Couldn't help yourself, could ya, Glenn?

Posted by: Attila Girl at 06:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 10 words, total size 1 kb.

How many Piper Palin pix would Peter Piper post, if Peter Piper were putatively a Palin?

It's like eating potato chips . . . or drinking dirty martinis.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 06:28 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 40 words, total size 1 kb.

Over at PJM:

Palin Dodges Tough Questions About Existence of “Alaska”

By Elizabeth Bumiller, New York Times, Wednesday, September 3, 2008; A1

Media Bubble, Sept. 2 — Embattled former beauty queen Sarah Palin continued to wilt yesterday under the pressure of numerous fair, evenhanded media questions regarding the alleged state of “Alaska.”

Palin has claimed to be “governor” of the legendary northern land mass, which, while heretofore undiscovered by explorers, was once rumored to contain vast expanses rich with oil, gold, and “eski-mos.” Palin first made the “Alaska” claim during an Aug. 29 public appearance alongside elderly, mean-looking cancer victim John McCain.

McCain, a white man with even whiter hair, has long publicly blocked efforts by Barack Obama, a youthful black man with a certain indefinable aura about him, to move into ObamaÂ’s new house. Palin, also white-skinned, has been linked to the McCain offensive.

After four days of telling silence from the McCain camp, Palin finally deigned to reappear in public yesterday. In a followup press conference, Palin, who is a girl, lashed out at the media. “Listen to me: Alaska. Is. A. State. Seriously. The 49th state, in fact. Way up north there. What, did somebody go around your newsrooms and hide all the maps underneath the ethics manuals? Or are you idiots just completely insane?”

Shaking her head in a transparent attempt to feign exasperation, Palin — who is perhaps not as pretty as she thinks she is — then left the podium without answering followup questions regarding her plagiarism of CBS’s Northern Exposure. Internet reaction to the unfit mother’s unhinged rant was swift. Andrew Sullivan, right-wing blogger for The Atlantic, saw Palin’s comments as a major misstep. “She’s working the refs. This is what they do. Sure, blame the media. Is it their fault she’s too chicken to back up these suspicious claims? “Look, I’m willing to entertain the idea that there really is a place called ‘Alaska.’ We’ve all heard the old wives’ tales, and I’ve dreamed about such a rugged, outdoorsy paradise since I was about 13 or 14. But why is she so afraid to give us some proof? I mean, I’ve never been there, have you?”

Yukon Cornelius could not be reached for comment.

Update: After consultation with the Association of American Geographers and several DC-area kindergarten students, the Times can now report that many current world maps contain a small area in the northwest corner of North America labeled “Alaska.” Palin’s relationship with the mapmaking industry is currently under investigation.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 421 words, total size 3 kb.

I stole it from Jack, who blogs for Ace, who isn't involved, but anyway, Jack stole it from the Richard Starr, who blogs at Weekly Standard, which doesn't lie in the house that Jack built.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

. . . on the myth of Axelrod's genius, and the delicate nature of Obama's momentum.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:37 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 20 words, total size 1 kb.

Every time there is a hurricane in the Gulf, the oil rigs therein have to be evacuated 48 hours ahead of time. Production is actually shut down until the danger has passed, and this all has to be done before it's entirely clear whether/when any given storm will gain hurricane force, or hit a given area at all.

Drilling the OCS would help, particularly in the Pacific (I know that very often the Gulf Storm affect the Atlantic as well, so from that POV the Pacific might be a safer bet).

And shale oil from Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado would allow us to hedge our economic bets even further until our renawables become cost-effective. As would illing-dray in Anwar-Yay.

It's also worth noting that after Hurricane Katrina, the standards for Gulf Oil rigs were raised even higher, but despite the damage to the rigs, there were not any significant oil spills resulting from a direct hit during the worst natural disaster in this country since at least 1906.

Bottom line: we need petro-based fuels, and alcohol-based fuels, and wind, and solar, and conservation, and geothermal, and nuclear. We need clean-burning coal, and enhanced use of natural gas. And we need to lift tariffs that keep us from importing ethanol from countries like Brazil. We need more hybrids, and more plug-in vehicles, and more Smart Cars, and a lot more flex-fuel vehicles.

We need, in short, to become a nation of energy sluts.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:19 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 256 words, total size 2 kb.

