Rachel Lucas Has Pelosi Derangement Syndrome

I have been blogging incessantly about the "worst Speaker of the House in history," the not at all honorable Nancy Pelosi.

I was surprised and quite pleased to see one of my favorite bloggers, Rachel Lucas, echo my disdain for Ms. Pelosi. In her blog post today, I have Pelosi Derangement Syndrome, Lucas says everything I've been saying, but in 1/10th the space with 100 times more humor. Lucas writes about Pelosi:

If I were a “progressive” or a “feminist”, what I’d do right now is write a hysterical, spittle-laced diatribe about how she makes me want to jump out of windows and how I have dreams about killing her with stringbeans. About how she’s an empty-headed whore who should be run out of town on a cart and that if she doesn’t step down from her job RIGHT NOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. You can learn a lot from reading articles by Sarah Palin’s haters. But I won’t write that post; instead I will just say that it is a demonstrable fact that Pelosi is an idiot of biblical proportions and one of the worst liars I’ve ever seen in my life. Next time I’ll write something you didn’t already know about five years ago.

A Failure of Leadership

Warren Buffett has called the current crisis an "Economic Pearl Harbor." But can you imagine what December 7, 1940 might have been like if we hadn't had the inspirational leadership of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt?

If today's crisis is the economic equivalent of Pearl Harbor, what is missing the leadership to rally and galvanize the American Public into action. As the American ship of state sinks into an economic cesspool, no captain has emerged to organize the crew to begin bailing out the water and turning the ship's weapons toward the fight.

Missing in action is President Bush. The worst kind of lame duck, Captain Bush was late to spot the economic mine fields and slow to steer the ship past the danger. It goes without saying that Bush is no Roosevelt.

But the two would-be Captains were even worse. Both abandoned ship and instead worked to organize the crew into competing water polo teams. Suddenly the object was not to save the ship, but to "win the game."

Obama's phone-it-in failure is especially bad. Not that the press or public is paying any critical attention to Obama, but he is doing what he always does, he is "voting present." Even in the heat of the House vote yesterday, Obama never ever endorsed the plan. In fact he has never admitted any support or opposition for the plan. He is completely invisible.

Obama's pathetic performance over the last week may well win him the election. but it should actually disqualify him from the office. The pubic and the press will long regret giving Obama a free pass in this election. You cannot vote "present" during the biggest economic crisis of our time.

On the other hand, McCain flopped and floundered like a wounded fish. At first he attempted to take on the role of leader. He flew to Washington and assume the role of Captain. Except he, too, refused to actually take a position on the bailout. His failed attempt at action came off as political grandstanding.

America really wanted a leader. McCain should have opposed the bailout. I believe that was his natural inclination. But he didn't. Yet he failed to actually rally enough house support to get the compromise bill passed.

The debate last Friday night was revealing. Moderator Jim Leher allowed Obama to skate completely by the issue with making any kind of commitment, but then pressed McCain repeatedly and forced him to commit his very weak and tentative support.

It was a test of leadership. Obama cut class and never took the test. He, instead went to the mall. McCain took the test, but failed.

It would be really remiss of me not to point out the biggest failure of leadership was the "worst Speaker of the House in American history." Pathetic. Once again Speaker Nancy Pelosi could have easily and simply engineered a landslide victory for the bill in the House. But, as I have often pointed out, Pelosi doesn't care about America or the people, she only cares about cheer leading the water polo game.

While some Republicans falsely blamed Pelosi's incredibly tone deaf speech on the House floor for "poisoning the vote" her real failure was in poisoning the entire process. She constantly marginalized Republicans and typically refused any effort at bipartisanship.

She falsely claimed to support the bailout, but never organized the Democrats or attempted to whip the vote. Virtually every Democrat Party leader in the House except Pelosi and Barney Frank voted against the bailout. And she demonized Republicans every second of the day. She demanded bipartisanship from Republicans but practiced none.

Any other Speaker of the House in our nation's history (and I mean any) could have easily passed the bill. Only Pelosi failed. She must be removed from her role in the House.

Rising to the Challenge: Fox Business News

Sunday night, September 28, 2008, 11:00 pm - As we sat in the eye storm during the worst financial crisis in modern history, the cable and broadcast news networks went to sleep, lulled by the lilting lullabies of reruns, repeats and a band headlined by a former governor.

If you wanted news, if you wanted analysis, if you wanted updates on a marathon Republican House of Representative's meeting, you were simply out of luck.

Unless you were one of the very lucky few who have access to the new FOX BUSINESS NEWS CHANNEL. Fortunately, I subscribe to satellite provider Direct TV and I receive Fox Business on channel 359.

While CNN and FOX NEWS were rerunning earlier programs, MSNBC, who seem to have totally abdicated the news business entirely, ran old, old, old NBC Dateline programs. Even the news crawls were seemingly outdated and sparse on facts.

At the critical moment that House Republicans emerged from their 3 hour meeting, the regular FOX NEWS channel was caught flatfooted rerunning last night's folksy Mike Huckabee debut, complete with Huckabee himself leading a really terrible band made up of FOX NEWS staffers. It was embarrassing.

Curiously, even business leader CNBC missed the oportunity to cover the biggest business story since cable news broadcasts began.

But right next door at FOX BUSINESS NEWS it was all live and incredibly professional and informative. Only FOX BUSINESS ran the Republican House News Conference. Only FOX BUSINESS had live interviews with House members, Wall Street leaders and business leaders, economists and government leaders around the world.

Anchored coolly and professionally by David Asman and Cheryl Casone, there was no hyperbole and no spin. And, after the House Republican leaders issued there tentative support for the compromise bill, the FOX BUSINESS team tracked the reaction from markets around the world. Gold is down and most markets and futures are up as I write this report.

FOX BUSINESS has a new fan here. I know where to tune for business news.

Flying Under the Radar: "We are OUT OF GAS"

My friend Bruce Carroll, the award winning blogger over at Gay Patriot, is begging the national media to get off their butts and cover the widening Gasoline Crisis moving through the south and Midwest. Bruce writes this morning:

As of Saturday morning, most of Charlotte-area gas stations still have plastic bags over their pumps and gas hunting cars zipping in, around, and out of their parking lots. WBT-AM reports than only 7 of 80 gas stations surveyed in the Charlotte metro area have gasoline this morning. Many parts of the Southeast are in a Gas Shortage Crisis, and the National Mainstream Media continues to ignore it. Anderson Cooper…. where are you, man?

Charlotte, North Carolina isn’t the only place suffering with gasoline outages, although it might be the most visible. Stations were also running out of fuel this week in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and elsewhere, with the Atlanta area feeling particular pressure, according to Associated Press reports.

While I know you expect me to be blogging about last night's debate, you all already watched the festivities and have, undoubtedly, all decided on the winner. Let me guess, Progressives and Democrats thought Obama won. Conservatives and Republicans thought McCain won. I thought it was one of the best and most substantive debates ever. I don't need to rehash the debate because everyone else is.

