Why I am Here…. To Make Sure Sarah Palin and Others Like Her Never Represent Me.

Guest Post By Dusty

A few Saturdays ago I read a great comment by Avasmom ….I can thank Sarah Palin for one thing, that is the fact that she made me care again - care enough to make sure that no one like her ever represents me.

That comment in my opinion represents everyone who reads and who posts comments here. Making sure no one like her ever represents all of us is a common thread that brings all of us together.

There are many reasons why Sarah and others like her will never represent me or others like me but the main reason for me is quite simple. Maturity! Yep that is it just one simple little word maturity. I prefer to only support and vote for an individual who has actually matured enough to recognize that we have all been young, dumb and single at one time but have learned from the past and moved on.

Recently Sarah was in the headlines for something stupid and shallow and yet again the media protected and defended their cash cow.

My first thought on hearing Sarah had a one night stand with Glenn Rice before marrying Todd was so what?

Name me one person who hasn’t done something in their past that they wish would never see the light of day again. Remember first thoughts are often a lot like first impressions- not completely accurate. I’ll admit I was curious so I let my fingers do the tapping and to my complete shock and dismay I found the focus was not on her ethics or sheer hypocrisy it was the fact that she is white and he is black. If a person didn’t know better they would think they were hearing popping sounds all over the world that day as her followers heads were figuratively exploding due to their imagined horror of their Queen of Mean actually sleeping with, oh dear me can I really say it out loud, a black guy. It didn’t matter that Glenn Rice is an attractive athlete nope the only thing important was that he is black.

To borrow Sarah’s phrase UnFlippinBelievable! My second, third and fourth thoughts were Come on people, seriously in 2011 that is the only part that bothered you? First off for those unenlightened folks who follow, who report and also who back Sarah you all missed the point once again. No one should care or even make it a point to mention the color thing. Warning: Stop reading here if you are easily offended. A penis is a penis is a penis- doesn’t matter that color it is it is still just a penis. It is that simple folks. Be it green, yellow, black or white or even purple (you might want to call a doctor if it really is purple) it is still just a penis. What this country does not need is yet another race war or increased racial tensions again just because little white Sarah Palin when she was still young, stupid and single slept with a black guy, then freaked out about it while continuing to keep in contact with him up until she married Todd her supposed childhood sweetheart.

Next up is the reported cocaine use. Again who really cares it is in the past. However, here we go again with the Palins nothing can ever be so simple can it? Apparently she was for drug use before she was against it? Then Sarah has a meltdown over baby oil. Seriously Sarah, this one is almost too funny for words, baby oil freaks you out, but you are totally okay with pre-marital sex, cheating on your spouse, cheating on your taxes and fanning the flames of hate, but baby oil freaks you out? Oh dear, where to start, Louie? Sarah, baby oil has many more uses other than the one single use that totally freaks you out. However, there are people in this world who actually enjoy having sex and making love that is what mature people do Sarah. I guess Johnson & Johnson can’t wait for President (oh gag me) Palin to outlaw Baby Oil just think of the prices they can get for it on the black market.

As I was writing this this Kilob wrote this fantastic comment:

For more than three years residents of the US have been force fed a daily diet of Sarah Palin and her often reported perfect world. When the layers are pealed back we see well-constructed defenses of denial after denial even with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Sarah Palins rosy world is riddled with thorny make believe dreams and outright fabrications. Top named media outlets to this day continue to take this woman at her word and extend a benefit of the doubt mentality. We as bloggers not only have a right to report the truth, we have a duty! Those reporting negatively about the Palin tell all manuscript need to ask themselves this question. What do the people speaking out about Palin have to gain? Absolutely nothing.

Now Sarah Palin is an X-rated late night television joke. Not very presidential is it? Anyone remember any other credible politician whose every statement must be vetted for the truth? Even if she said the sky is blue I am willing to bet anyone who truly understands her will look up to verify the sky is actually blue.

This was and still is the perfect time for the media to finally throw off their blinders and report on the total and complete hypocrisy that is Sarah Palin. It is time to report that what she claims to be the truth does not match her actions or her real beliefs. It is time for the media to say goodbye to the easy money that is Sarah Palin and start digging for the truth and earn back their readers/viewers trust. The first step would have been for the Today Show to have reported factually on the statement that came from the Palins. You know the one where the supposed mama grizzly should have issued a statement in her own words (gawd knows we wouldn’t have understood it anyway) using calm, adult language but instead she did what she does best when confronted with the truth she retreated and then sent Todd in for the attack.

Joe McGinnis says it best in the article for TheStar.com:

Todd Palin’s transformation from a hard-drinking, womanizing, cocaine-binging good ol’ boy to an emasculated but vindictive presence today. “Clearly, being reduced to the role of Chihuahua carried around in a rich lady’s purse is proving stressful for Todd.”

Review of The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin. Don't Expect An Announcement From Palin Soon As The Undefeated Morphs Into The Undecided

Guest Post by a Politicalgates Reader

Joe McGinniss surpasses my expectations for this long-awaited book, which documents his return to Alaska--site of his 1976 best-seller, "Going to Extremes"--this time to explore the state's Idaho-born ball of thermonuclear fission that is named Sarah Heath Palin. Those who've been following the linguine-like tangles of the Palin saga still will find a great deal of new and fascinating information, presented in McGinniss' engaging, can't-put-it-down fashion. Even if you haven't been paying attention to Sarah Palin at all, The Rogue will knock your socks off.

McGinniss speaks to many of the individuals on the record who have been bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated by Palin in power, including former Wasilla mayor John Stein, former Alaska public safety commissioner Walt Monegan, and ex-Alaska state senator Lyda Green (Chuck Heath Sr. reportedly inquired winsomely of Green before her retirement, "Why don't you quit now, you fat old cow?"). From his first days in Wasilla, McGinniss experienced first-hand the reign of terror and lunacy that was set into action by Palin's election as mayor in the mid-'90s. He also recounts dozens of acts of hospitality and kindness, having been offered a WELCOME sign, state flag, keys to the houses of total strangers, blueberry pie ("I figure Sarah Palin didn't get around to it yet," which she hadn't), freshly caught fish, festive dinners of yak burgers and yak loaf, and innumerable firearms. McGinniss declined only the guns. The state of Alaska is a character in this book as well, described with tenderness and exasperation, like a family member. It's easy to see why people fall in love with the place--and why so many residents, documented by McGinniss, are disgusted to have the image of their state co-opted by someone who quit her job to cash in on being a semi-professional Alaskan.

The lack of an index is my only quibble about this fine contribution to my Palin shelf. Read it alongside Geoffrey Dunn's "The Lies of Sarah Palin" for as close to a complete look at a unique American figure that one can find... as of this writing.

