By Blueberry Tart
Sarah Palin has invoked Margaret Thatcher as a role model of a tough conservative leader, so it is all the more interesting that her biographer, Claire Berlinski, considers the idea of Sarah as a presidential candidate to be “ridiculous.” She says, “It's really a case, almost, of mass psychosis -- that anyone could ever have been seriously considering this." The post also picks up several brilliant quotes from Aaron Sorkin about Palin: "Sarah Palin's an idiot. Come on. This is a remarkably, stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman." And “The Democrats may have moved into the center, but the Republicans have moved into a mental institution.” (with H/T to Ella and Emma) As if that isn’t enough, the post ends with a stirring scene from The American President, written by Sorkin.
Austintxx brings “boots on the ground” to a whole new level with his colorful, irreverent eyewitness report from Sarah’s speech ad the Heroic Media event in Houston. The heroism must apply to Austin’s willingness to sit through the screech… which was, surprise, surprise, filled with such stirring and meaningful lines as “doooo you loooovvvve your freedom,” “restore honor,” yada yada. Thanks, Austin; we owe you a fifth or two to help purge the sound of her voice from your brain cells! The good news is that some of the conservative bloggers are failing to fall into lockstep with the Palin mantra. The bad news is that she is casting a blight on the wonderfulness of blueberries ;-)
Joe Miller is certainly not the first person to be on the wrong side of Sarah and Todd’s vindictive streak (nor the last). Patrick revisits Troopergate, where both Sarah and Todd were obsessed with pressuring Walt Monegan to fire Trooper Mike Wooten (her sister Molly’s ex). When Monegan did not comply, Sarah fired Monegan, leading the Branchflower Report to conclude that she abused her power. The post goes through the levels of their petty vindictiveness in detail; clearly, neither Sarah nor Todd can ever let anything go. The post includes a detailed description of Sarah watching an argument between Molly and Wooten, which she feared would turn to violence. Did she call the police? Nah; she left after 15 minutes to go to a meeting, with the argument still in progress. (That’s what mama grizzlies do…) Read this post; then imagine the Palins with the nuclear codes; then vote.This is one of Palingates most important posts. It includes two videos that highlight the way in which the media has been co-opted to abuse the political system and is now at the heart of political corruption. The first video, “Orwell Rolls in His Grave,” gives a chilling view of how the media, which is controlled by a handful of multinational corporations, is now “the most powerful special interest in Washington today.” The corporate media controls which politicians get on the air, who gets funding, covers politicians instead of politics, and trivializes and sensationalizes what is going on, focusing on the spectacle rather than providing the information that voters need to understand what choices are in their (our) interests. The video includes many specific examples of the media ignoring important news, not the least of which was the perversion of democracy that occurred in Florida during the 2000 election.
Rupert MurdochThe post, taken as a whole, reminds us that a healthy media is essential to a healthy democracy” and that “deregulation” of the media (actually rewriting the rules to favor the corporate interests rather than the people) is fundamentally undermining democracy. Protecting a free internet, where independent, grassroots media like Palingates can continue to investigate corruption and publish information that we voters need, is all the more urgent.
I was so immersed in writing this week’s roundup that I almost missed the new post! Sarah once again embellishes and changes the details of the myth of the Trig pregnancy and birth. She changes the timeline of the pregnancy-birth, and then claims the “Trig-Truthers” say she was only pregnant for two weeks. This is part of the MO, shifting the narrative so that those who debunk her appear crazy, and telling so many versions that the casual observer becomes too confused to keep track of all the discrepancies (unless, of course, you read Palingates). Her rambling speech and odd gestures at Faulkner U. signal blatant BS, with much fidgeting, hemming, hawing and telltale, high pitched, smug lies that begin with “in fact…” (a sure sign she is lying). Interestingly, she includes Bristol’s announcement of her pregnancy into the timeline of family events prior to Trig’s birth. Probably an ad lib BS mistake. Or, more shifting of the details, so that it’s all a bit blurry.The post closes with an important, unexplored subject: the role of Mat-Su Regional Health Center in the hoax. A Palingates reader recently received confirmation from Mat-Su that they would not have delivered Trig at Mat-Su, but would have transported Palin to Anchorage due to the multiple high-risk factors and lack of a NICU at Mat-Su. The earlier reports that it was 7 hours from the time she arrived at Mat-Su and Trig’s “delivery,” and that the birth was induced, make clear that there is no claim that this was an emergency delivery. Mat-Su could not perform this high-risk delivery without violating the limits of its accreditation. H/T to Ennealogic for the comparison photos of actual 5-week premature babies, who look NOTHING like the “Trig” presented on 4/18/2008.
COMMENTS OF THE WEEK
Lilly-lily: Was reading about Alaskan grizzlies, including grizzly moms. Mean, unpredictable and irrational.
BfromC: …Palingates has become an instrument where certain stories get taken to the next level by assembling a lot of additional information in one place….I ended the week at the symphony yesterday, listening to Beethoven's 9th, with full orchestra, a massive choir, and soloists. It was magnificent, and demonstrated what a huge group of talented people can produce when they work together and perform with a united voice. I really think we have something similar going on here at palingates, which has become a very important community for many of us.
Austintxx: "Meg Whitman said she's willing to take a lie detector test to prove that she didn't know that she had an illegal alien cleaning her house. You know what, if we wanted a governor who swears they have no idea what's happening in their house, we'd move to Alaska." —Bill Maher
Maelewis: …Lawrence O'Donnell…suggests that when [Lou] Dobbs addresses the Tea Party… he set the example by burning his medicare card, since it would be in the true tea party spirit of rejecting government aid
Cheeriogirl (from HuffPo): "… Rand Paul says Medicaid has turned into "intergenerational welfare," saying coverage has spread beyond those truly in need.” Meanwhile,one half of Paul's income comes from you guessed it, Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Rocky in Texas said: I wonder if the Lower 48 can get a Restraining Order against Palin...
SC_gnomie copied a great, long comment from IM (late Tue-early Wed) on how the Teabaggers benefit in many ways from the protections for which liberals have fought so hard.
Kellygrrrl: When a serious candidate for US Senate begins her first national ad with "I am not a witch" it's safe to say we've crossed a line. When one of the top likely candidates for president in the next election is pimping her teen daughter on reality tv, it's safe to say we've changed.
Linda 1961 (quoting Wonkette): "I still haven't decided if Todd is qualified to be First Lady."
anonPoster: The lame excuse that "we'd gotten our wires crossed and Joe hadn't said anything like what I'd been told." just shows that the Palins are prone to knee-jerk nastiness before they have all the facts. Tsk. Tsk.
So_many_unanswered_questions had an interesting observation:
Payments from the RNC to Van Flein on behalf of $arah Palin: $257,037.70
Amount the illegal Alaska Fund Trust told to repay donors: $386,856
Did the RNC in effect reimburse Palin for [some of] the funds she couldn't accept from AFT?
Bandit Basheert: …they have to throw up mud just to hide their own dirt.
Kathi in NJ: I found that the most revealing line of Joe's email was "This is what we're dealing with." It seems to indicate that this is not the first incidence of crazy they encountered with the Palin Machine- but rather proof of what they has already experienced. Also, the "we're" reference seems to show an us vs. them mentality. Certainly not a "we're all in this together for Alaska" situation.
Aview999 quoted dsmyre: This must be confusing the heck out of the Palinbots. They don't know who to attack next. Joe Miller? Megan McCain? Judges on DWTS? So many enemies, so little time!
There was a liberal sprinkling of O/T chat about Thanksgiving turkeys, candy corn and other Halloween treats, 77 Trans Ams, beautiful sunsets, figure skating, football, John Lennon, and other interesting topics…
…and LOTS of back and forth about Bristol’s music video and reaction to Media Insider’s comment about Bristol being pregnant (on page 11 of “vindictive” thread).
Mrs TBB: What is NOT sexy is a Spanx-bound, soon-to-be-twenty-year-old, spackled with dark makeup, whose marionette strings are pulled by Mommy Dearest with all of the finesse of $P's speech.
And: Chris Coons should run that as an ad: "I am not a witch. My father was not a substitute Bozo. I am Chris Coons, and I approve this message."
Comeonpeople: Don't mentally ill people wear hoodies in 113 degree heat and flip flops in the snow??? Just saying....
Silver_desert: Perhaps Sarah has a blueberry fixation (blueberry pie to McGinniss and now under her nails) because of Blueberry Tart's weekly updates - we know she reads here daily and it must really get to her when she sees the weekly synopsis too and fully realizes how much of her life Palingates covers, especially all those things she tries to hide. [BBT: ROFL!]
Zane1: I think the grifters just got grifted by Joe Miller & there are people in high places that want her off the stage now. Perhaps they feel she has served her purpose & whipped up enough hate. With all the enemies Palin has it's ironic her family seems to be able to sabotage her every move. Todd is most certainly not an asset now. The spin on the leaked emails is almost laughable. She's becoming an embarrassment even for Fox news.
Maelewis: Sarah doesn't SEE herself in the mirror when she chooses her clothes. Sarah doesn't HEAR how truly awful she sounds…Sarah certainly doesn't take advice well. So, when Sarah screams at Todd or Track to photograph that Peeping Tom or Joe next door, and slap up a big fence, she may have a moment of triumph without realizing how foolish she made herself look. Her fans may see this as a virtue. As a future presidential candidate, we can't afford to have someone with such thin skin, who takes every comment as a personal attack. Retaliation in the nuclear age is not an option. Sarah and Todd are two hot heads who need to be kept away from the nuclear codes and the red telephone. They should be kept very far from Washington DC. Alaska is far enough, sorry about that Russia.
BinCo: The Molly story is unbelievable! [Sarah]'s peeping into the window while a huge man with weapons is threatening her sister and 3 small children. On top of that she thinks he may have been drinking. Then, oh dear, time to go to a meeting, hopefully he won't kill anybody while I'm gone…
Lilylake reported (early Sunday) on her 45-year-old Jazzercise instructor’s pregnancy and the birth of her child, further discrediting Sarah’s myth.
Kellygrrrl: yes, Dish is dropping all Fox stations, claiming that they cannot support the network with the extreme political agenda….DirectTV gives free service to many huge businesses with the agreement to allow all TVs to auto tune to Fox ... hotels, hospitals, gyms, doctor offices, business parks ... Direct is owned by Murdoch.
Ella found: An oldie, but a good one (that I had never seen) re the AK Fund Trust scam:
Written by Alan Bisbort Saturday, 26 June 2010 10:16 "I am in awe of Sarah Palin. She truly is one of the great con artists of my lifetime, and she only seems to get more brazen and shameless as we slouch through the heat of summer toward an election showdown. Her latest scam is to hit up her teeming army of Palinistas for cash for her “legal defense fund.”
Mrsgunka had a comment that many may have missed about her mother’s early death and her beginning days in nursing. If you don’t already know and love mrsgunka, please read this comment, along with her beautiful description of a Colorado Rockies sunset, on the same thread. (((♥♥♥)))
Apparent Reality: Palin concocts fantasy mental images of how she wants events to play out…If she wants some person to be seen in a certain light, she will use all her energy, whatever it takes, to make sure that happens. She will lie, cheat, and never back down… Sarah says that Molly was DRIVING HOME FROM WORK talking on the cell phone to Wooten and that Wooten says that when Molly gets home, he was going to "hurt you guys". There is something really fabricated about that statement because if it were true, and real danger was present, Molly would not have gone home. Plain and simple. She would have gone to the cops or to a friend's house. The sentences about Sarah coming over in case it got bad, and the listening on the phone, etc., sounds to me like a fantasy that Sarah put into action to promote her vigilante activities, even including 16 year old Track. Pretty much all of Palin takes place in a dark delusional world…
Ebbtide posted an old, excellent speech by Olbermann on Moral Force: "Life is defined by how much you improve the lives of others." (alas, no link).
Mrs TBB quoted the Globe (tabloid): “Sarah Palin Rigged Dancin’” (posted Saturday p.m.)
Grasshopper: In the soft candle lit confines of the O'Donnell abode, if one listens closely the following chant can be heard over and over, into the dark night:
Eye of Newt, Toe of Todd
Hell of Rush, Tongue of COD
Hannity's Lip, Sarah's Sting
Bristols Legs, O'Reilly's Wing
For a charm of powerful trouble
Like a Hell broth, boil and bubble
Nycgirl (re wonderful photo of Obama family on Saturday post): I love this beautiful family. If he respects this country as he shows respect & Love to his family I know we will be all right. This man cares about America, he respects it, he is working for our better good. God Bless Barack Obama & his lovely family.
Polly in AK: My sister is a registered Republican too. (MI) She was never involved in politics before, but had an Obama House Party during the campaign. (Unusual for her, because she is also a bit shy, and to open her house to strangers was a stretch!) I changed my voter registration to Democrat after 30 years of being "Undeclared". Whether some people believe it or not, President Obama has been a literal lifesaver for our country and the world.
[BBT: But he can’t do this alone…]
California Dreamin’ nails it: …Not only can she not keep the details straight, but she adds way too many extra, irrelevant "facts" (and I use that term very loosely). That is a pretty good indicator that someone is a liar. I used to be in law enforcement and have interviewed lots of liars. She was fidgety as well. That's another indicator.
M106 agrees: Aside from content, her body language during that clip about Trig is VERy telling. It's very, "I DARE you to dispute my words" Hand on the hip, leaning over the podium on one arm. Her voice inflection is also indictative of lying. [Also notes in longer comment] Both CVS and amnios carry increased risk of miscarriage. Interesting choice for her to make given she [claims she] has had two of them in the past.
Mel: But she admits that she went to extreme lengths to shield herself from scrutiny...hmmm, where have I heard that before? [And later] I find the retelling of Trig's birth a sign of a mentally disturbed woman. Especially because I see no rhyme nor reason for it. Why does she want to make Trig even MORE premature? Doesn't that make the wild ride even more risky and incredible?
AzureGhost: There are so many political "gates" going on right now, I'd almost forgotten about Babygate. (Could it also be known as "the mother of all gates"? OK, I admit--that was corny.)
Sdilmoak: I listened to this entire speech....painful..... At one point, $arah said "My youngest, Piper.....er, my youngest DAUGHTER..........." Oops, $arah....guess you momentarily forgot you had that 5th child , Trig, right?
Older_Wiser and others noticed that: She got Bristol's first pregnancy mixed up with her second one. That's how much attention she pays to her kids.
LINKS OF THE WEEK
Wayofpeace linked to Buzzflash on how the TP would hate the Founding Fathers
Honestyingov and yknott linked to Geoffrey Dunn
Sunnyjane: This is what the right-wingers want for our country and our communities. I call it The Fraud of Smaller Government.
ProChoice Grandma, Paradigm Shift and others: AKM Mudflats story of the Miller/Palin feud now top of the front page on Huffington Post
Patrick linked to The Atlantic on email-gate and later to Andrew Halco’s 2008 post on Troopergate and another blog on Troopergate also2
Cheeriogirl linked to a good CBS comment on email-gate and SP’s lack of qualifications and thin skin.
Azure Ghost linked to HuffPo with another tepid Miller “endorsement”
Bluerinse linked to Meghan McCain on the media’s “fetishization” about Sarah Palin: “... Sarah Palin made it known to me via an email to a third party that she was not pleased with me or what I wrote in my book…It seems the Sarah Palin media obsession goes both ways. They are both mutually obsessed with one another and the relationship is cyclical...”
Salg reminded us of another lie in the Houston speech, about health care reform expanding access to abortions.
LucindathePook had an interesting comment and link about Tea Party strategizing about tackling abortion
P Mom (GA) (and Grasshopper and others): Vanity Fair does it again...this time a piece on McCain. Article titled THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS
BfromC gave this link to Joe Miller of Texas, who owns the joemiller.com domain name. Great read about how Joe Miller from AK tried to buy it, but kept lowering the offer, so the TX Joe ended the negotiations. Use of the wrong domain name is apparently the reason Todd’s nasty email became public, or, Karma is a bitch.
Annes_123: David Frum on "The First Dude’s Temper Tantrum"
and later an excellent comparison of the Obama and Palin family portraits
Shushannah Walshe of Daily Beast on Palin’s vindictive streak
A great comment from Vera City (aka “fag hag”) was featured on The Daily Dish:
ProChoiceGrandma: This is the BEST video! If you have voting-apathetic friends, this will scare them to go vote #p2 #Progressives
Aview999 posted Helen & Margaret’s BRILLIANT pledge to America
Also this poll on whether Sarah should run for President
And a link to WaPo on Beck giving legitimacy to the violent fringe
She later reposted links to make complaints re Mat-Su and re CBJ: E-mail Medical Board medicalboard@alaska.gov. To file a complaint or to contact our investigations unit: investigations@alaska.gov. HERE is contact info for AAFP.
GinaM: Joe Miller just admitted he was on Medicaid and received DenaliKidCare...
MrsTBB: Talk about REDUNDANT: Someone is publishing a $P comic book in December
Overit! Linked to politicususa on Sarah bankrupting Repub Karen Handel’s campaign with Sarah’s expenses for a luxury jet and accomodations
Here’s a link to IM with a photo of Bristol that will certainly add to the rumors that she is pregnant.
Yknott linked to Chris Matthews on President Obama’s accomplishments
DootDittyDoot on the Koch Brothers and their Nazi past
Juicyfruityy: Malia Litman on Palin seeking Ronald Reagan’s endorsement
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Azure Ghost: @SarahPalinUSA is probably wondering why Americans can't vote multiple times for president like we can for #DWTS --Linda1961 #p2 #tcot #RWNJ
Kellygrrrl: @ToddPalinUSA tells @JoeMiller to put himself in @SarahPalinUSA 's shoes http://bit.ly/afkEs6 #NaughtyMonkey
Bluerinse: My spin: Thanks @SarahPalinUSA There's no "there, there" is a perfect obituary to your political aspirations, integrity, honest and parenting
Sunnyjane was on a roll: @sarahpalinusa: You self-victimizing dimwit: nobody hacked Todd’s emails. MILLER LEAKED THEM! He KNOWS you’re not fit to be president!
@sarahpalinusa: YOU are pro-choice! You CHOSE to not abort a faked pregnancy. GOOD FOR YOU. You saved the life of a square pillow!
@sarahpalinusa: Did you abort that empathy belly in shit-kickin’ Texas or fish-pickin’ Alaska? Right-to-Lifers await your response.
HonestyinGov: @Boxer_2010, @JerryBrown2010, http://tinyurl.com/32kjux7 'Toxic' touch? Why Fiorina & Whitman shy from S.Palin.Used 2 B BFF? Shocked I say
Dusty 17 shared this one 3rdBowloPoridge- "Government is the enemy until you need a friend." - E. J. Dionne I've gotten so much mileage out of that quote this week.
H/T to Andrew Sullivan
And to end the Roundup, here’s a cartoon I found that seems particularly on point this week (from Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
No comments:
Post a Comment