Republicans happy to compare experience of Palin, Obama

The Obama campaign, within minutes of McCain’s announcement of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, issued a statement that said, “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.” The most notable thing about this statement was that they completely ignored Palin’s experience as governor of Alaska. They called her instead, “the former mayor of a town of 9000.”

Palin and other Republicans responded in kind during last night’s Republican convention. Ignoring Obama’s recent experience, they referred to Obama most often as a former community organizer. Comparing her experience as mayor to Obama’s experience, Palin said, “Being a mayor is kind of like being a community organizer, except a mayor has actual responsibilities.”

To those who belittle small towns like the one where she was mayor, Palin said that people in small towns “are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America … who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.”

But Palin also highlighted her experience and accomplishments as Governor of Alaska. Among other things, she established ethics reforms, vetoed “nearly half a billion dollars” in “wasteful spending,” and “fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history”: “a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.”

In contrast to her accomplishments, she said of Sen. Obama, “this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform – not even in the state senate.” Earlier in the evening, Rudy Giuliani went even further in criticizing Obama’s tenure in the state senate:

Then he ran for — then he ran for the state legislature and he got elected. And nearly 130 times, he couldn’t make a decision. He couldn’t figure out whether to vote “yes” or “no.” It was too tough. He voted — he voted “present.”

I didn’t know about this vote “present” when I was mayor of New York City. Sarah Palin didn’t have this vote “present” when she was mayor or governor. You don’t get “present.” It doesn’t work in an executive job. For president of the United States, it’s not good enough to be present. You have to make a decision.

There were several other noteworthy sound bites from Palin’s speech. Here are a few:

  • “And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion – I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.”
  • “While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor’s office that I didn’t believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.”
  • “In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change. They’re the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.”
  • “And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, ‘fighting for you,’ let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you … in places where winning means survival and defeat means death … and that man is John McCain.”

74 thoughts on “Republicans happy to compare experience of Palin, Obama”

  1. Barack has pretty much been a do-nothing in the US Senate. He’s had the time and the platform to create some of the CHANGE he loves to talk about, but really has done little. He won’t get my vote, either for president this year or for another term in the Senate.

  2. She rocked last night. How can you not like her?
    The Obama camp is shaking in their boots right now.
    Count me in!

  3. I’m only shaking in my boots because I can’t believe people actually buy that load of crap.

  4. The load of crap comes from the guy who actually had enough of a blown ego to write two memoirs about his life before he actually accomplished anything of any real import and before anyone really cared. Obama is nothing more than a snake charming blowhard socialist.

  5. She wood the crowd quite well last night. I expect Beck-Limbaugh-Hannity to just be beside themselves today and forward.

    I couldn’t help but notice the Republicans setting fire to one of their central held positions by the repeated mockery of community organizers. Considering how near n dear faith based community organizing has been, to demean them on the scale that occurred last night has surely got to make some of them uncomfortable. It wasn’t just the speakers either, some of that mockery was originating from the floor. Shameful.

  6. Personally, I find it amusing the hear the moniker “socialist” being thrown around by the partisans of a political party that has clearly abandoned its tradition of limited government intrusion into the personal lives of citizens and fiscal responsibility. Perhaps if Republicans became less interested in attempting to legislate personal morality and more interested in protecting civil and individual liberties, not to mention Constitutionally-constrained government, they’d have a leg to stand on.

    Barry Goldwater has to be absolutely spinning in his grave over the current dismal state of the Republican Party.

  7. “While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor’s office that I didn’t believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.”

    Wish our gov would do that!

  8. I found all the talk of protecting the Constitution in last nights speeches rather amusing. Kind of bring back the whole being in touch with reality meme.

    Also amusing was Romney actually suggesting that the ‘conservative’ justices on the Supreme Court were too Liberal…. I can just imagine Scalia watchin at home spewing his beer with a “What!?!?” in outrage. Will it cost McCain the Supreme Court vote should it come to that?

  9. Plane had to be re-listed – it sold just over a year ago.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/us/25jet.html

    “A businessman from Valdez, Alaska, Larry Reynolds, paid $2.1 million this week for the state-owned Westwind II jet that Mr. Murkowski’s successor, Gov. Sarah S. Palin, promised to purge from the state inventory when she ran against Mr. Murkowski last fall in the Republican primary.”

