What Kind Of Vetting Process Did McCain Use?
By Nicole Belle Friday Aug 29, 2008 11:00am
As far as I can tell, the only people excited about McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for the Vice Presidency are the Religious Rights and those paid to cheerlead anything Republicans do, like Sean Hannity. Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty feel used and abused. Conservatives like Kathryn Lopez and David Frum think it's a mistake. Rove openly pushed Romney and discouraged McCain from considering Lieberman. James Dobson, in stark contrast, is dancing in the aisles. So was it the Religious Right (disgraced former head of the Moral Majority, Ralph Reed has reared up very prominently in the McCain campaign recently) that demanded the price of the VP pick to back John McCain?
It's the only thing that I can put together, given what appears to be a haphazard vetting process.
On MSNBC this evening Andrea Mitchell reported on how minimal John McCain's interactions with his choice for vice president, Sarah Palin, have been. According to Mitchell, McCain only met Palin once. 
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Heather)
The very day he announces his choice, Alaska State Senator Hollis French announces that Palin is likely to be deposed in the abuse of power investigation, dubbed "Troopergate" in the media. ABC is reporting that Palin wasn't even in the running until this week and McCain sent lawyers to Alaska to vet out the Troopergate issue solely.
Well, that probably wasn't so smart. Because Palin has a cozy relationship with indicted and disgraced Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Luckily, like her Wikipedia entry 
Download | play (h/t BillW), those pages on her state governor pages have been scrubbed. As have the ones where she praised Barack Obama's energy policy. Maybe she's being so careful because she's had experience before in hacking in and looking for deleted files on someone else's computer.
Paul Begala nails the kind of Presidential decision making process that McCain has already proven himself ill-equipped for:
For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible. Suddenly, McCain's age and health become central issues in the campaign, as does his judgment.
In choosing this featherweight, McCain passed over Tom Ridge, a decorated combat hero, a Cabinet secretary and the former two-term governor of the large, complex state of Pennsylvania.
He passed over Mitt Romney, who ran a big state, Massachusetts; a big company, Bain Capital; and a big event, the Olympics.
He passed over Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator who is knowledgeable about the military, good on television, and -- obviously -- a woman.
He passed over Joe Lieberman, his best friend in the Senate and fellow Iraq Kool-Aid drinker.
He passed over former congressman, trade negotiator and budget director Rob Portman.
And he also passed over Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas.
For months, the McCainiacs have said they will run on his judgment and experience. In his first presidential decision, John McCain has shown he is willing to endanger his country, potentially leaving it in the hands of someone who simply has no business being a heartbeat away from the most powerful, complicated, difficult job in human history.
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Frist...
No, McSame is just as imcompetent as Bush ...they don't do homework
Pallins husband works for BP, that's a 3 month commercial in and of itself
Horse feathers!
This choice is ridiculous. What an idiot McPalin is.
Gotta wonder what he saw in Palin that he didn't see in Rice. Wait a minute, I think I figured it out. It's what he saw in Rice that he didn't see in Palin.
AUDIO: Palin laughs as host calls cancer surviving colleague a "cancer" and a "b_tch"
It looks like mcAncient is "quietly" for Obama.
This pick proves the old man is off his rocker. Reading the posted article, knowing that he had a long and helpful amount of time in selecting someone who would balance his ticket.....he failed in every imagineable category.
Seems to me he pretty much drove the last nail into his presidential coffin. RIP my "heroic" little pow.
Maybe I should have spelled that Palen.
Thank you baby jebus. This desparate hail mary pass is bound to fail. Crash and Burn, John. You're used to that after losing 5 planes in your flying career.
You could also take a look at what they have to say in the states 2nd largest newspaper:
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/aug/29/palin-unqualified-serve-vice-p...
"Perhaps the strangest claim repeated endlessly on the news channels is that she has proven she can cut taxes and reduce the size of government in Alaska. She may have cut taxes as mayor of Wasilla, but that's not the same as cutting taxes as governor of Alaska, where there is no state income tax or sales tax to cut."
"By contrast, record oil prices since her election have helped Palin avoid anything as sensitive as cutting off the Longevity Bonus or proposing a tire tax or wildlife viewing tax.
The comments from GOP politicians about how she championed budget cuts, reduced spending and “stood up” to Sen. Ted Stevens on the “bridge to nowhere” are a distortion. The Alaska budget is growing, not shrinking. To claim that the $1,200 payouts due to Alaskans in September have anything to do with restraining government growth, as McCain supporters are doing, is false."
Paul Begala's comments make me want to kiss him.
Dave
Viet Nam Vet
YOU DECIDE!
Not to mention that she's a grandmother!
http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/sarah-palin/22236/the-fully-vetted-...
I said it elsewhere. This is McCain's concession. This was a deliberate tactic to derail his campaign because he realizes that the Obama/Biden ticket is strong. He knows he can't win.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 11:
Rhubarbs said:
i've had time to digest this overnight.
as someone else in a thread here yesterday pointed out, mccain chose palin specifically for her down syndrome baby and her redneck credentials -- she hunts and eats moose, her husband is part eskimo and he's won some tough-guy race four times -- they're just regular folk! (and oh, btw -- shhh -- they're white)
this is an extension of the anti-intellectualism that has become a foundational part of the republican/conservative movement.
"don't vote for barack obama -- he's smarter than you! here, vote for sarah and todd, because they're not!"
this is a scary place to be at this point in history given mccain's age, medical history and the current out of control nature of the federal government.
mccain's choice of palin as his running mate official opens the "beverly hillbillies go to washington" portion of the show.
hang onto your hats, folks, this is going to be a rough ride.
Doesn't the VP make less money than the president?
Seems she then fits right into McCain's vote against equal pay for equal jobs for women since Cheney has shown he was also running the country.
And ladies, now you have a misogynist with a woman working where he wants her, under a man!
And it looks as thought the two Republican pretenders to the throne are equally (un)qualified.
Man, I wish it was Michael Palin...
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2008/08/barack-obama-quotes.html
still at it here in California.
He might as well have vetted some runner-ups at the Miss Buffalo Chips contest.
WOW
Sometimes it is nice to see the Dems hit back, using the facts and all!
Where was the 2008 John Kerry in 2004?
Have all the Dems finally read the eye-opener "Dude, Where's My Country?" from like 5 years ago....???
Dobson must have something on McCain. That is the only possible explanation (other than mind-numbing arrogance and stupidity).
My other comment would be that those lawyers dispatched to Alaska were likely not investigating as fixing the problem. Won't be cheap in a state gorged on oil wealth especially after those who must be dealt with have seen what happened to Uncle Ted Stevens.
A word of caution.
We all thought John Kerry was a shoe-in in 2004. We lost.
Keep your eyes on the prize, this thing isn't over until it's over.
It isn't his first Presidential decision. He's already declared:
1) He wants to kick Russia out of the G8
2) He would go to war with Russia over Georgia
3) He would be a puppet to the very same people pulling dumbya's strings.
He's hell on wheels I tell ya.
{Deleted, Off Topic. SiteMonitor}
John McCain: King of the Non-sequiturs
I honestly think Britney Spears would have brought more to the McDipshit ticket.
From the David Frum article:
"But question: If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?"
So, even a right wing, foreign policy hawk like David Frum is asking the question now that everyone is asking. McCain's VP pick may win over some of the religious right but he may lose his foreign policy hawks in the process.
Is this an "apple sauce moment?"
Maybe McCain will nix this idea next week at the RNC and pick a normal candidate. Kate Bailey Hutchinson would have been a better pick if he wanted to pander PUMAs etc. Nah, just like a neocon, he'll run with with the ball all the way...to the wrong end zone.
StirFry @ 26:
That may be a possibility. McCain flip flops so many times on so many issues why should his VP pick be any different.
Harriet Myers redux.
Is it possible this could be a Harriet Miers-type situation (maybe even orchestrated on purpose)? McCain shows he's willing to pick a woman, wins points with the bible-thumpers, but then Palin chooses to withdraw for personal reasons and he can pick who he wants?