Via Hot Air. Right here.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 21 words, total size 1 kb.

Quindlen announces that the GOP has just discovered sexism. Well, no: we've known about sexism all along. Which you might realize if you interacted with real Republicans, and not just the far-right fringe and those little cartoons inside your head, Ms. Quindlen.

When Democrat James Carville said he found the choice of Palin perplexing on the merits, Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann said she found that "offensive to American women." I found her offense offensive to American women . . .

Well, I'm offended by your offense to her offense. So I win, right? Apparently, the prize goes to the most offended . . . For the time being, I've got you outflanked.

. . .since at its core was the notion that Governor Palin should not and could not be judged by the same standards as her male counterparts.

No; at its core was the old adage that, to be considered equal to a man, a woman has to be twice as qualified. (Usually answered by some wag-ette with the line "luckily, this is not difficult.")

Governor Palin has more executive experience than any of the men on this ticket, including Senator McCain, but the Hard Left is twisting itself into pretzels trying to discount that experience under any gossamer-thin pretext it can find.

In fact, all the cries of sexism suggested that, yet again, the Republicans had underestimated the ability of women to lead; when the governor finally took center stage, it was clear that she needed no protections or excuses. If she is as sharp and self-assured as her convention speech, the first thing she will do, in the parlance of the sport she played under the nickname "Sarah Barracuda," is to slam-dunk the notion that she can't take an elbow. She certainly knows how to give one.

That was, in fact, what she did. But that doesn't mean that it was warranted to attack her family. In her article, Ms. Quindlen brings up the passions that the Clintons inflamed during the years Bill Clinton occupied the White House. They were certainly high—but the efforts to "slime" the Clintons were not conducted by the mainstream press. And—more significantly—no attacks were directed at Chelsea Clinton, either before she turned 18—or 21—or afterward. In fact, Chelsea Clinton never endured what the Bush twins have gone through for the past eight years, either. As long as we're talking about double-standards.

John McCain has been no advocate for women; when asked during the primaries, on the subject of Senator Clinton, "How do we beat the bitch?" he responded, "Excellent question." (Note to the GOP: that IS sexist.)

Nope. First of all, Senator McCain expressed disapproval of the phrasing before he answered the question. Secondly, the word "bitch" was used by a woman, so if it's a slur, it was used by a member of the group in question (which brings us back to the "nigger" debate, I suppose). Third, it's no more sexist to call a woman a "bitch" than it is to call a man a "prick." Fourth, the "Feminist" left is applying that exact word to Governor Palin. One can now buy anti-Palin T-shirts from Cafe Press with the legend "a pit bull in lipstick is still a bitch."

Ms. Quindlen, you represent old feminism. There is a new feminism out there that allows women religious and ideological freedom, as well as reproductive freedom. You might want to look into it.

Via a tweet from ConBelle.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 12:30 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 580 words, total size 4 kb.

It never rains, but it pours, huh?

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, commenting on the latest numbers from USA Today:

Allahpundit flagged an interesting point in an updated version of the USA Today story on their latest polling in the presidential race. According to the internals of the Gallup survey, McCainÂ’s ascension to the leadership of the GOP may have healed the brand. Democrats lead Republicans in party identification by a single point:

In the new survey, more voters call themselves Republicans. Now 48% say theyÂ’re Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party; 47% say theyÂ’re Republicans or lean to the GOP.

Not since February 2005, right after BushÂ’s second inauguration, have Republicans been within a single point of Democrats in party identification.

WhatÂ’s more, voters by 48%-45% support the Democratic candidate in their congressional district, the partyÂ’s narrowest advantage this year.

Needless to say, this has huge implications for the election, and not just at the presidential level. Democrats had hoped to ride their large advantage to big gains in both the House and Senate this year. Voters have apparently begun realizing that Democrats controlled one of the most useless Congressional sessions in recent history, and the 9% approval ratings have finally taken their toll on Democratic leadership.

Energy policy is the likely locus for this sea change. Nancy Pelosi’s early adjournment without taking action to increase domestic production of oil — a policy favored by 70% of voters — undoubtedly damaged the party’s support, already weakening over the summer. Republicans have hammered Democrats for their refusal to create American jobs and keep American wealth at home, especially with the House Oil Party, and voters have begun to notice.