  10. 1. She didn’t write the speech.

    2. She’s a former sports broadcaster. She SHOULD be able to speak well.

    3. The speechwriter(s) came up with all of the talking points that would “wow” the conservative, sheep-headed crowd.

    4. Her delivery is good. Her background is shallow.

    5. She didn’t write the speech.

    Leave it to the sheep-headed Republicans to think that this was a “speech for the ages.” Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

  11. Prego Man — First, how do you know “she didn’t write the speech”? Second, if she did use speechwriters, so what? Do not Obama and Biden use speechwriters? Have not just about all Presidents in recent history used speechwriters?

    At least she didn’t plagiarize her speech like Biden.

  12. hey Prego, in all fairness, do you think Obama wrote his speech? Such speeches are canned and probably shouldn’t be viewed upon for content by either side. Rather, on how the candidates do under the spotlight. Was it enough for Palin? Probably, though I don’t think she changed any minds just as Obama didn’t last week. Who knows but it was kind of funny to see boyfriend all gussied up in his new suit and perfectly tied tie.

  13. The greatest moment of the night didn’t belong to Sarah. It belonged to Piper Palin while she was taking care of baby brother Trig.

    But of course, I’m sure the licking of the hand to groom his hair was scripted, too.

  14. It was a great speech. Too bad she didn’t actually say anything, except to distort the Obama/Biden records.

    I haven’t heard a single word yet from this convention about what her and McCain are going to do. Let’s hear some specifics, like we heard from Obama last week.

  15. Hey Mazr, read the constitution and tell me where it talks about the “right of privacy” that the Liberals use as their reasoning for allowing abortion. Obama thinks that even a baby delivered alive due to a botched abortion ought to be allowed to die. This is why the Supreme Court is so important and why the President who is appointing them is just as important.Sarah Palin is a GREAT choice.

  16. Does any one know how old the father of the baby is?

    Really though, the only thing that has created “a deep rut” in this country is eight years of Republican govt.

  17. Mr. Conrad Stinnett,
    -“Barack has pretty much been a do-nothing in the US Senate. He’s had the time and the platform to create some of the CHANGE he loves to talk about, but really has done little. He won’t get my vote, either for president this year or for another term in the Senate.”

    I am curious to know if you support Aaron Schock for Congress? How you vote is a private affair, but you seem to have an issue with politicians who put climbing the political ladder before serving the public.

  18. some fact checking for y’all – courtesy of the AP (have yet to be mentioned as a partisan news source)
    http://news.yahoo.com/story/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.

    Some examples:

    PALIN: “I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending … and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress ‘thanks but no thanks’ for that Bridge to Nowhere.”

    THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a “bridge to nowhere.”

    PALIN: “There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate.”

    THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

    PALIN: “The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.”

    THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama’s plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain’s plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

    Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

    He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

    MCCAIN: “She’s been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America’s energy supply … She’s responsible for 20 percent of the nation’s energy supply. I’m entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America,” he said in an interview with ABC News’ Charles Gibson.

    THE FACTS: McCain’s phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she’s no more “responsible” for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

    MCCAIN: “She’s the commander of the Alaska National Guard. … She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities,” he said on ABC.

    THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under “federal status,” which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska’s national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

    FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin “got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States.”

    THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor’s election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

    FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: “We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin.”

    THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

  19. fact checking on speech points by AP (trying to post again, think link messed it up)

    Some examples:

    PALIN: “I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending … and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress ‘thanks but no thanks’ for that Bridge to Nowhere.”

    THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a “bridge to nowhere.”

    PALIN: “There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate.”

    THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.

    PALIN: “The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.”

    THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama’s plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain’s plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

    Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.

    He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.

    MCCAIN: “She’s been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America’s energy supply … She’s responsible for 20 percent of the nation’s energy supply. I’m entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America,” he said in an interview with ABC News’ Charles Gibson.

    THE FACTS: McCain’s phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she’s no more “responsible” for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.

    MCCAIN: “She’s the commander of the Alaska National Guard. … She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities,” he said on ABC.

    THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under “federal status,” which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska’s national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.

    FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin “got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States.”

    THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor’s election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.

    FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: “We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin.”

    THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

  20. Mr. Stinnett,

    One of the critcisms against Schock is that he has jumped from one office to another, without having accomplished a thing [for his constituents, etc]. From Dist 150 phenom…to running for U.S. Congress in how many years…? Having accomplished what along the way…? You seem to be hitting Obama for the same reason.
    – “Barack has pretty much been a do-nothing in the US Senate.”

  21. I get your point, New Voice. One major differentiating factor is Schock’s commitment to the community and his constituents. Aaron very much keeps his ear to the ground and is well aware of what is going on in the community. His service to constituents is also top-notch and he is invested in the area. I would have liked to have seen him run for another term before he sought another office, actually. Obama lacks even this, though, In addition to a unimpressive legislative record, Obama doesn’t seem to generate praise for his commitment to serving the people of Illinois and I’m not sure he actually possesses any commitment. I will say that the US Senate has long been regarded as a training ground for potential presidents. The fact that Obama hasn’t done a lot there disturbs me.

  22. OK – Fair enough. However……

    Aaron keeping his “ear to the ground,” is just fine. “His service,” as you put it, remains to be seen. Your opinion of Schock is not surprising. Enough people do believe Schock is ONLY interested in furthering his own career as a ‘career poltician’ [I am just saying….]. In the end, we are comparing apples and oranges, etc. I just hope you do not appear too much the hypocrite. If we are talking Peoria [area] politics, we are in deep trouble already.

  23. NV- You misunderstand. Schock has learned and applied the Michael/LaHood method of being a successful ombudsman for his constituents. Those contacting him about various issues receive solid assistance with dealing with them. That is very much a positive attribute. By the way, I don’t appreciate being called a hypocrite. That was solidly out of line.

  24. Conrad, did you not read this bit:
    “THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to PASS legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the LEADER on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases (note – both are now laws). He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.”

    Add to this that Obama worked tirelessly in IL to craft gun control legislation that worked for both city dwellers and rural gun advocates. And what about the Obama/Coburn bill (note Tom Coburn is a Republican!) – that passed and is now law, “passed a law to create a Google-like search engine to allow regular people to approximately track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and loans online.”

    I’d bet you’ll find Governor Palin’s name in that database a LOT! Bring me some legislation that is now law and has her name it, and we’ll talk.

  25. ps – thanks NV.

    Oh, and bring me that same list of legislation for Aaron Schock. Legislation that he WROTE, and didn’t just stick his name on as a co-sponsor.

    Yes, Aaron was great for my friend whose condo community wanted a neighboring house’s junk yard style yard cleaned up. He’s right there for ya’ if you want a car on blocks gotten rid of!

    But where, and I have yet to see examples, has Aaron Schock shown that he can craft actual, working legislation in his so-called “brilliant” career as a professional politician? It’s something I readily admit I don’t have the chops to do either. But I’m not running for US Congress.

    Procedure and writing legislation in DC is serious, tricky, and usually nasty stuff. Aaron hasn’t even done this in Springfield, I don’t think he’s got the wherewithal to do it in DC either.

  26. It was an effective speech for winding up the crowd and showing she’s tough. But face it, the base doesn’t need reassuring since they’re not going to flip to Obama. The question is whether that 15% in the middle were impressed. She showed snappy/snarky/in-your-face last night (was anyone else reminded of Elaine from Seinfeld??), but she should probably shelve that presentation soon and work on looking serious, concerned, thoughtful and Presidential. I bet that 15% ARE trying to imagine her sitting across the table at the G8 or Security Council, and smart ass and crass probably distort the picture a bit.

    Kudos to Rudy G though. He’s not on the ticket and can be as mean of a bulldog as they want him to be. His attack was harsh, probably somewhat incorrect, but noneless effective and amusing at times. It woke me up from the slumber induced by the speakers who came before.

  27. One other untruth from Palin,: she claimed to have chosen to rebate profits from the oil production to “every citizen of the state”… she did not choose to do so, it has been done every year since the Alaskan Pipeline has been built. I had a good friend in the Army that was still receiving his oil checks even when he lived in Colorado (in 1986), and had only been back to the state to visit.

  28. kcdad,
    Rebates, as opposed to spending the money.
    Yes, rebates are common in Alaska, but the amount varies.

