McCain picks woman for VP slot

[Argus]

Suzi Landolphi's Hot, Sexy, Safer presentations to schools might certainly qualify. During the course of her presentation to Chelsmford High school in Chelmsford, Massuchusetts, she asked to students to make their best orgasm faces in front of a camera, asked a male student on stage to lick a condom with her, made comments about the cuteness of one male student's rear end, and suggested that one male student was wearing loose fitting pants as a clever means to hide his erections. Her presentation ended with having a girl place an oversized condom on a boys head and blowing it up.

Since the Republican party - and John McCain, believe that sex education should consist of abstinence until marriage and ONLY abstinence until marriage, any information about the mechanics of sex would probably be considered explicit. The federal government in the US has spent over $1 billion on abstinence only education for their children since 1996.

Unsurprisingly, the US teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the western world, and after years of decline is now starting to rise again.

Edited September 7, 2008 by Argus

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=bush_cheney2004: Yes...she was a mother to her children. Do you really think the average American voter gives a damn about the Harvard Law Review?

I dunno, which one gives one better preparation for understanding the laws you are going to be writing?

It would appear bush_cheney2004 has a lower opinion of the "average American voter" than some of the rest of us do.

[Guest American Woman]

Unsurprisingly, the US teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the western world, and after years of decline is now starting to rise again.

And as the teen pregnancy rate rises, programs to help teen mothers are declining thanks to budget cuts-- as clinics that provide birth control are also closing down due to budget cuts.

Sixty-seven percent of teenage girls who give birth don't graduate from high school, and less than 2% get a university degree by age 30.

Bristol Palin is not your "average pregnant teen" from an "average American home" the way it's being marketed. She has the support, money, and advantages that most don't have.

[bush_cheney2004]

It would appear bush_cheney2004 has a lower opinion of the "average American voter" than some of the rest of us do.

Actually, my opinion is much higher....but go ahead and enjoy your latest issue of the Harvard Law Review with the rest of your fellow elitists while the average voter tends to more important things.

[bush_cheney2004]

God forbid we should want a world leader who, you know, is EDU-Kated! We don't want none of that thar EDUCATION! We want us a good old boy who can sit round tha cracker barrel and chew tobaky!

Sorry, but I prefer my political leaders to be uhm, smart, and educated, and savvy about the important things they'll be dealing with. When some political aid comes into the oval office to tell the president there's a war in South Osettia he shouldn't be faced with a blank look - followed by questions about whether that's a continent or a country or an ocean.

Two points:

1) You have an opportunity to enjoy such a fate with Stephane Dion.....good luck. Sarah Palin is working in a different political market and she has much bigger balls than Mr. Dion.

2) Gov. Palin will not be your "political leader". That milk toast political dynamic in Canada doesn't work in the United States. Don't confuse political intelligence with education....Harry Truman sure didn't.

[CANADIEN]

Education is only a path to knowledge. It is not in itself a proof of knowledge, or intelligence.

So, why I am the first one to say that the job of a mayor of a suburb has nothing to do with the job of President or Vice-President of the United States, I am not ready to say that Sarah Palin knows nothing about the issues until she's actually asked about them.

That being said, it is not a good sign that she is not seating down with journalists and answer the tough question. And, if true, the bit about "the Pledge of Alleigence was good enough for the Founding Fathers" is not a good beginning.

[bush_cheney2004]

That being said, it is not a good sign that she is not seating down with journalists and answer the tough question. And, if true, the bit about "the Pledge of Alleigence was good enough for the Founding Fathers" is not a good beginning.

Obama topped that, and it wasn't even the beginning..."I've been in 57 states, (with) I think one left to go."

[Guest American Woman]

....it is not a good sign that she is not seating down with journalists and answer the tough question. And, if true, the bit about "the Pledge of Alleigence was good enough for the Founding Fathers" is not a good beginning.

It's more than "not a good sign;" it's shirking her responsibilities to Americans. Since she has agreed to take on the position where she may become our president, she owes it to us to answer the tough questions.

As for the bit about the pledge, evidently it is true. This site gives exact citation for the quote, which is stated as the "Anchorage Daily News," Oct 16, 2006, page B4. So the source, date, and even the page are all given.

Palin wrong on history of pledge

Republican candidate for governor Sarah Palin is so eager, so determined to link herself with the Constitution and Founding Fathers ­– state or national ­– that she is reaching too quickly at political opportunity.

History gets in the way.

In her answers to a candidate questionnaire from the conservative Eagle Forum Alaska, Ms. Palin stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Are you offended by the phrase ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance?” asked the Eagle Forum.

“Not on your life,” answered Ms. Palin. “If it was good enough for the Founding Fathers, it’s good enough for me, and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.”

