Republicans rally around Palin
Republicans continue to close ranks behind Sarah Palin, even as new revelations emerge about their vice presidential candidate.
The Washington Post reported today that even though John McCain is promoting her as a maverick reformer after his own heart, she hired a lobbying firm to land nearly $27 million in federal earmarks while she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of about 6,700.
The political world is still buzzing over the disclosure Monday that Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter Bristol is five months pregnant.
UPDATE: The media frenzy over Palin's daughter is almost certain to intensify: Her boyfriend is expected to join the family at the GOP convention, the Associated Press is reporting this evening.
The AP reports: "Levi Johnston's mother said her 18-year-old son left Alaska this morning to join the Palin family at the convention, where Sarah Palin is scheduled to address the convention Wednedsay night. Traditionally, her family would join her on stage at the conclusion of her speech.
The boy's mother, Sherry Johnston, said there had been no pressure put on her son to marry Bristol Palin and the two teens had made plans to wed before it was known she was pregnant. 'This is just a bonus,' Johnston said."
McCain, himself, said today that Palin's record and background was properly reviewed.
"The vetting process was completely thorough and I'm grateful for the results," he told reporters in Philadelphia.
Later, after visiting a firehouse outside Cleveland, McCain gave a vote of confidence to his running mate. "I just want to repeat again how excited I am to have Sarah Palin, the great governor of Alaska, as my running mate," he said, according to the Associated Press. "America is excited and they're going to be even more excited once they see her tomorrow night," he said. "I'm very, very proud of the impression she's made on all of America and I look forward to serving with her."
McCain's campaign this afternoon sent supporters a video that makes no mention of the swirling controversies, but instead shows her speaking Friday in Ohio about her record of taking on bureaucrats and oil companies.
The video also features flattering newspaper headlines and Democrat Hillary Clinton congratulating her as Palin talks about smashing the "highest, hardest glass ceiling" once and for all.
"Over the past few days, the campaign has received an outpouring of support in the form of record-breaking donations and crowds of supporters who have packed rallies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Missouri," says the message to supporters, urging them to watch her acceptance speech Wednesday night.
Cindy McCain, McCain's wife, is glowing in her praise.
“I just think she’s remarkable," she said on Fox News Channel. "She’s a reformer, she’s tough, she’s straight talking, she’s a maverick, she’s a true Western woman. She truly is a great match for my husband.”
Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard who was McCain's chief emissary to Clinton backers, also came to Palin's defense -- and in a way that appealed to Clinton loyalists' complaints about how she was treated.
“I am appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin’s experience. The facts are that Sarah Palin has made more executive decisions as a Mayor and Governor than Barack Obama has made in his life. Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin.”
The McCain campaign, itself, is hitting back at what it calls "smears" against Palin by "being circulated by left-wing bloggers."
It just sent out Palin's voter registration records, showing she signed up as a Republican in 1982 to counter reports that she was a member of the Alaska Independence Party, which advocates seceding from the United States.
Another false assertion, the McCain campaign says, is that Palin was once a supporter of conservative commentator and one-time GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan.
Representative Robert Wexler of Florida, a key Barack Obama supporter who has been very critical of Palin, mentioned Buchanan. "John McCain's decision to select a vice presidential running mate that endorsed Pat Buchanan for president in 2000 is a direct affront to all Jewish Americans," he said, according to the Politico website.
"Pat Buchanan is a Nazi sympathizer with a uniquely atrocious record on Israel, even going as far as to denounce bringing former Nazi soldiers to justice and praising Adolf Hitler for his 'great courage.' At a time when standing up for Israel's right to self-defense has never been more critical, John McCain has failed his first test of leadership and judgment by selecting a running mate who has aligned herself with a leading anti-Israel voice in American politics. It is frightening that John McCain would select someone one heartbeat away from the presidency who supported a man who embodies vitriolic anti-Israel sentiments."
The McCain campaign says that Palin supported Steve Forbes in the 2000 Alaska presidential primary, not Buchanan.
And Republican Jewish groups have also come to Palin's defense, sending out a video of her office that shows an Israeli flag stuck in a window frame.
I was encouraged by Barack Obama's claim that he will lead our party into a new era of issues-focused politics and throw out the old style attack dog politics. Too bad he hasn't won any converts. The Democratic Party leadership still prefers the old style attack dog politicians like Representative Wexler.
