It's not crazy to stand with Ronald Reagan and the founders

At American Thinker, Villanova emeritus law professor Howard Lurie addresses the liberal charge that Sarah Palin is crazy for warning about death panels:

The absence of specific language in the Constitution or a statute doesn't mean that something isn't there. There is no language in the Constitution guaranteeing a right to abortion, but that didn't stop the Supreme Court from concluding that such a right exists. The right to an abortion arose out of the right of privacy that also lacks any textual support in the Constitution.

[...]

If the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is subordinate to "a compelling state interest," one could reasonably fear that the Amendment's guarantee that no person should be deprived "life, liberty, or property" without due process of law is likewise subordinate to "a compelling state interest." Arguably, the preservation of dwindling government health care dollars is "a compelling state interest."

[...]

I hasten to remind the reader that it was not too long ago that, in the interest of the greater good, states were forcibly sterilizing the mentally retarded. "It is better for all the world" said the eminent jurist Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. speaking for the Supreme Court in Buck v. Bell (1927), if "society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes. Three generations of imbeciles is enough."

Professor Lurie reminds us that over one million abortions a year are performed with the full sanction of the president and the Supreme Court, many of them merely for the convenience of the mother, and concludes:

If the burden of the unwanted justifies their extermination prior to birth, it is not unreasonable to wonder whether the burden of the unwanted ill and infirm elderly would constitute a justification for their early exit from this world. Will some number of ill and infirm aged be "enough"?

There are but a few steps between government mandated end-of-life counseling, and the "better for all the world" ending of life by government mandates.

Sarah Palin is not crazy.

Blogger Mark Epstein, a pro-life libertarian, concurs:

If there’s an undergirding insanity in the body public, it’s not Sarah’s beliefs, but those who abhor her.

Anyone who doubts that there are many who call themselves Republicans but neither support nor agree with the principles stated in the Grand Old Party's platform, should look no further than the anti-Palin faction of the GOP. These Vichy Republicans are not only anti-Palin, but they have turned their backs on the very principles which Ronald Reagan so effectively preached and practiced to become the most successful GOP presidential candidate in modern history. Sarah Palin has embraced Reagan's principles. Epstein touches on two of them, family values (including standing for life) and fiscal restraint:

While the left uneducatedly screams about separation of church and state, the Republicans see acceptance of abortion as a political means to an end. Sarah takes issue with both and, since the majority of Americans oppose abortion, it would seem Palin is more in touch with the citizenry than either of the two major political parties.

[...]

Now that America is suffering a more than 16.8% real unemployment rate, the corporate thieves have made off with taxpayer money, and the country stands on the precipice of hyperinflation, Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama era policies are coming home to roost. Obama’s answer? Pass the largest pork-laden generational-theft act in history, whose only result will enslave future Americans to the federal government for generations to come. Sarah has a problem with this and so do most Americans.

[...]

Of all the politicians in America, Sarah "gets it" with respect to the God-ordained role of the family — the very same God who grants Americans their inalienable rights.

Although not cited by Epstein, Sarah Palin stands strong for Reagan's other two principles. The first of these is national security, not only through a strong military, but through her advocacy of replacing imported oil and gas with our abundant domestic resources to achieve true energy security. The other is limiting the growth in the size of the federal government, a Palin position which has won her the support of many libertarians.

In conclusion, Epstein warns that unless the GOP turns away from its "royalist" ways (we know the Democrat Party won't), the Republican Party could be marked for extinction:

Glenn Beck is leading the charge in this area and his ratings reflect a disenchantment with both political parties. Americans are energized and they want real change, regardless of party affiliation. At this point, Sarah Palin could conceivably run as an Independent and trounce both parties combined. Why? Given the public’s disaffection with Obama’s Pravda (mainstream media) and its loss of viewership combined with crumbling newspapers, Beck and bloggers are rapidly becoming the option for real news “choice.” And the choice is clear: Throw ALL the bums out of Washington.

If the GOP goes the way of the dodo, it need look no further than the Vichy Republicans of the Tom Ridge and David Frum school and spineless "conservatives" who lack the courage to fight for not only the principles which Ronald Reagan stood for, but for which our founders pledged "our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor."

Related: Read Bill Quick's "Control and the Young Lions" at Daily Pundit.

- JP

Sarah Palin's Powerful Online Footprint

In his Friday column in Florida's Sayfie Review, Jordan Raynor opines that having the largest online "footprint" possible is not just an option for candidates. He says that it "is absolutely critical to political survival."

