Posts Tagged “Sarah Palin”

It really is no surprise that John McCain and Joe Lieberman like each other so much. They’re cut from the same cloth of standing on whichever side of an issue seems most advantageous at the moment. McCain was asked whether he would support his former running mate Sarah Palin if she ran for president in 2012. 

His response? 

“I can’t say something like that. We’ve got some great other young governors. I think you’re going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our Republican Party,” he said.

He then mentioned governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Huntsman of Utah.

McCain said he has “the greatest appreciation for Gov. Palin and her family, and it was a great joy to know them.”

“She invigorated our campaign” against Barack Obama for the presidency, he said.

McCain was pressed on why he can’t promise support for the woman who, just months ago, he named as the second best person to lead the nation.

“Have no doubt of my admiration and respect for her and my view of her viability, but at this stage, again … my corpse is still warm, you know?” he replied.

And that political corpse was largely blamed on Palin after their defeat. Which- as vile as she is as a politician- was a bit unfair since he was the person that put her in that position in the first place. Don’t blame the employee for your lousy hiring practices. 

Further attempting to distance himself from the shenanigans of the later stages of his campaign, McCain has chastised the Republicans for their treatment of President Elect Barack Obama regarding the Blago fiasco. So sayeth McCain: 

“I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy stimulus package, reforms that are necessary. And so, I don’t know all the details of the relationship between President-elect Obama’s campaign or his people and the governor of Illinois, but I have some confidence that all the information will come out. It always does, it seems to me.” 

 Uh oh. Looks like someone is trying to get back their (completely fabricated) Maverick credentials.

The election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden and the appointments following have left some Senate seats open. And there are still Senate races left to be decided. Politics- it’s fluid. 

A brief rundown on the seat shifting: 

Hillary Clinton’s Seat

Former President Bill Clinton doesn’t want the spot . Governor David Paterson has taken himself out of contention, as has Robert F. Kennedy Jr (who was rumored to be under consideration for the EPA spot) and Rep. Nita Lowey.  A long list of names are being floated around as a potential replacement- including Andrew Cuomo and Caroline Kennedy- but it seems that it is mostly speculation. Gov Paterson will make an official announcement in January when Clinton formally leaves her seat for her new job as Secretary of State. 

Joe Biden’s Seat 

Biden didn’t offer his resignation at the same time as Obama, which struck some as odd. It appeared that Biden might be holding on to his seat until incoming Delaware Governor Jack Markell took office in January. Markell and current Governor Ruth Ann Minner are both Democrats but it was believed that Markell would be more comfortable with replacing Biden with someone who would not want to run again in 2010, thus leaving the seat open for Joe’s son, Beau Biden (who is currently serving in Iraq). 

But the wait for Markell wasn’t needed. Gov. Minner announced that Ted Kaufman- friend and former aide to Biden Sr.- would take over the seat until 2010. Kaufman has already stated that he has no plans to run for the seat in two years.

In other words: they’re holding your seat for you, Beau. (Yes, Beau will actually have to run for the seat but since there’s been a Biden in the Senate since humans rode on dinosaurs, it is a sure thing.) 

Barack Obama’s Seat 

Though Obama gave up his seat a couple of weeks ago, Illinois Gov. Rod “Blago” Blagojevich has yet to put a new body in that position. He formed a vetting committee and rumored candidates include Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., State Sen. Kwame Raoul and V.A. Direcotr (and wounded Iraq vet) Tammy Duckworth

Other Senate News: 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL)- who is planning on running for reelection in 2010- is nervous that Gov. Sarah Palin is going to make a run at her job. Also nervous about the prospect of Sen. Sarah? The entire (non-fundementalist) world 

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) will not run for reelection in 2010 and the competition for his seat is likely to be fierce. Speculated Democratic contenders include Rep Ron Klein, Sen. Dan Gelber and possibly State CFO Alex Sink (who had decided not to run before the Martinez announcement and now may change her mind). Potential Republican candidates: Rep. Connie Mack, State A.G. Bill McCollum and- in the long shot column- former Gov. Jeb Bush. 

Though 171 more uncounted ballots just turned up in the Minnesota recount, Five Thirty Eight is still calling the race for Republican Norm Coleman. 

And the Georgia runoff election happened today More on that and the Franken-Coleman battle to come later

This, dear readers, is the 500th post at Moue since we switched over from the old site. Yay us!

Well, okay, actually more like yay Brandy, since she does about 4/5 of the posting ’round here… Actually, come to think of it I really don’t do much around here at all, except for oiling the Victrola (which doesn’t really need oiling) and making sure nobody steals the ore cart (like anyone ever would).

Anyway, my favorite factoid of the new location is that, in the almost three months we’ve been here, one of our most popular search terms has been and continues to be “Sarah Palin dominatrix”. That should make your day more festive right there.

George Lakoff wrote in Don’t Think of an Elephant  that the Republican Party has (traditionally) been better at appearing cohesive from the outside despite existing inner turmoil. Republican groups with different agendas would work together with the understanding that the needs of all would eventually be met if groups waited their turn. This election cycle knocked down the wall around the Republicans, exposing their infighting, weaknesses and the last gasps of a party on life support. 

Why did the wall come down now? George W. Bush- easily blamed for most things wrong with this country- wasn’t a major factor here. It started with the comically lackluster group of politicians that entered into the Republican primary contest. Then John McCain- who could be called a Reformer if only for the fact that the Traditionalists didn’t see him as one of theirs- won the nomination. Even if his “maverick” nature had fans among the Reformers, he soon cut those ties of affection by veering quickly (and sloppily) toward the Traditionalist agenda. The Sarah Palin choice speaks of his attempt to seduce Traditionalists- particularly their Christian fundamentalist subset. 

But the saner minds among the Traditionalists weren’t really buying it. The McCain-Palin ticket had managed to alienate both of the major factions of their party, leaving them with those who merely wanted to vote “not Obama” and the hate filled ignorance that came to characterize their rallies. 

The Republicans lost the election in a major way, shedding Senate seats along with the White House. It would appear to be a time for the party to do a major overhaul, building the new agenda more around Reformer policies- like economic equality, inclusion and global warming policy- that would appeal more to the modern electorate than the Traditionalist model does. And when it comes time for that shift to happen, Democrats should be as supportive as they can be of the change. An enemy of an enemy is our friend and the Reformers want to cut off their crazy wing as much as we’d like them to. 

After their election day defeat, the Republicans set up a website proposing ways the party can be restructured and asked for the public to submit their own ideas. The reoccurring themes in the suggestions are inclusion (of youth and minority voters) and exclusion (of the neocon/fundamentalist wing). People would rather see the party focus its attention on economic solutions, a smaller government and Constitutional rights. In other words, the tide is shifting in the direction of the Reformers. 

But it could be awhile before the Reformers have their day in the spotlight. As David Brooks says in the NY Times, the Traditionalists are the ones still in Congress and they also have the access to the donors and institutions. The Reformers are having to start from behind- without much funding or structural support- while trying to convert (or overtake) Traditionalists who don’t see the problem as being that they aren’t modernized but rather that they should become more ”traditionally” conservative (see: Rep. Mike Pence, who thinks the party should be rebuilt around marriage “sanctity” and pro-life agendas).

Former Republican Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger has a last name that sounds like a dish served at a sketchy truck stop in the Appalachians- which is enough on its own to earn a small bit of affection from me. But his new found habit of bluntly stating what the American people have known for awhile- that Sarah Palin is incompetent- has warmed my heart so that he may be my new favorite card in my Heartthrobs of the Bush Administration: Vol. One deck. 

Lawrence Eagleburger, who served as Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and whose endorsement is often trumpeted by McCain, said on Thursday that the Alaska governor is not only unprepared to take over the job on a moment’s notice but, even after some time in office, would only amount to an “adequate” commander in chief.

“And I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested,” he added for good measure — referring both to Palin’s policy dexterity and the idea of McCain not making it through his time in office…

The remarks took place during an interview on National Public Radio that was, ironically, billed as “making the case” for a McCain presidency. Asked by the host whether Palin could step in during a time of crisis, Eagleburger reverted to sarcasm before leveling the harsh blow.

“It is a very good question,” he said, pausing a few seconds, then adding with a chuckle: “I’m being facetious here. Look, of course not.”

Eagleburger explained: “I don’t think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reins of the presidency. I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?

“Give her some time in the office and I think the answer would be, she will be [pause] adequate. I can’t say that she would be a genius in the job. But I think she would be enough to get us through a four year… well I hope not… get us through whatever period of time was necessary. And I devoutly hope that it would never be tested.”

What makes this all the more magically delicious is that the McCain campaign has been holding Eagleburger’s support of the ticket as evidence of party unity and the belief that the foreign policy circle has in the ticket. 

Hey, Maverick- I think your goose is cooked.

The McCain/Palin ticket could use some couples therapy:

John McCain’s campaign is looking for a scapegoat. It is looking for someone to blame if McCain loses on Tuesday.

And it has decided on Sarah Palin.

In recent days, a McCain “adviser” told Dana Bash of CNN: “She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone.”

[...]

Also, a “top McCain adviser” told Mike Allen of Politico that Palin is “a whack job.”

Then again, if half the couple is already looking for greener pastures, is it too late?

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. – With days still to go in the White House race, backers of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin are talking her up as a possible contender in 2012, speculation that irritates other Republicans who contend she’s a drag on the ticket and that her lightweight image — unfair or not — will be hard to shed.

The Alaska governor has done little to quiet the talk. In fact, she fueled the discussion this week when she signaled that she will remain on the national political scene no matter what happens Tuesday. “I’m not doing this for naught,” she said in an interview with ABC News.

This, kids, is the biggest argument against marriages of convenience I can think of.

Now, I’ll be blunt and say I’m looking forward to the end of this election as much as anyone, but I do have to admit that I’m going to miss the spectacle of these two throwing each other under the bus on a daily basis. Most soap operas don’t hold a candle to this.

Halloween’s on a Friday this year, meaning there are even more opportunities to get drunk off of Pumpkin Spice Martinis and hit on people when you don’t even know what they look like.  Luckily, MSN has put together guides to Guys and Gals costumes so you’ll know how to best approach someone.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer a lot of different ideas, so my husband will never know what my slutty Abraham Lincoln costume says about me.

Sadly, the MSN guide also does not understand the concept of irony.  They seem to think that most of the Sarah Palin costumes will be worn in some sort of homage to the vice-presidential candidate.

Twelve politically themed stencils have been provided by the AP for those who’d like to get their wonk on for Halloween. Choose from the Republican elephant, Democratic donkey, a generic vote symbol, “McCain Palin”, the Obama symbol and faces that seem like they’d be a pain to carve out. The faces include Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and Cindy McCain. Don’t worry- it won’t be the first time that Cindy McCain’s face has seen a knife.

I’m envious of Spencer Ackerman’s ability to write a thoughtful post even though he has a raging cold that isn’t responding to medication. I also have a cold and have barely managed to sit upright this week without it feeling like a major accomplishment. But onward I attempt to march. 

Sarah Palin, so fond of tossing out the term terrorist when it comes near a “Bill Ayers”, was asked by Brian Williams whether abortion clinic bombers are terrorists. She expressed some hesitancy at using the term in that connotation. : 

Transcript (h/t Shakesville): 

Sarah Palin: [sigh] There is no question that Bill Ayers, via his own admittance, was, um, one who sought to destroy our US Capitol and our Pentagon—that, that is a domestic terrorist. There’s no question there. Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or, um, facilities, that, uh—it would be unacceptable— I don’t know if you’re gonna use the word terrorist there, but it’s unacceptable and, uh, it would not, um, be condoned, of course, on our watch, but— I don’t know if what you’re asking is, is if I regret referring to Bill Ayers as an unrepentant domestic terrorist…? I don’t regret characterizing him as that.

Brian Williams: I’m just asking what other categories you would put in there. Abortion clinic bombers, protesters in cities where fires were started, Molotov cocktails were thrown… People died.

Sarah Palin: I would put in that category of Bill Ayers anyone else who would seek to campaign to destroy our United States Capitol and our Pentagon and would seek to destroy innocent Americans.

“United States Capitol” and “Pentagon” were apparently the phrases Palin was assigned to weave into her babbling that day. To clear our heads, let’s look at some definitions of terrorism.

Read the rest of this entry »

I was sitting in my apartment in Communist Country, just outside of Real Virginia , talking to my liberal elitist husband eating a salad made from arugula and other vegetables purchased at Whole Foods.*  And we are 100% sure that in the five years we’ve lived together we have not spent, combined, $150,000 on clothes and accessories.  In fact, between clothes, accessories, and furnishings in our apartment, it’s highly unlikely that total is above $150,000.

But then, unlike real, working-class Americans, we’ve never even bought anything at Neiman-Marcus.  As elitists, we shop mainly at Macy’s, and the outlet stores.

*Okay, we weren’t actually eating arugula.  But everything else is true.  And we do shop at Whole Foods.