The Palin Truth Files Now Online

John McCain Online has added a section called "The Palin Truth Files," which deals with the phony "Troopergate" investigation by Obama loyalists.

Check the out here.

Will America Reward the Guilty by Electing Obama?

A number of excellent articles have appeared on the net this past week, making it absolutely, irrefutably clear that the Democratic Party caused the mortgage crisis and the financial crash that followed. Ann Coulter has a good piece on the topic today. Check it out here.

While the Democrats' crazy scheme was being propagated, Republicans warned of the dangers and tried to enact regulatory legislation over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to try to prevent a financial crisis. They were successfully opposed by the Democrats who prevented any corrective legislation from being passed.

What is true, of course, isn't important. The great majority of Americans don't know the truth and don't want to do the work to find out. They will simply display a knee-jerk reaction and punish the party in power -- even though the other party is the guilty one.

Now that the financial crisis has come, Democrats are lying their asses off about who is responsible. Nancy Pelosi, the biggest airhead and most shallow member of Congress in 200 years, gave a nasty speech to Congress yesterday blaming the crisis on the Bush administation. Say what you will about Bush, he did try to prevent the crisis early on in his term. Pelosi is a disgrace to Congress, a shameless liar.

The polls show Obama increasing his lead over John McCain, and without a doubt the current crisis is the reason. The American people, learning that there is a chicken crisis, have opted to buy foxes to guard the hen houses.

Get ready for another Jimmy Carter style Presidency in Barack Obama. Unless something radical happens to change public perception, we Republicans are toast. John McCain needs to stop posturing as a fine gentleman and start telling the truth about the Democrats and how they caused this mess. Sarah Palin debates Joe Biden on Thursday and she needs to hit a home run. If she does, it may help. But don't count on it.

Kiss Me a Lot, Baby: Andrea Bocelli Sings "Besame Mucho"

I love latin music. I love the rhythms and the romance. One of my favorite songs in this genre is "Besame Mucho," literally, "Kiss me a lot!" The song was written in 1940 and has been sung by everyone from the Beatles to Sanjay to Stogie after too many beers; but my favorite singer of this song is Andrea Bocelli. I saw him sing it in person in San Jose a couple of years ago.

Enjoy the rhythms and the romance! Note especially the flamenco guitar which adds so much to the music.

Cigars and Beer at Stogie's Place

I really felt sorry for making my cat, Inky, pose in that picture with Michelle Obama. As soon as I snapped the photo for Newsweak magazine, Michelle climbed on her broom and flew off into the night sky, cackling loudly. I knew I had better mollify my cat before he decided to shred my shins again.

So I invited him over for beer and cigars. He asked if he could bring a friend, and said he was bringing a little kitty -- at least that's what I thought he said. In any case, that's her enjoying a cigar on the other side of the table.

Inky is enjoying his beer while his cigar burns in the ash tray. He still looks mighty pissed off, but he was purring loudly when I snapped this photo. A good cigar will do that for you.

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Good thing Mrs. Chomper was out of town. She gets upset when we don't use coasters. 

Stogie Photoshop: Michelle Obama Goes Green for Halloween

I saw this cover of Newsweek with Michelle Obama featured on the front; it was titled "The Real Michelle Obama." You can see the original Newsweek issue here.

Anyway, I had my own ideas about "the real Michelle Obama" and she is featured in this special Stogie edition of Newsweek for Halloween, 2008. Enjoy and use it on your blog or website as you see fit.

I like that cat. He is one pissed-off feline. Chill Kitty, I know the feeling. Here, have a cigar.

The Causes of the Financial Crisis Explained Simply

The video below is called "Burning Down the House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?" and you can find it at YouTube.com. Embed it in your blog or website. The public needs to know the truth about what caused the mortgage crisis and the financial crisis that followed.

It's simple. Democrats lowered lending standards for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae so that minorities and poor people could buy homes without meeting the usual standards of income and down payments. This caused a run on home buying, pushing the prices of homes through the stratosphere. When the new buyers couldn't afford to pay the mortgages, they began to default in record numbers. Suddenly there were many more home sellers than there were buyers and home prices plummeted. Financial institutions who invested in or insured these mortgages went bankrupt as a result. The Democrats caused this mess by interfering with the free market and we are all paying the price today in the form of a weakened economy.

Yes, if you want to put the fox into the hen house to cure the chicken shortage, do vote for Democrats and Barack Obama. That'll fix it for sure.

You can get the embed code for this video here. Do it. Spread the word.

First Presidential Debate Revisited: McCain Wins on Foreign Policy

I listened to the debate on my car radio on the way home last night, but I missed the last third of the debate, the part that covered foreign policy. I didn't realize the debate was 90 minutes and thought it was about over when I pulled up in the driveway. However, I just watched the last 30 minutes, which is recorded on CNN's site. This changes my opinion of the debate somewhat.

John McCain certainly appeared more knowledgeable and comfortable with foreign policy than did Obama and won that part of the debate, though it was by no means a knock-out. Obama was smooth and spoke well and even somewhat knowledgeably on the issues, though his major premises were often wrong. His belief that we must "be respected" by the socialist/pacifist governments of Europe as essential to foreign policy successes being a case in point. Those governments are well on the way to self-extinction and I do not want the United States to follow them into the dust-bin of history.

McCain was comfortable, smooth and self-assured, but not particularly aggressive on the issues. As Pamela Geller points out today, one the biggest problems she (and I) have with McCain is his refusal to go for the jugular and press his advantage when the opportunity appears.
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I really liked McCain's suggestion that we replace the United Nations with a League of Democracies, a kind of U.N. with only democratic countries represented. Those countries could then apply economic and other kinds of pressure on rogue states like Russia when they commit aggression. The U.N. is effectively toothless because the inmates are in charge of the asylum.

McCain certainly did himself no damage in this first debate, but that's not enough to impress the public. He needs to make a clearer distinction between himself and Obama. He needs to go for the knock-out punch. Hopefully he will do so in later debates.

You can watch the debate here.

First Presidential Debate: Terminally Boring

The first presidential debate is over and I'm wondering if my ballot will have a choice that says "None of the Above." It was a string of boring sound-bites, vocal bumper stickers and playing it safe. Nothing extraordinary was heard. Obama went with his McCain is Bush theme and McCain declined to attack Obama and the Democrats with the truth about their ruination of the economy by eliminating mortgage lending standards to racial minorities (where borrowers needed no job, no credit and no down payment).

My honest conclusion: the debate was a draw and that hurts McCain. He gained no ground tonight. McCain made me groan when he repeated some of his zingers from the Saddleback forum. They were funny and effective then, but being repeated now made him sound stale and scripted. He repeated the comment, twice, that he "didn't win Miss Congeniality" as a member of the Senate. He also repeated the now stale joke about the earmark for studying bears' DNA: was it for determining the bears' criminality or paternity? Ha ha. So funny. ZZZZZZ.

A very disappointing debate. McCain will have to do much better if he is to overtake Obama in the polls.

Young Sarah Palin in a Bright Pink Bathing Suit

I picked this up from Power Line Blog. It's a film clip of the young Sarah in 1984 as a contestant in a beauty contest. She's gorgeous - great legs.