But I do really need to mention again (and again and again) the Nancy Pelosi has absolutely betrayed the public, all Democrats and her office with her sham of an energy bill. Carefully written without one single word of Republican input and designed from the ground up to completely fail and die in Congress, the Pelosi bill was nothing more than a joke.

Had Pelosi simply shepherded through the bill that could have easily passed with huge bipartisan support...... well, Charlotte would still be out of gas this morning. But the country would finally be on the road to true energy independence. We would have begun serious examination of alternative energy sources. We would have cleared the road to more energy exploration and helped start the process toward building additional gasoline refineries.

And here is the very worst part of Pelosi's betrayal. Instead of passing a bill that would have provided strict environmental standards on drilling, Pelosi's instead allowed the Congressional Ban of off-shore drilling to simply expire. So, under Pelosi's non-leadership, Republicans got what they wanted and Democrats got nothing in exchange.

But Pelosi frankly doesn't care about any of that. She is a partisan troll. And it's long past time for her to step down as Speaker of the House. And, if she fails to do that, it's long past time for Democrats to vote her out of office.

The people in Charlotte, North Carolina know it. They feel the pain.

Economic Pearl Harbor

The current Wall Street credit and lending crisis has been called an "economic Pearl Harbor" by mega-investor Warren Buffett. After doing as much study and research as I can, and talking with experts I trust, I believe Buffett's analogy is true.

President George Bush's speech last night was probably the very finest of his presidency. Bush was clear, logical and he didn't "talk down" to his audience as he often does. He told the true and exact story of the events leading up to the crisis and didn't play politics at all. That was a surprise.

In fact, Bush was unusually non-partisan. He clearly reached out to Democrats.

The only political note I will add is strictly my personal opinion that John McCain continues to handle this crisis about as badly as it is possible to handle it. His political "time out" and his proposal to delay the Friday night debate looks incredibly foolish.

An important part of the decision we voters must make in choosing the next President is watching how he or she handles events. McCain looks very bad here. Even if he is totally sincere in his desire to help solve this crisis, he still appears to be playing politics. As I often say, "Perception Becomes Reality."

If the McCain campaign was frightened by the polls yesterday, just wait until next week.

But let's get back to the real crisis. Warren Buffett is like the men and women who volunteered to join the military after Pearl Harbor. He immediately volunteered to serve with his FIVE BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT in Goldman Sachs.

From the Bloomberg article linked above:

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Warren Buffett, calling turmoil in the markets an "economic Pearl Harbor,'' said his $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is an endorsement of the Treasury's $700 billion bank rescue plan. "I am betting on the Congress doing the right thing for the American public and passing this bill," Buffett said on cable channel CNBC today. "I certainly have a vote of confidence in Goldman and vote of confidence in Congress." Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke are pushing Congress to quickly approve the proposal to remove illiquid assets from the banking system. Buffett is buying a stake in New York-based Goldman after three of the investment bank's biggest competitors collapsed or were forced into emergency sales. "I think the Treasury will pay back the $700 billion and make a considerable amount of money," Buffett said, adding that if he had $700 billion on the government's terms to buy distressed assets, he would. "Unfortunately, I'm tapped out." Goldman rose $4.95, or 4 percent, to $130 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading after Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. agreed yesterday to the investment. It will pay 10 percent interest and give Buffett the right to buy $5 billion in common stock in the next five years at $115 a share. Buffett, 78, has frequently scolded Wall Street for shoddy accounting and risky investments. He's investing in the most profitable U.S. investment bank a week after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. went bankrupt and Merrill Lynch & Co. sold itself to Bank of America Corp. Bears Stearns Cos. in March was absorbed by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

I have been a strong and unrelenting critic of Warren Buffett on these pages for his absolute failure to cease investments that are empowering the genocide in Darfur. But I certainly applaud his stepping forward today to help calm the markets and support America during this current crisis.

... and what are you blogging about?

Eleanor Roosevelt was very wise. One of Roosevelt's most famous and oft repeated quotes is especially true today.

"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people."

There are several great and serious issues we face today. The economy is literally moments away from collapse. Iran is perhaps six months away from having a nuclear bomb and significant means to deliver that bomb to Israel and perhaps Europe. Our health care system is on the verge of implosion.

Joe Biden's misstatements or Sarah Palin's spat with a neighbor years ago are not serious issues. This is just gossip. Gossip worthy of Entertainment Tonight, hardly worth discussing in a Presidential Election.

We are preoccupied with gotcha questions. Katie Couric "got" to Joe Biden yesterday. He looked silly and out of touch. But, after failing to press Biden on the serious questions or dealing with the life and death issues we face today, the press complained they couldn't get access to Sarah Palin. What a surprise.

Elections have often deteriorated this way. That doesn't make it any less tragic.

As we post blogs each day, please try to remember the wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt.

As Usual, Mike Gravel is Willing to Tell the Unpleasant Truth

As usual, former Democrat Presidential Candidate Mike Gravel is willing to tell the truth, even when it doesn't match our preconceived ideas.

Notice the extreme prejudice of the interviewers.

Rewriting History

I watched Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) on the news shows on Sunday. Long gone are the days of Tim Russert when reporters actually did their homework and did actual research. Tough questions were off the table. However, ample opportunity was given to Senator Dodd to blame everyone but himself for the current crisis.

Sadly, the bulk of the blame actually belongs at Senator Dodd's doorstep.

From THE NEW YORK TIMES, September 10, 2003:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 — A report by outside investigators in July concluded that Freddie Mac manipulated its accounting to mislead investors, and critics have said Fannie Mae does not adequately hedge against rising interest rates. ...

"The current regulator does not have the tools, or the mandate, to adequately regulate these enterprises,'' Mr. Oxley said at the hearing. ''We have seen in recent months that mismanagement and questionable accounting practices went largely unnoticed by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,'' the independent agency that now regulates the companies.

"These irregularities, which have been going on for several years, should have been detected earlier by the regulator ..."

A bill was placed before Congress that would have implemented the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade earlier.

Guess who sounded that strong warnings about the impending crisis at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?

Guess who proposed the bill to increase strong REGULATION of the Housing Industry?

President George Bush and the Bush Administration!

And guess who fought it all the way?

The Bill was opposed and eventually blocked by none other than Senator Chris Dodd!

Dodd was completely in the pocket of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and Countrywide Finanace Co. Dodd was (and still is) the largest recipient of campaign contributions from the now failed housing lenders. We're talking hundreds of thousand dollars.

The New York Times news story from 2003 continues.....

''There is a general recognition that the supervisory system for housing-related government-sponsored enterprises neither has the tools, nor the stature, to deal effectively with the current size, complexity and importance of these enterprises,'' Treasury Secretary John W. Snow told the House Financial Services Committee in an appearance with Housing Secretary Mel Martinez, who also backed the plan.

After the hearing, Representative Michael G. Oxley (R), chairman of the Financial Services Committee, and Senator Richard Shelby (R), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, announced their intention to draft legislation based on the administration's proposal. Industry executives said Congress could complete action on legislation before leaving for recess in the fall.

Significant details must still be worked out before Congress can approve a bill. Among the groups denouncing the [Bush Administration} proposal today were the National Association of Home Builders and Congressional Democrats who fear that tighter regulation of the companies could sharply reduce their commitment to financing low-income and affordable housing. ...

