Reads Frank Rich...

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Prairie pokes her head out.

Reads Frank Rich's Sunday column

Could She Reach the Top in 2012? You Betcha

Decides Rich stopped one step before the real top she can reach.

Pukes.

Goes back into hiding.

Impotent, Limp and Gutless

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No mother gives birth planning to hand her child over to her country, but I gave birth to a combat vet.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. You gave birth to a juvenile delinquent who had to join the military or go to jail. Just part of the dysfunction of the Palin family on parade. Which you are quick to use to your own self-aggrandizement.

Let's get the context real.

And whazzup with your obsession with penis references? Impotent? Limp?

Really?

Sarah likes to punch hot buttons. And word in the Vanity Fair October issue is, she likes to punch hot buttons offstage, too.

Some say Todd is henpecked, and others see him as the heavy. One person who has been a frequent houseguest of the Palins’ says that the couple began many mornings with screaming fights, a fusillade of curses: “ ‘Fuck you,’ ‘Fuck this,’ ‘You lazy piece of shit.’ ‘You’re fuckin’ lucky to have me,’ Sarah would always say.” (This person never saw Todd and Sarah sleep in the same bed, and recalls that Todd would often joke, “I don’t know how she ever gets pregnant.”) Whatever the nature of the relationship, Todd is now as much a part of Sarah as Hillary Clinton is of Bill. Whether they like it or not, the Palins, like the Clintons, are probably stuck with each other.

And tell people that she has the power to ruin them.

Palin’s former personal assistants all refused to comment on the record for this story, some citing a fear of reprisal. Others who have worked with Palin recall that, when she feels threatened, she does not hesitate to wield some version of a signature threat: “I have the power to ruin you.”

Ruin may start right within the Palin household itself. Where, according to VF, the mother-of-the-combat-vet isn't exactly candidate for parent of the year [tho heaven knows there's bound to be some rightwing group cynical political heavy out there priming that, as well]

There’s a general consensus in town that, at least since the start of the 2008 campaign, Todd has been shouldering the bulk of the parenting and that Sarah’s relationship with her children has grown more distant. The children did not, as Sarah has claimed, have a chance to weigh in on her decision to run for vice president. She did not even deliver the news to them personally; as has been reported, she asked McCain’s campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, to do it for her.

Sarah, your inner Evita is showing. And I bet you've tried out that impotent, limp and gutless line on the First Dude many a time.

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crossposted at firedoglake The Seminal

Productive Pelosi

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I'm with Gail Collins.

Give me one savvy productive Pelosi

over the whole swamp of puerile Palindom any day.
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Twaddle

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Tweedle dumb.

Tweedle dumber.
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The only chumps are those who still listen to...and vote for...these twits.
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Go, Tarryl.


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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Boehner-Cantor Tag Team

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The unabashed tag team of John Boehner and Eric Cantor have now spoken about the increasingly violent rhetoric and acts against Democrats who voted for healthcare reform, and Eric Cantor makes clear that it's red herring and blame-the-victim time. The false equivalencies are flying around, and political cowardice by the likes of John McCain excusing Sarah Palin's violence prompts are on full display.

It's a pretty wretched sight coming out of Washington these days. Will the media now further fuel the flames? Or will they referee the filibustering and blustering and fingerpointing and call them what they are?

Time will tell. But Mrs. McMahon will fit right in with this crowd if she wins in November.

Who knows, maybe she'd even call a tag team what it is....
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UPDATE: According to Eric Cantor, the Dems are flnning the flames of violence. Thus spake the arsonist.

Colbert Schools Palin...and Rumblerush

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Well we really don't have to add anything more than—ta, da— Stephen Colbert.
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Hope-y, Change-y. Nope-y.

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While the silla one from Wasilla struts her crib notes and canned memes, the real war is building between the Big Rs...and I don't mean Rahm....

The silla from Wasilla gets a reality check from Daily News columnist Mike Lupica. And even a mocking today from Scarborough on Morning Joe. Out Fey-ing Tina? Sounds like a challenge for an SNL reprise to me.

This Monday diss after her yoga-esque contortions, as Lupica calls 'em, to say no, Rush really isn't crossing the line in using the R word, along with the intelligence-dimming inquality of her Saturday night TeaBagger speech.

Hope-y, change-y, Sarah? Really? When you play toady to Rush's bully? Pocketing the pricey coin as you gull the rubes back into the Gooper base fold?

So why are the supposed intelligent political reporting class--Andrea, Savannah, Chuck Todd...say it ain't so, Schuster--treating this woman seriously? Where is their reality check? Media acting like credulous reporters making Murrow, Cronkite, Jennings proud?

Nope. Dope-y.

In the battle of the right wing heavyweights, Sarah's caught in the middle between Limbaugh and Ailes. Used to be I thought Roger and Rush were a tagteam, but of late I'm thinking self-interest prevails. While Roger's fillin' Sarah's coffers and grooming her as his pet propaganda pusher, Rush is makin' sure his own pockets stay overflowing.

So far, the king of feminazi racist healthist insult has not met his match.
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Crossposted at firedoglake's Seminal

Question "R" Rush

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Is Rush Limbaugh deliberately taunting Sarah Palin? Daring her to call him out as she did Rahm Emanuel for his intemperate F***R****?

Is the battle of the rightwing grifter heavyweights building up steam?

Or is Sarah about to take her lipstick and retreat, licked, back to Wasilla?
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crossposted at firedoglake's The Seminal

Sarah Reads God's Mind

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(Marking time this Monday morning waiting to hear whether Governor John Hoeven, the now-most-popular Governor in the US_—Thanks, Bakken Oil Patch!—will announce that he is going to stay at #1 or run for the Dorgan seat to become part of the minority party and take up permanent whining for a career change.)

Meanwhile:
Sarah Palin believed her running for vice president was "God's plan." So said a former top McCain campaign aide on Sunday night's 60 Minutes.

Just in case you missed it with all that football to choose among.

So let's see if I'm understanding this: God whispers in John McCain's ear to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Sarah Palin. Pitbull with lipstick outa Wasilla Alaska, the meth capitol of the sub-Arctic...but of course that's just a coincidence. With a family that fits right in the Octomom Heenie balloon boy Jon and Kate "reality" era.

And God did this because?

Well, I've got one thought. God realized the only way a black man could get elected president in the "modern" warmongering pistolpackin' rightwing era would be if the opposing side were so horrifically inappropriately not ready, not fit for office that Americans would rather even vote for a young, community organizin', big city African-American promising hope and change.

Betcha Sarah never thought of that one.
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Pullin' a Palin

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Amid all the media self-absorption about Sarah Palin's parting-from-the-governor's-office shots at them, there really is one key point that's not getting a lot of conversation:

What if every politician decided to Pull a Palin and quit when it got inconvenient for them to stay in office?

Would their explanations be as incoherent?

And would we talk about their children as if they hadn't shoved 'em "out there" as blatantly as Octomom North?

And will the other politicians step up to the plate and point out what a XGILF ditz she is?
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crossposted at firedoglake/The Seminal

Palin Doesn't "See" Anymore....

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Thank you, Eugene Robinson.

Put the "gone fishin'" sign on Sarah....
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"I'm the King. You're Nothing...."

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This is a pure, unabashed love letter to the geniuses at The Daily Show.

Last night, we saw firsthand more actual in-depth investigative journalism and news analysis through their comedy prism than the rest of the cable and network newsbots have given us for months.

Which brings me to Ralph Kramden. If you've never seen the Golden Age comedy genius of The Honeymooners, you've missed iconic television.

Ralph, the forever dreaming bus driver, was always brought back down to earth by his wife, Alice. There's a whole lotta Ralphs in the country these days, easily beguiled by schemes--like oh, say, trickle-down Reaganomics. One wishes a lot more of the Joe-the-Plumbers these days would have Alices in their lives.

Among the classic moments of the scarce 39 episodes was one where Ralph revs himself up and blusters at his wife, Alice:

I'm the king...you're nothing. The king. You're nothing....
He paces around their tiny flat, arms flailing. Building himself up more and more.

Alice watches him with long suffering patience.

Well, then, that would make you the king of nothing.

We see a whole lotta Ralphitude out of the Republicans these days. But unlike Gleason's character, this isn't a role for them. A few Alice types have emerged. Colin Powell among them.

Rumor is there are a bunch of other Republicans sharing Powell's views, but not willing to speak out. Shame on them.

McCain and his campaign are going out of their way to appeal to the Inner Ralph Kramden these days. Divisive, distorting, and attacking. Because what he has to offer is same ol' same ol'.

And when we can't count on the traditional news media to cut through the political spin with facts rather than endlessly playing over and over the same distorted attacks from McCain [yes, I am listening to McCain on CNN as I type, why do you ask...]....

Then we do, yes, turn to the comedians. Like Jon Stewart's smackdown of the Photeny Palin Truth Squadders Nancy Pfotenhauer, Sarah Palin, and Michele Bachmann.

And speaking of Sarah Palin... did you see Jason Jones' on the scene reporting from Wasilla? The interview with the current mayor of the community that provides no city services... No education services... No...

Well, see it for yourself. 'cause Sarah Palin... and John McCain... Now there's the king of nothing.
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(crossposted at Firedoglake's Oxdown Gazette)

America, this is your 3 a.m. wake-up call

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When John McCain said he saw his "soulmate" in Sarah Palin, was this what he had in mind?
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"We Don' Need No Steenkin' Debates...."

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Let's see if I've got this. Reckless and histrionic Meltdown McCain says he's suspending his campaign and rushing down to Washington...except not until tomorrow....and if there's not a solution to the bailout crisis he's not going to the debate at Ole Miss Friday night.

Oh, and why don't we just push back that debate to, oh, say, the night of the Veep debate scheduled for St. Louis, and we'll just reschedule that debate for.....

Flailin' Palin's latest deer-in-the-headlights moment with Katie Couric today is telling me, more and more...

Just as he said, McCain sure did find his soulmate in Sarah Palin.

McCain-Palin
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Not Ready on Day One
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Framing

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Sit! Wolfie Blitzer says: Sarah Palin's allies say troopergate investigation is partisan

Prairie says: Sarah Palin's partisan allies politicize unanimous, bipartisan investigation
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Women and Children Last in Palin Country

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The statistics are grim.

Alaska leads the nation in reported forcible rapes per capita, according to the FBI, with a rate two and a half times the national average -- a ranking it has held for many years. Children are no safer: Public safety experts believe that the prevalence of rape and sexual assault of minors in Alaska makes the state's record one of the worst in the U.S.

She didn't just do nothing, critics say. Sarah Palin proactively stalled the effort to tackle sexual violence in Alaska. Because she was more interested in settling a personal grudge, she abused the power of her office, and put women and children at risk. Some family values.

Oh, and don't forget, Screechy Sarah expects rape victims to pay for their own rape kits.

H/t to Kagro X at dailyKos for the signpost about this ABC News report.
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Petty Officer

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What does it say about the ol' Navy flyboy that he's willing to recklessly endanger the entire country...nay, the world...with his unvetted selection of just another petty ol' small town cronyist, cynically chosen because she wears skirts, who's in bed with Big Oil and Alaska separatists and dangerously incompetent and grudge-driven, to boot.

That he's four more years of the same ol'-same ol' politics by the lowest most cynical craven people who've driven the country into the ditch these last eight years?

Yeah, that's what I think, too.

And then some....petty officer McCain, not reporting for duty... as usual.
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Blood Lust

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Everything you need to know about where Sarah Palin is coming from philosophically can be summed up in her aggressive push for the slaughter of wolves from airplanes.

Of course, if you're an ol' flyboy, that probably sounds appealing. Never need to look in the eye the people you're killin'. Just bomb, bomb, bomb. No wonder McCain, she calls him McCain, thinks she's his soulmate.

Isn't eight years of government by blood lust enough?
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The Dog Ate Sarah Palin's Homework

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In her second televised interview, with Notorious Bespectacled Impish Gibson, Sarah Palin proved that, yes, she can be coached, she can put on a performance with talking points, she can hold her hands just so to reinforce what she's saying.

And my cocker spaniels have been trained to sit, and stay, and be good guys.

But being good guy ready to lead America--and Sarah herself says she doesn't think in gender terms, she's a product of Title 9 and a strong household, she's made choices all along the way (and doncha just love that she's gotten to make choices?), and sexism doesn't enter into it for her--is more than reciting talking points and modulating sincerity into your voice and cupping your hands in embrace of what you're saying.

Because the world is full of bad guys. And yesterday, the Palin partisans say, Gibson was a bad guy. 'cause he was, you know, a reporter. A reporter whose questions brought out more than just pronouncing strange names right, more than foreign policy tourist points. He brought out how totally out of her depth Sarah Palin was...like the Wasilla Warriors high school hockey team trying to take on Gretsky in his prime.

Today, Charlie was a good guy, a GMA guy, and the soft edges were all in place.

But apparently even that is too hard for Palin, because her next interview's reported to be with Sean Hannity. And we know what a hard-edged ferreter out of truth and reality ol' Hannity is.
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Sidebar to Sarah: If, pish-posh, you had no intention of banning books, why did you keep asking about it after the first time? And why did you fire the librarian?
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We saw today the problem with the media agreeing to these folksy sit-downs. Where's the follow-up? But I guess the hurly-burly of an actual press conference is too tough for Sarah Palin. 'cause Title 9 aside, she just doesn't have the knowledge...or the judgment about tough choices...or the time to cram for all the questions...or the guts to face the press.

She and the McCain campaign prefer to put Palin up in the rarefied helicopter air of Alaska and pick off the reporters one by one. As long as they get to do the picking. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way out here in the rest of the world.
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Herr-icane

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Hurricane Ike is blasting its way toward the Texas coast this morning, and we hope everybody gets their butts out of the way...get inland, take cover, think, and be safe.

There's another her-icane, name o'Sarah Palin, and she turned out to be a fizzle last night in her first interview with Charles Gibson on ABC.

Oh, the usual suspects are tryin' to put lipstick on the pig of an idea that she was picked on by the "arrogant schm*ck" as Imus called Gibson.

But c'mon, the woman was Clueless in Alaska...the coaching showed, she didn't "blink" and....

She didn't know what the fundamental foreign policy of this administration--the Bush Doctrine--even was. Much less that the Founding Fathers would reel in horror at America making pre-emptive strikes against other countries on the whim of a President.

Clearly Palin was coached. She knew how to pronounce Ahmedinejad and Shaakashvili. She was "on message" about blinking...or not. The message was meant to show her strength and her readiness on day one.

Trouble is, if you have to rely on coachers and trainers to prep you and pimp you, you ain't ready for the show.

And there's a helluva lot more to Russia than a nice view across the straits.

You gotta ask yourself, would you want this candidate teaching your child a junior high course in basic geography, or civics, or history? Much less a heartbeat away from the ol' man?

Is our kids learning? Is we?
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