The Ojai Post

destained?

Our country is currently lagging the world in development of these (green) technologies

Oh really ? Please tell us which countries are at the forefront of these green tecnologies.

Regarding your question, Anonymous, I'm a little surprised. Examples of foreign leading green energy companies include Spain's Gamesa, Denmark's Vestas, Germany's Nordex and India's Suzlon. I am heavily invested in a green energy mutual fund which, regrettably, is primarily comprised of foreign firms. This is not to say that there are not American firms that are active in this space -- clearly there are. However, other countries, such as Germany have placed a far greater national priority on green energy development. This has resulted in faster development of these technologies. In 2007, over 14% of Germany's energy was generated from renewable resources. Trust me, I wish we were the undisputed world leader in this space, but this is not presently the case. This is not to say that it is impossible for the US to achieve dominance in green technology. In fact, I believe history has demonstrated repeatedly that Americans have the capacity to rise to these kinds of challenges. We simply need to make the choice.

Oh, I guess I misunderstood your point. It's not that they are ahead of us from a technological standpoint, it's just that they spend more money on "green" techologies.

No matter what our politics are, the banning books from a library or the attempt to ban books, must be paid close attention to. This is a list of the books Sarah Palin attempted to ban in her time as mayor.


When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.
Sinclair Lewis, 1935

Below is a list of the books Sarah Palin tried to have banned from the Wasilla, Alaska Library. When the Wasilla librarian refused to trash these books, Mayor Palin tried to have her fired. This caused a stir in Wasilla which then turned into a drive to protect the librarian. Some of my favorite examples of American literature are on this list. This is the act of a patriotic American? No, this is the act of a religious fundamentalist trying to squeeze herself into the role of a mythic frontier American. The attempt to ban American literary masterpieces like Catcher In The Rye, Grapes Of Wrath, To Kill A Mockingbird, Death Of A Salesman, Leaves Of Grass, As I Lay Dying, Huckleberry Finn, Catch 22 and Tarzan indicates, flags and Bible citations aside, her ascendance to national power would be downright un-American. In the realm of Rovian political marketing and the unfolding effort to win the Presidency not with ideas but with a cult of personality, McCain is the humiliated warrior ready to "go to the gates of hell" to preserve American exceptionalism and Sarah Palin is his fascist "bride," a mythic frontier mom able to shoot, gut and cook a moose while nurturing her family who has said publicly our war in Iraq is supported by God and people should pray to God to get the Alaska gas pipeline approved.

This is a pivotal moment in American history, and we all need to expose this cult of personality for what it is, a cynical sham. Please pass this on far and wide.

This list is taken from the official minutes of the Wasilla Library Board.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween
Symbols by Edna Barth

Re: Palin's list of books to be banned in Wasilla library

Please check your facts before posting something that is completely fabricated! http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/bannedbooks.asp

Adele S.

Isn't the real point not the list of books but the fact that OUR WOULD BE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WANTED TO BAN BOOKS!!! And this women would be a heart beat away from being our President. I find that prospect appalling. Add in her lies about lobbyists, support of the oil industry, denial of global warming, lying about earmarks and her abuse of the State Personnel codes, etc., to all be truly frightening as well. 8 years of con artists is enough. It is time to take back our county.

To Scared of Palin,

I think Adele S. is right. You do your own cause a big disservice if you attack using lies.

As for Palin, you may be scared, but you better face facts: White women have shifted from 8% in favor of Obama to 12% in favor of McCain because they like Sarah and think her selection shows what good judgment McCain has.

Speaking as a white woman, I can't believe so many people "like me" could be so stupid. Carrying the "right" chromosomes doesn't make her any more equipped to represent me or anyone else in the higher levels of government.

In spite of anything I might have said that would indicate that I think that it's all a matter of "different day, same shit" (and I still fear that I'm right about that. I hope I'm wrong, but the fear is there and it's real), I'm still voting for Obama. If there were absolutely nothing else to convince me, McCain's choice of an AEI stooge who apparently has nothing in her heart but hatred for all of the wild places and wild living things on Earth would, in itself, be enough to make me vote against the Republicans, as I have always done.

For me, everything turned to shit the day JFK was murdered, and in spite of all the bread and circuses and rumors about how things just keep getting better all the time -- in spite of how it actually all looks -- it all still looks like shit to me, and it just keeps getting worse every day. (I admit that depression could be a factor in my outlook.)

