John Kerry: Palin Choice Proves McCain's a "Prisoner of the Right Wing"
By Bill W. Sunday Aug 31, 2008 8:45am
"... not a maverick."
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STEPHANOPOULOS: ... Howard Wolfson, Senator Clinton's former communications director, said that this pick might just work to draw women to the Republican ticket. Are you worried about that?
KERRY: Well, with all due respect to Howard, you know, I have much more respect for the Clinton supporters than that sort of quick- blush take with -- I mean, how stupid do they think the Clinton supporters are, for Heaven sakes?
Do they think Clinton supporters supported Hillary only because she was a woman. For Heaven sakes, they supported Hillary because of all the things she's fought for, because she fights for health care, which John McCain doesn't support; she fights for children and children's health care, which John McCain voted against; she fights for a windfall profits tax on the oil company, which John McCain opposes.
I mean, for Heaven sakes, the people who supported Hillary Clinton are not going to be seduced just because John McCain has picked a woman. They're going to look at what she supports.
The fact that she doesn't even support the notion that climate change is manmade -- she's back there with the Flat Earth Caucus. And I don't see how those women are going to be fooled into believing -- I think it's almost insulting to the Hillary supporters that they believe they would support somebody who is against almost everything that they believe in.
STEPHANOPOULOS: OK.
KERRY: What John McCain has proven with this choice -- this is very important, George. John McCain wanted to choose Tom Ridge. He wanted to choose Joe Lieberman. He wanted to choose another candidate, but you know what? Rush Limbaugh and the right wing vetoed it.
And John McCain was forced to come back and pick a sort of Cheney-esque social conservative who's going to satisfy the base. What John McCain has proven with this choice is that John McCain is the prisoner of the right wing, not a maverick.
I like it. ...
I do too. Kerry keeps swinging for the fences like that and someone's going to want to test him for steroids.
Digby also shares some good advice, as always, on what our response to Palin might ought to be. While I tend to agree, that might be a tall order, as this well just keeps getting deeper. Your thoughts?
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Two mavericks on one ticket. David Broder is ecstatic.
Helpfully, he points out that McCain is the only candidate who could have made such a choice (Palin). He doesn't explain why anyone else would want to.
He also clearly thinks her maverickliciousishness is much more important than her resume.
As the public discourse continues to degenerate, David Broder is right there at the forefront writing one stupid column after another.
A random observation, based on Digby's comments: Now that we've got McCain calling Palin his 'soulmate', shouldn't somebody put that in a commercial juxtaposed with Bush's comments about looking into Putin's soul? Seems like a great way to tie McCain to Bush, and in particular one of Bush's biggest misreads.
Kerry seems to be having a lot more fun this time around. It must be nice to get so much less scrutiny and be able to fire away like that.
(it would have been nicer to be president of course, but that's history now)
Right, Senator Kerry. And John Edwards was your first choice too.
Uhh- huhh, yeah.
Didn't you want John McCain?
Keep swingin'.
My thought is ultimately each of us has to take responsibility for our life. Kerry's not going to do it, McCains not going to do it, the Sun and Moons not going to do it, Gods not going to do it.
You got to do it.
The entire Democratic team should follow Kerry's lead on this.
The Dems must make it about McCain:
1) His judgement
2) His lack of vision
3) His willingness to select someone never vetted on a national stage
Folks - this is the level of experience that will fill his Cabinet! Can you say: Head of FEMA and Katrina?
She could be the unknown TRUE Messiah ... McCain met her once and selected her. But she might not...
oncall @ 6:
There's alot of things thing Dems should have and could have done this past 8 years.
L.A. Confidential @ 8:
Not quite awake. Sorry about the Dubbyism like comment..
L.A. Confidential @ 9:
Bad. I'm starting to blurt like Dubbya.
Beam me up Scotty.
Skull & Bones!
gg @ 2:
Good idea. Throw in a little Palin, Alaska proximity to Russia, oil pipelines and it should fly.
Nobody believes Kerry - he's a flip flopper.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
No problem. All I am saying is that Kerry stayed on message and made his points about McCain and how they related to Palin. The Dems should not get mired in the mud about troopers, motherhood, etc. Make this choice all about McCain - not her. McCain folded for the right wing on this one and showed absolutely horrible judgement. As long as that is the official Democratic message, all the other crap will hopefully become white noise.