"These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis," said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. "The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."

President Bush's strong regulatory proposals died in the Senate with Senator Chris Dodd leading the effort to block any regulations or protection for the American Taxpayer.

I just love it when history gets completely rewritten.

********

A grateful tip o' the Wizard's Pointy Cap goes to Wiz-ziW for pointing me to this story and providing documentation.

When was it that Gang Rape became acceptable?

What is happening here?

When did it become OK to advocate, celebrate, or even encourage, the gang rape of a woman? How is it that this joke became OK?

It seems that when Sandra Bernhard celebrates the gang rape of Sarah Palin, it's just all in good fun. I understand that Sandra Bernhard is a comedian. So we just laugh and we just snicker. Ha. Ha. Gang Rape. She's just a comedian. What is everyone so upset about?

Don Imus is just a comedian. But Imus became the center of a nationwide controversy when he referred to a women's basketball team as "nappy headed hos." He was forced to apologize profusely, over and often, for his remark. He lost his job(s). He was a pariah.

Michael Richards was much more than just a comedian. The three time Emmy Award winning actor (for his role as Cosmo Kramer in Seinfeld), used the "N" word in response to hecklers in an nightclub act in 2006. He also apologized profusely, but his career was over, It ended in one night. He "retired" and hasn't worked since, devoting his life to charity work, behind the scenes and out of the limelight.

So when was it OK to joke about gang rape (along with literally dozens of other vile references)? When did we decide we would not only look the other way, but actually applaud if the victim was politically conservative woman ?

What if Imus simply repeated Bernhard's joke, word for word, but directed it at Michelle Obama? Would it be funny then? Would it be OK?

I believe I've transcribed Bernhard accurately, I've only changed the name of the victim.

"Michelle Obama would be gang raped by blacks in Manhattan if she followed through on her threat to visit New York."

Is that funny? Are you laughing?

Of course the target wasn't Michelle Obama, it was Sarah Palin, and that makes it all OK. I've actually read several progressive bloggers defend the rant and actually blame Palin. It's all her fault. Just like all women who have been raped. If they just hadn't dressed so provocatively, they would never have been raped.

Yep. Sandra Bernhard is blameless. She couldn't help herself. Still, I'm surprised. Black men raping a white woman? Isn't that a racist stereotype? Where is Al Sharpton?

What if Mike Richards makes a comeback and does a new nightclub routine advocating gang rape for Islamic women? How would we react. If we stand, laugh and applaud, how would the world view America?

When was it that Gang Rape became acceptable?

It Turns Out That John Bolton Was (Is) Right

Well, this is a fine kettle of fish!

John Bolton, the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations wrote incessantly in every publication and appeared on virtually every radio, television and cable program possible and even appeared at a few neighborhood lemonade stands WARNING the President, Congress and the public AGAINST the agreement with North Korea to exchange massive aid, oil and funding for a promise that North Korea would end their nuclear arms program.

Bolton was a lone voice in the wilderness. While Bolton grumbled, the rest of the world cheered this amazing agreement. Democrats claimed this proved that Bush should always enter into direct negotiations with our adversaries. I'll admit it. I hailed the agreement!

Bolton kept telling anyone who would listen that North Korea had a long history of breaking these agreements. Bolton pointed out that Bill Clinton had already "been there, done that," and had been betrayed by North Korea and by his own failure to get the proper agreements for inspection. Bolton feared the Bush administration was making exactly the same mistakes.

It turns our John Bolton was totally correct. North Korea got all the oil, all the money, all the promised aid and guess what? They are now rapidly building back their nuclear program.

Who knew? John Bolton knew.

Nancy Pelosi Betrays America.... Again

Nancy Pelosi must think she is a genius. She must believe she is the modern day heir to the genius of Machiavelli with the power to deceive everyone and never get caught. And, just like Machiavelli she loves the game and loves to win. Her duty to her constituents and to America mean absolutely nothing to her. It's all about the game. And it's all about power.

But she isn't really very good. She is, in fact, the worst Speaker of the House in History. Sadly, she is just barely good enough to deceive a few frightened Red State Democrats who see the McCain surge and the public's overwhelming demand we move toward energy independence as a threat to their potential re-election.

With gasoline prices surging toward $4.00 a gallon, the demand that Pelosi at least allow a vote on an intelligent and comprehensive Energy Plan was exploding with the public. Well over 70% of Americans demanded Pelosi allow a vote. Pelosi held on until a planned summer recess and prohibited any type of vote. She bought her Red State Democrats 4 weeks.

Pelosi got a book tour and America got nothing.

Unfortunately for Pelosi, Republicans kept up the pressure. Even as Pelosi turned off the lights and disconnected the cable television cameras, Republicans met every day, Every day for over a month. And the Democrats who went home seeking a hiding place from the monstrous failure of Congress, found the public was certainly not going to forget, let alone forgive.

The worst, least effective and most incompetent Congress in the entire history of the republic resumed session with a real opportunity to accomplish at least one thing for the good of the people. Pelosi promised she would allow a comprehensive bipartisan energy plan to come to a vote.

Pelosi lied.

Working carefully and in total hiding with a small group of co-conspirators, Pelosi crafted one of the most disingenuous, misleading and destructive pieces of legislation every written. Far from being bipartisan, she not only kept all Republicans out of the negotiations, she even refused to allow Republicans to view the bill until it was brought up for a vote. Naturally, no amendments were allowed.

Pelosi's goal in crafting this legislation was three fold. First, an by far the most important, Pelosi wanted to make absolutely certain that no legislation would actually pass. None. No type of energy bill. She wants nothing to help America. The bill had to be designed so that the only outcome would be failure.

Second, the bill had to provide cover for her freshman Red State Democrats. It had to have the illusion of a comprehensive energy plan, including additional oil exploration. The Red Stater's had to be able to go home and say, "I voted for more oil. I voted for lower gas prices. I voted for alternative energy research, I voted for a comprehensive energy plan. See. I'm a good guy."

Lastly, she wanted total failure of the bill to allow her to have an additional Election Issue. She needs to be able to say "See, we Democrats compromised and passed an oil drilling bill. Drill, Baby, Drill. But those mean old Republicans stopped it."

But everything about her bill is a total lie. It's a hoax or as Republicans call it, a sham.

By eliminating revenue sharing for the states in royalties for offshore oil and gas drilling while requiring states to approve the drilling leases, Pelosi knew it would be unlikely the states would ever give their approval. Why should they? They take all the risk, get one of the reward.

The bill prohibits drilling less than 50 miles offshore when Pelosi knew that, to give an example, 95% of the known reserves off the coast of California are less than 50 miles from the coast.

The American people are demanding we change our bankrupt energy policy which has prevented the U.S. from utilizing our own resources and outsources our money and our jobs and our security to very unfriendly countries.