Pay attention Democratic Party leadership - this is NOT what we the voters want in this election!! Wexler's wacko comments will come back to bite us in the butt on November 4th. He's a NUTCASE!!!
The Obama/Biden campaign has not belittled Mayor Palin's daughter. Quite the opposite. Just like the GOP cannot control the bloggers and the right-wing media machine that is Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Beck (wow, where do I stop), the Dems cannot control what a few "out-there" bloggers will say. In fact, Obama/Biden have appropriately denounced them. No one wishes the girl, infant, family, boyfriend harm or ill will.
But what should be pointed out is the hypocrisy of the evangelicals/GOP, who want to have their cake and eat it, too. They cannot in one election denounce this type of behavior and then in another brush it off as "no big deal."
And clearly the GOP is doing its best to exploit this pregnancy to its benefit, which is very shameful.
RALLY 'ROUND HER Y'ALL!!! Watch as she destroys your chances at public office for the next 20 years!!
How can their motto be "Country First" when the heartbeat away belongs to a nut fringe group that wants to SECEDE FROM THE UNITED STATES???
You can't blame Obama that the neocon VP that Karl Rove hand picked is a certifiable fundamentalist lunatic and inexperienced small town mayor.
It appears that the vetting process is the same one that the neocons used when verifying the credibility of Chalabi when it came to WMD's and Iraqi "nukes".
This is getting hilarious! McCain should just concede now before he and the neocons destroy the republican party brand for the next 20 years.
If you're a republican, vote for Bob Barr or Ron Paul. They won't win but at least you'll be able to sleep at night.
Wexler is not part of BO's campaign. BO has condemned the discussion on Palin's daughter, saying its a family matter. He has also stated that any campaign staff harping on the pregnancy will be fired.
All other issues related to Palin are relevant. Being for the bridge to nowhere before being against it, Troopergate, requesting millions in earmarks from the corrupt Ted Stevens, threatening to fire a librarian who wouldn't pull books Palin didn't like off the shelves, teaching creationism in PUBLIC schools, who doesn't even know what the Vice President does and says we're in Iraq for oil...it's all relevant and part of her resume. It's fair game. Let's have this fight!
nice try, mccain.
--how can palin be a maverick and reject pork-barrel politics when the very survival of her state depends on it? (alaska has no income or sales tax, and consistently ranks in the top 5 states in terms of federal monies received)
--how do you explain the fact that the CHAIRMAN of the alaska independence party says both palin and her husband were attendees to the party convention in 1994? (is it "country first" or "alaska first"?)
--how can you call the obama campaign out as misogynist when it was the media that treated clinton harshly and obama specifically called for equal treatment of all candidates? or when mccain so obviously picked palin merely because of her gender?
i think i hear a fat lady singing your tune, john.
This is from the Associated Press, July 17, 1999:
"Among those sporting Buchanan buttons were Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and state Sen. Jerry Ward, R-Anchorage."
It is about Pat Buchanan's campaign stop in Fairbanks and Wasilla.
How does the McCain campaign explain this?
I think it might just be more sexist to say that anyone who criticizes or questions a woman's ideals and actions is a sexist. Are we not supposed to hold her up to the same scrutiny that we do with all of our politicians?
Hey Leaning Independent,
Who is this 'we,' kemosabe? Are you independent or Dem?
As for the author and Globe in reporting this story, are we to take Fiorina's word that the Obama campaign is belittling her experience without any citation that they actually are, or would this be manufactured outrage on Fiorina's part? Let's face it, the Obama campaign doesn't have to actively belittle anything in this self-immolating train wreck.
As finally, as for Cindy McCain's defense as reported in this story, HOW, precisely, is Palin "a reformer?" What has she reformed? Not earmarks. Not corruption.
It is really saddening how negative campaigning works in this country even though the people say they don't like it. And the Republicans have excelled at this, from the "swift boating" of Kerry, to the degenerate nature of Fox news, to the last two months of negative attack ads that the McCain campaign just did. And those two months of McCain smears against Obama seem to have helped McCain pull closer in the polls. It is really sad how the Republicans always turn to the Atwater-Rove negative campaign strategy and how it seems to work.
I was all about Barack and even got my 19 year old to get involved. But even now my 19 year old has been saying that something is not right about Barack. When you take his church afilliation with the people he has surrounded himself with and the boards and the committees he served on it does seem to appear to be a little scary. This attack on Palins daughter is to much. I myself was a teenage mother. I gave birth my senior year. We have gone on to run a successful small business. This does not mean her life is over-or the childs. This does not reflect on her as a mother. I was raised in a solid christian home and even went to a christian school. I like so many others young girls simply was weak.
I've become weary of the word "maverick" used to describe John McCain, but after looking it up in a dictionary it now seems to make sense!
Definition of Maverick: 1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.
I am largely unconcerned by Gov. Palin's family soap-opera. I am far more concerned about some "wing-nut" opinions she has held quite recently: Gov. Palin was for two years reportedly a card-carrying member of an organization principally advocating the *secession of Alaska* from the Union! Now she leads the "Party of Lincoln" !? My question to her is -- if you were commitedly anti-federal, anti-Union, a mere decade ago then what made you change your mind? Or have you? How does one reconcile a seccesionist ideology with a sincere recital of the Pledge of Allegiance? Can you enumerate the reasons you now think the Federal Government is a valid, viable institution of government? Inquiring conservatives, as well as deeply concerned Progressives such as myself, want to know.
The hypocrisy of the Republican leadership astounds me.. As someone who was considering voting for John McCain up until his pick of Sarah Palin, I do not see how anyone can support either McCain or Palin.. While I think Bush/Cheney are the worst Pres/VP in our country's history, I truly believe that McCain/Palin would be even worse for our country.
Let's see if I have this correct. It's okay for the Republicans spend months questioning Senator Obama's experience. However, when the Democrats question the experience of their vice presidential pick, it's somehow sexist?
There is real sexism out there, and Governor Palin is facing some of it--the comments about how she should have though of her newborn child and rejected McCain's offer would never be said about a man. However, to suggest that questioning experience is somehow sexist seems to me to be a pretty cynical way to avoid honest questions about whether this candidate is prepared to step into the presidency and whether Senator McCain has the judgment to hold the highest office in the land.
In response to #2: Can someone please tell me where you have seen ANYONE attacking Palin's daughter? I have been reading many blogs, and while all the Republicans are claiming outrage over attacks on Palin's daughter, I have not read one story or comment saying anything negative about her... However, this does reflect on John McCain's and Sarah Palin's opinions that teenagers should not be provided with sex education and should only be taught to abstain from sex. Both McCain and Palin are AGAINST sex education, including teaching teenagers about birth control and safe sex. They both believe we should simply tell our children and teenagers not to have sex and they won't have sex.. Obviously, they are wrong. And NO this is not an attack on Sarah Palin's daughter.
It's amazing how bloggers and the media are just throwing stuff out there to see what sticks. First, we get "Sarah faked pregnancy to cover for Bristol's pregnancy" - which any reporter could have contacted the Alaska press to see that this had been investigated and no proof was found.
Now people are claiming she belonged to a secessionist party when public records show she has been a registered Republican since '82. In the video people are using to support the allegation, she actually refers to the secessionist party as 'your party' and basically says that competition is good, even among political parties. It truly is the Media's World, the rest of us just read about it.
Governor Palin has more executive experience than Obama. And HE is running for PRESIDENT.
I'd like to know why Sarah Palin's membership in a secessionist Alaskan Independence Party during the 1990s isn't more newsworthy? This year she delivered a cheery taped message to the party's convention as governor, despite the fact that this group would like Alaska to become an independent nation removed from the USA! Patriot? American? Secessionists are a threat to the United States. The last time they had serious influence was during something called the Civil War. Why is someone like this considered a good VP candidate?
Everyone should leave poor Sarah Palin and her family alone. She's not the issue --- the issue is John McCain's lack of judgment in putting her forward without vetting her.
"the Republicans always turn to the Atwater-Rove negative campaign strategy" ...where have you been the past three days Jeremy? The vicious lefty bloggers have been let loose by Soros and company to destroy Sarah Palin through her children..questioning the legitimacy of the new born and vilifying a seventeen year old for having the gaul to get married and start a family..to deflect to the swift boat whining is complete cowardess..face up to what your crew is doing to this family.
The left is attacking Sarah Palin for taking a path unlike the one mandated by 60s styled feminists...how dare she stray from the plantation prescribed by Cambridge elites! What's the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Hockey mom's wear makeup! You go after Sarah Palin's children, then God help you.
Republican tactics 101. If republicans do something bad or stupid they need.
1. It was because they were a "victim" of something, pain, child abuse, whatever
2. It is a private family matter and should not be a campain issue, keep up tactic and throw it down peoples throats that they are bad for bring it up. How DARE THEY!
3. Your a sexist, you pig, how dare you challenge thier public record.
So far on the Palin thing, 2 and 3 are being used, how far can 3 be.
If the Dems do something bad or dumb the republicans play book says
1. ATTACK, THEY ARE EVIL!!!!!!!!!!! BURN IN HELL BURN IN HELL!!!!! SO WHAT IF ITS AN ATTACK ON YOUR CHILDREN, RELIGION or NOTHING TO DO WITH PUBLIC POLICY/RECORD, YOUR EVIL, BURN WITCH BURN!
There are attack dogs on both sides. Obama himself gave a rather direct and pointed response to the news of Palin's daughter. It was right in line with everything he's been saying since Day 1.
The fact that Wexler chooses to believe she supported Buchannan does not reflect on Obama.
Get a grip and follow the issues that matter in this election.
This is much ado about nothing. As a registered independent, I can say without a doubt that this election will be over after the first televised debate is posted on YouTube.
I do not think it is sexist to wonder how a family will reconcile the needs of its children with the responsibilities of its employers. It is a balancing act that most middle income families struggle with daily. A child with a significant handicap does present definite, specific challenges to a family. Many families with special needs children find that there is a great need for one or both parents to scale back their employment in order to provide the support and advocacy needed by their child. To whitewash this challenge as a "non-issue" is disingenuous and demeans the Herculean efforts of the many special needs parents who do whatever they can to promote the development of all the children in their family. The decisions we make about family and children are a pretty good barometer of our capacity for good decision making.
This is from the Associated Press, July 17, 1999:
"Among those sporting Buchanan buttons were Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and state Sen. Jerry Ward, R-Anchorage."
It is about Pat Buchanan's campaign stop in Fairbanks and Wasilla.
How does the McCain campaign explain this?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHE HAS NO INTEGRITY!
SHE"S AN OPPORTUNIST JUST LIKE MCCAIN. ONLY SHE WILL DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE AMERICAN WOMAN AND TROOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!
PASS THIS ON TO THE PRESS AND EVERYWHERE YOU CAN
What is the plagarism issue with Joe Biden? If I recall disclosure of that problem took him out of the presidential primaries many elections ago?
How in the world does a mother place her 17 y.o. unmarried daughter in a situation where the daughters pregnancy is exposed to embarrassing public comment, or from some, criticism; all in the interest of furthering the mothers politcal situation??The same can be said, concerning the (presumbly) young man involved in the matter.
Governor Palins priority's are signicantly misplaced, as time is likely to tell.
Her judgement is also called into question
A Question -- Is it legal to have a VP pick who is under ethics investigation? I would think that that being the case would make it an automatic Disqualifier and that anyone under investigation by a federal or state Court or Institution would be legally unable to run for Vice President or the President for that matter and would be a Conflict of Interest. What does the Constitution say on that matter?
I think the GOP knew this all the time, used her to rally the base, and when enough heat was in the kitchen, dump her! Now that would really rally the base, that their nominee was crucified by the media and the Democratic Party and forced to get off the ticket, leaving McCain to pick Pawlenty. Romney would not do as he is a Mormon!
You best belive, if Barack was under investigation or Biden they (the press and opposition party) would crucify them also, and rightly so.
I just want people to learn to be respectful and not forget their humanity during this election year. Seriously folks, we all believe in different things, but we're all human beings. You shouldn't vote for McCain because his running mate is a woman anymore than you should vote for Obama because he's black - although people will do both.
Some of you need to listen to yourselves and ask yourselves, if the rhetoric you're spewing would be offensive to you if you were on the other side, maybe you've gone too far. At some point, we all need to realize that most politicians could care less about you and me...and yes, that is true. Really, if you haven't figured out about politicians and their egos, you're just blind.