Excellent post, Todd! I too find it beyond belief that a) intelligence, b) a solid grasp of knowledge with regard to the economy, the international arena (geez even basic geography!), the art of diplomacy, the intricacies of the healthcare system, Social Security, etc. etc. etc. and c) a healthy belief in the separation of church and state are of so little concern for a vast number of Americans. The fact that a certain type of people will vote for McCain/Palin simply because they “like” them or can “identify” with them is frightening beyond measure! George Bush would never have been hired to run even a moderately sized American company. And lets face it – neither would John McCain these days. And Sarah Palin??? Please!

Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home
Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel

The Washington Post's investigative reporter James Grimaldi, is working from Alaska, 0n documents showing that Gov. Sarah Palin billed Alaska taxpayers for travel expenses for her and her family.

By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, September 9, 2008; Page A01

ANCHORAGE, Sept. 8 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business....

(more at www.washingtonpost.com )

Yes, you beat me to it - No Maverick Here. All of this stuff is coming out and the shine is going to start wearing off very quickly. It is unacceptable that a man who seeks to be the President of the United States did not do what most responsible businesses would do when hiring an employee - a thorough vetting process. And that Palin has the gall to be out there outright LYING about her achievements (as well as the record and projected policies of Barack Obama) is disgraceful! And anyone who falls for it (and sees her as a voice of "change" and responsible leadership) is either not paying attention, not digging deep enough or in serious, SERIOUS denial!

It would be funny if the stakes were not so high. It is undisputed that Palin wanted to ban books from the local library when she was elected as mayor. She admitted asking the librarian in open session whether she would remove books from the library if ordered to do so. The librarian said no, the town exploded, the local paper picked it up, and Palin backed off. But she admitted that she had asked the librarian if she would remove books from the library.

How do Rove-McCain deal with this explosive news that so irrefutably demonstrates how wholly unfit and backwards-assed their veep selection is? They "leak" a fake list on the blogs of the books Palin wanted to ban, and then all the right wing bloggers pick it up, show that it is fake, and use it to try to turn the story. (Worked against Dan Rather, right?)

Sorry. McCain's veep in fact is a small town religious zealot who wanted to ban books. She was prevented from doing so. And the lesson here is that it is our job to prevent her from being elected as veep, and prevent McCain from being elected as President. He has demonstrated beyond any doubt with his selection of Palin as veep that he is not fit to be President.

It is also a fact that Palin believe that Iraq is "God's plan," and that drilling in Alaska is "God's plan." She has been captured and quoted leading prayer meetings saying so. Haven't we had enough of this? Hasn't the world had enough of this?

Todd, you are so beyond right. In a sane country, we would be debating the issues you raise. And the Republicans would be offering an alternative that addresses those issues. Alas, we are not in a sane country.

To follow up, isn't it time we stop talking about non-issues? If the Repugnicans are not going to talk about issues that matter, then we should demand our press stop covering them, and we should stop listening to them. In this election, its the Greens, the Libertarians, the Democrats who have something to say. The Repugnicans are a far off-failed fringe party that says nothing and offers nothing. Why cover them at all?

Maybe what we need is a national letter writing campaign, supported by boycotts of advertisers, cancelled subscriptions, and cancelled cable TV, demanding that our media stop covering the Repugnicans at all unless and until they offer something of substance. The New York Times took a baby step in this direction, when it refused a McCain editorial because it just rehashed campaign talking points and said nothing new.

You people are deranged...

Got a chuckle from #12, because at the RNC, someone was holding a large "Go Mavrick" sign. Anyway, the correct spelling is Maverick. He was Goose's best friend/wing man.

#16, thank you. It is rewarding when supporters of the unsupportable finally run out of any rejoinder. Dare I say, it gives me hope?

'Dare I say'????

What a typical liberal rejoinder! Are YOU Barack Obama?

Nominating Palin has done what Iraq, Halliburton, shooting friends in the face, a collapsing economy, handing the country to China and turning us into the enemy of the whole world failed to do ... it has finally left the right wing flameouts with nothing to say.

Let the healing begin!

Here is a link for you. http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
The pictures are pretty graphic.

"I'm John McCain and I approve this message." So ends McCain's latest ad, which accuses Barack Obama of voting to teach sex to kindergartners.

Actually, a quick check shows the bill was aimed at protecting kids from sexual predators.

Maybe it was a smart bill, maybe not. But if you were working in a Congress filled with the likes of Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Richard Curtis; if you saw that Republicans welcomed people like Ted Haggard, John Bryan, Glenn Murphy and Bob Allen (among many others of like persuasions) into their tent, and appointed people like John David Roy Atchison (Bush-appointed U.S. attorney who committed suicide after being arrested for soliciting sex from a 5 year old), I think you can be forgiven for thinking that something needs to be done to protect our children.

