on Sarah and I will share it with you now. Progressive Majority sent this.

Sarah Palin is a GOPAC graduate.

GOPAC was founded in 1978 by conservatives who knew they were going to have to work outside the Republican Party to take it over. They knew they would have to recruit their own kind to run to wrest control of government from the Democrats. They knew they needed a long-term plan to build their "farm team".

Newt Gingrich took over the organization in the 1980s. You see, Gingrich wasn't satisfied with the election of Ronald Reagan. He wanted to see conservatives in control at the local, state AND national levels - even if it took a generation. Under Gingrich's leadership, GOPAC stepped up its candidate recruitment efforts, sought out "movement conservatives" and taught them how to run campaigns and talk about issues in a way that galvanized the far right base while not completely alienating moderate voters.

It worked. During the next 20 years, they took over the majority of state legislatures and governors. They single handedly led the "Republican Revolution" that took over Congress in 1994. They elected George W. Bush.

And, yesterday, one of their own accepted the Republican nomination for vice president of the United States.

If you're a conservative, that's how you go from being mayor of a small town to governor to the very top of the ticket.

Don't think for a moment, despite Democratic victories in 2006 and a good climate for 2008, that they are finished.

Today, GOPAC is the sixth largest national political organization in the country. It is three times larger and 26 years older than Progressive Majority.

More On Sarah Palin

Bob Herbert made an important point in his morning editorial. He reminded us that while we are talking about Sarah Pailn's 17 year old daughter, we are not talking about the crumbling infrastructure, the failing schools, the dismal economy, and the Iraq War. Mr. Herbert stated that the Republican party is very good at changing the subject. Remember Willie Horton, the Swift Boaters, etc.? When the Repubs are unable to win on their merit they change the subject. That is exactly what they have done in choosing a pretty, well spoken and controversial woman. While we are busy pointing out her obvious lack of qualifications and what a total disaster she is we are not talking about the real issues.

Perhaps it's time that we stay on the subject and keep reminding our readers what this election is really about. But before we do, I am adding some more information that I think is pertinent.

Elizaberth Burmiller fleshed out the one redeeming feature that Palin may have and shoots holes in that. Following is an excerpt from her article:

"Mrs Palin said: "I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress ... 'thanks, but no thanks' on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said we'd build it ourselves."

However it emerged that in a 2006 interview with the Anchorage Daily News during her gubernatorial campaign, Mrs Palin had a different view of the bridge.

Asked "would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?" she replied: "Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now - while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."

When Congressional funding was withdrawn because of an uproar in Washington about the expense of the project, she canceled it, but in a regretful tone.

"Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island."

However in 2007 her state received the highest per capita amount of federal funding, $253.16 ($506.34), according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group which tracks "earmark" spending.

She also supported multi-billion-dollar tax increase on Alaska's oil industry, and approved a $250 million state subsidy to a Canadian company wanting to build a natural gas pipeline through Alaska."

We must stay on message and not let the attack machine change the subject.

Castles In the Sand

Every year a competition is held for the best sand sculptures. They are all awesome and one can only imagine the tedious work that goes into them.

I was taken back to my childhood when I viewed these two castle sculptures.

Until I was eleven years old I was an only child. I escaped from the adult world in books. I devoured every book I could get my hands on and I was especially fond of Fairy Tales. I think I must have read every fairy tale ever written. Of course, castles always loomed large in those stories, for what is a beautiful princess without a castle?

As I matured, I left the fairy tales behind but I never lost my fascination with castles and my fondest desire was to visit one someday. It took me many, many years to finally be able to go to Europe where the best castles are. As I chose my itinerary, the tour that included the most castles was the one I took.

Although it was a thrill to see those lavishly decorated rooms and be awed by the opulence of the castles, I felt a bit let down. I didn't experience the excitement over castles that I had felt when I read about them. When all was said and done, they were just lavish mansions.

It wasn't until I visited a castle in Switzerland that I experienced the romantic feelings of a time when the handsome prince and princess fell in love. My friend, Margrit, took me to Kyburg, a small and rather plain castle. The floors were of hand hewn planks and everything spoke of a time long gone by. The prisoners were kept in the attic. There was a torture room complete with an Iron Maiden that reminded me the suffering that must have occurred there. It felt authentic.