[...]

...please, Ms. Palin, set an example for schoolchildren and get the facts right. Wrap yourself in the flag and the pledge if you want, but don’t credit the Founding Fathers as the tailors.

Edited September 7, 2008 by American Woman

[CANADIEN]

It's more than "not a good sign;" it's shirking her responsibilities to Americans. Since she has agreed to take on the position where she may become our president, she owes it to us to answer the tough questions.

As for the bit about the pledge, evidently it is true. This site gives exact citation for the quote, which is stated as the "Anchorage Daily News," Oct 16, 2006, page B4. So the source, date, and even the page are all given.

Palin wrong on history of pledge

Republican candidate for governor Sarah Palin is so eager, so determined to link herself with the Constitution and Founding Fathers ­– state or national ­– that she is reaching too quickly at political opportunity.

History gets in the way.

In her answers to a candidate questionnaire from the conservative Eagle Forum Alaska, Ms. Palin stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Are you offended by the phrase ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance?” asked the Eagle Forum.

“Not on your life,” answered Ms. Palin. “If it was good enough for the Founding Fathers, it’s good enough for me, and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.”

[...]

...please, Ms. Palin, set an example for schoolchildren and get the facts right. Wrap yourself in the flag and the pledge if you want, but don’t credit the Founding Fathers as the tailors.

Thanks for the link. Until now, I had a hard time believing someone with such level of ignorance could claim she can become VP of her country. On the other hand, it didn't prevent her from becoming Governor

[WIP]

And as the teen pregnancy rate rises, programs to help teen mothers are declining thanks to budget cuts-- as clinics that provide birth control are also closing down due to budget cuts.

Sixty-seven percent of teenage girls who give birth don't graduate from high school, and less than 2% get a university degree by age 30.

Bristol Palin is not your "average pregnant teen" from an "average American home" the way it's being marketed. She has the support, money, and advantages that most don't have.

I only have one question about the Bristol Palin story, and it's going to have to wait until all the dust settles before it will be possible to get to the truth: is she having the baby, and marrying the father of her own free will, or was she taken aside and told that she was going to have the baby whether or not she wanted to? Second part is the lucky father-to-be; from his Myspace page, all this kid wanted to do was play hockey, party and get drunk - and not necessarily in that order. He stated that he didn't want to have kids, so is he facing coercion and threats from the Palin family that they will bring all the weight provided by the Governor's office against him if he doesn't do-the-right-thing?

This story smells like Shotgun Wedding to me, and some day they'll write a book and make a movie about this little drama. Until then, I don't expect to get the real story! But for all of you conservatives who want to go back to the days before birth control and abortion rights, this is how a lot of people ended up married in the old days!

[bush_cheney2004]

....This story smells like Shotgun Wedding to me, and some day they'll write a book and make a movie about this little drama. Until then, I don't expect to get the real story! But for all of you conservatives who want to go back to the days before birth control and abortion rights, this is how a lot of people ended up married in the old days!

Well...there you have it folks....abortion is just "birth control".....speaks volumes. They will write that book when Palin becomes VP.

[jefferiah]

...please, Ms. Palin, set an example for schoolchildren and get the facts right. Wrap yourself in the flag and the pledge if you want, but don’t credit the Founding Fathers as the tailors.[/i]

What a scandal! Pledgegate!

So basically you are unpatriotic enough to endorse the idea of changing the pledge but so patriotic you get offended over the idea of someone making a technical mistake on who wrote it. What a horrid example she is setting for children!! What matters more, the pledge or who wrote it?

Edited September 7, 2008 by jefferiah

[WIP]

Well...there you have it folks....abortion is just "birth control".....speaks volumes. They will write that book when Palin becomes VP.

Straw Man Alert!

You probably already know that I believe there are situations(third trimester) where restrictions on abortion are valid, but we're talking here about a woman who declared to the Eagle Forum that she wouldn't even allow one of her daughters to have an abortion if they were raped! And the abstinence-only policies of people like Sarah Palin are the cause of unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortion. Put it simply, if you won't allow birth control, many pregnant girls would use abortion as a birth control option. Where there is access to birth control information, surprisingly enough, teen pregnancy rates have dropped:

Texas, for example, which strongly endorses abstinence-only, and demands parental consent before teenagers can get contraception, leads the nation in its rate of teen pregnancies, dropping only by 19 percent from 1991 to 2004 while the rest of country dropped by over 30 percent.

Meanwhile in California, where comprehensive sex-education is mandatory in public schools, the teen pregnancy rate dropped by 47 percent.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/156817?tid=relatedcl

[kimmy]

So... lobbying for an affordable housing project is one of the things Obama did as the head of a community organization. Hiring a Washington lobbyist to get the town of Wasilla one of the highest ratio of earmark dollars to pppulation in the US was a landmark of Mayor Palin's tenure.

The argument, again, is not that there's something contemptible about being a "community organizer", just that it's not necessarily the kind of background that gives somebody cause to be throwing stones at mayors, even small town ones.

As for hiring a lobby to get funding for her town while she was mayor, I think the answer to that is obvious: she was trying to help her community using legal avenues that are available to every municipality.

What I have read indicates that Wasilla is a satellite community of Anchorage, and has doubled in size in recent years, dating back to when Palin was mayor. Rapid growth puts a large strain on community resources, as large capital expenditures are necessary to provide infrastructure to keep up. I don't think it's sensible to criticize the mayor of a town in that sort of situation for seeking ways to fund capital projects that her constituents need.

-k

[WIP]

What a scandal! Pledgegate!

So basically you are unpatriotic enough to endorse the idea of changing the pledge but so patriotic you get offended over the idea of someone making a technical mistake on who wrote it. What a horrid example she is setting for children!!

It's not a "technical" mistake! It's a mistake caused by ignorance, because the only thing she knows about The Pledge is what she's been told in church. It fits right in with her other beliefs that the world was created 6000 years ago, and dinosaurs walked the Earth side by side with people, just like it shows in Ken Ham's Creation Museum.

[bush_cheney2004]

Straw Man Alert!

You probably already know that I believe there are situations(third trimester) where restrictions on abortion are valid, but we're talking here about a woman who declared to the Eagle Forum that she wouldn't even allow one of her daughters to have an abortion if they were raped!

Of course....rape means impregnation by the Incubus. I have no idea what you believe...but it would only apply to you anyway. Have you been raped?

And the abstinence-only policies of people like Sarah Palin are the cause of unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortion. Put it simply, if you won't allow birth control, many pregnant girls would use abortion as a birth control option. Where there is access to birth control information, surprisingly enough, teen pregnancy rates have dropped:

Works great for adults too....but teenage minors aren't adults...parents get a say in the matter.

[jefferiah]

It's not a "technical" mistake! It's a mistake caused by ignorance, because the only thing she knows about The Pledge is what she's been told in church.

So the Church told her this about the Pledge? I figured it was just a mistake. Yes Yes, a mistake caused by ignorance.

Actually, as far as the founding fathers go, I think it probably would have been fine by them, seeing as they themselves didn't see fit to censor every administrative mention of the supremacy of God on the grounds that it could create a State religion.

So it seems to be a modern revisionist interpretation of the 1st Amendment which is used in the argument against the word "God" being present.

Speaking of the First Amendment, where do the Democrats stand on the idea of the (Orwellian) "Fairness Doctrine"?

Edited September 7, 2008 by jefferiah

[CANADIEN]

What a scandal! Pledgegate!

So basically you are unpatriotic enough to endorse the idea of changing the pledge but so patriotic you get offended over the idea of someone making a technical mistake on who wrote it. What a horrid example she is setting for children!! What matters more, the pledge or who wrote it?

The issue is whether or not she knows what she is talking about.

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=American Woman: ...please, Ms. Palin, set an example for schoolchildren and get the facts right. Wrap yourself in the flag and the pledge if you want, but don’t credit the Founding Fathers as the tailors.[/i]

What a scandal! Pledgegate!

So basically you are unpatriotic enough to endorse the idea of changing the pledge but so patriotic you get offended over the idea of someone making a technical mistake on who wrote it. What a horrid example she is setting for children!! What matters more, the pledge or who wrote it?

Could you get any more dense than you already are? That's not a quote from me, it's a quote from the "Anchorage Daily News." Clearly I merely confirmed that it was true that she said it.

Grow a brain.

Edited September 7, 2008 by American Woman

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=jefferiah:

What a scandal! Pledgegate!

So basically you are unpatriotic enough to endorse the idea of changing the pledge but so patriotic you get offended over the idea of someone making a technical mistake on who wrote it. What a horrid example she is setting for children!! What matters more, the pledge or who wrote it?

The issue is whether or not she knows what she is talking about.

Exactly. Whether or not the pledge should be brought back to the way it was originally written is another issue entirely.

Furthermore, if "changing the Pledge" is "unpatriotic," then those who changed it to its present form are the ones who are unpatriotic.

Edited September 7, 2008 by American Woman

[CANADIEN]

The argument, again, is not that there's something contemptible about being a "community organizer", just that it's not necessarily the kind of background that gives somebody cause to be throwing stones at mayors, even small town ones.

As for hiring a lobby to get funding for her town while she was mayor, I think the answer to that is obvious: she was trying to help her community using legal avenues that are available to every municipality.