  29. It was already stated that the writer of her speech was some joker who has written speeches for W, as well. I don’t mind that she read off of a canned script, and I know that 97.45% of the major politicians do the same (including Obama); my ache is this—– lots of sheepheads are falling all over themselves because of HER speech. It ain’t HER speech. She did a very nice job of delivering a WRITTEN SPEECH by a PAID Sheephead speech writer. That’s it. Go on and make over the speech writer, if that’s what you wanna do. Even go so far as saying she did an Ace Job of delivering it (other than her extremely irritating habit of pursing her lips together like a grouper after she’s done saying some garbage… then making a “smacking” noise when she opens that huge mouth again)——- BUT DO NOT make it sound like SHE delivered HER OWN Gettysburg Address… cos she did NOT.

    It was just a series of smarmy comments from a wanna-be Saturday Night Live writer… and leave it to the Sheepheads to fall all over themselves, “Hey! We got a HOT BABE on the ticket! And she shoots MOOSE! Wow!”

    Give me a break. The only relief I have from this fiasco is knowing… KNOWING that they are doomed to defeat… Grandpa Mac and Hockey Mom. Fire up the Zamboni, kids… it’s gonna be rough ride till early November.

  30. A little off the subject–Romney’s speech, not Palin’s:
    “Opportunity rises when children are raised in homes and schools that are free from pornography, promiscuity and drugs; in homes that are blessed with family values and the presence of a father and a mother.”
    I am curious as to what Romney was thinking—or not thinking–when he wrote (or read) this portion of his Wednesday night Republican convention speech. His whole speech was a series of contrasts between liberal and conservative stances. So was he suggesting that if a child is raised in a conservative Republican home (as opposed to a Democratic liberal home), there will be no promiscuity and that a father and a mother will be present in the home?
    If so, McCain’s children (from his first marriage) are exceptions to the rule, aren’t they—at least I don’t believe there was a father “present” in their home (after the divorce). Right?
    The use of the word “promiscuity” might cause some to think of Palin’s daughter (admittedly it came to my mind). Or theologically speaking does one have to be married to be promiscuous? But isn’t the implication of Romney’s speech that if parents are not promiscuous, then the “family values” will be passed on to the children. If so, the Palins are also exceptions, right? At least, there has been one glitch—by their own previously and publicly held standards.
    My whole “convoluted” point—point of view—is that I wish that conservative Christians would stop claiming that “family values” are practiced only in conservative Republican homes. By doing so, they set themselves up to be called hypocrites. By the way, I can be easily misunderstood here by those who agree and by those who disagree with me. I truly am not criticizing McCains or the Palins for falling short of these ideals. We all fall way short—I believe. I just wish that “family values” would stop being a political football.
    I wish that Christians would quietly live lives upholding Christian values (and people will notice)—as witnesses to Christ’s redemption rather than creating this impression that they believe they are paragons of virtue because of their own goodness. That is the way others see us when we claim to be better than others (especially, our or their political opponents). Doesn’t the Biblical warning “pride comes before a fall” apply?
    One other possibility—I know the mind of evangelicals (as I am one myself) enough to know that many hold Romney himself suspect because of his religion—but the “family values” stance is very much an evangelical stance, also. I just hope that this stance of “Republican equals Christian” will end soon—for the sake of Christianity. Sorry to bring religion into this political discussion—or did I?

  31. cgiselle2 wrote: THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.

    That’s incorrect…Beginning in January 2001, the Senate was split 50/50 with Vice President Cheney, as President of the Senate, having the tie breaking vote. Nothing can get done in that situation.

    In June 2001, Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords switched to an Independent and caucused with the Democrats, thus giving them control of the Senate. The GOP regained control of Congress in January 2003. What this means is that during the Bush presidency, his party has only controlled the Senate for half the time. Although the House may pass his agenda by a wide margin, it often is compromised or killed (drilling in ANWR, etc.) in the Senate, even under GOP control.

  32. Neither party has had control of the Senate during Bush presidency. 51/50 or 51/49 isn’t enough. The 51/50 majority can determine leadership positions and who runs the committees but you need a filibuster-proof majority (60) to control the Senate. That hasn’t happened since 1979.

  33. Conrad, while share the same opinion for you as Obama…

    Strictly from an administrative perspective, Obama (or Durbin for that matter) shouldn’t be used as a primary resource for constituents. Your local member of the US House should be the first avenue for constituent issues at the federal level. Its just not very practical from an office manpower perspective.