Perhaps because it was so different from today's mansions I could let my imagination run wild. I realized that living in this castle would not be as wonderful as I had thought. Isn't that a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence? Or perhaps, it makes the point that we should never envy someone else based on our preconceived ideas.

The last castle I visited was my favorite. Neuschwanstein, Von Ludvig's castle, is the one Disney used as a template for his Sleeping Beauty castle. I finally had my dreams fulfilled. It was everything I thought a castle should be.

Wake Up America

I had all sorts of troubles with this blog. I am not going to write it over because it was about the Democrat's convention and that is now history.

Instead I am going to write my comments about Sarah Palin. I have heard the talking heads bloviate on McSame's choice both pro and con. It seems to me that the pros who are trying to play up her strengths have very slim pickings to go on. It boils down to two positives that I can recognize. 1) She cancelled the 'bridge to nowhere" and 2) She gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome even though she could have aborted the fetus when she knew there would be a disadvantaged baby.

Both are commendable and I will only make the comment that I wonder who is taking care of that baby while she is off politicking.

The bad news is that she was not properly vetted and John McSame, who wanted Liebeman, was told by the right wing that "he couldn't have the other Joe". So, having met her but once, he threw away any credibility he might have had on not being beholden to the Christian conservatives and chose her instead.

Sarah Palin will win the support of the NRA, the Christian right, and the Right to Life crowd. But if McSame thinks he will get the disgruntled Hillary backers with this far right Christian Fundamentalist gal I think he made a big mistake.

She will attract a lot of men who like guns and pretty women, but she will turn off just as many women who don't like agressive and gun totin' Mols.

I guess only time will prove me right or wrong, but it is inconceivable to me that the voters will look at the person who is only one heart beat away from the presidency and not find her extremely thin qualifications very scary.

Following is the letter I received on Sarah Palin's environmental record. It's enough to make Gore want to run again.

Dear Darlene,

A few hours ago, the news broke that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been selected by Sen. John McCain as the vice presidential candidate for the Republican ticket.

As a Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund supporter, you are no doubt aware of Governor Palin’s dismal record, from her staunch support for special interests and Big Oil to her terrible assault on wolves and other wildlife.

As much of the nation wonders just who Sarah Palin is, I wanted to pass along my statement that I've just released.

Please read it and pass it along to everyone you know.

Thanks for your continued support,

Rodger

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2008

Shocking Choice by John McCain

WASHINGTON-- Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.

“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration.

“This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”

Travel Photos

Busy, busy, busy. The 'hurrieder' I go the 'behinder' I get. Lack of time prompts me to take the easy path again and post more old pictures I took on my travels.

The top photo is marble courtyard of King Louis XIV, Versailles.

The next one is Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford on the Avon.

You will all recognize the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It really tilts.

The bottom photo is my favorite place of all -- Carcasonne, France.

Click on any of my photos to enlarge them.

The Democrat's Convention

Did you feel a sense of pride in the three women who, to me, were the most inspiring in last night's Democratic convention opening? I am referring to Michelle Obama, Barack's sister, Maya, with her beautiful smile and Hillary with her call to unity.


The most poignant moment for me, though was when Ted Kennedy courageously stepped up to the podium. It was a teary time for me having lived with a man who died of multiple terminal brain tumors. I know how weak Ted must have been, but he mustered the energy to boom forth with his powerful voice and rally the troops.


It is so inspiring to see a person who really puts the love of country and party above his own needs. When Ted said it was a time for hope I had a lump in my throat and when he said he would be in the Senate on January first that lump grew into a mountain and my eyes got misty.


I know that the diagnosis of terminal cancer can consume your every waking thought and yet, here stood a man, so weak that he had to ride in a golf cart to the podium, to proclaim a message of hope.


Here's to you, Ted, and may your continue the courageous fight and be on the floor of the Senate next January to celebrate.

Travel photos

If any of you read my post this morning and are wondering what happened I will enlighten you.

I went to the dentist and found out there was a valid reason to give me an antibiotic and to give me so many injections. My whine gave a false impression; therefore the whine is gone.



