unastronaut*

Tonight at the RNC Senator Lindsey Graham said that future generations will use the example set by General Petraeus.   I’m just curious how he knows this.  Unless, of course, Senator McCain becomes President McCain and gets his way in ensuring we stay in Iraq for 100 years.  It’s not a defeatist who wants to end a war, and those who hung a “Mission Accomplished” banner shouldn’t be resisting the homecoming.

President Reagan once said, as brilliantly as it was transparent, “Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.”  He was right in a sense, and much more accurate about something else:  war.  What is the purpose of a war if not “to end all wars”?  Would we want to “set an example” for future generations in a way that makes them itch to fight and prove their meddle?  Senator Graham has always been a sycophant, but his comments tonight are perpetuating ignorance by masquerading as an “inspiring” speech.  I’m not saying respect those who serve, and honor their sacrifice and service.  It’s just at some point we’ve got to stop placing ourselves in history relative to the wars around us.

I am particularly enjoying the great journalism going on over at ThinkProgress.  The entire rack is great right now, and I’m pretty lacking on extra opinion and analysis after watching John McCain’s acceptance speech.  I’ll say the speech was impressive, but still won’t help 95% of Americans.  Mostly I don’t have any faith that John McCain would actually be in charge for four years, under a variety of circumstances, and I see Sarah Palin as George W. Bush on steroids.

• First we have her support of the Road to Nowhere, on top of the Bridge to Nowhere she loves to lie about.
• Then we get acquainted with the inadequately staffed Alaska National Guard, thanks Governor Palin for stretching your resume.  We knew you didn’t ‘lead’ anyone, but you probably could have assisted.
• The sharp responses from community organizers and related organizations to Sarah Palin’s morally repugnant attack was an especially great piece.  I was very curious to see how this group responded, considering they are responsible for nearly every major positive change in the history of our nation.  There are as many people in the community Barack Obama was organizing as Wasilla, and more in Chicago than Alaska.
• We see more of the religious right flip-flopping (as they must) to support Palin after claiming leaving the home was “in pursuit of false hopes and fading illusions.”
• There is yet another Republican calling Barack Obama “uppity” and “elite”.  Again, it is the most pathetic of all attacks.  If you live near Representative Westmoreland, please do what I’d do.
• Mitt Romney, a humble man who just happens to own four homes takes a shot at Al Gore for a non-existent private jet.  Research Mitt, it’s your friend.
• It’s always nice to see the McCain advisors making things up as a defense to their candidate’s lack of interest in the middle class.  It’s the one area where they can be consistent.
• The United Steelworker’s Union president has asked Sarah Palin to stop using her husband’s association as a reason to support her.  She’s in no way prepared to address union interests, especially backing Mr. Anti-Union himself.
• Our old buddy John Hagee once believed stay at home dads were “worse than infidels”, which is interesting considering he’s endorsed a candidate who carries a stay at home dad in the gaggle. 
• And the absolute gem of the RNC TV barrage:  Jon Stewart being brilliant.

Here’s a letter from a resident of Wasilla, AK who has known Palin since 1992.

Here are some videos from Palin at her own radical church.  Of course this radical association doesn’t get hammered to death by Sean Hannity because Palin is white and her church doesn’t have any liberation to worry about.

That’s all for now, but this will be updated with anything I think everyone should know about the phony crony reformer.  Watching the media coverage of her speech last night is like being in the Twilight Zone.  Is this the media she unfairly criticized?  Is this the media that STILL isn’t reporting all of the scandals surrounding her?  Governor Palin should realize it’s not the media dogging her, it’s bloggers — AKA voters.

It’s funny how not even Chris Wallace of Fox News can perpetuate the lie that Palin said “thanks, but no thanks to that Bridge to Nowhere”, unless you count her saying it this week on the campaign trail. I’d say that’s a few years too late to be saying things so laughable.  Of course the same “fact checker” failed to admit even Senator McCain initially questioned the potential success of the surge.  You can get a complete view of the hypocrisy (it is a lot to take in) of Sarah Palin from the good folks at ThinkProgress.  

The Wonk Room over at ThinkProgress has a great graphic showing just how much of a pork-barrel spender Sarah Palin really has been as Governor of Alaska.