    Also Obama’s star power has given him a lot of problems in that area, having worked in a state legislative office and spoken with people from Obama’s office, he gets a disproportional amount of mail and phone calls simply because people remember his name better then their other elected representatives. Most of the calls aren’t even federal issues.

    Not that it should be a complete excuse, but it is reality.

  34. 94th GA Chief Sponsor in the House Bill
    Bill #
    HB3449 Pub Law
    SB426 Pub Law
    SB479 Pub Law
    HB2421 Pub Law
    HB2515 Pub Law
    HB3678 Pub Law
    HR957
    HB1554
    HB2418
    HB2419
    HB2420
    HB2422
    HB2423
    HB2447
    HB2516
    HB2534
    HB3500
    HB3503
    HB3673
    HB3674
    HB3789
    HB3790
    HB3791
    HB3792
    HB3794
    HB3826
    HB3867
    HB4743
    HB4995
    HB5387
    HB5519
    HB5520
    HB5521
    HB5540
    HR146
    HR1440
    95th GA
    HB414
    HB699
    HB1081
    HB1082
    HB1705
    HB1706
    HB1707
    HB1708 pub law
    HB1891
    HB1951
    HB3127
    HB4544
    HB4545
    HB4546
    HB4547
    HB5562
    HB5563
    HB5565
    HB5905 pub law
    HR110
    HR616
    SB51
    SB263
    SB665
    SB825
    SB1893
    Most of the bills in the 94th GA died due to in action by committees or time was not set aside to consider the bill which is under the control of the Majority party. (5th GA legislation is still in a committee awaiting action by ther majority party to move it forward or vote it down . All bills listed are the Chief sponsorship of Rep A. Schock according to the General Assembly site http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/default.asp

  35. If anyone truly believes that she wrote that speech…you are truly living in a fantasy world. Facts is facts: She’s a good public speaker…big effin deal. So is Senator Obama. I couldn’t give one shit if either can woo the crowd with the fancy talk that the speechwriters put into their candidates perspective hands.

    The thing about Mrs. Palin is this: she preaches about how sex ed in school is morally wrong. YET…she was knocked up at an early age, as well as her daughter. BOTH had shotgun weddings. She has 5 kids…one with down syndrome…which takes an unbelieveable ammount of extra care…which as VP she cannot expect to be able to manage.
    I am neither dem or con…but I will say that IF I was going to vote for either candidate this year…it would NOT be McCain now…he screwed the pooch on this one. Period.

    Shes’s a controversial, bad choice…regardless of her track record. And all of the cons can keep defending her all they like. The voters will speak on election day on this topic, and trust me…the cons will NOT be happy with what they hear.

  36. Mr. Precinct Committeeman,
    No one is saying that the state assembly didn’t let Aaron play along. He was…’busy,’ but U.S. Congress based on this list? Come on…. I am still waiting to see if the ‘gun bill’ will ever fly!!!

  37. Jeebus, that was the biggest failure I’ve ever seen at a convention. We’re talking worse than “Dick Cheney needs a time out!” from the 2004 DNC. Four days of fail.

    I… I’ve gotta be honest with you, I feel rather deflated. Almost depressed! Considering how sleazy their campaign has been so far, I really expected more out of them. But this… it’s like they didn’t even try to sound reasonable. It’s just the same old lines from the 80’s and 90’s. “UUUGGGHH, BIG GOVERNMENT SCARY!!! UGGH! DUHHHHHHHHHH. WAR GOOOOOOD.”

    Silly, delusional conservatives, you actually swallowed that argument. Jesus must be proud.

  38. Very well put, Sharon.

    Off topic, kudos to the Peoria Blogsphere. I throw in a smart-ass comment every once in a while and the rest of you pick up the slack. Lots of talent out there. Keep up the good work.

  39. So… experience in the State Legislature is insufficient for a run for the House, and a former mayor and current Governor shouldn’t run for VP….

    Would you accept this resume’ for a candidate for Senate?
    Honors Graduate from Harvard College
    Comedy/satire writer
    Radio talk show host
    Author
    Actor
    Facing fines for failure to pay corporate taxes and carry workman’s compensation insurance for his employees

    Yeah, you’re right. No one like this would consider running for the US Senate.

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