What needs to concern Americans most is that, faced with the greatest energy crisis in our country's history, Nancy Pelosi purposefully drafted a bill she knew would fail. She designed it purposefully to fail. She decided to give billions of American dollars to other countries. She decided to keep jobs away from Americans and give those jobs to the despots in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela. She decided to deprive America's innovators who might invent the solutions to future energy needs from any funding that could fuel the future.

Pelosi wanted and demanded failure. She succeeded.

How will America reward her and the Democrats who conspired with her? I, for one, am demanding her resignation. I, for one, will not vote for any Democrat candidate for the House of Representatives who doesn't promise to work against her re-election as Speaker.

There is no room for Nancy Pelosi in our leadership.

The Wizard Analyzes: Health Care

One week ago I promised to take a close and honest look at the seven issues most Americans think are most important this election year. For all you who actually think the big issue is Sarah Palin's tanning bed or Joe Biden's rumored ability to become invisible, you are about to be sadly disappointed.

We need instead to pick our next President on his proposals on the major issues and his ability to actually implement those proposals.

I will look at all the following issues between now and November 1st: [1] Health Care, [2] the Economy, Taxes and Spending, [3] Education, [4] Iraq and Afghanistan, [5] Environment, [6] Civil/Women's/Gay Rights and finally, [7] Style of Governing.

Today I'm looking closely at Health Care for two reasons. First it's the easiest to pick the best plan and candidate. Second, it's the single most important issue facing most Americans today.

I cannot possible analyze the two competing plans in 750 to 1,000 words and, no matter what I write, many will disagree with my conclusions and say I've misrepresented the facts. Good! Let's have a real debate on the issues.

I know this will be hard for you all to believe, but there are some real reporters working on this issue. Be sure to read these two articles: Reports criticize Obama, McCain health plans and New Studies Report Wide Disparity in Health Care Plans

Here is a link to John McCain's Health Care Proposal. And here is a link to Barack Obama's Health Care Plan.

Health Care and Health Care Insurance in America are both seriously broken. Costs are completely out of control. I personally was in an Emergency Room in Atlanta for 5 hours last spring. No major surgery or major tests were involved. I was released and was, thankfully, alright. The bill was (and I an neither joking or exaggerating) $17,000.00.

Any serious illness means almost certain bankruptcy for any American, even if they have health insurance. But 46 million Americans have no health insurance. These folks are clogging Emergency Rooms and further driving up health care costs. And they receive substandard care. A level of care that all too frequently means death.

To summarize in a sentence or two, Obama wants a rather complex layering of health care plans that would be coordinated by a huge federal bureaucracy. McCain would replace the current tax exemptions for employer provided health care plans in favor of tax breaks for every citizen.

On a simple or even a detailed reading, McCain's plan would seem to make more sense. Except it will never work. McCain might be on the right track, but his plan will never insure virtually any of the 46 million currently uninsured. His economics fall apart for all middle and lower income families. And independent analysts agree. McCain's plan would likely make matters much worse, not better. In fact most Americans might actually lose benefits.

Barack Obama is really on the right track. By most all independent accounts he would cover an additional 34 million people. It doesn't get us to universal health care, but it gets us closer. Obama's problem is that his plan is so expensive it cannot be sustained. He will need to simplify the plan and reduce it's scope. But it will help and it's likely to be implemented.

In my opinion, if Health Care is the deciding issue in determining your vote, you should cast your vote for Barack Obama.

But, there are six more issues to discuss.

Democrats, Media Are Unable to See What They Are Doing

Mark Penn, a longtime campaign advisor and friend to both Bill and later Hillary Clinton takes on the press in a CBS interview:

CBSNews.com: Your former colleague Howard Wolfson argued that you all unintentionally paved the way for Palin by exposing some of the unfair media coverage that Hillary Clinton received. And, therefore, a lot of the media may now be treating Sarah Palin with kid gloves. Do you agree with that? Mark Penn: Well, no, I think the people themselves saw unfair media coverage of Senator Clinton. I think if you go back, the polls reflected very clearly what "Saturday Night Live" crystallized in one of their mock debates about what was happening with the press. I think here the media is on very dangerous ground. I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Governor Palin ever filed, if they don't do that for all four of the candidates, they're on very dangerous ground. I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.

Is anybody listening?

FT.com: Democrats on Capitol Hill fear Obama fallout

Do Democrats on Capitol Hill fear Obama fallout? That's the headline in today's Financial Times.

Andrew Ward, the Washington, D.C. correspondent writes that Democrats believe the lock they had on victory is rapidly fading away. Here's what Ward says:

"Democratic jitters about the US presidential race have spread to Capitol Hill, where some members of Congress are worried that Barack Obama’s faltering campaign could hurt their chances of re-election. " "Party leaders have been hoping to strengthen Democratic control of the House and Senate in November, but John McCain’s jump in the polls has stoked fears of a Republican resurgence." "A Democratic fundraiser for Congressional candidates said some planned to distance themselves from Mr Obama and not attack Mr McCain." “If people are voting for McCain it could help Republicans all the way down the ticket, even in a year when the Democrats should be sweeping all before us,” said the fundraiser, a former Hillary Clinton supporter. " “There is a growing sense of doom among Democrats I have spoken to . . . People are going crazy, telling the campaign ‘you’ve got to do something’.” "Concern was greatest among first-term representatives who won seats in traditionally Republican districts in the landslide of 2006. “Several of them face a real fight to hold on to those seats,” the fundraiser said. " "Tony Podesta, a senior Democratic lobbyist, said members of Congress were “a little nervous” after Mr McCain shook up the race with his choice of Sarah Palin...... "

If this is true, and today's latest POLL NUMBERS are not encouraging for the Obama campaign, it's strictly the fault of the Democrats themselves, and especially their left wing supporters like The Daily Kos and Media Matters. Their vile, disgusting, sexist, anti-woman, anti-middle class, and absolutely relentless attacks are backfiring and backfiring badly.

I will try one more time to tell my Liberal and Democrat friends. So far they are not listening.

But here I go: You cannot abandon every thread of fairness, decency and principle in launching these increasingly bizarre attacks. I know you are panicked. You are reacting very, very badly. Americans are strongly rejecting your diatribes. You are angering the public.

First you managed to wake the sleeping giant. Now you're making him (and her) very, very angry.

I Wish Charles Gibson Had Interviewed Sarah Palin

I was up well before dawn this morning preparing for a road trip. I needed to refuel the car and I am worried about potential 30% increases in gas prices that could affect all of us motorists in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

Since I was up and traveling outside my normal morning routine, I was listening to Doug Stephan's Good Day on the radio instead of my normal diet of television cable network news programs. Change is good, It gives you more perspective on current events.

If you've never listened to Steffan's program he tries, but usually fails, to avoid politics and political issues. But his crew made a comment on ABC's Charles Gibson's interview with Governor Sarah Palin that was amazingly spot on: "What was with Charles Gibson last night? He looked like a curmudgeonly old school principal who caught a girl chewing gum in class."

I laughed until I cried. Stephan and his crew were so right.

As great as the pressure was on Sarah Palin, it was even tougher on Charles Gibson who has endured three days of particularly critical comment simply because he was awarded the first interview with Governor Palin. Gibson was as much under the microscope as Palin. And the pressure showed.

I wish the Charles Gibson I know and deeply respect had interviewed Palin. I'm certain the McCain camp wishes the real Gibson had shown up, too. Everyone would have looked a lot better.

Palin faltered a couple of times under Gibson's grilling. But Gibson acted like he was conducting an inquisition. It was difficult to watch. The normally relaxed and chatty Gibson would have gotten a lot more from Palin. This certainly wasn't the Gibson that recently interviewed Barack Obama and that will come back to haunt Gibson.

Sarah Palin's interview also showed the signs of the intense pressure she is under. Plus I get the feeling she is being terribly over managed. The McCain Palin team has got to relax. If she is over coached, she will not do well in the upcoming debate. Frankly, more live, unscripted interviews will prepare her better for the debate than any amount of coaching.

Over the next 72 hours there will be thousands of blog posts, interviews and television and radio commentaries about the Palin-Gibson interview. Some will claim she demonstrated she is totally unqualified for office. Others will claim, with video clips to back them up, that she was poised and rock solid. I sincerely doubt any minds were changed. Of course we have one more segment to watch tonight. That could be the atomic bomb.

I remain both impressed by and confident of Palin as a candidate. But it's early and I'm more than ready to change my mind (on all four candidates) as the cycle continues. We will see some really major mistakes from someone before we vote in November.

I'm hoping for a deeper and better interview with Palin before the election. Based on last week's compelling Obama interview, I'm hoping the McCain team will grant a Palin interview with Bill O'Reilly. That would be "must see TV."

2,974

Whenever I believe that the now virtually insane left wing of the our society cannot possibly fall any further into the abyss, a new horror crosses my screen. Today's descent into madness comes from none other than Juan Cole, until yesterday a highly respected professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan and the author/blogmaster of Informed Comment, what used to be one of the more influential blogs covering middle eastern events.

Until yesterday, that is. Today Juan Cole is a sad joke. When you betray your academic position, your intellectual credibility and surrender your honor in order to slander a political opponent, you no longer deserve any of the respect you might have earned over a lifetime.

Yesterday Juan Cole published what I'm sure he thought was a very clever little article in the on-line magazine Salon: What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick

The article pretended to present a scientific analysis comparing what Cole claimed were Palin's Christian beliefs with the beliefs of Muslim Fundamentalists and decided they were virtually identical. The only difference according to Cole? Lipstick.

Funny, on today of all days, I can think of another difference.

The analogy is so flawed it is simply laughable. And Cole knows it. He is many things. Stupid is not one of them.

He created a patently false analogy, a comparison based on occasionally random points of similarity, ignoring the major differences that define the very heart and soul of the two religions and the societies that shape and harbor those beliefs.

Cole's goal was simple. He wanted to make Americans fear Palin as much as they fear Islamic terrorism. He wants to make Americans believe Palin is not one of them, but instead a radical fringe fanatic to be shunned. Cole states glumly, "A theocrat is a theocrat, whether Muslim or Christian."

Sadly many of the assumptions Cole made about Palin are simply false, including, but not limited to, her basic religious beliefs. Much worse, Cole dealt with trivia, ignoring the most core beliefs of the two groups, beliefs not at all shared by Muslim fundamentalists with Evangelical Christianity.

He certainly ignored the most obvious. Palin, a woman, is candidate for the second highest and most powerful elected office in the world. Funny, Cole never made that comparison.

You see, Cole didn't want to mention that women in societies or sects ruled by Muslim fundamentalism are not allowed to vote, not allowed hold office, not allowed to own property, not allowed to go in public unaccompanied by a male relative, not allowed to attend concerts or sporting events. In the most fundamentalist societies, women are not even allowed attend school or receive medical care or treatment.

And while Pentecostals might speak in tongues, they do not stone women in the public square for being raped.

Now there are similarities between people everywhere. I've read that cosmetic and make-up parties are very popular in Iran, Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries. But any use of cosmetics must be carefully hidden beneath the burka.

So the one thing Cole cannot actually say with any factual certainty is whether Islamic fundamentalist women wear lipstick.

Remembering Sue Kim Hanson

Here is a reprint of the article I wrote two years ago as part of the 2,996 Project. In this project, one blogger was assigned to prepare a remembrance for each of the victims who died during the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001

Today 9/11 seems like a lifetime away. And, for many people it is. There will be a complete moratorium on politicking and all other posts on the WIZARD site for 24 hours.

Please take time to remember just how frail and how fleeting life really is. Read and remember Sue Kim Hanson.

Sue Kim Hanson
September 11, 2006

A short note appears on the Boston University Medical Campus Calendar Website noting that Jonathan W. Yewdell, M.D., Ph.D., Chief, Cellular Biology Section of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases will be speaking tomorrow, September 11, 2006, on the topic of "Gained in Translation: Generating Viral and Cellular Peptide Antigens from DRiPs."

He is speaking at 4:00 pm in Keefer Auditorium and a Reception in the Wilkins Board Room will follow.

What might be missed by a casual observer is perhaps the most important fact of all. Dr. Yewdell is the guest speaker for the 5th Annual Sue Kim Hanson Lecture In Immunology.

If you noticed this, you might simply assume that Sue Kim Hanson is (or was) some generous benefactor to the University. A lecture named for her to repay her gift.

Or perhaps you would guess that she is (or was) a notable scientist who, at one time or another, taught or studied at Boston University. Someone who should be honored for the advancements she made in Immunology.

And, indeed, all of the above is true. Just not in the way you might expect.

Susan Kim Hanson was one of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack that took the lives of 2,996 souls in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the fields of Pennsylvania.

Sue, her husband Peter, and her two year old daughter Christine were on United Airlines Flight 175 that crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Her daughter Christine was the youngest victim of the September 11th attack.

But the Boston University Lecture Series is not named after Sue Kim Hanson because of the way she died, but because of the way she lived.

Sue was a great scientist in the making. She was a doctoral candidate in micro-biology immunology at Boston University and working on her final thesis. Her work promised to reveal the workings of a chemical believed to regulate immune responses. She had isolated in lab mice a gene suspected of being involved in asthma sufferers and AIDS patients. Her work had the potential to help millions of people.

Susan Kim was one of those wonderful American success stories. A Korean-American, Sue had lived with her grandmother in Korea until she was 6. Her mother died when she was 15 and she was raised by her strict Korean father. Through hard work and discipline, sacrifice, dedication and sheer will power she neared the goal her mother and father and grandmother had hoped she would achieve, her doctorate degree.

Dr. Hardy Kornfeld, Hanson's thesis adviser, said "She was sort of fearless. Sue just took on tasks that were incredibly challenging, and more often than not she was able to make a go at them."

That she would be attracted to the wild and undisciplined Peter Hanson was a great surprise. Three years younger than Sue Kim, Peter gained his education by following The Grateful Dead. Peter believed that the group and its music would become classics, up there with Beethoven, Bach and company, and he tried to sway the opinion of anyone who would listen. Many of our listeners to Wizard Radio would certainly agree with Peter.

