Palin-Cheney 2012?

Ed Walsh of the White House Writers Group (WHWG), posting at Podium Pundits:

So here we are in September 2009 and the Republicans with the highest public policy profiles have turned out to be Sarah Palin (domestic) and Dick Cheney (foreign). While the left dismissed them, they used their stature in conservative circles and their liberation from government offices to speak freely, clearly, and passionately – rallying despondent Republicans and giving the new Administration fits.

Whether this portends anything of the future remains to be seen – Palin would seem to have more career miles ahead of her than Cheney. But both will be credited with leading Republicans out of their darkest days. Crazy as it once would have seemed.

So is Palin-Cheney 2012 far-fetched? Hey, there's a website! Okay, so the website is just there to sell some shirts, and given his age and history of heart attacks, Dick Cheney doesn't seem to be interested in another political campaign:

A Cheney 2012 White House bid is an intriguing prospect, and also a highly unlikely one.

Former Cheney White House aide Cesar Conda says he has the distinct impression the former vice president is "permanently retired from political office."

If running for president seems improbable for Dick Cheney, we feel that another tour as vice-president is even more out of the question. Been there, done that.

But don't scrub that website just yet. It would not be difficult to replace the photos of Dick Cheney on the site with those of another member of the family:

The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that running for political office is on her horizon.

"It's something I very well may do," said Elizabeth "Liz" Cheney, a lawyer and State Department appointee who has worked on two Republican presidential campaigns.

- JP

Sarah's media guide to coverage of Obma's speech

Former governor Palin says that if you watch coverage of President Obama's speech by the Democrat-Media Complex (DMC) tonight, you'll be able to tell which pundits were on the White House A-list to receive its talking points by noting which ones use the words "false", "scary", and "risky" to describe the health care reform proposals she advanced in her Tuesday Facebook posting.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate has a new post up on her Facebook Notes page, just in time to get under the president's skin before he delivers his health care speech to congress Wednesday night. In addition to he jab at the Obama-loving media, she points out that the White House has still not addressed several of the arguments she made Tuesday:

Response to the White House

I'm pleased that the White House is finally responding to Republican health care ideas instead of pretending they don't exist.[1] But in doing so President Obama should follow his own sound advice and avoid making "wild misrepresentations".[2] Medicare vouchers would give everyone on Medicare the chance to decide for themselves which health plan to use, rather than leave that decision to government bureaucrats. Such proposals are the kind of health care reform that Republicans stand for: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven.

The White House talking points leave the rest of my arguments unanswered. They don't respond to the idea that all individuals should get the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; that we must reform our tort laws; and that we should allow Americans to buy insurance across state lines. The White House also fails to respond to the Nyce/Schieber study indicating that wages will fall if the government expands coverage without reducing health care inflation rates.

One last thing: after President Obama's speech tonight, listen for which pundits use the words "false", "scary", and "risky" in describing the proposals I put forward. That's how you'll be able to tell who the White House counted as "allies" worthy of receiving its talking points.

-Sarah Palin

[1] See http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0909/White_House_talking_points_blast_Palin.html.
[2] See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16obama.html.

All of Sarah Palin's Facebook Notes posts can be accessed here.

Shane Vander Hart will be liveblogging Obama’s address tonight and will go live at 6:45 PM  at Caffeinated Thoughts.

- JP

Commission staff says it's satisfied with Palin gift disclosures

ADN's state political writer Sean Cockerham reports from Anchorage:

Alaska Public Offices Commission staff says it’s now satisfied with Sarah Palin’s disclosures of her 2008 gifts and her husband’s Arctic Cat sponsorship.

[...]

APOC staff responded in [a] Sept. 2 memo that Palin's response “appears to be appropriate…given the level of knowledge and disclosure of facts by this filer.”

The APOC commissioners will look over the staff’s recommendation to drop the matter at their meeting later this month.

That agonizing sound you hear is the gnashing of teeth by the Sarah-Hating, Loving-Obama Keyboard Kollective (SHLOKK).

- JP

Relevant Palin now the focus of White House talking points

Via Ben Smith at Politico:

The White House has... chosen specifically to focus on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and evidently to make her the face of the opposition, or to respond to her ability to project herself into the debate. She is the only Republican named in the talking points.

Here's that section:

On Gov. Palin's Attacks

Every non-partisan organization that has looked at her claims say they are false. And the ideas in her op-ed are both scary and risky. Eliminating Medicare and giving our seniors vouchers instead is a bad idea that we shouldn't adopt.

This can't be the same White House that insisted in July that former Governor Palin was irrelevant:

"I can tell you with absolutely honesty,” Axelrod said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, "that when I sit around with my political friends... there’s very little or no discussion of Sarah Palin."

It appears that statement, like everything else that comes out of the Obama Administration, had an expiration date. Nevertheless, we're sure that the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate appreciates the White House elevating her status to that of Obama's leading Republican opponent. She's playing them like they were on her iPod.

And when did Sarah Palin ever say that we should get rid of Medicare?

- JP

More on Sarah Palin's Wall Street Journal Op-Ed

Hillbuzz:

"The federal government has no place in making end of life decisions for Americans. Sarah Palin is, yet again, right on the money."

Gary P. Jackson:

"During the 2008 election Sarah Palin warned over and over about the perils of electing Barack Obama. Her warnings went unheaded, and everything she warned us about is coming to pass. This time, listen to what Sarah Palin is saying, and stop this massive government intrusion in our lives before it is too late."

Wizbang:

"Just as she has done in the past regarding Obama's push for a government takeover of health care, she will drive the discussion with her latest article."

The Truth in Black and Right 

"I don’t know if she wrote this entirely on her own or not, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she did and it doesn’t bother me if she didn’t. Most politicians have writers (even “Teh One”), but that isn’t the point really... Unable to argue based on logic and policy the left always goes back to its standard approach of demonizing the opposition, insulting those who disagree, and disparaging any who oppose [them]."

Don Surber:

"10 years from now, I will retire at 66 and be signed up for Medicare. Why do I keep thinking Soylent Green?"

INC/RedState.com:

"Once again her timing reveals her as a point guard who has mastered when and where and how to move on the court. The common sense suggestions she mentions will resonate with Americans. She is driving the discussion. Obama’s speech now becomes a response to her editorial!"

antistrib:

"Liberal heads will now spin like the exorcist, then explode... What they will not do is address the substance of her points addressed in her WSJ piece."

The Lonely Conservative:

"The left will surely go ballistic over Sarah Palin’s latest op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal. Especially since she’s using common sense, something in short supply in Washington, DC these days."

Critical Narrative:

"This opinion piece probably reflects how a great deal of Americans feel, and the distrust that they have in the government-- not as an entity as the Left would have you believe, but in the federal government's efficiency and its ability to cost-control. Anyone that possesses even a little knowledge of history and bureaucracy knows the dubious history of the fed's track record in those departments."

Elkhart Review:

"The standard meme that this woman is an idiot needs to end, particularly in the face of this, in which Gov. Palin makes more sense than a hundred Nancy Pelosis. But then, for the left, it isn’t really about healthcare, is it?"

Pièce de résistance: Sen. Jim Demint:

"It's an excellent article. It actually focuses on some of the things introduced in the Health Care Freedom Plan... as common sense ideas to make the system work better, I'm glad to see her back in the fight."

A Just Dessert: Moe Lane tweets:

"Hi, Netroots. Sarah Palin is laughing at you for the way that you made her task easier."

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 8, 2009)

Francis Porretto at Eternity Road:

Attacking the messenger with vicious smears is now a favorite stroke on the Left. He who succeeds in unearthing and articulating the facts leftists are so desperate to conceal can expect to become the target of a campaign of calumny like nothing he's ever known. Glenn Beck isn't the only one, of course; just the currently most visible target. Every major voice on the Right that's succeeded in damaging Leftist nostrums or personalities with simple, objective reportage has come under the crosshairs. Some, such as Sarah Palin, Ezra Levant, Mark Steyn, and Kathy Shaidle, have suffered grievous financial loss even as they've been exonerated.

Persons with a functioning moral sense could never lower themselves to such tactics. Only one who believes that his Cause trumps all other considerations, moral or practical, could do it...which is a perfect description of the modern leftist.

But give them credit for grasping the essence of Information Age combat: First, target the information-processing nodes.

- JP

Palin Targets Obama, Democrats on Health Care in WSJ Op-Ed

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Tuesday, said that the approach to health care reform being pursued by President Obama and the Democrats is fatally flawed because it assumes that only government can solve the problem:

How can we ensure that those who need medical care receive it while also reducing health-care costs? The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree.

Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones. Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy. And common sense tells us to be skeptical when President Obama promises that the Democrats' proposals "will provide more stability and security to every American."

With all due respect, Americans are used to this kind of sweeping promise from Washington. And we know from long experience that it's a promise Washington can't keep.

Instead of looking to government for answers, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate lists some viable, non-governmental alternatives to reform health care:

Instead of poll-driven "solutions," let's talk about real health-care reform: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven. As the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon and others have argued, such policies include giving all individuals the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; providing Medicare recipients with vouchers that allow them to purchase their own coverage; reforming tort laws to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Rather than another top-down government plan, let's give Americans control over their own health care.

What Sarah Palin has done is to preempt President Obama’s health care speech by writing the rebuttal the day before Obama delivers it. Read Sarah Palin's op-ed unabridged here.

- JP

Sarah Palin submits health care testimony to NY State Senate

After Sarah Palin sent liberals into fits of derangement with her Facebook op-eds on ObamaCare, including the "death panels" post which got a controversial provision quickly removed from pending health care legislation in the U.S. Senate, she was asked to participate in a New York State Senate Aging Committee hearing regarding the infamous H.R. 3200.

NewsBusters Associate Editor Noel Sheppard:

"Given how her last opinion on this matter was treated by Obama-loving media, it's going to be fascinating to see how this gets covered in the next 24 hours, especially with the President about to give an address to both Chambers of Congress."

From former Gov. Palin's Facebook Notes page, here is the written testimony which she submitted to the committee's chairman:

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
Chair, New York Senate Aging Committee
Legislative Office Building
Room 307
Albany, NY 12247

September 8, 2009

RE: H.R. 3200: America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and Its Impact on Senior Citizens

Dear Senator Diaz,

Thank you for asking me to participate in the New York State Senate Aging Committee’s hearing regarding H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.” You and I share a commitment to ensuring that our health care system is not “reformed” at the expense of America’s senior citizens.

I have been vocal in my opposition to Section 1233 of H.R.3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation.”[1] Proponents of the bill have described this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients. That is misleading. The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context.

Section 1233 authorizes advanced care planning consultations for senior citizens on Medicare every five years, and more often “if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual … or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility… or a hospice program.”[2] During those consultations, practitioners are to explain “the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice,” and the government benefits available to pay for such services.[3]

To understand this provision fully, it must be read in context. These consultations are authorized whenever a Medicare recipient’s health changes significantly or when they enter a nursing home, and they are part of a bill whose stated purpose is “to reduce the growth in health care spending.”[4] Is it any wonder that senior citizens might view such consultations as attempts to convince them to help reduce health care costs by accepting minimal end-of-life care? As one commentator has noted, Section 1233 “addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones…. If it’s all about obviating suffering, emotional or physical, what’s it doing in a measure to ‘bend the curve’ on health-care costs?”[5]

As you stated in your letter to Congressman Henry Waxman of California:

Section 1233 of House Resolution 3200 puts our senior citizens on a slippery slope and may diminish respect for the inherent dignity of each of their lives…. It is egregious to consider that any senior citizen … should be placed in a situation where he or she would feel pressured to save the government money by dying a little sooner than he or she otherwise would, be required to be counseled about the supposed benefits of killing oneself, or be encouraged to sign any end of life directives that they would not otherwise sign.[6]

It is unclear whether section 1233 or a provision like it will remain part of any final health care bill. Regardless of its fate, the larger issue of rationed health care remains.

A great deal of attention was given to my use of the phrase “death panel” in discussing such rationing.[7] Despite repeated attempts by many in the media to dismiss this phrase as a “myth”, its accuracy has been vindicated. In the face of a nationwide public outcry, the Senate Finance Committee agreed to “drop end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly.”[8] Jim Towey, the former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, then called attention to what’s already occurring at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, where “government bureaucrats are greasing the slippery slope that can start with cost containment but quickly become a systematic denial of care.”[9] Even Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, a strong supporter of President Obama, agreed that “if the government says it has to control health care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending.”[10] And of course President Obama has not backed away from his support for the creation of an unelected, largely unaccountable Independent Medicare Advisory Council to help control Medicare costs; he had previously suggested that such a group should guide decisions regarding “that huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives….”[11]

