Governor Palin Ain’t No Hillary Clinton!

"When they were vetting her for this job, like three seconds ago, she said, quote, I'm not making this up, 'What is it exactly that the VP does every day?' Let me field that for you, Sarah. They start wars, they enrich their friends, they subvert the Constitution, and they shoot people in the face. That's what the vice president does." –Bill Maher

"Today President Bush called Gov. Palin and congratulated her. Bush told Palin the job of vice president is very important because as vice president, you get to tell the president what to do." –Jay Leno

"John McCain's VP pick is the governor of Alaska, a unknown hockey mom named Sarah Palin that no one ever heard of. The only other job she had in politics was the mayor of a small town known as Wasilla, Alaska, and now she has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen." –Bill Maher


Recently Gloria Steinem wrote an Op-ed piece for the LA Times pointing out, among other things, that the only thing Sarah Palin has in common with Hillary is the female chromosome; that otherwise she's an unmitigated political boob who shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence with Hillary. To be sure, that's my characterization of Ms. Steinem's essay. Be that as it may, I received a sharply critical essay taking Gloria to task for ostensibly doing to little Miss Palin what had been done so unmercifully to Hillary. . .i.e., subjecting her to harsh, perhaps even unfair criticism.

It does seem to me that such criticism of Ms. Steinem represents a gross distortion of reality. First, it ignores the fact that Ms. Steinem was and continues to be a strong Hillary supporter, and she wrote a number of strong endorsements of the Clinton campaign during the battle when it counted. However, the important points, that seem to get lost in this discussion, has to do with the issues basic to the process. As Hillary, herself so clearly noted, this campaign has not been about me; there are basic, fundamental social issues involved; issues that will help determine what quality of life our citizens will enjoy as we march ahead.

To even suggest that Gov. Palin be given a free pass, or even our support, because she shares with Hillary WOMANHOOD, is so patently ridiculous it hardly deserves mention. Let us not forget the tremendous value differences between these candidates.

It is also true that Governor Palin has over the course of her political career been quick to harshly criticize those who disagree with her. Some of that nastiness lay just beneath the surface of her acceptance speech in St. Paul, and some of it played front and center.

Nastiness aside, much in the fashion of the "Old Politics", certainly not in a manner that could classify her as a maverick, the mendacious Ms. Palin misrepresented (I'm being kind, she repeatedly lied) herself at the recent Republican Convention in St. Paul. She made a big point of letting us know that the bridge boondoggle engineered by Sen. Stevens--the 300 million dollar bridge to nowhere--was rejected at her request. She made it ever so clear, that like Sen. McCain, she opposed "ear mark spending." Yes, Gov. Palin left the clear impression that she had saved the American taxpayers from that foolish, profligate spending; she failed to mention that the money was NOT returned to the US Treasury but was spent on other Alaska projects.

Yes! In Alaska! Alaska, the number one recipient of earmark funds in the nation, and yes, Governor Palin has led the ravenous pack in requesting and receiving such funds. Ironically, while Alaska has been receiving "earmark" largess from US Taxpayer funds, the government of Alaska itself is sending each Alaska taxpayer a $3,600.00 oil royalties check each year. Yeah, there's really a need up there for our US taxpayer "earmark money."

Oh yes, should we overlook this family values advocates own family foe paws, as we did Ronald Regan's? The political/religious Right takes every opportunity to slam the sex education programs in our public schools as opening the door to licentious, profligate behavior (Pahlin's voice has been a part of that chorus) and yet . . . . .well. . . . by now you know the rest of that story.

But in any event, you did hear the good Alaska Governor tout her success with the Alaska pipe line. . .one of her great successes stories during the convention speech, a real management, executive coup d' etat. Well, it turns out that was so much bull too.

Serge F. Kovaleski and Mike McIntire reported in the New York Times today, (11 September 2008) “The pipeline exists only on paper. The first section has yet to be laid, federal approvals are years away and the pipeline will not be completed for at least a decade. In fact, although it is the centerpiece of Ms. Palin’s relatively brief record as governor, the pipeline might never be built, and under a worst-case scenario, the state could lose up to $500 million it committed to defray regulatory and other costs.”

Kovaleski and McIntrie concluded, “Contributing to the project’s uncertainty is Ms. Palin’s antagonistic relationship with the major oil companies that control Alaska’s untapped gas reserves.” So much for Governor Palin’s big Alaska smoke and mirrors pipeline project.