But even if Sue wasn't quite convinced about the Dead, she believed in Peter. And her faith was well placed. Peter was, by all accounts, a brilliant software engineer, a great salesman and a wonderful person.

He was passionate about Sue and Sue fell head over heals in love with Peter. She obviously had a great effect on him. Legacy.com has a reprint of a New York Times article about Sue that tells the story:

"The relationship spurred Peter Hanson to clip his tangle of brownish-red dreadlocks, trade in tie-dyed T- shirts for suits, go to business school and become one of the best software salesmen his friends and family had ever met. He was vice president of marketing at TimeTrade in Waltham, Mass."

"Her bond with the Hansons was so strong that they accompanied her to California when she went to inform her father about her engagement. She worried that her father would protest because Peter Hanson was not Korean. But her family embraced the Hansons."

Sue and Peter were married and had a beautiful daughter. Sue continued to pursue her doctoral degree. She was scheduled to defend her thesis in November, 2001.

Taking a last break before finalizing her research and thesis, Sue, Peter and Christine were on their way to visit the Sue's father and grandmother in California, and take Christine to Disneyland, when they boarded United Airlines Flight 175. Peter was one of those who made a final cell phone call to his parents moments before the plane crashed into the south tower.

Sue's friend Mona Pengree writes, "Sue was awarded her PhD posthumously, as her professor finished her work on her behalf. This is a wonderful picture of her, and she shone every bit as brightly in person. Probably more. Her loss was a loss to all mankind."

Sue gave a great deal to Boston University and she gave a great deal to all of us. Her work in immunology inspired her fellow students, faculty and the University to continue her research and finish her thesis. They awarded her a doctorate degree. And they established the Annual Sue Kim Hanson Lecture In Immunology, not just to honor her memory, but to give full credit to her work and the inspiration, the strength and the courage Sue provides to us all.

God bless you Sue... and Peter and Christine and all those who died so tragically five years ago.

God bless.

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As I mentioned in an earlier entry, there is a wealth of information, tribute and love scattered throughout the Internet in remembrance of Sue Kim Hanson. I owe every contributor who came before me a deep debt of gratitude. Through each of you I have come to know Sue, Peter and Christine. You have touched my heart.

If my Tribute to Susan Kim Hanson here today fell short in any way, I deeply apologize and would love to hear from any of you.

I suggest these following resources from which I have borrowed freely in preparing this tribute:

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 VICTIMS: Sue Kim Hanson

Remember September 11, 2001

A mother to her son: How could I forget your curiosity and energy? By Eunice Hanson, for The Associated Press

Peter, Sue Kim, and Christine Hanson Memorial Web Site

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Back in 2006, the 2,996 Project asked bloggers to prepare tributes to all who died in the tragic events of September 11th. Many of those blog entries remain on line and many will be reprinted today.

The Will Be No Obamanation Here

I want to make a very, very short entry tonight that I will expand on greatly in the next few weeks.

My point is extremely simple: All four candidates for President and Vice President are extremely well qualified for the offices which they seek.

America will be extremely well served no matter which ticket wins.

To paraphrase Don Imus, there is no doubt that, if elected, John McCain might well be the finest, most honest and most honorable Presidents in recent history.

But in Barack Obama we have one of the brightest and most thoughtful persons to ever seek the highest office in the land. More importantly he is pragmatic and is genuinely willing to consider all solutions to every problem. He will not be bound by partisan dogma. And, as a bonus, he is charismatic and a truly great leader.

If McCain might become one of the most honorable and able Presidents in History, Obama could become one of the most exciting and inspiring, leading us to greatness.

There will be no slander on this website from this author (however the comments section will be unmoderated (except for spam) and all comments are welcome). I have NEVER and will NEVER refer to Senator McCain in an derogatory language. We will not call him "McShame" or "McBush" or any other cute or clever phrase.

Nor will we ever refer to Senator Obama as the "Obamassiah" or an "Obamanation." This type of slander might be the stock and trade of Rush Limbaugh, but it does not belong in an intelligent discussion of candidates or the issues.

I'm going to take this one step further. I know that will break your hearts, but the is NOT the most important election of our lifetimes. The fact is we as Americans CANNOT LOSE. Both candidates are that good.

So how do we chose? It you don't fall prey to the partisan slander and bickering, it's going to be easy. Easy because these are two very different candidates with striking differences in their approach to our greatest problems.

Over the next eight weeks I intend to explore those differences on the most important issues: [1]Iraq and Afghanistan, [2] Health Care, [3] Education, [4] Environment, [5] the Economy, Taxes and Spending, [6] Civil/Women's/Gay Rights and finally, [7] Style of Governing.

If you have been caught up in the silly stupidity of the last few days, pull yourself back from the fray. A long forgotten one line statement made by John McCain in 1994 IS NOT THE ISSUE. The fact that Obama wasn't even around in in 1994 IS NOT THE ISSUE.

That Governor Palin was once a beauty contest contestant IS NOT THE ISSUE. The fact that Joe Biden makes silly misstatements (asking a wheelchair bound man to stand earlier today) IS NOT THE ISSUE.

Concentrate on the issues. Concentrate on the policies and plans. Then, and only then, you'll know how to vote.

Lift yourself out of the gutter, even if the campaigns and the main stream media just can't do it themselves.

Three Short Takes on Political Television

BARACK OBAMA TRIUMPHS ON FOX NEWS: Barack Obama not only hit a home run in his long awaited interview with Bill O'Reilly on FOX NEWS, he knocked it our of the park, over the Green Monster!

Sports metaphors aside, Obama and O'Reilly make for terrific television. I can't wait for tonight's installment. Senator Obama is relaxed, articulate, combative, compelling and charismatic. He and Bill O'Reilly seem to have great chemistry. Barack Obama could not possibly have done his candidacy more good.

First, O'Reilly himself helps Obama immensely. O'Reilly's massive ego is an easy foil for Obama and O'Reilly seems to be willing to listen and to concede points. Yet Obama stands toe to toe when he needs to. He never yields to O'Reilly.

Plus, and even more important, Obama is gaining much needed human and up close face time with a gigantic part of the electorate that is devoted to FOX News. No amount of advertising can buy this coverage. By appearing on O'Reilly, Barack Obama appears both fair and fearless.

BARACK OBAMA PUTS THEM TO SLEEP ON OLBERMANN: Compare and contrast the dramatic, combative and compelling interview Barack has with Bill O'Reilly with the sleeper interview with Keith Olbermann. The problem is that Olbermann telegraphs the answer in every question. We learn nothing by watching the soft ball, gift wrapped straight lines supplied by Olbermann.

Once again Keith's problem is that he knows everything he wants to know before the interview ever begins. As a result no one learns anything.

BUT.... Just as we really learn a great deal by Obama's interview with O'Reilly, we might really learn a great deal if Senator McCain sat down with Olbermann. You can bet Olbermann would ask real, in depth and probing questions of McCain.

RACHEL MADDOW CURES INSOMNIA: I just love Rachel Maddow. I love her on Air America and I really loved her on Tucker Carlson's old MSNBC show. But, oh my god, what was that disaster we witnessed last night? To say that Rachel was awful is an understatement. The show was unwatchable. I know. I tried. Twice. Even TiVo couldn't save this snooze fest. You wanted to fast forward to the next commercial.