The fact is that any group of government bureaucrats that makes decisions affecting life or death is essentially a “death panel.” The work of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, President Obama’s health policy advisor and the brother of his chief of staff, is particularly disturbing on this score. Dr. Emanuel has written extensively on the topic of rationed health care, describing a “Complete Lives System” for allotting medical care based on “a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.”[12]

He also has written that some medical services should not be guaranteed to those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens…. An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.”[13]

Such ideas are shocking, but they could ultimately be used by government bureacrats to help determine the treatment of our loved ones. We must ensure that human dignity remains at the center of any proposed health care reform. Real health care reform would also follow free market principles, including the encouragement of health savings accounts; would remove the barriers to purchasing health insurance across state lines; and would include tort reform so as to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending connected to the filing of frivolous lawsuits. H.R. 3200 is not the reform we are looking for.

Thank you for calling attention to this important matter. I look forward to working with you again to ensure that we keep the dignity of our senior citizens foremost in any health care discussion.

Sincerely,

Governor Sarah Palin

Like Palin's other Facebook statements on the issue, this one is well-documented with no less than thirteen footnotes, all of which can be accessed via either of the two links above.

- JP

Pallin' with Palin: The R2R charity auction begins today

As Warner reported Saturday, the Ride 2 Recovery ebay charity auction is today, and one of the items up for bid is dinner for five with Sarah Palin.

Yes, it's for real. Our Bloggers for Sarah Palin colleague Ron Devito contacted John Wordin, Executive Director of Ride 2 Recovery, who assured Ron that Meghan Stapleton confirmed former Governor Palin's participation to benefit wounded warriors through the R2R program.

Steve Parmenter has organized a group of Sarah's Facebook friends who are pooling donations to make a bid in the auction. If the group wins the auction, it will donate its seats at the table so five wounded warriors will be able to have dinner with Todd and Sarah. To donate to the group's bid, click on the ad below.

Speaking of bidding, it begins at 5:00 PM today. Pre-qualification for bidding began at midnight. We will update with new information throughout the auction.



Update 1: Here's Steve's post on Big Hollywood:

I’ve set up a special site at Causes.com to allow for all of us to participate in the R2R auction in order to win a dinner with Sarah Palin for five wounded warriors.

This is how it works:

1. Go to this site and make a donation directly to R2R.

2. At the end of the auction, Friday Sept. 18th, the accumulated donations will be entered as a bid for the DINNER WITH SARAH PALIN auction.

3. If this is the winning bid, FIVE deserving warriors chosen by the Ride 2 Recovery program will enjoy dinner with Sarah Palin – a wonderful evening out with a most wonderful person.

4. If this is not the winning bid, R2R will still benefit from your generous contribution and we will know that each of us will have donated to a most worthy cause.

So let’s put this “over the top” and send five guys/gals out on the town. Together we can make it happen.

I am currently sixty-three years old, retired, and am looking forward to my “golden years.” As a Marine Corps Viet Nam era veteran, I fully appreciate the sacrifices that our service members and families are making every day on our behalf. In my day there was a saying…. “All gave some and some gave all.” To that I would like to add… and some gave more than others. Being a Marine I have a firm belief in teamwork, such that by acting together great things can be accomplished. In my opinion this is one of those times.

I thank you for your interest and my best regards to everyone at Big Hollywood,

Steven P. Parmenter

Update 2: Sarah Palin posted the following on her Facebook Notes page Thursday morning:

Ride2Recovery Charity Auction

Ride 2 Recovery has launched an online auction to help our nation's wounded warriors. Todd and I are so happy to help such a worthy organization. Please click on this link to view the auction and begin bidding - and, as always, thanks for all your support.

-Sarah Palin

100% of proceeds from this auction will benefit the Ride 2 Recovery program whose mission is to improve the health and wellness of wounded warriors by providing a life changing experience that can impact their lives forever.

- JP

Palin joins other distinguished Americans signing open letter

What issue could persuade conservative Republican Sarah Palin and Vichy Republican David Frum, one of Palin's most vocal critics, to sign the same same document? The answer is Afghanistan. Palin and Frum are among a number of Americans who signed an open letter to the president urging him to give the commanders on the ground there the troops and other resources they need to achieve success.

The open letter effort was organized by the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), "a non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to promote an active U.S. foreign policy committed to robust support for democratic allies, human rights, a strong American military equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and global economic competitiveness."

The signatures of Palin and Frum appear with those of Debra Burlingame (the sister of the pilot of hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 that was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11 by Al Qaeda terrorists), Steve Biegun (the former Bush NSC aide who briefed Sarah Palin on foreign policy during the 2008 campaign and defended her against malicious leaks from former McCain staffers), Pete Hegseth (who served as an infantry Platoon Leader in Baghdad during Iraq's 2005 nationwide elections with the 101st Airborne Division and later founded Vets for Freedom), Beverly Perlson (who founded Band of Mothers) and a number of other distinguished Americans:

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

The situation in Afghanistan is grave and deteriorating. This is in part the legacy of an under resourced war effort that has cost us and the Afghans dearly. The Taliban has retaken important parts of the country, while a flawed U.S. strategy has led American forces into secondary efforts far away from critical areas. However, we remain convinced that the fight against the Taliban is winnable, and it is in the vital national security interest of the United States to win it.

You’ve called Afghanistan an "international security challenge of the highest order, " and stated that "the safety of people around the world is at stake." Last month you told a convention of veterans, “Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defense of our people.”

We fully agree with those sentiments. We congratulate you on the leadership you demonstrated earlier this year when you decided to deploy approximately 21,000 additional troops and several thousand civilian experts as a part of a serious counterinsurgency campaign. Your appointments of General Stanley McChrystal as top commander and David Rodriguez as second in command in Afghanistan exemplified the seriousness of purpose you spoke about during the campaign. We are heartened to see that the much needed overhaul of our military operations has begun.

Since the announcement of your administration’s new strategy, we have been troubled by calls for a drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan and a growing sense of defeatism about the war. With General McChrystal expected to request additional troops later this month, we urge you to continue on the path you have taken thus far and give our commanders on the ground the forces they need to implement a successful counterinsurgency strategy. There is no middle course. Incrementally committing fewer troops than required would be a grave mistake and may well lead to American defeat. We will not support half-measures that repeat the errors of the past.

This is, as you have said, a war that we cannot afford to lose. Failure to defeat the Taliban would likely lead to a return of al Qaeda to Afghanistan and could result in terrorist attacks on the United States or our allies. An abandonment of Afghanistan would further destabilize the region, and put neighboring Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal at risk. All our efforts to support Islamabad’s fight against the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal regions will founder if we do not match those achievements on the other side of that country’s porous northwestern border.

As you observed during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, “You don't muddle through the central front on terror and you don't muddle through going after bin Laden. You don't muddle through stamping out the Taliban.” We completely agree. Having “muddled through” in Afghanistan for years, this is no longer a politically, strategically, or morally sustainable approach.

Mr. President, you have put in place the military leadership and sent the initial resources required to begin bringing this war to a successful conclusion. The military leadership has devised a strategy that will reverse the errors of previous years, free Afghans from the chains of tyranny, and keep America safe. We call on you to fully resource this effort, do everything possible to minimize the risk of failure, and to devote the necessary time to explain, soberly and comprehensively, to the American people the stakes in Afghanistan, the route to success, and the cost of defeat.

With the continued bravery of our troops, and your continued full support for them and their command team, America and our allies can and will prevail in Afghanistan.

Sincerely,

Steve Biegun
Max Boot
Ellen Bork
Paul Bremer
Christian Brose
Debra Burlingame
Eliot A. Cohen
Ryan C. Crocker
Thomas Donnelly
Eric Edelman
William S. Edgerly
Jamie M. Fly
David Frum
Abe Greenwald
John Hannah
Pete Hegseth
Margaret Hoover
Thomas Joscelyn
Frederick W. Kagan
Robert Kagan
William Kristol
Tod Lindberg
Herbert London
Clifford May
Robert C. McFarlane
Joshua Muravchik
Sarah Palin
Keith Pavlischek
Beverly Perlson
Danielle Pletka
John Podhoretz
Stephen Rademaker
Mitchell B. Reiss
Karl Rove
Jennifer Rubin
Randy Scheunemann
Gary Schmitt
Dan Senor
Ashley Tellis
Marc Thiessen
Daniel Twining
Peter Wehner
Kenneth Weinstein
Christian Whiton

Related: You must read this diary from someone who is actually on the ground in Afghanistan.

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 7, 2009)

Jon Friedman:

"I thought that Palin's flame would have begun flickering by now. But I underestimated her staying power. People can't get enough of her. Palin's fans rush publicly to her defense amid the liberal media's onslaught, while opponents joyfully slam her at every turn."

"Let's put it this way: you must be doing something right when you're equally loved and hated by the media."

- JP

More on Jones, Rush, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin

From the conservasphere...

America's Right:

"It's the same old politics of personal destruction and the left, led by its Windbag in Chief, is looking to attack anyone pointing out the failures of Barack Obama's administration in the same way they attacked Sarah Palin."

Deep in Right:

"America owes a great debt of gratitude to Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. Obama will naturally try to sneak in the 'public option' foundation of his socialistic health care plan in the form of 'co-ops,' but his Malthusian "death panel" plans have already been scrapped thanks to Palin's public argument against them. Now Van Jones has been publicly exposed as the dangerous radical Communist he is by Glenn Beck. No one else – not even Rush or Hannity – had the fortitude and courage to tell the entire truth about Van Jones. I hate to think what the dangerous radicals on the Left will try to do to Glenn Beck now, so all of us true patriots must support Beck in every way possible (and pray for his safety). We must also look at what Palin and Beck have done to expose the chinks in Obama’s armor and take great inspiration from their examples."

Joshuapundit:

"Remember back during the campaign, when the dinosaur media was trashing Sarah Palin for her supposed lack of experience? Recall how they excused Barack Obama's paper thin resume and lack of experience by peddling that horse manure about his fine intellect and his wonderful sense of judgment? Here we have yet another example of how misshapen that intellect is and how flawed that judgment. How did someone like Van Jones, who probably couldn't even pass a security clearance check to get into the White House in more normal times end up working there in a high profile position?"

A Continuation of Politics by Other Means:

"The only question I have is, why aren’t people in the liberal media and on the left in general screaming for his blood right now? He quit a position in government because, essentially, people were picking on him. Isn’t that exactly why Sarah Palin was demonized by the left following her resignation from Alaska’s gubernatorial seat? I mean, come on. Let’s be fair. I’m waiting for Jones to receive the same kind of negative media attention that Sarah Palin endured."

All Right Magazine:

"And then there’s Sarah Palin, the Conservative Liberals love to hate. Ask yourself why are the leaders of the left so unhinged when it comes to Sarah Palin? She’s a woman who made it on her own, an everyday person who built a successful business and then stood against and defeated the good-old-boys. Why are they so afraid of her? Because they know she’s the real deal, and people connect with her in ways they’ll never connect with the ideologues who want to lead us where we don’t want to go."

Related: Published prior to the Jones resignation but about the same radicalism, from The View From Southern California:

"Go back and watch Obama’s demeanor during his campaign. His most unrelenting weapon against the opposition, whether it was Hillary, John McCain, Sarah Palin, or Conservatives in general, was cruel ridicule – the tactic taught by radical Leftist Saul Alinsky in the 60’s. Ridicule. If Obama did not have an answer to a legitimate challenge, he savaged the challenger with mockery and demeaning ridicule. It was his weapon of choice because, as Alinsky taught, it is virtually impossible to defend against. And it’s a diversionary placeholder — a substitute for any real answer to the challenge and the means by which Obama routinely stepped over the void while adoring fans enjoyed the show."

- JP

Another BUT WAIT! moment: Share this with your liberal friends.

*
How stupid is Sarah Palin? Why, she's so stupid that we'll never forget the time that:

she said that our country has "57 states"

she thanked herself during a speech

she claimed that the U.S. is the "largest Muslim nation"

she said that BILL Gates was the Secretary of Defense

She is such an airhead...

BUT WAIT!!!!!!

It was Barack Obama who said this!

This BUT WAIT! moment was brought to you by GOP Thinker.

- JP

Clemson Prof: Sarah Palin has bright future in GOP

Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard, who is a Republican consultant and pollster, says that even though former governor Sarah Palin no longer holds political office, her rise to prominence in the GOP will continue.

Woodard describes Palin as an "extremely appealing" candidate:

"She's been proven, especially, and tested with her daughter and her own decisions about her son and her marriage. She is a very popular fundraiser."

[...]

"The more that she appears at these fundraisers and everything like this, the more she's going to garner support from the Republican base, I think."

We believe Professor Woodward is correct in his assessment. And a number of pundits who pronounced the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate's political career as dead on the occasion of her resignation will have to eat crow. Perhaps they can wash it down with a carafe of fine whine -- Chateau Fautif 2009.

- JP

Sarah Palin: Shame on the Associated Press

Former Governor Sarah Palin posted the following on her Facebook Notes page Sunday night:

Shame on the Associated Press for Ignoring the Wishes of a Grieving Family

Many of us join Secretary Gates in condemning the Associated Press for its heartless and selfish decision to turn its back on the wishes of a grieving family in order to exploit the tragic death of a true American hero.

Lance Corporal Joshua 'Bernie' Bernard was a selfless young American who sacrificed everything for our freedom.

Shame on the AP for purposely adding to the grieving family's pain. Ignoring the family's wishes by publishing a sacred image of their loved one proved a despicable and heartless act by the AP. The family said they didn't want the photo published. AP, you did it anyway, and you know it was an evil thing to do.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bernard family. Words can not adequately express our sorrow and appreciation for your sacrifice. We will never forget your Marine or his fallen comrades.

May God bless the Bernard family.

-Sarah Palin

Our take: Again, former Governor Palin shows moral leadership while the leftist-radical-in-chief plays golf after a long vacation. Not that he would dare to criticize his trained Democrat-Media Complex while it is licking his hand and wagging its tail for him.

Other takes...

Dodo Can Spell:

"AP is now a pawn in Soro's hands and as such the news service has ceased to have any credibility whatsoever."

Alex Knepper:

"Good on Sarah."

American Jingoist:

"Sarah stands tall..."

Say Anything:

"Palin is right - this was deliberate and evil. Shame on them indeed."

Glenn Reynolds:

"SHE’S BAAACK"

Ron Devito:

"Governor Palin is familiar with the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics."

"A major subsection of the Code is to 'Minimize Harm.' Journalists are bound to: 'Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage,' '[b]e sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief..."

Weasel Zippers:

"Well done, Sarah."

Be John Galt:

"By saying 'Many of us join Secretary Gates,' she is implying 'why didn’t Obama speak out?'"

NewsBusters.org:

"Hear, hear!"

- JP

Quote of the Day (September 6, 2009)

Media critic and host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" program, Howard Kurtz, on Vanity Fair's latest Palin smear job, using Levi Johnston as its stooge:

"This is a quality magazine paying a high school dropout, whose only conceivable credential is that he knocked up a governor's daughter, who has been called a liar by Sarah Palin, engaging in payback by trashing the family. This is supposed to be what? Journalism. I felt like taking a shower afterwards."

h/t: Stacy Mcain

- JP

More on AP's big lie about cost of Palin resignation

*
As uppy explained in a post we linked to here, the AP story by biased reporter Rachel D'Oro is just a smear job:

"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."

Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton made the same point, but her comment wasn't part of the original AP release. It was added later to an updated version of the original story. Meg says D'Oro's hit piece is "incredibly misleading" and explained that the resignation ceremony simply was incorporated into the previously scheduled governor’s picnic and organized by the lieutenant governor’s office.

Our colleagues see right through the lie AP sent down its wires and are sounding off...

Johnny at Alamo City Pundit:

"And they wonder why Mainstream Media are dying a prolonged, slow, tortuous death. Personally, it can’t happen fast enough for the AP for me."

Vicki at Frugal Café:

"So, Palin potentially saved the state millions by selflessly stepping down, and this Alaskan [reporter] is whining about buying new letterhead? Go figure."

Craig at the BUFFALOg:

"So, in an age where trillion-dollar deficits are considered normal, we're supposed to be outraged because Sarah's resignation cost Alaska the price of a Prius?"

Rev. Wayne at Rev. Wayne's Place:

"Why is it that seemingly every time a story comes out about Governor Palin, the author of the story is usually a woman? Are these women being used as liberal hand puppets because it is better if a woman attacks Governor Palin? Or is it because there is a rabid jealousy among the liberal elite women in this country over Governor Palin who can do anything?"

JavaHIGH at AR15.COM:

"Why is this on the front page of Yahoo? When has the financial cost of a politician's resignation ever made the news?"

Jerry Fuhrman at From On High:

"Oh, the humanity."

Rose at Mahoney's Musings:

"Can we give the Sarah Palin nitpicking a rest?"

catfish at Texican Tattler:

"Where's the story on how much it cost Illinois and the US Senate for Barrack Obama to resign? How 'bout the story on how much it cost Delaware and the US Senate for Joe Biden to resign? Or even a story on how much it cost New York and the US Senate for Hillary Clinton to resign?"

Vadm Collingwood at C4P:

"Two million wasted on phony ethics charges with no end in sight versus forty thousand in transition costs?"

Well, that's the hypocrisy of AP Rachel and her nutroots blogging buddies up in Alaska. As we've always said, hypocrisy is a prerequisite for being a leftist, liberal, progressive or whatever these lying moonbats are calling themselves these days.

- JP

Is Obama's Communist 'Green Czar' A Quitter… Just Like Palin?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obama made a huge mistake thinking that everyone in America hates their own country just like Reverend Wright, the killer Ayers, and now green czar Van Jones.

But Obama was wrong. Some Americans still actually love their country.

So, now that Van Jones' apostasies have been revealed and he's quit his president appointed position, I have a few questions:

What was it that the left castigated Governor Palin for? Wasn't it that she was a "quitter"? Didn't they chortle and guffaw that Palin quit her position as governor? Wasn't it the worst thing they ever heard of at the time?

We all know that the left was all frothed up over Palin's resignation, of course.

So, I am sure that now the entire left will rise up in unison to attack Van Jones for being a quitter… right?

After all, the left is full of integrity, right?

Right?

- WTH

Ditto: The Cassandra Effect:

"Will the Main Stream Media attack [Van Jones] for being a quitter like they did to Sarah Palin? Somehow I doubt it. He will be presented as a victim of those mean nasty conservatives. Take it to the bank."

- JP

Pawlenty: Palin "a remarkable leader... a teammate"

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty told CNN's John King Sunday that he doesn't consider 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to be his competition:

The former Alaska governor is “a friend,” Pawlenty told King, “I don’t view her as somebody who’s a competitor for anything. I view her as a teammate.”

Pressed on his view of himself relative to Palin, Pawlenty reiterated, “I view her as a friend. And I think she’s somebody who has been a remarkable leader in Alaska under difficult circumstances. I don’t know what the future holds for her.”

Pawlenty also appeared to hold no ill will over Sen. John McCain’s reported decision to pick Gov. Palin over Gov. Pawlenty for the vice presidential nod on last year’s Republican ticket.

“I’m a huge fan of Sen. McCain. I think he made the choice he felt was right for not only his ticket but for the country in the circumstances of the time,” said Pawlenty. The Minnesota Republican added that he did not think McCain made a mistake in choosing Palin as his running mate.

Pawlenty appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" program hosted by King, who is the cable network's chief national correspondent.

- JP

Glenn Beck SCORES, with an assist from Sarah Palin

At least one outlet in the statist media wall is giving Sarah Palin some of the credit for the resignation of America-hating communist Van Jones, President Obama's so called "green czar." The Chicago Tribune's political blog The Swamp correctly gives Glenn Beck the lion's share of the credit for outing Jones and other Marxists in Obama's administration, but it also gives the former Alaska governor the nod for helping to significantly boost the numbers of Beck's viewing audience:

"Score one for Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, other Republicans targeting WH aide"

[...]

"FOX's Beck zeroed in on Jones after a group that Jones had co-founded, ColorofChange, started an advertising boycott against Beck's TV program after Beck stated on another FOX show that Obama is 'a racist.'"

"Republican Sarah Palin has been encouraging followers on her Facebook page to watch Beck's program."

Some nutroots bloggers, of course, are also giving Beck and Palin credit for Jones' departure, but only in the most disdainful manner. They are outraged that Americans are not going to let the Obamunists turn this Republic into a Chavez-style Marxist dictatorship without a fight.

h/t: Libertarian Republican

Related: Professor William Jacobson delivers a free lecture to the Left on learning the wrong lesson from their FAILED boycott of Beck's FNC program:

"The failure to get your message out is not the problem. The problem is your message."

Jacobson challenges leftists to start another boycott if they choose not to believe that the progressive agenda is an unpopular one:

"Because the Glenn Beck boycott worked so well."

- JP