WHEN CHENEY WAS PRESIDENT

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DICK CHENEY NOMINATED HIMSELF FOR VP,
THEN TOOK COMMAND ON 9/11

YOUTUBE: MICHAEL MOORE
"'Fahrenheit 9/11' - My Pet Goat"
The Commander-In-Chief at the time of the worst attack on American soil in U.S. history.


DID CHENEY EVER LET GO OF POWER?

YOUTUBE: THE CORBETT REPORT
"Where was Cheney on 9/11?"
His alibi don't check out, chief.


Did Dubya Ever Retake Control?

Geezer Power of the GeezerPower blog has an interesting post about a recent study of the studies of the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It seeks to prove, like many studies of the studies, that the collapse of the Twin Towers could not have happened as officially described, in purely engineering terms. I don't know. I'm not a structural or mechanical engineer, architect, steelworker or demolitions expert. I wasn't there on 9/11, though I was there for the first bombing of the WTC. I used to live two blocks away. They caught those guys. Those guys said their buddies were coming back, to finish the job. It was known that planes could be used as bombs, and that the WTC was a target. So, nu?

They can do all the engineering studies in the world, but what it comes down to for me is "My Pet Goat."

Dubya's alibi still places him within the continental United States, and on camera, conveniently. He is, apparently, as conscious as ever, and no more incapacitated than usual. He is in constant contact with the world outside the Florida grammar school, as evidenced by a message he receives while reading the children's book aloud.

The message was about a plane hitting the World Trade Center, just a few minutes earlier, on 9-11-01. Dubya appears dumbstruck, but goes back to reading to the little kiddies as if nothing had happened. Finally, seven minutes later, mission accomplished, alibi in place, Dumbya THEN reluctantly gets up off his little chair and heads for the door, apologizing to the kids.

All that is on film, which we all saw in "Fahrenheit 911." Niggle the details but the facts are indisputable: On 9/11, The President was conscious, able-bodied, in the US, in communication with his staff in Washington DC, and aware of the attacks in NYC & Washington, DC.

What the film does not show is that, during the attacks, our air defense personnel did not contact the President. Messages went up the chain of command from Air Force and Air National Guard pilots and military and civilian air traffic controllers, all the way up to the top of the chain of command: Dick Cheney. Cheney then authorized the use of force against civilian or military aircraft, and ordered all air traffic grounded.

One problem: The Vice President of the United States is not in the military chain of command, ever, as long as the President is conscious or wake-up-able, and in contact with the military. Constitutionally, the VPOTUS has no job at all, except to wait for the POTUS to die or become incapacitated. Which Dubya had not, on 9/11.

Ask any green recruit, after he or she has been indoctrinated and drilled on his or her chain of command in boot camp or basic training: The chain of command is very important in the military. You do not break or bypass your chain of command, ever. Lots of people could die. Generals or Admirals could get pissed off at you. You could be shot. You most certainly do not bypass or short-circuit your military chain of commend in a national defense emergency, when decisions are required at the highest level.

The chain of command goes from the lowliest Private, Seaman, Airman, Coastguardsman or -woman up through his or her Non-Commissioned Officers to the Second Lieutenants and Ensigns, Lieutenants and Captains, squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, corp and army commanders, all the way up to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force, and the Secretary of Defense. The exact route depends on the armed service involved, the force configuration and the mission at hand.

But this much is absolutely clear and unchangeable: The chain of command of the United States military goes directly upwards from the SecDef to the President. There is nobody in between Gates and Obama, or Rumsfeld and Bush. The Vice-President of the United States of America is NEVER in the chain of command, unless and until he becomes the President. That has only happened a few times in our history, fortunately. The last time was when LBJ had to be sworn in on Air Force One on the way back to DC from Dallas, Texas, with the body of JFK hardly cold yet, on the same plane. When Reagan was shot and underwent surgery under general anaesthesia, Bush's Daddy, the VP, did not take over as President. Secretary of State Alexander Haig claimed to have assumed command, but there was no official transfer of power. At no other time in the last forty-five years has the Vice President ever stepped into the President's shoes and assumed command of the armed forces, not even for a moment.

You'd think that would have been an historic moment. You'd think there would be a record of it: A photo of Cheney being sworn in, like that famous one of LBJ. Or some embarrassing squabble among those in the order of succession, as with Reagan's Secretary of State, who tried to leapfrog the VP, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the US Senate. Nope. No fotos. No big news stories. Never a word about Cheney assuming command without statutory authority or command authorization from the President. If Dubya did authorize Cheney to take command, where is the written order? And why was it issued, if Dubya was intact & in contact?

And never a word about the Air Force bypassing the President and seeking orders from someone not in the chain of command. There was no attack on the White House. The command center was intact and functioning in the War Room in the basement at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Still is. The plane that was supposed to hit the capitol, somewhere, was brought down heroically by its' passengers, we are told. Or maybe it was shot down by an Air Force or Air National Guard pilot who didn't get the word, loved his country, and upheld his oath to the Constitution. No word on whether that pilot got direct orders from Cheney, or whether the orders said "shoot it down," or "let it go." That might have depended upon whether Cheney was in the White House or not at the time.

Anyway, the point is, with no fanfare whatsoever, the military broke chain of command, and Dick Cheney unlawfully usurped the powers of the Commander in Chief. I have never heard anyone say a word about this one most glaring fact in all the hearings and "investigations" that government has carried out upon itself. I have never seen or heard of a full investigation carried out independently of the government, or based on facts not obtained from the government, by any individual or agency, journalists or media outlets.

No one in the media and no one in power has ever publicly asked the most obvious question in any investigation of a crime or a military attack: Where was Dubya, the man responsible for our national security, the man in charge, the chief suspect? Why was he not in the loop before, during or after the 9/11 attacks? He disappeared for a day or two after 9/11, perhaps on an alcoholic bender, wracked with guilt or fear. He certainly did not come forward like Lincoln or Wilson or Roosevelt and reassure the nation immediately, much though we needed reassuring at the time. So, how long was Cheney POTUS, anyway? Did he ever relinquish command? (EPA chief Christie Whitman says Cheney was still personally giving her orders in his own name to soft-pedal anti-pollution regulation, years after 9/11.)

And why did the Air Force ever refer to Cheney in the first place, if the President was available? Or breathing? I'd like to see the written order authorizing that. I'd especially like to see the time & date on that order. Was all this prearranged? Is that why, in the midst of an attack on US soil, our air defense command was able to violate chain of command so readily? And who in the Air Force authorized THAT?

The command-bypass certainly was not effective: The attacks were carried out succesfully, except for the one on the White House. Or was the DC attack to have been on the Capitol Building, effecting a decapitation of the US Government and necessitating a declaration of martial law? Is that what went wrong on 9/11? Or is that what went right? Were the attacks on a brand-new and largely unoccupied portion of the Pentagon and a spectacular but largely irrelevant government-owned commercial building in the Financial District of New York City all just a distraction and a set-up for the last plane's attack on the heads of government?

Imagine, if you will, what would have happened if that last plane had taken out Congress or the White House. In one fell swoop, our democratic government would have been swept away, by person or persons unknown. Martial law would have to have been declared, and extended until the "state of emergency" was over. Weeks, months, years; certainly long enough to effect major changes in domestic and foreign policy, with no niggling Congress to say otherwise. And with Dick Cheney in charge, officially or otherwise.

Did the crash or shoot-down of that United Airlines plane in Pennsylvania save us all from a Cheney dictatorship? Partially, at best. Because the Congress became a virtual rubber-stamp after 9/11, failed though the attack may have been. Cheney got his oil war, and his "Patriot" Acts. He got eight years of unopposed raping, looting and pillaging of the Middle East and the U.S. national treasury, from which we are suffering today. And he got the US military permanently installed as rentacops, guarding his good buddies' oil bidness in the Middle East, and a right-wing Israel. The military-industrial-energy complex now has a new boogeyman to justify the continuation of the national security State, and the ongoing drain on the Treasury for private profit. So, "Mission Accomplished"?

Who bypassed the President, and why? When was that authorized, and by whom? I'll never believe a word the government says about 9/11 until I see that order, and hear the explanation for it.
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US MILITARY PREPARING COUP?

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CURRENT & FORMER ARMY GENERALS MOUNT ANTI-OBAMA CAMPAIGN

IRAQ WAR ARCHITECT LEADS CHARGE FOR MORE WAR

YOUTUBE: THE YOUNG TURKS
"Military Generals Rebel Against President Obama"
"SIR, NO SIR!"


Media Blitz Against Peace Starts On PBS: "To Hell With The People!"

Army Gen. Jack Keane is a busy man for a retired guy. At 66, most retirees, especially those with fat government pensions, would be taking it easy. Instead, "Old Blood & Treasure" is into taking the reins of power away from the lawfully elected President of the United States of America. Keane pretended to be installing democracy in the Middle East, but he seems to be looking to overthrow it here. The only question is, will it be a bloodless coup?

The Army Junta that Keane leads may choose to stick to bloviating in the tame corporate media. After all, the media will never question the motives or the methods, much less the patriotism of anyone who has ever been in uniform, no matter how far Right or treasonous their talk. (The last two Democratic Presidents were hamstrung by this kind of talk, amplified by the media.) While the American people sleep, tossing and turning over the economy and the Right's efforts to derail it, the media are focusing on trivialities and ignoring the traitorous behavior of those we only just threw out of power. In fact, they're giving them a platform to re-fight the election they just lost.

General Keane, trained in accounting, now a financial "master of the universe," represents the interests of what Army General and US President Dwight Eisenhower called the "military industrial complex." As one of the men who helped create, manage and metastasize that cancer, Ike should know. After the income tax, the militarization of the US economy in WWII was the beginning of the growth of the Federal government and the national security State that we labor fruitlessly to support today. The income tax provides an almost unlimited pool of public money and the military is always there to spend most of it on behalf of their friends in the aerospace & defense industry. A marriage made in Hell, the Hell of poverty and disease, war abroad and repression at home that are required to support our modern military-energy-industrial complex in the high style to which they have become accustomed.

Point-man Keane has a long history of military failures to back him up before Iraq: Vietnam, Haiti, Somalia. But he failed upwards, becoming second in command of the US Army. When the going got tough in Iraq, he got going, right out of the military. The corporate world welcomed his list of contacts among Pentagon procurers, and the General's fortunes were made. But it was unbridled power he craved. He passed up a chance to become the "War Czar" of Iraq & Afghanistan (and maybe Iran & Pakistan) in hopes of something bigger, something without limits, especially not on his income. His buddy General Petraeus got the job instead, little buddy General Odierno replaced Betrayus in Iraq, and the three continued to push Keane's vision of a bigger, longer, wider war. The only thing wrong with the war was that there weren't enough American men and women in it, Keane & Petraeus & Odierno thought. Now the Generals in and out of uniform want to fix that.

That "civilian maggot" and "temporary occupant" of the White House (in the General's minds) Obama might muster the temerity to just say no to the Generalissimo's' dreams of glory in the Middle East seems to have caught them by surprise. Surprise, of course, is the soldier's best weapon. Perhaps Obama is a better warrior than these failed brass-hats. But with the help of the corporate media's reality distortion field, the Army brats will soldier on, right up to the walls of our democracy. Are we ready to defend it? Or will we allow a few not very good men to dictate to us? Bad precedent, folks. Very bad.


PSY-OPS 1
IPS NEWS
"US-IRAQ: Generals Seek to Reverse Obama Withdrawal Decision"
The cabal at work & at play.

' The first clear indication of the intention of Petraeus, Odierno and their allies to try to get Obama to amend his decision came on Jan. 29 when the New York Times published an interview with Odierno, ostensibly based on the premise that Obama had indicated that he was "open to alternatives". The Times reported that Odierno had "developed a plan that would move slower than Mr. Obama's campaign timetable" and had suggested in an interview "it might take the rest of the year to determine exactly when United States forces could be drawn down significantly". The opening argument by the Petraeus-Odierno faction against Obama's withdrawal policy was revealed the evening of the Jan. 21 meeting when retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, one of the authors of the Bush troop surge policy and a close political ally and mentor of Gen. Petraeus, appeared on the Lehrer News Hour to comment on Obama's pledge on Iraq combat troop withdrawal. Keane, who had certainly been briefed by Petraeus on the outcome of the Oval Office meeting, argued that implementing such a withdrawal of combat troops would "increase the risk rather dramatically over the 16 months". He asserted that it would jeopardise the "stable political situation in Iraq" and called that risk "not acceptable". The assertion that Obama's withdrawal policy threatens the gains allegedly won by the Bush surge and Petraeus's strategy in Iraq will apparently be the theme of the campaign that military opponents are now planning. Keane, the Army Vice-Chief of Staff from 1999 to 2003, has ties to a network of active and retired four-star Army generals, and since Obama's Jan. 21 order on the 16-month withdrawal plan, some of the retired four-star generals in that network have begun discussing a campaign to blame Obama's troop withdrawal from Iraq for the ultimate collapse of the political "stability" that they expect to follow U.S. withdrawal, according to a military source familiar with the network's plans. The source says the network, which includes senior active duty officers in the Pentagon, will begin making the argument to journalists covering the Pentagon that Obama's withdrawal policy risks an eventual collapse in Iraq. That would raise the political cost to Obama of sticking to his withdrawal policy. If Obama does not change the policy, according to the source, they hope to have planted the seeds of a future political narrative blaming his withdrawal policy for the "collapse" they expect in an Iraq without U.S. troops. That line seems likely to appeal to reporters covering the Iraq troop withdrawal issue. Ever since Obama's inauguration, media coverage of the issue has treated Obama' s 16-month withdrawal proposal as a concession to anti-war sentiment which will have to be adjusted to the "realities" as defined by the advice to Obama from Gates, Petreaus and Odierno. Ever since he began working on the troop surge, Keane has been the central figure manipulating policy in order to keep as many U.S. troops in Iraq as possible. It was Keane who got Vice President Dick Cheney to push for Petraeus as top commander in Iraq in late 2006 when the existing commander, Gen. George W. Casey, did not support the troop surge. It was Keane who protected Petraeus's interests in ensuring the maximum number of troops in Iraq against the efforts by other military leaders to accelerate troop withdrawal in 2007 and 2008. As Bob Woodward reported in "The War Within", Keane persuaded President George W. Bush to override the concerns of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the stress of prolonged U.S. occupation of Iraq on the U.S. Army and Marine Corps as well its impact on the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Bush agreed in September 2007 to guarantee that Petraeus would have as many troops as he needed for as long as wanted, according to Woodward's account. Keane had also prevailed on Gates in April 2008 to make Petraeus the new commander of CENTCOM. Keane argued that keeping Petraeus in the field was the best insurance against a Democratic administration reversing the Bush policy toward Iraq. Keane had operated on the assumption that a Democratic president would probably not take the political risk of rejecting Petraeus's recommendation on the pace of troop withdrawal from Iraq. Woodward quotes Keane as telling Gates, "Let's assume we have a Democratic administration and they want to pull this thing out quickly, and now they have to deal with General Petraeus and General Odierno. There will be a price to be paid to override them." '

PSY-OPS 2
IPS NEWS
"U.S.: Hawks Urge Boosting Military Spending"
Follow the money. It leads to a blood-trail.

' On Jan. 30, the far-right broadcast outlet, Fox News, quoted what it called a senior Defence official as saying that the administration was demanding a 55-billion-dollar cut in defence spending. At that point, other voices jumped in. Max Boot, a neo-conservative military analyst at the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), asserted that Pentagon chief Robert Gates had opposed the OMB's ceiling and warned that if Obama did not overrule it, "he could be doing terrible damage not only to our armed forces but also to his carefully cultivated image of moderation." The following day, Robert Kagan, a leading neo-conservative ideologue at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joined the outcry in his monthly column in the Washington Post, offering five reasons why "a ten percent cut in defense spending" could have disastrous geo-political implications by signaling to U.S. enemies that "the American retreat has begun". "At a time when people talk of trillion-dollar stimulus packages, cutting 10 percent from the defense budget is a pittance, especially given the high price we will pay in America's global position," he wrote. "...(T)his is not the time to start weakening the armed forces." "It's pretty remarkable," said William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation (NAF). "Obama agrees to Bush's (defence budget) increase, and the neo-cons are running around saying, 'Oh, he's gutting the military'."Hartung and other defence analysts see this latest manoeuvre as part of a larger campaign by the Pentagon bureaucracy and the defence industry, which anticipated growing pressure on the defence budget even before the outbreak of the current financial crisis in September, to protect their interests even at a time when the Pentagon's political leadership recognises that huge increases in military spending they enjoyed during the Bush era are not sustainable. Overall, military spending increased by about 60 percent since Bush took office in 2001, not including the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the apparent disinformation about the alleged "cut" in defence spending, the Pentagon's allies in the media have been pushing hard for increased military spending to be made a part of the stimulus package. That campaign was launched in late December when Martin Feldstein, former President Ronald Reagan's chief economic adviser and an AEI fellow, argued in the Wall Street Journal for at least 30 billion dollars to expand military procurement, research, and recruitment. Such an expansion could create some 330,000 jobs, he estimated in an article entitled "Defense Spending Would Be Great Stimulus". '

PSY-OPS 3
NY DAILY NEWS
"Former VP Dick Cheney warns of nuclear attack on United States under President Obama"
Keep your fingers crossed, DICK!!!

' Dick Cheney isn't finished scaring the bejesus out of America. The former vice president warned Wednesday that there's a "high probability" the U.S. will get nuked by terrorists during President Obama's watch. "The ultimate threat to the country [is] a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter - a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind," Cheney told Politico.com from his latest undisclosed location - his new Virginia office. Cheney said that "perhaps hundreds of thousands of people" would perish in such a strike, and that "there's a high probability of such an attempt." '

PSY-OPS SUPPORT
NEWSWEEK
"Army's Ex-Vice Chief of Staff Knew When He Stepped Down in '03 That 'We Were in Deep S---' "
Don't ask, don't tell. --F**k the troops!-- A real patriot.

' Gen. Jack Keane, former Army vice chief of staff, was stepping down just as the insurgency in Iraq started in late spring 2003. "I went to Iraq in June, looked at it and I knew we were in deep s---," Keane tells Newsweek. "I was going out the door. I felt frustrated. Frustrated with the situation, frustrated with myself and everything else. And somewhat guilty because I knew how ill prepared the Army was to deal with it." But Keane gave no public warnings. '

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
"Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq"
Here's what Keane's friends have to say about him.

' General Jack Keane is senior managing director and co-founder of Keane Advisors, LLC, a private equity and consulting firm. He serves as a national security analyst for ABC News and speaks throughout the nation on national security and leadership. Still active in national security, General Keane conducted a personal assessment of the security situation in Iraq for senior defense officials in 2004 and 2005, and will conduct another assessment in 2006. He has been elected to the board of directors of MetLife, General Dynamics, and Allied Barton Security. He is a senior advisor to Kholberg, Kravis and Roberts, one of the nation’s largest private equity firms. He is also an advisor to the chairman & CEO of URS Corporation. He is a member of the Secretary of Defense’s Policy Board, a commissioner for one year on the Congressional Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, director of the George C. Marshall Foundation, director of the Knollwood Foundation, a member of the Executive Committee of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, chairman of the Terry Maude Foundation, and chairman of Senior Executive Committee of the Army Aviation Association of America. General Keane, a four-star general, completed thirty-seven years in public service in December 2003, culminating as acting chief of staff and vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army. As the chief operating officer of the Army for 4 1/2 years, he directed 1.5 million soldiers and civilians in 120 countries, with an annual operating budget of $110 billion. General Keane was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and provided oversight and support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. General Keane is a career paratrooper and a combat veteran of Vietnam who was decorated for valor and spent much of his military life in operational commands employed in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo. He commanded the famed 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the legendary 18th Airborne Corps, the Army’s largest war fighting organization. '

SOURCEWATCH.ORG
"Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee"
"Welcome to the Pentagon! Military-Industrial Complex? Oh, yeah, third door on the right."

' Historically, the DPBAC has mostly served as a method for the Pentagon to leverage consulting expertise in the private sector. However, the DPBAC now serves a very powerful and influential role in foreign policy and the George Walker Bush Presidency. One time chairman Richard Perle, a neo-conservative, is a staunch supporter for a war with Iraq. Perle and other members of the Board have strong ties to private interests that can potentially profit financially from a war. Some of his ties have raised conflict of interest and ethical issues, leading Perle to resign his chairmanship in an attempt quiet the criticism. Other members of the board also have strong ties to private business, especially defense contractors. Members disclose their business interests with the Pentagon, but they are not made available to the public, leaving only the Pentagon as the ethical arbitar of the Board. Companies with ties to DPBAC include Bechtel, Boeing, TRW, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Booz Allen Hamilton and smaller players like Symantec Corp., Technology Strategies and Alliance Corp., and Polycom Inc. '

WIKIPEDIA
"Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee"
Just a real nice bunch of fellows. Fellow Nazi murderers.

' Current members of the board[1]:

* John J. Hamre (Chairman)
* General(Ret.) Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* J.D. Crouch, former Deputy National Security Advisor
* Robert Joseph, former Under Secretary of State
* William Perry, former Secretary of Defense
* Peter Rodman, former Assistant Secretary of Defense
* Harold_Brown_(Secretary_of_Defense), former Secretary of Defense
* Admiral. (Ret.) Vern Clark, former Chief of Naval Operations
* Victoria Clarke, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
* Devon Cross
* Aaron Friedberg
* Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House
* Fred Ikle
* General (Ret.) Jack Keane, former Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Army
* Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State
* General (Ret.) Richard Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Nadia Schadlow
* James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense
* Marin Strmecki
* Vin Weber, former Congressman
* Ruth Wedgwood
* Christopher Williams
* James Q. Wilson '

KEANE ADVISORS.COM
"ABOUT: 'Sustained Thinking' "
Cashing in some of his bloody chips.

' Keane Advisors is a consulting and private equity organization engaged in direct equity investments aimed primarily at middle market organizations. Starting with Four-Star General John M. Keane, our organization was created with the resources to seek out the following four services within a military framework, but has expanded to any and all presented opportunities: * Private Equity * Mergers & Acquisitions * Advisory Services * Real Estate '

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TO POST A COMMENT: CLICK ON "COMMENTS," "Post a Comment" or "# of COMMENTS" just below the SOCIAL BOOKMARKING LINKS (Digg, Delicious, etc), about three inches down from here. Please do comment. Thank you.

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Suggestion Box & Tip Jar We would like to make over this blog to make it easier to access, to read and to comment on. We would also like to serve our readers better by providing more of what you need and want to see. All serious suggestions will be considered. We hope to move to our own domain in the near future, and we would like to ask for your financial assistance in doing that, and in upgrading our hardware & software. Small one-time donations and larger long-term subscriptions are welcome. Exclusive advertising is also available. If you think we are wasting our time in doing all this, please let us know. If you wish to help us, now is the time. As always, negative bullsh*t from right-wing trolls will be sh*tcanned. Thank you to everyone else. Please send feedback & PayPal contributions to cosanostradamusATexciteDOTcom. Thanks.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: BRING THEM ALL HOME ALIVE, NOW!

"BI-PARTISAN! BI-PARTISAN!! BI-PARTISAN!!!"

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REMEMBER THE REPUKELICKINS SQUAWKING THAT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY?

THEY USED IT AS A CLUB AGAINST OBAMA

YOUTUBE: FUXSNOOZE
"Rush Limbaugh on Hannity - I hope Obama Fails with His Socialist Agenda - Part 2"
Two sick, traitorous a-holes. Conservatives, in other words.



Now They're Using Rank Right-Wing Partisanship To Scuttle The U.S. Economy Out Of Spite

Politics as usual from the GOPers: After admitting how pleased they were that our new President had made a rare Executive visit to the Legislative Branch (to the Republicans first) only YESTERDAY, the 'Pukes voted against the only economic stimulus package currently on the table. After giving Dubya a blank check (which he promptly gave away to his buddies on Wall Street, who instantly blew it on bonuses, dividends and acquisitions) now the 'Pukes won't give Obama one thin dime. Screw America!

Obama angered many in his own Party by reaching out to the 'Pukes, even reshaping his stimulus plan to meet their demands. But that wasn't good enough for the Grand Old Party that America just threw out the windows of the Executive and Legislative branches. They claim that the package gives too much to ordinary working Americans, and not enough to themselves and their rich lazy friends and crooked corporations. But, really, this is the opening shot in the campaign for Congress in 2010.

The Repuke's Reichsmarshall, Fat Herman, er, Fat Rush, shadow Minister of Propaganda of the crypto-Nazi government in exile, has openly called upon his fellow Fascisti to do everything they can to scuttle the U.S. economy, and damn the consequences. Wealth, privilege and power are at stake here for our hereditary parasites and foreign corporations. The people who used to bleat "America First!" are now sniveling "SCREW America."

I really don't see how the Red States, those racist throwbacks who voted for McBush, can stomach their "champions" in Congress and the tame corporate media today. After all, through their own ignorance and stupidity, they are the poorest States in the nation. They'll be the first ones to suffer, they'll suffer the most, and they'll be the last to recover. From Alabammy to Idyho, pointy-headed ignoramuses will be unable to hold onto their jobs and businesses, homes and SUVs, wives and families, guns and dogs. Their life-long desire to live in a Country-Western song will be fulfilled. Then they'll shoot their whole families.

The corporate media are already blaming Obama, in office for one week, for anything and everything. Despite his kow-towing to them on every issue, they're out for his blood, and ours. Despite the fact that Dubya took the Clinton budget surplus and blew it out his psuedo-redneck ass, and pushed deregulation to the point where it crippled the entire economy, sending gas prices sky-high and home prices mud-low, with joblessness headed for 1929 levels, "Obama is at fault." So the Repukelickin's are going to obstruct and punish him, and every living American, until they get back in power and ruin us all over again.

The ultimate goal of today's Party of Lincoln is to enslave all of us, to bring us all down to the economic level of the Red States and lower, the Third World. They want to be slave-masters, hidalgos, patroon's, lords of the manor. They want to roll the clock back to Old Testament times, and they want to be Pharaoh. They always talk about "class-warfare," as if the average American even knew what that was. Well, now they're going to show us.

In the words of George W. Bush, "Bring it on!"

If moderate mild-mannered center-Right Obama and his crew of Republican-Lite DINO's and "Blue Dogs" was too far left for them, then let them have a taste of democratic socialism. Not the Red States, of course: Cut them off completely. If their Representatives in Congress don't want any stimulus, don't give them any. Most of them live in negative-tax States anyway: They pay less in taxes than they receive in Federal moneys. F**k 'em. We obviously don't need their votes. They obviously do not understand the changes that came in November: They lost, we won, get out of the way. If all they're going to do is obstruct us, let's just push them to the side. Raw naked capitalism has simply not worked, ever, for 99% of Americans. It's time we lived as well as people in other advanced industrialized nations. If that means socialism, let's give it a try, with an American spin.

You had your chance, Repukes, and you blew it. Again. You deserve Gitmo, nor more consideration. F**k you!


MCCLATCHY NEW SERVICES
"House passes stimulus plan, but with no Republican votes"
First blood.

' After a sharply partisan debate on Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed an $819 billion economic stimulus package designed to create millions of jobs quickly and give consumers more money to spend. The vote was 244 to 188. None of the House's 178 Republican members voted yes. Despite a fresh plea for cooperation from President Barack Obama , who insisted that "we don't have a moment to spare," Republicans spurned the Democratic bill. The White House tried hard to soften the partisan edges. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met privately on Tuesday night with a small group of GOP moderates, but the effort was futile. '

NY TIMES
"Obama, Visiting G.O.P. Lawmakers, Is Open to Some Compromise on Stimulus "
Bearding the weasel in his den?

' President Obama made a campaign trip of sorts on Tuesday to seek bipartisan support for his economic stimulus plan, visiting Republicans on Capitol Hill and suggesting that he was open to some limited revisions that would address their demands for more tax cuts. But, Republicans interviewed after the meeting said, Mr. Obama told them he would listen to proposals to expand on provisions cutting taxes for small businesses and would be opento corporate tax cuts as well if Republicans cooperated to close tax loopholes for big business. Democrats said Mr. Obama could also support a demand from a senior Senate Republican, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, to add a provision adjusting the alternative minimum tax so that it does not hit millions of middle-class taxpayers this year. That would add costs of nearly $70 billion over 10 years to a package that Republicans already say is too big. Trying to forestall other Republican attacks, Democrats also stripped out $200 million for restoring the National Mall, another provision that the minority had mocked. '

MIAMI HERALD
"Obama urges Democrats to dump family planning from stimulus"
The Great Compromiser strikes out. Well, he tried, didn't he?

' President Barack Obama is urging congressional Democrats to drop a proposal to spend money on family planning from the proposed $825 billion package to stimulate the economy, a symbolic gesture that could help him make inroads into Republican ranks. With the move to drop the controversial family-planning money from the stimulus package - as well as cordial lunch meetings at the Capitol with Republicans - Obama started selling himself to the opposition party as a good cop to the bad cop of congressional Democratic leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The key right now is to make sure that we keep politics to a minimum," Obama said as he traveled between his Capitol meetings. "There are some legitimate philosophical differences with parts of my plan that the Republicans have, and I respect that. ... I don't expect 100 percent agreement from my Republican colleagues, but I do hope that we can all put politics aside and do the American people's business right now." Republicans were pleased with the outreach from the Democratic president, comparing it favorably with what they say is the cold shoulder they've received from Democrats who are running Congress. "We are grateful," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. "House Democrats have completely ignored President Obama's call for bipartisan compromise." '

TRUTH OUT
"Obama: Urgent Action Needed for Economic Recovery"
From the horse's mouth.

' We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime - a crisis that has only deepened over the last few weeks. Nearly two million jobs have now been lost, and on Friday we are likely to learn that we lost more jobs last year than at any time since World War II. Just in the past year, another 2.8 million Americans who want and need full-time work have had to settle for part-time jobs. Manufacturing has hit a twenty-eight year low. Many businesses cannot borrow or make payroll. Many families cannot pay their bills or their mortgage. Many workers are watching their life savings disappear. And many, many Americans are both anxious and uncertain of what the future will hold. I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years. The unemployment rate could reach double digits. Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. We could lose a generation of potential and promise, as more young Americans are forced to forgo dreams of college or the chance to train for the jobs of the future. And our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world. In short, a bad situation could become dramatically worse. '

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
" 'Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails' ... but Rush's recent record stinks"
Rush is WAAAAAAAY Right!

' The next two days of Obamapalooza will be filled with good feelings and positive vibes. Except from one man, Rush Limbaugh. The other day, Rush related how a publication asked him -- to mark Tuesday's inauguration -- for 400 words on his hopes for the Obama Administration. El Rushbo, take it from here: "My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance.' Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed "If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he's talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the U.S. government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don't want this to work. So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, 'Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.' (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, 'Oh, you can't do that.' Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the drive-by story is. I would be honored if the drive-by media headlined me all day long: 'Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.' Somebody's gotta say it." '

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THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOD!

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SECRET SERVICE FAILS AGAIN. AND AGAIN. ACCIDENT? OR DESIGN?

YOUTUBE: CNN
"[Updated] Bush Shoe Incident in Iraq {CNN}"
Yeah. Now the shoe's on the OTHER foot. Hey, babe, if the shoe fits, wear it! Walk a mile in the other guys shoes, butthead.


PERHAPS THE SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WERE WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP

YOUTUBE: ABC NEWS
"Bad Sushi"
Like father, like son: Always a great exit.



Government Offers "Lone Shoeman" Theory: Where Have We Heard This Before?

Are we to believe that there was only one shoeman, aiming at our Commander-In-Chief? Isn't it OBVIOUS that there MUST have been a second shoeman? Maybe he never shoed, but he was there, all right, ready to finish off the POTUS with a final shoe to the head at point-blank range. Only the failure of the first two shoes kept him from carrying out his part in this vast conspiracy. The question is, where was the Secret Service?

Lincoln had no Secret Service. Garfield (not the cat) and McKinley didn't either. Kennedy was the first President assassinated on their watch. Jackson, Roosevelt, Truman, Ford and Reagan survived assassination attempts. Jackson was trying to abolish the first Federal bank when his Whig enemies sent crazed loser Richard Lawrence after him. He failed, and the Bank of the United States was abolished, due to the excise it tax it levied on moonshine, an intoxicant that was regarded by Jackson as essential to the smooth functioning of the slave-owning South. (No, really!) The deal that originally established the bank also moved the Capital, er, Capitol from the North, Philadelphia, to the South, Washington. The Bank, however, remained in Philly, even after it was reconstituted to deal with the financial problems caused by the War of 1812, which also made Jackson a national hero, ironically.

The Second Bank of the United States nearly collapsed due to unwise loans to speculators in real estate. Sound familiar? The Bank had become a sort of early Fannie Mae. Squabbles between political Parties over the financial crisis prevented a bail-out, and panics and depression ensued. The Second Bank would soon die. However, litigation over the Bank would result in the decision that made Federal laws trump State laws (McCullogh vs. Maryland). "States Rights" lost. It was the beginning of the Civil War. The first shoe was thrown at Jackson, and missed. But more shoes were coming.

The next President to be shod was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was famous for going barefoot even in the snow, and in the House of Representatives. He regarded shoes as weapons of mass destruction, and a potential threat to his own existence, due to a dream he had as a child wherein he was killed by a boot. His dream proved prophetic: Rabid Southerner John Wilkes Boot [!] had planned to kidnap Lincoln and hold him until he released all Confederate POW's, like John McCain. Then Lincoln decided to give African-Americans the vote, which Boot [!] realized would lead, inevitably, to a black President. He resolved to kill Lincoln. He succeeded, but failed in his aim of overthrowing the Union government. Boot [!] was shot by a Union soldier named Boston (which city was later the point of origin of two of the four 9/11 flights), and everyone connected to him was Gitmo'd. The prime suspects were tried by a military tribunal, which was protested. The Supreme Court subsequently banned military tribunals where civil courts still functioned (ex parte Milligan). This led to the use of the actual Gitmo where no such courts exist today.

The military tribunal in the Lincoln assassination found all seven defendants guilty, and sentenced three to life imprisonment, and four to hanging. One was female, Mary Surratt. She was the first woman ever executed by the Federal government. It was the beginning of modern feminism, the judicial recognition of women as equal to men in the eyes of the law (at least for hanging purposes), though it is rarely celebrated today. The conspirators also tried to kill Lincoln's Secretary of State, William Seward, who later purchased Alaska, from which Governor Sarah Palin can now see Russia, the seller. Governor Palin, who became the first woman to run surreptitiously for President, despite the transparent glass ceiling, went on to lose the election of 2008, due partly to her love of expensive footwear. (She was not hung. Yet.) We all know how powerful women's obsession with shoes is. [cf Imelda Marcos; also "Sex In The City," Manolo's, ibid.] I'm getting to the link to Bush' attempted asshoessination. Really.

Next to be shoed came James Abram Garfield, a man of Firsts. He was the first President to be subjected to a metal detector, but only after he himself was shot. He was not required to remove his shoes. His ancestor, John Billington, came over on the Mayflower, and distinguished himself by becoming the first Englishman sentenced to hang in the New World, for shooting a fellow colonist, and not whilst hunting. Garfield was the first and, so far, the only sitting member of the House of Representatives ever to be elected President. He was also an attorney for the Confederate defendants in the ex parte Milligan case that forbade military tribunals in US jurisdictions.

Garfield received stock at "insider" prices in exchange for his voting participation as a Congressman in the stock-swindle involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal, a financial meltdown in the Gilded Age of the 1870's, similar to today's financial mess, in that it involved giving private financial corporations direct access to the US Treasury, saddling the taxpayers with all of the company's obligations, but none of the profits. Even as the enterprise was failing, Congress continued to put money into it, at the behest of principals in the enterprise such as Congressman Garfield.

Garfield was the only actual ordained minister to ever preach from the White House, perhaps the inventor of Republican religious hypocricy. He was also the Ohio Republican member of the electoral commission that awarded Florida's electoral college votes and the Presidency to fellow Ohio Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, who lost the popular vote in the disputed election of 1878, making Garfield the Katherine Harris of his day. Ohio Republicans subsequently rewarded Garfield with a Senate seat involuntarily vacated by a Democrat, making him the first Senator to become President, also, shortly thereafter.

As President, Garfield fought and defeated the principle of Senatorial privilege, beginning the erosion of the power of the Legislative Branch in favor of an Imperial Presidency. Garfield authored an unique proof of the Pythagorean Theorem whilst in Congress, a rare achievement in a famously innumerate body. Pythagoras was half Phoenician (Lebanese), and studied in Egypt. Garfield was shod to death shortly thereafter, in the presence of Lincoln's son, Todd. Todd was not Gitmo'd. Both of his shoes were found still on his feet. Garfield died in Long Branch, New Jersey, home State of the Soprano's. The Soprano's are Sicilians. Sicily was once controlled by Arabs. Both people wore sandals. Sandals are a type of shoes. There may be a Mafia connection, as with JFK. (Check with Oliver Stone.) Garfield has a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike named after him. The men's room there is frequented by foot-fetishists, and State Troopers. The troopers may have let Senator Larry Craig off with a warning after an "incident" there involving his feet, which were shod. Allegedly. This is referred to as "sodomy." Sodom is a town in Israel. See the connections? Try taking some LSD.

McKinley was next. Despite his Imperial precautionary measure of annexing Hawaii, where no one even wears shoes, he was assassinated by a poorly-shod anarchist from his native Ohio. The Secret Service, though it was established under President Lincoln, did not begin trying to protect Presidents until after McKinley was assassinated. Still, they were undoubtedly nearby, as the largest of only four Federal police forces in existence at the time. Perhaps they were enjoying the newfangled confection known as dough-knots at the Buffalo Pan American Exposition, or shopping for shoes. McKinley may have been preoccupied with foreign adventures and expanding the American Empire overseas.

The White House Police, not the Secret Service, did their duty on behalf of President Truman. Several officers were shot by Puerto Rican nationalists, who were fighting to end what they saw as the unlawful occupation of Puerto Rico by the United States. They started a gun-battle outside of Blair House, the guest-house across the street from the White House, which was under renovation at the time. Private Leslie Coffelt was shot and returned fire, killing one of the assassins after being mortally wounded by them. He is the only Presidential security officer ever killed in the course of an assassination attempt upon the President. He always wore big heavy shoes, as did President Truman. They were a band of shoemen.

John F. Kennedy was the next President to be fired upon. He was killed. The Secret Service were present. Shoes were present. The connection is obvious, but we are afraid to say any more.

Gerald Ford was saved from assassination twice in one month, not by the Secret Service, but by pure dumb luck. Ford, like George W. Bush was an idiot. Both wore shoes on the days of their attempted asshoessinations. Coincidence? I think not. Manson family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromm failed to chamber a round before firing at Ford, and missed her chance at killing a President. Two weeks later, FBI stooge Sarah Jane Moore fired but missed, thanks to the quick reaction of a civilian bystander, disabled ex-Marine Oliver Sipple. The Secret Service missed both shooters. Now they realize the full effects of shoe-addiction, and its' commonality among women. All women are suspects, today. Most are shooed away, except for young interns with round heels.

Despite all the warnings, a man in shoes was allowed close enough to President Reagan to shoot at him. The bullet ricocheted off Reagan's limo and hit him in the side, entering his lung. Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr hustled Reagan into the limo. Agents Tom Delehanty and Tim McCarthy were shot while throwing themselves in front of the President. White House Press Secretary Jim Brady was grievously wounded, and suffers from his wounds to this day. Reagan went on to commit numerous crimes, and to escape with impunity. And men in shoes are still allowed to approach POTUS. Only the very, very, very Secret Service knows why.

Why?

The answer is obvious: The Secret Service cannot do their job as long as people are allowed to wear shoes. Every successful Presidential assassin has worn shoes. The Secret Service should have seen the shoe threat long ago. They must find ways to counter it. Until then, if you want to approach the President of the United States of America, you simply must remove your shoes, as at the airport these days, or in any oriental despotism. Maybe put them in a locker. Like in a bowling alley. But remember: Shoes don't kill people. People kill people. Even shoeless people can still be carrying a gun. Think about it, Secret Service. Duh. Maybe you need some training from Thom McAnn, or Nobel Prize winner Doc Martins.
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DEMS PICK OBAMA; GOP PICKS BIG OIL, AGAIN

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AMERICA TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARD JUSTICE FOR ALL

MCSAME LAGS BEHIND: VP PICK AN INEXPERIENCED RADICAL EXTREME RIGHT-WING OIL-STATE GOVERNOR

"Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech"



Historic Selections Close Old Wounds, Open New Ones

As the Democratic Party took one small step into the future, the Republicans took one giant leap into the past. The United States of America is the first world power to nominate a member of a minority group, a subjugated race, a former slave-people, to become its' leader, and the leader of the "Free World." That term may have some meaning again now that Barack Obama is wielding it.

The fact that Barack Obama is a brilliant man, dedicated to his roots, his community, his faith and his family should not be counted against him, whatever the tame corporate media say to please their masters. The fact that his father, his wife, and his two adorable little daughters are black will, of course, be counted against them by the media, the Republican Party, John Sidney McCain III of the Mississippi McCains, and other racists. The fact that, although he is a committed Christian, his name, and his father, are of Muslim origin, will be used to damn him by the same foul elements listed above.

But Americans have grown up. As Martin Luther King said, in speaking for all of us exactly forty-five years ago, a hundred years after Emancipation, we have had a dream for centuries, millenia, we the brotherhood and sisterhood of Humanity: That one day, a man or a woman might be judged by the content of their character, and not by the color of their skin, or any other superficial prejudices.

"Martin Luther King "I have a dream""


Meanwhile, back in the oil patch, the corporate-controlled GOP have chosen to roll back the clock to a point before even George "Dubya" Bush's neolithic advent. Cynically hoping to cash in on her gender, McSame has picked a woman with two years experience in Alaska State politics.

Palin is best known for her support for drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and for the oil industry in general. She is also even more irresponsible and farther to the right than Dubya or his clone McCain: She opposes Bush's designation of the polar bear as an endangered species. Guess we know where she stands on global warming, hunh, this ice-cave-woman? She also happens to be anti-Choice, pro-gun, pro-war, and a former "Beauty Queen," i.e., unreconstructed bimbo. (That's McCain's idea of a real woman. Just look at his druggy wife, an aging bimbo.)

Barack Obama and John Biden, by contrast, have taken many strong and principled stands on energy and the environment over their many years in National politics. They offer a clear choice between the future and the past, responsibility and recklessness, good stewardship and raping the land. Republicans have managed to choose two "conservative mavericks" who can be counted on to continue the failed policies of George W. Bush, and even roll them back farther into ancient, awful history.

Then there's the ethics issues: Obama and Biden have spotless records, and no ties to lobbyists. McCain & Palin are owned by coporate lobbyists, and both have been charged with major ethics violations. So it's either a new era for clean government run by the People, or the recurring nightmare of Republican corruption and corporate control.

The choice for voters is clear. Given the youth of Obama, and the age of McCain, in two or three years it will either be Barack or Palin in the oval office. So that's who you're voting for. A moderate, mainstream, progressive striver from the Heartland, or a radical right-wing crook from the crookedest State of all, far-off Alaska, the Siberia of American politics. Don't get fooled again. Let's keep Big Oil the Hell out of the White House!


The Christian Science Monitor
"Soaring speech from Obama, plus some specifics"
Substance over style, specifics over rhetoric, programs over propaganda, Obama kicks McCain's tired old ass.

' Obama began his speech recalling his parents’ belief in the American promise that, “through hard work and sacrifice,” their son could “do whatever he set his mind to.” That promise, “that has always set this country apart,” is now threatened by eight years of the “failed presidency” of President Bush, he said. “Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit-card bills you can’t afford to pay, and tuition that is beyond your reach,” he said. “America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.” He added that “now is no time for small plans.” And he pledged to “set a clear goal as president: in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” Obama berated McCain’s repeated calls to “drill more, drill now” as “a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.” That was just part of the sustained attack on the presumed Republican nominee, from his decision to support the invasion of Iraq to his overall support of the Bush administration’s policies. “Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?” Obama told the crowd, to cheers. He also questioned whether McCain really wanted to follow Mr. Bush’s example of “tough talk and bad strategy,” but said it was “his choice.” Obama then tried to lay to rest the stereotype that Democrats are not as tough as Republicans on national security. “We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy,” he said. “So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans – Democrats and Republicans – have built, and we are to restore that legacy.” '

YAHOO NEWS
"Palin views on oil, polar bears may be liabilities"
McCain goes for inexperience: "Anything with a vagina. We need the Hillbots!"

' If McCain hoped to stop Democrats from getting much mileage out of the oil issue in this presidential election, he picked the wrong vice presidential candidate. His choice, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, comes from a state whose lifeblood is oil. Palin favors opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development, something McCain opposes. Her family even gets one of its paychecks from the oil industry: Palin's husband, Todd Palin, earned $46,790 last year as a facility operator for BP Alaska in Prudhoe Bay. Palin opposes the Bush administration's decision to list polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Alaska sued Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne earlier this month to try to overturn his decision. Palin argues there isn't enough evidence to support a listing, and she fears it will harm oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts. The Legislature is investigating her firing of the state public safety commissioner. A legislative oversight committee wants to know if the commissioner was dismissed because he refused to fire a trooper who went through a messy divorce from Palin's sister. The investigation is expected to wrap up around election time. Campaign contributions Palin collected earlier in her political career could also provide fodder for Democratic campaign ads, tying her to an Alaska Republican political scandal from which she has tried to distance herself. '

CNN
"Commentary: Palin is brilliant, but risky, VP choice"
Watch out, Cindy, here comes Mrs. McCain number three!

' The "who" is a young, articulate, smart, tough, pro-life woman who is the governor of our northernmost state. She is conservative and a mother of five, including a son in the Army who is set to be deployed to Iraq on September 11. Her youngest child has Down syndrome. The "Barracuda" nickname came from her aggressive basketball play on the state championship basketball team. She is a hunter, pilot and lifetime member of the NRA. She is blunt, outspoken and charming. And don't assume she can't stand toe-to-toe with Joe Biden. She is a great debater. And she was runner-up for the Miss Alaska title, won Miss Congeniality in that contest and plays the flute. '

TIME MAGAZINE
"The Palin Pick: Bold or Disastrous?"
"Right-To-Lifer," Gun-Nut, Bambi-Killer, Tree-Hater, Oil Whore, what's not to like? She's your NEXT next President...

' On the face of this, McCain has failed the ultimate test that any presidential candidate must face in picking a running mate: selecting someone who is unambiguously qualified to be President. Palin is a talented politician who has both support among conservatives and a compelling personal story. But her short resume in Alaska politics and her nonexistent national track record will make it impossible for McCain to argue with a straight face that she was the most qualified person he could have selected. In the short term, the pick will create excitement among the kind of grass-roots conservatives who have never been enthusiastic about McCain, and in the media, which will be fascinated by Palin's good looks (matched by those of her dishy husband), intelligence and charm. But Palin is now going to have to perform at a very high level to persuade the media and the public that she is truly ready to be a heartbeat away - and a 72-year-old's heart at that - from the presidency. How she handles questions about federal issues, national security and foreign affairs will be closely scrutinized, and her margin of error is next to zero '

POLITICO
"Palin dissed veep job"
Palin: "Alaska (oil) First!" VP's job is "beneath" her.

' Count Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as one of the most surprised that she was chosen as running mate for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). In an interview just a month ago, she dissed the job, saying it didn’t seem “productive.” In fact, she said she didn’t know what the vice president does. Larry Kudlow of CNBC’s “Kudlow & Co.” asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain's ticket mate. Palin replied: “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question 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 for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.” '

USA TODAY
"Experts: Palin chosen for women's votes"
Republicans, suddenly discovering women, crudely seek to exploit them.

' Republican presidential candidate John McCain's surprise pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is an attempt to court women still angry after the most promising female presidential candidate in history lost a bruising Democratic primary, strategists in both parties agree. The debate is over whether it will work. Ellen Malcolm of Emily's List, a political action committee that promotes Democratic female candidates, said women should oppose the Republican ticket because both McCain and Palin favor overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide. "They both want to continue the failed economic policies of the Bush administration, and they both offer more of the same that has led this country down the wrong path," Malcolm said. '

[Cross-posted at DemocracyForCalifornia.]
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