Because I want to watch the Democrat convention I will post some photos to refresh your memory if you have been to these places. If not, you can dream.


I am posting a hodgepodge of places I've been. The first it the welcome from the King to the Kodak show in Oahu.


The next one is from the (probably) Toltec ruins in Mexico


The next is a Roman Aquaduct in France.




The fourth, and last photo, is Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Post Script To the Last Post "No Blood For OIl"

Please read my previous post "No Blood For Oil" before reading this one. They should have been posted as a single unit.

In addition to "Facts are stubborn things" John Adams had another quote that is a favorite of mine. It is: Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people: John Adams

Nancy sent me this funny spoof on the Bush presidency that I think every one will enjoy. I would like to post it here, but for expediency I am just including the link. If you like to laugh, please click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aEURwsrUSQ


My last political rant itemized many of the blunders of 'Bush and company' but I failed to mention the signing statements. As of February 8, 2008 George Bush had signed a total of 156 signing statements. While this practice has not been declared unconstitutional, it has certainly undermined the separation of powers. It is a way of weakening Congress' authority and power. It is also an indication of the secretive way this administration has governed.

It really mystifies me that some people still defend Bush and fail to see the danger he has put our nation in. I guess Honest Abe was right. You can fool some of the people all of the time.

Now that I have ranted on the Bush presidency that, thank God, is almost over, I am going to look forward to a future danger.

One of the most frightening to me, and one that will have the most lasting effect, is the fate of the Supreme Court. There are three Justices who are certainly going to retire within the next four years. John Paul Stevens is 88, Anthony Kennedy is 72,and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while only 69, has had cancer. John McCain has already praised Samuel Alito as his favorite Justice and has promised to nominate like thinking Judges. He is determined to overturn Roe vs Wade which will have the dire result of criminalizing doctors and women who either preform or need abortions. No one wants an abortion, contrary to what the pro-lifers claim. It is most certainly NOT expensive birth control and is only a last resort for desperate women. We have experienced the terrible consequences of making abortion illegal and I doubt that anyone who lived during that time would want to return to those dark ages of coat hanger abortions.

I do hope that those who disagree with my rant will take the time to delve out the facts on my statements and not do, as so many of the opposite view have done, believe what the Fox talking heads and Rush Limbaugh say and swallow it whole. Or believe what a novelist wrote on Climate Change instead of believing the Scientists who actually make a study of it.

Please, please vote intelligently based on facts and not spin or sound bites. I beg you; our country depends on it.

No Blood For Oil

So many things are wrong; so little time to fix them.

A Tome could be written about all of the mistakes, deceptions, errors in judgment and illegal acts of this Administration. It would read like a cheap novel and if everything were documented no one would believe that this could happen here. There is no single part of government that this administration hasn't destroyed or weakened. (And we thought Nixon was bad; at least he opened up China.)

I tried, in fairness to think of one good thing that Bush has done right and I just couldn't come up with one. I'm sure someone will enlighten me. I do tend to be biased. ;-)

And so, off the top of my head, I am listing the obvious ones first that even the most oblivious will find hard to refute. Remember, facts are stubborn things.

• The economy is in the tank.
• The horrible cost in lives and money due to the illegal and ruinous war with Iraq.
• The environment has been ignored and allowed to deteriorate further,
• The slowest job growth in 50 years.
• The National debt is 9.5 trillion: the largest in history
• The biggest divide between the rich and poor since the days of the robber barons.
• The destruction of our image in the world. We are now a nation that is hated.
  
• The infrastructure has been allowed to crumble.
• Politics have been injected into the highest court in our land.
• The housing market is imploding.
• Big Corporations pay no taxes.
• Schools are saddled with mandated tests and no money to pay for them and our educational system is becoming one of the worst compared to other industrialized nations..
• Our voting system is becoming more unreliable with touch pad electronics and illegal meddling.
• Placing Ideologues as heads of Cabinet positions who made decisions based on ideology rather than facts and science.

I could continue with sub-topics about Abu-Graib, torture, secrecy, Katrina, illegal wire tapping, the outing of Valerie Plame, etc. But people who read already know all this.It's the insidious small things that escape detection and that are also undermining our society. It all began when Bush came into office and was determined to undo everything Clinton had put in place. Treaties were canceled or ignored, The Israeli/Palestinian conflict was put on the back burner and shoved aside.. If Clinton did it, Bush undid it without any analysis of its merit. He was like a petulant child who stamped his feet if he didn't get his way. So, because the administration wanted to do some 'not-so-nice' and/or illegal things, they became obsessively secretive. It will be years for the extent of the complete damage done to see the light of day. Due to the illegal loss (?) of documents ("The White House is missing as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003 and there is little if any likelihood a recovery effort will be completed by the time the Bush administration leaves office), we may never know all of the sleazy things done by this administration. If the records finally are found and haven't been destroyed we may learn that this administration caused a popular governor to go to prison on trumped up charges. And other Federal prosecuters lost their jobs because they didn't prosecute Democrats or did prosecute Republicans. The independence of the judicial system meant about as much as checks and balances to these guys.

The Conservative belief that all things can be cured by privatizing them is undermining our society in ways that will last for generations. The disastrous Medical Reform Act has further weakened our health system that is now so broken that the only way to fix it would be to scrap it and start over. Of course, that would create such a furor that it will never happen.

Little by little more insidious facts are spilling out about what the Bush Administration has really done to our country under the radar. Sometimes deliberately and sometimes with sheer incompetence. A new fact just surfaced that people were sickened and some died because the FDA ignored. or glossed over, a report that 88 tainted shipments of chili peppers were turned away months ago. Since they took no action, more peppers were allowed in and people ingested Salmonella. This is just one example of incompetence at agencies that were once professional. And we all know about the mess in New Orleans.

Surprise, surprise !! The real reason we went into Iraq was one that some of us (including Barak Obama) believed to be true at the time. One word. OIL. Remember the people who cried, "No blood for
oil !"? They were vilified by the administration and called traitors. Now everyone should know that they were right and were the true patriots.

Prior to the war the oil industry was nationalized by the government of Iraq and they made it extremely difficult for foreign oil companies to do business there. But wonder of wonders, Hunt oil has just signed an agreement with the Kurds, four more American oil companies have signed temporary agreements, and seven more will be bidding. No wonder Dick Cheney deviously worked behind the scenes to make sure this war happened. And no wonder he has hidden his meeting on energy and refuses to release the documents.

Now, to add injury to insult, Bush is trying to weaken the endangered species act. If those in this administration were our enemies they couldn't do a better job of ruining our country. Wait a minute - maybe they are our enemies. Methinks they 'protesteth too much' on how patriotic they are. (Okay, that's over the top, but I couldn't resist. Forgive me.)

What is more sickening is the number of people who can't see that John McCain will continue all of these failed policies. He is no maverick, having voted with the administration 95% of the time. This information must be spread and understood by the electorate before we see the total destruction of our country.

Please continue on to the post script to this post.

People At the Grand Canyon

I am working on a political post so today I will make it easy on myself and fill up space with more photos of my last trip to the Grand Canyon. I selected photos with people this time for a more human theme. It seems more appropriate after the latest news of having to evacuate the Indians and hikers from the bottom of the canyon after a mud dam broke.

The top photo is of a comedian who entertained us on the train. The cars are old, the seats close together and the aisles narrow. This guy was in our car for a long time and had moved toward the end of the car when I needed to use the facilities that were beyond him. I walked up the aisle and he didn't know I was behind him wanting to get by. Since he was well into his patter I didn't want to interrupt.

Each car on the train had an attendant in period costume. Ours was a very handsome piano player in the dress suit worn in the Gay Nineties. He saw my dilemma and quietly came down the
aisle to where I was standing and pinched the
entertainer on the butt. Without missing a beat the comedian whirled around and said, "Did you do that Maam?" I think my face turned a lovely shade of hot pink and I tried to avoid looking at all those laughing faces who were finding this episode to be the funniest thing said.

The next photo shows a couple of white haired buddies (I honestly don't know if it's two women or a man and woman).

The next photo is of a cliff house. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you can get a better view of the visitors.

The final photo shows our companions from the bus walking up to view a monument. I can't tell you what is on the plaque because I decided that the path was too rocky for me to navigate with my poor sense of balance.