Begala's comments make me think there has to be more to Palin than we're aware of. If McCain's camp had wanted to go with a woman for the vice-president pick, Kay Bailey Hutchinson seems like the really obvious way to go. I think I would have even been impressed with that pick. The Palin pick almost seems like an insult to the more qualified women (and men) of the GOP. It's not like he couldn't find better people who are anti-reproductive rights, pro-drilling, pro-gun, pro-death penalty, pro-war, etc. Those are core values in his party. If the idea was to get me to forget about Obama's wonderful speech and leave me thinking "what the hell?" for the past twenty-four hours or so, then mission pretty much accomplished, McCain campaign. I'm not trying to be a concern troll for the GOP and tell them how they should feel (clearly this isn't the site for that kind of thing anyway). I'm just genuinely puzzled. Maybe it's to highlight the way things work in Alaska: no income tax or sales tax and lots of money from oil drilling that can just be given away. Sure it wouldn't work in the rest of the country, but they don't have to tell anyone that.
r @ 3:
I don't think her choice to take the slot is too smart either. Doesn't seem as if she looked within and asked some serious questions of herself. For goodness sakes in that silly video of her she even says she has no idea what a V.P. does. The tone of her voice in the statement was negative too...like give me a break I have no idea!!!
Samantha Bee and John Stewart had the best comments on this selection.
Could this just be a part of a larger strategy? Announce Palin as the VP pick, get all sort of media attention about the pick, then announce a different pick at the convention?
The VP pick is not made official until the convention. Could this just be a ploy to deflect attention away from the DNC convention with the real decision being announced later?
This thing Scares me. One might think that this was a major mistake in the real world of Political Strategy.
My fear is that his gamble on Palin might indicate that this Election has already been Rigged and so his
choice is Moot anyway.
bob dobbs @ 8:
The BERGEN RECORD disagrees with you there are more asshats than you think
CandleintheWind @ 347:
Well, Al Gore was the least qualified VP pick EVER, followed closely by Geraldine Ferraro.
When it comes to President, Barack Obama is easily the least qualified person to ever be nominated for that office. I don't think it's the lack of qualifications that bother you. If it was, you'd be livid over Obama's nomination. This woman is a conservative and she completely rejects your whole world view. This is what's so offensive to you, not the smokescreen of "she's this, that and the other". Every Democrat is guilty of everything you accuse Republicans of doing and being.
No, Palin's chief flaw is that she's not a liberal. If she were, she'd be a hero.
As a feminist you should be jumping for joy! You will see the first female Vice President in the history of the nation come November. Women truly have come a long way, but there's still a ways to go.
Noah @ 344:
Obama served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? Ha! He hasn't attended ONE meeting! Look it up! He's like another Clinton, all image and no substance.
Your pretentious act is Clinton-esque. All style, no substance.
As far as progressives go, the word applies usually to BETTER methods, BENEFICIAL progress, etc. You will note that American society and the decay thereof, whether it be morally, academically or physically has been in serious decline as liberal methods have taken root in every aspect of the country.
There have always been liberals, but there haven't always been the pretentious bleeding hearted liberals of your ilk. I, for one, hope you get your way. Elect The Messiah. You deserve it. Unfortunately, every other American is going to have to deal with the fallout as well.
Good thing Obama doesn't have a chance, ain't it? But then, you'll have plenty to complain about and plenty of people to look down your nose at in the future. It won't be so bad.
Frank @ 305:
No, I think what he was trying to refute was the idea insinuated by someone earlier that Obama accomplished more in his nomination speech than all the conservatives have accomplished in 40 years, as well as someone else trumpeting as one of Obama's few qualifications that the Europeans loved him.
I think the point was that being a great orator means nothing at all. Hitler was one, for example. The equally hated (by the Left) Reagan was one also. Clinton was a great speaker and look at the mess he left.
I think all he's saying is that of any reason you could possibly have to vote for Obama, being able to deliver a great speech isn't one of them. That, as shown by Hitler, Reagan and Slick Willie, isn't worth a whole lot.
Oh, please, label it what you want. Obama is the ONLY senator with a 100% approval rating (in the senate) by the ACLU. If that doesn't tell you what's going on, nothing will.
And for the love of Bill check his voting record! No, really! Check it! If he's not a radical left winger, I don't know who is. I don't mean that he's a left wing wacko like Michael Moore, I didn't say that. But please, don't let the media spin him to center for you. Look into his record, look into what the ACLU says about him.
If you can't reject him because of his inexperience or that he's green as a blade of grass, reject him over misrepresenting himself as a centrist. At least with McCain what you see is what you get, the Cons don't have to pretend to be at center in every election year.