According to Power Line, the militant homosexual known as Andrew Sullivan found it and posted it on YouTube in an effort to denigrate Sarah Palin. Sullivan hates Sarah Palin, probably because she's so wholesome and normal and attractive and he's not. She got to walk down the aisle in a white, gauzy wedding dress; Sullivan is terminally pissed because he can't do the same. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, hey Andrew?

News flash to Sullivan: Yes, Sarah Palin was and is a babe. We like that. We aren't ashamed of her for being NORMAL and BEAUTIFUL and CONSERVATIVE.

Here's the vid. Enjoy.

Pamela Geller Interviews God

Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs used to be a mere blogger among millions of bloggers. However, the cream has risen to the top and she is now a serious journalist who merely uses blogging as her chief means of dessemination. She has interviewed many famous people over the past three years, but this week she interviewed Geert Wilders, the heroic Dutch parliamentarian who produced the film "Fitna" and put his personal safety on the line to openly oppose Islam and the Islamization of European society.

This lady never ceases to amaze me. I suspect one of these days I will see a YouTube video titled "Atlas Shrugs Interviews God." It will go something like this:

God: Welcome to Mt. Sinai, Pamela. I read your blog daily and it keeps me informed.

PG: Thank you! I'm so pleased to be here with "The Deity," the Man Upstairs, the Big Man in the Sky, the Star Boss, commonly known to many as simply "God."

God: Please, please, just call me Yahweh, all my friends do. But don't call me "Allah" unless you like lightning bolts, heh heh! A little humor there.

PG: Thanks Yahweh, tell me now, is it tougher being God today? I mean with Islamic barbarity being committed in your name and all? Is it harder to communicate your will to your real followers with all this spam from Buddhist prayer wheels and Democrat talking points?

God: Yes, it's somewhat more challenging being God these days. Of course, we have the internet, which beats the hell out of stone tablets any day of the week, or even disembodied hands writing on someone's wall. Less dramatic perhaps, but much more efficient. As for Islamic barbarity, yes, I am shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that anyone would believe they are going to heaven for murdering a lot of strangers, even when done in my name -- what's the world coming to? And why are these people covering my most beautiful creation, women, in ugly black sacks? I think they call them Burquas.

PG: Well O Holy One, can't you do something about the barbarity? Blow a whistle and call a time out or something?

God: Well I did send Geert Wilders you know. Geert is THE MAN baby, he is kicking ass and taking names...In fact, I just told him to contact you when he gets to New York and to grant you an interview.

We'll leave the interview at this point and allow you to see Pamela's interview of Geert Wilders. It's embedded below.

Hire the Handicapped: Obama Did

Hire the handicapped. Barack Obama did.

Here's Joe learning to eat an ice cream cone.

Rush Limbaugh: Poll Showing Obama Up by 10 was Fraudulent

The Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Obama up by 10 points over McCain, ostensibly because of the financial crisis. This morning Rush Limbaugh stated that the poll was a fraud, as it undersampled Republicans and oversampled Democrats to skew the results. Only 28% of the respondents were Republicans while 38% were Democrats. The rest, presumably, were independents.

Rush concluded that the poll was intended to affect the vote rather than reflect it.

The Rasmussen tracking poll has Obama up by only 2 points.

Nice try, Washington Post.

McCain Slams New York Times for Obvious Bias and Slant

From John McCain's website, he responds to the NY Times recent (false) allegations that McCain's Campaign Manager is on the payroll of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

A Partisan Paper of Record Today the New York Times launched its latest attack on this campaign in its capacity as an Obama advocacy organization. Let us be clear about what this story alleges: The New York Times charges that McCain-Palin 2008 campaign manager Rick Davis was paid by Freddie Mac until last month, contrary to previous reporting, as well as statements by this campaign and by Mr. Davis himself.

In fact, the allegation is demonstrably false. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis separated from his consulting firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006. As has been previously reported, Mr. Davis has seen no income from Davis Manafort since 2006. Zero. Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation since 2006. Mr. Davis has received no profit or partner distributions from that firm on any basis -- weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual -- since 2006. Again, zero. Neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation from Davis Manafort in 2006.

Further, and missing from the Times' reporting, Mr. Davis has never -- never -- been a lobbyist for either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mr. Davis has not served as a registered lobbyist since 2005.

Though these facts are a matter of public record, the New York Times, in what can only be explained as a willful disregard of the truth, failed to research this story or present any semblance of a fairminded treatment of the facts closely at hand. The paper did manage to report one interesting but irrelevant fact: Mr. Davis did participate in a roundtable discussion on the political scene with...Paul Begala.

Again, let us be clear: The New York Times -- in the absence of any supporting evidence -- has insinuated some kind of impropriety on the part of Senator McCain and Rick Davis. But entirely missing from the story is any significant mention of Senator McCain's long advocacy for, and co-sponsorship of legislation to enact, stricter oversight and regulation of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- dating back to 2006. Please see the attached floor statement on this issue by Senator McCain from 2006.

To the central point our campaign has made in the last 48 hours: The New York Times has never published a single investigative piece, factually correct or otherwise, examining the relationship between Obama campaign chief strategist David Axelrod, his consulting and lobbying clients, and Senator Obama. Likewise, the New York Times never published an investigative report, factually correct or otherwise, examining the relationship between Former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson and Senator Obama, who appointed Johnson head of his VP search committee, until the writing was on the wall and Johnson was under fire following reports from actual news organizations that he had received preferential loans from predatory mortgage lender Countrywide.

Therefore this "report" from the New York Times must be evaluated in the context of its intent and purpose. It is a partisan attack falsely labeled as objective news. And its most serious allegations are based entirely on the claims of anonymous sources, a familiar yet regretful tactic for the paper.

We all understand that partisan attacks are part of the political process in this country. The debate that stems from these grand and sometimes unruly conversations is what makes this country so exceptional. Indeed, our nation has a long and proud tradition of news organizations that are ideological and partisan in nature, the Huffington Post and the New York Times being two such publications. We celebrate their contribution to the political fabric of America. But while the Huffington Post is utterly transparent, the New York Times obscures its true intentions -- to undermine the candidacy of John McCain and boost the candidacy of Barack Obama -- under the cloak of objective journalism.

The New York Times is trying to fill an ideological niche. It is a business decision, and one made under economic duress, as the New York Times is a failing business. But the paper's reporting on Senator McCain, his campaign, and his staff should be clearly understood by the American people for what it is: a partisan assault aimed at promoting that paper’s preferred candidate, Barack Obama.

Statement by Senator John McCain, May 25, 2006:
Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae's regulator reported that the company's quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were "illusions deliberately and systematically created" by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's report goes on to say that Fannie Mae employees deliberately and intentionally manipulated financial reports to hit earnings targets in order to trigger bonuses for senior executives. In the case of Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae's former chief executive officer, OFHEO's report shows that over half of Mr. Raines' compensation for the 6 years through 2003 was directly tied to meeting earnings targets. The report of financial misconduct at Fannie Mae echoes the deeply troubling $5 billion profit restatement at Freddie Mac.

The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator's examination of the company's accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005. These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform.

For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs--and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO's report this week does nothing to ease these concerns. In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO's report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay.

I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.

I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this GSE reform legislation.

Jawa Report Uncovers Anti-Palin Smear Campaign by Obama PR Team

Yesterday Rusty Shackleford of the Jawa Report blog revealed that he and other bloggers had uncovered an"astroturf" plot by members of Obama's PR firm to stage a false "grass-roots" outcry against Sarah Palin. (The term "astroturf" refers to faked "grass-roots" political movements that are actually orchestrated by partisan professionals.)

Rusty zeroed in on a You-Tube video that introduced the false claim that Palin was a member of an Alaskan secessionist group. He was able to identify the voice-over artist who narrated the video, tying him to a pro-Obama PR firm. Specifically, the artist was one Ethan S. Winner of the Democrat PR firm of Winner and Associates. Winner foolishly uploaded the video to YouTube under his own name.

Within an hour after Rusty posted his expose, Winner removed the video from YouTube and erased his account, apparently in an attempt to cover his tracks. GOTCHA ETHAN!

Rusty's conclusions about the matter appear sound:

This suggests that false rumors and outright lies about Sarah Palin and
John McCain being spread on the internet are being orchestrated by political
partisans and are not an organic grassroots phenomenon led by the left wing
fringe.

Read all about it at Michelle Malkin's site.

UPDATE: Ethan Winner has admitted making the video.

Presidential Debates Begin on Friday

At long last John McCain and Barack Obama will meet face to face for a Presidential debate at the University of Mississippi. This is where the campaign gets serious, where all the media spin and pundit blather takes a backseat to political realities.

I'm looking forward to it. The polls are still tight, with Obama gaining ground. Let's see what the candidates are really made of -- who has actual knowledge and wisdom on critical national problems and who is an unqualified pretender. Who can answer questions presented to him with credibility and who merely sidesteps the questions. Who can think on his feet and who cannot.

It all comes down to this: the candidates must battle head to head in the arena of ideas and fight it out man to man. Win or lose, the fight cannot be sidestepped or wished away, nor would I want it to be. The hoped-for result is that the candidates will reveal their true selves and give real insight into their ability to lead.

Let the debates begin and let the chips fall where they may.

Stogie Photoshop: A Tribute to Al Franken

Al Franken is running for a Senate seat from Minnesota.
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We wish him well in his new endeavors and are sure his new comedy act will be even funnier than his stint on Saturday Night Live.
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Of course, his believability might be enhanced if he could learn to stop sucking his thumb.

A Must Read: The Left's Crooked Umpires

Bruce Walker has posted a must-read article on liberal media-bias at the American Thinker website. He writes:

Atlantic Monthly runs an article on John McCain. A photographer, Jill Greenberg, takes pictures of McCain for the piece. She deliberately takes awful photographs, using her skill as a professional to make the senator look as offensive as possible. Charlie Gibson, given the chance to help Americans to get to know the most interesting political figure in decades, uses that opportunity to score cheap political points to demean her instead. These are two perfect examples of the Leftist bias of the media.

But what is it, really, that offends us so much about this bias? What bothers us about bias in the mainstream media is that the Left lies about its bias. It pretends to be an objective collegial body of neutral professionals. It conceals its opinions and pretends instead to be an honest umpire of the facts. It tries to trick us.

Read it all here.

Sandra Bernhard: Skanks for the Memory

There was a big brouhaha this week about a comedienne named Sandra Bernhard ridiculing Sarah Palin in a leftwing skit (or was that "snit"?). Seems this fine actress of the left used a lot of profanity and hateful words and thoroughly disgraced herself and her cause. She actually hoped that Sarah Palin would be "gang raped" by blacks. Well it works for Sandra Bernhard as a night out, so I suppose she thought it might work for Palin too.

Okay, so a leftist expresses ugliness, profanity and hate -- what's newsworthy about that? Nothing really -- it's sort of like saying chickens lay eggs and cows give milk. Duh! And the sun rises in the east. Tell us something we don't know.

I was, however, intrigued by Sandra Bernhard's face in the video. Damn, she's downright ugly. Nature may have shortchanged her on breast size, but it overcompensated by giving her a really big mouth. Seriously, the last time I saw a mouth like that it was on the end of a hook. I threw it back.

Now Stogie, you may be saying, one's looks are not so important as what's inside the person. Yes, I agree; however, with Bernhard you not only get someone who is butt-ugly on the outside, but someone who equally ugly on the inside. Now that's really ugly.

A Stogie Photoshop: Suckers for Obama-Biden

Here's a Photoshop of Joe Biden enjoying a treat commensurate with the Obama-Biden political philosophy.

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I created it just for fun! Enjoy and use it anyway you see fit.

Troopergate: The Dem Smear Job of Palin Falls Apart

This week facts came to light about the so-called "bipartisan" ethics investigation of Sarah Palin. Palin fired the Alaska State Safety Commissioner, Walter Monegan, whose job included presiding over the Alaskan state troopers. Democrats have charged that she fired him in a personal vendetta, i.e. because he failed to fire Palin's former brother-in-law after he divorced Palin's sister.

A state investigation previously disclosed that the brother in law, trooper Mike Wooten, was caught driving drunk in his police car, that he tasered Palin's eleven year old nephew, and that he threatened to kill Palin's father. Those are pretty good reasons to fire Wooten, and Palin would certainly be within her rights to fire the Safety Commissioner for keeping Wooten on. However, that's not what happened. Wooten still has his job, even under a new Safety Commissioner.

The Weekly Standard reports that Palin released records showing that the Safety Commissioner was fired for insubordination, for going over Palin's head to seek the state legislature's approval of a project without submitting it to Palin first; for issuing public statements of his disagreement with Palin on budget issues, and for refusing to carry out other of Palin's directives. The State Safety Commissioner serves at the discretion of the Governor and may be fired by the Governor for any reason. This guy was begging to be fired and finally got his wish.

Ed Morrissey usefully outlines Monegan's record of insubordination:

* 12/9/07: Monegan holds a press conference with Hollis French to push his own
budget plan.*

1/29/08: Palin’s staffers have to rework their procedures to keep
Monegan from bypassing normal channels for budget requests.*

February 2008: Monegan publicly releases a letter he wrote to Palin supporting a project she vetoed.*

June 26, 2008: Monegan bypassed the governor’s office entirely and
contacted Alaska’s Congressional delegation to gain funding for a project.

Not surprisingly, the head of the committee investigating Palin, state senator Hollis French, is an ardent pro-Obama Democrat. It isn't difficult to see that the so-called investigation is a fraud, designed to engender public distrust of Palin and paint her with an undeserved aura of wrong-doing. Naturally, the main stream media assists in the smear by reporting on Palin's "vendetta" and point out, often, that Palin is the "target of an ethics investigation."

This smear technique is nothing new to the Democrats. U.S. Congressional Democrats tried the very same thing on President Bush for firing several federal prosecutors. Bush didn't like their performance so he replaced them. The Dems in Congress attempted to stage an "ethics investigation" of Bush, claiming that the firings were improper, hoping to taint him, and other Republicans by association, with the stench of unethical behavior. Such "investigations" are deliberately dragged on as long as possible to generate maximum negative publicity for their intended targets.

The Dems attempted to subpoena Bush and other Bush Administration officials, to be grilled in their Kangaroo Court. Bush and the other officials refused to obey the subpoenas or to cooperate with the staged stunt. Like the Alaskan Safety Commissioner, federal prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the chief executive. Bush has the legal right to fire any prosecutor at any time and for any reason, and it is none of the business of Congressional Democrats. Palin's option of firing Monegan is in the same category of legal, permissible actions by the chief executive.

Absurd New Fashion Trend

This model is modeling a new fashion emerging in London.

What on earth were they thinking?

The Pac Man look is so eighties!

US to Sell 1000 Bunker Buster Bombs to Israel

According to Newsmax, the United States has agreed to sell 1000 bunker buster bombs to Israel. It would appear that Israel is indeed taking steps to take out Iran's nuclear facilities. Bunker buster bombs are designed to penetrate hardened targets such as these.

Newsmax writes:

The Pentagon has approved the sale of 1,000 bunker-busting smart bombs to Israel, a deal worth $77 million. According to Haaretz.com, the bombs could be used to penetrate heavily fortified targets, such as suspected nuclear sites located in underground bunkers.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Pentagon department responsible for evaluating foreign military sales, notified Congress over the weekend about the pending sale. Congress now has 30 days to voice its objections.

Read it all here.

Greta Van Susteren's Interview of Todd Palin

Greta Van Susteren of Fox News interviews Todd Palin, husband of Governor Sarah Palin. It's a charming interview and gives the viewer a flavor of what it's like to live in Alaska and to be married to a rising political superstar.

In Alaska they call Todd Palin "First Dude."

Watch the videos here.

McCain vs. Obama: An Electoral Landslide in the Making?

David Horowitz got out his calculator and figures that McCain-Palin are an electoral landslide in the making. He writes:

Not being a pollster I have little to lose by predicting the race, and of
course there's a lot of water yet to pass under the bridge -- events, debates,
revised strategies etc. But right now I don't see this as a close race. If the
present trend holds, McCain-Palin will win 331 electoral votes to 203 for
Obama-Biden.

I think it's already evident that the current toss-up, lean-McCain
and lean-Obama states likely to fall to McCain include Florida, Nevada, New
Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virgnia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, Montana, North
Dakota, Colorado, and Ohio. If you add Michigan, the above total becomes
348-186.

Read it all here.

Believers For Obama

Barack Obama has a new promotional group, "Believers for Barack."

There's never been any argument that lots of religious zealots support Obama. Some of them can be seen in the picture at left.

Stogie Art: Palin Country

Here's some Stogie art to end the weekend. I call it "Palin Country."

Scene was generated with Bryce 6.; foreground, moose and grass added with Photoshop CS3.

Use for wallpaper if you desire.

Click on image to see it full size - it's big!

Women For Sarah Palin

Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs blog has created a new website, "Women For Sarah Palin."

Put Sarah Palin On Your Harley

Over at HDForums.com, a site for Harley-Davidson owners, there is much pro-Palin sentiment. Of course, bikers tend to be a patriotic lot, good people for sure.

Under the forum "This and That" they have a Photoshop section where bikers can request Photoshops of pics that they submit. One of them requested a picture of Sarah Palin sitting on his Harley. I rose to the challenge and the result is posted on the left. Enjoy.

If you have a Harley or other bike and want a Photoshop of Palin on your bike, email me the pic. It should be a sideview of the bike with enough head room and feet room for Sarah to fit.

Saturday Night Live's Sarah Palin Skit

Looking for the Saturday Night Live skit with Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin? YouTube removed it for copyright reasons, but you can view it the SNL site here.

The skit is somewhat derogatory of Sarah Palin but probably slimes Hillary Clinton just as much. Tina Fey, with her glasses and upswept hairdo, looks amazingly like Sarah Palin in this skit.

At right is a screen capture of the video. Tina Fey looks a lot like Palin, but the Hillary character just doesn't cut it.

Live Birth Abortions: Democrat Approved Infanticide

Mona Charen has an interesting piece at the Corner on late term abortions. She provides the written testimony of nurses who have witnessed babies surviving the abortion, only to die minutes or, in some cases, hours later. Meanwhile, the living babies are often treated like garbage by the abortion doctors and nurses, leaving them on cold metal counter tops to die gasping for breath and shivering from cold.  In one case, the still alive infant was thrown in the trash.

A nurse describes one such incident like this:

I happened to walk into a ‘‘soiled utility room’’ and saw, lying on the metal counter, a fetus, naked, exposed and breathing, moving its arms and legs. The fetus was visibly alive, and was gasping for breath. I left to find the nurse who was caring for the patient and this fetus. When I asked her about the fetus, she said that she was so busy with the mother that she didn’t have time to wrap and place the fetus in a warmer, and she asked if I would do that for her. Later I found out that the fetus was 22 weeks old, and had undergone a therapeutic abortion because it had been diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome. I did wrap the fetus and place him in a warmer and for 2 1⁄2hours he maintained a heartbeat, and then finally expired.

Poor little children. This is the procedure that Barack Obama supported. He opposed the Born Alive Protection Act that requires doctors and nurses to provide medical care to infants who survive abortion. His extreme opposition to any curbs on abortion have earned him the nickname of "Senator Infanticide."

Read all of the nurse testimony of aborted babies born alive at the Corner.

There's no part of Hell deep enough......

Photo Image of the Obama Campaign

A picture is worth a thousand words. Here's a photo essay of the Obama Presidential Campaign.

The New York Times Hit Piece on Sarah Palin

Tomorrow, Sunday, the New York Times will publish a hit piece on Sarah Palin. It begins:

Throughout her political career, she has pursued vendettas, fired officials who crossed her and sometimes blurred the line between government and personal grievance, according to a review of public records and interviews with 60 Republican and Democratic legislators and local officials.

The article that follows, however, fails to support the opening paragraph with other than the thinnest of argumentation. The Times admits that Sarah Palin, as Governor, was both effective and accessible.

So she fired some people and stepped on their toes: that's what we like about her! Get rid of the dead wood, the leeches and the incompetent. Do we expect them so say nice things about her now? No. So she hired "friends," otherwise known as loyal people whose work and character she knows and trusts. GOOD LORD, stop the presses!

The Times, it should be remembered, is a Democrat newspaper that has steadfastly failed to do any analysis on Barack Obama and his radical associations. Hit pieces are reserved for Republicans. Maybe that's why the New York Times' fortunes are in the descent, with loss of advertising revenues and layoffs. We're onto you, Times.

Read the whole story at Commentary Magazine. Hat tip to Mark Hemingway at the Corner.

Hemingway comments:

But again, the whole thing is just appalling. The New York Times hasn't begun to investigate Obama's deeply problematic background, nor have they run anything about him that has such an obvious and cringe inducing negative slant. Alas, it's just par for the course at the Times.

Yeah, until the Times goes bankrupt. I can hardly wait.

Joe Cook: A Veteran's Message to Barack Obama

The video below was produced by Iraqi War veteran Joe Cook. It is a personal message to Barack Obama. It has been played on the Rush Limbaugh show and mentioned on many blogs and websites.

Look at Joe Cook's left leg as he walks away at the end of the video.

Gibson's Attempted Mugging of Palin

I'm a bit disgusted this morning over Charlie Gibson's attempted mugging of Sarah Palin in an ABC Inquisition (otherwise described as an interview). Gibson implied that if one prays for success in war then he must be fighting a "holy war." Never mind that General George Patton often prayed for success during World War II, as well as every other President and general in American history. Gibson made a complete ass of himself. We all remember how well that worked last election when Chris Matthews bullied Michelle Malkin on his TV show "Hard Ball."

Gibson also asked Palin a simple question about a complex subject. He asked "Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine"? He gave no context in which an answer could be framed. The Bush Doctrine about "No Child Left Behind"? The "Bush Doctrine" as defined by the Democrat Party, i.e. starve the poor, impose a Christian theocracy, fight wars for oil, carry out massive conspiracy theories, etc. ?

She finally got Gibson to clarify the very broad and ambiguous question and she gave an informed and reasonable answer. But an answer isn't what Gibson really wanted, he wanted her to look confused, uninformed and unprepared. What better way to do that than with an overly-broad, ambiguous question?

The Jawa Report, however, has posted Charlie Gibson's softball questions to Democrats, showing the difference in how the MSM treats Democrats as opposed to Republicans.

Some possible questions for Charlie to use on subsequent interviews of Palin:

1. What do you think of Newton's Third Law of Gravitation? Provide an algebraic formula that expresses the concept. Support your answer with footnote citations from Grey's Anatomy, particularly with reference to Chaos Theory.

2. Explain Calhoun's policy of nullification before the Civil War and how it relates to the Monroe Doctrine. Provide a table that cross references cotton production in the Old South with the rate of manumission and its implication for the ex post facto law of the 14th Amendment. Provide a graph that relates the judicial ramifications as a factor of Abraham Lincoln's hat size.

3. Describe the evolutionary path of a baby harp seal as it was influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon and its impact on the price of tea in China with expected fall out from Mt. Vesuvius during periods of global warming.

Some expected questions that Charlie may use on subsequent interviews of Obama:

1. Is the smiley face icon the proper shade of yellow? Should be it more orange?

2. What's better, fuzzy warm puppies or fluffy white bunnies?

3. Do you enjoy tucking your little girls into bed at night? Do you prefer cheek or
forehead goodnight kisses? Is it difficult to decide on bedtime stories?

Don't worry, Sarah Palin will be ready. I'm not so sure about Obama. What if the teleprompter breaks?

9/11: Seven Years Later

Seven years after the 9/11 atrocity, the West has still not fully come to grips with the threat of radical Islam. Many in the west have preferred to simply forget it, thinking it was a one-time happening and cannot happen again. That is dangerous thinking.

Since 9/11, we have not been hit with further terrorist attacks, though a number of plots have been discovered and stopped. Muslim immigrants continue to pour into the West, particularly Europe, where they practice the quiet jihad of explosive birth rates and growing populations. Sharia continues to creep across the landscape, making small but steady inroads into eventually replacing Western democracy. The Muslims are patient and look to the long term for our eventual defeat and displacement.

The war on terror has only just begun and we have not yet won it, not by any means. This, in spite of the fact that Al-Qaeda has been decimated in Iraq and thousands of terrorists sent to collect their virgins.

Meanwhile, somnolent Westerners continue to divert their attention to grand hoaxes like Global Warming, deceiving themselves that Jihadis are just people too, and if we only show enough concern and compassion, they will leave us alone.

Although our efforts at awakening the West to the threat will involve many kinds of effort, there is one thing we can do now to further the goal of Western survival: elect Republicans. Vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin and contribute money to their campaign.

Barack Obama "Puts Lipstick On A Pig"

Barack Obama drew the ire of Republicans today when he stated that McCain's version of change was false. "You can't put lipstick on a pig," he said. "You've still just got a pig."

Was he making a crude allustion to Sarah Palin's speech in which she stated that "the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick."

Obama's audience seemed to think so, as they cheered loudly and enthusiastically at this point in his speech.

A lot of conservative pundits thought so too and were doing a slow burn.

Barbara Streisand's Swan Song for Obama?

Barbra Streisand will be among the headliners at a fund-raiser for Barack Obama on Sept. 16, where she will perform for the presidential candidate at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Will this be Barry's "Swan Song"?

....

Suggested songs:

1. Born to Lose

2. Waterloo

3. You Can Take This Job and Shove It

4. Can't Get Used to Losing (You)

.Add your own!

Factcheck.org Rebuts Leftist Claims About Sarah Palin

Factcheck.org has rebutted a number of asinine leftist claims about Sarah Palin. Among those refuted are these:

1. Palin cut funding for special needs children. FALSE
2. Palin demanded a long list of books be banned from the Wasilia library. FALSE
3. Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party that wants to secede from the Union. FALSE
4. Palin supported or endorsed Pat Buchanan for president. FALSE
5. Palin pushed to have creationism taught in schools. FALSE

Find out the true facts here.

Stogie Art: Obama Kool-Aid

I spent the weekend working on Photoshop tutorials. I know Photoshop pretty well, but I am learning a lot of new tricks with Adobe's book "Classroom in a Book." I learned some new tricks with layers and started learning how to use masks. Masks are really cool for adding great effects to your digital artwork.

One of the lessons had a wine bottle that had been drawn in Adobe Illustrator. I wanted to see if I could draw a fairly good wine bottle using Xara X, another great vector graphics program. So I drew a bottle and labeled it "Obama Kool-Aid." To get the proper effect you have to warp the label so it follows the curve of the bottle and looks three-dimensional rather than two-dimensional.

It was easier than I thought and I really like the bottle. Here it is. Use it as you see fit.

McCain In Double Digits Over Obama?

The Drude Report has linked to a USA Today poll that is supposed to report that McCain is up 10% over Obama in "likely voters." That's different than registered voters, where the gap is closer.

However, when I followed the link to the USA Today poll, the story did not back up the 10% claim -- likely voters were not discussed. The poll did say that McCain is up 4% over Obama however, and had this good news to relate:

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points. The convention bounce has helped not only McCain but also attitudes toward Republican congressional candidates and the GOP in general.

Tell that to Charles Krauthammer.

Over-thinking the Experience Factor for Sarah Palin

Not everyone is enthused about McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for vice president.  Charles Krauthammer says her pick is problematic due to her lack of experience, and that it negates the experience line of attack on Obama.  Krauthammer writes:

Palin fatally undermines this entire line of attack. This is through no fault of her own. It is simply a function of her rookie status. The vice president’s only constitutional duty of any significance is to become president at a moment’s notice. Palin is not ready. Nor is Obama. But with Palin, the case against Obama evaporates.

Horsefeathers.  Obama is running for President, Palin is running for Vice President.  The vice-presidency has limited responsibilities.  John Nance Garner, first Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt, said "the vice-presidency isn't worth a bucket of warm piss."  (The press, unable to quote him directly, changed the line to "not worth a pitcher of warm spit.")

Yes, the Vice President does succeed a President who dies, is removed or resigns from office.   So if McCain died his first week in office, Palin would have to scramble to learn the duties and responsibilities of the Presidency.  Just as any new President does.   No President acts alone -- they have their cabinet, congressional leaders, military commanders, and the CIA and FBI to advise them on a range of issues, both domestic and foreign.  

What Palin does have is executive experience and a track record of successful management, of a city as mayor, of a state as governor.  Neither Obama nor Biden have equivalent experience.  

Perhaps even more important than presidential experience is the philosophy, values and attitudes that a newly elected President or Vice President brings to the office.  Palin has the philosophy, values and attitudes that we as Republicans want.  She's for free markets and capitalism; limited government and low taxes; energy independence; a strong military and the willingness to stand up to international bullies like Islamic terrorists and Vladimir Putin. 

Contrast that with Obama's and Biden's philosopies:  nationalized health care; expansion of the federal government; higher taxes; opposition to domestic drilling; a down-sized military; and a reluctance and timidity to stand up to international bullies and tyrants.

Skeptics of Palin like Krauthammer argue that there were more experienced candidates to choose from, like Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts or Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota.   However, it is unlikely that either of these more experienced candidates would have fired up the base like Palin has.   

With Romney or Pawlenty, we could argue the experience angle and lose the election.  Then we'd get a new President who really is inexperienced, and a Vice President with 35 years of experience as a senatorial mediocrity, neither of whom has the philosophy, values or attitudes that we want in the White House.

Experience is important, but it's not everything.  Not by a long shot.

Democrats Trash American Flags - Literally

The Democratic National Convention threw out a large number of American flags after their convention finished in Denver. A large number of these flags were found in trash bags and left by dumpsters for pick-up.

The photo at the right was run by the Denver Post, showing the flags that were saved from the trash bin.

Fox News reports:

McCain supporters, claiming they rescued 12,000 miniature American flags from the site of Barack Obama’s nomination acceptance speech last Thursday, redistributed the orphan flags to audience members ahead of a McCain rally in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

McCain supporters said the flags were discovered by a vendor at Denver’s Invesco Field after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. The vendor supposedly found trash bags full of flags in and near garbage bins, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.

Read it all here.

The GOP will use the still-new flags in its rallies and fund-raisers. Thanks Democrats!

Zogby Poll Shows McCain Up 4 Points Over Obama

The Republican post-convention bump is starting to emerge. Pollster Zogby reports that McCain is now up 4 points over Obama in the presidential race.

Pollster John Zogby: "Clearly, Palin is helping the McCain ticket. She has high favorability numbers, and has unified the Republican Party. The striking thing here in this poll is that McCain has pulled ahead among Catholics by double-digits. On the other hand, Palin is not helping with likely voting women who are not aligned with either political party. The undecided independent women voters decreased this week from 15% to 7%, but those women went to Obama. Palin is also helping among men, conservatives, notably with suburban and rural voters, and with frequent Wal-Mart shoppers, who tend to be "values" voters who like a good value for their money."

McCain's favorability rating increased from 50% favorable last week to 57% favorable now, a significant jump that indicates the GOP convention was a success. Among independent voters, 61% now have a favorable impression of him, compared to just 49% who said the same a week ago.

Read it all here.

The Growing List of Nasty Accusations Against Sarah Palin

A site called Explorations has an extensive list of Palin rumors and the truth that rebuts them.

Check it out.

Oprah Fans Sound Off Re: Palin

At Oprah Winfrey's site, her pro-Palin viewers and fans are sounding off.  They are upset by Oprah's decision not to invite Sarah Palin onto her television show.  

One former Oprah fan writes:

Well, I am not surprised. As someone who HAD enjoyed everything Oprah for years I had become very disappointed in some of her decisions on the political front and this one is not exception.

You have Obama on not once but TWICE during this current race, openly campaigned for him on your show and we now have another "historical" candidate in this race and for this one you REFUSE to have HER on!

How very disappointing, how sexist, how very partisan and political on your part!

I sure hope you and your staff change your mind but I won't hold my breath.

All this decision does is reinforce my decision from a year or so ago to..

1) stop watching your show

2) stop "drinking the Oprah kool-aid" on all things in the world

3) stopped reading my Oprah magazine and when it was time to renew a year ago I did not. Each and every time I get a renewal form for it in the mail I not only not renew, I write a letter and give the exact reasons why I will NEVER renew the magazine!!!

How dissapointing you would choose YOUR personal political views on this race and YOUR candidate and not on this race as a whole....

Mary

Cincinnati

Another writes:

This is very dissapointing Oprah. I was a huge fan of yours for the longest time. We had pictures taken with you after the Chicago Marathon a number of years back. Our group of girlfriends thought you were "the bomb". I wish you had decided to stay out of the political spotlight. Why are so many celebrity types liberals? Some of my favorite singers and actors always come out for the democrats. It's weird to me. And why does the media want Obama so badly? Oprah, you've had the support of women, strong conservative women who have helped to make you the huge success you've become. I think you owe us a show with Sarah Palin. And not after all this is over. It's pertinent now. You know that. If your candidate is truly the best, then you have nothing to fear. But so many viewers will respect you more, if you give time to this interesting, strong, and captivating woman. That's what you have always applauded. You've empowered so many of us over the years with that message. I hope you will rethink your decision to wait until after the election to invite her to the show. Thank you.

Have a look.

Media Bias Against Sarah Palin Backfires

Michelle Malkin has the story on how 10,000 US Weekly magazine subscribers have canceled their subscription (so far) because of the issue that hit the stands today.

Seems the publishers of Us Weekly thought they could get away with such an obvious hit job and not be affected by it. They were wrong.

Drudge has a report today of how Oprah Winfrey refuses to invite Sarah Palin to be interviewed on her show, in spite of requests by her viewers and the obvious spike in viewers this would bring, not to mention the high-paying advertisers. Should Winfrey be required to interview Palin? Hell no! That would be a version of the fairness doctrine, which we conservatives oppose. If you can force Winfrey to host politicians she doesn't agree with, you can also force Rush Limbaugh to do the same. Yes, Oprah Winfrey is biased, but she never pretended to be otherwise so I am not offended by her decision.

However, you don't have to watch her show, which has lost many viewers this year due to her politicking for Obama. My wife told me she won't be watching Oprah anymore. She is one of many.

Tread lightly, liberal media, if you wish to avoid alienating half of your readers and viewers.

Financial revenge is the best revenge.

Good Feelings in Wake of Palin's and McCain's Speeches

Sarah Palin did more than electrify the base last night. She got the attention of millions outside the party as well.  In spite of a barrage of scurrilous, false and vicious attacks, Palin appears to be viewed quite favorably by a majority of Americans.  

Tonight McCain followed up with his acceptance speech and made many points in his favor.  He stressed patriotism and service to the country.  He came across as quite sincere in his patriotism and love for America, and of "putting country first" over partisan politics and selfish interests.

The desperate Dems, mainstream media and leftist bloggers are now inventing new slanders.  The one now gaining traction is that, while Governor, Palin slashed the budget for special needs children and also for teen pregnancy education.  The truth is she increased the budget for both by substantial amounts.

The CBS poll today shows McCain again pulling even with Obama in the hunt for votes.  Three days ago another poll showed Obama up by eight points.  It will be interesting to see what kind of bump McCain/Palin get from the last two nights of the convention.  I would be surprised if they don't go ahead of Obama/Biden.  They made strong cases before the convention and to the American public.  John McCain has considerable substance compared to Obama's media-hyped persona and thin resume.  Palin dwarfs the old Biden retread, with her ideas, energy, optimism and youth.

I feel pretty good about Republican chances at this stage of the campaign.  However, we have two months to go before the election and anything can happen.  

A couple of days ago I contributed $100 to the McCain/Palin ticket and I will send $100 from every paycheck I receive until the election.  My goal is to donate a total of $500. 

I have a link in the left sidebar where you can donate to McCain/Palin, and I urge you to do so.  I had never donated to a political campaign in my life before this year, but Paypal and the internet makes it so easy.  

Do it.  Get in the fight.

Live Blogging John McCain's Acceptance Speech

A great introduction by a voice of a man unseen, telling how John McCain came to love his country more than ever before, when he had lost that country as a POW.

A photo is shown of the McCain's adopted daughter from Bangladesh -- a black girl who is now 17. It is refreshingly ironic that, in a campaign where he opposes the first black candidate, that McCain has a daughter who is also black.  The McCains adopted her as an infant.

McCain looks happy and refreshed and looks over the crowd with a smile.

After expressing his admiration and respect for Obama and Biden, a Code Pink protestor attempts to raise a banner and has it snatched from her hands. She rushes down the aisle opening her coat to reveal a pink shirt with a slogan, but I couldn't see what it says. The noise dies down after a minute or two, and McCain says "Don't be distracted by the noise and the static." Laughter.  The protestor and and a cohort are escorted from the hall.

Returning to his prepared remarks, McCain now praises Sarah Palin. He says he loved introducing her to the country, "but I can't wait to introduce her to Washington." Then he says to Washington, "Change is coming!"

Now he pledges to fight special interests and says he will veto the first pork spending bill that comes before him.

Now he lambasts those Republicans who lost the trust of the American people through corruption and big government spending, resulting in Republican losses in the Congressional elections. "We're going to change that," he says.

"We believe in faith, work, service. We believe in a culture of life. We respect judges 'who don't legislate from the bench.'"

Now he is comparing his policies to those of Barack Obama. He will lower taxes where his opponent will raise them.

He says that cutting taxes for small businesses will help raise employment and allow businesses to compete.

He talks about replacing failed schools by introducing competition and allowing parents choice in the schools their children attend. He says "We will encourage bad teachers to find another line of work."

Now he refers to his energy policy, saying "We're going to stop sending 700 billion dollars a year to countries who don't even like us. We're going to drill more wells and we're going to drill offshore. We'll build more power plants. We'll use more clean coal."

"Senator Obama thinks we can create more power without drilling more wells and building more power plants. But Americans know better than that."

He now turns to the subject of American security. He talks about the rise of Iran, the biggest exporter of terrorism worldwide. He talks of Russia's new aggression. He understands the military, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it ought not to do. He pledges to work to create an enduring peace, noting that he knows war, that he hates war and wants to prevent it.

McCain now discusses how the culture of Washington must change, to end bitter partisanship, which he says is caused by people serving themselves rather than the country. He says instead of rejecting good ideas because someone else thought of them first, let's use the best ideas from both parties. Instead of worrying about who gets the credit, let's share it.

He now tells of his experiences as a POW, which did much to end his personal selfishness, after he had been dumped into a cell with two other POWs to die. With two broken arms and a broken leg, he couldn't even feed himself. The other POW's did it for them and saved his life. One of the other POWs told him, through taps on his cell wall, that "No man can always stand alone." He came to realize that "I was no longer my own man. I was my country's."

"I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need.  My country saved me.  My country saved me, and I cannot forget it.  And I will fight for her as long as I draw breath, so help me God."

Extended applause.

He calls for public service, saying "That you can serve no greater cause than to serve a cause greater than yourself."

"Fight with me. Fight for our country. Fight for our future. Stand up and fight! Nothing is inevitable. We're Americans. We never quit. We don't give up in the face of history, we make history. Thank you and God bless America!"

The speech is finished; John Rich is singing "Raisin' McCain." The crowd is on its feed, applauding and dancing to the music.

A fine speech. Did it exceed that of Sarah Palin? No, but it wasn't half bad.

Obama has his work cut out for him.

Live Blogging the RNC: Sarah Palin Speaks

Sarah takes the stage to long, loud and enthusiastic applause.  Her husband Todd and daughter Bristol beam.

She praises McCain, quotes him saying "I'd rather lose an election than see America lose a war."  She says that, as a mother of a soldier, "That's the kind of man I want to see as Commander In Chief."

She refers to baby Trig, calling him a blessing.  She promises that mothers of "special needs" children will have a friend in her in the White House, and an advocate.

She introduces her parents, saying she is proud to be their daughter.

She calls herself an "average Hockey Mom," saying that the difference between an average Hockey Mom and a pit bull is...lipstick!"  She laughs and smiles at the audience, obviously at ease on the podium and very comfortable in her own skin.

Great lines:

"I guess that being the mayor of a small town is sort of like being a community organizer...except that [as mayor] you have actual responsibilities."

"When I became Governor I got rid of a few things that I thought were unnecessary.  That luxury jet was over the top.  I put it on E-Bay."  Laughter and applause.

She says as Governor she "built a 40 billion dollar natural gas pipeline to lead America towards energy independence."

Now she is effectively pointing out Obama's weaknesses.  She refers to his Greek Columns, his desire to reduce our military effectiveness in a hostile world, his desire to raise taxes - income taxes, business taxes, payroll taxes and death taxes.

"How are you going to be better off if our opponent places a massive tax burden on America?"

She mentions Harry Reid (loud boos), quoting him as saying "I can't stand John McCain"  Then she adds, "What greater proof do we have that we have chosen the right man."

She says of McCain:  "There's really only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you...in places where winning means survival and defeat means death."

On the journey that McCain will have made:  "From a 6 by 4 foot cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office."

She tells how another POW in Hanoi Hilton, a man from Ohio who is present in the hall, used to watch through a pin hole in his cell door each day as the Vietnamese guards led John McCain down the hall to be interrogated and tortured.  When John McCain shuffled back to his cell each night, he would look at this POW's door, smile and flash a "thumbs up" sign to signify that "we are going to get through this."  She says that a man such as this should be the Commander In Chief. 

She says that "there are eloquent speakers who can inspire for a season.  John McCain inspires for a lifetime with his deeds."

It was a great speech.  The Convention stands in a long, enthusiastic applause, electrified.

POSTSCRIPT:  John Rich, a country singer and McCain supporter, sings a rousing rendition of his song "Raising McCain."  You can download the song for free from John Rich's website.  Go here to do so.

John Rich is my kinda guy.  His picture on his website shows him smoking a big cigar!

Live Blogging the RNC: Rudy Giulani Speaks

Giulani describes McCain as a man "who has sacrificed for America with his blood."  

Now he's panning Obama's Senatorial experience -- how on many occasions Obama has voted "present" instead of "yes" or "no."  Rudy says Obama couldn't figure out which way to vote. The assembly laughs and applauds.

He says that Obama has never run a city, never run a state, never run a business, never run a military unit, never led anyone in a crisis.  "He has led NADA" says Giulani.  More laughter and applause.

"McCain has been tested, Obama has not.  This is no time for on-the-job training...We agree with Joe Biden [about Obama's lack of experience]."

He says McCain "has been tested over and over again...we will be safe in his hands, our children will be safe in his hands, and our country will be safe in his hands."

Notable quotes from Giulani:

"Change is not a destination just as "hope" is not a strategy."

"Drill baby drill."

"John McCain will keep us on offense against terrorism at home and abroad."

Now he pokes fun at the Democrats' refusal to speak of "Islamic terrorism" as if they would be insulting someone by so doing.  "Who would they be insulting?" he asks.  "They would be insulting TERRORISTS."  Laughter and applause.

On Iraq and the success of the surge, which McCain long advocated, "John McCain got it right and Barack Obama got it wrong."

On Obama's flip flops, he says "Obama was for an undivided Jerusalem for ONE DAY until he changed his mind.  If I were Joe Biden, I'd get that Vice President thing in writing."

On Sarah Palin:  "She's already had more executive experience than the entire Democratic ticket COMBINED."

"I'm sorry that Sarah Palin's city wasn't sophisticated enough [for her mayoral experience to count]."  Maybe they cling to religion!"  Long laughter and applause.

It was a lively, inspiring speech.  Great job.

Sarah Palin Speaks Tonight

Sarah Palin speaks tonight.  It will be interesting to hear what she has to say in light of being the target of one of the most hateful and specious media attacks in U.S. history.  

Currently on is Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii, delivering a string of facts in a boring, monotonic voice.  Rocking the house she's not.  

ZZZZZ

McCain Campaign Rebuts Accusations Re: Sarah Palin

Bryon York at National Review Online discussed the McCain Campaign's response to a variety of accusations regarding Sarah Palin.

1.  Sarah Palin wasn't properly "vetted."  The implication is that Palin's negatives are so great that McCain wouldn't have chosen her had he known about certain events in Palin's life and career.  York writes:

The story, my campaign source told me, is “materially false.” Gov. Palin, the strategist said, was subjected to a “complete vet.” “That included her filling out a 70-question questionnaire that was highly intrusive and personal. She was then interviewed for more than three hours by A.B. Culvahouse. There were multiple follow-up interviews.” (I asked precisely how many follow-ups there were, but my source stuck with “multiple.”) “There was a thorough interview process,” the strategist continued. “There was a public records search and political vet. There was a private life and financial vet. Everything that has come out was known by the campaign through the vetting process.”

“Every aspect of her political record is known to us. These people [McCain’s opponents] are desperate.”

2.  The "Troopergate" Issue:  Did Sarah Palin fire the commissioner of public safety because he wouldn't fire Palin's brother-in-law from the Alaska Troopers?

“Of course this issue came up in the vetting, and this is what we discovered,” the source said. “The man who was fired has said on the record that he was never pressured by the governor or the governor’s husband on the issue of firing Trooper Wooten. The governor had a vision for how she wanted that department to be run.  The commissioner had a different vision.”

“The reason that members of the Palin family were having discussions with the head of the state police about this state trooper, who was her ex-brother-in-law, was because he had made threats against the family. He threatened to kill the governor's daughter, her father, and her sister. He tasered her 11-year-old stepson.  And that is why the Palin family was concerned about this trooper.”

Read it all here.

The Media Bias Against Sarah Palin

National Review Online has a must-read editorial regarding the mainstream media bias against Sarah Palin.  They write:

This shameful but predictable media performance [of cynical politicking regarding Sarah Palin and her pregnant daughter] stands in marked contrast to the rigorous “hands-off” privacy policy dutifully honored by the press throughout the Clinton years for the president’s then-teenage daughter, Chelsea. Indeed earlier this year, though Miss Clinton was now well into her twenties and an impressively poised surrogate for her mother’s campaign, NBC News suspended reporter David Shuster for asserting that Sen. Clinton’s campaign was “pimping” her daughter — a classless formulation, to be sure. But where’s the hyper-sensitivity about a candidate’s child now?

When Al Gore’s son was arrested on narcotics and speeding charges in 2007, moreover, the national press was a model of sympathetic restraint. The muted coverage was devoid of calls for a national “teaching moment” on drug abuse or responsible driving. The message was plain and correct: No news here, move along.

The Republican base and other people of good will are angry over this grotesque display. It is obvious what the media and Democrats are up to here. They want to define Sarah Palin as a failure before she even has a chance to succeed. Hence the speculation that McCain will dump her from the ticket. How absurd. All we know about Palin’s performance as a candidate so far is that she gave polished performances at her unveiling in Ohio and at a rally the next day in Pennsylvania. The supposed embarrassments — about her alleged membership in the fringe Alaskan Independence Party and her woefully incomplete vetting — are concoctions of a media stumbling over itself to prove a conclusion it has already reached.

So far, it is the press that has embarrassed itself, not the governor from Alaska.

Read it all.

Violent Thugs Attack Republicans at RNC Convention

This picture of anarchists breaking a window is typical of the anti-Republican "protestors" at the Republican National Convention.

So far they have dropped cement bags on two busses, surrounded a bus carrying Cub Scouts to the convention, rocking the bus and terrifying the children; punctured a tire of a limousine and dented the car with a board; set fire to a trash bin and attacked Republicans on the street. They also smashed the windows of a police car and have wreaked damage on private property.

They are utter scum, the very dregs of humanity.

Live Blogging the RNC: Joe Lieberman's Speech to the Convention; Praises Palin

Joe Lieberman stood before the Republican National Convention and asked: "What's a Democrat like me doing here before the Republican National Convention?" Then he answered his own question: "I am here today to support John McCain because he is the best candidate to lead our country."

So spoke Joe Lieberman, a Senator who paid a political price for putting "country first" over party. A long-time Democrat who was his party's Vice Presidential candidate in 2000, Joe Lieberman was rejected by his party for supporting victory in Iraq. He lost the Democratic primary when he was up for reelection, then ran as an independent, winning back his senate seat.

Lieberman remarked, "If John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I am Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. And I'm not!"

Senator Lieberman then praised Sarah Palin as a great choice to help McCain "clean up Washington."

...

Now Lieberman praises McCain's advocacy of the surge, saying "Now thousands of American troops are coming home IN HONOR." Wild applause.

...

He concludes with an appeal to fellow Democrats and Independents, urging them to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

...

It was a fantastic speech and can only help McCain's chances.