During her acceptance speech the good governor emphasized her prudent handling of the people’s business by being thrifty. She pointedly noted for example that she put the governor’s plane up for sale on Ebay and that she dispensed with the services of a chef and did the cooking herself. Sounded good!

However, yesterday it was widely reported that while serving as Alaska's governor Ms. Palin was taking advantage of every expense voucher she could claim against the state treasury. The following headline from The Washington Post along with the first paragraph from the story shed considereable light upon Gov. Palin’s personal, self-aggrandizing approach to thrift.

Ms. Palin received a “per diem” expense allowance for 312 nights she spent at her home in Wasilla
The Washington Post-- Tuesday, 9 September

The $60-a-day allowance is available for state employees when traveling on official state business to cover meals and other sundry expenses. Ms. Palin’s per diems, which included some charges for partial days, totaled $17,059, from Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office, through June 30, 2008, the most recent data available, according to Sharon Leighow, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office."

Clearly Senator McCain either didn’t properly vet Governor Palin, or he’s playing us for a bunch of fools. Governor Palin needs to make herself available to members of the journalistic community so that we can really find who the governor of Alaska really is.

Ever on the watch,


Davy Crockett

Sen. McCain, Gov. Palin: Birds of a Feather or Two Peas in a Pod?

ST. PAUL — A series of disclosures about Gov. Sarah Palin, Senator John McCain’s choice as running mate, called into question on Monday how thoroughly Mr. McCain had examined her background before putting her on the Republican presidential ticket.

On Monday morning, Ms. Palin and her husband, Todd, issued a statement saying that their 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant and that she intended to marry the father.

Among other less attention-grabbing news of the day: it was learned that Ms. Palin now has a private lawyer in a legislative ethics investigation in Alaska into whether she abused her power in dismissing the state’s public safety commissioner; that she was a member for two years in the 1990s of the Alaska Independence Party, which has at times sought a vote on whether the state should secede; and that Mr. Palin was arrested 22 years ago on a drunken-driving charge.

--ELISABETH BUMILLER, New York Times 2 Sept. 2008

Ok, it's time for a little "straight talk" here. . .mind you now, this is not coming from any express .. . I'll leave the "fast" shoot from the hip stuff to OLD John McCain . . .you know, when he's on the big "straight talk" bus feelin' the push of his big patriotic ego.

Oh, before I write another word here, an apology is due. Those who read my random thoughts from time to time know that I've commonly placed Sen. McCain at the bottom of his Naval Academy class at number 850. Well Sorry! I've since been told that I should get my facts straight before issuing such a potentially damaging piece of information. He was ( and I didn't do a fact check on this; I'll accept it as true) number 849. So, I was wrong; he didn't hit the barrel bottom.

It is true, as I've written before, that he fell out of high school with an academic/behavioral record that might have qualified him for reform school but certainly not college or any other kind of school for that matter. But, when your grandfather and your father are distinguished four star admirals in the US Navy, well, you are eligible for a legacy admission at the United States Naval Academy. Just because cadet McCain spent more time on detention with more demerits than anyone in Naval Academy history is no reason to think they would give him the boot either....No, legacy candidates continue to have the pull and influence of their benefactors behind them. .. in McCain's case, as I've noted, two, not one, but two decorated four star admirals--Daddy and Granddaddy. Kinda like Bush's legacy admission at the Ivy League schools.

Well, the Navy exercised the only option available, under the circumstances, the bottom of the graduating class, or at barrel's end.

Now that we've established the fact that the good Senator is not an intellectual shining star, it's a little easier to understand his V P. pick--the baked Alaska. To be sure there were more than a few confused looks on the faces of TV''s talking heads after Ms. Palin's name was announced. First expressions from the pundits almost all embodied some element of disbelief. Disbelief quickly followed by the Mary Matlin Republican Party types who smilingly told us that Alaska's Ms. Palin was far more accomplished and experienced than the Democrat's Brock Obama. After all she'd been a runner up in a beauty contest, served a couple years as mayor of a small, isolated, Alaska town, (I guess they're all isolated in Alaska) and was a year and a half into the governorship of a state with more Moose than people--the least populated state in the nation. And, it turns out, she spends so much time in church, or someplace, that she can't be at home to supervise her then sixteen year old daughter who was playing house in the bedroom, and you know how rabid those fundamentalists are about sex ed. . . .gotta do the educating at home; can't let the public schools corrupt family life. Nope, that just won't do it. Well, that daughter, educated or not was doin' her boyfriend at home.

Just you never mind that Obama graduated from two of the most distinguished universities in the country if not in the world; served as editor of the Harvard Law School Review, an honor bestowed upon people of unique intellectual power and performance, served eight years in the Illinois State Senate, was elected to the United States Senate and spent 18 months on the campaign trail verbally sparing with some of the most accomplished politicians in the country. Obama’s smart. . .but I guess we can't have that kinda uppity crap in the good old US of A.

Sen. McCain insured that he wouldn't fall victim to the pitfalls of the vice presidential selection process that so clearly tripped Obama up; he'd have no green horn like Joe Bidden on his ticket. No sir! McCain picked from the pool of the great unknown for his VP running mate. . .that's right. Not only did she limp through a third tier college with a degree in how to be a beauty queen at Potato State in Idaho; in the 1990's she joined the Independent party; a political party in Alaska bent on taking Alaska out of the union. Yep, this is the same gal who audaciously asked, "What does the Vice President do? I 'm the kind a person that likes to do things,” she said, “ I don't wanta spend my time going to state funerals and things like that."

But not to get too far off the trail here. . .Why did McCain pick an Idaho potato translated into a baked Alaska as his VP running mate? It's as simple as understanding the basic laws of attraction or association . . .maybe it's both of 'em, I'll figure that out later, but the principles are easy. When you step out in to the garden, grab a pea pod off the vine and squeeze it open, you see a neat little row of peas, all lined up, no beans, no raisins, just little green peas that all look and taste alike. Damn you say, "Now ain't that just down right pretty."

You glance up at the wild blue, just to say a little thank you to the big guy who organizes all this stuff, and as you're lookin' up sayin' your thanks, you notice several eagles flying high over head. . .no turkeys in their midst. . .just eagles; it’s ‘cause of that association business I was alluding to a moment ago.

Wow! I don't know what other people think when they see things like the peas in the pod and the eagles flying high overhead without any turkeys in their midst; but me, it reminds me of an old drunk who used to speak words of wisdom to me every time he heard I'd gotten' kicked outa school for fighten' or doing something equally stupid. He'd always say, "Davy, if you want to soar with the eagles you're going to have ta quit acting like a God damned turkey. (By the way, he's the reason I cuss once in a great while.)

But back to McCain, he picked a dimwit because he is a dimwit.

You may think my analysis is way off the mark, but be prudent, don’t bet against me. Just after recording these thoughts for the ages, I happened to read the conservative New York Times Columnist David Brooks. Though he casts his explanation of McCain’s VP pick in a different frame than I did–he’s trying to rationalize the stupidity of a fellow conservative-- the fact is that in its essentials he agrees with what I’ve written. He notes, for example, that, “John McCain is not a normal conservative. . . . .”

“When McCain met Sarah Palin last February,” Brooks wrote, “ he was meeting the rarest of creatures, an American politician who sees the world as he does. Like McCain, Palin does not seem to have an explicit governing philosophy. Her background is socially conservative, but she has not pushed that as governor of Alaska. She seems to find it easier to work with liberal Democrats than the mandarins in her own party.”

. . . . . .

Brooks concludes, “Many people are conditioned by their life experiences to see this choice of a running mate through the prism of identity politics, but that’s the wrong frame. Sarah Barracuda was picked because she lit up every pattern in McCain’s brain, because she seems so much like himself” (David Brooks, New York Times Opinion Column, 2 September 2008).

See! What'd I tell ya? It's the basic laws of attraction or association at work in the McCain selection.

Now, if you think McCain is the only stupid bastard out there who thinks Ms. Palin’s well qualified to be VP, well you need to read a little American History. Don't forget, the biggest rap on Adlai Stevenson was the size of his brain; he was just to damned smart. . .an egg head. Richard Hofstadter's Pulitzer Prize winning book Anti-intellectualism in American Life (1963) contains many examples of bias against intellectuals in American History from the very beginnings of our nationhood right down to the time of his death, and as a people I'm not aware that there has been any big transformation of the basic American character. I haven’t heard anybody singing where have all the dummies gone? Nope, it was the flowers that took a powder. The dummies are still with us; we know where they've gone! Yep, they're congregating over there in St. Paul as I write.


Ever on the watch for ya,
Davy Crockett