EZ @ 329:
No, I'm actually a highly educated, intelligent person who knows the difference between facts and opinion. And I make a living teaching people to learn that difference, which is becoming more and more difficult in our society, in which everyone thinks that having an opinion is the same as knowing something. EZ, you're entitled to your opinions, obviously, but you need to learn that offering an opinion is as easy as going to the bathroom--anyone can do it.
orcas @ 333:
mmm ... a VPILF. nice.
Notnow @ 360:
i'm pretty sure that most everyone else has left the building notnow so there's no one left to debate you. i came back to turn off the lights and found you here spewing nonsense to no one.
don't hold your breath waiting for any real feminist to 'jump for joy' as palin's 'world view' includes NO abortion even if her/your daughter was RAPED (an official postion of hers). jump for joy? women will be returning to the stone age, my friend.
.
ShameUS @ 181:
you could put Obama in there with a few changes...
-male
-white/black
-smart?
-very young
-not much govt experience
-NO int'l affairs experience
-NO foreign relations experience
Sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but has yet to attend even one meeting.
The one difference? This man is running for PRESIDENT, not Vice President, as Palin is. No, Obama is running against McCain, against whom he pales by comparison, whether it be experience of international or domestic, federal gov't experience or any other kind.
Obama just isn't ready, and that's going to cost him. They can throw darts at Palin all they way, but those darts go both ways. The awful inexperience of Palin is still awful when it belongs to Obama.
Yes, a baby conceived in rape is still a human being. This person deserves to live, too, as he/she had no say in how he/she was conceived. Murder isn't ok under any conditions and that includes a child conceived due to rape.
Frank @ 365:
As you so aptly and frequently demonstrate. Please go to the bathroom someplace else.
Oh and add some moral fiber to your diet. It will make your "arguments" more cohesive.
More trolls swimming here than 'gators in Melbourne, FL after TS Fay...
FACT
Politics as a rule is BS.
Your representives are good people.
WELL. A majority of those that voted ,voted for them.
I admit, in most cases the altenate was a certified idiots.
You had no choice.
FACT
So Sarah is the GOP VP Candidate.
SO George was the President of the US of A for two terms.
George is non threating . Unfortiunately Osama Bin Laden
or his allies think the same.
How bad can Sarah be ???
FACT
And More Important
Homo Sapiens ( that's us ) are not deep thinkers as a rule,
Sort of like Cow's or Moose's.
People ( ie. the elecorate ) prefer DOPPIE Leaders .
All this flag waving , patriotism routine is BS.
FACT
THE GOP has the right combo
Doppie people will vote for doppie leaders
Most of the electorate , are super people, but they is doppie.
FACT
Politics as a rule is BS.
Your representives are good people.
WELL. A majority of those that voted ,voted for them.
I admit, in most cases the altenate was a certified idiots.
You had no choice.
FACT
So Sarah is the GOP VP Candidate.
SO George was the President of the US of A for two terms.
George is non threating . Unfortiunately Osama Bin Laden
or his allies think the same.
How bad can Sarah be ???
FACT
And More Important
Homo Sapiens ( that's us ) are not deep thinkers as a rule,
Sort of like Cow's or Moose's.
People ( ie. the elecorate ) prefer DOPPIE Leaders .
All this flag waving , patriotism routine is BS.
FACT
THE GOP has the right combo
Doppie people will vote for doppie leaders
Most of the electorate , are super people, but they is doppie.
Probably the same as with the trophy wife. Get it while you can you old codger.
"What Kind Of Vetting Process Did McCain Use?"
Spin the bottle?
Notnow @ 361:
False, and laughably so. You get your news from Bill O?
Who has been in charge of this country for the last 28 years?
8 years - Bush II
8 year - Clinton
4 years - Bush I
8 years - Reagan
That's Republicans 20, Democrats 8. In the 26 years from 1981 to 2007, Republicans have had a senate majority except for 1987-95 and 2001-03. That's 16 to 10. From 1981 to 2007, Republicans held the House majority for 12 years, Democrats for 14.
The Republicans have been solidly in control of the presidency and congress for the last 28 years and you want us to believe that Democrats are responsible for the decline of America?
LOL the ignorant arrogance of the right - they don't even recognize that the Royal Screwing they've received has been at the hands of their OWN PARTY!