This is a new low in the McCain-Rove "protect our own/call the kettle black black black" maneuver. For crying out loud, here are the Republicans welcoming disgusting degenerate sexual predators into positions of power, and protecting and coddling them when caught. When Democrats act to protect children from predators (like the aforementioned Republicans), the McCain-Rove response is to call Obama and other supporters of the bill sex predators. Mind boggling.

This ad is surely a new low by John McCain, the supposed maverick and "honorable" ex-POW. Some hero. Not.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Sarah Palin charged women in Wasilla for rape kits. This mother of five, who opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest, opposes choice for her own unmarried teenage daughter, who was unfortunate enough to be the second local teenager to become pregnant after having sex with a local high school boy who, no, did not marry the first girl either. Guess "abstinence only" did not work. (But of course, this subject, and the fact that Palin is a failed parent by her own standard, are "off limits", no matter what it tells us about her fitness as VP. Palin could go around telling her fundamentalist church groups it was an immaculate conception and nobody would call her on it.)

What should Barack do as these slimeballs sink lower than low? Respond, ignore, condemn, go "negative" and point out the truth about these Repugs?

Is there any hope of talking about how to move this country forward in this election cycle? Or is that basically dead in the water?

One thing that I found heartening last night was when a guest on Rachel Maddow reminded viewers about how Geraldine Ferraro was all the buzz way back when (and boosted Mondale - who wasn’t the least bit interesting or appealing before she came on the ticket….sound familiar?) UNTIL she had the problems with her husband and his financial affairs – then it was all over. Palin has got enough skeletons in her closet to sink McCain in a heartbeat. We just need to keep pounding these issues until the "easily dazzled" in this country see what is right in front of their face. And I understand why Obama is hesitant to come out more forcefully (because then the all the racists on the other side can say “See? Angry black man!”) BUT Biden and others can (and should) come out swinging!

This new ad (about sex education for kindergartners) is appalling beyond belief - and any ounce of respect I held in the past for McCain just flew out the window!

ENOUGH!!!!

I really like Obama and I will absolutely vote for him, but I was disappointed with his use of the familiar "lipstick on a pig" statement recently.

LS-
I have heard that statement countless times.
Is there anything "incorrect" about it or is there an implication I am ignorant of?
I guess Rosie and Tillie could chime in

I respectfully disagree, Lisa. I have heard (and used) the term "Lipstick on a Pig" many, many times without regard to gender. It is used quite often in real estate, for example. So, if you take it out of the realm of being gender-specific, I think he hit the nail right on the head!!! Sarah Palin is misrepresenting herself over and over again with the same old corny speech (and conveniently not answering questions or sitting for interviews) and putting forth gross distortions of Obama and his policies. I hope he not only does NOT apologize, but goes after her even more - cries of sexism, be damned!

True, I've grown weary of the repetitive use of "hockey mom, pit bull, lipstick," but I just thought he could have used a better, less personal (and easily interpretted as sexist), euphemism. If the tables were turned, we would be outraged.

"If the tables were turned, we would be outraged."
Like what?
Please speak for yourself

Outrageous? Or yet another stupid distraction from the issues?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/politics/animal/main4433795.shtml

I can see where you are coming from, Lisa. BUT, McCain did this to himself by choosing someone who is so under-qualified it defies belief. And to force Obama to tippy-toe around her and what she represents so as not to offend women, is actually OFFENSIVE TO WOMEN.

In my opinion - The gloves need to come off, Democrats!

Within the context of Governor Palin's comment the other day Obama was clearly calling Sarah Palin a pig. And I'm sure that fact will not be lost on the 50 million women who vote.

Oh yeah, right. Every one of those women will disregard Palin's anti-feminist policies, her leadership of a town that wanted to charge women for rape kits, all of her lies about her "achievements", all of the "Where's Sarah?" buttons that colleagues wore due to her chronic absenteeism, etc. Yep, none of THAT will matter but we will all be UP IN ARMS because of one silly little comment.

Way to go, Brian! Anything else in your arsenal to insult us with next?

Brian- you are an IDIOT, and no lipstick on your face will make you any different

by the way, Brian, Lisa saw fit to remove my comment on her interview with you apparently because I called her a lousy interviewer.
But as far as you are concerned, please hang it up.
You are a truly toxic force, stupid to the core.

uh, what happened to comment policy here?

