Are You Falling In Love With Sarah Palin?

Saturday, September 6, 2008
I'm watching the news and they say America is falling in love with Sarah Palin.

Is that really true America? Are you falling in love with Sarah Palin?

Bush Campaign Man Takes Charge Of John McCain's Campaign

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=228311&f=19

Yes Steve Schmidt the man that helped bring us, Republicans 02 and Bush-Cheney 04 is back. This time as a senior advisor to the McCain Campaign. I'm sure you noticed his rovian stamp on last weeks RNC speeches. Big on attacks and short on truth. The let the flurry of lies and half truths begin.

John McCain Admits Troops Sent To Die In Iraq For Oil


Listen to his stump speech, he states no more troops will be sent to foreign lands for oil. We will get our oil here by drilling.

No more troops will be sent to die in the middle east for oil.

That is what McCain says in making his case for drilling.

He admits our troops are over there dying for oil, and he wants to still keep them there?

I guess maybe he thought no one would notice.

Well I hope America notices. Because if John McCain is elected, our troops will die in more foreign countries in pursuit of oil. Bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran? Remember that one?

Like John McCain said in his speech at St. Paul. Sometimes I pick fights for fun.

John MccCain everyone.

The more you know...

The McCain Strategy: Pile On The Lies And Hope A Couple Stick

The American Flag's left behind at Invesco story is false. But the McCain campaign is running with it hoping it will stick with some people.

His little attack dog Sarah Palin who's speeches thus far have been about ten percent truthful.

Also is it me or does Sarah Palin have one of the most annoying voices ever? I cannot listen to her talk, that voice, the lies, the attacks I just can't listen to the crap that spews from her mouth.
Its almost like McCains campaign is run by Bush's people. Oh wait it is, and his speeches are written by Bush Speech speechwriters too.

Yeah that's how much of a "Mavrick" (to quote a sign from the RNC) John McCain is.

John McCain Not Business As Usual?


If John McCain is so against business as usual in Washington. Then why does the business as usual crowd in Washington want him to be President so bad.

The more you know...

McCain Vows to End 'Partisan Rancor'

Friday, September 5, 2008
http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=227825&f=77

This is hilarious. Anyone who heard any of those speeches at the RNC this week can see that's a load of crap. Or anything Republicans & the McCain campaign have said ... Ever?

You can't trash Democrats as a whole and then say your going to end 'Partisan Rancor'

I hope people are paying attention to this ...

Bristol Palin: Poster Child For Contraception Education ?

Sarah Palin believes in abstinence only sex? education. She believes sex education should not involve education on contraceptives. She also believes there should not be a planned parenthood.

So obviously abstinence only education does not work. Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter Bristol proves that. If she had been taught to use contraception her and her boyfriend might of not gotten themselves in their little predicament. Teenagers will have sex believe that no matter what their beliefs are, leaving them unprepared and uneducated is not the solution.

I say make Bristol Palin the posterchild of how abstinence only education does not work and teenagers need to be taught about contraception during sex education. Also planned parenthood is a very needed service. I don't care what anybody says. It helps many people.

Sarah Palin Does Not Believe In Evolution


Sarah Palin believes in creationism.

The more you know...

I wonder if she thinks humans and dinosaurs lived together too...

Obama Raises More Money Than McCain From Palin Nomination

Barack Obama has raised about 9 million dollars since Sarah Palin gave her speech. They have raised more money from Sarah Palin's nomination than John McCain made from Sarah Palins nomination.

So who's base is really getting excited? Looks to me like it's Obama supporters.


guy --

John McCain and the Republicans had all week to make their case -- and they didn't do it.

The whole Republican convention went by without offering a single idea about how to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.

People noticed. In the last 24 hours, more people donated to this campaign for the first time than ever before. Thank you for responding so strongly.

Barack is making clear what this election should be about. At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania yesterday, he spoke out about exactly what we didn't hear at the Republican convention.

Watch the video and make a donation of $5 or more today to make sure Barack's message of change is heard loud and clear.

Watch the video and make a donation

We learned just this morning that unemployment jumped to its highest rate in five years, and our economy lost 605,000 jobs this year alone -- at a time when John McCain believes that the fundamentals of our economy are "strong."

John McCain can talk all he wants about change, but he has voted with George W. Bush more than 90 percent of the time, and Americans aren't buying it.

Here are a few of the responses we received from voters who watched the Republican convention:

"This is one Republican for Obama that knows 100% now that I made the right choice and will in November vote for Obama-Biden." -- Bev from Georgia

"Republicans like Palin, Giuliani, and Romney can engage in red-meat partisan vitriol all they want, right out of the Karl Rove playbook, but this isn't 2000 or 2004. Americans now have seen the full impact of GOP policies on their pocketbook." -- Rick from Colorado

"What the Republicans displayed ... is more of the same old thing -- unproductive politics. I hope and pray that the American voters will see through this and realize that we need a different mindset and approach if we are ever going to get things done in Washington." -- Patricia from Kansas

Watch Barack's response to the Republican convention, and join these folks in supporting real solutions and making sure Americans far and wide know what's at stake:

https://donate.barackobama.com/realissues

Thanks for everything you're doing,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America


Donate




A Special Message From Obama To You






I love it...

More Lies By John McCain & Co.

It's the lies of the Republicans day, Courtesy of Factcheck.org.

Great site...


Maverick Misleads

A McCain ad comparing Palin to Obama isn't all above board.

Summary

McCain's campaign launched a TV ad touting his running mate, Palin, and offering a comparison to Obama. Some of its claims are off the mark:
  • It says Obama "gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways," citing his votes for a 2005 energy bill. But the bill slightly raised taxes on the oil industry overall.

  • The ad plucked a positive blurb about Palin from an Associated Press article that, in fact, was very much a mixed review. The AP said she "brings an ethical shadow to the [Republican] ticket," for example.