What I have read indicates that Wasilla is a satellite community of Anchorage, and has doubled in size in recent years, dating back to when Palin was mayor. Rapid growth puts a large strain on community resources, as large capital expenditures are necessary to provide infrastructure to keep up. I don't think it's sensible to criticize the mayor of a town in that sort of situation for seeking ways to fund capital projects that her constituents need.

-k

The argument, again, is not that there's something contemptible about being a "community organizer", just that it's not necessarily the kind of background that gives somebody cause to be throwing stones at mayors, even small town ones.

As for hiring a lobby to get funding for her town while she was mayor, I think the answer to that is obvious: she was trying to help her community using legal avenues that are available to every municipality.

What I have read indicates that Wasilla is a satellite community of Anchorage, and has doubled in size in recent years, dating back to when Palin was mayor. Rapid growth puts a large strain on community resources, as large capital expenditures are necessary to provide infrastructure to keep up. I don't think it's sensible to criticize the mayor of a town in that sort of situation for seeking ways to fund capital projects that her constituents need.

-k

And once again. Neither Barack Obama or the Democratic has cast stone at Sarah Pallin for having been the mayor of a small community, no matter the size. But they are asking, and rightly, how come the Republican party is dismissing the same criteria - "you must be like Senator McCain, or Senator Clinton, and have been a US Senator for at least a full term" they are still using to say Obama is not qualified.

As for Mayor Palin's relying on lobbying to provide much needed funding for her community, far from me to blame her for that, or to make any cnnection between that and her fitness to the job she's applying for. But it is fair to wonder how important she and McCain view their difference of opinion on earmakrs (one of McCain's peves for years). And as far as disparaging lobbying goes, who started it on this thread? yes, that was YOU.

opponents of Obama and supporters of Palin want to set the rules of engagement. Fine, then they should not complain when the other side follows them.

[kimmy]

And once again. Neither Barack Obama or the Democratic has cast stone at Sarah Pallin for having been the mayor of a small community, no matter the size. But they are asking, and rightly, how come the Republican party is dismissing the same criteria - "you must be like Senator McCain, or Senator Clinton, and have been a US Senator for at least a full term" they are still using to say Obama is not qualified.

One spokesman for the Democrats certainly did mention Wasilla's size in casting doubt on Palin's credentials, and many Obama-supporting journalists and bloggers have ridiculed the size of the town.

Obama has less than a full term in the US senate, and spent over a year of that time basically campaigning full-time to become President. People who never thought experience was an issue before are all over it now that Palin is on the ticket. The "do you really want someone this inexperienced one heartbeat away?" stuff rings kind of hollow coming from people who are firmly committed to having somebody that inexperienced in the big chair on day one.

As for Mayor Palin's relying on lobbying to provide much needed funding for her community, far from me to blame her for that, or to make any cnnection between that and her fitness to the job she's applying for. But it is fair to wonder how important she and McCain view their difference of opinion on earmakrs (one of McCain's peves for years). And as far as disparaging lobbying goes, who started it on this thread? yes, that was YOU.

I disparage the insurance industry too. I think the insurance industry needs reform. If I was in position to do so, I'd try to initiate some kind of reform. But if my car gets crunched next week, I'm still filing an insurance claim.

I don't see a contradiction between believing a system has problems and needs to be overhauled, while still participating in that system when it's one of the means available to you of addressing your immediate needs.

-k

[guyser]

I disparage the insurance industry too. I think the insurance industry needs reform. If I was in position to do so, I'd try to initiate some kind of reform. But if my car gets crunched next week, I'm still filing an insurance claim.

-k

Now now, dont be startin' in on that. Its perfect. When I stop making money at it then we can talk.

[kimmy]

Now now, dont be startin' in on that. Its perfect. When I stop making money at it then we can talk.

-k

{"The Cold Hands People." ™ }

[Guest American Woman]

And once again. Neither Barack Obama or the Democratic has cast stone at Sarah Pallin for having been the mayor of a small community, no matter the size.

Karl Rove is the one who's made the size of the town an issue. He criticized Gov. Kaine as not being 'qualified', when he was on Obama's short list for VP, for having been the mayor of a city of "only 200,000." That's in comparison to Palin's 9,000. He also criticized Obama for considering him, saying it showed he didn't have the interest of the nation in mind.

So the size of the town most definitely is not off limits. Seems some Palin supporters would like to see whatever doesn't bode well for her as off limits.

So if people question her ability to lead the nation because the town only had 9,000 people, iIt's a legitimate observation. If it were legitimate for Rove to bring up in regards to Kaine, and I didn't hear any objection from the McCain/Palin supporters, then it's legitimate criticism for Palin.