Swinging for the fences... A bit late seeing as how we've suffered because he played small-ball in 2004...
dennis @ 4:
No chance that he wanted Senator McCain and not Candidate McCain is there? McSame has drunk the Rovian Cool Aid and is gone forever!
I actually remember liking Senator McCain once...but never again. Sorry for all of us.
You know, I think that's a brilliant line. The McCain camp has been trying to drum up sympathy for McCain with all this POW imagery, and this angle shoves it right in their faces. It co-opts McCain's carefully promoted image and turns it against him.
So what is wrong with picking a candidate who rejects science? What has science ever done for us? It is religion that has produced our advanced society. Without cassocks, incense, and communion wafers we might as well still be dwelling in caves.
Moses @ 15:
That is history and we all know how badly it hurts. The fact is that when that interview and Kerry's comments are taken at face value, he ripped McCain and Palin to shreds. There is no getting past it. Kerry's interview was pitch perfect. The whole Democrat team can learn from his example. I am sure that there are others here who are criticizing Kerry for one reason or another....... they always will, and they will miss the points as he made them, because they can't get past their anger about 2004. Well, now is the time to get over it. We have a new game in town and we want to win.
Soul mate...Looking into Putin's soul.....proximity to Russia......it has to follow that Palin is a Russian mole getting ready to infiltrate the very recesses of the White House. Well anything is possible. I've read for myself on the internets that Obama is a secret Muslim.
lj @ 16:
I've read this standard liberal refrain a thousand and one times, lj, but thanks for the reply nonetheless. How anyone can reasonably consider credible John Kerry's critique on another man's thought processes concerning his choice for a running mate is beyond my descriptive abilities.
Simply mind-boggling.
She is his soulmate. After all she loves using her AG to change disclosure laws and cover-up for official abuse of power just like Bush does, and we all know McCain <3 Bush.
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/palin_circles_the_wagons_transparency_a_casu...
Catim @ 17:
This guy was a brilliant prosecuting attorney at one time. Somehow the MSM is able to convince the American buffoonery that lawyers are not qualified to write legislation.
L.A. Confidential @ 5:
the art of vacuousness.
Sarah's Miracle Baby @ 18:
I can't tell if that is a snark or just an asinine comment. Somebody help me.
Depending on how the MSM handle it (I'm not hopeful), this, i.e., Troopergate, could sink her candidacy. At this point that's the best case scenario. However, from what I read of the timing of the investigation, I'm not sure it's conclusions will come in time to get Palin off the ticket. I imagine Presumptive President McPOW will work hard to interfere with the investigation, while simultaneously commanding the United States of America in its battle against hurricanes.
Palin's use of her office to pressure Monegan to fire her ex-brother-in-law should disqualify her from running if the investigation confirms what appears to be the case -- although I realize it will further endear her to the Right Wing base. But the story about her child is one the Democrats should stay away from. I saw that there's plenty of discussion over at dKos (predictable) about it, but don't forget that both Markos and Limbaugh had the same game plan during the primaries -- disrupt the other party's election(s). It's true that LImbaugh's plan was more extensive than the Markos plan to screw with the Republicans in Michigan, but it was still a childish idea that is disruptive to free and fair elections.
biff @ 20:
(Great Ted Stevens reference)
Hey... if Julia Child was a spy, certainly Palin could be!
The choice of putting Governor Palin on the Republican ticket was not made by Senator McCain. The choice was made by James Dobson. Governor Palin is Mr. Dobson's price for his support of Senator McCain. So, if the choice is being made by a theocratic fascist as his price for support, what does that say about Senator McCain?
oncall @ 25:
Snark...
Noah @ 13:
They don't have to believe Kerry. They can see this woman's qualifications, or lack therof. My state representative, a nice Republican woman with years of experience in the state capitol, would have been a better choice.
Noah @ 13:
That would mean no one likes McShame and his 63 flip flops, right? I really don't think you want to compare flip flop records when it comes to McShame.
Catim @ 17:
and don't forget christians are cannibals
they eat jesus regularly for redemption of
their sins.
Oh my, if I was a Hillary supporter I'd be agreeing with every word John Kerry said. Yeah....it didn't make a lot of sense but John McCain was never very good and standing up and making the big decisions. He can't win. He can't. If I was Pawlenty or Ridge or Rommny I'd quit the campaign and I'd quietly go into the booth and vote my conscience. But they're party people too.
So you have a guy who lets the party pick a woman who tried to have her brother-in-law fired as a state trooper and who believe dinosaurs and Adam and Eve Co-existed, who has PTA experience, who says it was little old me who stopped the bridge to nowhere when in fact she fought for it. This is the same man who met this pick only once. Compare that to Obama.
dadams @ 32:
BTW The link to the Alaska Daily News article that Josh Marshall incorrectly posted is now at:
http://www.adn.com/politics/story/510080.html
Interesting read... It is the REAL Troopergate Story. It isn't about her bro-in-law... it's "Attorney-General Gate II: The Sequel."
Sarah's Miracle Baby @ 18:
and don't forget christians are cannibals
they eat jesus regularly for redemption of
their sins.
dennis @ 21:
My sincere apology I hate to see anyone's mind boggled! Seek help soon.
Here's a scenario for you. You have a life-threatening heart ailment. You select a surgeon based on his reputation for getting the job done. He walks in to do your operation. With him is a nice looking woman. Before they put you under, he introduces her as a fellow doctor who just graduated from med school and would really like to be a heart surgeon. Should anything happen to him while he is operating, she'll be there to take over your surgery.
And that's what Dr. McCain just said to us, his patients. And don't you feel secure?
Here is another situation where a candidate could become a prisoner of the right wing. Say that candidate used his or her political influence to alter a birth certificate in order to change the names of the father and mother of a child. This was done to save the family embarrassment. Now, some months later, that candidate is offered a chance at big time politics. The only catch is that the candidate must now do the bidding of the right wing faction in order to keep the earlier crime concealed. Interesting scenario, that.
biff @ 20:
what happened to the cinnamon buns on the sides
of her head?
Well, you see, if there's no such thing as man-made global warming, then there's a legitimate chance that the land bridge across the Bering Strait might be uncovered ... and then Russia could just walk a few miles and roll enough troops and tanks in to take over the U.S.! Really! My boys were playing Risk, and that's how one of them won!
Because We All Know that once you take Alaska, you've conquered the United States.
Hit 'em hard and keep on hitting. Inexperienced, clueless, corrupt.
How about this scenario:
Senator McCain "chose" Governor Palin in order to placate the theocratic fascists in the Republican Party, but on Wednesday, a new name will pop up from the McCain campaign that will force the delegates to choose either or. That name? Senator Joe Liebermann.
Wacky, I know, but so was picking Governor Palin.
Folks, calm down. Obama has gotten this far with his cool, he's not about to fall apart due to Palin being put on the ticket. I still say after all the smoke clears Palin will neither be a plus or a minus for McCain and the race will go down to the wire with Obama winning it by a nose.
Check out mudflats.com, an Alaskan political blog. They linked to a story (on Daily Kos), that states Palin is a former member of the Alaskan Independent Party. They were founded by a Mr. Vogel, who wanted the succession of AK from the U.S. and refused to be buried "under the American flag," and was instead buried in Canada. The co-chair of her campaign for governor, former Gov. Wally Hickel, claims he's repsonsible for getting her elected. He was elected himself on the AIP ticket. Remember, Palin is quoted as saying about a month ago (in the tape where she says she doesn't know what a VP does) she would only be VP "if it was good for Alaska." Is she still a successionist?
Palin hates America!
"Kerry keeps swinging for the fences like that and someone’s going to want to test him for steroids."
You're kidding, right? That's your idea of swinging for the fences? Impeachment is off the table, the dollar is tanking, we have two illegal wars going on, sanctioned torture, Habeus Corpus is 86ed, & you're impressed because Herman Munster, the man who lost to a retarded monkey, formed a sentence?!
The McCain campaign vetted Palin? What vetting?
1. Palin as mayor raised the sales tax to pay for a sports complex.
2. Palin a Governor raised taxes on oil companies wind fall profits and gave the money back to the citizens of Alaska.
3. Palin as Governor backed Obama's energy plan.
4. Palin supports contraception. She belongs to the group Feminsts for Life organization.
5. Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party.
McCain stated that instead of equal pay for equal work that women should get more education. I wonder what Palin thinks of that?
Senator Kerry did a great job and Stephanopolis could hardly get a word in edgewise. That is what all of Obama's surrogates need to do..........hammer the truth!!
Yep Democrats should not primarily go after Palin herself but highlight McCains pick for VP to question his judgment. One of the most important decisions as President is picking the most able and qualified people to assist and advise you. Obama picked an experienced statesman who knows Washington inside out. McCain picked a nobody from Alaska to help get him elected only to shove her aside once hes in the WH.
dennis @ 21:
We're not talking about John Kerry. We're talking about the choice of Sarah Palin, which is simply mind-boggling regardless of Kerry's criticism.