  • The ad says Obama is the "most liberal" Senator. But the National Journal rated him the 16th most liberal in his first year and the 10th most liberal in his second. It rated his votes "most liberal" only in 2007, when he was busy campaigning and missed one-third of the votes on which the rating is based.
Analysis
Sen. John McCain's campaign says the ad, titled "Alaska Maverick," will run in "key states," though it will likely get plenty of media coverage as well. It's misleading on a few fronts.

Don't Forget About the Tax Hikes

John McCain 2008 TV Ad: "Alaska Maverick"
image box

Announcer: The Journal says: "Governor Palin's credentials as an agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's."
They're right.
She "has a record of bi-partisan reform."
He's the Senate's "most liberal."
She "took on the oil producers."
He gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways.
She's "earned a reputation as a reformer."
His reputation? Empty words.

John McCain: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.
The most misleading claim in the ad is that Obama "gave big oil billions in subsidies and giveaways," a reference to the 2005 energy bill that we've debunked again and again. Actually, the bill, which President Bush signed into law, slightly raised taxes on the oil industry. Obama voted for the bill; McCain voted against it. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said that the energy act "included several oil and gas tax incentives, providing about $2.6 billion of tax cuts for the oil and gas industry. In addition, [the act] provided for $2.9 billion of tax increases on the oil and gas industry, for a net tax increase on the industry of nearly $300 million over 11 years."

In total, the vast majority of the billions in tax breaks and subsidies included in the bill went to electric utilities and nuclear power, as well as alternative fuels research and energy-efficient cars and buildings.

McCain's ad
attempts to contrast Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's record on "big oil" with Obama's. It says she "took on the oil producers." Maybe so. The ad's quote comes from an Anchorage Daily News article that said Palin had pushed through a bill to have an independent company build a gas line that oil companies hadn't moved on quickly enough, according to Palin, and she also backed increased oil taxes. But Obama is making attacks on oil companies a centerpiece of his campaign, while Palin favors drilling in places that even McCain wants to keep off limits, most notably the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Praise in Context

The ad uses a partial quote – she "has a record of bi-partisan reform" from an Aug. 29 Associated Press report. Those words do appear in the article, but so do several others that aren't as flattering.

In fact, the AP report raises some questions about Palin's credentials, saying: "She is younger and less experienced than the first-term Illinois senator, and brings an ethical shadow to the ticket." It also says, "Palin's lack of experience undercuts GOP charges that Obama is not ready to be commander in chief."

The ad also quotes the Wall Street Journal as saying, "Governor Palin's credentials as an agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's." But those words didn't come from the newspaper's reporters, they came from the WSJ's editorial board, which is notably conservative and generally friendly to Republicans and hostile to Democrats.

Liberal Leanings

The ad also says Obama is "the Senate's 'most liberal,' " a claim that rests on flimsy evidence to say the least. It's based on one analysis of votes cast in 2007. Obama was ranked as the “most liberal senator” by a National Journal evaluation of voting records in 2007 – but that wasn’t the case during his first two years in the Senate, when he ranked 16th and 10th on the most-liberal scorecard. Obama also missed one-third of the 99 votes on which National Journal based its rankings last year, due to his campaign schedule.

We have no argument with the fact that Obama is liberal
– he is a Democrat, after all but we note the ad's claim rests on one evaluation of last year's votes. According to another analysis, this one of bill sponsorship by the independent site GovTrack.us, Obama is a "rank-and-file Democrat." That's a step below the ranking of "far-left."

– by Lori Robertson, with D'Angelo Gore

Sources
Congressional Research Service. Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies: Current Status and Analysis. Washington: GPO, 2007.

Kizzia, Tom. “The Joan of Arc of Alaska Politics.” Anchorage Daily News, 29 Aug. 2008.

Editorial. “A Reform Ticket,” Wall Street Journal, 30 Aug. 2008.

Fournier, Ron. “Analysis: Palin’s age, inexperience rival Obama’s.” Associated Press, 29 Aug. 2008.

2007 Vote Ratings.” National Journal, 31 Jan. 2008.

Barack Obama, overview. Govtrack.us, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.

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GOP Convention Lies From Night Two

The lies from night two, again courtesy of Factcheck.org...


GOP Convention Spin

Lieberman and Thompson make misleading claims about Obama on Day Two of the party in St. Paul.

Summary

Joe Lieberman and his former Senate colleague Fred Thompson both made misleading claims about Obama in their prime time GOP convention speeches on Tuesday. We've heard two of them before – many times.
  • Lieberman said Obama hadn't "reached across party lines" to accomplish "anything significant," though Obama has teamed with GOP Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Lugar to pass laws enhancing government transparency and curtailing the proliferation of nuclear and conventional weapons.

  • Thompson repeated misleading claims about Obama's tax program, saying it would bring "one of the largest tax increases in American history." But as increases go, Obama's package is hardly a history-maker. It would raise taxes for families with incomes above $250,000. Most people would see a cut.

  • Lieberman also accused Obama of "voting to cut off funding for our American troops on the battlefield." But Obama's only vote against a war-funding bill came after Bush vetoed a version of the bill Obama had supported – and McCain urged the veto.
Analysis
We found a few factual issues in Tuesday night's big-name speeches at the convention in Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Obama on Your Side
Sen. Joe Lieberman, the former Democrat (now Independent) who supports McCain, accused Obama of not reaching out to the other side:
Lieberman: In the Senate, during the three-and-a-half years that Senator Obama has been a member, he has not reached across party lines to get accomplish anything significant. ...
Lieberman at conventionWe don't know what Lieberman considers "significant." But Obama has co-sponsored bills with members of the other party, some of which have been noteworthy. Obama and Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, for instance, teamed up on an initiative to lock down and secure both nuclear and conventional weapons worldwide, such as the shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles that have been proliferating in recent years. According to a report on the bill by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the legislation "enhances: (1) U.S. cooperation with foreign governments to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles around the world; and (2) the United States' ability to provide assistance to foreign governments aimed at helping them detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction." Lugar hasn't objected to Obama's characterization of their partnership or the bill, which became law in 2007, in his ads.

Another example: Obama worked with Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, to write the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which created a searchable database the public can use to look up details on federal grants and contracts. (McCain was also among the original co-sponsors of that bill, so Lieberman may have been tarring his own candidate when he disparaged Obama's legislative accomplishments). Obama and Coburn also got together on a bill to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from issuing open-ended, no-bid contracts for emergency response activities after abuses were found in post-Katrina contracting.

The Truth on Taxes (Again)

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who was in the race himself earlier this year, banged the now-familiar tax drum in his denunciation of Obama when he said, "You don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history."

Thompson at convention We've been here before (repeatedly), but we're happy to reiterate: What Obama is proposing is indeed a substantial tax increase for some, but not for most. Overall, Obama says he would raise income, capital gains and dividend taxes only for taxpayers with family income above $250,000 or singles making more than $200,000. He would also raise corporate taxes through selective “loophole closings.”

For most taxpayers rates would go down. The nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center has described his plan this way:
Tax Policy Center: The Obama plan would reduce taxes for low- and moderate-income families, but raise them significantly for high-bracket taxpayers. ... By 2012, middle-income taxpayers would see their after-tax income rise by about 5 percent, or nearly $2,200 annually. Those in the top 1 percent would face a $19,000 average tax increase — a 1.5 percent reduction in after-tax income.
It’s true that Obama’s tax proposals overall would raise federal revenues by $627 billion over 10 years. Is that “one of the largest tax increases in American history” as Thompson claimed? And would it be a drag on the economy as he says?

When it comes to assessing the effect that a tax change will have on the economy, the single most relevant figure is the size of the increase or cut in relation to the size of the overall economy. And by that yardstick, Obama’s increase is hardly a history-maker. The largest was the 1942 increase enacted as the U.S. plunged into World War II, and it amounted to 5.2 percent of the entire economy in its first year.

President Bill Clinton's 1993 tax increase, which Republicans regularly and misleadingly call the largest in history, was actually about one-tenth as large, amounting to 0.5 percent of the economy over its first two years. The TPC calculates that Obama’s overall tax increase, as described by his aides and on his Web site, would be roughly 0.1 percent in its first year, and 0.3 percent on average over 10 years, compared with what people are paying now.

And how would that affect the economy? Not much. The TPC says, “Neither candidate’s plan would significantly increase economic growth unless offset by spending cuts or tax increases that the campaigns have not specified.” The tax plans of both Obama and McCain would leave the federal government wallowing in huge deficits for years to come, and compared with the economic drag created by deficit spending, the effects of either man’s tax plan is negligible.

Troop Funding Foul Play

Lieberman also said that "colleagues like Barack Obama were voting to cut off funding for our American troops on the battlefield." That's a highly misleading claim that McCain also touted in an ad this summer. Obama has voted in favor of war-funding bills at least 10 times since becoming a senator. The McCain camp and Republicans cite one vote Obama cast against a funding bill as justification for their claim – but that vote came after President Bush had vetoed a version of the bill that included a date for withdrawal from Iraq.

In fact, most Republicans voted against that 2007 war-funding bill Obama and the Democrats supported. McCain was absent for the vote, but he urged the president to veto the bill. As we said about this subject previously, "Based on those facts, it would be literally true to say that ‘McCain urged a veto of funding for our troops.’ But that would be oversimplified to the point of being seriously misleading." And the same goes for Lieberman’s claim at the convention.


— by Viveca Novak, Brooks Jackson and Lori Robertson
Sources
Victor, Kirk. "The Lugar Connection." National Journal, 2 Aug. 2008.

Tempalski, Jerry. “Revenue Effects of Major Tax Bills.” Office of Tax Analysis, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Sept. 2006.

Williams, Roberton and Gleckman, Howard. “An Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans.” Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, 15 Aug 2008.


Office of U.S. Sen. John McCain. "McCain urges president to veto legislation requiring withdrawal deadline for U.S. troops." news release, 26 April 2007.

Office of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. “Obama Votes to Demand Changed Course in Iraq.” news release, 24 May 2007.

Office of U.S. Sen. John McCain. “Senator McCain Statement on Presidential Veto of Iraq Spending Legislation.” news release, 1 May 2007.
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Night Three Lies Of The GOP Convention

The night three lies at the GOP convention, Brought to you by Factcheck.org...



GOP Convention Spin, Part II

Palin trips up on her facts, and Giuliani and Huckabee have their own stumbles on Night 3 of the Republican confab.

Summary

Sarah Palin’s much-awaited speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night may have shown she could play the role of attack dog, but it also showed her to be short on facts when it came to touting her own record and going after Obama’s.

We found Rudy Giuliani, who introduced her, to be as factually challenged as he sometimes was back when he was in the race. But Mike Huckabee may have laid the biggest egg of all.
  • Palin may have said “Thanks, but no thanks” on the Bridge to Nowhere, though not until Congress had pretty much killed it already. But that was a sharp turnaround from the position she took during her gubernatorial campaign, and the town where she was mayor received lots of earmarks during her tenure.
  • Palin’s accusation that Obama hasn’t authored “a single major law or even a reform” in the U.S. Senate or the Illinois Senate is simply not a fair assessment. Obama has helped push through major ethics reforms in both bodies, for example.
  • The Alaska governor avoided some of McCain’s false claims about Obama’s tax program – but her attacks still failed to give the whole story.
  • Giuliani distorted the time line and substance of Obama’s statements about the conflict between Russia and Georgia. In fact, there was much less difference between his statements and those of McCain than Giuliani would have had us believe.
  • Giuliani also said McCain had been a fighter pilot. Actually, McCain’s plane was the A-4 Skyhawk, a small bomber. It was the only plane he trained in or flew in combat, according to McCain’s own memoir.
  • Finally, Huckabee told conventioneers and TV viewers that Palin got more votes when she ran for mayor of Wasilla than Biden did running for president. Not even close. The tally: Biden, 79,754, despite withdrawing from the race after the Iowa caucuses. Palin, 909 in her 1999 race, 651 in 1996.
Analysis

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was a hit with the party faithful at the GOP convention, but some of her claims were amiss. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also delivered a few faulty remarks.

A Bridge Too Far

Palin claimed to have stood up to Congress on the subject of the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere,” the Gravina Island bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska, about which we wrote last November.

Palin: I told the Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks," on that bridge to nowhere.

This is not the first time Palin has cited her choice to kill the bridge in 2007 as an example of her anti-waste stance. It’s true that she did eventually nix the project. But the bridge was nearly dead already – Congress had removed the earmark, giving the requested money to the state but not marking it for any specific use. Palin unplugged its life support, declaring in 2007 that the funds would not be used for the Gravina bridge.

When she was running for governor, however, Palin expressed a different position. In 2006, the Ketchikan Daily News quoted her expressing optimism and support for the bridge at a Ketchikan campaign stop.

Palin, 2006: "People across the nation struggle with the idea of building a bridge because they’ve been under these misperceptions about the bridge and the purpose,” said Palin, who described the link as the Ketchikan area’s potential for expansion and growth. … Palin said Alaska’s congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge as part of a package deal and that she “would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge.”

Palin also answered "yes" to an Anchorage Daily News poll question about whether she would continue to support state funding for the Gravina Island bridge if elected governor. "The window is now," she wrote, "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." It was only after she won the governorship that Palin shifted her position. And even then, it’s inaccurate to say that she “told the Congress ‘thanks, but no thanks.’” Palin accepted non-earmarked money from Congress that could have been used for the bridge if she so desired. That she opted to use it for other state transportation purposes doesn’t qualify as standing up to Congress.

The bridge reversal is not the only matter throwing doubt on Palin’s credentials as a government waste reformer. Watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense has reported that the small town of Wasilla, Alaska, which had not previously received significant federal funds, hauled in almost $27 million in earmarks while Palin was mayor. (McCain has explicitly criticized several of the Wasilla earmarks in recent years.) To help obtain these earmarks, Palin had hired Steven Silver, the former chief of staff for recently indicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, as Wasilla’s lobbyist.

And Palin continued to solicit federal funds as governor. A request form on Stevens’ Web site shows that she requested $160.5 million in earmarks for the state in 2008, and almost $198 million for 2009.

Tough Grader

Palin disparaged Obama’s legislative record, both in Illinois and in Washington:

Palin: But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or even a reform, not even in the state Senate.

Of course, we can’t say what Palin considers “major.” But if Palin’s own ethics reforms in Alaska were important enough to highlight in her convention address, then it’s only fair to credit Obama’s efforts on that topic. In 1998 in the Illinois Senate, Obama cosponsored an ethics overhaul that bars elected officials from using their campaign funds for personal use and and was called the the first major overhaul of Illinois campaign and ethics laws in 25 years. It also bans fundraisers in the state Capitol during legislative sessions. Obama’s Republican cosponsor Kirk Dillard even appeared in an Obama ad last summer describing Obama’s skills working with members of both parties to get legislation passed.

In Washington, Obama was instrumental in helping to craft the 2007 ethics reform law that ended gifts and meals from lobbyists, cut off subsidized jet travel for members of Congress, required lobbyists to disclose contributions they “bundle” to candidates, and put the brakes on other, similar common practices.

In addition, we already noted in a recent article Obama’s efforts with Republican senators to help detect and secure weapons of mass destruction and to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles around the world, and to create a publicly searchable database on federal spending.

Overburdened?

One area where we note improvement is the way Palin attacked Obama's tax proposals – as a burden "on the American economy" rather than, as McCain has been falsely claiming, a direct tax increase on middle-income workers:

Palin: And let me be specific: The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, and raise payroll taxes, and raise investment income taxes, and raise the death tax, and raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. ... How are you – how are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy?

Her tax remarks still cry out for context. Obama proposes to cut taxes for most individuals (81.3 percent of all households would get a tax cut), while raising them only for a relative few at the top, which she did not mention. But she avoided the false claims that McCain continues to make, most recently in a TV ad that wrongly accuses Obama of planning "painful tax increases on working American families." Instead, Palin spoke of the effect of an overall tax increase on jobs and the economy.

It's quite true that Obama's plan would increase taxes overall, by a total of $627 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Economists may debate how large or small an effect such an increase would have on jobs and businesses; it's certainly a topic open for discussion in a political campaign.

Riffing Wrongly

In attacking Obama, Palin reeled off a few statements that had a nice cadence, but were light on facts.

Palin: America needs more energy; our opponent is against producing it. Victory in Iraq is finally in sight, and he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay; he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America, and he's worried that someone won't read them their rights.

We have factual problems with three of these statements.

  • Obama's not against producing more energy. In fact, he's not even against drilling for oil any more, within limits. He has a $150 billion clean energy program and says that he wants to develop clean coal technology, advance the next generation of biofuels, prioritize construction of the Alaska gas pipeline (surely a measure Palin agrees with) and take a host of other steps to both conserve energy and produce it, in various forms.

  • If Obama's comments about meeting with "terrorist states" are worthy of ridicule, then perhaps so are those of the Bush administration and other Republicans. Obama made his first statement on this in an answer to a video question at a Democratic debate last year, when he said "I would" when asked whether he'd meet "separately, without precondition" in his first year with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. Reagan, JFK and other presidents had spoken to the Soviet Union regularly, he noted.
In a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in June, Obama elaborated, saying that he would take an aggressive diplomatic approach – carefully preparing for such meetings, setting a clear agenda, coordinating with U.S. allies, and not conducting the meetings at all unless they were clearly in the U.S. interest. He also stressed he would "do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

In recent months, the Bush Administration has been more open to beginning a dialogue with the same nations that it once referred to as the “axis of evil.” In July, the president sent a high-level official to Geneva to sit in on nuclear talks with Iran and authorized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak with North Korean diplomats about ending that country’s nuclear weapons program. Reports in the Washington Post and the New York Times noted the stark contrast between the administration’s current position about meeting with “foes” and its attitude several years ago.

Further, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in May that we should "sit down and talk" with Iran. So did former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in March. As did Sen. Dick Lugar, then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as far back as 2006.

  • Obama isn't worried, as Palin said, "that someone won't read them their rights" when it comes to suspected terrorists who are detained by the U.S. He does, however, support the right of detainees to challenge their imprisonment in federal court. That's the same position the Supreme Court took in June in a case called Boumediene v. Bush.

Cookin' with Gas

Palin talked about standing up to oil companies and oil lobbyists, citing her work on getting a gas pipeline built in Alaska:

Palin: I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

Actually, construction hasn’t begun on the pipeline, and the project isn't quite a done deal. Palin signed legislation just last week that authorizes the state to give a license in 90 days to TransCanada to start developing the project. The state also can provide $500 million as seed money. She gets credit for moving the pipeline closer to realization after many years of talks. Palin pushed for legislation that would allow a private company to build the 1,715-mile natural gas pipeline, instead of oil companies, which she said were moving too slowly on the issue.

In an Aug. 27 press release, Palin indicated that there was still work to be done before the project would become a reality:

Palin, press release, Aug. 27: After dreaming of a natural gas pipeline for more than 30 years, Alaskans have now created the framework for the project to advance. This legislation brings us closer than we’ve ever been to building a gas pipeline and finally accessing our gas that has been languishing for so many decades on the North Slope.

Washington Post energy correspondent Steven Mufson wrote that the major oil companies have opposed the pipeline project, saying it wasn’t economically feasible. Yet, ConocoPhillips and BP have proposed their own gas pipeline that would compete with the state-backed project. TransCanada estimates it will take 10 years to finish the pipeline, according to its application to the state, and it will cost about $26.5 billion – not $40 billion as Palin said.

As for Palin having “stood up to ... the Big Oil companies,” as she said in her speech, she has on this issue, not on others. Oil is, after all, incredibly important to Alaska’s economy. About 80 percent of the state budget comes from oil and gas taxes and royalties. Palin is in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore areas, a position she shares with oil companies.

Georgia on Their Minds

Before Palin took the stage, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the evening's keynote speaker, gave a factually challenged account of how Obama and McCain had responded to the Georgia-Russia conflict.

First, he said that “within hours” McCain had “established a very strong, informed position that let the world know exactly how he’ll respond as president. At exactly the right time, John McCain said, ‘We’re all Georgians.’ ” McCain did release a strongly worded statement on the conflict on Aug. 8, the day reports of violence first surfaced, but he didn’t say, “We’re all Georgians” until four days later.

Giuliani went on to criticize Obama, saying his “first instinct was to create a moral equivalency — that ‘both sides’ should ‘show restraint.’ ” It’s true Obama’s initial statement said, “Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war,” and McCain called on Russia to “unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory.” It’s worth noting, however, that Obama’s words echoed those of White House press secretary Dana Perino, who said on Aug. 8, “we urge restraint on all sides – that violence would be curtailed and that direct dialogue could ensue in order to help resolve their differences.” Early reports also said Georgia may have triggered the outbreak of fighting. We’ll leave it to readers to judge which candidate took the right tack.

Giuliani then said Obama “changed his position and suggested that the U.N. Security Council could find a solution. Apparently, none of his 300 advisers told him that Russia has a veto on any U.N. action.” But Obama’s very first statement called for U.N. Security Council action – and so did McCain’s.
Obama, Aug. 8: …the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
McCain, Aug. 8: The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course.
Apparently, McCain doesn’t share Giuliani’s concern for Russia’s veto power either. In fact, in his third statement on Aug. 11, McCain said: "The United States and our allies should continue efforts to bring a resolution before the UN Security Council condemning Russian aggression. … We should move ahead with the resolution despite Russian veto threats, and submit Russia to the court of world public opinion.”

Giuliani wrapped up his account by saying, “Finally Obama put out a statement that looked ... well, it looked a lot like John McCain's.” It’s true that Obama’s statements became more forceful – as did McCain's – but Obama was calling for Russia to “stop its bombing campaign” and “withdraw its ground forces from Georgia” in his second statement, as well as his third.

Naked Gun

Giuliani also bungled a reference to McCain's Navy record:

Giuliani: And being a "Top Gun" kind of guy, he became a fighter pilot.

Actually, McCain wasn't a fighter pilot at all, much less "top gun" among that very specialized group. McCain was a bomber pilot, and he himself makes this clear on page 173 of his book "Faith of my Fathers": "I trained exclusively in the A-4 Skyhawk, the small bomber that I would soon fly in combat missions." The aircraft is formally called a "Light Attack Bomber" by Boeing, successor to McDonnell-Douglas, the company that made it. It's true that a few A-4s were flown by the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Miramar, California – but they played the role of "bogies," which the fighter pilots in training were supposed to intercept and shoot down.

Giuliani might be forgiven for his mistake, as he never served in the military himself.

Too Good to Check?

The biggest whopper of the night may have come from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who charged that Palin “got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States.” It may sound like a great line, but it’s not true – not even close. Palin garnered 651 votes in 1996 and 909 votes in 1999 in her two races for mayor of Wasilla, according to the city. Biden, despite withdrawing from the race after the Iowa caucus, got 79,754 votes in the Democratic primaries.

– by Viveca Novak, with Brooks Jackson, Jess Henig, Lori Robertson and D'Angelo Gore

Sources
Bowlen, Scott. "Palin: It's about service to people." Ketchikan Daily News. 9 Aug. 2006.

Anchorage Daily News. "Where they stand; Running for Governor 2006." 22 Oct. 2006.

Taxpayers for Common Sense. "Wasilla, Alaska Benefited from Nearly $27 Million in Earmarks from 1996 to 2002." 2 Sep. 2008.

Hamburger, Tom, Richard Simon and Janet Hook. "McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin." The Los Angeles Times. 3 Sep. 2008.

Hamburger, Tom. "Palin relied on earmark system she now opposes." The Los Angeles Times. 1 Sep. 2008.

Long, Ray and Christi Parsons, “Campaign Finance Reform not Without Its Loopholes; Edgar calls Ethics Legislation ‘Significant Step’”. Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 1998.

Cooper, Helen. “A New Openness to Talks With That ‘Axis of Evil’.” The New York Times, 22 July 2008

Eggen, Dan. “U.S. Talks With Iran Exemplify Bush's New Approaches.” The Washington Post, 20 July 2008

Sciolino, Elaine and Steven Lee Myers. “Policy Shift Seen in U.S. Decision on Iran Talks.” The New York Times, 17 July 2008

Obama, Barack. “Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: AIPAC Policy Conference.” Barackobama.com, 4 June 2008, accessed 4 Sept. 2008

The New York Times. “Transcript: Fourth Democratic Debate,” 4 June 2007

Yen, Hope. "Two Senators Say U.S. Should Pursue Nuclear Talks with Tehran." Associated Press, 17 April 2006.

Bender, Michael. "Obama Would Consider Off-Shore Drilling as Part of Comprehensive Energy Plan," Palm Beach Post, 1 Aug. 2008.

DeYoung, Karen. "Gates: U.S. Should Engage Iran With Incentives, Pressure," The Washington Post." 15 May 2008.

Hall, Camilla and Mike Schneider. "Kissinger Backs Direct U.S. Negotiations With Iran." Bloomberg.com. 14 March 2008.

McCain, John and Salter, Mark, "Faith of my Fathers," Random House 1999; 173.

Williams, Roberton and Gleckman, Howard. “An Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans." Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, 15 Aug 2008.

Boeing Corp. "A4D/A-4 Skyhawk Light Attack Bomber," Web page giving description and brief history of A-4 Skyhawk, accessed 4 Sep 2008.

The Skyhawk Association, "Navy Fighter Weapons School, 'TOP GUN'" Web page accessed 4 Sep 2008.

Application for License, Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. Project Cost Estimate. TransCanada, 30 Nov. 2007.

Palin Signs AGIA License Bill,” press release. State of Alaska Governor’s Office, 27 Aug. 2008.

Ordonez, Isabel and Cassandra Sweet. “Conoco Proceeds With Alaska Gas Pipeline; Wants Exxon To Join.” Dow Jones Newswires, 8 Aug. 2008.

Mufson, Steve. “Sarah Palin and Big Oil.” Energy Wire, PostGlobal, washingtonpost.com, 30 Aug. 2008.

Sutton, Anne. “Alaska gov. backs license for natural gas pipeline.” The Associated Press, 23 May 2008.

1996 Election Results. City of Wasilla, Alaska. Cityofwasilla.com, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.

1999 Election Results. City of Wasilla, Alaska. Cityofwasilla.com, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.

2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses and Conventions. Democratic Convention. The Green Papers, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.

Vock, Daniel C. "Obama's record in the Illinois Senate." Stateline.org, 25 Aug 2008.

Vock, Daniel C. "Obama; He puts ethics on the agenda." Illinois Issues Online, Feb 2007.
Related Articles

Obama On O'Reilly

A message from Brave New Films...



Watch the video


Dear Guy,

Did you see Barack Obama go on The O'Reilly Factor last night-right into the belly of the beast? While we didn't want Obama to appear on FOX initially, he wisely chose the same night John McCain delivered his RNC speech (the same night FOX received some of its highest ratings) to make an appearance. Talk about stealing the GOP's thunder!

Obama was no doubt trying to appeal to conservative voters, since 88% of FOX viewers voted Republican in 2004. But FOX won't let their conservative base go without a fight. That's why O'Reilly needled and interrupted Obama, trying to get him to simplify many of his answers-a far cry from the softballs O'Reilly lobbed at many prominent Republicans like Rudy Giuliani in the past. And that's why FOX has been attacking Obama with the same relentless smear tactics that they used against John Kerry four years ago. Watch them use the exact same attacks.

Watch the video and spread it to everyone you know.

Don't let FOX repeat its history of distortions. Send this video to everyone you know! And get a copy to networking sites like Digg as soon as possible. Make sure everyone knows that FOX is always willing to distort, slander, and smear-whatever it takes to advance their conservative agenda.

And for more on how damaging FOX and the corporate media have been, tune into Meet the Bloggers today at 1pm ET/10am PT. Our guest host, punk rock icon Henry Rollins, will be joined by bloggers Jonathan Kim (FOX Attacks!), Liliana Segura (AlterNet.org) and Paul Waldman (Media Matters) to discuss the media's overt bias.

Yours,
Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New team

---
Brave New Films is supported by members like you, please consider making a donation. You can get our latest videos on email, iTunes, RSS, Facebook, and YouTube here. To stop receiving the latest videos from us, click here. We are located at 10510 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

John McCain Is Speaking At The RNC

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Oh god I just threw up in my mouth. Please stop all the fowl noise that is coming out of this mans mouth.

Oh no I threw up in my mouth again. I wish he would stop talking.

If people like Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, George Bush, John Boehner, And most other Republicans think John McCain is the best choice for President, How is that change from what is happening now. Not to mention any man that these men want to be President, Is not a man I want to be President.

The Republicans proved one thing with their convention...

They are divisive, and their politics is based on fear and control. They only seek to divide the Country, and their Speeches were proof positive of that. What VP candidate trashes community organizers as do nothings? Regardless if your opponent was one before. She was not the only one to make that comment either. Republicans plan to win on attacking and flashy words like Hockey Mom, who is no different than any other mom.

That convention and those ideas and speeches were an atrocity. I also noticed they couldnt even fill up the small center they rented either...

Watch Michael Moore's New Video SlackerUprising : For Free

Dear Guy,

No one can make a documentary with as much political savvy, humor, and creativity as Michael Moore. And no one is as willing to tackle our elected officials with the same tenacity. After unleashing Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and SiCKO in recent years, Moore has set his sights on the Bush administration and our nation's voter turnout in his latest film, Slacker Uprising, which chronicles his 62-city swing state tour of college campuses just prior to the 2004 election.

Here's the best part. To maximize the reach of his message and as a thank you gift to his fans, Moore is adopting a novel approach to distributing this film. He's teaming up with Brave New Films to distribute the movie online, completely free of charge. Sign up now on http://slackeruprising.com and you will be notified when the film is available for free download on September 23.

You can also buy the DVD for $9.95, which will start shipping on September 23 and features extras like: Special Guest Joan Baez - America the Beautiful, Why People Like George Bush?, My Pet Goat, The O'Reilly Factor for Kids, Just Add Water and Heat - More Ramen and Clean Underwear, and more. Or should I say, Moore!

We share Moore's hope that this film will get people to vote in this election, just as Moore's 2004 tour sparked greater turnout. So go to http://slackeruprising.com now, spread the trailer around to your friends, and get inspired.

Yours,
Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New team

P.S. And for even more Moore, check out his recent back-to-back appearances on Meet the Bloggers. Then, tune into the show tomorrow at 1pm ET/10am PT. Our guest host, punk rock icon Henry Rollins, will be joined by bloggers Jonathan Kim (FOX Attacks!), Liliana Segura (AlterNet.org) and Paul Waldman (Media Matters). They'll discuss how the corporate media has favored the McCain campaign throughout this election, a bias that has only become more pronounced during the Republican National Convention.

Check out some of the material below and learn about the extent of the media's bias. Then, go to Meet the Bloggers at 1pm ET/10am PT to join the conversation.

---
Brave New Films is supported by members like you, please consider making a donation. You can get our latest videos on email, iTunes, RSS, Facebook, and YouTube here. To stop receiving the latest videos from us, click here. We are located at 10510 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

A Message From Obama Regarding The RNC Wednesday Night

guy --

Why would the Republicans spend a whole night of their convention attacking ordinary people?

With the nation watching, the Republicans mocked, dismissed, and actually laughed out loud at Americans who engage in community service and organizing.

Our convention was different. We gave the stage to everyday Americans who hunger for change and stepped up to make phone calls, knock on doors, and raise money in small amounts in their communities.

You may have missed it, but we also showed the country a video with the faces and voices of those organizers, volunteers, and donors from every corner of the country.

Watch the video and make a donation of $5 or more now to show that in this election, ordinary people will make their voices heard.



What you didn't hear from the Republicans at their convention is a single new idea about how to make the healthcare system work, get our economy moving for the middle class, or improve education.

Just attacks -- on me, and on you.

But what the McCain attack squad doesn't understand is that people like you -- who devote part of their busy lives to organizing and building their communities -- have the power to change this country.

With your help, that's exactly what we're going to do.

Thank you,

Barack

Donate


-----Original Message-----
From: David Plouffe
Subject: What you just saw

guy --

I wasn't planning on sending you something tonight. But if you saw what I saw from the Republican convention, you know that it demands a response.

I saw John McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked you for being a part of this campaign.

But worst of all -- and this deserves to be noted -- they insulted the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political process.

You know that despite what John McCain and his attack squad say, everyday people have the power to build something extraordinary when we come together. Make a donation of $5 or more right now to remind them?

Both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack's experience as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago more than two decades ago, where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed.

Let's clarify something for them right now.

Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.

And it's no surprise that, after eight years of George Bush, millions of people have found that by coming together in their local communities they can change the course of history. That promise is what our campaign has been about from the beginning.

Throughout our history, ordinary people have made good on America's promise by organizing for change from the bottom up. Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. And it's happening today in church basements and community centers and living rooms across America.

Meanwhile, we still haven't gotten a single idea during the entire Republican convention about the economy and how to lift a middle class so harmed by the Bush-McCain policies.

It's now clear that John McCain's campaign has decided that desperate lies and personal attacks -- on Barack Obama and on you -- are the only way they can earn a third term for the Bush policies that McCain has supported more than 90 percent of the time.

But you can send a crystal clear message.

Enough is enough. Make your voice heard loud and clear by making a $5 donation right now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/changevideo

Thank you for joining more than 2 million ordinary Americans who refuse to be silenced.

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Sarah Palin Lied last Night...

Not only is Sarah Palin just like George Bush but she also kind of reminds me of Catherine Harris of Florida...

See How Gov. Sarah Palin Bent the Facts

In a rousing speech at last night's Republican National Convention, vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, touted her record, attacked the opposition, and in some cases bent the facts.

PALIN: "[Obama] is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word 'victory' except when he's talking about his own campaign."

FACT: On July 15, in a speech in Washington, D.C., Obama twice used the word "victory" in reference to Iraq. "In fact," he said, "true success in Iraq -- victory in Iraq -- will not take place in a surrender ceremony where an enemy lays down their arms. . . I want Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future, and to reach the political accommodation... necessary for long-term stability. That's victory. That's success. That's what's best for Iraq, that's what's best for America, and that's why I will end this war as President. A week later in Berlin, Germany on July 23, Obama used the word "victory" three times to describe Allied successes during World War II. And in a June speech about the prospect of universal healthcare, he said Sen. Hillary Clinton "will be central to that victory."

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the state senate."

FACT: The meaning of "major" is open to debate, but Obama worked with... Republicans, including Sen. Richard Luger of Indiana, to pass legislation that would expand efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. While a state senator in Illinois, he sponsored two contentious bills, one that studied racial profiling by police and another that ordered interrogations in potential death penalty cases to be recorded.

PALIN: "I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence. That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step...farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart."

FACT: That infrastructure project has not yet been approved by Federal regulators. The proposed pipeline would ship natural gas from the Alaska's North Slope to homes and businesses across the U.S. In June, the Alaskan legislature, with Palin's prodding, agreed to pay Canadian energy company TransCanada $500 million as an incentive to build the pipeline.


PALIN: "And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes. I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks, but no thanks,' for that Bridge to Nowhere."...

FACT: While serving as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin hired Steven Silver, a former chief of staff for Sen. Ted Stevens, to lobby Congress for earmarks. Wasilla received around $27 million in federal money, about as much as Boise, Idaho. Boise has a population of 200,000 people, compared to Wasilla's 10,000. Earmarked funds went to sewage improvements and improving roads connecting the town to a local ski resort. As for the "Bridge to Nowhere," Palin initially supported using federal funds to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina Island, which has 50 residents and a small airport. It was not until the plan was ridiculed that she withdrew her support. Critics contend she still supports using federal money to build a 3.4...mile "road to nowhere" on the island for $26 million -- from the funds for the bridge.


PALIN: While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay. I also drive myself to work.


FACT: Soon after entering office, Palin put the state-owned Westwind II jet that her predecessor Frank Murkowski's purchased amid much criticism. When the deal fell through with the sole eBay bidder, the plane was sold offline. Alaskan businessman Larry Reynolds paid $2.1 for the jet after learning about it from Republican John L. Harris, speaker of the Alaskan House of Representatives. Palin drives herself to work. In July, her Chevy...Suburban was rear-ended while driving from Wasilla to her office in downtown Anchorage. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How John McCain & Sarah Palin Will Take Away Your Freedoms

Great article, by a woman I might add, about how John McCain and Sarah Plain will make the government bigger than it was during Bush's years. How they will take away your freedoms and have more control of your life. This is serious and I hope people are paying attention to what a John McCain presidency would mean to all of us...


Commentary: Sarah Palin, right and wrong

UPDATED: 12:26 PM EDT September 04, 2008

(CNN)
Warning! This pundit isn't feeling the same way as many of my colleagues about Sarah Palin. She is being attacked for her lack of experience for the job and for whether she should be putting her family first instead of her career.

This just isn't that unusual in my book. And the more it goes on, the more uncomfortable I feel with that message.

Let's reflect. In her acceptance speech, we saw a woman who was compelling, charming and aggressively partisan. She succeeded in demonstrating that she is a regular mom who came to government to make a difference.

And she had that crowd in the convention hall eating out of her hands. Celebrity? It will be hard for the Republicans to attack Sen. Barack Obama for his celebrity now that they have one of their own.

A superstar of the radical right was made Wednesday night. And she may also have made some headway with those who buy her folksiness without knowing the extreme nature of her actual policy views. Read the transcript of Palin's speech

So where does this leave us as Democrats in making the case against Sarah Palin and her running mate for president? What is the choice now for the American people? There is a really strong case to be made against the McCain/Palin ticket and Democrats need to make it the right way, right away.

I am a woman who someone took a chance on several years ago when they gave me a job that had only previously been done by old white guys. Experience? How do you get any if no one takes a chance on you? And the decision to take a chance can be instinctive, as John McCain said.

And what about the argument that she is a negligent mother who will be distracted from her important role? I am a mother who constantly feels the pressure from others about whether I am fit to be a parent, whether I put my kids first often enough and whether my children get enough of my attention. Who has the right to judge my family?

My grandmother always said, "You can't tell time on someone else's clock." Judgments about people's personal lives are better left unsaid and unrealized.

So why then do I think that Sarah Palin would be a terrible vice president? Because I also think that John McCain would be a terrible president.

I don't care about how Sarah Palin or John McCain take care of their families. I care about how their policy choices affect my family and millions of other Americans.

McCain and Palin get their health insurance paid for by the government (hers in Alaska and his in Washington). Yet they oppose giving the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans the same access to affordable health care.

John McCain's kids don't have to worry about paying for college. Yet he has opposed every single education support program to help others.

McCain and Palin say they will stand up to oil companies. Yet the only energy policy they support gives millions of dollars in tax breaks to oil companies to do more drilling and he has opposed every piece of federal legislation to explore alternative fuel sources.

McCain and Palin say they will revamp how Washington does business. Yet his campaign is filled with lobbyists and she has cooperated with Sen. Ted Stevens in funneling federal money for useless projects in Alaska for years. And McCain and Palin have no solutions for Americans worrying about their jobs in a fragile economy.

McCain and Palin want us to leave their families alone. Yet they want to make rules for our families by eliminating our right to make our own choices over abortion, eliminate our access to family planning education or domestic partner benefits, and our freedom from discrimination.

They want to control what our kids learn in school about sex and about science. In short, through the policies they promote and the judges they support, they want the government to have more control over our private lives than at any time in history.

McCain and Palin now say their campaign is about change, too. Yet the only real change they have proposed is a change from a suit to a skirt in the vice president's office and one man fighting a misplaced war for another in the Oval Office.

That seems to me to be the right reason to oppose them in November. It's not the process or the people, it's what they represent. This unconventional choice of a vice presidential nominee by John McCain won't result in a win in November, because McCain and Palin are the wrong choice for the country.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.