Raynor says a massive online presence is the best way to fight back against attacks from both the legacy media and "anonymous bloggers" to get your side of the story out. And he cites the example of former Senator George Allen of Virgina and his "macaca" moment for those skeptics who don’t think a situation will arise when they will need to communicate their side of a story in response to bad press:

In 2006, George Allen was the assumed front runner in the race for the Republican nomination for President. It only took a one minute YouTube video of Allen slipping a racial slur to not only end his presidential aspirations but also bring him to defeat in his re-election bid for the U.S. Senate. Unlucky for Allen, the now famous "macaca" video was the first of its kind - a video recorded on someone’s personal video camera, uploaded to YouTube and then spread virally through the internet.

The devastating element of the "macaca" video was not the racial slur itself, but rather the Allen campaign’s inability to defend themselves on the field they were being attacked on.

That last point is important. Raynor says that political candidates defend themselves using the same medium through which they are attacked:

When candidates are attacked on television, they defend themselves on television. When candidates are attacked through direct mail, they defend themselves through direct mail. When candidates are attacked online --- few defend themselves online because they have not made the long term investment of building their online footprint, leaving them with no weapons to fight back.

According to Raynor, Allen is the worst-case example of how to handle political communications in the online space. Which public figure represents the best case? That would be none other than Sarah Palin:

Sarah Palin currently boasts twice the amount of Facebook fans as Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, Haley Barbour, Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush combined. More importantly than posting incredible numbers in the online space (she also boasts 142,000+ Twitter followers) Palin is actually leveraging her massive online footprint to communicate exactly the message she wants her supporters to hear - with no media filter.

Immediately following the announcement of her resignation, mainstream news organizations scrambled to find the first hints of reason behind Palin's decision. Before they could get to the source or anyone close to the Governor, Palin communicated directly to her most loyal supporters - via Facebook. Not an interview on the network nightly news, not a radio segment with Rush Limbaugh, but a Facebook note.

Sarah Palin not only successfully countered attacks using Facebook, but she managed to make the U.S. Senate drop a controversial provision from proposed legislation. That is not just an online footprint; it's political power.

- JP

SFChron: Palin's 'Paranoid Politics'

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once again the extreme left goes into a conservative-bashing theory without the slightest knowledge of human nature, not to mention owning even a tiny bit of introspection. This time it is one Geoffery Dunn of the San Francisco Chronicle who told his readers that Palin exemplifies America's ages-old "paranoid-style politics."

The piece is interesting for the fact that it is apparent that as the left-wing Dunn talks about "American paranoid-style politics" he offers examples from only the conservative side of the aisle. Apparently Mr. Dunn imagines "paranoia" only resides on the right in that "American" politics of which he assumes to be an expert.

Dunn amusingly praises the long-ago work of leftist professor Richard Hofstadter, whose fame came from his 1964 book "The Paranoid Style in American Politics." Dunn was a Marxist in an era when Marxists infested American politics as Russian archives proved years ago. Hofstadter was an avowed communist who associated with the anti-capitalist, anti-American "historian" Charles Beard, whose hackneyed work tearing down America’s founders was well debunked decades ago by Forrest McDonald. But whatever Hofstadter was, he wasn't an unbiased observer of American politics. He wrote from an extreme left-wing point of view and castigated conservative politics from that ideological vantage point.

Still, Dunn uses Hofstadter as if he were an unimpeachable source. Worse, Dunn does not inform his readers of just how biased Hofstadter was, calling him merely a "widely celebrated professor." He was celebrated, alright. By Kruschev, the Soviets and their sold-out American sycophants in academia. Dunn slyly leaves his readership ignorant of this history.

Strike one for Dunn's veracity. After all, using Hofstadter as a source to assess American conservatism is like asking Michael Vick's dogs if humans make good caretakers!

After his love-fest for the communist professor, Dunn goes on to attack Governor Palin as a "paranoid" politician implying her style is hyperbolic.

In many ways, Hofstadter's prescient essay anticipated the entree of Sarah Palin into contemporary American politics, that last month marked the one-year anniversary of her failed candidacy as the Republican vice presidential nominee. During the past year, the former governor of Alaska has tapped into a narrow, albeit tenacious, strain in the national polity that stretches back to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.

Seriously? The Salem witch trials are somehow just like Palin? Now who is hyperbolic?

Dunn goes on to tick off one by one all the "paranoid" and "restrictive" politics that he feels Palin indulges, interspersing these accusations with more quotes from the anti-American professor he finds so favorable. But one thing becomes clear. Dunn doesn't seem to see any examples of "paranoid politics" on the left.