And do you really want to go down the road that, having made an error, you are no longer trustworthy? There's a long list of screwups by the Bush Administration that basically means Republicans have no credibility left on any subject.
Gotta watch out for them “Troopergates”.
That’s where things started in the unraveling of things for Elliot Spitzer
As long as folks are suggesting tactics and strategies for the Democrats, here's one I'd like to see someone use, if not on the airwaves, certainly on YouTube.
First panel: McCain talking about cancelling or changing the tone of the Republican convention because it would be "inappropriate" to stage a celebration during this time of national tragedy (the hurricane).
Second panel: scenes of devastation left by Katrina, of people on rooftops crying for help. Below this is the date, end of August 2005.
Third panel: McCain and Bush celebrating McCain's birthday, the two of them cutting the cake like they were bride and groom. Below this is the date, end of August 2005.
Final panel: "I guess that's only true during an election year."
Just a thought.
I'd find out about Palin's connections to the AIP. If she was formerly a memeber and had close ties with them as mayor, there must be some quotes out there that would be worth digging up.
"the Flat Earth Caucus" - I laughed.
Thoughts... @ 29:
The poster's name threw me with a head fake.
Mr. Kerry hit it right on the head. This is exactly what I've been saying since this ridiculous announcement was made. They're so sure of their own media hype. That there are that many disgruntled Hillary supporters who are also dumber than a box of rocks and who will follow anyone so long as their reproductive organs are on the inside that they chose this walking joke as a VP.
And that is a miscalculation so incredibly vast it makes one wonder if they've completely lost all concept of reality over at war inc. central.
The woman is an embarrassment and after only a very brief time in office she's managed to become the focus of an ethics investigation AND has the entire national media LAUGHING at her pathetic attempt to hide her 16 year old daughter's pregnancy and pretend the resulting baby is her own.
While she certainly strikes me as the ideal repug. [she's unethical, morally backward and a creationist flat earth idiot besides] she's probably at or near the top of the list of "People no one in their right mind would ever consider for the VP job in a million years."
John Kerry being a true blue Yankee doesn't understand the sexism of the south. Palin will kill McCain's chances because no southern redneck will vote for a woman vice president, to them their place is in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant.
Nada @ 54:
Do you happen to have a link to the source of this one? That would be very interesting indeed.
We now have the ostensible, but by no means certain, twilight of the most corrupt administration in our history. An outfit that lied us into a war, that falsified and forged documents to give credence to the false basis for that war, that engaged in massive illegal domestic surveillance, that engaged in torture, murder, and kidnapping.
That has gouged the Treasury for vast sums, giving the concept of war profiteering an entirely new meaning.
Where do I stop…
And yet these birds are still flying because we don't have an opposition party.
By comparison, Palin's acts appear miniscule, but to be absolutely fair, they are exactly the kind of things for a resumé that one would expect of applicant for the Bush crime outfit.
And she appears to be a quick learner, so she could expand her horizons, given the chance, but perish the thought.
The Bush crime organization does have it standards after all.
Kerry is getting a few nice little shots in but where is the sense of proportion to the big ugly picture.
We are in a police state.
Don't feed the troll.
Thoughts... @ 35:
Now I understand why she was picked. She's above the law. She lies. She has a great It's all about me attitude. And she believes the dinosaurs and Adam and Eve co-existed.
USA TODAY/Gallup: OBAMA 49% - McCain 41%
McCain VP Announcement Causes Bigger Obama Lead
Washington (ECN) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced this past week that he has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his choice for vice president. At this point though, all this seems to have done is given his rival, Democratic nominee Barack Obama a bigger lead.
A new poll released by USA TODAY/Gallup has revealed that Obama now has a bigger lead over McCain than before the VP announcement.
The new poll has found that 33% of Americans do not believe that Gov. Sarah Palin has what is needed to take over as commander in chief if something were to ever happen to McCain.
This compares to 39% who believe she is ready to serve. This is far below the running mate of Obama though, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, who 57% say they believe is ready to lead if needed.
Overall, Barack Obama now has a lead over McCain of 49% to 41%.
Yipeeeee!!!!!!
Phoenix Justice @ 56:
Ah, it's all speculation, of course:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/31/145838/319/386/581332
As I remarked elsewhere.. the more interesting thing (to me) is how the Evangelical Right isn't just bringing back 1950's-era morals, but 1950's-era gossip as well.
Rasmussen: Obama 47% - McCain 44%
When "leaners" are included, it’s Obama 49% - McCain 46%.
Thoughts... @ 7:
Reminds me of Bush's criteria for selecting influential administration positions: Gooding et al. Never mind experience or compitence, just how mindlessly can they scream "halejuja"?
Rich @ 55:
They'd be less likely to vote for a black man for President than a white guy with a gun-toting female VP running mate.
Phoenix Justice @ 56:
I've actually read it in several places now but this is one of the better places to read it:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223
It's making the rounds. I expect it to start getting some further coverage after the hurricane threat is over. It's certainly possible they'll just try to bury it but it's an open secret at this point.
PorridgeGun @ 60:
God, who the f*ck are these morons?
fastfeat @ 65:
Or most likely not vote at all.
Reminds me of Bush's criteria for selecting influential administration positions: Gooding et al. Never mind experience or compitence, just how mindlessly can they scream "halejuja"?
Competence. The Bushisms are taking over my keyboard. as well.
fastfeat @ 65:
Yes, which means they might not vote at all. And with record turnout among their black neighbors.. things can happen.
What's the bet Palin withdraws her candidacy, citing vicious internet smears against her family as the reason, and McCain picks Bobby Jindal as her replacement?
Nada @ 54:
Don't go anywhere near the "pregnancy" story. It has nothing to do with her qualifications to be Vice President and has nothing to do with McCain's poor judgement.
Don't underestimate her. She's not Dan Quayle. More Putin -- narrow minded, ruthless, chauvanist. She's a lot smarter than McCain and pulls out all the stops to avoid losing, whether it's politics, state beauty contests or state basketball titles. The mysogeny-type attacks have already begun, and all that does is turn Hillary supporters to her defense. For a large number of women voters, feminism is no longer liberal and definitely not about abortion rights -- critical voters are successful women white, educated, and are either on birth control or beyond childbearing concerns anyway.
Watch Maria Bartoroma's CNBC's interview with Palin supporting ANWR drilling. Remember that Alaska is hip deep in timber, ore, oil, and other natural resources to exploit. It's residents pride themselves on western frontier self reliance, but they are merely parasites drawing down what they had no role in producing. Thus, Palin as gov continued the long tradition there of negative taxes, i.e., state monetary gifts to voters for living in Alaska. Like that's the kind of model today for national office?
Biggest myth of all is that Alaska is people living in the wilderness, rather than among the most urbanized states, along with Texas! Yet the Republican party (and the Democrats as well) allowed our cities to rot from the inside out because low-density states determine our president, own the Senate, and the House, too, via gerrymandered packing of urban minority into a handful of Congressional districts.
oncall @ 72:
As an argument: No, stay away.
As gossip: Go right ahead! I'm not going to judge after what they did just recently to Edwards. (and if true, this is a LOT worse)
That said, I don't really care much for gossip either way.
I think there is a larger narrative here.
Palin is supposed to be a Hillary replacement....
Hillary, a hard-working woman, with a tough character and top-notch intellect, who fights for and earns every single one of 18,000,000 votes in a fiercely competetive democratic primary.
The GOP doesn't run a woman in the primary. Palin doesn't prove anything.... except that McCain likes her... so she gets promoted.
How many times has that happened? The hard-working, smart woman has to take backseat to the bubbly, young beauty. This has been the case in most corporate jobs I have worked.
The old man needs diversity, so he promotes the girls that make him feel nice.... and he overlooks the women who threaten his leadership with their competence.
If half the stuff claimed over at TPM about Palin's vendetta are true, we have serious ammo to go after McCain's VP pick.
Do we really need another Cheney?
oncall @ 72:
If she had the birth certificate altered using her political influence, she and McCain can forget this campaign.
EconProf: It's not about 'feminism', it's about Clinton supporters, as this is a blatant play for them.
And Clinton supporters do care about abortion rights, or they've been supporting the wrong candidate altogether.
Alexdem @ 74:
Well, my parents always told me not to gossip. I think that was good advice.
Will McCain keep reminding the American people of his status as a POrW? Prisoner of the Right Wing!
nice job, Kerry, but watch the 'windfall profits tax' bit - Palin actually did impose that tax - and easy on the 'cheney-esque'. She's a loving mother of five [or four, depending on who you ask] and does at least come off as a caring and warm person, something Cheney, regardless of being a father, most certainly does not. That tag won't stick.
dennis @ 21: