YellowLinesandArmadillos

I was on the board then, just didn't respond much. Blanco did ask for help, just not in triplicate formally. She thought her verbal request did the job. Obviously, her people were not prepared to know the procedure to do so in DC bureaucratic eaze, but she did reach out with her phone call. I agree Nagin blew it, but so did Bush's FEMA tool. They WH played politics with this one, but Bush is suppose to be above it on one of these things and his folks could have done a lot more to cut through the red tape. He finally sent that general through to clean up things. P.S. I went there the following December to take photos of a volunteer group from Amherst, MA as we were driving across country. Here is a link to a couple of those photos, including the first wedding in NO after Katrina. http://www.afischerphotography.com/news0003.html, http://www.afischerphotography.com/news0004.html, http://www.afischerphotography.com/news0005.html

Jeez, now there is a non-sequitor. What are you talking about???? I get it you support war in Iraq but your conclusions that someone's kid goes off to Iraq so they support war is off. My cousin's son went off and they support him but are adamantly opposed to the war. Get over it. This reference to WWII doesn't apply. Different time, different war. Even Bush has talked about a timetable to move out. Obama has said that we need to focus on the where the original cause of 911 came from, Afganistan. We were not at war with Iraq before Bush invaded and it was not needed, it was a neo-con dillusion. That being said, even Obama has stated that we need to responsibly withdraw. Duh, I don't think either side would disagree with that statement, whether they would agree or disagree with why we are over there. It appears both sides are moving towards similar conclusions with the latest talk out of the WH on Iraq, trying to pump it up as a success and turning Iraq over to self governance. Whatever, dude.

Oh yeah, Obama and Biden play basketball. Hmmm. Well, I can always help on the hockey side. My wife says I play like a goon. The problem with being 6'2" 200 lbs and taught to always defend my goaltender. Anyone for a kidney shot in the corner

I am always for that, grab your skates, stick and lets get hitting. Draw blood and put the puck in the net!

Man this begs the typical Republican response as a retort.... God must really be mad at the Republicans... this is what they get for being such Obaminations Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

Maybe, or it further supports Obama's call for alternative energy efforts which McCain has consistently opposed.

Yet they are still trying to blame Democrats. Sure the mayor was an idiot, but on Fox News a second ago and Republican Hack and a Dem started were talking about the convention and he went into a Diatribe about the Dems not doing their job and she handed him his ass, stating Bush was uninvolved he had a crony in charge of FEMA and they were caught with their pants down. He kept say Democrat part as an insult and she said whatever, she hoped everyone did better this time and didn't want to rehash Katrina. He looked like an A-hole and the Fox mediators shut the debate down. P.S. Bush not attending the Republican Convention is a good thing for McCain. But it will be a worse thing for him if the WH doesn't handle the aftermath of this hurricane well.

Could be, but Biden will be best at just focusing in on McCain. In fact politely ignoring Palin may be the best strategy because no one really votes for the VP anyway.

P.S. The Dan Quayle's appointment may be the best analogy here. An unknown conservative with little previous experience. Welcome to the big leagues Palin, this isn't Alaska anymore, put your boots and waders on, because you are about get neck deep in your own and everyone elses' crap DC style. And if you F'up, you will drown in it. Quayle problem was he didn't notice. I expect she might.

Biden should watch his arrogance, but I agree with you that he shouldn't back down. If he remains calm, talks about his family experience to counter her motherhood and the switches directly to the facts, disagreeing as appropriate, while treating her with respect. He should not try and educate her with his specific knowledge but just stick to the facts and what he would do. Keep his sentences brief and to the point and leave open ended questions for her to try and deal with and then counter punch with the flaws of those statements, but keep even those responses brief! A tall task.

Interesting, however, my wife, a former Republican had just the opposite reaction to her and the abortion issue, the religious stuff and her lack of experience in "no where" (her words) Alaska with McCain's health issues has really turned her towards Obama. I am not sold yet on Obama, but she countered vociferously to Palin helping McCain stating that she doesn't think that talking tough, carrying a gun, and naming her kids weird names in anyway relates to her conservative catholic upbringing??? OK, just didn't expect the strong reaction from her. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Sounds like Obama is going to stay away from a direct attacks on her, which is probably smart. Let the talking heads do that for him. They will, trust me they always manage to and if she doesn't handle it well, the feeding frenzy will begin, a la Dan Quayle.

Given the choice, I have to agree. Don't trust McCain, not sure about Obama. But an overused definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. The cliche BushMcSame has some resonance with me and not just about Iraq. It is the economy stupid and the Republicans have no clue how to fix it. Start with balancing the budget and go from the there. At least Obama is paying that lip service.

I would agree with your last sentence and regard to the investigation, she may have been wrong, but if the guy turns out to be smuck and it sounds like he might be, she will be fine. If the choice issue is the only thing she is concerned about then I say go with it, but if there are a lot other issues she has a problem with Pailin and McCain and still voting for them because of Pailin's gender then I can't do anything with that mentality. It is kind of like voting a President because he looks cute or you could sit down and have a beer with him. I know people who vote that way. P.S. Obama is better looking than McCain, but I am not sure I would want to have a beer with him. I would be scared if McCain got intoxicated around me... no telling what might come out!

Me too!.... Intelligent design, an nicer conotated word for creationism is based on an specific understanding of religious text and should be taught as such. Science should be taught separately and if one would want to teach a comparative class of science and religion it should be taught as an elective and include the texts and/or fundamentals of all religions in order to be fair and balanced. Oh yeah that is called Religious Studies included in a section of my history class.... I believe God did create earth, universe etc., but that science is what we use to understand it (God's creation). Views of the Bible that pick fights with science, do understand the wide berth the Bible gives for the inclusion of science and evolution within it and therefore should be taught as a separate religious class, not related to science.

Intelligent maybe, but he is a moron of human for his arrogance. Please that guy has been discredited a long time ago.

You are right of course, but the problem here is that we have a little over 2 and a half months before the election and it may take some time for that to happen, so in this case first impressions of those likely to be swayed one way or the other may be all both campaigns have to work from in order to achieve their results. Thus, the next couple of weeks of press vetting will be critical. Those impressions carried over through early November, as they effect those deciding at the last second to vote could determine this election. This will not be a landslide unless one sides voters fail to show up. So both parties will going for the small fraction of real undecided. Impressions about Pailin now will have carry over in November. Depending how she is defined now and its an impression will be critical to both sides.

Interesting the next articles links here to casinos and Jack Abramoff. Bet the DNC research folks are going nuts over this one, looking for more info. hmmm. 10 October 26, 2006 - 7:02pm | alaskastraightalker Pro-Palin mailer breaks state law That's the headline of a story in the Juneau newspaper today about an illegal mailer sent on behalf of Palin by the RGA, the DC group that got money from Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed casino clients, and Tom Delay. The story said, in part: Alaska state elections law bars Outside groups interfering in Alaska elections, and makes campaign efforts such as the RGA's mailer illegal, said Brooke Miles, executive director of the Alaska Public Offices Commission. "It's a completely prohibited ad," Miles said. The ban on Outside money doesn't apply to advocacy of issues and doesn't apply to ballot measures, but Miles said the RGA mailer was obviously intended to help Palin beat Knowles. "There's no way they could even pretend it's issues advocacy," Miles said. So much for Palin, ethics, and clean government. If she lets her campaign engage in sleazy tactics by looking the other way when an Outside group breaks the law, you can imagine what she will do if elected to office. According to APOC, she could have asked the RGA not to do ads for her, but she declined. Maybe she needs to keep corruption chair Ruedrich working on her behalf as well.

I still think the Pailin announcement is being absorbed. The polls won't refect her effect if any until folks get a better sense of her. That being said first reactions do matter, kinda like first impressions. Both positive and negative impressions may result in mixed messages and unclear polls. I would wait a week and then poll. So don't read a poll on her for 10 days.

I could not have said it better. Hmm, more to think about.

Yes that is the trap. Although given how right wing she is, it maybe easier to avoid then you think. However, I am still a guy, and Pailin would still be nice to whistle at. In a few decades, maybe centuries it will be interesting as we have folks from all different walks of life getting nominations if race and gender will still be part of the discuss, or will everyone just go back to the old boring policy wonk views of governing topics. Doubt it.

Not true, McCain supports tax giveaways and research dollars for Insurance Cos, Bio research and Oil Cos. It isn't a question of welfare state v. non-welfare state, just which one each supports and by how much. And war spending to a certain extent is welfare for the Beltway Bandits. Waste, Fraud and Abuse is abounds in Iraq, wasting lots of tax payer dollars. Further more as far the national health care issue raised by the poster of this thread... I am not sure which form would work and if it would but the middle men, wasting a lot of taxpayer dollars don't produce anything and are not an efficient arbiter of services. How can a middle man be the most profitable industry in the US, especially at taxpayer expense. Something is wrong with this business. Insurance is suppose to enable us to pool our resources to more predictably pay for these expensive services when needed. The system is F'd up on so many levels, but the Republican anti-welfare crap doesn't hunt. Ironically, I miss the days of Clinton, Delay and the line item veto, when both were competing on who could balance the budget faster. USDA as an example shrunk by over 30,000 employees and from what I remember so did the Department of Commerce. Now they are both over their pre-Clinton/Delay levels.

Now there is a woman who knows how to use what God gave her. P.S. If you are man run away, run away. Succulent! ....Ah HA! EEW WEE, down boy.

While I am all for through wrenches into conventions to see how folks really react. These folks can be really scary, the kind that sniper shooter Malvo trained with in Seattle.

Oh my the Republican lemmings are jumping off the bridge. When Fux Ewes is willing to fire O'Reilly for his lies and ban Hannity nastiness then it should be considered. Yes it was a cheap shot, but hardly a low blow. Hard to take when the shoe is on the other foot. Please.... you all sound like Orin Hatch at Monica hearing. Dem whining is one thing, but Rs whine, I have to admit you do it with spirit and real chutzpah.

My two cents. Interesting choice by McCain. Pailin solves a number of problems for McCain with the right wing of the party. Plus she appears sharp witted, nice to look at etc., and I am sure will be tough to debate. Accusing her of inexperience only goes so far. Her attack of Alaska corruption is a good story for McCain and plays to anti-pork barrel image. Although McCain hasn't met an oil tax break he doesn't like. Pailin's problems are two fold. If this trooper gate story has legs, she won't come out looking clean, even if justified. Two: Murkowski, Stevens et al still have a machine in AK and I am sure they are pissed. So more may be revealed. Not the end of the world, but if she is going to be the tough bad-xxx sheriff she is portrayed as she will have more enemies and whether McCain gets elected or not, if she continues to do this the establishment will take her down, despite how many will fall with her... The old DC two step as Harrison Ford said in one of those CIA roles he played. The problem is everyone ends up dancing to an extent or they lose power. However, as far as my decision goes, she is relatively irrelevant. I don't like McCain and still don't think it is good to have a guy with an obvious case of PTSD with his finger on the trigger. With Reagan, he was ever the jokester, with Bush and Cheney running FP you see where it got us. Iraq has been a ill-advised distraction from Afghanistan. Said that from Day 1, not a me too. And while I like McCain's anti-pork stuff, he hasn't applied it to corporate tax breaks including oil the health-care insurance business. Although, I am not sure anyone out there is really ready to take on the later they way it needs to be. Health insurance, what is it but a middle man, yet one of the most profitable businesses in the US. It needs to be removed. Talk about a drain on our economy. There has got to be a better way to pool resources so that people can receive health care. Our current system is a colossal waste of both our money and tax payer giveaways. But I digress. As far is this VP pick, it does make sense for McCain, she is definitely of his ilk. How much this helps him, I don't know. There are pluses and minuses with Women's vote, some may blindly support her because of her gender, others may revolt and be more likely to vote against her because of her politics. It should be interesting to see which of the many varied winds blow strongest as this Hurricane approaches. P.S. Bush is lucky, he may get a chance to make amends. Lets hope and pray it is not as bad as it currently portends to be.