++++++

By Kathleen

Joe McGinniss writing at his blog reveals that he has been on a tour of the USA via satellite radio. He also discloses that his publisher backs both the the publication of The Rogue and its author. Many readers here at Politicalgates believe that it would be a good thing if Sarah Palin actually does dare to sue the publisher as "discovery" would be a great thing.

In an effort to appease her rabid fans, last night Sarah Palin announced that she still hasn't made a decision as to whether she is running or not, and don't expect a decision in the next 24 hours from her either. Sarah Palin does not keep her promises, even to her fans -- are we surprised? No --- she imposed the deadline and now seems unwilling to keep to it. Typical dithering Sarah. Still, the longer she takes in her deliberations the crazier her fans will become and that can only be a good thing.

Of more concern during the interview Palin further distances herself from the two main parties which she regards are embroiled in the politics of "crony capitalism". A concept that she is not exactly unfamiliar with as our contributer Nomadic View has already outlined in a previous post. For Palin "crony capitalism" is just another popular sound bite that she has embraced alongside "American exceptionalism", "The Little Guy", "Commonsense" and even more recently the resurrected slogan "I'm a maverick". If she runs I believe that she will run as a third party candidate because the GOP doesn't want her and it is also my view that her rejection by the GOP was probably engineered by none other than Palin herself.

Palin has sensed the mood of a sizeable number of Americans who feel flattened by a poor economic climate and she smells blood in the air. Distancing herself from the decision making that has led to the present situation may certainly do her no harm. I also expect that Palin thinks that a lot of the negative issues that presently surround her will have quietly faded into the distance by the time the actual election period commences. In the meantime the problem Palin faces is how to make herself relevant in a positive sense rather than a negative one. Can she do that? I don't think so.

Note what Palin says at the end of the interview:

"Whatever it takes to retire this permanent political class that has embraced it (crony capitalism) we're gonna do it."

That sounds as if it could get ugly to me.

Suppose the “Extreme” Were to Become the “Norm”

Guest Post by Sunnyjane

We have all witnessed the radical positions put forth by the Republicans, who have embraced the far-right wing Tea Party and welcomed them with open arms into the GOP tent. But suppose their Dominionist ideologies become the standards by which we must all live?

An America as envisioned by the far-right wing GOP and Tea Party faithful is as frightening a prospect as a forced-to-watch television anthology of Sarah Palin’s speeches and Fox News analyses.

At this very moment, the GOP heartily supports an America where executions are cheered, letting people die because they have no medical insurance is applauded, and taking away a woman’s right to make choices for her own body is considered good Christian governing.

Think about an America where clergy and corporatists rule with the single mindedness of dictators, enriching their coffers, strengthening their powers, and mandating stifling restrictions on those who practice another religion, those who practice no religion, and those Christians who are deemed “not the right kind.”

We have discussed the on-going threat of the far-right’s determination to turn the United States into a Christian theocracy. It does not take a lot of imagination to predict the highly negative consequences to our way of life should such a horror come to pass.

Under a Theocratic Government, Imagine an America where…

Your drivers license has a space marked Religion_______________

On every form you fill out, you must put an X next to: Christian? YES___ NO___

There is a different tax structure for non-Christians, and it is NOT be favorable to the tax payer.

Only Christians are approved for loans.

Only Christians are allowed to serve on juries.

Crimes against non-Christians are justifiable.

All media is controlled by Dominionists.

Schools, from PK to college, accept applications only from Christians. Teaching all science is forbidden and only Creationism is taught.

Christian church membership, regular attendance, and tithing are mandatory; non-compliance is subject to a fine and/or imprisonment.

Non-Christians must attend Christian indoctrination classes.

Non-Christian literature is censored.

Conception control (erroneously referred to as “birth control”) is outlawed.

And these are just the FIRST restrictions that would be forced on American citizens.

The Only Solution

We must continue the battle to ensure that Separation of Church and State remains the foundation of our Constitution.

Otherwise, America will become a nation where liberty and justice for all is reduced to a quaint artifact under the heading, “The Failure of an Ill-Conceived American Experiment.”

9/11 Remembering the Past & Looking Towards the Future - UPDATE! New graphic by Azure Ghost

Guest Post by Dusty

September 11, 2001 will be a day that will always be remembered. Long after all of us who are old enough to remember where we were, what we were doing at that awful moment in time when we heard that two planes had flown into the sides of the World Trade Center are gone.

To this day my mom can tell you exactly what she was doing when she heard the news that John F Kennedy had been shot.

The world changed, depending on your opinion, for better or for worse on September 11, 2001 but one thing we can all agree on, it will never be the same ever again. 2,823 people lost their lives that day in New York at the World Trade Center. 1,720 victims were never identified. 189 people lost their lives in Washington DC at the Pentagon Attack and 44 people died over Shanksville, Pa. aboard Flight 93 that day.

Over 3,000 innocent people left their homes that morning to go to work, go shopping, hop on a plane did not know that they would not be coming back home that day all because some radical belief that we to this day still cannot understand.

To this day I want to ask any one person involved in the attacks “How can you justify in your mind the taking of innocent lives to advance your cause?” That question will never be answered but I still would like to ask it.

Since 2001 we watched the United States go to war in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 and then a war with Iraq on March 20, 2003. We have lost over 6,000 service members in just those 2 wars per USA Today. We have weathered many natural disasters since 2001 and we have been through 2 National Elections. But there is one thing that will never change in America.

No one, not one person or radical terrorist group will ever take away the one thing that makes America great and that is our ability to rebuild that which was once destroyed. We will mourn those who were taken from us and we will build a beautiful memorial to remember them forever. We may fight among ourselves but damn it when it really matters you can always count on Americans to stand strong and to stand united as one.

It has been 10 years since 9/11 and construction is still going on in New York. The rebuilding for the Pentagon has long been completed and finally the first phase of the memorial in Pennsylvania is ready to be dedicated this weekend in honor of those on Flight 93.

The Discovery Channel has been airing a documentary created by executive producer Steven Spielberg called, 9/11 Tribute of Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero. This is a fantastic show that is commercial-free and it details the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. The show is heart wrenching at times but the spirit of America is still shining. Link for the Discovery Channel is

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/the-rising/

The Project Superintendent of the Transit Hub is Brian Lyons. His brother Mike was one of the 343 NYFD firefighters who died that day at the World Trade Center. He watched the towers fall that day and spent 9 months assisting with the recovery.

