Take one minute to watch this video and then send it on to family, friends, colleagues, all animal lovers:
Senator John McCain speaks with his wife, Cindy, in St. Louis. (Photo: Getty Images)
More often than not, the role of a vice president is a minor one, unless some tragedy occurs. But a presidential nominee's choice of a running mate is vitally important. It is his first executive decision and offers an important insight into how that nominee would lead the nation.
If John McCain wants voters to conclude, as he argues, that he has more independence and experience and better judgment than Barack Obama, he made a bad start by choosing Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
Mr. McCain's supporters are valiantly trying to argue that the selection was a bold stroke that shows their candidate is a risk-taking maverick who - we can believe - will change Washington. (Mr. Obama's call for change - now "the change we need" - has become all the rage in St. Paul.)
To us, it says the opposite. Mr. McCain's snap choice of Ms. Palin reflects his impulsive streak: a wild play that he made after conservative activists warned him that he would face an all-out revolt in the party if he chose who he really wanted - Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.
Why Mr. McCain would want to pander to right-wing activists - who helped George W. Bush kill off his candidacy in the 2000 primaries in a particularly ugly way - is baffling. Frankly, they have no place to go. Mr. McCain would have a lot more success demonstrating his independence, and his courage, if he stood up to them the way he did in 2000.
As far as we can tell, Mr. McCain and his aides did almost no due diligence before choosing Ms. Palin, raising serious questions about his management skills. The fact that Ms. Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant is irrelevant to her candidacy. There are, however, very serious questions about her political past and her ideology.
If Mr. McCain wanted to break with his party's past and choose the Republicans' first female vice presidential candidate, there are a number of politicians out there with far greater experience and stature than Ms. Palin, who has been in Alaska's Statehouse for less than two years.
Before she was elected governor, she was mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb, where her greatest accomplishment was raising the sales tax to build a hockey rink. According to Time magazine, she also sought to have books banned from the local library and threatened to fire the librarian.
For Mr. McCain to go on claiming that Mr. Obama has too little experience to be president after almost four years in the United States Senate is laughable now that he has announced that someone with no national or foreign policy experience is qualified to replace him, if necessary.
Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who has been one of Mr. McCain's most loyal friends, said Tuesday that he was certain that Ms. Palin would take the right positions on issues like Iraq, Russia's invasion of Georgia and Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. That seemed based largely on his repeated assertion that Ms. Palin would be tended by Mr. McCain's foreign policy advisers. That was not much of an endorsement.
Some of the things Ms. Palin has had to say in the recent past about foreign policy are especially worrisome. In a speech last June to her former church in Wasilla, Ms. Palin said the war in Iraq was "a task that is from God." Mr. Bush made similar claims as he rejected all sound mortal advice on how to conduct the war.
Mr. McCain, Mr. Graham and others also claim that Ms. Palin is a fearless reformer who is committed to fighting waste, fraud and earmarks. Ms. Palin did show courage taking on some of the Alaska Republican Party's most sleazy politicians. But she also was an eager recipient of earmarked money as a mayor and governor.
Mayor Palin gathered up $27 million in subsidies from Washington, $15 million of it for a railroad from her town to the ski resort hometown of Senator Ted Stevens, now under indictment for failing to report gifts.
The Republicans are presenting Ms. Palin as a crusader against Mr. Stevens's infamous "Bridge to Nowhere." The record says otherwise; she initially supported Mr. Stevens's boondoggle, diverting the money to other projects when the bridge became a political disaster. In her speech to the Wasilla Assembly of God in June, Ms. Palin said it was "God's will" that the federal government contribute to a $30 billion gas pipeline she wants built in Alaska.
Mr. McCain will make his acceptance speech on Thursday, and Ms. Palin will speak on Wednesday. Those two appearances will go a long way to forming voters' views of this Republican ticket.
As Senator Graham noted, Mr. McCain has to reach out beyond the party's loyal base. "We're going to have to win this thing," he said. "This is not our race to lose."
Mr. McCain's hurdles are substantial. To start, he has to overcome Mr. Bush's record of failures. (The president addressed the convention Tuesday night and now, McCain strategists fervently hope, will retire quietly to the Rose Garden.) That record includes the disastrous war in Iraq, a ballooning deficit, the mortgage crisis - and the list goes on.
To address those many problems, this country needs a leader with sound judgment and strong leadership skills. Choosing Ms. Palin raises serious questions about Mr. McCain's qualifications
The following comes from Randi Rhodes. Listen to her show daily on www.green960.com or www.krxa540.com / think for yourself radio
John McCain HATES VETERANS – While John McCain says Veterans Groups honor and love him, the truth is they dishonor and abhor him. Here is a list of his ratings from Veterans Groups!
2006Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.2005Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.2004Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 100 percent in 2003-2004.2003 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The American Legion 50 percent in 2003. 2001 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 46 percent in 2001. 1999 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 1999. 1997-1998 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998. 1989-1990On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator McCain voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.
2006Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.
2005Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.
2004Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 100 percent in 2003-2004.
2003 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The American Legion 50 percent in 2003.
2001 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 46 percent in 2001.
1999 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 1999.
1997-1998 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998.
1989-1990On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator McCain voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.
Whenever you question the GREAT JOHN MCCAIN HE PLAYS THE POW CARD. If his entire “immunity” is being a POW and he wants to use being a POW as a shield against any policy discussions then we must look at how his POW Experience shaped him.
Paris Hilton for President? Irked at McCain Ad, Announcing Her Own Candidacy http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx-id=55566&ret=AccountDtl.aspx
Vote for Paris! Hilton 'enters' election race with spoof ad Maybe she has a chance with such a great sense of humor?Los Angeles, California 8/06/2008 01:15 AM GMT (TransWorldNews) LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Paris Hilton has thrown her hat into the US presidential race, declaring her desire to campaign against "that wrinkly white-haired guy" and threatening to paint the White House pink if elected.
The blond socialite responded to Republican candidate John McCain's controversial use of her image in a campaign television spot last week with a satirical ad of her own posted on the website Funnyordie.com. In the ad, the 27-year-old appears reclining on a sun lounger beside a swimming pool, dressed only in a skimpy leopard-print bathing costume."Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity too," Hilton declares breezily. "Only I'm not from the olden days and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot! "But then that wrinkly white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means I'm running for president. So thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude, and I want America to know I'm, like, totally ready to lead." Hilton then offers an alternative US energy strategy, suggesting that she plans to combine elements from McCain and Democratic rival Barack Obama's policy platforms. "We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. ... Energy crisis solved, I'll see you at the debates, bitches!" Hilton then signs off by declaring that she is now mulling her choices for vice-president. "I'm thinking Rihanna," she said, referring to the singer-songwriter. "I'll see you at the White House," Hilton adds. "Oh, and I might paint it pink. Bye!" Last week's McCain ad was condemned by Hilton's mother Kathy, who called it as a waste of money and time on Sunday. The ad, entitled "Celeb," flashes pictures of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, along with images of the 200,000 people who flocked to Berlin to see Obama the previous week. "He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?" the narrator asks. In Hilton's spoof campaign commercial, a gravel-voiced narrator takes aim at McCain, asking: "He's the oldest celebrity in the world. Like, super old. Old enough to remember when dancing was a sin, and beer was served in a bucket. But is he ready to lead?" The brains behind Hilton's advert were Funnyordie.com contributors Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, who pitched the idea of filming the spot to Hilton. "She got it that the McCain thing was a low blow," McKay told AFP. "And she felt she didn't want to return it with angry fire, and that this was the best way to respond. It's a playful jab." Henchy and McKay both believe Hilton is more intelligent than her tabloid persona lets on. "She's a lot smarter than people give her credit for," Henchy said.McKay meanwhile said the McCain campaign's "Celeb" ad was evidence of efforts to dumb down the election campaign. You can tell our country has its eyes on the prize when Paris Hilton is getting into one of the most important presidential election campaigns in years!' "I just think McCain is appealing to the lowest, basest parts of people in this country ... It's cheap stuff. For this guy to be putting out campaign ads with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears is just absolutely ludicrous and insulting to voters." stephen@santafefineart.comwww.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=54623&ret=AccountDtl.aspx
>From Stephen Fox, Managing Editor, Santa Fe Sun News
Are you satisfied with paying $100.00 a week to fill up your gas tank ?
Are you complacent in the uncertainty of your future and that of your children?
Are you proud of the job our nations lobbyists and special interests are doing in Washington DC?
Do you enjoy playing Russian Roulette with your health by staying uninsured ?
Do you enjoy walking past homeless Iraq and Afghanistan War Vets on the street ?
Do you enjoy choosing between filling a drug prescription and eating a decent meal ?
Are you happy with the way FEMA responds to natural disasters here in America ?
Are you happy with the poor Education your children are getting ?
Are you happy that your Social Security Benefits are at risk ?
Then , this November , show your pride in incompetency and vote for the one true candidate that has promised to keep your life running exactly as it is.
John Mc Cain : Putting Incompetence First
This is a National Security Threat Alert and Call To Action. John Mc Cain is still confused on Foreign Policy, but that's NOT Breaking News to those of us who have been paying attention.
The real news is that the Media was finally caught covering up John Mc Cains MAJOR Foreign Policy gaffes and hiding the fact that John Mc Cain is , in fact , IGNORANT on the one and only issue he is perceived as strong. Foreign Policy.
Please , watch this video and spread it far and wide to every corner of the blogoshpere. Send it in e-mails , create ads , send it to Media outlets that are rivals to CBS , send it to Grand Ma if you must. But get this out there.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!!
John Mc Cains lack of , or I should say, "CONFUSION" of , our nations Foreign Policy efforts as it pertains to the War in Iraq , the Middle East Region and our Military Ground operations there, is a direct threat to our National Security and the Media was just caught hiding it. He is unfit to serve as Commander in Chief and will get people killed if he is elected President.
There is a saying; "What you don't know can't hurt you" .Well, that could not be further from the truth. What John Mc Cain doesn't know , can not only hurt us, but get more men and women in uniform serving in the Middle East, KILLED under his watch! The American people MUST know that John Mc Cain's incompetence is a direct threat to the lives of our Troops in harms way and to the very security of our nation!
STOP HIM ! STOP HIM NOW !
Dee Anna
I received this information through one of our group members and feel compelled to share it. It is a video that shows the McCain flip-flopping weakness at its best. He was arguing to get out of Samolia in 1993 with nearly the exact circumstances we face now in Iraq. This would be such a great weapon against McCain in a debate. Check it out and spread it around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfsMzFiZOtQ&NR=1
Ann Coulter that infamous Republican demagogue thinks Clinton is more conservative than McCain. follow this link http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/01/coulter-wants-clinton-over-mccain/
Is that fun or what?!