For the sake of everyone in this country, let's try to remember that the world will not end because of the President who is elected - there is a thing called Congress too. Let's try o respect one another, inject a little humanity into our action, and mabye just grow up.
Race and sex isn't a barrier to run for the White House. Class shouldn't be a barrier as well! Some people have thrown around words as "redneck" and "white trash" at Palin. If the voters are okay with "redneck" and "white trash" in the White House, then they can for McCain. If the voters are ashamed of "redneck" and "white trash" in the White House, then they can vote for Obama.
I'm going to echo the thoughts of a couple of others here and ask why there isn't more concern about Palin's involvment with the Alaskan Independence Party. Throw that in with wearing the Buchanan button and it seems like you may have an honest to goodness paleocon (the people who make Bush and Cheney look like bleeding heart liberals) on the ticket. If that is the type of person McCain wants to run with him so be it, but most Americans including many Republicans would want no part of it.
One major change in this country hence forth! This is bigger than anything else in this election. A tectonic shift has taken place.
Read my lips folks.. The moral right has stamped their seal of approval (The left never had a problem to begin with. At least not to the extent of harassing others).
Hence forth, Children getting Pregnant and unweds having children would be perfectly acceptable in American society. The moral police would be off their backs
VOTE OBAMA
I used to be a strong Obama supporter but now I can't bear the nastiness that his surrogates are involved in trashing this fine lady and her poor 17 yr old daughter. I really can't support Obama anymore. You see, I was a teenage mom too and I am turned off by this SEXIST treatment of Gov. Palin!!
PSYCHE!!!!
If Palin supported Buchanan, more power to her! Buchanan is none of the things his hateful critics say about him, but he is an anti-establishment patriot, a man who came close to breaking through and winning the GOP nomination in 1996. Just because he doesn't toe the party line, is not a war mongerer, is a free thinker and doesn't agree that Israel comes before America does not make him all those ridiculous names his agenda-driven critics howl at him.
I was a big Palin supporter before she came on the national scene. It's really too bad that the knives came out the second she was announced. Look at all the cr+p they've dug up on Barack Obama, but the dems still nominated him. Look at the low lifes he's associated with. Come on people. You just have to decide for yourself, are you gonna vote for the guy who sat in the Black separatists church for 20 years or the gal who gave a speech to Alaska's separatist party. They all have flaws. We each get to decide which flaws we'll live with and which we won't. Personally I'm more comfortable with the gal who gave the speech to the Alaskan separatists than the Reverand Wright / Ayers crowd.
Wow, this Alaskan Independence Party (of which, incidentally, Sarah Palin has not been a member) must be a dangerous mob. They certainly have got a lot of posters here puffed with righteous indignation.
It's surprising no one previously seems to have heard about their bombing and race-baiting polemics. Maybe they just haven't been as committed as the terrorist and racist associates of Obama.
The left media and Obama supporters are obviously scared of Gov Palin. That is why they are throwing all kinds of untruths about Palin. This former Hillary supporter went to McCain's ship right after Hillary dropped out. Now with Palin my gender can help steer the ship. I might be prochoice but I was never pro left. Just look at the public destruction the left has done in Minn. Go Sara!!!!
McCain/Palin 2008!
To all the Obama voters:
Here's what Obamessiah said about abortion:
"I have two daughters whom I have tried to raise them with morals and values. However, if they make a mistake then I would not want them to be PUNISHED with a child."
Yes, he said PUNISHED. Unplanned for children are punishment in HIS eyes. Nice leader you have there, you deserve him!
I travel extensively around the world and the United States has lost all its class and dignity with most other countries. This choice for vice president is horrible.
I even wonder if her daughters child will have H.I.V. because thats what happens to people who have unprotected sex. Palin is a disgrace to the moral values of America. She has raised a child who is jeopardizing her own life and the life of a child through her promiscuity. Palins husband has been arrested for driving intoxicated, the lover of her daughter just had his myspace page removed because of all the foul language it contained. This is what we want representing our nation? White trash with loose morals is hardly what I want people to think of when they think of the United states.
What's the difference between Sarah Palin and George W. Bush?...
lipstick.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Send your comments to masspolitics@globe.com
browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com