It's not that extreme. You're making it sound like they're having Sunday School in the science lab. Suggesting creationism as a theory that many (if not most) people believe that's the driving force behind evolution is hardly forcing religion down peoples' throats.
Creationism is NOT a theory; it's a belief system.
It would be intellectually dishonest to suggest it and put it forward as a theory.
As others have said, evolution is a scientific theory, proof-based and peer-reviewed.
OK, I speak as a European, but seriously, I have a really hard time understanding how they can even be put them on the same level and compared.
OK, so let's do something a little silly, because there is some inference that no government experience matters except for executive experience in this post. Let's say one year of executive experience counts for three of legislative experience. Obama still has more experience than her. And there's no way that being mayor of a town of 4,000 is preparation for the presidency. Obama has made it clear it does not have typical executive experience; lucky for him he has framed his candidacy for different reasons.
I'm not saying that Palin is a bad choice because she has no experience. I am saying McCain has now taken the air out of, thus far, his most successful argument against Obama.
Also, I should point out that John McCain has zero executive experience either.
agreed
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unsung
I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
“Is this a joke?” That seemed to be the question du jour when my phone started ringing off the hook at 6:45am here in Alaska. I mean, we’re sort of excited that our humble state has gotten some kind of national ‘nod’….but seriously? Sarah Palin for Vice President? Yes, she’s a popular governor. Her all time high approval rating hovered around 90% at one point. But bear in mind that the 90% approval rating came from one of the most conservative, and reddest-of-the-red states out there. And that approval rating came before a series of events that have lead many Alaskans to question the governor’s once pristine image.
There is no doubt in my mind that many Alaskans are feeling pretty excited about this. But we live in our own little bubble up here, and most of the attention we get is because of The Bridge to Nowhere, polar bears, the indictment of Ted Stevens, and the ongoing investigation and conviction of the string of legislators and oil executives who literally called themselves “The Corrupt Bastards Club”.
So seeing our governor out there in the national spotlight accepting the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate is just downright surreal. Just months ago, when rumors surfaced that she was on the long version of the short list, she was questioned if she’d be interested in the position. She said she couldn’t answer “until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here….”
There is no doubt that Palin has fierce territorial loyalties. When elected governor there was much concern because she came right out and said she would favor her own home town of Wasilla (where she was mayor) and its surrounding environs collectively known as “the Valley” while leading the state. And it’s obvious from her statement that Alaska was on her mind when accepting the VP nod (see my emphasis above).
So what is it that we’re “trying to accomplish up here”?
Palin is currently in the middle of a controversial gas pipeline project in Alaska. She’s favored the ‘Trans Canada’ proposal that will run the pipeline through Canada, in effect shipping US jobs over the border. Many Alaskans, including former governors, have favored the “All Alaska Route”.
She is also sueing the federal government over listing the polar bears as a threatened species. The science was even compelling enough to convince the Secretery of the Interior that the bears needed to be listed. But acknowlegement of this issue, and the potential disruption to development on Alaska’s oil-rich north slope spurred Palin to attempt to stop the listing.
Does she want to open ANWR? Yes. Every politician in Alaska wants to open ANWR. It’s basically a requirement if you ever hope to get elected for anything. Even Mark Begich, the progressive Democrat running against the indicted Senator and Alaskan institution Ted Stevens, is pro-drilling. That’s the sea we swim in up here. There are a few anti-drilling folks, but you have to look hard to find them, and work hard to have them admit it.
Will all this wash with voters in the ‘Lower 48′? Time will tell.
18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling
It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.
Governor “Squeakyclean”….or not.
Another focus of Palin’s introduction today was her reform image. Listen to John McCain and you’ll hear about a maverick reformer who took on big oil, took on corrupt Alaska politicians, and whose ethics are unquestioned.
Alaskans really want to like Sarah Palin. In a state where corruption is the rule, and the same faces keep recycling over and over and over again like a bad dream, a new face, with a promise of reform seemed like a breath of fresh air. Palin defeated incumbent governor Frank Murkowski (father of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who he appointed to his own Senate seat when he was elected governor) because he was such an obnoxious, bloviating, downright BAD politician. This staunchly republican state voted with relief, not having to cross over and vote Democratic, but still able to get Murkowski the hell out of office. In the general election Palin swept into office running against a former Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, who was capable but came with baggage. And he represented to Alaskans more of the same, tired old-style politics, and special interests that we have come to loathe.
So, if McCain had made his selection six months ago, the squeaky-clean governor meme would have made a little more sense. But, Sarah Palin is currently under an ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature. The details of this investigation read like a trashy novel, and I suspect that the players will soon have newfound celebrity on the national stage. I’ll try to explain for all you non-Alaskans who suddenly have good reason to want to know more about Sarah Palin. For those of you not interested in trashy novels, feel free to skip ahead. Here it is…what we in Alaska call “TrooperGate”.
Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper. Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage. When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing. During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like. While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight. Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family.
After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers. Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers. Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed. Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans. Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten. Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did. Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him. Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature. But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find. (No, I’m not making this up). The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing. Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away. Bailey is now on paid administrative leave.
As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal. He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office. Was he vetted? Obviously not. When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew. Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position. Twenty four hours later, he stepped down. Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin. Monegan got nothing.
After extensive news coverage about all this nasty behind-the-scenes scandal, which is definitely NOT squeaky clean, Palin’s approval ratings fell to 67%, still high, but a far cry from the 90% number that’s being thrown around so glibly by the Republicans today. Alaskans are quickly becoming disillusioned once again.
“Executive Experience”
Before her meteoric rise to political success as governor, just two short years ago Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla. I had a good chuckle at MSN.com’s claim that she had been the mayor of “Wasilla City”. It is not a city. Just Wasilla. Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception. She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative. Remember…this is where her approval ratings come from. There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic - fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians. And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does! Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall. There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them. Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units. This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago. Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Discussing foreign policy? Understanding non-Alaskan issues? Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country. She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here. Don’t get me wrong….I love Alaska with all my heart. I’m just saying.