It also calls into question ObamaÂ’s coattails, and suggests much stronger coattails for McCain than anyone might have guessed. Of course, those coattails may belong to Sarah Palin, but regardless, the Republican ticket appears to have caught the nationÂ’s attention, which apparently has begun fatiguing on Obamamania. . . .

. . . . . . . .

Hold on to those November narratives. Republicans may just pull a surprise in the House if these numbers continue to move in the GOPÂ’s favor. They have the momentum now, and they need to keep pushing energy policy to fuel it.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 08:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 399 words, total size 3 kb.

Sez:

I lived in AZ for all but for the last two years of John McCain's political career. I always saw him as a carpetbagger who moved to the state because it would probably be easier to get elected than back east especially since his trophy wife's family made a fortune in AZ distributing alcohol.

There were never any feel good stories about John McCain in the local press but plenty about the chauvinist pig aspects of his behavior including the story of his first wife.

Add to that the willingness of the Palin's to throw their 17 year old daughter under the bus, in that they knew the story of her pregnancy would go all over the globe and make this personal and painful time in that girl's life a target of speculation and judgment. My mom and dad would have protected me. They have been pissed out their skull but they would not have put me in any kind of spotlight.

The character of the Republican ticket is so shady I get chills.

I love these lefty critiques of the Palins that presume we, the die-hard Socialist Democrats, just can't help but obsess about her daughter's early pregnancy, and spread ugly lies about Sarah herself and the rest of her family, so John McCain should have taken anything unorthodox about her family situation into account, rather than select the person who has the courage, skill set, expertise and leadership we need in a Vice President right now. Forget the War on Terror, forget any attempts to achieve energy independence; all that counts in wartime is the feelings of one 17-year-old girl, who might be embarrassed because we on the left are doing our level best to humilate her. Which is John McCain's fault.

If Bristol Palin were one year older, she would be qualified to die for her country. She'll pull through this smear campaign, albeit with no help from the Obama-pushers in the press.

One assumes that Bleep Baby's indignation about male infidelities extends to President Clinton and Senator Edwards; I'll be eagerly awaiting posts from her on what male chauvanists they are.

UPDATE: I'm still rather aghast at the idea that having one's mother nominated to be the Vice President of the United States, and future standard-bearer for a political movement as equivalent to having a scarlet "A" placed upon one's clothing. But I shall try to move on.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:42 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 407 words, total size 2 kb.

Six months after I decided to vote for John McCain—even if he were up against Hillary Clinton, whom I still wouldn't want to face down if I were the Russians or the Iranians—Hawkins has decided that the possibility of an Obama presidency is really too ugly to contemplate.

In Right Wing News, he explains how the extraordinary smear campaign against Sarah Palin put him over the top:

"Politics ain't beanbag" and everybody with half a brain knows the mainstream media is in the tank for Obama, so it's no surprise that Sarah Palin hasn't been treated fairly by the press.

However, the rumors, lies, and attacks on Sarah Palin's family, many of which have been spread by the mainstream media, have been absolutely despicable.

Barack Obama was celebrated for being the first black candidate to have a chance at the Presidency. Hillary Clinton was celebrated for being the first woman to have a chance at the Presidency. Even Nancy Pelosi, who has been a political disaster, was celebrated for being the first female Speaker of the House.

Yet, when Sarah Palin, a woman more qualified to be President that Barack Obama, was selected as the first Republican VP, there was no celebration, no congratulations, just a smear campaign that has been unprecedented in American politics.

Andrew Sullivan, the Daily Kos, and the rest of the slime merchants drug everyone from Palin's baby to her husband through the mud. Then the same mainstream media that spent weeks protecting John Edwards immediately launched countless attacks at Palin's family. Do a search on Sarah Palin's name and you'll find more disproved rumors and outright lies than facts -- and it's meant to send a bullying message to other conservative women.

"If you oppose the left and we won't just lie about you and try to destroy your reputation, we'll come after your children, too. So, you just keep your mouth shut and stay out of the spotlight."

The only way the left can be persuaded not to continue these tactics is to defeat them.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 351 words, total size 2 kb.

For those who haven't seen it yet, Charlie Martin of Explorations has the Definitive List of Palin Rumors, with the status of each.