Just wait until sexy photos from her pageant days surface. Who knows what lurks there, but it can't be conducive to a serious candidacy for VP of the US. McCain is a complete idiot whom we can't afford to place anywhere near the suitcase of eternal destruction.
His campaign self-destructed in one move. Good job, Angry White Dude.
oregonian @ 379:
He had to give the fundamentalists a reason to vote for him. A gun-toting anti-women's rights beauty queen is the righteous ticket.
Nicole Belle @ 173:
The point for me is this: Why even bother HAVING amniocentesis if you know you will not abort ANY fetus??? Duh.
Now I see what the strategy is and why he picked a nice-looking church lady as his running mate. They'll try to get the Christian fundamentalists voting in record numbers. Expect a lot of thinly-veiled allusions to Obama being a secret Muslim at the convention.
gwen @ 382:
Not so thinly veiled, and on this forum too -
David G @ 198:
Abbybwood @ 381:
Abbywood, my very question. I'm as pro-choice as they come. Yet, I had made a decision early in my pregnancy (age 41) to not terminate in the case of Down Syndrome. Since amnio is the gold standard for detection of DS, but not really so hot for anything else, I by-passed it. There was no need for it for me.
I wonder though, Palin was informed of Trig's possible DS status in her fourth month, so that had to have been amnio, since that screen was developed for testing within a certain window between 17 and 20 weeks. Did Palin skip the NT screen in her 2nd month? I went for that one because it was a lot less intrusive than amnio and the blood tests that accompany the ultrasound within the whole screen give a wider scan of potential disorders. Amnio isn't so hot in giving indications of life threatening disorders.
Noah @ 378:
you can line up all the gop crooks 10-deep for the mother of all perp walks and they will go into the deepest, darkest corners of their warped universe...and produce another one.
No panic EZ just side splitting laughter.
Mcsame is a proven liar by his own words. Are you going to vote for someone that you know is a liar?
If so you can see where the GOP is going to the lowest common denominator.
LOL!
Ruthless People @ 319:
...and don't forget Bristol.
Patty @ 387:
Those are really the name of her kids?? Probably short for:
--Dirttrack
--Trigger-lock Strongly Recommended
--Piper Cub
--Weeping Willow
--Harvey's Bristol Creme
What ever happened to good ol' cracker names like Bubba and Crystal (no offense to any of them who post here...)?
Austinite @ 332:
Thanks for spelling it out clearly! It galls me to hear the gop trying to draw parallels between them. It harkens back to 1988 when they tried to compare Dan Quayle to JFK based on experience. Lloyd Bentson shot that one down pretty effectively. I think the Palin choice was a huge gift to Obama/Biden.
orcas @ 333:
That's true, but after getting their way by (s)electing a beer buddy, they've had 8 years of lost wages, home forclosures, high home heating bills and astronomical gas prices, and of course loss of civil liberties, torture and endless war. So,I think they may just bite the bullet and choose the elitist, thinking, competent intellecual who has the common good in mind. Jeezus, I hope so anyway, because I can no longer afford to move out of the country.
bill carli @ 342:
:-D
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 37:
that's why we need to get personally involved. obama has said he has no intention of losing this election. as we have seen he has been tough on smears and he fights back. if there are shenanigans that we see during the elections we shoulbe prepared to video, photo, record and document them. let's not leave it all up to him and his staff. we have a part in this, too.
what i noticed about palin from her short speech yesterday was the untempered ambition in her eyes. she wants this very much for herself. she unabashedly used her son to score points and compared herself to hillary without even noticing that there is big difference between the 2 of them; that shattering the glass ceiling by being chosen is so far below scrapping for votes and earning 18M of them. she is reckless in her ambition and is at the very least as big a risk as mccain is.
also, her speech was very shallow which indicates that she is intellectually lightweight.
ciu @ 279:
Oh, and most important... she was a beauty queen!
Mean Ol' Liberal @ 384:
I wonder how foreign leaders are viewing this development. I bet there is an urge for each one of them to say "Lovely pick Sen. McCain. I have several, ummm..VPs just like her somewhere around here." Still others might say, "Look. How sweet. John McCain brought his daughter along!"
bennythebouncer @ 33:
is there any doubt?
Joe O. @ 35:
their corporate masters are the same as ours.
Thrillhouse @ 30: