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McCain picks female running mate

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bagochips Newbie

bagochips

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McCain picks female running mate

US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, the female governor of Alaska, as his surprise running mate.

At 44, she is younger than Barack Obama and is credited with reforms during her first term, but she is relatively unknown in US politics.

Mr McCain has gone on stage at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate his 72nd birthday and present Ms Palin.

Analysts say the Republican is keen to wrest back headlines from Mr Obama.

Speaking to a large crowd, who sang Happy Birthday when he appeared, Mr McCain introduced Ms Palin as someone who "understands working people".

"She's got the grit, the integrity and commitment to the common good which are exactly what we need in Washington today," he said.

"She's exactly who I need, who this country needs, to help me fight to turn the same old Washington politics on its head."

Thanking Mr McCain, Ms Palin said she would be honoured to serve next to him.

The Obama campaign has suggested that Mr McCain's choice is irresponsible, referring to her former role as mayor of the small Alaskan town of Wasilla.

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency," said spokesman Bill Burton.

Broad appeal

Ms Palin is perhaps the most daring vice-presidential choice for Mr McCain, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Dayton.

SARAH PALIN

Elected AlaskaÂ’s youngest and first woman governor in 2006

Grew up in Wasilla, near Anchorage, and was voted Miss Wasilla in 1984

Studied journalism and political science at University of Idaho

Likes hunting and fishing

Ms Palin may reinforce Mr McCainÂ’s "maverick" tag, enjoying a reputation as someone willing to take on the party establishment.

The youngest governor of Alaska and the first woman to hold that position, Ms Palin is married with five children.

Analysts say she may have been chosen by the McCain campaign as a tactic to win over Democratic women voters, disappointed by the defeat of Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama.

Her relative youth and reforms as governor may also go some way to match Mr Obama's appeal, and boost Mr McCain's chances.

"She will be his partner in reforming Washington," a senior McCain official told Reuters news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Announcing Mr McCain's decision, his election website said Ms Palin had "brought Republicans and Democrats together within her administration [in Alaska] and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington".

At the same time, Ms Palin is a strong conservative, fiscally and socially.

She also opposes abortion and one of her sons has Down's Syndrome.

Abortion has been a key issue cited by Republican voters who feel the Arizona senator is not conservative enough, our correspondent says.

Alaskan investigation

Ms Palin lacks foreign policy experience and while being a Washington outsider can be an asset for the McCain ticket, it also means she has not been tested on the national stage, our correspondent says.

Her electoral chances may be harmed by the fact that she was placed under investigation in Alaska by state lawmakers at the end of July.

She sacked a public safety commissioner and the allegation is that she sacked him because he had not fired a state trooper who is Ms PalinÂ’s former brother-in-law, and who is in a custody battle with her sister.

She says she has "nothing to hide" and is "cool" about the investigation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7588435.stm

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bagochips Newbie

bagochips

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Profile: Sarah Palin

As the first woman and the youngest person to be elected Alaska's state governor, Sarah Palin is used to breaking new ground.

The 44-year-old was elected in 2006 and has been credited with bringing in reforms in her two years in office.

Presenting her as his running-mate in November's presidential election, John McCain described her as "someone with strong principles, a fighting spirit and deep compassion".

As well as portraying her as a devoted wife and mother-of-five, Mr McCain also stressed her executive experience and ability to stand up against entrenched interests and corruption.

"She has the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today," he said.

Ms Palin is seen as boosting Mr McCain's ticket because she is a woman - and so may appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton supporters - as well as being young, energetic and from outside the Washington political scene.

She is also viewed as having a strong social and fiscal conservative record. She opposes abortion and holds a life membership of the National Rifle Association.

The governor is keen on hunting and fishing and reportedly enjoys eating moose hamburgers. Married for 20 years, she gave birth to her fifth child in April - a son who has Downs Syndrome.

Another son is in the army and is to deploy to Iraq next month, the Politico website says.

Confirming her as Mr McCain's running mate, his office said: "Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president."

She is also head of the Alaska National Guard which demonstrates, Mr McCain's campaign said, that she "understands what it takes to lead our nation".

Nonetheless, she had been seen as a long-shot for the vice-presidential role, with critics pointing to her lack of experience on the national or international stage.

She was in 1984 crowned the beauty queen of the town where she grew up, Wasilla City. She also competed in the Miss Alaska contest.

The first-term governor describes herself as a political maverick.

To win election in Alaska, she beat the incumbent governor in the Republican primary and then defeated a former Democratic Alaskan governor in the general election.

A recent Wall Street Journal article said of her: "When Sarah Palin was elected governor as a Republican outsider in 2006, she didn't just take on an incumbent from her own party. She took on Alaska's Republican establishment."

'Nothing to hide'

Ms Palin has a reputation for tackling corruption, having led an investigation into ethics violations by state Republicans while serving on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2003.

However, she is currently herself under investigation by state lawmakers over the dismissal of a state public safety commissioner.

She is alleged to have sacked him because he did not dismiss a state trooper involved in a contentious divorce and child custody battle from her younger sister.

The governor told US network CNBC she had "nothing to hide" in the matter.

Before being elected as governor, she served on the council of Wasilla City Council, a town outside Anchorage, and was its mayor from 1996 to 2002.

A 2004 census gave Wasilla City, where Ms Palin grew up after moving from Idaho aged three months, a population of 7,738.

She graduated from the University of Idaho in 1987, having studied journalism and political science.

She made occasional appearances as a television sports broadcaster.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7588542.stm

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bradm Newbie

bradm

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I wonder if she is a suitable candidate.

It looks like McCain wasn't exactly filled with wonder:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

In Alaska, several state leaders and local officials said they knew of no efforts by the McCain campaign to find out more information about Ms. Palin before the announcement of her selection, Although campaigns are typically discreet when they make inquiries into potential running mates, officials in Alaska said Monday they thought it was peculiar that no one in the state had the slightest hint that Ms. Palin might be under consideration.

“They didn’t speak to anyone in the Legislature, they didn’t speak to anyone in the business community,†said Lyda Green, the State Senate president, who lives in Wasilla, where Ms. Palin served as mayor.

Representative Gail Phillips, a Republican and former speaker of the State House, said the widespread surprise in Alaska when Ms. Palin was named to the ticket made her wonder how intensively the McCain campaign had vetted her.

“I started calling around and asking, and I have not been able to find one person that was called,†Ms. Phillips said. “I called 30 to 40 people, political leaders, business leaders, community leaders. Not one of them had heard. Alaska is a very small community, we know people all over, but I haven’t found anybody who was asked anything.â€

The current mayor of Wasilla, Dianne M. Keller, said she had not heard of any efforts to look into Ms. Palin’s background. And Randy Ruedrich, the state Republican Party chairman, said he knew nothing of any vetting that had been conducted.

State Senator Hollis French, a Democrat who is directing the ethics investigation, said that no one asked him about the allegations. “I heard not a word, not a single contact,†he said.

Aloha,

Brad

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Davey Boy 2.0 Explorer

Davey Boy 2.0

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edit to add that this is from Alternet

Palin takes unnecessary risks with the health of her own child, supports failed abstinence-only programs

Amid the now-disproven rumors that the Palins' fifth child, Trig, was the son of her 17-year-old daughter, are reports that Sarah Palin seriously endangered her child during labor. Palin was in Texas delivering a speech when she allegedly began to leak amniotic fluid. Instead of immediately checking into a hospital, Palin finished her speech. She then flew to Anchorage, Alaska, where she drove to a hospital 45 minutes away to give birth.

Palin's apparent need to rush to Alaska for the delivery helped fuel rumors she was faking the pregnancy to cover for her daughter. Now that the story has proven to be false, it nevertheless raises questions about Palin's judgment. In this case, she seems to have taken unnecessary risks in the delivery of her child. As the past eight years have shown us, the last thing we need is a reckless politician in office.

And speaking of unsound judgment, her daughter's pregnancy demonstrates seriously poor decision making -- not on the part of Bristol but by conservative politicians like Palin and McCain, who have decided that the best way to ensure kids learn about sex is by depriving them of information. Palin is a firm supporter of abstinence-until-marriage sex education, despite the fact that numerous studies show that abstinence-only sex education does not delay sexual activity and may in fact lead to unsafe sex practices.

It would be cheap to trade on the irony that a firm backer of abstinence-only sex ed is now the mother of a pregnant teen. But it does need to be noted that many pregnant teens do not have the financial and emotional supports that Bristol appears lucky to have. Palin's abstinence-only stance on sex ed, like McCain's, is wrong because it puts everyone's kids in danger.

______________________

Palin is the candidate of powerful far right-wing cabal; her nomination seals their support for the little-wanted McCain

As Max Blumenthal reports:

Last week ... the country's most influential conservatives met quietly in Minneapolis to get to know Sarah Palin. The assembled were members of the Council for National Policy, an ultra-secretive cabal that networks wealthy right-wing donors together with top conservative operatives to plan long-term movement strategy.

CNP members have included Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Grover Norquist, Tim LaHaye and Paul Weyrich. At a secret 2000 meeting of the CNP, George W. Bush promised to nominate only pro-life judges. ... This year, thanks to Sarah Palin's selection, the movement may have finally aligned itself behind the campaign of John McCain.

What happened at the secret meeting was the topic of online commentary by one of its attendees, top Dobson/Focus on the Family flack Tom Minnery.

Minnery described the mood as CNP members watched Palin: "And I have to tell you, that speech -- people were on their seats applauding, cheering, yelling ... That room in Minneapolis watching on the television screen was electrified. I have not seen anything like it in a long time."

Minnery added that his boss, Dobson, has yearned for a conservative female leader like Margaret Thatcher to emerge on the American scene. And while Palin is no Thatcher, "she has not rejected the feminine side of who she is, so for that reason, she will be attractive to conservative voters."

The members of the Council for National Policy are the hidden hand behind McCain's Palin pick. With her selection, the Republican nominee is suddenly -- and unexpectedly -- assured of the support of a movement that once opposed his candidacy with all its might. Case in point: While Dobson once said he could "never" vote for McCain, he issued a statement last week hailing Palin as an "outstanding" choice. If Dobson's enthusiasm for Palin is any indication, he may soon emerge from his bunker in Colorado Springs to endorse McCain, providing the Republican nominee with the support of the Christian right's single most influential figure.

Edited by Guest
alternet
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ollie Newbie

ollie

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I find the emerging sociopathic streak in Palin's character to be more relevant and delicious:

Palin: The Iron-Fist Mayor?

By Laura McGann 9/1/08 8:49 PM

WASILLA, Alaska — Earlier today, First Lady Laura Bush urged us to remember Gov. Sarah Palin’s record as mayor of her hometown from 1996-2002 when assessing her experience. I agree.

Driving around this city today, I decided it looks more or less like a string of strip malls, 45 minutes northeast of Anchorage. I couldn’t help but think that being mayor of a place like this would be something akin to running a large neighborhood watch.

The main highway that runs through town is lined with new big-box stores, including a Target and a Wal-Mart. A handful of fast-food chains as well as some local restaurants also sprinkle the main drag. Breathtaking mountains, the peaks still lightly dusted with snow, create a striking backdrop. Despite the chain stores, this small city feels distant from the rest of the world. I’d have guessed Palin would have run the city with a “we’re in this together†theme.

It turns out she had a somewhat different approach. If a small-town mayor ever ruled with an iron fist — it was Palin. Eleven days after taking office in 1996, she mailed letters to each of the city’s top managers requesting that they resign as a test of loyalty.

The Anchorage Daily News at the time reported the strange events: (via Nexis)

Mayor Sarah Palin sent the resignation requests Thursday to Police Chief Irl Stambaugh, public works director Jack Felton, finance director Duane Dvorak and Mary Ellen Emmons, the head of libraries. A fifth director — John Cooper, who oversaw the city museum — resigned earlier this month after Palin eliminated his position.

Cooper initially resisted resigning, but to no avail. Palin also later fired the police chief, saying she knew in her “heart†that he did not support her. She left the head of libraries a letter saying she was out — though Palin later decided to spare the librarian after being convinced that she would tow the line.

The whole saga is unusual — considering Palin prides herself on being independent and seems to enjoy butting heads with her own party. But, this sounds like she requires fierce loyalty of those who work for her.

http://www.washingtonindependent.com/3767/palin-involved-in-ousting-scandals-from-the-start

Greatest VP debate ever?

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Kanada Kev Newbie

Kanada Kev

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Check out a bit more about her that came in from MoveOn.org:

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Huh?

Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:

* She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.1

* Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.2

* She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3

* Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.4

* She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.5

* She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.6

* How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.7

This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.

We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:

She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK

She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK

As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK

Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK

She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK

I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK

So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.

In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.

In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilyse, Noah, Justin, Karin and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=1

3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=2

4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=3

5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=4

6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=5

"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=6

"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=7

7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-4598929-4b9Vtlx&t=8

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Kanada Kev Newbie

Kanada Kev

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Cheney_snarl.jpg

her kid is what?!

LOL ....

Dickie get yer gun!!

Gotta love the GOP and their "Godly" ways ... Lesbian daughters, pregnant daughters out of wedlock, daughters who drink underage, etc. etc.

Wow, if Zappa were still around maybe he could change the words of "Catholic Girls" to "Republican Girls" ;)

All the way

Thats the way they go

Every day

And none of their mamas ever seem to know

Hip-hip-hooray

For all the class they show

Theres nothing like a Repbulican girl

At the RNC in St Paul

When they learn to blow...

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