Dear Civility and respect:

I used the word "please"

Brian - you are so full of it. Simply take 45 seconds away from listening to Rush, and actually watch what Obama said. Show me where he was "clearly calling Sarah Palin a pig".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfiqdRhGNqw

What a petty distraction this "issue" is.

And to everyone else throwing around names like "stupid" and "idiot", please do remember the commenting rules below. I'm not calling Brian a name, I'm challenging what he wrote, and backing it up. You can do the same without name-calling.

Warned by the Court
A judge repeatedly told Palin and family not to badmouth her sister's ex

Mark Hosenball
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 7:36 PM ET Sep 9, 2008
An Anchorage judge three years ago warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop "disparaging" the reputation of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who at the time was undergoing a bitter separation and divorce from Palin's sister Molly.

Allegations that Palin, her husband Todd, and at least one top gubernatorial aide continued to vilify Wooten—after Palin became Alaska's governor and pressured state police officials to take action against him—are at the center of "Troopergate," a political and ethical controversy which has embroiled Palin's administration and is currently the subject of an official inquiry by a special investigator hired by the state legislature.

Court records obtained by NEWSWEEK show that during the course of divorce hearings three years ago, Judge John Suddock heard testimony from an official of the Alaska State Troopers' union about how Sarah Palin—then a private citizen—and members of her family, including her father and daughter, lodged up to a dozen complaints against Wooten with the state police. The union official told the judge that he had never before been asked to appear as a divorce-case witness, that the union believed family complaints against Wooten were "not job-related," and that Wooten was being "harassed" by Palin and other family members.

Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wooten's behavior and character. "Disparaging will not be tolerated—it is a form of child abuse," the judge told a settlement hearing in October 2005, according to typed notes of the proceedings. The judge added: "Relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs [sic] the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives."

More: http://www.newsweek.com/id/158140

Tyler-
i have to chuckle.
what is the difference between:
"you are so full of it"
(full of what?- idiocy, stupidity, or just plain "lack of good sense")
or just plain calling him stupid or an idiot.
as far as backing it up i would just direct anyone to anything brian has ever written which reveals him to be a just a narrow minded closet sonofabitch

Anonymous! How dare you?

"Closet?"

Further to #22: Palin's poor pregnant teenage daughter, a victim of her mother's lack of sound judgment and poor parenting skills if ever there was one, should be off limits and left alone. But Palin's failed parenting should not. It is a metaphor for the last eight years, and a good indication of why McCain-Palin represent more of the worst aspects of Bush-Cheney. Really, one of the greatest faults of the Bush-Cheney regime is their faith-based refusal to face and accept reality, and change course when faced with the proof that they have failed.

Here, Sarah Palin opposes choice, even in cases of rape or incest where the pregnant woman had no choice at all. Palin opposes sex education, and advocates abstinence only. We can presume this is what she practices in her own home. The result? Her teenage daughter is pregnant by a serial impregnator, with no real choice but to now become a mother, whether she wanted to or not.

In some cultures, if a teenage daughter is not pregnant (and married) by eighteen, that is a failure of parenting. Not ours. In this country, it is fairly universally recognized that unintended teenage pregnancy is a result, at root, of failed parenting (perhaps aided by a touch of failed institutions and schools). Isn't it fair to ask Palin what she did wrong? If she can't parent with sufficient skill to protect her own daughter from an unintended pregnancy, how can she possibly presume to govern with sufficient skill to protect this country from all of the threats we face? It will not be enough to close her eyes in prayer and, faced with the natural consequence of failure of her policies, redouble her efforts to do more of the same.

Yes, More Palin Pain, that funny little thing called TRUTH is going to start gushing out and we will start to become more and more informed about just how much of a liar she really is - and how UNAWARE she is about just how much the disconnect between her boasts and the reality of her past is like a slap in the face to anyone with half a brain and an ounce of decency. Reporters and fact checkers are in Alaska as we speak. We will all soon find out how she said YES, PLEASE! to the Road to Nowhere before she said No, Thanks. And how she really didn’t FIRE the executive chef, exactly – just sort of changed the title. And how the jet didn’t ACTUALLY get sold on E-Bay. And how she billed the State of Alaska thousands of dollars for per diem expenses for BEING AT HOME…..And thousands more for trips for her family. And on and on and on it goes. Pass the Pepto Bismal...I'm sick! Shame on McCain for putting this country through this!

Back to the library book banning issue, for a moment.

