Dustup over Palin-Biden debate actually has silver linings

(St. Louis, Mo.)—The Vice-Presidential debate at Washington University on Thursday will be unusual not only because there’s a female at the podium. There’s another female in the moderator’s chair, and eyes will be trained on her behavior as well. Moderator Gwen Ifill’s book ‘The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama’ is scheduled for release on Inauguration Day. Naturally, there’s a 3-way kerfuffle going on among media, conservatives and Ifill. Ifill who works for PBS thinks what some perceive as a conflict of interest is no big deal. She says she hasn’t even written the chapter on Obama yet. There is however a lot to be said for disclosure.

Click to read more ...

Why Palin and Biden should think about using term 'middle class' in debate

How would each of these pedestrians on a New York street describe themselves?Gov. Sarah Palin should think twice about using the term ‘middle class’ in her vice-presidential debate with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday, even though Sen. Barack Obama criticized Sen. John McCain for not referring to the middle class during the first presidential debate. McCain used the term ‘Main Street’ to refer to the populace.

Obama’s newest media narrative is his ability on the economy. But Gerald Prante, writing for the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, says ‘middle class’ is a term economists “[r]arely use.” Instead, they use the term ‘middle income’ and that’s still a little wiggly because that can either mean the 20 percent of households with income in the middle or sometimes, the 60 percent who are in the middle. Sounds confusing, but Prante gives a good explanation. Who, exactly, is the middle class?

Click to read more ...

State grant gone wrong pales in comparison to Obama’s federal earmarks

The State of Illinois is investigating the use of a $100,000 grant awarded in 2001 by Sen. Barack Obama who was serving in the Illinois legislature at the time.The Chicago Sun-Times said, “A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports, about whether the money might have been misspent.” The garden didn’t happen. The paper also says $65,000 of the grant money went to the wife of the Obama 2000 congressional campaign volunteer who heads the Chicago Better Housing Association. That grant pales in comparison to federal earmarks requests by Obama.

Click to read more ...

Biden says paying more taxes is ‘patriotic’, but he missed a basic budget tool

I’ve heard some strange remarks come out of Joe Biden’s mouth, like when he told the guy in the wheelchair to stand up and be recognized at an event. But Biden’s latest verbal wonder claims that paying taxes is the patriotic thing for wealthy Americans to do. Democratic strategist Bill Burton put it another way yesterday during a TV interview—“We’re making the right folks pay.” Here’s the problem, guys. You claim those who make $250,000 a year are wealthy. I don’t make that much, but I’m here to tell you if I did I surely wouldn’t consider myself wealthy. Comfortable, but not wealthy. What Biden and his tax-loving Democratic brethren are missing is a basic office tool.

Click to read more ...

Blogger says Biden to step down, Clinton to step up

If true, this is a definite Obama Drama. Blogger Stephen Maloney says Sen. Barack Obama will add Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to the Democratic ticket as his vice-presidential running mate. Maloney posted this late on Friday and says he'll have more information up shortly. Maloney is a veteran speech writer and author; he says he broke the story when Sen. John McCain named Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

If Clinton comes on board, the election temperature just rose about 50 degrees. And the media opportunities just multiplied ad infinitum. So how does dropping Biden and adding Clinton mesh with DNC party rules? Your guess is as good as mine.

Update on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at 9:13PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

CNN ran a story about Obama's appearance today in Manchester, N. H. This state had the candidates neck to neck all summer. So why wouldn't you have your vice-presidential running mate at an event in a key state?

Source:

"Obama aide: McCain campaign..."
CNN
Sept. 13, 2008

Obama's running mate Sen. Joe Biden was supposed to attend the Manchester rally but did not.

Gibson quizzed Palin, but he did same with Obama in July

Thursday evening, many in the US tuned in to ABC News to see anchor Charlie Gibson interview Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This was her first big interview—many in media began attacking her almost as soon as Sen. John McCain made the announcement. What many may not remember is that Gibson also interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama about his own ideas on foreign policy.

While it’s a bit strange that similar interviews occurred with a vice presidential candidate and a presidential candidate, I suppose it can be forgiven because both Palin and Obama were not household names with American voters. Obama got taken to task for an errant comment about Jerusalem. McCain is very well-versed in foreign policy. Obama’s vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden serves on the Foreign Relations committee. At one point, Biden suggested breaking Iraq into sections to resolve disputes among religious groups, and he didn’t agree with the troop surge that proved successful. Watch the videos and you be the judge. Feel free to place your comments below regardless of your candidate preference. We welcome all views.

Hasselbeck says candidate's wife brought do-not-ask list

Circulating the Web: a film clip of Elizabeth Hasselbeck speaking at an RNC luncheon in honor of Cindy McCain.Hasselbeck, sole  conservative on the daytime celeb show 'The View,' said Cindy McCain came onto the show "fresh as can be," unlike another candidate's wife "who shall remain nameless," Mrs. McCain "didn't come with a list of topics we weren't allowed to touch."

In early September, Hasselbeck had her hands full defending the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCain's running mate. She had help from Sherri Shepherd. Barbara Walters facial muscles stretched like a rubber band as Hasselbeck praised Palin. Joy Behar, who's as close to being a conservative as Pluto is to Earth, expresses fears about McCain's cardiovascular system and offers her own suggestions about who McCain could have selected as his running mate.

Completely overlooked by all: implications of Sen. Joe Biden's history of aneurysms. Biden will turn 66 in November.