He doesn't seem to have noticed, for instance, Nancy Pelosi calling anyone that opposes her healthcare bill "un-American." It slipped right by him that Obama's "green czar" said that 9/11 was committed by the government. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., William Ayers, Cynthia McKinney, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jacksson, or for that matter just about every leftist politician and activist from 1967 to the present day seems to have escaped Dunn's notice. Dunn can't seem to remember the many lefties during the 1990s that claimed that all Republicans wanted to "starve children," the many lefty 9/11 truthers, the parade of TV personalities that have made wild accusations against the right, the wild-eyed fear promulgated by the left over the PATRIOT act, the left’s accusation that all whites are anti-black racists (despite that millions of them voted for Obama), the… well, I could go on for hours like this. The point is, Dunn sees no "paranoid-style politics" on the left.

Let's face it, people. Wild accusations and over-the-top vitriol is not "American paranoid-style politics" but politics. In fact, it isn't even politics, but human nature. For this leftist writer and his ancient communist professor to imagine it is somehow unique to America -- and the American right more specifically -- is, well, idiotic. But, Dunn’s piece does serve as a perfect example of the very same sort of attack style of politics that he castigates.

And there we have that lack of introspection writ large. As Dunn and his hero Hofstadter look down their noses and name-call those they tut-tut for name calling, they reveal such a dearth of philosophical introspection that would almost be comical were it not so common from those on their far left side of the aisle.

Instead of comical, it is just sad, really.

So, one can only react to this piece in what is a quintessentially American way. After seeing the total lack of self knowledge exhibited by Dunn and his dusty commie professor all I can say is…

I know you are, but what am I?

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the extent of the serious consideration that Dunn deserves for this blather.

- WTH

Quote of the Day (September 5, 2009)

Helen Cadogan:

"For a stupid woman who has no idea what she’s about, Sarah Palin has positioned herself to be more powerful and influential than the sitting president. It takes great stupidity to accomplish a feat like that."

- JP

Meanwhile, back in Tennessee

Lest we forget, the case of hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail account continues in the Volunteer State, where David C. Kernell, the son of State Rep. Mike Kernell, a Democrat, is the defendant. One reason it is plodding along is young Kernell's lawyers have tried a variety of legal maneuvers, the most recent of which was to request that they be allowed to "poll potential jurors via a questionnaire that would examine, among other things, their political leanings and attitudes about Palin," according to a Knoxville News Sentinel report.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley, presiding, would not allow it:

"The court finds that what little benefit would be gained by the use of a jury questionnaire is greatly outweighed by the burden such a questionnaire would impose on potential jurors," Shirley wrote.

Attorneys Wade Davies and Anne Passino earlier this year sought to use a jury questionnaire to prescreen potential jurors. Davies cited extensive publicity surrounding the case and Palin herself, who Davies said is a polarizing political figure.

So the keyboard warrior's defense team will will have to question potential jurors face-to-face.

Meanwhile, some new details about the case have emerged:

In recently filed court records, the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed that Kernell allegedly boasted of his plans to access Palin's e-mail account to his UT roommates, who, in turn, have given statements to the FBI and likely will end up on the government's witness list at Kernell's Oct. 27 trial.

Yikes, that wasn't too bright. It takes away the argument that he just got caught up in the moment with some other hackers whom he was trying to impress. On the contrary, bragging to his college buddies about his intent to hack into the former governor's personal e-mail account smacks of pure premeditation.

We wonder if young David was just trying to make his Democrat dad proud.

- JP

More on the Vanity Fair/Levi FAIL

*
Reaction from the blogs...

Althouse:

"...if you want to talk crazy, how crazy is it to want so badly to paint Sarah Palin as crazy? She is your political opponent, Andrew, and you don't think she's good enough for high office. It's not so dramatic. It's utterly banal. Ironically, Palin draws energy from your overheated hatred. Have you heard she's about to make $100 million?"

Colleen O'Conner:

"Even worse, Levi says, is the fact that Sarah Palin kept bugging him to adopt his yet unborn child."

[...]

"We both kept telling her we were definitely not going to let her adopt the baby. I think Sarah wanted to make Bristol look good, and she didn’t want people to know that her 17-year-old daughter was going to have a kid."

"An equally plausible explanation might be that Sarah and Todd Palin clearly saw what their daughter did not—Levi Johnston’s less than sterling character."

[...]

"Putting up with a cad like Johnston just might make her 'Mother of the Year.'"

Adam Shaw:

"Levi Johnston (the father of Bristol Palin's child) has appeared in Vanity Fair, slagging her off as a bad parent. Yet the 'previews' VF give us aren't exactly groundbreaking or interesting and makes one wonder why VF spent such a huge amount of time and coverage on what really is a non-news story, amounting to nothing but the irresponsible bitching of a whiny teenager about his child's grandmother."

[...]

"How this counts as a serious scoop is beyond me."

[...]

"Again, it goes back to the left's determination to throw as much crap at Palin as they can, in the hope that some of it will stick. However, while it worked to an extent in the election, I think as more and more people hear Palin speak and read what she writes, and see this increasingly desperate smear campaign by the left for what it is, then Palin's standing will only increase."

MomLogic:

"The only thing telling about Levi Johnston's tell-all interview in the latest issue of Vanity Fair is that he obviously doesn't care one whit about his one-year-old son, Tripp. If he did, he wouldn't be ripping the family of his son's mother apart for all the world to read."

[...]

"Who knows whether any of the slanderous muck is actually true..."

[...]

"I spoke with psychologist Dr. Michelle Golland to find out what effect Levi's choice to drag the grandparents of his only child through the mud would have on the family."

"It will make it harder to have smooth transitions of custody," predicts Golland. "Placing our anger and resentment in full view is difficult for children to have to bear."

"Are you listening, Levi?! It's not about YOU anymore and your need to get back at the Palin camp. You're a dad now. Stop acting like a big sleazy baby."

ChristWire:

"Levi Johnston has hopped aboard the train of shame again this week, this time by joining in with closet socialists to derail the respected character and ethics of Former Governor Sarah Palin."

[...]

"Johnston allegedly claims that Sarah Palin wanted her and the “First Dude” to secretly adopt Tripp (Bristol and Levi’s out of wedlock child), so no one would know Bristol had been pregnant."

"This is of course a bag of lies. Sarah Palin honestly confessed that her daughter had fallen into premarital sins, but would still be giving birth. She did not hide behind the abysmal curtains of abortion or adoption like Obama liberals always force their daughters to do."

Melissa Clouthier:

"It’s no surprise that Vanity Fair, the least fair of glossy liberal publications, would give a nice splashy spread to useful idiot Levi Johnston."

[...]

"Levi Johnston says far more about the sorry state of modern media than he says about the Palin family. Levi Johnston says more about the American Idol culture than he says about the Palin marriage. Levi Johnston reminds all of us why many feel shame at weddings and family reunions. There’s one in every family."

[...]

"American youths are immersed in the fame-seeking culture. Children are rewarded for participation rather than achievement. They grow up singing karaoke and making stage characters on “Rock Band” for Wii. Is it any wonder that when a young man such as Levi Johnston gets on an actual stage, he thinks he’s a rock star?"

Dodo Can Spell:

"This low-life Johnston has been spreading the vilest of rumours about Palin and her family and the Left has been grooming and pampering him just like they did with Cindy Sheehan."

[...]

"The wacko is being manipulated by the Left and whatever "pearls" of lies that fall out of his mouth that can possibl[y] vilify Palin are quickly caught in the palms of Palin haters and swiftly strung into the most expensive of Pearl Necklaces."

Death By 1000 Papercuts:

"Nasty cynics claimed Palin used Trig. Nasty cynics, most likely, facing the same situation, would have aborted him, and thus, cannot comprehend Palin’s love for baby Trig."

[...]

"What’s truly been interesting is the amount of vitriol still leveled at Palin. During the election, intrepid journalists descended upon Palin’s tiny Wasilla, Alaska, in droves to dig through her trash and they’re still trying to trash Palin, with Levi Johnston, a 'witting' pawn."

[...]

"Liberals couldn’t attack Palin on her record but they could use the same tactics as the writer of the Reagan script, the producers, and CBS. Tactics such as depicting Palin as 'cartoonish', 'inept', 'shallow', 'intolerable', to name a few, and using Levi Johnston, who was probably paid a 'handsome' sum in his 'eyes'."

Dan Riehl:

"You might recall VF's last most famous couple, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. They didn't last too long after VF [for not Very Fair to Republicans] feted them."

"Now it appears as if Levi Johnston's fifteen minutes of fame might be just about up, as well."

- JP

E-mail from the Tea Party Express

The following is from an e-mail we received from the Tea Party Express, which is sponsored in part by Our Country Deserves Better PAC:

WILL PALIN LEAD THE TEA PARTY EXPRESS INTO DC?

Fox News Channel and CNN have issued reports about the popularity of Gov. Sarah Palin at our Tea Party Express rallies. Members of the press have therefore asked whether or not we've invited Gov. Palin to participate in this effort, and I wanted to give you the inside scoop on this topic.

We have indeed invited Gov. Palin to join us for as long of the tour as she would like - whether that would mean speaking at a rally or riding along the tour bus for part of the way.

And Governor Palin has responded with gratitude and appreciation. She loves what all of you are doing in supporting this tea party movement and really wants to stand with you. Right now her schedule does not permit her to make it to any of our rallies before September 12th. We've left open the invitation and encouraged her to try to find a way to make it to at least one rally, and we have offered to be as accomodating as possible to make it possible for her to be at least one rally. Trust us, the crowds we have encountered would love to hear from Gov. Palin at one of our rallies.

We have been some of the greatest champions of Gov. Sarah Palin's involvement on the political scene. During the 2008 campaign we broadcast television ads specifically promoting Palin's slot on the GOP ticket (view here) and then after she was trashed following the election we rallied Americans to extend their "thanks" on Thanksgiving Day (view here).

So that's the inside report for all of you.

Related: See "Tea Party Crowds Want 'Sar-rah, Sar-rah'" here.

- JP

Vanity FAIL: No solidarity on the Left for Levi's lies

*
Usually the leftist media can be counted upon to unite, seize upon an anti-Palin meme and run with it. That liberal solidarity, however, has all but vaporized in the wake of Levi Johnston's latest round of charges against Sarah Palin and her family, as promoted by Vanity Fair magazine.

The first cracks in the liberal media wall appeared when only CBS of the big three alphabet television networks bought into the myth Vanity Fair's editor Graydon Carter had hoped to spread to take down Palin, as NewsBusters' Kyle Drennen reported:

"Teasing an upcoming segment on Thursday’s CBS Early Show about new attacks on Sarah Palin by the father of her grandson, Levi Johnston, co-host Maggie Rodriguez exclaimed: 'And shocking allegations that could shatter former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s conservative family image...'"

[...]

"Unlike the Early Show’s accepting coverage of Johnston’s outrageous claims, NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America raised serious questions about his credibility."

Oops! Only one for three with the morning big three.

FAIL

The crack in the wall of lies spread a bit more with this Reclusive Leftist post titled "Did Bristol Palin dodge a bullet or what?":

"Levi is singing his song again to Vanity Fair, the song of course being, 'so, like, what do you want me to say about Sarah Palin? Cause, you know, whatever you want. Hey, do I get to keep the limo?' Levi is about as believable as The Pathological Liar on Saturday Night Live."

[...]

"No wonder Bristol has decided that abstinence is best."

Attention: Blogger not on board.

FAIL

Another crack in the wall appeared after this from a site which has been hyper-critical of Sarah Palin, Business Insider:

"Is America's most famous teen dad getting his revenge for being forced to shave off his mullet and hold Bristol's hand at last summer's Republican convention instead of partying the night away?"

"No!"

[...]

"Johnson has actually managed to help Sarah Palin's cause."

FAIL

The next crack in the wall for Levi's lies came from another unlikely source. Liz Smith wasn't falling for Levi's deception, and the columnist, who is in the habit of slamming Sarah, even felt the need to ask her liberal readers to cut her some slack for not joining in the feeding frenzy that Vanity Fair was trying to get started:

"Don't kill me here on this eve of the Labor Day weekend, but I am actually beginning to feel a bit sorry for Sarah Palin. At least in the matter of her estranged, almost-son-in-law Levi Johnston. This kid just can't keep his mouth shut."

[...]

"I just don't see the wish to protect a teenage child as terribly evil or Machiavellian. Sarah Palin could play her well-worn 'Good Mom' card and even I would buy it."

[...]

"...I don't think Bristol tossed away endless nights of effervescent conversation when she broke up with him."

"Now, her mother is nobody to mess with. There is a Medusa behind those Foster Grants; an atmosphere of Faye Dunaway barking in 'Mommie Dearest,' -- 'Don't f*** with me, fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo!'"

When you're trying to smear Sarah Palin and you lose Liz Smith, you've lost one of your strongest potential allies.

FAIL

The cracks grew much longer, deeper and wider when the Washington Posts' Ruth Marcus, who prefaced her column by admitting that she had been less than charitable toward the 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate:

"Finally, though, I find myself in Palin’s corner -- pushed there by Levi Johnston, her former future son-in-law, and the father of her grandson."

[...]

"Is any of this true -- the talk of divorce, Sarah’s secret plan to adopt Tripp? I don’t know. Would anybody’s household look especially attractive if its inner workings were splashed on the pages of Vanity Fair by someone with every motive to accentuate the negative? I know mine wouldn’t."

"Johnston is an opportunistic creep..."

Remember that WaPo was founded in 1877 as an organ of the Democrat Party and has never strayed far from its original mission. When even the Post won't get on board your ship to score points against a prominent conservative who it otherwise delights in bashing, your boat is taking on water.

FAIL

But the unkindest glass cutter of all turned out to be the real jaw dropper of the bunch. Gail Collins, columnist for the mother of all liberal media outlets -- the New York Times -- exposed Levi's lack of cred in her September 2 column:

"For the first time in my life, I feel sympathy for Sarah Palin."

[...]

"Given the fact that Johnston is a 19-year-old high school dropout whose mother was arrested last year on six felony drug counts, it is conceivable that he is not the perfect arbiter of normal families."

[...]

"So it would be helpful to know if Palin was 'always in a bad mood and she was stressed out a lot,' as Johnston claims. But really, we’re going to have to wait for a more reliable witness."

If you can't convince the NY Times to buy what you're selling to beat Sarah Palin up with, your ship is headed for the bottom.

FAIL

So, two of the three major alphabet networks, the Washington Post, the New York Times and a smattering of liberal bloggers, all of whom can usually be counted upon to join in any attack on Sarah Palin, refuse to be convinced by the Levi line of BS offered up by Vanity Fair.

SERIOUS FAIL

And if all of that wasn't enough bad news for Vanity Fair, its parent, the Conde Nast publishing empire, is drowning in a sea of red:

"Conde Nast is reeling from what is expected to be a loss of 5,000 ad pages this year, translating into a revenue shortfall of between $275 million and $350 million -- and very likely pushing the publishing giant into the red."

"After Condé Nast's ad-page tally last year fell 10.5 percent to 34,966 from the previous year, according to Media Industry Newsletter, the company behind mags like Vogue and Vanity Fair is expected to see the ad-page count fall more than 20 percent this year."

EPIC FAIL

Update: Yet another columnist who is a longtime Palin critic weighs in against VF and lyin' Levi. Ana Veciana-Suarez of the Miami Herald:

"Johnston is not the sort of person someone in my business would call a credible source. This is his shot at the limelight, and he cares little about its consequences."

EPIC FAIL OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS

- JP

AP, Alaska's Wyle E. Coyote Bloggers Lying Again

The Associated Press' Rachel D'Oro has written another Anti-Palin (AP) hit piece disguised as a legitimate news story:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Early estimates put the cost of Sarah Palin's midterm resignation as Alaska governor at a minimum of $40,000, not including a special legislative session partly linked to her departure.

D'Oro's crock is chock full o' lies to give the chock full o' nuts bunch of Palin-hatin' Alaskan bloggers something new to pass around their little blogging circle.

As Texas for Sarah Palin contributor upinak points out at The Palination:

When was Sarah stepping down and Governor Parnell sworn in? At the Governor's picnic in Fairbanks. A Governors Picnic is held every year and costs about the same every year, as the State of Alaska provides food and has to pay for the cost of set up on the picnic and such.

But that's just another inconvenient fact which gets in the way of a good smear job.

Among Rachel D'Oro's Facebook friends are Amanda Coyne (of the anti-Palin Alaska Dispatch, and a freelancer whose Palin hit pieces have appeared in the UK's leftist The Guardian and the USA's leftist Huffington Post), Brendan Joel Kelley (Associate Editor of the Anchorage Press, an-anti-Palin fish wrapper) and Linda Kellen Biegel (Palin-hatin' blogger at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis whose idea of good, clean fun is to photoshop pictures of an innocent Down Syndrome baby).

There's nothing like fair and honest reporting, and when Rachel D'Oro's byline is on an AP story about Sarah Palin, it will be nothing like fair and honest reporting.

- JP

Bachmann: Dems out to sabotage Palin, conservative women

Rep. Michele Bachmann on the Mike Gallagher Show recently:



Gallagher: "There's a handful of politicians -- notably women -- you know, and you'd think that some of your fellow female colleagues would be proud of people like Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin and others who have achieved a level of national prominence, and yet they want to eviscerate you."

Bachmann: "They didn't want Miguel Estrada as a Supreme court justice because it was a Republican making that nomination. They wanted to be first. And I think also with women politicians, they want to make sure no women, no woman becomes president before a Democrat woman, and so they’re doing everything they can to, I think, sabotage women like Sarah Palin, perhaps women like myself, or similarly situated women, to make sure that we don’t have a prominent national voice. But the thing is, the people in our country, they don’t care who the voice is, they just want someone, they want to know that someone is speaking out for them against what will certainly bring about the destruction of our great country if we continue to go down the Obama path."

- JP

$25,000+ for Dinner With Sarah!

-By Warner Todd Huston

OK, folks, starting September 8 you'll only have ten days to pony up a winning bid on ebay for a dinner with Governor Palin. And the starting bid is $25,000. If yours is the winning bid, you and four of your closest friends are invited to dinner with the Guv.

If a meal with Mrs. Palin is not in your price range, perhaps a $7,500 bid for lunch with Karl Rove is closer to your level?

The first annual Ride 2 Recovery ebay charity auction will begin soon with the several dinners to be auctioned off to help recovering military vets.

Ride 2 Recovery is a program where wounded vets are helped to rebuild confidence and strength by hitting the road on bicycles of all sorts. So, this is a worthy cause.