I know that Palin brought up the idea of banning books, but didn't get around to it. (See Leigh clapping hands over mouth avoiding smart comments about the things she DID get around to doing as mayor...)

And I know that the list that someone posted earlier was not actually a list of books that were banned.

However -- what is interesting to me is that this list isn't pulled from the air, but represents many of the most frequently challenged books in the US.

If you go to...
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/top100challenged.cfm
(this is from 1990 to 1999)

...you'll see many of these same books listed there. For some reason, the link is broken to the 100 most frequently challenged books from 2000 to 2007, but this will give you an indication. (It predates Harry Potter, but those always make the current lists.)

There are a number of my favorite books represented here! Wonder what that says about me...

Beyond all of that, thanks for such a thoughtful article, Todd.

Best,
Leigh

Here's the address for my blog on barackobama.com. If you're interested in dialoguing with me about his campaign, that's the place to do it. That way I don't have to take up space in your inbox when I have something to say on that topic. To the extent that I have time, and I don't have much, I am trying to get involved in this historic election. As you undoubtedly know, I'm a former voter registration worker with Dr. King's SCOPE Project (1965-66) and, as a result, feel a special connection to Obama's candidacy.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/lannykaufer

Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested.
Lanny

Palin’s Pipeline Is Years From Being a Reality
By SERGE F. KOVALESKI and MIKE McINTIRE

ANCHORAGE — When Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska took center stage at the Republican convention last week, she sought to burnish her executive credentials by telling how she had engineered the deal that jump-started a long-delayed gas pipeline project.

Stretching more than 1,700 miles, it would deliver natural gas from the North Slope of Alaska to the lower 48 states and be the largest private-sector infrastructure project on the continent.

“And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence,” said Ms. Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee. “That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.”

The reality, however, is far more ambiguous than the impression Ms. Palin has left at the convention and on the campaign trail.

Certainly she proved effective in attracting developers to a project that has eluded Alaska governors for three decades. But an examination of the pipeline project also found that Ms. Palin has overstated both the progress that has been made and the certainty of success.

The pipeline exists only on paper. The first section has yet to be laid, federal approvals are years away and the pipeline will not be completed for at least a decade. In fact, although it is the centerpiece of Ms. Palin’s relatively brief record as governor, the pipeline might never be built, and under a worst-case scenario, the state could lose up to $500 million it committed to defray regulatory and other costs....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/politics/11pipeline.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

That pipeline should have been built 15 years ago. If all the bureaucrats would stop hindering the project mabe it could get built !

Has anyone else heard NPR lately?

If we wonder how we have ended up where we are, this is a pretty good clue.

Remember those warm voices that used to bring us stories that the corporate media would not?

Those warm, familiar voices are still giving us the news. But its not the same. Here's what i actually heard on NPR today over about a forty-five minute period:

First, Lehman Bros., the investment bank, is in danger of failing. The story according to NPR is that it has not been picked up by a "sovereign wealth fund," i.e. a foreign government. Why not? Are politicians making it too difficult for foreign governments to buy up U.S. banks? What a terrible thing. (Not a word about why Lehman is failing.)

Next, I kid you not, fully fifteen minutes on whether Barack Obama is a sexist for his "lipstick on a pig" comment. Fifteen minutes.

Then, a fluff story on nuclear physics and the development of some cool new toys for the scientists.

Next, ten minutes with Megan McCain, interviewed about her friendship with Palin's pregnant daughter, her Dad, and life on the campaign.

Then, announced before the break, the next story would be about - you guessed it - lipstick on a pig.

That's when I turned it off.

In Los Angeles and the Bay Area, we have KPFK, we get Air America. But in huge parts of the country, NPR is the only "alternative" news radio out there.

Saturday, the McCain campaign is putting up an interview with Palin, the only one this week. It will be carefully scripted. The corporate media and NPR are frantically hungry for this, stoking the fires all week. Barack Obama will not get a word in edgewise for at least two weeks.

Yep, policies, problems and solutions are now officially booorrrrriiiiinnnnggggg....zzzzz.... Its the McCain-Palin show! Watch the moose-dressing hockey mom deliver well-turned zingers at those effeminate weak-kneed liberals! Pass the PBR, and the whiskey too. And don't you dare touch that remote!

People can't vote what they don't know.

Maybe if Obama / Biden had some sort of plan for energy in this country we would all listen, so far I've heard nothing.

BC- get your head out of your a** and google obama/biden on energy.
after you read all 1,750,000 hits, hopefully without your jaundiced sour predisposition, report back to us on what you learn

Ha, no drilling, no nuclear power... their plan is no plan. Good thing we'll have a VP who comes from an energy state and understands our energy needs.

perhaps the (evil) genius of the Republicans is that even on a thread titled "Why I'm Voting For Barack Obama", ALL we're talking about is Sarah Palin.

it's all ANYONE is talking about, and so my fear is that come November 4, the last name our collective 2-second attention span will have heard is PALIN. some democracy, huh?

(crap, i just talked about her too! um.....Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama Obama!)

Poor Obama hasn't had any media coverage for a whole week, thanks to all the attacks on Sarah Palin, keep it up folks you're shooting your own big toes off !

As a librarian, I wanted to share this recent news report from ABC relating to the claim of book banning. This three minute video clip is very clear and includes a quote directly from the librarian in question.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5766173&page=1

I am not trying to be apologetic for Sarah Palin, because I have significant issue with her political platform and her social opinions, but we shouldn't be spreading misinformation either.

Cheers.

Remember when it was all about Ron Paul? Where is he today?(And where's that blimp and all of that money you collected now, Paulista zealots?)

The majority of voters already know who they're going to vote for, regardless of all the tedious & stupid sideshows and drum beating. Nothing and no one will change their minds. However, some people might change sides if their candidate's circus becomes too stupid and mean-spirited.

Whenever I see someone like Ron Paul or Sarah Palin, I console myself by remembering that Adolph Hitler was once Time Magazine's Man of the Year.

In this Land of the Free, even the evil and the retrograde are allowed to put forth candidates and worship them as gods in the presence of all who are unfortunate enough to bear witness. In the end, however, what matters more than popularity and what has ALWAYS mattered more than popularity is how many people actually vote. Voter turnout in America is miserable, and the Republicans have been having worse turnouts than usual. I'm sure that even the grand poohbahs of the RNC know that Palin is unfit to lead, but what they're hoping for is that she'll be popular enough to stir the masses into getting off their asses on November 4th. After that, her fate will depend on her ability to remember her lines and do what she's told to do.

You're forgetting about the 50 million working mothers who can directly relate to Goveror Palin. Unlike Hillary she didn't get to where she is by marrage. They will now have a voice in the white house.

Until you can logically and coherently articulate how an anti-choice, anti-science, anti-separation of Church and State and anti-free speech woman is going to give ANYONE a voice (besides fullfilling her role as a token and a puppet) - well then Brian, I suggest we all just ignore your silly little deposits of recycled misinformation and absurdity!

FactCheck.org calls McCain-Palin ads untruthful and distortions:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/158265/output/print

And this quip from Hunter of Daily Kos:

"One would think that if you're going to lie about someone, lying about a fact-checking organization -- that uses "FactCheck" as their own freakin' name -- is probably not the best of choices."

I'll let her articulate that over the next 50 days.

You're forgetting about the 50 million working mothers who can directly relate to Goveror Palin.

CAN and DO are two different things. Has somebody taken a poll that we haven't heard about? Maybe those mothers wouldn't be working so hard if it weren't for failed Republican economic and social policies that put the financial burden of running the country squarely on the backs of those who have the least discretionary cash.

I'll let her articulate that over the next 50 days.

That's might big of you.

Take away her speech writers, and let's see what she can actually come up with and articulate on her own. That would be interesting.

Sigh.

Mighty.

Good! Hallelulah! I look forward to hearing something besides that SAME old silly speech (you know the one with all the lies and exaggerations) that she has been relying on over the past two weeks. I can't wait for her to sit down and have to answer really tough questions! The American public will be finally be privy to the fact that she has very few qualifications to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency as well as the fact that she is a rigid extremist - even by your own party's standards, holding views that the majority of the American people do NOT share! Bring it on!!!

And PS, Brian - don't feel bad that you are incapable of answering. I know she (and just exactly what positive qualities she is able to offer this country) is just as much of an ignima to you Republicans as us Democrats. Don't fret! The truth will be coming out soon enough....

I can't wait until she debates Biden, she'll make moose meat out of him!, maybe he'll be able to explain why after 26 years in the Senate he's done nothing to make our country energy independent.

Sorry Brian, I don't even think having the best earpieces the Republican Machine money can buy will help her against a seasoned and intelligent Senator who, unlike her, knows the issues backwards and forwards, inside and out.

John McCain's ads are LIES. Here's the video proof.

Pass it on.

Well, if Palin's performance on Charlie Gibson doesn't frighten the crap out of you - I don't know what will. She just exhibited an ABSOLUTE and TOTAL lack of knowledge of foreign policy. All she's got is rehearsed lines that she's been so painfully briefed on to throw out without so much as an inkling of understanding or nuance about just how things work in the international arena. (Check out her parrot-like answers about Israel and Russia!) So, we are supposed to provide on-the-job training to another out-of-their-depth Republican? This is absurd, horrifying and again shows the total lack of judgement (and lack of concern for the well being of this country) on the part of McCain in choosing her.

Obama and the Palin Effect
by Deepak Chopra
Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin’s pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.
She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and turning negativity into a cause for pride. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of “the other.” For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don’t want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision
Look at what she stands for:
o Small town values — a nostaligic return to simpler times disguises a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
o Ignorance of world affairs — a repudiation of the need to repair America’s image abroad.
o Family values — a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be needed.
o Rigid stands on guns and abortion — a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
o Patriotism — the usual fallback in a failed war.
o ”Reform” — an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology.
Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from “us” pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of “I’m all right, Jack,” and “Why change? Everything’s OK as it is.” The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness
Obama’s call for higher ideals in politics can’t be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow — we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

Brilliant!

Especially:

The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good.

"Sarah Palin's nomination as vice-president brings the Republicans to new depths of cynicism and manipulation. How does the party that once excoriated a television character for being an unwed mother then hold up an unmarried pregnant teenager as the embodiment of family values?

How does a woman who is attempting to legislate abstinence education in public schools then justify her own pregnancy before marriage, as well as her daughter's? Why do the Republicans laud "Sarah Barracuda," for her aggressive, ambitious, gunslinging swagger, despite her thin resume, but decry Hillary Clinton, a woman of overwhelming accomplishment and a long history of distinguished public service, as shrill, ambitious and aggressive?

Are these qualities acceptable in a female only if you're Republican? How did Barack Obama, black child of a single mother who has worked in public service for his adult career, become a member of the elite? How did Sarah Palin fail to notice that it was the Washington Elite who appointed her to her new, exalted prominence in national politics? Nowhere during her harangue did she mention education, healthcare, the economy, the crash of the housing market, the record unemployment rate or the skyrocketing cost of living.

The dialogue has devolved, once again, to Republican Family Values. Sarah Palin dismissed Barack Obama as a "community organizer," with no experience to lead. She snarled and mocked him, told outright lies about his experience as a legislator. To quote from an oft-circulated line on the internet: Sarah Palin needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor.
—Deborah C. S., New York, NY

I'm still wondering just what the Obama actually DID as a "community organizer" ? so far I haven't heard one thing that he actually did. Hopefully he as at least done what some of our CO's have done, some of our locals here in Ojai are probably even more qualified than he is ! The media has stooped to a new low in this country.

September 13, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
She’s Not Ready
By BOB HERBERT

While watching the Sarah Palin interview with Charlie Gibson Thursday night, and the coverage of the Palin phenomenon in general, I’ve gotten the scary feeling, for the first time in my life, that dimwittedness is not just on the march in the U.S., but that it might actually prevail.

How is it that this woman could have been selected to be the vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket? How is it that so much of the mainstream media has dropped all pretense of seriousness to hop aboard the bandwagon and go along for the giddy ride?

For those who haven’t noticed, we’re electing a president and vice president, not selecting a winner on “American Idol.”

Ms. Palin may be a perfectly competent and reasonably intelligent woman (however troubling her views on evolution and global warming may be), but she is not ready to be vice president.

With most candidates for high public office, the question is whether one agrees with them on the major issues of the day. With Ms. Palin, it’s not about agreeing or disagreeing. She doesn’t appear to understand some of the most important issues.

“Do you believe in the Bush doctrine?” Mr. Gibson asked during the interview. Ms. Palin looked like an unprepared student who wanted nothing so much as to escape this encounter with the school principal.

Clueless, she asked, “In what respect, Charlie?”

“Well, what do you interpret it to be?” said Mr. Gibson.

“His worldview?” asked Ms. Palin.

Later, in the spin zones of cable TV, commentators repeatedly made the point that there are probably very few voters — some specifically mentioned “hockey moms” — who could explain the Bush doctrine. But that’s exactly the reason we have such long and intense campaigns. You want to find the individuals who best understand these issues, who will address them in sophisticated and creative ways that enhance the well-being of the nation.

The Bush doctrine, which flung open the doors to the catastrophe in Iraq, was such a fundamental aspect of the administration’s foreign policy that it staggers the imagination that we could have someone no further than a whisper away from the White House who doesn’t even know what it is.

