(no subject)

[winterbadger]

GOP denies Monty Python connection to campaign

"Republicans spokespersons have denied that Sen McCain;s pick for running mate, AK Gov Sarah Palin, is related to British comedian and documentary filmmaler Michael Palin."

OK, so I made that quote up. But it would be about as plausible as anything else in this election. Yes, Sen McCain, you are going to draw in all those disaffected middle-of-the-road voters who were inspired by Hillary by choosing a woman as your running mate. Of course, she's anti-abortion, a life member of the NRA, is deeply conservative, has never been heard of before on the national stage, and has none of the experience that you criticised Sen Obama for not having (less, in fact). But I bet all those Hilary supporters will be flooding into your campaign. Any. Day. Now.

P.S. BTW, Sen McCain, watch your mouth around her; she's a tough Alaskan, and if you use some of the language to her that you use towards your wife and your Senate colleagues, you may be picking your teeth up off the floor...

Comments

[dativesingular.livejournal.com]

What, you mean c*nt?

Ugh. People are thinking he's already clinched it. I'm just going to hold on to my youthful naivete, because it's too depressing if I don't.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I don't think she adds to his chances of winning, but I'm delighted to see her get the national attention. She's been quite the ray of sunshine in Alaska, where she's been leading the reform wing of the Alaskan Republican party against the good old boy establishment.

And you're right, she won't take any lip from him or anybody else.

[winterbadger]

Clinched it? McCain? Hardly. None of the recent polls show him ahead, and the more recent they are, the further Obama is in the lead. I'm sure the Repugs will get some bounce from their convention, but I doubt it will give McCain the lead.

[dativesingular.livejournal.com]

Good. There's been a lot of pessimism about Obama's prospects on my flist lately.

[snolan.livejournal.com]

Reform? As in continuing to ask for funding for the bridge to nowhere?

Oh - yeah - the Christianist reforms... social agenda, and let big business crush the working man...

[wcg.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that she opposed the bridge to nowhere and the good old boy network of old Alaskan Republicans. Is that not the case?

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

From what I understand in what limited reading I have been doing, is that she was for, before she was against:

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

[winterbadger]

She was all for the bridge until it became apparent that the federal government 'would not fund it'.

Apparently, though Alaska has enough money to give every Alaskan a check for $800 to nearly $2000 a year in recent years (the Alaska Permanent Fund is valued at $40 BILLION according to Wikipedia), they need the rest of the states to pay for a $400M bridge.

In fact, as the Wikipedia article points out, BTW, the authorisation to Alaska *never changed*! The specific direction of the funding to the bridge was removed, but AK was given the *same amount of money*! So, in fact, Gov Palin lied in saying that the congressional delegation was unable to get the money for the bridge!

Actually, my question on the Gravina Island Bridge topic has always been: why did a 'city' (pop. ~7,000--almost a village anywhere else) build an airport on an island to which there was no bridge, only a ferry? Seems pretty stupid to me!

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... curiouser and curiouser.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

The permanent fund is a Ted Stevens porkbarrel project, as is the bridge.

I think the airport got built on the island because there's a lot of air traffic around there. People get around by plane a lot in Alaska, because there are often no roads to wherever they need to go.

[winterbadger]

The permanent fund is a Ted Stevens porkbarrel project, as is the bridge.

Really? Are you sure? It was established in 1976 and deals strictly with Alaska's own revenue. It is not funded by the US government, but by state oil and mineral receipts. This history suggests that one Robert Krantz, an investment banker, and AK Gov Keith Miller were the leaders in the idea.

I think the airport got built on the island because there's a lot of air traffic around there. People get around by plane a lot in Alaska, because there are often no roads to wherever they need to go.

I realise people travel around Alaska by plane a lot. I would think, however, that putting the airport on the mainland, where the town is, would have worked better than putting it on the island. Ketchikan has been around a lot longer than its airport.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not first hand sure. I'm getting my information from colleagues in Alaska at the Poker Flat ground station there. To hear them tell it, Ted Stevens is the leader of a bunch of corrupt old codgers who've been controlling Alaskan politics since the cremation of Sam McGee, and every boondoggle in the state is his invention. They've been going on about Sarah Palin since she won the election there because she's their great hope of reform.

[snolan.livejournal.com]

There is a whole lot of deliberately misleading misinformation out there right now, and it is clear that someone has been monkeying with Wikipedia making her entries more positive...

People are quoting Nexis, but I do not have an account - so I cannot verify, but I'd take this TNR article pretty seriously, because they should be backing her (being a right wing rag), yet they are not... see here:

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/29/did-palin-really-fight-the-bridge-to-nowhere.aspx (http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/29/did-palin-really-fight-the-bridge-to-nowhere.aspx).

[winterbadger]

Well, I hope for their sakes she's not just making all the right noises while pursuing business as usual, but between the state trooper business and her sounding like she's falling over herself to find business for her husband's company, I don't think she sounds all that different from the good ol' boys. But then I realise I have trouble summoning up any respect for people who are pro-creationism and anti-abortion.

I don't think they need worry about her going anywhere, though... :-)

[winterbadger]

Yep, that's actually the article I had linked to above. :-)