So, look inside that wallet, folks. But, if these two dinner auctions are a tad too high faulting' for you but you till want to donate to this worthy cause, contact Ride 2 Recovery at R2Rinfo@aol.com or go to the Ride 2 Recovery main page and see the donation tab at the bottom of the webpage.

- WTH

Quote of the Day (September 4, 2009)

Mark Epstein:

"What the left refuses to understand is that 'the Left is speaking from the dark heart of collectivism, a belief system that will collapse if it acknowledges any area in which the rights of an individual absolutely trump the needs of the State.' Therefore, regardless of its ongoing smears, stereotyping, and vilifying average Americans, liberal adolescence is not welcomed by thinking citizens, regardless of their age. And Sarah Palin drives this point home repeatedly, much to the chagrin and consternation of the left."

- JP

Larry Kudlow: The Palin Factor

h/t: FRee Republic

- JP

Grassroots for Palin Meeting in February

An e-mail from our Bloggers for Sarah Palin colleague Steve Maloney :

Dear Friends of Gov. Sarah Palin:

Just a reminder: there will be a meeting the evening of February 19, 2010, in Washington, DC, where CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) will be held Feb. 18-20. The pro-Palin meeting will be separate from the CPAC convention. Those in attendance will be people who strongly support Sarah Palin for President.

The purposes of the meeting will be:

(1) to enable pro-Palin activists from around the country to meet one another and discuss strategy and tactics;
(2) to discuss fundraising opportunities for Gov. Palin (mainly through www.sarahpac.com);
(3) to discuss building our organizations;
(4) to get bloggers and other online communicators to work in a coordinated manner.

Other facts about the pro-Palin meeting:

(1) The cost will be about $15 (to pay for room rental) per person;
(2) Perhaps 6-8 people will speak, but remarks will be held to no more than 5-7 minutes each;
(3) There will be a major effort to hold down costs for those attending;
(4) There will be a telephone conference call on approximately Feb. 21 for those unable to attend the DC meeting;
(5) There will be no requirement to attend the CPAC events;
(6) There will be no guidance from "on high" for the meeting -- that, no financing from any political committee or candidate; it will be a pure grassroots effort;
and,
(7) There will be an effort to get all pro-Palin groups represented at the meeting.

God willing, at least one member of the Palin family will attend the meeting. I hope as many pro-Palin activists as possible will be there, including people from Hawaii and Alaska.

Your input is encouraged.

Steve Maloney

- JP

Sarah Seen In Sunny San Diego

Washington Post gossip girls Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger, in their Reliable Source column Friday, say that the undisclosed location where Sarah Palin has been writing her book is sunny Southern California:

"Residents of a San Diego apartment complex saw her several times over the better part of August -- sitting poolside and tapping away on a laptop, her husband and at least a few of her kids nearby."

By no strange coincidence, Lynn Vincent, the former governor's ghostwriter lives in the same neighborhood.

Who let the cat out?

"A resident tells us that Palin, generally in T-shirts, sunglasses and visors, went mostly unrecognized by the neighbors -- until one family found themselves chatting in the pool with a little girl named Piper who told them her younger brother was named Trig."

Fortunately for the neighborhood, the working vacation -- or the Southern California part of it, at least -- appears to be over, so there shouldn't be an invasion of curious Sarah seekers. The neighbor told Roberts and Argetsinger that he saw the Palin clan packing up last weekend and hasn't seen the car they were driving since.

We wonder what Todd was doing there. According to unimpeachable sources Levi and Mercede Johnston (as broadcast by Jesse Griffin and his fellow-travelling bloggers liars) the Palins were supposed to be on the outs. Holy fertilizer, Batman, it's getting so you can't believe anything Palin-hatin' scumbuckets with a truckload of axes to grind say anymore...

- JP

What Sarah Said...

At Right Wing News, John Hawkins lists his ten favorite Sarah Palin quotes. At the top of RWN's list is a familiar refrain:

"The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

One of our top ten favorites is a quote which only merited Honorable Mention by Hawkins:

"But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it. Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it. Congress spends too much ... he promises more. Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them."

And our favorite wasn't even on RWN's radar. It is a quote which is short, sweet and absolutely Reaganesque:

"Government cannot make you happy or healthy or wealthy or wise."

Meanwhile, at A Tangled Web, another Sarah Palin quote is cited, this one to refute the argument from the Left that the former governor had written that ObamaCare "mandated" death panels, which of course is not what she wrote. But liberals have a nasty habit of distorting the words of their opponents in their misbegotten attempts to condemn them.

- JP

Oh, by the way...

Politico's Andy Barr reports that another bogus "ethics" complaint filed by disgruntled job applicant Andree McLeod has been dismissed. The professional complainer had charged that Sarah Palin's former communications director Bill McAllister had used Alaska state resources for Palin's political benefit "before, during and after" she was chosen as Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential running mate.

According to an Associated Press wire story, McLeod's frivolous legal action, after investigation and consideration, was dismissed as "lacking merit":

"A report from the state Department of Law recommending dismissal of the complaint concluded that no evidence was found that state ethics law was violated."

Undeterred, McLeod branded the dismissal as "more whitewash":

"The evidence and common sense tells you that McAllister and others used state time and resources to work on Sarah Palin's personal political interests and not the state’s interests," she said.

Unfortunately for McLeod, she wouldn't recognize common sense if she tripped over it,  which she has done on at least five occasions:

The grievance was among six filed against Palin or her staff by Anchorage resident Andree McLeod. Five have been dismissed, and one is pending.

We can't imagine who angst-ridden Andree thinks she's fooling. Other than a small circle of drooling, Palin-hating Alaskan bloggers who take their orders from the Obamunist regime, most everyone can see right through her faux outrage.

At least 20 complaints were filed against the governor and/or her aides. At least 20 have been dismissed. Can you say "political harrassment" on the taxpayers' dime? We knew you could! It's the Wyle E. Coyote Effect.

- JP

More on Sarah Palin by Popular Demand

As we reported Monday, Sarah Palin has received more than 950 requests for speeches and over 120 invitations from political candidates to campaign for them. Some blogger reaction:

Pittsburgh Conservative Examiner Josh Geldrich:

"There is definitely a future out there for Sarah Palin and it looks to be promising."

Clifton B at Another Black Conservative:

"As much as the left would love to have us believe that Sarah Palin is irrelevant, especially after stepping down early, the proof says otherwise."

Daily Mail blogger Don Surber:

"Reports of the political death of Republican Sarah Palin are greatly exaggerated."

What's Hot Online:

"Sarah Palin’s status as a superstar is undeniable. She is incredibly popular nationwide."

At Est Quod Est, Pauli can be pardoned for a little wistful projection:

"I see the beginning of a nice war chest for Sarah, plus she can go out and buy some really nice guns with that kind of cash flow."

One Vike at NorCal Blogs:

"Now it will probably never occur to Howard Dean and his willing accomplishes in the MSM that Sarah Palin has again trumped their attempts to smear and ridicule her."

Watchdog Politics Examiner Martha Gore:

"She must be driving the Palin-haters crazy."

Moe Lane at RedState.com:

"If you’re the type to comfort yourself with the thought that maybe the majority of those requests for former Governor Palin’s presence are from state candidates, well: the state legislatures are where we train folks for the House and Senate. And while she’ll be a great fundraising draw for House and Senate candidates, she’ll be an insanely good one for state races."

If the political equivalent of living well is great demand for your help in campaigning for public office, then Sarah Palin is surely enjoying the sweetest revenge against her most severe critics on both the left and right. And, yes, that means she's right on target.

- JP

What if Sarah Palin had been elected?

A blogger considers the possibilities:

If Sarah Palin had been elected, there would never have been an endless parade of apologies around the world for America being America.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, America would be drilling for oil in America, and not George Soros drilling for oil to sell to America from Brazil impoverishing the nation more.

[...]

If Sarah Palin had been elected, America would not be over 12 trillion dollars more in debt with that money sitting in European banks.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, Pennsylvanian thugs intimidating voters would have been prosecuted where Eric Holder could not see a crime committed.

[...]

If Sarah Palin had been elected, Christians, Veterans and Patriots would not be listed as terrorists.

Like we said, just the musings of one blogger. But food for thought nevertheless. We can think of a few what-ifs ourselves: 

If Sarah Palin had been elected, there would have been no "coup" in Honduras other than the failed one Zelaya tried to pull off.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, the federal government would not own General Motors and control Chrysler, and bureaucrats would not be deciding what kind of cars they can make.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, the same government that wants to control your health care would not have gotten involved in and FUBAR'ed a simple automobile trade-in program.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, the U.S. government would not own most of the financial sector and control a significant share of the banking industry.

If Sarah Palin had been elected, the U.S. economy would still be based on capitalism, not corporatism (the economic doctrine of fascism).

How many of these what-ifs can you think of before the 2012 election?

Related: NRO's Peter Kirsanow:

"Imagine. It's easy if you try."

h/t for the update: Sarah Palin 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 3, 2009)

Progressive Examiner D.K. Jamaal:

"If Palin can manage to throw Obama off message with Facebook, I shudder to think what Palin can accomplish with the entire right-of-center electoral apparatus behind her at the top of a national ticket."

- JP