Archive for September 1st, 2008

It seems that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Why WRTV, a respected Indianapolis television station, would want to dignify a blog (and a “commentator”) that utilizes phrases like “MILF” and “GILF” is beyond me; maybe they expected it when they hired her. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a record of going low (placing the social security numbers and bank account routing numbers of political opponents up on the internet, as just one example).

They probably didn’t expect the whole vulgar slang acronym thing to come along with it.

The internet is ripe with rumors of all kinds, about all sorts of people. Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, and now Sarah Palin have all been the target of a variety of vicious internet rumors that have yet to be substantiated by facts.

First came the smears about Trig Palin not being Sarah Palin’s son, but instead the son of Palin’s daughter Bristol. The origin of these rumors appears to be a photo in which Bristol Palin looked somehow pregant (because of a quirk of her posture) and her mother (with her family standing in front of her) didn’t.

I still can’t see it, though.

This photo, in turn, sort of dispelled all of that (though some on lefty blogs opined that Governor Palin must have been wearing a fat suit, and still others speculated that the whole thing was a plot by Karl Rove to make them look stupid).

See the photo after the leap.
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Congressman Baron Hill (D-San Francisco Seymour) just sent me an e-mail inviting me to the 2008 Southern Indiana Economic Forum. To be more precise, I was actually one of the dozen or so people who actually subscribe to Baron’s official Congressional e-mail list, “Baron’s Briefings”, and bother to read it when it comes.

The event is to take place on September 5th in New Albany and the second session is a panel discussion entitled “Gas Prices 101″. That one looks interesting. You see, Gas Prices 101 is much like Economics 101. In Economics 101 you learn that the fundamental process behind prices is supply and demand. When the supply of something stays the same while the demand rises, then prices go up. As applied to Gas Prices 101 this lesson means that when the supply of gas stays the same and the demand goes up, then gas prices go up. Politics 101 says that when your congressman votes against drilling for domestic oil he is effectively voting for high gas prices. After these three lessons, you, the voter, get to do a practical exercise in Government 101 by throwing the aforementioned congressman (who voted against domestic drilling) out of office.

Of course, you need to be voting for something, not just against something. Mike Sodrel and Luke Puckett both provide voters in the 9th and 2nd Districts respectively with something to vote for. In addition to being the only candidates in each race who have not voted against domestic drilling, the two of them have met first hand with energy experts to discuss what needs to be done to lower gas prices. Both men will be strong advocates for domestic drilling-and thus lower gas prices-when they get to Washington.

Via Ben Smith of Politico.com

“I have said before and I will repeat again: People’s families are off limits,” Obama said. “And people’s children are especially off-limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics.”

Now let’s see if they listen.  I’m not getting my hopes up.

Again, proving the left just doesn’t get conservatives or evangelical conservatives:

From CBN News:

If you think Evangelicals are going to ditch her for this, you’re totally misreading the situation. As a matter of fact, they are ready to fire back at any potential critics….here’s some instant reaction by top Evangelical leader Dr. Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

“This is the pro-life choice. The fact that people will criticize her for this shows the astounding extent to which the secular critics of the pro-life movement just don’t get it. Those who criticize the Palin family don’t understand that we don’t see babies as a punishment but as a blessing. Barack Obama said that if one of his daughters made a mistake and got pregnant out of wedlock he wouldn’t want her to be punished with a child. Pro lifers don’t see a child as punishment.”

The site of Pat Robertson and the 700 club goes on to say:

Look, this development will actually be positive for the most part with Evangelicals. First they hear that Sarah Palin chooses the life option even though she had a Downs Syndrome baby and once again the family (and Bristol) has chosen the life option in this recent case. That’s a double “ca-ching”. Let’s call this the Evangelical daily double. If anything, this whole situation will probably make more people around the country relate to her and her family. It makes them more real. Will there by some turned off by the whole pre-marital sex thing? Of course but this type of story doesn’t sink her at all with Evangelicals.

Let’s be honest here. If it doesn’t rile up Pat Robertson, then Sarah Palin and her family are in the clear with conservatives. Not that I hadn’t already said that before. But this is more for the loony left who just don’t get us.

(H/T - Red State)

It turns out Bristol Palin, oldest daughter of VP nominee Sarah Palin is indeed pregnant.  She just happens to be pregnant a little later than the liberal nuts thought (we’re hoping?) she was.  So now liberals froth at the mouth just wondering what conservatives are going to do that Palin’s teenage daughter is a pregnant and unwed:

The blogmistress herself writes on the blog hosted by WRTV Channel 6:

This adds a fun twist to Sarah Palin’s ongoing romance with the religious right. Yeah, she’s a hot, pro-life “hockey mom” who hunts moose, but apparently she’s cool with sex out of wedlock. Ruh roh. It could be tough to answer honestly when she’s asked about the promotion of abstinence-only sex ed in high school, a favorite wedge issue for her conservative base.

I hate to break it to you Jen, but we will actually support Bristol and Governor Palin in their decision.  We realize mistakes are made and that people are far from perfect.  And even though in this case a mistake was made, we don’t view the end result, which in this case is a child, as punishment.  Unlike your candidate for president:

(Read more after the leap) (more…)

Barack Obama, March 29, 2008:

…look, I’ve got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at the age of 16…

Because, of course, a new life is immediately comparable to a sexually-transmitted disease.

Sarah Palin, September 1, 2008:

“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

“Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”

I hope the media will ask Senator Obama a simple question:

Is Bristol Palin being punished with a baby?

Read more after the leap.
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Love.  It.

That would definitely be one for the history books.

*Editors note - This guest post comes from a good friend of mine, Holly Davis. Holly is the Executive Director of the Indiana Leadership Forum and is Vice President of Gauge Market Research.*

I am thrilled with the announcement of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as McCain’s Vice Presidential choice. It is a return to the McCain of yester-year, the maverick we have heard so much about who seemed to be missing from the campaign most of this year. His choice is bold and telling. He looked outside the “usual suspects” for someone of a younger generation with executive level managerial experience. Someone who is keenly in touch with the American family, the consequences of sending our sons and daughters to war, and who knows the needs of the States.

Given how important State’s rights and government closet to the people are to Republicans, Palin is exactly the right choice. Her résumé is impressive: from council member to Mayor to Governor in record time. She is, quite frankly, a super star, working wonders in a state know for having more caribou than people.

To the question of her experience, I ask how many of us have experience declaring war, sending a budget to congress, or developing national monetary policies? I would venture to say not many, including the others running for office. What Palin brings to the table, and ultimately what we need in a President or Vice President, is the ability to assemble a team of advisors and staff who do have that experience. As a Mayor and Governor, Palin has the experience of creating an administration. No one else on either ticket can say that. Probably just as important to executive experience, however, is the ability to make thoughtful but quick decisions. With 5 children, no one doubts this lady knows how to quickly assess information and make decisions. Additionally, at a time when energy costs are souring, she has direct experience developing energy policies. She has also been commander in chief of the National Guard.

Let us not overlook the different perspective a woman brings to the table. Women fundamentally look at issues differently than a man. Palin will bring a no nonsense collaborative approach to leadership. She will be a great partner to McCain, bringing a balance much needed in political discourse today.

Sarah Palin has reenergized many Republican women who have felt shut out of the debate this year. We now have someone on our side that we can tell our daughters about. This may not seem like that big of a deal to some of you, but it is a very big deal to women. We have been waiting for this all of our lives. We have been patiently supporting Republican candidates in the hopes that one day one of ours would rise to the top. You had better believe we want this woman to succeed.

Finally, anyone who wrangle 5 children while succeeding in politics and keeping her marriage together has my vote and my respect. Go Sarah!