("Yes, she does have a tattoo of the Big Dipper on one ankle; she lost a bet." [Though I think she might be covering that with makeup for the durations of the campaign; we know she isn't wearing hose, and we have concluded that she must have be best spray-tan product in the world, or she's getting it in one of those fake-tan booths. All the better to show off her signature high heels. But in all the footwear shots people keep forwarding to me, I have yet to spot the Dipper. I'll bet she stops with the ankle-makeup once she moves into the Vice Presidential mansion. Of course, it's so cold in D.C. that she'll have to wear hose, or maybe tights.])

h/t: Everyone.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 08:42 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 55 words, total size 1 kb.

Well, it was the biggest reason that I was hoping McCain would pick her. Of course, his head-fake was so convincing that I thought we'd lost out.

I'm so grateful I was wrong about that.

October 1 is a red-letter day in America.

On that day the offshore drilling ban, enacted in 1992, under immense pressure from overzealous environmentalists, expires. On October 1, unless that ban is reinstated, the American people will once again be free to develop and secure our own resources for our own needs.

President BushÂ’s approval rating bumped up immediately when he announced last month that he was in favor of lifting the ban.

Republicans are ready for the fight.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 120 words, total size 1 kb.

Hilarity ensues.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:05 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 14 words, total size 1 kb.

No. Not fascism. Not even nationalism, as I pointed out in my original reaction to McCain's speech.

Certainly, the international dimensions of Cindy McCain's charity work underscores this point: McCain is not so much asking us to love this country blindly as he is exhorting us to try and make it better.

Patriotism and nationalism are not the same thing. We just really like this "all men [and women] are created equal" stuff. We like it a lot.

We are right to like it, and we are right to want to shore it up—both here, and abroad.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 99 words, total size 1 kb.

From Political Lizard:

There is an old saying in politics that says you can tell the state of an election by the States the candidates are campaigning in. The candidates have tendency to visit states they believe are battleground states they can win in November. I find it interesting that McCain has visited 4 States since his convention and two of them voted for John Kerry. I also find it interesting the Obama has visited three Sates; two of which voted for John Kerry. So out of the seven Sates visited post convention four of them voted for John Kerry in 2004 and three voted for George Bush.

What does this tells us? Well it tells us that Obama is in trouble. Obama visited Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. George Bush won a very hotly contested Ohio but Pennsylvania and Michigan have become reliable democratic. Neither of these Sates have voted for a Republican since 1992. That is sixteen years that these have been reliable states for the democrats and really have not been all the close. Ohio has a history of voting with the winning ticket. So Ohio is a typical swing state. McCain on the other hand immediately traveled to Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, and New Mexico. Two of these States voted for John Kerry. Wisconsin hasn't voted for a Republican since 1984. Michigan hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988. Colorado has been a reliable Republican State with the exception of 1992. New Mexico voted for Bush in 2004 but was Blue Prior to that during the Clinton/Gore era.

None of this bodes well for Obama. If Obama can't close the deal in Michigan and Pennsylvania he will be unable to continue campaigning in Western States. If he pulls out of Colorado or New Mexico they will stay red. If Obama must stay in high cost areas like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvannia; McCain will be able to stay on the offensive and turn States like Minnesota and Wisconsin. These are easier States to campaign in and will be energized by the progressive middle class appeal of McCain and Palin.

. . . In a Democratic year there should be no reason for Obama to be camped out in reliable Democratic States like Michigan and Pennsylvania. . . . [R]ight now this is a campaign where Obama is defending and McCain is on offense.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 402 words, total size 2 kb.

Just wow.

The Liberal Limbo: Every time I think they've hit a new low, they show that they can, indeed, go lower.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:20 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 24 words, total size 1 kb.

. . . that everyone's talking about, and by "everyone," I mean Ann Althouse:

I was able to follow it much more easily than Ann was, for whatever reason. But I don't know that either she or I was the target audience for it. (Well, Ann might be, as an Obama supporter.)

Is it over-produced? Is it effective? Does it have an intellectual point, or is it strictly an appeal to emotions? (And is that a bad thing?)

h/t: Insty.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 02:06 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 88 words, total size 1 kb.

. . . throughout history.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 11 words, total size 1 kb.

Doggie, doggie, doggie!

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 5 words, total size 1 kb.