The Ground Zero Transit Hub went over budget many times and has been redesigned in an effort to save money. But the end result will be a very beautiful hub that has one very special feature. The building what shifted from its original position to a slightly different position that will allow the sunlight every 9/11 at exactly 8:46 a.m. and 10:28 a.m. to splash thru the skylight on the roof of the transit hub down into the station’s walkway. Another interesting fact about the building site there is a gap between the two tallest towers that will allow a shaft of sunlight to stream thru at 8:46 a.m. every 9/11 and light up the footprint of Tower 1.

So on this day the 10^th anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks please take a moment to remember those who are gone and those who survived the attacks. Remember the first responders and all those who offered assistance in the days that followed. Remember all our service men and woman who have died since 2001 and those who are still fighting overseas today.

Take a moment every day to hug a loved one or say hi to a neighbor or co-worker because you just never know if that is the last time you will ever see them. Today is a day to remember but it is also a day to look towards the future because to only remember but not look forward does not honor the memory of those who have gone on before us.

Thank you to HopeForAmerica for posting this great link and this great comment

“In memory of firefighters of 9/11...and a big thanks to all people of service who put their life on the line every day to protect and serve others”

“The story behind this painting is that a dad has just gotten on to fdny and it was his first day he got his first fire and it turned out to be at his wife’s friend’s house and his wife and daughter were there and he realized his daughter was still in the building went in and got her and the roof started collapsing when he got down to the second floor so he jumped out the window and saved his very own daughters life......truly a hero”

NYCGirl's comment from 9/11/10 is still relevant today:

I'm not a human being looking for a spiritual experience, I'm a spiritual being looking for a human experience.

Thank you, Politicalgates for giving all of us here a great place to discuss, talk and snark about a variety of topics each day.

+++

UPDATE:

Our reader Azure Ghost again was so kind to send us one of her fabulous graphics! This time about a rather unusual topic: Sarah Palin and 9/11. I think Azure Ghost really struck a nerve there!

Why When Sarah Says Vote For Anyone But Obama It Is Yet Another Display Of Her Willful Ignorance Of American History.

Guest Post By Dusty

The very first United States Presidential election was held in 1789 after the ratification of the US Constitution in 1788.

There was only 13 States at this time and 3 States did not cast any votes, North Carolina, Rhode Island and New York. With a few exceptions only white men with property could cast a vote.

Columbus discovered America in 1492 and 298 years later in 1790 the US passes it first naturalization law, which ties the right to vote to citizenship status, to grant citizenship to white men and some woman who had lived in the US for 2 years or more. Then in 1798 the law is changed to increase the time to 14 years before an immigrant could become a citizen and earn the right to vote. The law was rewritten to try and control the activities of foreigners before an impending war but in reality it was a law aimed directly at the Irish and French immigrants.

15 years later in 1804 the 12^th Amendment was ratified which required each voter to select a President and a Vice President together. The United States now has 17 States. It took another 16 years in 1820, before the property laws were repealed but a white male still had to pay a poll tax or be able to read and pass a religious test. Then an additional 20 years later in 1840, the poll tax, literacy taxes and religious tests were repealed but still only white men can vote. The United States now has 26 States.

We are now up to 1870- 61 years after democracy has come to the United States when the 15^th Amendment was passed giving black males the right to vote 5 years after slavery was abolished in 1865. The United States now has 37 States.

In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for the Telephone. In 1879 Electricity was invented and between the years 1880-1890 it became widely available along with the telephone. World War 1 began in 1917.

Then 50 years later in 1920 women are finally given full rights to vote the same year that Radio stations began broadcasting. The United States now has 48 States.

Then in 1924 Native Americans are permitted citizenship but still aren’t allowed to vote. Hard to believe isn’t it they were born here but not given citizenship until 1924 but still not allowed to vote? The Emergency Delivery of the Diphtheria Serum to Nome AK via dog sled happened in 1925. The Second World War would begin Dec. 7, 1941.

In 1943 Chinese immigrants are eligible for citizenship 83 years after they helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. 1946 Filipino are granted the right to citizenship and in 1952 first generation Japanese immigrants can become citizens. While it wasn’t until 1948 that regular commercial television would gain popularity in the United States. The Korean War began in 1950 and would not end until 1953. In 1959 the United States is up to 50 States with Alaska and Hawaii the last to join and the Vietnam War has begun and will not end until 1973.

Finally in 1965 the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is enacted to ban literacy tests in the Deep South. I find it ironic that this bill was written for those in the Deep South but was also aimed at Alaska which had only became a State 6 years prior. It takes 5 more years to ban the literacy test in 20 more States and then in 1971 the 26^th Amendment is passed giving voting right to 18 yr. olds.

Why the history lesson you may ask? Take a good look at the dates above, it took 172 years for the United States to recognize all its citizens and give them voting rights without poll taxes, literacy tests and religious tests. The people of the United States had electricity and telephones before women were granted full rights to vote. I’ll repeat that, it took 172 years for democracy to be applied to all the people who lived in the United States with no regard to race, religion, sex or creed. 172 years! I am appalled that a country that was discovered by immigrants and built by immigrants would turn around and pass laws that impacted those who followed after them and those who were here before them.

The first time I had seen or heard the phrase Vote for Anyone but… was in 2010 while I was traveling in Nevada.

I had posted this comment at Palingates that night:

This week I have been traveling through Nevada. I am seeing signs that say Vote for anyone but Reid. I asked a person who lives in Nevada what those signs are all about and I got a very interesting response. This person said those sign are due to Harry R's being a Mormon and due to how long he has been in office. Since this person was willing to talk I asked about thoughts were about Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle running against Harry R. This is where it gets downright amazing.

This person claims to have much respect for Harry R but will not vote for him or support him in public. Re: Sharron Angle who is running against him- doesn't care that she wants to privatize SS nor is a total idiot.

This person said they voted for McCain/Palin for 1 reason only- Voted Repub out of respect for a former employer who was a lifelong die hard Republican. No other reason...even though there was great concern regarding his health and her obvious lack of noticeable skills.

Then a fear of Pres. Obama was mentioned and how they have noticed that bi-racial folks in their area are now acting all big and bad now that Obama is in office. I was stunned. I asked how is this Pres.O's fault. He is not responsible for individual's manners. Next mentioned was how Pres.O hasn't done anything and how he is leading this country down the tubes. I asked if ever watched Rachel M. To which I got a very firm NO! I replied that is too bad as she just did a segment that listed all his many accomplishments so far.

Keep in mind Harry Reid has always been a member of the Mormon faith and he was easily reelected in 2004. But in just six short years there were people in Nevada advocating to their neighbors to vote for anyone but Harry Reid due to his lifelong religious beliefs and time in office for a person who wanted to privatize Social Security and basically shut down government. They weren’t concerned that their vote would impact the entire Nation not just Nevada.

Fast forward to 2011 and now Sarah Palin is quoted as saying she will vote for anybody but Obama. The media once again gave her a pass on this oh so immature comment but you don’t have to. American history is not one of Sarah’s strengths but wouldn’t you think that a person who wants to have any influence in American politics would have studied our history enough to realize that the right to cast a vote in a United States election was not granted to everyone in 1798.

Who you choose to vote for is your business but when you voice your opinion or attempt to influence other’s opinion as Sarah Palin does, then just maybe you need to review the history of this nation and understand that others fought so that you would have the right to vote and it took 172 years before everyone in this county was granted the right to vote. Your vote does matter and in a national race your vote impacts the entire nation and yes sometimes more often than not it seems like the choice is the lesser of two evils.

The Teaparty of America --- Who Are The Founding Members and Co-Ordinators?

Guest Post by Ebbtide

Regarding this upcoming September 3 event. Does it strike anyone else as odd that this is an event sponsored by a shiny new group that has just recently sprung up? Or that the group has already cancelled a previously planned event? Or that, within a month of the September 3 event, they have totally changed the venue—not across the street or down the block, but to another town more than 30 miles away? And, if they’ve only had 200 or so responses, why did they move it?

Who is paying for this event, which is supposedly offering free admission? Did the original venue not charge them some kind of deposit that they have had to forfeit? Did the new venue charge a deposit? Did they have to get permits? Or arrange security?

When you change venues, you have to do a lot of prep work—traffic flow, vendor space, sound system, staging, etc. It takes a lot of time and work. One of my clients just did a simple ribbon-cutting event, and it involved about two months of prep and organization. Who is coordinating this upcoming gala?

Has there been any gnashing of teeth or concern among the sycophants who had already booked their hotels in Waukee and planned their adjunct events?

Something about this event seems very fishy.

1. A while ago, before the Disquis nightmare, someone suggested I check further into Teaparty of America, the group that’s sponsoring the 9/3 shindig in Iowa.

Here’s what I’ve found so far (jump in with more at any time)

There are four names on the website:

Ken Crow—founder

Charlie Gruschow—co-founder

Harlan Colt

Susan Geddes—Event coordinator

Let's start with Ken Crow.

He is the registrant of the site. Four months ago on

http://kencrow.hubpages.com/hub/POLITICAL-SCIENCE-INTERNS-NEEDED

he said website was still under construction—and would be up in 30-45 days. He also said: “We are not only going to endorse the members recommendation for that seat in Congress, we are going one step or two steps further. We are going to assist with funding of the campaign, put boots on the ground, provide that candidate with all media ( television ads, radio and news print ) and we are going to rally for that candidate. Thus making that candidate virtually unbeatable.”

Sounds like an ambitious undertaking.

According to whois

Domain ID:D161938527-LROR

Domain Name:TEAPARTYOFAMERICA.ORG

Created On:02-Apr-2011 23:00:36 UTC

Last Updated On:16-Aug-2011 21:34:23 UTC

Expiration Date:02-Apr-2012 23:00:36 UTC

Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, Inc. (R91-LROR)

Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED

Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED

Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED

Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED

Registrant ID:CR79641778

Registrant Name:Ken Crow

Registrant Street1:511 South 8th Ave

Registrant Street2:

Registrant Street3:

Registrant City:Winterset

Registrant State/Province:Iowa

2. More on Teaparty of America—second name on the site—Charlie Gruschow, co-founder.

Charlie was the founder of the Des Moines Tea Party, and, until around July 4, he was HERMAN CAIN’s Iowa field director.

“Charlie Gruschow, former leader of the Des Moines Tea Party, resigned from the campaign on Sunday “to pursue other interests.” Gruschow had been an early supporter and activist for Cain having been with him since last year even though he was only on the payroll since May.

“Gruschow was a direct line for Cain into the grassroots tea party base in the first-caucus state. He was the candidate’s first Iowa organizer, doing everything from picking the candidate up from the airport to planning meet-and-greet events. But even before resigning, Gruschow was conspicuously missing from campaign activity in recent weeks.

“Gruschow attributed his resignation to being “disappointed in some of the decisions that were made and some of the comments that were made by others,” and a campaign that had become “just too messy.” But Gruschow said he had no plans to sign on with another presidential campaign, despite severing his ties.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58344.html#ixzz1VbORiafv

So, while Charlie was working for Cain, he was co-founding Teaparty of America, which now seems quite smitten with you-know-who.

“Charlie Gruschow, a co-founder of the Tea Party of America and one of the state’s most recognized Tea Party leaders is excited that Governor Palin is attending the event. “It’s huge, I don’t have any other way to describe it,” Gruschow told

TheIowaRepublican.com. “We were looking for someone who is respected and admired by Tea Party activists, and Governor Palin has shown a willingness to stand for the issues and principles that the Tea Party was founded on.”

How quickly they revise their thinking.

3. Number three on the Teaparty of America hit parade—Susan Geddes.

Geddes has a political consultant business, and is a home-schooling advocate. She was a big name in Huckabee’s 2008 Iowa campaign (was even mentioned in his book)

But what a fickle supporter.

As of April 26, she was backing businessman Herman Cain for president. “I decided several months ago that our country could not afford another career politician,” Geddes said.

Then, on August 2, Susan Geddes, announced this am as Tim Pawlenty's Warren County coordinator, ran the state Senate campaign last year of Kent Sorenson, the same Kent Sorenson who is heading Michele Bachmann's Iowa campaign.

And now, as Teaparty of America Event Coordinator, Susan Geddes told ABC News that despite the organization only being a few months old, she found it easy to get Palin to sign on to the September event.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60500.html#ixzz1VbSL2ViQ

Quite the little gadfly, our Susan.

Next up—Harlan Colt

4. The fourth horseman of Teaparty of America is Harlan Colt. He doesn’t have a “title” on the website, and I couldn’t find much about him. It appears that he responded to Ken Crow’s hublink when Crow was starting things up and claims to have worked in media for about 15 years. Couldn’t find much more of interest.

So, to recap Teaparty of America—one of the co-founders was already a big Teaparty name in Iowa, and was working for Herman Cain when he got involved. One had been a big player for Huckabee in 2008, then worked for Cain, then Pawlenty and now found it easy to get Sarah to participate in their little event. This for a group that just started a few months ago. Something just doesn’t seem right. Any thoughts?

The Sarah Palin Guide to Obscurity - Buh-Bye Sarah, Don’t let the door hit your ass on your way out

Guest Post by Dusty

To the relief of an entire nation it appears Sarah Palin is finally well on her way down the path to obscurity that ends back at her $1Million Wasilla compound complete with a view of the dead lake. In case you are wondering just how Sarah ended up on this path let’s take a little walk back in history and you may be shocked to learn this one way path that Sarah cannot quit until she reaches the end.

It all began when the 2008 Election results were final and the McCain/Palin ticket was declared the clear and undisputed losers. The RNC and GOP leaders explained to Palin that she must go back to Alaska, finish her term, educate herself on national and international policies and they would be there to support her in another election cycle once she had gained some political credibility and professionalism. Doesn’t sound that hard does it? Seriously, all she had to do was what millions of hard working Americans does every single day, go to work, educate themselves and learn from the past mistakes and move forward.

For the second step down the path to obscurity Sarah chose to ignore the advice from the GOP and RNC leaders and she Quit! That’s right folks, she Quit her job as Governor of Alaska a job she declares is a much more powerful position that that of Governor of Texas. She Quit on the voters of Alaska and she Quits on the GOP party and she Quit on her supporters and friends. That’s right folks, she QUIT! I cannot say this too many times. No one likes a Quitter and in America a Quitter will never win the office of President of the United States.

Those two dates in history will forever be linked together to the downfall of Sarah Palin by her very own hand. The date she lost the election for Vice President of the United States and the day she Quit her only credible job as Governor of Alaska. She has no one to blame but herself but as we all know it is President Obama and the Lower 48 aka the Outsiders as we are so fondly called by those in Alaska, fault not hers.

Sarah is unconventional and she thrives in an unconventional environment and atmosphere but even those who love to be unconventional still need to be able to communicate with those in the conventional world or there will just be chaos and miscommunication. Main stream Americans will accept a person’s unconventional approach as long as they have the credibility and professionalism to back up their unconventional approaches. Sarah does not or cannot understand that she has taken her unconventional attitude too far and she is now fading ever so slowly in the background and into the abyss that is obscurity.

The 2010 election cycle was another step down the path for Palin. She did pick some winners but you know a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day. What she did do was influence the media to the point that we are now dealing with a Congress full of freshman who have no freaking clue how to lead or what the Constitution means. The media gave her more credit than she rightfully deserved.

Another step down her path to obscurity was the day of the Blood Libel video release that will go down into history as the stupidest Palin idea ever! On that day she crossed that thin line that exists between popular but harmless (think her 2 book tours & SPAK) into unpopular and dangerous to the American public. The media’s love affair with Sarah Palin was over that day. Sarah had taken her unconventional attitude too far without taking the time to educate herself and gain the required credibility and professionalism needed to run for political offices while not being just another political joke for late night television. The irony of this step is she released the video in an attempt to minimize the President’s response and actions and she tried to do the same thing to Romney where she actually succeeded.

During the private family vacation slash bus tour across America paid for by Sarah Pac and the gaffe heard around the world. Sarah proved once again that she cannot think fast on her feet or recite with any sort of logical or reasonable comprehension a basic understanding of what she has just heard. Neither are desirable traits in a national leader or even a leader of the local PTA. What she did prove was that the Media is the strongest voice in her dwindling base while chasing around after her like a dog chases its tail or a cat chases a light beam.

Finally we have the weekend of August 13th 2011 the weekend that shows the final curve on Palin’s path to obscurity and Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry is standing right there waving Buh-Bye Sarah.

Palin in her typical attention seeking and childish it’s all about me behavior shows up in Iowa to attend the State Fair in a thin V-neck white cotton T-Shirt with a printed graphic on the front, side and back. Black low rider jeans and ill-fitting open toe sandals, no wedding ring, mismatched jewelry and toenails painted black with white polka dots and with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Seriously what is Palin appearance without a little tongue hanging out?

Michele Bachmann has stolen Palin’s thunder because she has the appearance of political credibility and the professionalism to run for the highest office. The key words in the previous sentence are “has the appearance” given time I think we will find she lacks any credibility for her current office or any higher office. She has national office experience something Palin will never have and she knows that appearances are important and whether she or Marcus chooses her outfits she usually looks great and is dressed appropriately for the event. The other thing Michele has that Palin will never have is Michele can articulate her thoughts and talking points however misguided she might be. Michele can think fast on her feet, is not scared to talk to the MSM and can articulate a basic understanding of what she has just heard however she normally spins it (lies about it) to meet her values or current talking point. Michele won the Straw Poll in Ames this past weekend, be it that she bought her votes it is still telling that Palin lost big time even as a write it.

Then Rick Perry in a classic Palin move stole the remaining thunder right out from underneath Palin’s black and white polka dotted toes and sucked all the attention away from Palin and her lame bus tour. It also appears that Palin’s usefulness for Rick Perry has ceased and he has moved on to South Carolina’s Governor Haley. The GOP is desperate for a candidate that would even stand a chance against President Obama next year and Perry appears to be their only hope be it a misguided choice.

While Palin has spent the last 2 ½ years fiercely bashing President Obama and spitefully sniping at the First Lady while nastily insulting the Republican Party, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have been working to establish their political credibility and professionalism needed to make a run for national office.

The Republican Party may be okay with her bashing of President Obama, but I seriously doubt they are too impressed with her spiteful digs at the First Lady and then nasty sniping of the Republican Party. She has failed to do one single thing that will give her any degree of credibility or professionalism that is required to run for any Local, State or National Office and that is with even allowing for the unconventionalism that is the Palin Brand.

The fact that she chose to appear before the voters and the media dressed like she just got out of bed and was in too big a hurry to shower, style her hair and dress in event appropriate clothing while refusing to declare her intentions goes a long way to underscore the fact that she lacks the credibility and professionalism to be anything other than Sarah Palin – The Amateur Celebrity and the latest ex-wife of the Republican Party.

I believe her failure to educate herself along with her complete inability to recite a logical or reasonable aka factual comprehension of basic understanding of what she had just heard coupled with the nasty little digs at the President and the First Lady are finally becoming an embarrassment to the GOP who is now working to render her impotent as we speak. Think of it as a divorce settlement of the rich and famous. The GOP has said to Palin you can have your little job at Faux News, the $1.7 Million dollar Mansion in AZ, the $1 Million dollar Compound in Wasilla but you will not run for National Office in this or the next election cycle.

Palin loves to play the victim and that is her brand however constantly playing the victim does not cut it with the American Voter. Just like the little boy who cried wolf too many times Palin has over played the victim card and the American public is losing interest in playing her games.

Will she or won’t she run. Who knows, this is Palin we are talking about. As long as she can get other people to pay for her mansions, her travel, expensive toys and trips she will continue to try and stay in the limelight. Will she have the power that she once had? No, I don’t believe she will. People do not respect those who grift for a living. Most Americans not just Alaskans believe in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. However the Palins are the exception to the rule as they believe the world owes them a living just because they are Palins. Money for nothing is the Palin Family Motto.

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UPDATE BY Dusty

Update:

Aw Sarah is at it again pissing off the media one former ally at a time on her path to obscurity.

“A piece written for the Daily Caller says that Palin, whatever she says in the primaries, would endorse Romney in the general election. A Fox News headline (now gone) made it seem as if the piece said that Palin would endorse Romney in the primaries. Palin pounces and invites another reporter to listen to her berate the original (innocent) reporter about his alleged sloppiness and liberal bias”

You can read more here http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/08/palin-loses-it-again.html and here

http://spectator.org/blog/2011/08/15/palin-cheap-shots-a-good-repor#

Dear Sarah must have been having a really bad day what other excuse could there be for another one of her petty little mean girl attacks? Seriously, in Sarah’s world, it’s not her fault that she is not mature enough to spot the difference between the petty little bullshit stuff that anyone else would have just smiled and walked away from and something that is worth fighting for. What upset her I wonder, could it be Rick Perry announced his bid for the presidency or could it be Michele Bachmann won the Ames Straw Poll or could it be there was an Alaskan who told Todd, Sarah was a sell out?

No, I don’t think it was anything that important I vote that she saw the picture of her toes on PoliticalGates and she totally lost it once again.

Quitters will never win a national election Sarah and neither will people who cannot even manage their own time, their message, their appearance and even their emotions while trying to pass themselves off as control freaks.

PS- A little birdie (Brad S) has sent Sarah his re-written magazine article regarding babygate. You all get the feeling her week isn’t going to get any better?

Thank you AzureGhost Love the poster!

Using Common Sense to Debunk the GOP-Tea Party Express

Guest Post by Dusty

Common Sense = sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.

The GOP-Tea Party folks love to throw around the word ‘common sense’ in almost every single talking point. Now if only they could just learn how to spell it and learn how to use it properly in a talking point, but I digress. I found an interesting statistic while writing this article:

“Tea Party supporters are decidedly Republican and conservative in their leanings. Also, compared with average Americans, supporters are slightly more likely to be male and less likely to be lower-income.

In several other respects, however — their age, educational background, employment status, and race — Tea Partiers are quite representative of the public at large.”

Lack of common sense in our leaders was not that readily apparent until the 2008 & 2010 Election Cycle with the clear exception of Former President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

In 2008 our country witnessed the stunning and total complete lack of common sense in John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin has his running mate and the media’s stunning lack of common sense in their reporting of Sarah Palin.

In 2010 our country again witnessed the complete lack of common sense in the voters who turned out to vote in anger rather than to take a few minutes to think about how their vote would impact the entire nation not just their district.

Let’s see how using the definition of the word common sense we can debunk a few of the GOP-Tea Party Express major talking points shall we?

*No More Bailouts!

Umm no facts or explanation of the situation presented with those three words. No more bailouts for whom? Let’s try applying some common sense to this pesky little talking point.

How about No More Bailouts without a system of checks and balances in place. No more bailouts without regulation, timelines and accountability. See now isn’t that something that would appeal to both sides, liberal and conservative and even the middle? But now we have another problem because when we find something that appealing to the masses then we are in conflict with the next talking point.

*Reduce the Size of Government - So far we’ve have heard the GOP-Tea Party say they want to shut down the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the Department of Education, the CDC (Center of Disease Control) and deregulate the Oil and Gas Industry, Wall Street and the Banking Industry. No explanation as to why or how they just want to shut it down or deregulate it.

What the GOP-Tea Party can’t, won’t or they just don’t the ability to articulate is all of these departments are valuable to this nation. We as a nation cannot afford to shut down any of these agencies without a little investigation as that would be foolish and very irresponsible. However, when applying a little common sense to this talking point-

Congress and the media need to debate and look into the rules, regulations that drive all of these agencies. Are there agencies that overlap? Where do they overlap? Can they be combined and streamlined? Is it possible to reduce the number of rules and regulations? But then how can we expect our current House of Representatives to get any work done with they work one week and take off a week and are only focused on making President Obama a one term President.

Reduce the Intrusiveness of Government!

The GOP-Tea Party has focused their entire mission since the 2010 election cycle to deny all women the right to an abortion, services thru Planned Parenthood. Texas signed into law a bill that would force young girls to get a vaccine. Texas did this!

To apply common sense to this talking point first the GOP-Tea Party would have to stop focusing on the denial of abortion rights and come to the table with a willingness to understand that to reduce the intrusiveness of Government means to reduce it for all the people of ALL sexes, color and creed. They cannot pick and choose when the Government should be intrusive.

*Stop Raising our Taxes! OMG! Just stop already. Just once I wish the GOP-Tea Party would stop and listen to President Obama one time. Unless you make over $250,000 per year your taxes would not be raised. In fact in 2010 President Obama lowered the taxes for everyone who was employed by reducing the payroll taxes for Social Security.

Did you know in West the State leaders are trying to figure out how to make the owners of hybrids pay for their share of the fuel tax? Yep, people who bought hybrids are paying less at the pumps so the State saw their revenues decrease and now they want to figure out how they can add a highway tax based on mileage to raise the State’s revenue.

Would it be great if raising taxes wasn’t the first and only choice of our leaders to raise revenue? Let’s see we have Federal Income Tax, State & Local Income Tax in 43 States, Real Estate Tax, Personal Property Tax, School Tax, Sales Taxes etc.

To apply common sense to this talking point the facts are that our country is headed towards another recession. The people who will suffer the most are the middle to lower class. To raise taxes is the only alternative to head off another depression. No one likes paying more taxes but people who use common sense to resolve issue know that it is necessary to increase the revenue in order to keep services for those who cannot otherwise afford those services. The EIC (Earned Income Tax Credit) is one tax that should be ended. This is the one tax credit that that makes every single middle class person I know angry, myself included. No one should get more back than what they paid in.

The GOP-Tea Party is driving across our county in a bus with the simple slogan of Restore Liberty- Honor the Constitution. This is their perception of the situation or the facts but they are failing to apply sound and prudent judgment. The GOP-Tea Party cannot Restore Liberty when their main focus is to deny the Liberty to those who do not share their beliefs.

Honor the Constitution? The United States Constitution states We the People of the United States, Not We the White People or We the Pro-Life People or We the Rich People and it sure didn’t read We the People of the Tea Party. It says We the People of the United States which means we All have a voice even those whose personal choices are different from our own.

The GOP-Tea Party started off with good intentions but rather than do the work required to come to a sound and prudent judgment of the situation they chose to create their own perception of the situation that was not based on the reality of the facts. The irony is that if they had done the work required they would have found that President Obama campaigned on the very same platform and he is trying to implement these changes.

The GOP-Tea Party has proven that most of its members have no common sense whatsoever during the last congressional session when they choose to hold hostage the raising the debt ceiling while arguing over the budget. One issue had absolutely nothing to do with the other but rather than do their job with intelligence and honor they choose instead to act recklessly and with dishonor

The Bailouts were necessary, could it have been handled better of course it could have. Do we need to reduce the size of government of course we do but we need to make intelligent choices not emotion choices. Do we need to reduce taxes-no we don’t, what needs to happen is to make the tax code fair for all and everyone pays their fair share, corporations included.

Standard & Poor's Downgrades US Credit Rating — Who’s At Fault? Collection Of Quotes From Republican Politicians We Should Not Forget!

Guest post by EbbtideMB

There are plenty of fingers pointing in all directions following Friday’s Standard and Poor’s downgrading the US credit rating from AAA to AA+. Economist Robert Reich even questions S&P’s rationale, and points to the fact that S&P actually had no business basing its downgrade on its view of how politics should be conducted.

While neither Democrats nor Republicans went into or came out of the debt ceiling debacle with their haloes totally intact, and there is dissatisfaction with the ultimate deal from both sides, I hope this won’t be another instance of the media, as usual, presenting a case of false equivalency.

Even the Standard & Poor's report (click to download) itself states:

“The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed. The statutory debt ceiling and the threat of default have become political bargaining chips in the debate over fiscal policy. Despite this year’s wide-ranging debate, in our view, the differences between political parties have proven to be extraordinarily difficult to bridge, and, as we see it, the resulting agreement fell well short of the comprehensive fiscal consolidation program that some proponents had envisaged until quite recently.”

And remember, John Boehner said, “When you look at this final agreement that we came to with the White House, I got 98 percent of what I wanted. I’m pretty happy.”

Watch:

Keep these and the following quotes handy.

When the subject comes up, and it will, as to who was on the wrong side of the debate, who was intransigent, who was willing to drive the economy off the cliff, perhaps the following quotes will help to make the case that the Right was WRONG.

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OUR KEEPERS - memorable quotes by Republican politicians from the recent days:

Appearing on Fox News to discuss Republicans’ opposition to raising the debt ceiling, House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) said it is “contrary to our DNA” to raise the debt ceiling.

Watch:

House Speaker John Bohener (R-OH) admitted that some members of his own caucus who are refusing to agree to a compromise debt ceiling deal are hoping to unleash “chaos” and thus force the White House and Senate Democrats to make bigger concessions than they’re already offering.

Exact quote:

BOEHNER: Well, first they want more. And my goodness, I want more too. And secondly, a lot of them believe that if we get past August the second and we have enough chaos, we could force the Senate and the White House to accept a balanced budget amendment. I’m not sure that that — I don’t think that that strategy works. Because I think the closer we get to August the second, frankly, the less leverage we have vis a vis our colleagues in the Senate and the White House.

Watch:

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) saw the "benefit" of a default and said:

“By defaulting on the debt, in the short and long term, it could benefit us to go through a period of crisis that forces politicians to make decisions” on major policies that affect the budget.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) held a similar view, as he explained in a conversation with a journalist from Think Progress:

KEYES: Do you think though if we avert this August 2nd deadline by passing an increase in the debt ceiling, we’re missing an opportunity to perhaps teach a lesson like you’ve been talking about?

PAUL: No, I think if you didn’t raise it, people say it would be the end of the whole system, but maybe people will say, “hey, maybe they’re serious!” And maybe it would be a positive. That’s what we should do because if we continue to do this, we’ll destroy the dollar.

KEYES: It could be a positive thing though?

PAUL: I think it’s possible, but it’s not predictable.

Watch:

Lindsey Graham also regarded a possible default as an "opportunity":

Well to not raise the debt ceiling could be a default of the United States on bond and treasury obligations. That would be very bad for the position of the United States in the world at large but this is an opportunity to make sure that government is changing its spending ways.

Watch:

Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty thought that America needed a "dramatic moment":

TPM asked Pawlenty whether Republicans should raise the debt ceiling if their only two options are default or a deal that includes higher taxes. He replied that the party cannot and will not offer any concessions on revenue and that America may need a "dramatic moment" to effect the "quantum change" the country needs.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) explained to Fox News that he would vote "NO" in any case, even if there was a default:

Lee tells Fox and Friends, “I’ll be voting ‘no’ because this is a permanent problem when we take on two and a half trillion dollars of new debt. That’s a long-term commitment that’s gonna take us decades to pay off.“ Lee explains that the United States doesn’t have a balanced budget amendment, and therefore “we have no business to raise to debt limit.”

When asked what he would do if he knew he was the last vote to determine if this country goes into default, Lee says he would still vote no.

Watch:

Another presidential hopeful, Michelle Bachmann, apparently finds higher unemployment numbers very attractive:

In an interview with CNBC this morning, Bachmann was asked if her poll numbers might improve as the unemployment rate went up.

"Well, that could be. Again, I hope so."

Watch:

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) was willing to cause "serious disruptions" in the economy to secure significant cuts and a balanced budget:

DEMINT: The reason the president hasn’t addressed the issue even though we knew it was facing us, and this is the fourth time he’s asked for an increase in the debt limit, he has been burning time — that’s what [Vice President Joe] Biden was supposed to do is get the Republicans behind closed doors — is burn the clock up until we have a crisis. So now we’re at the point where there would have to be some serious disruptions in order not to raise it. I’m willing to do that, I just don’t think we can find enough of Republicans and Democrats to say it’s time to stop spending.

Watch:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) believed that the default issue would make a great "hostage":

I think some of our members may have thought the default issue was a hostage you might take a chance at shooting. Most of us didn't think that. What we did learn is this -- it's a hostage that's worth ransoming. And it focuses the Congress on something that must be done.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, claimed on Southern California Public Radio that Aug. 2 was an “artificial deadline” Obama was using to “extort a deal” out of Congress:

“We should not be having a discussion with a artificial deadline of August 2nd, set by the President so the President can extort a deal through his reelection period. That’s not right, it’s not what the American people expect us to do.”

Listen to Rep. Issa HERE.

Finally - the worst quote of all? Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) has no concerns about the economy whatsover, and those who do are apparently "piggish" and "un-American."

Think Progress reports:

Today on ABC’s Top Line, Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) went one step further and threw away the word “default” altogether. While he views Aug. 2 as an “important date,” he refuses to “take the premise that we’re going to default on our obligations.” Believing “default” isn’t even the right word to use to describe the economic consequences, Rokita slammed those who would avoid default as “piggish” and “un-American” for worrying about “my own little program or my own little economy.” Rokita then declared defiantly that he’s willing to vote down a debt ceiling raise even if it means “the economy might get worse.”

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Also: Is there some sanity on the Right?

Yes, there were a few voices of reason on the right, which mainly served to demonstrate how insane the rest of the wing was behaving.

Former Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) teed off on House Republicans’ brinkmanship on the debt ceiling, saying intransigent GOP congressmen are willing to risk destroying the county’s economy to get what they want. Voinovich told Rolling Stone’s Tim Dickinson:

“They’re playing Russian roulette and all the chambers have a bullet.” [...] “They’re flamethrowers. ‘We’re going to get what we want or the country can go to hell.’”

Note: One wonders if Voinovich would have been as outspoken had he not been a FORMER senator.

And regarding the Balanced Budget Amendment noise - report from Think Progress:

Bill Hoagland, a budget adviser to Republican leaders from 1982 to 2007, called the amendment “a political cheap shot,” while Scott Galupo, a former staffer for Boeher, has called the idea “quite simply, insane.”

Bruce Bartlett, a former economic adviser for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, noted that the amendment is a phony solution to the budget mess that allows Republicans to support a balanced budget while not having to “support anything politically unpopular.” Indeed, as the Republicans quoted above make clear, they really have no idea how they’d balance the budget; they just want it to magically balance itself.

Editing by Patrick.

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Note by Patrick:

Many thanks to our reader EbbtideMB for this valuable contribution!

Finally, I would like to draw the attention to the utterings of one of our favourite subjects, Sarah Palin, who was interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox News about the debt ceilings issue on July 13, 2011 and who in this interview presented a rather confusing mash-up of her usual suitable-for-all-occasions talking points - excerpts:

It's absolutely nonsensical, the lack of planning that our leaders are exercising and showing their constituents coming out of D.C. right now, and the lack of understanding that too many have there in D.C., not understanding that Obama's big government, job-killing policies really are the antithesis of what our country needs to get back on the right track to allow us to be exceptional again.

Remember, our country was built on a strong foundation of reward for work ethic and development of our natural resources. And here we've gone in the complete opposite direction under Obama with both those cornerstones. And we are where we are now with, as you mentioned in your intro, Moody's telling us that our AAA rating is under review now because we don't have a plan to get us back on that solid footing.

This is the time to reload. And we reload with reality by giving facts and numbers to the American public so that those of us across the U.S. can start chiming in and letting our representatives know that we will not capitulate, we will not hand over more power, which I believe is unconstitutional, to President Obama to further manipulate our economy.

You prioritize. Our president essentially suggested the other day that he's not able to prioritize. As the chief executive of our nation, he cannot prioritize, and that's why he suggested that Social Security checks may not be written come August 2nd if that debt ceiling isn't increased.

But see, Sean, there are departments that can be revamped and -- and some bills that can wait. And, again, it's our president's job, as the leader of the executive branch, to prioritize and administer those dollars that Congress has allocated. And our president obviously isn't capable of doing that, because he has no plan that he can even put forward to say here are my priorities.

Instead, he -- as he did some months ago when he said that government would shut down if X, Y and Z weren't accomplished, the military wouldn't get paid, they'd be thrown under the bus. And then he says the other day, oh, this next go around, it's going to be our seniors who get thrown under the bus.

It's -- if I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt, not under this president. I -- I do not trust him.

However, as I've gone on record saying previously, I believe that it will be increased, because too many in Congress believe that the -- the president must have that allowance of increasing the debt.

So, having said that, what I would accept, knowing that it's going to be increased anyway, is DeMint's plan to cut the cap and to balance our budget. We do that in our state governments. We do that in our city governments. It's time that the feds do that, too.

But again, as I say, I don't trust this president to not only not -- he doesn't know how to make those cuts, he's never had to do this before. He's always been one to just spend other people's money, even if that money is just borrowed money or printed out of thin air. He's never had to exercise real executive authority like that.

It's pretty hard to decipher what she actually wants to express, apart from not "trusting" President Obama, but in another installment of "the-media-doing-its-job" the Washington Post performed an extensive fact-check of Sarah Palin's comments in this interview and also explained some essentials of the debt ceiling issue, which Sarah Palin was apparently not aware of:

Potential presidential candidate Sarah Palin popped up on the Sean Hannity Show on Wednesday night, making a series of somewhat contradictory statements about the battle over the national debt ceiling.

“If I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt,” she asserted. But she also said, “We cannot default.” But then she also said: “We cannot afford to retreat right now.”

Eventually, she got around to making the point above, saying the president simply has to prioritize what bills he is going to pay, “revamp” some departments and so forth. She made it sound all so very easy.

As we have written, there is substantial debate over what the Obama administration can or cannot do once the putative Aug. 2 deadline is reached, especially regarding the disbursement of Social Security checks. The most impressive analysis thus far was published by The Bipartisan Policy Center, a report written Jay Powell, a former top Treasury official in the George H.W. Bush administration. He makes it clear this would be uncharted and very difficult territory.

But Palin’s statement also suggests she has a fundamental misunderstanding of the debt limit, which we will explore.

The Washington Post examines these statements and also explains some of the basics:

In 1917, Congress decided to do away with the cumbersome procedure and simply gave blanket approval for most types of borrowing. To keep a check on the executive branch, Congress established a limit.

But this is not the same as a credit card limit, a frequently used analogy. A credit card limit prevents someone from making more purchases. You may want to buy that $1,000 refrigerator but if you only have $500 left on your credit card, tough luck—unless you round up some cash.

In this case, Congress has already authorized the expenditures for fiscal year 2011. In many cases, the products, so to speak, have already been purchased, and now the bills are coming due. If the United States government does not pay for these items (which includes interest on the national debt), then it goes in default.

We have had trouble coming up with a real-life equivalent, but here’s stab at it. Suppose the son of a millionaire was told he could spend $100,000 in a year, and not only that, but he was told exactly how he needed to spend the money. (That’s the fiscal year appropriations bills passed by Congress.). At the same time, the parent told the son the bills would not be paid after a certain date unless he got additional permission to pay them. (That’s the debt limit.)

In other words, the money has been spent, but an arbitrary ceiling has been set for how much can be paid. If it doesn’t make much sense, it is not supposed to. But it is the exact opposite of a credit card limit or any such similar analogy

The Washington Post comes to the conclusion that Sarah Palin doesn't know what she is talking about and awards "three Pinocchios" for "significant factual error and/or obvious contradictions":

But past rhetoric by other politicians, even the president, is no excuse for continuing to mischaracterize the debt limit. Palin either has a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue or she purposely is being misleading.

The Washington Post deserves our gratitude for trying to educate Sarah Palin.