September 4, 2008
Re: The ferociously totalitarian response of the Left to Sarah Palin: Sexism, intolerance, and fear
Excellent, accurate title, Donald.
The one bit of good news to emerge from the anti-Palin furor is that women appear to have well and truly "arrived" - our gender is less important than our political orientation.
Here are some helpful guidelines for commentators who wish to criticize Governor Palin without appearing hypocritical or biased.
- Would you utter that criticism of a man?
- When you examined comparable actions of a Democrat in the identical situation at some point in the past (none of the matters for which Governor Palin has been criticized is without precedent), did you criticize him or her? Or were you silent or even praising?
- Are you actually changing your stance on an issue in order to criticize Gov Palin?
- Did you yourself, in your professional or personal life, willingly and deliberately take the action for which you are about to criticize Gov Palin?
- Are you about to precede your criticism with a fatuous statement such as, "Should this even be a subject of discussion?"
Avoiding these pitfalls in the course of your evaluation will engender a more open, honest and substantive debate as to the comparative merits of the two tickets.
I don't know. I've never violated military protocol by telling the world when my kid is being sworn into the military or where he's being sent.
I've never treated a five-month-old child or my future teenage son-in-law as political props.
I've never tried to ban books from my local library, or tried to sack the librarian who disagreed with me.
I don't think Sarah Palin's such a great mother, let alone the person to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Her only use for the First Amendment comes after she's eaten chili.
Exerpt from a post at the RIfuture, bastion of feminism:
For the fathers out there again: would you let your wife (of a high risk pregnancy with a baby diagnosed with a medical condition) whose water broke wait 23 hours to seek medical attention from a small community hospital while literally flying past the nation's best hospitals?
Posted by: JP at September 4, 2008 10:38 AMST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.
Some examples:
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.
MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.
MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.
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Posted by: Richard at September 4, 2008 11:12 AMThanks, Richard. argument well said and well made.
OldTimeLefty
If you think George W Bush is a conservative perhaps you haven't paid attention over the last 8 years. The problem with the Republican party is that they've gone away from their conservative roots. That's what change means in the Republican party and that is what Srah Palin stands for which might explain why so many lefties are frothing at the mouth. She's the breath of fresh air this country needs not hope and change but action.
Posted by: Jason at September 4, 2008 1:00 PMLet’s clear up most of this nonsense.
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
THE REALITY: Her role as governor was to do what was best for the state, which often includes lobbying for federal earmarks. Because of its location and national areas, it is not surprising that Alaska has requested more money than other states. What would be relevant would be to compare the amount requested under her as compared to previous governors of Alaska. Being you didn’t do that, I have a suspicion how that came out.
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
THE REALITY: The illegal shipment of weapons & ethics reform legislation was overwhelmingly supported by both parties. The work involved was not exactly heavy-lifting as far as persuading people or compromise. The reality is that McCain has been very active in legislation in opposition to the majority of his own party. It is the reason he is known as a maverick and also why partisan pundits like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh are not happy with him.
PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.
THE REALITY: I won’t dispute your numbers. I will dispute that raising income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes and redistributing that money to the poor and elderly will be very bad for the national economy as a whole and ultimately hurt the middle class.
MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.
THE REALITY: You are correct that she is not “responsible” for the energy out of her state anymore than any politician is responsible for any quantitative gain or loss be it education, jobs or prices. As long as you are fair and don’t hold her accountable for the negative things that occurred in Alaska while she was governor while noting that the positive things are not directly attributable to her.
MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.
THE REALITY: Agreed that saying she has had national security as one of her responsibilities is not true.
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
THE REALITY: Comparing the numbers of votes between people in different types/levels of elections is silly. Does the fact that Ralph Nader has received more votes than Joe Biden mean he is more popular among the people? Please.
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate.
THE REALITY: Most every politician running for office runs on “change”. It is typical that both Congress and the Administration have similar approval ratings. Either both are perceived as doing a good job or both are perceived as doing a poor job. The change mantra is just meaningless and empty rhetoric. And its emptiness transcends political party affiliation.
Posted by: msteven at September 4, 2008 2:28 PMWow! Richard, you're actually trying to attack Palin on her record rather than hurl unfounded sexist falsehoods. I don't think you'll be allowed on RI Future again!
I think msteven did a great job of offering a counterpoint to several of your points, but I'll add a few of my own.
1. Bridge to Nowhere: Palin did what most politicians do--including Obama and Biden--she was "bringin home the bacon" for her constituents.
Palin supported the funding request when it was a specific earmark for the bridge. Once Congress replaced the earmark with an infrastructure grant that could be used as Alaska saw fit, she terminated the Bridge and spent it on more important infrastructure needs.
Should Palin have refused federal monies because they originally could only be spent on a specific project? I don't think many politicians would do so--and certainly not Joe Biden or Barack Obama.
Personally, I don't blame Palin for looking out for her constituents, but I suppose it's something a voter could consider.
I do find it strange that liberals are raising the issue. Democrats have a history of overfunding public works projects, while it's usually conservatives who criticize pork barrel spending. What next? Robert Byrd asking to end earmarks? (a posthumous shout out goes to former Speaker Tip O'Neill for helping to expedite my trips to Fenway Park via the Big Dig!)
2. Energy Industry Responsibility: Palin was responsible for 20% of the nation's energy needs, but not because she is governor of Alaska. Prior to being Governor, Palin was the chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
The Commission is responsible for the regulation and management of the entire oil industry in the state: overseeing oil and gas drilling and production, reservoir depletion, and operations on both private and state-owned lands in Alaska.
3. National Guard Leadership: Palin's position as commander-in-chief of the Alaskan Guard might provide some experience in emergency management, but national security? Unless we're engaged in a secret war with Canadian mounties that the rest of us don't know about, it's difficult to substantiate this claim. Palin may have gained some foreign policy experience in the area of economic development by virtue of Alaska's proximity to Canada and Russia, but calling it "national security experience" is a stretch.
Posted by: Anthony at September 4, 2008 9:56 PMI agree about #3. It's nice of the McCain campaign to look for every positive angle but this one was unnecessary and a little silly.
Posted by: Monique at September 4, 2008 10:18 PMRhody-pray tell,where did you come by your knowledge of military protocol?In the military?
Deployments of troops and units are not secrets,unless specifically classified-I spent 4 1/2 years on active duty and never heard of such nonsense-haven't you ever noticed how routinely departing National Guard units are covered by the local media-names used,faces shown,etc.?
Get real.
rhody has won as many battles as the Irish Army.
Posted by: Mike at September 5, 2008 9:00 AMJoe,
Of course it's not a secret when Palin's son is going nor was it a secret when Joe Biden announced when his son was going.
It's just the latest in series of baseless attacks that have combined to make Sarah Palin the most popular politician in America...come to think of it Rhody, could you maybe start a rumor that Palin is an alien or something...?
Posted by: Anthony at September 5, 2008 4:08 PM Hey Mike, re: Jerzyk: Thug move.
Why don't you put my address on here too, punk, since you love rallying stalkers and the lower element of society like yourself?
Let's see...Palin has now exploited three of her five children (and prospective son-in-law) for political gain. And she's into banning books. Yeah, just what I want in a leader.
And Mike, if I offended your tender sensibilities...well, I'm not apologizing. I can disagree with reasonable people, but you've stepped over the line.
Mike:
Even if bringing personal family matters of people not directly involved in the topic at hand were appropriate, handing out their addresses would not be. Don't do it again.
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All:
For the record, here's the Jim Kuhnhenn piece that Richard cuts and pastes.
Posted by: Justin Katz at September 7, 2008 7:40 AM