Is Sarah Palin The Most Anti-Library Politician In the U.S.?

First it was the story about Frau Palin threatening a librarian with dismissal for not wanting to ban books. Now, I find this in a story about the governor slashing the budget for a home for unwed teens (note the irony). Take a look at the graphic. You will see that that great lover of literature slashed something else, too.

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Oh Sarah

I know Republicans are really excited right now but, the speech was Republican boilerplate. It touched on all of the golden oldies: "support the troops"; "blue state Americans don't die enough for the empire"; besides "only people who live in small towns are real Americans"; "we shouldn't have to depend on foreign oil, we need to make our own"; and "hey, here's an idea, let's cut taxes". Of course Republicans love her. She is a reflection of the Republican movement since Goldwater. There was nothing new in the speech though. The only change she was pitching was a change from George Bush to John McCain. In fact she struck me as a female version of Cheney (both love them some big oil and both have weird mouths). She will appeal to the base, but I sincerely doubt she will win over many independent voters.

Ms. Palin has one habit, that they are going to have to break her of (in my opinion). She has a habit of clenching her jaw after she has made a point. It's as if she is saying. "Ya, I said you mother was a whore. You want to make something out of it?" I can only describe it as a "Cheney mouth". It will appeal to the S&M crowd in the Republican party, but I suspect it will turn off many, many others. Republicans may love a mean VP, but Americans probably don't want another Dick Cheney. One was plenty.

Update: I forgot to mention one other thing. The section about "special needs children" made me sick. Palin said that if elected she would champion their cause. Ya, right. We all know her support will be of the moral kind, the "I feel your pain" kind. Anyone asking for government money to actually help with the health care of these children will be politely (or maybe not so politely, told to go away and reflect on what it means to be an American).

Update: I realize that this will confirm my membership in the "Eastern Elites", but I think Gail Colins watched the same speech I did:

Reform Day was, of course, tailor-made for Palin, who is all about reform. Particularly, reforming the Republican party. Normally, in a democracy, the way you reform a party is by tossing it out of power until it learns its lesson and gets its act together. But the McCain-Palin plan is to reform Republicanism by keeping Republicans in control of the White House and most of the powerful posts in the federal government. That’ll show them.

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Save The Superman House

Oh Cleveland, how could you? Follow the links on the video. Do what you can.

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It's Sarah's Turn

The question is, will she cry on camera? My guess is, she will tear up, but bravely carry on.

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Dennis Perrin Speaks

It's as if he is looking into a magic mirror and can see Canadian politics as it is practiced by Liberals and Conservatives without any distortion:

Over the past days, I've reached for various masks that hang on my office wall, then submerged myself into character while touring a number of liblog comments sections. It's not pretty. There are some truly twisted mindsets claiming to be "liberal," or worse "progressive." Even mildly broaching the idea that perhaps, just maybe, Obama/Biden is not the fix that is needed, that it is more of the same, only with tin halos and false smiles, will get you slammed. The Ticket will not be questioned, not in any serious way. The Republicans and the Republicans alone are the source of all evil in this land. Every tired retort is repeatedly aired -- McCainiac, Naderite, racist, sexist, etc. You know the script. Facts don't matter. Refuting their falsehoods, meaningless. We have entered the religious phase of the campaign, and only those embracing the faith may speak without being slimed. If it wasn't for PETA, I suspect that snake-waving would be part of the ceremony, provided that the snakes were registered Dems, of course.

Substitute Liberal for Democrat and Conservative for Republican and it is completely applicable here (or will be as soon as Harper drops the bomb).

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Just One Thing About Sarah Palin

May I suggest to those who think that the fact that Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant is important, that it is, in fact unimportant. The way the Palins have handled the situation is exactly how one would hope evangelical Christian parents would handle it. They have accepted the facts and their child with love and the daughter is getting married. Now, whether you agree with that solution in this day and age is another thing, but they are acting as their principles dictate. I am not detecting any hypocrisy at all. So let's get back to policy differences and leave the personal lives of politicians alone.

Update: I would like Sarah Palin to explain her position on Alaskan independence, for example.

Update: Yes, it does look like Mr. Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party until as lately as 2002. Sarah Palin sent the AIP a video of support to their 2008 convention.



These things raise some interesting questions. Is Mr. Palin still sympathetic to Alaskan independence? As the wife in a deeply committed Christian marriage, does Mrs Palin submit to her husband's political views as commanded by St. Paul in Ephesians 5: 22-24? Does her video to this year's AIP convention show the good judgment required of someone aspiring to become Vice President?

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Where Are Our Insect Overlords When We Need Them?

I realize there are some of you out there who think I have lost my marbles. Who can blame you? But, read this section from Aaron Wherry, today and see if you can say that the world hasn't turned into a giant piece of absurdest performance art:

On this, a word from the Prime Minister. Or at least his spokesman, who was quickly dispatched to offer the government’s perspective on that nail, who had hammered it and into whose coffin it was driven.

What followed was a bellyache for the ages. Mr. Dion, we were told, had refused to promise that the Liberal opposition would capitulate to the government on every vote from now until October 2009. What’s more, we learned, Mr. Dion had even refused to state exactly when and under what conditions the Liberals might vote against the Conservative side. Parliament, the PM’s man mourned, had grown too partisan to be of any further use and these “uncertain economic times”—a phrase the government side is quite fond of these days—demand assured certainty.

Never mind the Prime Minister’s publicly spoken expectation that an election will only to another of these minority governments. And never mind the business of that fixed election date the Prime Minister was once so keen on honouring.

So an election then?

“The fixed election date law provides for this exact situation. Mr. Dion may not understand what that law is,” the PM’s man said. “If Mr. Dion wanted to avoid an election date, if he wanted to respect the spirit of the fixed election date law, he would give some assurance that the government could survive.”

At this, my tape recorder seemed to pick up an audible laugh from someone in the crowd.

The TV correspondent was soon back in front of the camera. “It’s on really for sure now,” he said.

All that's missing is John Cleese and a laugh track. I ask you, am I insane or has the world gone sideways? These people are leading our country. You either have to laugh or kill yourself and I choose mirth. There may be some hysteria mixed in for good fun, but what can you do?

Update: Oh, here is John Cleese now.

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