The Observation Deck

And could you post the link to the reference about wanting to ban books?

Bret, glad you asked. Actually I had posted an older version which said this, but a new article from Salon entitled, "What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick"A theocrat is a theocrat, whether Muslim or Christian. By Juan Cole addresses it as well and makes an interesting argument against extremists of any religion.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/09/09/palin_fundamentalist/

McCain pledged to work for peace based on "the transformative ideals on which we were founded." Tolerance and democracy require freedom of speech and the press, but while mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin inquired of the local librarian how to go about banning books that some of her constituents thought contained inappropriate language. She tried to fire the librarian for defying her. Book banning is common to fundamentalisms around the world, and the mind-set Palin displayed did not differ from that of the Hamas minister of education in the Palestinian government who banned a book of Palestinian folk tales for its sexually explicit language. In contrast, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it."

McCain once excoriated the Rev. Jerry Falwell and his ilk as "agents of intolerance." That he took such a position gave his opposition to similar intolerance in Islam credibility. In light of his more recent disgraceful kowtowing to the Christian right, McCain's animus against fundamentalist Muslims no longer looks consistent. It looks bigoted and invidious. You can't say you are waging a war on religious extremism if you are trying to put a religious extremist a heartbeat away from the presidency

As for the Vetting, Frank Rich, one of my favorite NY Times columnists writes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/opinion/07rich.html?hp[

[quote]The Times had it right. The McCain campaign’s claims of a “full vetting processâ€

Bret Callentine wrote:It's gotten so bad, that most Democrats have even stopped complaining about Bush.

[/quote]

Bret


We still have Congressman Kucinich working on that.

But why do you always have to grade Rs, on a curve?

Another great moment, tape of her talking about her belief of the Rapture, which will fit perfectly with change. After all GWB was trying to cause it, Palin at least thinks God will cause it soon! Massive change.

After all God built Alaska her road to no-where for $25 million. Oh wait that came from the barrel of pork of $225 million to pay for the bridge to no-where.

Change?

Hardly!


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LOL... Did any of you read the Anchorage Daily News article? Towards the bottom of the article, you will find that Palin requested the resignations not only of the librarian, but of several other township officials. Why? They were all political appointees who openly supported her political opponent. Palin requested their resignations days before she assumed office. This is very routine from Mayors to Governors to Presidents...

Stephen Eisel wrote:LOL... Did any of you read the Anchorage Daily News article? Towards the bottom of the article, you will find that Palin requested the resignations not only of the librarian, but of several other township officials. Why? They were all political appointees who openly supported her political opponent. Palin requested their resignations days before she assumed office. This is very routine from Mayors to Governors to Presidents...

Stephen

You have to understand why some of us are jumpy. We just saw the fundamentalist GWB to get rid of Federal judges.

But I guess that is what change is all about?


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Another great moment, tape of her talking about her belief of the Rapture, which will fit perfectly with change

was this before or after that house fell on her sister and some brat and her little dog stole her family's ruby slippers?

Why is it that Obama keeps preaching about "they're going to try to make you affraid of me..." yet, at least to me, it seems like the ones that are truly affriad are the Democrats. Republicans don't like Obama at all, I have no doubts about that, but I don't think I would call them affraid.

So Jim, are you suggesting that Palin could make a better argument for change if she would have kept all the political appointees from the previous administration? Even though she ran on a platform of getting rid of the statis quo?

Is that the kind of change we can expect from Obama, or is it only "change" when a republican is removed from power? (oh wait, Palin DID remove republicans from power)

In my opinion, the reason Dems are so nervous is because, unlike their own candidate, Palin can actually SHOW examples of things she has done.

Whether you like the kind of changes she has implimented or not is another question entirely, but I don't think you can adequately argue that she hasn't been an instrument of change.