You can’t imagine that John McCain or Barack Obama or Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton or Joe Lieberman would not know what the Bush doctrine is. But Sarah Palin? Absolutely clueless.

Ms. Palin’s problem is not that she was mayor of a small town or has only been in the Alaska governor’s office a short while. Her problem (and now ours) is that she is not well versed on the critical matters confronting the country at one of the most crucial turning points in its history.

The economy is in a tailspin. The financial sector is lurching about on rubbery legs. We’re mired in self-defeating energy policies. We’re at war. And we are still vulnerable to the very real threat of international terrorism.

With all of that and more being the case, how can it be a good idea to set in motion the possibility that Americans might wake up one morning to find that Sarah Palin is president?

I feel for Ms. Palin’s son who has been shipped off to the war in Iraq. But at his deployment ceremony, which was on the same day as the Charlie Gibson interview, Sept. 11, she told the audience of soldiers that they would be fighting “the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.”

Was she deliberately falsifying history, or does she still not know that Iraq and Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks?

To burnish the foreign policy credentials of a vice presidential candidate who never even had a passport until last year, the Republicans have been touting Alaska’s proximity to Russia. (Imagine the derisive laughter in conservative circles if the Democrats had tried such nonsense.) So Mr. Gibson asked Ms. Palin, “What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?”

She said, “They’re our next-door neighbors. And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska. From an island in Alaska.”

Mr. Gibson tried again. “But what insight does that give you,” he asked, “into what they’re doing in Georgia?”

John McCain, who is shameless about promoting himself as America’s ultimate patriot, put the best interests of the nation aside in making his incredibly reckless choice of a running mate. But there is a profound double standard in this country. The likes of John McCain and George W. Bush can do the craziest, most irresponsible things imaginable, and it only seems to help them politically.

The backlash from Gibson's condescending interview is starting to resonate with average Americans who hate the liberal media. Gibson got the "bush doctrine" wrong, it's not a matter if we mearly "think" another country is going to attack us but if all the intelegence points to a growing and emanate threat. So Charlie actally had it wrong. As far as Governor Palin being President, I think that is just fine, too bad there is so much sexism on the left.

can we please muzzle propagandists like BC.
It really does lower the quality of the conversation to a point where I am less inclined to visit these pages, as much as I like most of the information.
But seriously if there is a large enough sentiment from the membership that BC is merely deepening his psychosis and making the reading here unpalatable, let's just dump him.
In return I'll stop posting as well

In addition to "Policegate" there is another persistent story swirling around that Sarah Palin has had an affair with Todd Palin's co-worker or supervisor that folks seem to be trying to hide and so far, if true, appear to be successful. The issue isn't whether she's had an affair, but rather whether her whole Family Values Hockey Mom persona is just one more load of Rove-ian crap being foisted on the American public.

Anybody out there is cyberland know anything?

Brian, when will you ever get it? Is it so terribly taxing on your brain for you to understand that one of the most important qualities in a leader (at any level) is knowledge of the issues, depth of understanding about how the world and the economy actually run and (sorry to burst your narrow-minded little bubble) - raw intellegience??? Average Joes (or Janes!) just aren't supposed to be Presidents of a country the size and complexity of the United States of America - ESPECIALLY at this stage of our history when there is simply too much at stake!

Listen, we've had enough DICKS in the White House for the last eight years- now it's time for some BRAINS. Our side wins in that department - PERIOD!

From Democracy Now!

GOP in Michigan to Use List of Foreclosed Homes to Block Voters
In election news, the Michigan Messenger reports the chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County, Michigan is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of a Republican effort to challenge some voters on Election Day. The Republican plan to challenge voters who have defaulted on their house payments is likely to disproportionately affect African Americans who are overwhelmingly Democratic voters. In Michigan, more than 60 percent of all sub-prime loans were made to African Americans. John McCain’s campaign stands to benefit in other ways, as well, from the burgeoning number of foreclosures in Michigan. McCain’s regional headquarters are housed in the office building of foreclosure specialists Trott & Trott. The firm’s founder, David Trott, has raised between $100,000 and $250,000 for the Republican nominee.

1,500 Alaskans Protest Palin in Anchorage
In Alaska, 1,500 people took part in a protest Sunday organized by a new group called Alaska Women Reject Palin. The Anchorage Daily News described the event as the largest demonstration in Anchorage in recent memory. Earlier in the day, the Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin spoke at a smaller rally of supporters in Anchorage.