I, and all Alaskans will be interested to see how this whole process unfolds. This is definitely a gamble for McCain, and in my humble opinion, a gift to Obama and to Joe Biden who just got thrown a big hunk of red meat for the vice presidential debate.
This is the wedge-issue, desperate ’Hail Sarah’ pass of the McCain campaign.
It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.
and...
Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception. She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative. Remember…this is where her approval ratings come from. There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic - fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians. And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does! Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall. There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them. Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units. This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago. Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Discussing foreign policy? Understanding non-Alaskan issues? Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country. She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here. Don’t get me wrong….I love Alaska with all my heart. I’m just saying.
Is this the same son that has down syndrome....you my friend are reaching…and another thing this kid is going to have it rough already…leave him be.
Palin has nothing going against her and it kills the Obama people because now Obama will not have a cake walk into the White House. You will lose the Hillary vote because she is going to be out of the public eye until after the election. She wants nothing to do with Barak because she wants him to lose so she can run in 4 years....Thanks for the speeches Barak....you will have a great career as a motivational speaker aka Mick Foley.
I am not saying this because the kid has Down Syndrome, I am saying it because it is a real thought from people in certain circles. She never looked pregnant and the daughter 'disappeared' for a while in April. Look it up.
And anyway, she is now part of the Republican aristocracy, all her kids will do just fine.
Try raising a handicapped child making minimum wage that Mccain voted against 19 times. I swear, some of you people that support Republicans are either Trust Fund babies or racist or just plain STUPID.
It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.
Shrug. I thought it was some of the biggest bullshit in the blog. Perspectives, I guess. So Obama picking Biden was pandering to the voters who wanted experience? Choosing Biden because he is a white male Washington insider is insulting to all white males, in the same way chosing Palin should be insulting to women I guess.
And the notion that she didn't get where she did by her grit and determination, but rather because of a man picking her should be what is insulting to women.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
Shrug. I thought it was some of the biggest bullshit in the blog. Perspectives, I guess. So Obama picking Biden was pandering to the voters who wanted experience? Choosing Biden because he is a white male Washington insider is insulting to all white males, in the same way chosing Palin should be insulting to women I guess.
And the notion that she didn't get where she did by her grit and determination, but rather because of a man picking her should be what is insulting to women.
sorry...bullshit.
she got where she is, in alaska...all on her own, and impressive absolutely.
as to being chosen VP? ALL about her gender, and sure, her far-right leanings.
and absolutely biden was chosen for his experience....i don't think b./c he is an older white male though. altho i guess for a certain contingent, it's palpable. however, it seems to me, most obama supporters were/are obamsa supporters, for who HE is...and not his running mate.
btw - i already said MUCH earlier on in this, or one of the palin threads....mixed raced dude chooses old white guy to 'balance' himself out...old white dude choose young female to 'balance' himself out. difference being, for ME...that biden ADDS to the ticket...whereas palin in blatant pandering, window-dressing...she adds nothing unless you WANY a FAR-right president. i mean, she is right of mccain, and he is unappealling on his own to me...so yea....she does nothing except pander imo. you disagree...cool. as a WOMAN, i personally find her choice insulting, b/c it is not about what she stands for, as much as her gender.
sorry...bullshit.
she got where she is, in alaska...all on her own, and impressive absolutely.
as to being chosen VP? ALL about her gender, and sure, her far-right leanings.
Well, if you acknowledge that the pick took her far-right leanings into consideration, then it wasn't ALL about gender, which has been my point.
and absolutely biden was chosen for his experience....i don't think b./c he is an older white male though. altho i guess for a certain contingent, it's palpable. however, it seems to me, most obama supporters were/are obamsa supporters, for who HE is...and not his running mate.
People who supported Obama supported him for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes Obama selected a running mate who could enthuse other strategic demographics.
People support McCain for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes (active right-wing of party), McCain selected a running mate who could win their support.
btw - i already said MUCH earlier on in this, or one of the palin threads....mixed raced dude chooses old white guy to 'balance' himself out...old white dude choose young female to 'balance' himself out. difference being, for ME...that biden ADDS to the ticket...whereas palin in blatant pandering, window-dressing...she adds nothing unless you WANY a FAR-right president. i mean, she is right of mccain, and he is unappealling on his own to me...so yea....she does nothing except pander imo. you disagree...cool. as a WOMAN, i personally find her choice insulting, b/c it is not about what she stands for, as much as her gender.
Fair enough. I'm not voting for either of these tickets, so I'm just watching from the outside. Obama had to pick someone with white skin and a penis, and he did. He took into consideration that that white skin and penis came with lots of experience inside the beltway. McCain had to pick outside the beltway, and pick someone who could capture the right wing of the party. He took into consideration that the person should be young, and having boobies helped seal the deal so that the Reps had their own "historic" ticket.
You are allowed to be insulted, but were I a woman I'd be far more insulted by people who insinuate that it takes a man to make a woman successful (as that idiot blogger was trying to do). People try that with Hillary all of the time, too.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
Sometimes I wonder if my computer screwed up and put me on the Country Western, NRA, John Birch Society, KKK website instead of the Pearl Jam One. Let's hear from George Lincoln Rockwell next.
Well, if you acknowledge that the pick took her far-right leanings into consideration, then it wasn't ALL about gender, which has been my point.
People who supported Obama supported him for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes Obama selected a running mate who could enthuse other strategic demographics.
People support McCain for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes (active right-wing of party), McCain selected a running mate who could win their support.
Fair enough. I'm not voting for either of these tickets, so I'm just watching from the outside. Obama had to pick someone with white skin and a penis, and he did. He took into consideration that that white skin and penis came with lots of experience inside the beltway. McCain had to pick outside the beltway, and pick someone who could capture the right wing of the party. He took into consideration that the person should be young, and having boobies helped seal the deal so that the Reps had their own "historic" ticket.
You are allowed to be insulted, but were I a woman I'd be far more insulted by people who insinuate that it takes a man to make a woman successful (as that idiot blogger was trying to do). People try that with Hillary all of the time, too.
thanks for 'allowing' that.......:rolleyes:
i did not entirely discount her credentials, but i do disagree overall. i think her gender plays in FAR more than bidens white skin or having a penis. just my opinion...you too are allowed to disagree.
however, i DO agree with your last statement, and yes..it does indeed piss me off. however, i don't believe that 'idiot blogger' was insinuating that at all. i think he, in this particular instance was stating that her gender ABOVE all, is what is being played, not her many accomplishments...and i agree. i do believe, if she weren't female,,,,she'd not have been asked. just my 2 cents there.
So because we do not agree with you we are Stupid. This is coming from a party who wants the troops to be sent home but could give two shits about an unborn child. Raising the minimum wage is a joke...you cause the price of everything else to go up which in turn makes everyone in poorer.
How about people start to take care of themselves rather then leaving it up to the government.
Obviously you have never taken an economics course. Raising the minimum wage does not cause inflation. Rich, Republican oil barons cause inflation by charging $4.50 for gasoline.
Republicans and their "unborn children", They love love them until the moment they are born. Then they couldn't care less. Let them grow up in a ghetto, give them a shitty public school education, Then let them fight Republican, Imperialist wars and come home in a "Box or a bag", or maimed for life. Then they should take care of themselves, right.
i do believe, if she weren't female,,,,she'd not have been asked. just my 2 cents there.
Completely agree. And if Biden were not male, he wouldn't have been asked. The tickets were looking for balance between an underrepresented demographic, and white establishment males. Both tickets acheived that.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
Completely agree. And if Biden were not male, he wouldn't have been asked. The tickets were looking for balance between an underrepresented demographic, and white establishment males. Both tickets acheived that.
thus, i find it insulting.
i want a woman as a candidate b/c she is the BEST choice, period...not b/c of her gender. there are plenty of women, just as men, who can and should fit the bill...not just fulfill an agenda.
Obviously you have never taken an economics course. Raising the minimum wage does not cause inflation.
Wow. Of course it does. Just for illustration purposes, so you can clearly visualize the effects, imagine minimum wage was raised to $50/hr. Other salaries throughout the company would then be adjusted accordingly. The cost of the good or service would necessarily rise to ensure profitability. If all of the costs of goods and services have now risen to accommodate the wage increases what is that called again? You got it. Cost-push inflation.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
Obviously you have never taken an economics course. Raising the minimum wage does not cause inflation. Rich, Republican oil barons cause inflation by charging $4.50 for gasoline.
You must be taking Strayer Online Econ courses. The cause of inflation is growth in the money supply - not increasing gas prices. Gas prices go up and down, not in direct relation to inflation.
All I know is that to see, and not to speak, would be the great betrayal.
-Enoch Powell
These "unborn children" are fucking living beings and your presidential candidate is all for killing them because the "parent" does not want them...sadly I once believed like you that abortion was OK and it wasn’t my choice to decide for a person what to do...but after seeing a child develop right in front of me I just cannot justify that reasoning anymore...and hopefully when your chance comes to become a parent you will see this also. Abortion is murder and is no different then someone killing another human being for money.
Ok, so it is republicans fault you raise your baby in a ghetto....shitty public school system you believe is the result of the federal government...then you voluntarily sign up to join the army and get sent to fight a war......I am with you on the vet benefits but the rest of your arguments are pretty off base.
Ghetto living and shitty public schools are a result of your local government not the feds....Bush can't be blamed for those.
bullshit.
an embryo is NOT a thinking, feeling, fully formed human being...not even close. so no...no comparison. you want to call it murder? go ahead. something that was once living ceases to live due to the decision to have an abortion...so feel free to use any 'death' adjective you wish. however, comparing such to a person already existing, just is NOT the same, period.
however...we already have numerous threads for that discussion, so let's stick to sarah palin as the overall topic shall we? her views on being pro-life and teaching creationism, being pro-NRA and pro-drilling in alaska.....not even close to what i want to see in the executive, and for ALL those reasons she would not be my choice for VP. perfect fit for mccain though...so mccain supporters should be very happy with her.
btw - funny, i know MANY happy parents...who yes, ARE still pro-choice. they see it is not a decision for THEM to make FOR OTHERS.
Wow. Of course it does. Just for illustration purposes, so you can clearly visualize the effects, imagine minimum wage was raised to $50/hr. Other salaries throughout the company would then be adjusted accordingly. The cost of the good or service would necessarily rise to ensure profitability. If all of the costs of goods and services have now risen to accommodate the wage increases what is that called again? You got it. Cost-push inflation.
Cost-push inflation will not come into play with a dollar rise in the minimum wage. Cost-push inflation is much more tied to severe jumps in raw materials, such as fuel oil and gasoline. When this theory was propagated in the 70's, wages and benefits were rising exponentially because of union gains, high tech breakthroughs, and American superiority in the marketplace.The American middle class was enjoying unprecedented gains. These were not blips on the radar screen like a small rise in the minimum wage. The opposite is in play now because what Reagan started and GWB is finishing off, a wholesale destruction of the middle class.
it must be depressing to live in such a twisted, alternative universe.
take a step back from the group think and identity politics...
the left ARE the divisive ones, constantly playing groups against one another..."drilling for fear" you are constantly projecting your own whacked out view of the reality of the world on the other side and BASELESSLY paint them as racists, sexists, bigots, and homophobes...it's become tiresome. get a new strategy.
I stick with my assertion that a lot of conservative men won't be happy with the selection. If even a lot of liberal men were uncomfortable with a woman, I guarantee that conservative men will be even more so. It's not a strategy. It's an observation. You want reality, you got it. Which side of the divide pushes for wives to stay subordinate to husbands? It's not the liberals. It's the extreme right-wing/religious of the republican party. Wishing it away won't make it go away. When I see scads of right wingers pushing for male/female parity, I'll change my observation.
These "unborn children" are fucking living beings and your presidential candidate is all for killing them because the "parent" does not want them...sadly I once believed like you that abortion was OK and it wasn’t my choice to decide for a person what to do...but after seeing a child develop right in front of me I just cannot justify that reasoning anymore...and hopefully when your chance comes to become a parent you will see this also. Abortion is murder and is no different then someone killing another human being for money.
Ok, so it is republicans fault you raise your baby in a ghetto....shitty public school system you believe is the result of the federal government...then you voluntarily sign up to join the army and get sent to fight a war......I am with you on the vet benefits but the rest of your arguments are pretty off base.
Ghetto living and shitty public schools are a result of your local government not the feds....Bush can't be blamed for those and if you can convince me otherwise have at it
Which is it, have I not had my chance to be a parent, or am I raising my baby in the ghetto?
All kidding aside, I am the grandfather of two beautiful children, ages 3 and 7, and my daughter and her husband are raising them in the same little seaside town in Connecticut that my wife and I live in. We are basically their day care providers so I see them almost every day and also have seen them develop. I do not believe that a child is a child until it is viable out of the womb. A women should be able to choose up until then whether or not she can take care of it. What about cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger. Should a woman, or girl as in many cases, be forced to bring that child into the world, as the Neocons and the Evangelicals and the Sarah Palin's think. Just because she chose to have a baby with Down Syndrome does not be that others are prepared to do so.
To say that our education system is the responsibility of local government is just naive. Local governments cannot afford to run a school system without at least 60 percent of it coming from the state and federal level. The only Republican answer to this is to give the well-to-do vouchers to send their kids to private schools and siphon off even more of this money. No Child Left Behind? No Child, millions of children left behind by Bush, Cheney, Mccain, and Palin.
Oh yes, and ghetto's and sub-standard housing are the fault of the people living there, right? The Feds have nothing to do with that, either. I grew up in a town where the Feds, under the guise of the city, came in and tore down an entire neighborhood and gave it to a pharmaceutical company. They did it under the guise of 'Eminent Domain', and the Supreme Court, who put Bush in office in the first place, allowed it to happen. The Federal Government has their hand in everything.
Sarah Palin appeals to a crucial swing voter constituency in this election: militantly anti-choice, anti gay rights, disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters who favor teaching creationism in public schools, are lifetime, card-carrying NRA members, supported Pat Buchanan’s run for president, and support oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as their signature issue
*shudders*
and
They hope to attract women who don’t know her, and perhaps even some who don’t yet believe that women’s reproductive health is genuinely threatened by policies reducing access to contraception currently proposed by the Bush Administration, and by the promise to overturn Roe v. Wade that McCain has underscored with Palin’s selection.
Former Republican Congressman and host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough said, “If John McCain’s campaign thinks he can get Hillary Clinton voters by choosing Palin it is condescending and insulting to women and it is a terrible political faux pax.”
HELL FUCKIN' YEA IT IS!
***************************************************
But, predominantly, Hillary voters aren't anti-choice and anti-gay rights, in that order. If McCain wants Hillary voters, he needs someone more like Hillary. To me, this isn't rocket science. More like Hillary doesn't equal just having a vagina. Most Hillary voters, myself included, did not support Hillary because she has a vagina; we supported her because we thought her to be ideologically like us. That she had a vagina was kind of nice plus, but it was really very, very secondary to whether she held similar ideals. That's why I've moved over to Obama. He has a penis, but he has the same ideas. So, gender isn't a deal maker or breaker. He's really just like Hillary; in fact, at this point he appears to have even taken Hillary's health plan for his own (which was probably part of the deal with her going all out for him).
Since yesterday's shocking arrival of Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate there has been the usual cable news and print blathering about the pick from those who know little about her. But what about the journalists close to home -- in Alaska -- who know her best and have followed her career for years?
For the past 24 hours, the pages and web sites of the two leading papers up there have raised all sorts of issues surrounding Palin, from her ethics problems to general lack of readiness for this big step up. Right now the top story on the Anchorage Daily News web site looks at new info in what it calls "troopergate" and opens: "Alaska's former commissioner of public safety says Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick to be vice president, personally talked him on two occasions about a state trooper who was locked in a bitter custody battle with the governor's sister.
"In a phone conversation Friday night, Walt Monegan, who was Alaska's top cop until Palin fired him July 11, told the Daily News that the governor also had e-mailed him two or three times about her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, though the e-mails didn't mention Wooten by name. Monegan claims his refusal to fire Wooten was a major reason that Palin dismissed him. Wooten had been suspended for five days previously, based largely on complaints that Palin's family had initiated before Palin was governor."
A reporter for the Anchorage daily, Gregg Erickson, even did an online chat with the Washington Post, in which he revealed that Palin's approval rating in the state was not the much-touted 80%, but 65% and sinking -- and that among journalists who followed her it might be in the "teens." He added: "I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.... I expect her to stick with simple truths. When asked about continued American troop presence in Iraq, she said she knows only one thing about that (I paraphrase): no one has attacked the American homeland since George Bush took the war to Iraq."
His paper found a number of leading Republican officeholders in the state who mocked Palin's qualifications. "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla. "Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"
Here are excerpts from the editorials in the two leading papers.
From the Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks:
Sen. John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate was a stunning decision that should make Alaskans proud, even while we wonder about the actual merits of the choice.... Alaskans and Americans must ask, though, whether she should become vice president and, more importantly, be placed first in line to become president.
In fact, as the governor herself acknowledged in her acceptance speech, she never set out to be involved in public affairs. She has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison; how will Republicans reconcile the criticism of Obama with the obligatory cheering for Palin?
Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation's when he created the possibility that she might fill it.
And from the Anchorage Daily News:
It's stunning that someone with so little national and international experience might be heartbeat away from the presidency.
Gov. Palin is a classic Alaska story. She is an example of the opportunity our state offers to those with talent, initiative and determination...
McCain picked Palin despite a recent blemish on her ethically pure resume. While she was governor, members of her family and staff tried to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the Alaska State Troopers. Her public safety commissioner would not do so; she forced him out, supposedly for other reasons. While she runs for vice-president, the Legislature has an investigator on the case.
For all those advantages, Palin joins the ticket with one huge weakness: She's a total beginner on national and international issues.
Gov. Palin will have to spend the next two months convincing Americans that she's ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency....
bullshit.
an embryo is NOT a thinking, feeling, fully formed human being...not even close. so no...no comparison. you want to call it murder? go ahead. something that was once living ceases to live due to the decision to have an abortion...so feel free to use any 'death' adjective you wish. however, comparing such to a person already existing, just is NOT the same, period.
however...we already have numerous threads for that discussion, so let's stick to sarah palin as the overall topic shall we? her views on being pro-life and teaching creationism, being pro-NRA and pro-drilling in alaska.....not even close to what i want to see in the executive, and for ALL those reasons she would not be my choice for VP. perfect fit for mccain though...so mccain supporters should be very happy with her.
btw - funny, i know MANY happy parents...who yes, ARE still pro-choice. they see it is not a decision for THEM to make FOR OTHERS.
This is a little off topic, but what happens to a downs child after mom and dad die... does the child get stuck is some state home and tax payers foot the bill... don't mean to stir the shit up... I am really just wondering....
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This is a little off topic, but what happens to a downs child after mom and dad die... does the child get stuck is some state home and tax payers foot the bill... don't mean to stir the shit up... I am really just wondering....
The child would collect his/her's parents social security and any other insurance benefits and be taken cared of by next of kin. If there is no next of kin available or willing to take the child, he/she would become a ward of the state and placed in the care of a person who can handle a Down Syndrome child.
Don't worry, Down Syndrome children aren't aliens. :rolleyes:
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The child would collect his/her's parents social security and any other insurance benefits and be taken cared of by next of kin. If there is no next of kin available or willing to take the child, he/she would become a ward of the state and placed in the care of a person who can handle a Down Syndrome child.
Don't worry, Down Syndrome children aren't aliens. :rolleyes:
Thanks for the response... you just had to put in smart ass comment at the end though....
2000-10-28 San Bernardino
2003-06-02 Irvine
2003-10-26 Mountain View-Bridge School
2006-07-09 Los Angeles
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2006-10-22 Mountain View- Bridge School
2008-07-19 UCLA-Who Rock Honors
2009-10-1 Los Angeles-2
2009-10-9 San Diego
This is a little off topic, but what happens to a downs child after mom and dad die... does the child get stuck is some state home and tax payers foot the bill... don't mean to stir the shit up... I am really just wondering....
It is a sad topic, but progress has been made and the life expectancy of someone with downs syndrome is now between 50 and 55 years of age. That is significantly longer than when I was young and knew of downs syndrome kids only living into their 20's. So if the child lives to 55 and the parents had the child in their 20's to 30's, they will likely die around the time their child dies. It used to be that the child's death would almost always precede the parents' death.
"I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
Gov. Palin will have to spend the next two months convincing Americans that she's ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency....
I won't be voting McCain/Palin but I couldn't care less about the "unprepared" argument. Nobody will ever be less prepared than our current president. :mad:
If I had known then what I know now...
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Comments
Creationism is NOT a theory; it's a belief system.
It would be intellectually dishonest to suggest it and put it forward as a theory.
As others have said, evolution is a scientific theory, proof-based and peer-reviewed.
OK, I speak as a European, but seriously, I have a really hard time understanding how they can even be put them on the same level and compared.
It's like apples and oranges.
agreed
What a loser.
“Is this a joke?” That seemed to be the question du jour when my phone started ringing off the hook at 6:45am here in Alaska. I mean, we’re sort of excited that our humble state has gotten some kind of national ‘nod’….but seriously? Sarah Palin for Vice President? Yes, she’s a popular governor. Her all time high approval rating hovered around 90% at one point. But bear in mind that the 90% approval rating came from one of the most conservative, and reddest-of-the-red states out there. And that approval rating came before a series of events that have lead many Alaskans to question the governor’s once pristine image.
There is no doubt in my mind that many Alaskans are feeling pretty excited about this. But we live in our own little bubble up here, and most of the attention we get is because of The Bridge to Nowhere, polar bears, the indictment of Ted Stevens, and the ongoing investigation and conviction of the string of legislators and oil executives who literally called themselves “The Corrupt Bastards Club”.
So seeing our governor out there in the national spotlight accepting the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate is just downright surreal. Just months ago, when rumors surfaced that she was on the long version of the short list, she was questioned if she’d be interested in the position. She said she couldn’t answer “until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here….”
There is no doubt that Palin has fierce territorial loyalties. When elected governor there was much concern because she came right out and said she would favor her own home town of Wasilla (where she was mayor) and its surrounding environs collectively known as “the Valley” while leading the state. And it’s obvious from her statement that Alaska was on her mind when accepting the VP nod (see my emphasis above).
So what is it that we’re “trying to accomplish up here”?
Palin is currently in the middle of a controversial gas pipeline project in Alaska. She’s favored the ‘Trans Canada’ proposal that will run the pipeline through Canada, in effect shipping US jobs over the border. Many Alaskans, including former governors, have favored the “All Alaska Route”.
She is also sueing the federal government over listing the polar bears as a threatened species. The science was even compelling enough to convince the Secretery of the Interior that the bears needed to be listed. But acknowlegement of this issue, and the potential disruption to development on Alaska’s oil-rich north slope spurred Palin to attempt to stop the listing.
Does she want to open ANWR? Yes. Every politician in Alaska wants to open ANWR. It’s basically a requirement if you ever hope to get elected for anything. Even Mark Begich, the progressive Democrat running against the indicted Senator and Alaskan institution Ted Stevens, is pro-drilling. That’s the sea we swim in up here. There are a few anti-drilling folks, but you have to look hard to find them, and work hard to have them admit it.
Will all this wash with voters in the ‘Lower 48′? Time will tell.
18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling
It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.
Governor “Squeakyclean”….or not.
Another focus of Palin’s introduction today was her reform image. Listen to John McCain and you’ll hear about a maverick reformer who took on big oil, took on corrupt Alaska politicians, and whose ethics are unquestioned.
Alaskans really want to like Sarah Palin. In a state where corruption is the rule, and the same faces keep recycling over and over and over again like a bad dream, a new face, with a promise of reform seemed like a breath of fresh air. Palin defeated incumbent governor Frank Murkowski (father of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who he appointed to his own Senate seat when he was elected governor) because he was such an obnoxious, bloviating, downright BAD politician. This staunchly republican state voted with relief, not having to cross over and vote Democratic, but still able to get Murkowski the hell out of office. In the general election Palin swept into office running against a former Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, who was capable but came with baggage. And he represented to Alaskans more of the same, tired old-style politics, and special interests that we have come to loathe.
So, if McCain had made his selection six months ago, the squeaky-clean governor meme would have made a little more sense. But, Sarah Palin is currently under an ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature. The details of this investigation read like a trashy novel, and I suspect that the players will soon have newfound celebrity on the national stage. I’ll try to explain for all you non-Alaskans who suddenly have good reason to want to know more about Sarah Palin. For those of you not interested in trashy novels, feel free to skip ahead. Here it is…what we in Alaska call “TrooperGate”.
Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper. Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage. When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing. During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like. While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight. Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family.
After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers. Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers. Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed. Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans. Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten. Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did. Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him. Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature. But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find. (No, I’m not making this up). The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing. Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away. Bailey is now on paid administrative leave.
As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal. He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office. Was he vetted? Obviously not. When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew. Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position. Twenty four hours later, he stepped down. Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin. Monegan got nothing.
After extensive news coverage about all this nasty behind-the-scenes scandal, which is definitely NOT squeaky clean, Palin’s approval ratings fell to 67%, still high, but a far cry from the 90% number that’s being thrown around so glibly by the Republicans today. Alaskans are quickly becoming disillusioned once again.
“Executive Experience”
Before her meteoric rise to political success as governor, just two short years ago Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla. I had a good chuckle at MSN.com’s claim that she had been the mayor of “Wasilla City”. It is not a city. Just Wasilla. Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception. She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative. Remember…this is where her approval ratings come from. There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic - fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians. And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does! Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall. There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them. Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units. This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago. Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Discussing foreign policy? Understanding non-Alaskan issues? Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country. She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here. Don’t get me wrong….I love Alaska with all my heart. I’m just saying.
I, and all Alaskans will be interested to see how this whole process unfolds. This is definitely a gamble for McCain, and in my humble opinion, a gift to Obama and to Joe Biden who just got thrown a big hunk of red meat for the vice presidential debate.
This is the wedge-issue, desperate ’Hail Sarah’ pass of the McCain campaign.
Now I’m off to get some Jiffy Pop.
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i especially enjoyed this:
It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.
and...
Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception. She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative. Remember…this is where her approval ratings come from. There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic - fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians. And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does! Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall. There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them. Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units. This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago. Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Discussing foreign policy? Understanding non-Alaskan issues? Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country. She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here. Don’t get me wrong….I love Alaska with all my heart. I’m just saying.
strategic and pandering.....
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
I am not saying this because the kid has Down Syndrome, I am saying it because it is a real thought from people in certain circles. She never looked pregnant and the daughter 'disappeared' for a while in April. Look it up.
And anyway, she is now part of the Republican aristocracy, all her kids will do just fine.
Try raising a handicapped child making minimum wage that Mccain voted against 19 times. I swear, some of you people that support Republicans are either Trust Fund babies or racist or just plain STUPID.
Shrug. I thought it was some of the biggest bullshit in the blog. Perspectives, I guess. So Obama picking Biden was pandering to the voters who wanted experience? Choosing Biden because he is a white male Washington insider is insulting to all white males, in the same way chosing Palin should be insulting to women I guess.
And the notion that she didn't get where she did by her grit and determination, but rather because of a man picking her should be what is insulting to women.
sorry...bullshit.
she got where she is, in alaska...all on her own, and impressive absolutely.
as to being chosen VP? ALL about her gender, and sure, her far-right leanings.
and absolutely biden was chosen for his experience....i don't think b./c he is an older white male though. altho i guess for a certain contingent, it's palpable. however, it seems to me, most obama supporters were/are obamsa supporters, for who HE is...and not his running mate.
btw - i already said MUCH earlier on in this, or one of the palin threads....mixed raced dude chooses old white guy to 'balance' himself out...old white dude choose young female to 'balance' himself out. difference being, for ME...that biden ADDS to the ticket...whereas palin in blatant pandering, window-dressing...she adds nothing unless you WANY a FAR-right president. i mean, she is right of mccain, and he is unappealling on his own to me...so yea....she does nothing except pander imo. you disagree...cool. as a WOMAN, i personally find her choice insulting, b/c it is not about what she stands for, as much as her gender.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Well, if you acknowledge that the pick took her far-right leanings into consideration, then it wasn't ALL about gender, which has been my point.
People who supported Obama supported him for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes Obama selected a running mate who could enthuse other strategic demographics.
People support McCain for who he is. But to capture the rest of the needed votes (active right-wing of party), McCain selected a running mate who could win their support.
Fair enough. I'm not voting for either of these tickets, so I'm just watching from the outside. Obama had to pick someone with white skin and a penis, and he did. He took into consideration that that white skin and penis came with lots of experience inside the beltway. McCain had to pick outside the beltway, and pick someone who could capture the right wing of the party. He took into consideration that the person should be young, and having boobies helped seal the deal so that the Reps had their own "historic" ticket.
You are allowed to be insulted, but were I a woman I'd be far more insulted by people who insinuate that it takes a man to make a woman successful (as that idiot blogger was trying to do). People try that with Hillary all of the time, too.
thanks for 'allowing' that.......:rolleyes:
i did not entirely discount her credentials, but i do disagree overall. i think her gender plays in FAR more than bidens white skin or having a penis. just my opinion...you too are allowed to disagree.
however, i DO agree with your last statement, and yes..it does indeed piss me off. however, i don't believe that 'idiot blogger' was insinuating that at all. i think he, in this particular instance was stating that her gender ABOVE all, is what is being played, not her many accomplishments...and i agree. i do believe, if she weren't female,,,,she'd not have been asked. just my 2 cents there.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Obviously you have never taken an economics course. Raising the minimum wage does not cause inflation. Rich, Republican oil barons cause inflation by charging $4.50 for gasoline.
Republicans and their "unborn children", They love love them until the moment they are born. Then they couldn't care less. Let them grow up in a ghetto, give them a shitty public school education, Then let them fight Republican, Imperialist wars and come home in a "Box or a bag", or maimed for life. Then they should take care of themselves, right.
Completely agree. And if Biden were not male, he wouldn't have been asked. The tickets were looking for balance between an underrepresented demographic, and white establishment males. Both tickets acheived that.
thus, i find it insulting.
i want a woman as a candidate b/c she is the BEST choice, period...not b/c of her gender. there are plenty of women, just as men, who can and should fit the bill...not just fulfill an agenda.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Wow. Of course it does. Just for illustration purposes, so you can clearly visualize the effects, imagine minimum wage was raised to $50/hr. Other salaries throughout the company would then be adjusted accordingly. The cost of the good or service would necessarily rise to ensure profitability. If all of the costs of goods and services have now risen to accommodate the wage increases what is that called again? You got it. Cost-push inflation.
You must be taking Strayer Online Econ courses. The cause of inflation is growth in the money supply - not increasing gas prices. Gas prices go up and down, not in direct relation to inflation.
-Enoch Powell
bullshit.
an embryo is NOT a thinking, feeling, fully formed human being...not even close. so no...no comparison. you want to call it murder? go ahead. something that was once living ceases to live due to the decision to have an abortion...so feel free to use any 'death' adjective you wish. however, comparing such to a person already existing, just is NOT the same, period.
however...we already have numerous threads for that discussion, so let's stick to sarah palin as the overall topic shall we? her views on being pro-life and teaching creationism, being pro-NRA and pro-drilling in alaska.....not even close to what i want to see in the executive, and for ALL those reasons she would not be my choice for VP. perfect fit for mccain though...so mccain supporters should be very happy with her.
btw - funny, i know MANY happy parents...who yes, ARE still pro-choice. they see it is not a decision for THEM to make FOR OTHERS.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Cost-push inflation will not come into play with a dollar rise in the minimum wage. Cost-push inflation is much more tied to severe jumps in raw materials, such as fuel oil and gasoline. When this theory was propagated in the 70's, wages and benefits were rising exponentially because of union gains, high tech breakthroughs, and American superiority in the marketplace.The American middle class was enjoying unprecedented gains. These were not blips on the radar screen like a small rise in the minimum wage. The opposite is in play now because what Reagan started and GWB is finishing off, a wholesale destruction of the middle class.
I stick with my assertion that a lot of conservative men won't be happy with the selection. If even a lot of liberal men were uncomfortable with a woman, I guarantee that conservative men will be even more so. It's not a strategy. It's an observation. You want reality, you got it. Which side of the divide pushes for wives to stay subordinate to husbands? It's not the liberals. It's the extreme right-wing/religious of the republican party. Wishing it away won't make it go away. When I see scads of right wingers pushing for male/female parity, I'll change my observation.
Which is it, have I not had my chance to be a parent, or am I raising my baby in the ghetto?
All kidding aside, I am the grandfather of two beautiful children, ages 3 and 7, and my daughter and her husband are raising them in the same little seaside town in Connecticut that my wife and I live in. We are basically their day care providers so I see them almost every day and also have seen them develop. I do not believe that a child is a child until it is viable out of the womb. A women should be able to choose up until then whether or not she can take care of it. What about cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger. Should a woman, or girl as in many cases, be forced to bring that child into the world, as the Neocons and the Evangelicals and the Sarah Palin's think. Just because she chose to have a baby with Down Syndrome does not be that others are prepared to do so.
To say that our education system is the responsibility of local government is just naive. Local governments cannot afford to run a school system without at least 60 percent of it coming from the state and federal level. The only Republican answer to this is to give the well-to-do vouchers to send their kids to private schools and siphon off even more of this money. No Child Left Behind? No Child, millions of children left behind by Bush, Cheney, Mccain, and Palin.
Oh yes, and ghetto's and sub-standard housing are the fault of the people living there, right? The Feds have nothing to do with that, either. I grew up in a town where the Feds, under the guise of the city, came in and tore down an entire neighborhood and gave it to a pharmaceutical company. They did it under the guise of 'Eminent Domain', and the Supreme Court, who put Bush in office in the first place, allowed it to happen. The Federal Government has their hand in everything.
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But, predominantly, Hillary voters aren't anti-choice and anti-gay rights, in that order. If McCain wants Hillary voters, he needs someone more like Hillary. To me, this isn't rocket science. More like Hillary doesn't equal just having a vagina. Most Hillary voters, myself included, did not support Hillary because she has a vagina; we supported her because we thought her to be ideologically like us. That she had a vagina was kind of nice plus, but it was really very, very secondary to whether she held similar ideals. That's why I've moved over to Obama. He has a penis, but he has the same ideas. So, gender isn't a deal maker or breaker. He's really just like Hillary; in fact, at this point he appears to have even taken Hillary's health plan for his own (which was probably part of the deal with her going all out for him).
Since yesterday's shocking arrival of Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate there has been the usual cable news and print blathering about the pick from those who know little about her. But what about the journalists close to home -- in Alaska -- who know her best and have followed her career for years?
For the past 24 hours, the pages and web sites of the two leading papers up there have raised all sorts of issues surrounding Palin, from her ethics problems to general lack of readiness for this big step up. Right now the top story on the Anchorage Daily News web site looks at new info in what it calls "troopergate" and opens: "Alaska's former commissioner of public safety says Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick to be vice president, personally talked him on two occasions about a state trooper who was locked in a bitter custody battle with the governor's sister.
"In a phone conversation Friday night, Walt Monegan, who was Alaska's top cop until Palin fired him July 11, told the Daily News that the governor also had e-mailed him two or three times about her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, though the e-mails didn't mention Wooten by name. Monegan claims his refusal to fire Wooten was a major reason that Palin dismissed him. Wooten had been suspended for five days previously, based largely on complaints that Palin's family had initiated before Palin was governor."
A reporter for the Anchorage daily, Gregg Erickson, even did an online chat with the Washington Post, in which he revealed that Palin's approval rating in the state was not the much-touted 80%, but 65% and sinking -- and that among journalists who followed her it might be in the "teens." He added: "I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.... I expect her to stick with simple truths. When asked about continued American troop presence in Iraq, she said she knows only one thing about that (I paraphrase): no one has attacked the American homeland since George Bush took the war to Iraq."
His paper found a number of leading Republican officeholders in the state who mocked Palin's qualifications. "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla. "Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"
Here are excerpts from the editorials in the two leading papers.
From the Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks:
Sen. John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate was a stunning decision that should make Alaskans proud, even while we wonder about the actual merits of the choice.... Alaskans and Americans must ask, though, whether she should become vice president and, more importantly, be placed first in line to become president.
In fact, as the governor herself acknowledged in her acceptance speech, she never set out to be involved in public affairs. She has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison; how will Republicans reconcile the criticism of Obama with the obligatory cheering for Palin?
Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation's when he created the possibility that she might fill it.
And from the Anchorage Daily News:
It's stunning that someone with so little national and international experience might be heartbeat away from the presidency.
Gov. Palin is a classic Alaska story. She is an example of the opportunity our state offers to those with talent, initiative and determination...
McCain picked Palin despite a recent blemish on her ethically pure resume. While she was governor, members of her family and staff tried to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the Alaska State Troopers. Her public safety commissioner would not do so; she forced him out, supposedly for other reasons. While she runs for vice-president, the Legislature has an investigator on the case.
For all those advantages, Palin joins the ticket with one huge weakness: She's a total beginner on national and international issues.
Gov. Palin will have to spend the next two months convincing Americans that she's ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency....
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This is a little off topic, but what happens to a downs child after mom and dad die... does the child get stuck is some state home and tax payers foot the bill... don't mean to stir the shit up... I am really just wondering....
2003-06-02 Irvine
2003-10-26 Mountain View-Bridge School
2006-07-09 Los Angeles
2006-07-10 Los Angeles
2006-10-22 Mountain View- Bridge School
2008-07-19 UCLA-Who Rock Honors
2009-10-1 Los Angeles-2
2009-10-9 San Diego
The child would collect his/her's parents social security and any other insurance benefits and be taken cared of by next of kin. If there is no next of kin available or willing to take the child, he/she would become a ward of the state and placed in the care of a person who can handle a Down Syndrome child.
Don't worry, Down Syndrome children aren't aliens. :rolleyes:
First PJ Show: March 20, 1994 | Ann Arbor | Crisler Arena
Thanks for the response... you just had to put in smart ass comment at the end though....
2003-06-02 Irvine
2003-10-26 Mountain View-Bridge School
2006-07-09 Los Angeles
2006-07-10 Los Angeles
2006-10-22 Mountain View- Bridge School
2008-07-19 UCLA-Who Rock Honors
2009-10-1 Los Angeles-2
2009-10-9 San Diego
It is a sad topic, but progress has been made and the life expectancy of someone with downs syndrome is now between 50 and 55 years of age. That is significantly longer than when I was young and knew of downs syndrome kids only living into their 20's. So if the child lives to 55 and the parents had the child in their 20's to 30's, they will likely die around the time their child dies. It used to be that the child's death would almost always precede the parents' death.
www.amnesty.org.uk
Sarah being a women is irrelevant. No right wing Hillary women to get.
"Alaska, where you can't be too fat or too drunk, and no one ask to see your high school equivilancy exams" - Homer Simpson
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I won't be voting McCain/Palin but I couldn't care less about the "unprepared" argument. Nobody will ever be less prepared than our current president. :mad:
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