For the presidential candidate, it seems as if the rules of the game are always changing. For instance, only a few weeks ago Barack Obama was lambasted for not having enough experience. After the choice of rookie Sarah Palin, however, the argument quickly changed to type of experience, with executive experience trumping all other. Invigorated with this newfound argument, the Republicans set out mutilating Obama’s record of experience –– not only legislative, but lifetime as well.
As I viewed the Republican National Convention a few weeks ago, my impression was that the party was truly worried. Firebrand speech followed firebrand speech, dripping with red meat in a slanderous sauce, enough to sustain this party hungry for victory. Case in point: the Thursday speeches. I graciously allowed Rudolph Giuliani, America’s former mayor, as well as Governor Sarah Palin, into my living room, only to allow them to besmirch the reputation of some of America’s most upstanding and honorable organizations and leaders. “Who?” you may ask. The community organizer.
Judging by the diction and intonation of the speeches, it seemed as if some Republicans viewed community organizing as a worthless enterprise. When contrasting the experiences of McCain and Obama, Giuliani built up McCain’s experience as a war hero, and portrayed him as a man of staunch principle. Before chiding Obama’s experience as a legislator, he sarcastically noted, “On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics.” But, it was the remark of the audacious Gov. Palin that broke the camel’s back. “I guess — I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities,” Palin remarked flippantly.
Perhaps Mrs. Palin is correct. Perhaps César Chávez, when he fought for fair wages and greater workers’ rights, was just messing around. It’s possible that Jane Addams, while doing philanthropy work and advocating for universal suffrage, really had nothing better to do. Maybe Martin Luther King, Jr., when fighting for civil rights and organizing boycotts, was just out for a historic joyride. Frankly, there’s a chance that in spite of accomplishing great things, these people may have bore few, if any, responsibilities. It’s not as if their activists and organizers were under any sort of threat for challenging the status quo. It’s not like their supporters entrusted them with the noble mission of seeking liberty and justice for all.
Surely not.
At least, that’s the mindset the Republicans have sought to project.
Perhaps it is naïve of me to fantasize over an honorable and consistent fight in politics, and perhaps too idealistic. It’s possible that such vile comments, endlessly shifting priorities and ground rules are inherently part of this dangerous game. Indeed, John McCain engaged in said game, as he recently sought to soften the blow of his running mate’s caustic phrase. While speaking in the presidential forum on service this past Thursday, McCain lavished praise on those who have served this nation. He also sought to justify, and apologize for, Mrs. Palin’s comments, while simultaneously lauding his rival’s accomplishments. “Look, Gov. Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience and her job as a mayor in a small town…Of course I respect people who serve their community. And Sen. Obama’s record there is outstanding.”
Yes sir. The rules, they are a’changin.’
Steve • Sep 18, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Palin said Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) had “gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers.†In fact,the companies are NOT funded by taxpayers. They operate as PRIVATE corporations. Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s problems began ten years under a Republican-controlled Congress, and the Republicans controlled Congress for eight more years. McCain consistently lined up with Gramm in his 2000 crusade to deregulate the housing market. The government’s intervention may result in taxpayers bailing them out to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. It will probably be among the most expensive rescues ever financed by taxpayers.
Palin spokesman Taylor Griffin said that Palin made inquiries about how the Wasilla public librarian would handle any effort to ban books. The librarian said she told Palin the first time she was asked that she would fight any attempt to remove any book from the library. But Palin asked the librarian a total of THREE times about the library’s policy concerning book removals. Then, Palin told the librarian she was going to fire her. The librarian was reinstated the next day after public outcry.
Palin defeated incumbent Republican governor, Frank Murkowski, in the primary only because popular opinion had turned against him after he appointed his daughter to his U.S. Senate seat, made unpopular budget cuts in his first year, and made a secret pipeline proposal with the three largest oil companies in Alaska behind the backs of state legislators.
Palin hired Washington lobbyist Steven Silver, a Jack Abramoff lobbyist, to get earmarks for Wasilla from Congress that even McCain objected to. In her six years as mayor of Wasilla, McCain named her three times for “objectionable” pork spending for earmarks in the amount of almost $27 million. McCain said “Earmarking deprives federal agencies of scarce resources, at the whim of individual members of Congress.” After Silver was hired, Wasilla got federal earmark funding for several projects, including a city bus facility for its ten buses for an earmark valued at $600,000 and a local water and a sewer project for $1.5 million.
Palin, when running for governor in 2006, supported the $223 million request for federal earmark funding for “the Bridge to Nowhere.” After she was elected and the project became a public embarrassment to the Republican Party, she stopped supporting the bridge project, said she’d use the federal funds for other purposes, and KEPT THE FEDERAL MONEY for projects Congress had not approved. And yet, she has publicly criticized Senator Ted Stevens and others for requesting the $223 million for the bridge.
Palin, in less than two years as governor, has requested for Alaska nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. In next year’s federal budget, Palin has requested thirty-one earmarks for Alaska worth $197.8 million, including $2 million to research crab productivity in the Bering Sea and $7.4 million to improve runway lighting at eight Alaska airports.
Palin accepted at least $4500 in campaign contributions in the same fund-raising scheme involved in the public corruption scandal that has led to the indictment of Republican Alaska senator Ted Stevens.
Palin is being investigated for abuse of the power of her office to settle a personal score with her sister’s ex-husband, Mike Wooten, in a scandal now called “Troopergate.” When the Alaska Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan, refused to carry out her command to fire Wooten, she fired the commissioner. After the investigation was announced, Palin said that no one in her administration or staff contacted Monegan about Wooten. Weeks later, a tape recorded by state police showed Palin’s director of Boards and Commissions, Frank Bailey, speaking to a state police manager saying that Palin and her husband Todd were very frustrated that Palin’s brother-in-law was still on the force, and asking the manager to call Monegan. Monegan refused to do so and was fired on July 11 and replaced by an official who had previously been suspended for sexual harassment. In August 2008, at a press conference, Palin disclosed that members of her staff had made about two dozen contacts with public safety officials about the trooper. But she claimed she fired Monegan as police commissioner because he was not strong on reducing bootlegging and alcohol abuse in Alaska. Yet TWO WEEKS EARLIER, after firing him, she told reporters that SHE OFFERED HIM A JOB ON THE ALCOHOL BEVERAGE COMMISSION because it would take advantage of his strengths in reducing bootlegging and alcohol abuse!
Steve • Sep 18, 2008 at 10:51 pm
McCain opposes a federal minimum wage.
McCain opposed the 2008 farm bill that would have helped farmers comply with state and federal environmental laws, boost federal research on the fruits and vegetables the region relies on, open new markets for the region’s products, and increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in school lunches.
McCain opposed expanding the children’s health insurance program, opposes publicly-funded health care, universal health care, and health coverage mandates, and believes that competition between health insurance companies will bring prices down. Tell that to my checkbook!
McCain voted in 2005 against restricting business with entities that are linked to terrorism.
Steve • Sep 18, 2008 at 10:49 pm
McCain opposed this year’s 21st Century G.I. Bill, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Instead, he co-sponsored a weaker version of the bill. The bill he opposed passed 92-6. He is the only senator who didn’t show up to vote, aside from Senator Kennedy, who was hospitalized.
McCain voted against an amendment providing $20 billion to the VA’s medical facilities.
McCain voted against providing $430 million to the VA for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.
McCain voted against increasing VA funding by $1.5 billion by closing corporate loopholes.
Retired Army General Robert Gard said McCain’s proposal for concentrating health care on just combat injuries would “shortchange those veterans who suffer from non-combat related conditions.” He is apparently unconcerned about the number of veterans this would affect, including the 15% of female combat veterans who suffer from military sexual trauma.