Rachel's problem is exactly the problem described above with Olbermann's interview with Obama. Rachel knew everything she wanted to say and provided the most boring list of guests, each of whom were ready and waiting to echo her every statement. The interviews were simply pathetic. Leading questions that telegraphed the answers she knew in advance she would receive.

Maddow can hold her own in any argument or intellectual discussion. What's missing from her show, so far, is anything resembling an intelligent discussion. The only compelling few moments came in her discussion with Pat Buchanan. But Buchanan is too lightweight to be a good guest for the near brilliant Maddow. And, I must repeat, Buchanan is no conservative.

If there was a television god, she would design a show where Maddow would face off with a real conservative like Sean Hannity. That would be great television and the viewers would learn something every night.

Let's hope Maddow and the folks at MSNBC tinker with her show and give it some life.

Journalists Win! Olbermann Out as News Anchor

The New York Times reported today that the once powerful NBCNews Organization is making moves to regain control over and return credibility to the pathetic MSNBC Cable Network. As a result Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews have been removed from anchor desk duties on all future political news broadcasts and will be replaced by David Gregory.

The Wizard could not possibly be more pleased. I had confidently predicted this back on August 26th - Keith Olbermann was a disaster and an embarrassment. His iron fisted control eliminated all real reporting and squelched any opposing views. He was a tyrant and a bully and NBC could no longer look the other way.

The Times report stated, in part (editing and emphasis are mine, I encourage you to read the entire report):

After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage. The change — which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle — is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel’s perceived shift to the political left. “The most disappointing shift is to see the partisan attitude move from prime time into what’s supposed to be straight news programming,” said Davidson Goldin, formerly the editorial director of MSNBC and a co-founder of the reputation management firm DolceGoldin. Executives at the channel’s parent company, NBC Universal, had high hopes for MSNBC’s coverage of the political conventions. Instead, the coverage frequently descended into on-air squabbles between the anchors, embarrassing some workers at NBC’s news division, and quite possibly alienating viewers. MSNBC remained in last place among the broadcast and cable news networks. In prime time, the channel averaged 2.2 million viewers during the Democratic convention and 1.7 million viewers during the Republican convention. In interviews, 10 current and former staff members said that long-simmering tensions between MSNBC and NBC reached a boiling point during the conventions. “MSNBC is behaving like a heroin addict,” one senior staff member observed. “They’re living from fix to fix and swearing they’ll go into rehab the next week.” Mr. Olbermann, a 49-year-old former sportscaster, has become the face of the more aggressive MSNBC, and the lightning rod for much of the criticism. In January, Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews, the host of “Hardball,” began co-anchoring primary night coverage, drawing an audience that enjoyed the pair’s “SportsCenter”-style show. While some critics argued that the assignment was akin to having the Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly anchor on election night — something that has never happened — MSNBC insisted that Mr. Olbermann knew the difference between news and commentary. But in the past two weeks, that line has been blurred. On the final night of the Republican convention, after MSNBC televised the party’s video “tribute to the victims of 9/11,” including graphic footage of the World Trade Center attacks, Mr. Olbermann abruptly took off his journalistic hat. “I’m sorry, it’s necessary to say this,” he began. After saying that the video had exploited the memories of the dead, he directly apologized to viewers who were offended. Then, sounding like a network executive, he said it was “probably not appropriate to be shown.” Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams, the past and present anchors of “NBC Nightly News,” have told friends and colleagues that they are finding it tougher and tougher to defend the cable arm of the news division, even while they anchored daytime hours of convention coverage on MSNBC and contributed commentary each evening. Mr. Williams did not respond to a request for comment and Mr. Brokaw declined to comment. At a panel discussion in Denver, Mr. Brokaw acknowledged that Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews had “gone too far” at times, but emphasized they were “not the only voices” on MSNBC, according to The Washington Post. Some tensions have spilled out on-screen. On the first night in Denver, as the fellow MSNBC host Joe Scarborough talked about the resurgence of the McCain campaign, Mr. Olbermann dismissed it by saying: “Jesus, Joe, why don’t you get a shovel?” The following night, Mr. Olbermann and his co-anchor for convention coverage, Mr. Matthews, had their own squabble after Mr. Olbermann observed that Mr. Matthews had talked too long. NBC Universal executives are also known to be concerned about the perception that MSNBC’s partisan tilt in prime time is bleeding into the rest of the programming day. On a recent Friday afternoon, a graphic labeled “Breaking News” asked: “How many houses does Palin add to the Republican ticket?” Mr. Griffin called the graphic “an embarrassment.”

How Do You Like Your Monster, Dr. Frankenstein?

Eight short days ago virtually no one in America had ever heard of Sarah Palin.

Eight nights ago Barack Obama was basking in the glow of a spectacular Democrat Convention topped off by his own magnificent acceptance speech.

Seven days and 12 hours ago Democrat operatives were celebrating early poll results showing Obama had finally pulled ahead of John McCain, outside of the margin of error.

Seven days and 11 hours ago John McCain surprised the nation by announcing his choice of a little known, Alaskan Governor as his running mate.

Then something very unexpected happened. Lightning struck the extended antenna of the Democrat/Liberal/Progressive Laboratory and thousands of little Dr. Frankensteins began to create a monster that would quickly overtake them all. The Sarah Palin Monster was born.

Don't give John McCain all the credit for the Palin. It was the Dems, the Libs and the media that created the monster. And stop calling the public stupid. Americans demand fairness. And they will root for the underdog.

If Dem's had simply ignored her, noting only surprise that McCain chose a second stringer to play in the major leagues, this could have all been avoided. If only Dems hadn't attacked her gender, her family, her daughter and her Down's Syndrome baby.

If only liberals had stuck to the issues and not questioned her ability to be both a Mother and a Vice President. If only Dems had asked the same questions of Palin they would ask of Joe Biden.

If only some deranged Kos Kids hadn't created a disgusting sexual fantasy, a progressive wet dream and then posted it as fact. And, if only the Main Stream Media hadn't picked it up and run with it as fact.

But the Dems did and the Libs did and the Kos Delinquents did and the MSM did... and poof! The Monster was born!

And what a monster! Rasmussen reports today that Palin’s favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. Palin's acceptance speech was viewed live by more than 40 million people, nearly equal to Obama's.

The new data also shows significant increases in the number who say McCain made the right choice and the number who say Palin is ready to be President. Generally, John McCain’s choice of Palin earns slightly better reviews than Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden.

And Rasmussen backs up the very point I've been trying to make for the last several days.

"Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans believe that most reporters are trying to hurt Palin’s campaign, a fact that may enhance her own ratings."

The more the media and the Democrat blogosphere piles on with loaded questions and anti-feminist rhetoric, the more Americans will rally to her side.

My advice to my fellow Dems and Libs? Ignore Palin. Ban stories about her fom your blogs and websites. Devote the full force of your attacks on the top of the ticket. It's McCain that is running for President, anyway. Give him hell. Treat Palin like the curiosity she is, nothing more. No attacks and especially avoid anything personal.

I know some of you now have some real issues. Too bad. It's too late. You created the monster. By attacking her with lies and blatantly sexist comments, you've lost your credibiity. It just looks like more piling on.

Don't feed the beast. Put her in solitary confinement for 30 days, then let Joe Biden handle her. Have faith. Biden can do it.

Now I would take it a step further. It's not going to happen. But it should.

I think a lot of progressive bloggers owe her an apology. God knows the Main Stream Media does. They should give it to her. If doing the right thing isn't a valid reason for you to apologize, do it so you can take away the sympathy factor.

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ADDENDUM: As I re-read my essay tonight I realized I had made a very serious omission. One more person deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the excitement and that is Sarah Palin herself. She is a real and very rare talent, a powerful speaker, a strong leader and a bright and graceful spokesperson for her party.

What a Wonderful Night

When you get to watch Howard Fineman of Newsweek basically shut down Keith Olbermann, it is a wonderful night. Olbermann, who certainly doesn't belong behind the anchor desk of a major news network, was doing his best to berate and tear down Sarah Palin after her magnificient and show stopping speech to the Republican Convention. Fineman simply wasn't buying a single slanderous remark Olbermann tossed his way. Instead Fineman restated the obvious: Palin is clearly ready for prime time and the Democrats really do have a serious problem.

To paraphrase Fineman, since I don't have a video clip or transcript yet, Democrats have a very serious problem. Up until tonight Obama was the sole media star, now he has a serious rival. Palin has captured the attention, and in many ways, the hearts of the American people.

I would add that since the media and Democrat blogosphere have been so extremely unfair to Palin and her family, she also has the sympathy of almost all Americans. The Obama loving media really made a serious mistake on this one. Americans like the underdog to begin with. And Americans insist on fairness. When the media and underhanded Democrat operatives attacked and vilified Palin and her daughter in a manner that would never have been tolerated if it were a Democrat candidate, they screwed up big time.

The Wizard, fkap blog has had over ten thousand visitors today, That happened because our message rang so very true with the reading and blogging audience. Democrats absolutely surrendered their principles and their moral authority once they attacked Sarah Palin for the unforgivable sin of being a Republican while female.

I want to thank the over fifty blogs and bulletin boards that reprinted my essay and or linked to my blog. I want to thank all who have posted comments or sent me emails or text or Twitter messages. I'll try to visit and write to every one of you.

The unfairness of the media attack continues. It's appalling and embarrassing. Journalists have surrendered their objectivity and their honor. I am going to write a great deal more about this. But the bottom line is that the public hates what is happening. And they're not going to take it.

I hope and pray we'll get back to a campaign of issues and ideas, but I doubt it. I remain a strong liberal and advocate for women's rights, gay rights and civil rights. These are the topics we should discuss. But so long as misguided Democrat operatives and progressive yet unprincipled bloggers make the issue her sex, her family, her baby or her daughter, that is a debate we cannot possibly win.

And if we don't see a much stronger response against this lynching from Barack Obama himself and key Democrat leaders, Hillary Clinton in particular, then we will see Sarah Palin as Vice President in January, 2009.

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On a personal note, Sarah Palin may just have actually won the election tonight with a very genuine and heart felt comment totally overlooked by the major networks. I can personally assure you that these words are still ringing in the hearts and minds of the parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters every special needs child:

"Children with special needs inspire a special love. To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

For a special needs parent, having an advocate in the White House trumps every single other issue. When Sarah picked up baby Trig after her speech, the election was over. Sarah won.

It's Over. We've lost.

September 2nd, 2008. The 2008 Election ended this morning as a vast cadre of liberals, progressives, Democrats and like minded journalists lifted the white flag and surrendered.

We surrendered something a whole lot more valuable than our vote. We surrendered our principles. We surrendered our core values.

We surrendered all hope. We surrendered our shared dreams that our daughters would inherit a better world, a world of promise, equality, justice, fairness and honor.

We had dreamed of a world where our 17 year old daughters wouldn't be striped naked and raped on the front page of the New York Times, above the fold.

We dreamed of a world where a candidate, man or woman, could run for the highest office in the land and not be "swiftboated" with sexual lies and slander so vicious, so cruel, so gross and destructive that they actually wither our very soul.

I actually believed we were better than that. I actually believed "swiftboating" was the sole property of Republicans. I actually believed we wanted to debate the issues. I actually believed we wanted the real change so eloquently promised by Senator Barack Obama. I actually believed we wanted a better world for our sons and our daughters.

So I thought the extremely bizarre story, so obvious a blatant lie, that somehow appeared in The Daily Kos, claiming Governor Sarah Palin had somehow faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her wayward teenage daughter would be laughed off and quickly vanish from the Kos pages like the trash it was. It was a joke, A sad, sick joke.

But instead of the aborted fetus it should have been, it was born full grown into the waiting arms of liberal bloggers and journalists, who quickly passed out cigars and congratulated themselves as proud mamas and papas. All this in spite of the fact that absolutely everyone knew the story was an absolute lie.

The only thing we aborted was the truth.

Like all lies, it took many forms and grew in dozens of directions simultaneously. The Huffington Post, already in full blown Palin Derangement Syndrome, ran every possible rumor, variation and invented more lies to compliment the original. And the main stream media, who for a solid month refused (absolutely refused) to reprint or broadcast a single word of the John Edward's affair, ran with the verifiably fake Palin story within hours of it's publication.

All of a sudden, "Did you hear what they wrote in The Kos" became an acceptable substitute for fact checking. Of course, since one single phone call could disprove the story, nobody in the mainstream media could be bothered to pick up a phone.

Finally, Governor Palin was forced to issue a statement. She had no choice. She advised the salivating media of her teen daughter's pregnancy. And that's when we finally surrendered our all of our most cherished principles.

Armed with an official statement, nothing could possibly hold the main stream media back and the liberal blogosphere went berserk. The full fledged gang rape of Bristol Palin was underway. Any shred of decency that remained in the liberal blogosphere was gone.

Remember that wonderful Academy Award Winning Movie, "Juno?" Remember the warm and supportive television series "The Secret Life of An American Teenager?" Remember liberals demanding we treat a pregnant teenager with love, support and respect. Well, fuck that shit, there's a conservative teenage harlot to burn at the stake!

There are a very few crying "don't." I point with great respect to The Ikonoclast and to Lee Stranahan over at HuffPo, but the mob is out of control and cannot hear their pleas.

Barack Obama himself is pleading for restraint. But the town sheriff's eloquence cannot stop the mob. There's a lynching to be held.

And now, on day two, we're going full force after the teen father. Seek and destroy. Seek and destroy. Seek and destroy.

So I'll simply leave you with the eloquent words of one of our very own leaders, Senator Dick Durbin, who on June 12th of this year said:

"But I will tell you this: the hottest ring in hell is reserved for those in politics who attack their opponents’ families. And if there are some strategists who think that’s the way to win the election, I think they’re wrong."

At the time Durbin said it, I didn't think it was true.

But I do now.