I'm a little behind here in Alaska, and happen to be watching the debate on the DVR. As my husband and I listen to McCain list off his, (healthcare, tax & foreign policy) goals and campaign promises we make sure to ask as the end of each one... "in partnership with a Democratic controlled Congress?

Normally I'm all for the checks and balances two-party control provide, no matter how frustrating the tiresome partisan rhetoric becomes. But I happen to think a Democratic controlled Congress will be able to steamroll McCain a helluva lot easier than they will Obama - perhaps a difference in leadership ability?

I'm pretty stunned at McCain's 'daddy will take care of you' line of late, that he'll clean up Washington for the American People. This is pretty weird coming from an Arizona Senator who disingenuously co-opted Goldwater's rugged individualist streak.

Well, it's not his job to clean up Washington - it's a job ONLY the American People can do - by voting the bastards out!

I just read the New York Times article Once, Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes and what really struck me was the use of a personal email account to conduct State business.

While Ms. Palin took office promising a more open government, her administration has battled to keep information secret. Her inner circle discussed the benefit of using private e-mail addresses. An assistant told her it appeared that such e-mail messages sent to a private address on a “personal device” like a BlackBerry “would be confidential and not subject to subpoena."

Ms. Palin and aides use their private e-mail addresses for state business. A campaign spokesman said the governor copied e-mail messages to her state account “when there was significant state business."

On Feb. 7, Frank Bailey, a high-level aide, wrote to Ms. Palin’s state e-mail address to discuss appointments. Another aide fired back: “Frank, this is not the governor’s personal account.”

Mr. Bailey responded: “Whoops~!”

What the fuck? Not to mention her husband sitting in to cut the State budget.

After I vote for Obama in November I'm going to be the first to sign a petition for her removal from office.

I heard her say that she opened up State government by publishing spending online.

I've learned more about her these past couple of weeks than I ever did living in Wasilla since 2000.

This lady is fucking scary.

But, to be fair - my mother warned me when Sarah was running for Governor. I should listen to her more often.

With inflation, prices rise and eventually wages rise too - but not before everyone has to pay more... with less.

Stagflation is worse. Prices rise and wages don't. This is what we're experiencing now.

Wages staying flat, the dollar worth less, goods and energy costing more - the money we make does not buy the same quantity of goods, services and energy. The wages are not rising with the rise in prices - instead employers are laying off employees.

When prices rise, employers can't control the price of goods but they can control their labor costs.

McCain plans to tax people on the employer paid benefits they receive. The health premiums that your employer (might or might not pay) will be subject to income tax. Including these premium on your "taxable wages" can push you into a higher tax bracket.

He's not raising your taxes, he's raising your taxable wages therefore moving you into a higher tax bracket.

This should be an affront to proponents of flat tax.

Corporations are allowed to pay taxes AFTER expenses. After their utility bills, after their long liquid lunches, after their expensive car leases.

Individuals are forced to pay taxes on all the goods, services and energy required to function. Individuals pay taxes before they pay the car lease, buy groceries - BEFORE utility bills.

Disclaimer: I am a totally amateur economist, if you have corrections to my take on economic terms please feel free.

With inflation, prices rise and eventually wages rise too - but not before everyone has to pay more... with less.

Stagflation is worse. Prices rise and wages don't. This is what we're experiencing now.

Wages staying flat, the dollar worth less, goods and energy costing more - the money we make does not buy the same quantity of goods, services and energy. The wages are not rising with the rise in prices - instead employers are laying off employees.

When prices rise, employers can't control the price of goods but they can control their labor costs.

McCain plans to tax people on the employer paid benefits they receive. The health premiums that your employer (might or might not pay) will be subject to income tax. Including these premium on your "taxable wages" can push you into a higher tax bracket.

He's not raising your taxes, he's raising your taxable wages therefore moving you into a higher tax bracket.

This should be an affront to proponents of flat tax.

Corporations are allowed to pay taxes AFTER expenses. After their utility bills, after their long liquid lunches, after their expensive car leases.

Individuals are forced to pay taxes on all the goods, services and energy required to function. Individuals pay taxes before they pay the car lease, buy groceries - BEFORE utility bills.

Disclaimer: I am a totally amateur economist, if you have corrections to my take on economic terms please feel free.

McCain wants to raise their taxes.

McCain wants to tax health care premiums as income, aside from the immorality of it - individuals have no control over the cost of their premiums - this is just evil. If your premium is $1000 a month for your family even if your employer pays it, you will be required to pay income tax on it under McCain's plan.

McCain is a Union Buster. McCain consistently votes to pass a National Right to Work Law - Right to Work is doublespeak for Ending Unions. Only 13% of the entire U.S. workforce is unionized, only 8% are true trade unions - the rest are governmental agency unions.

Without unions even people who don't earn union wages would see their wages go down or remain stagnant. Unions benefit all workers by demanding worker safety and higher wages - this puts demands on all employers to provide the same, regardless of union affiliation.

McCain has hired Bush's entire campaign team to run his own campaign.

Bush's campaign promises and positions have been proven to be lies.

"I'm a uniter not a divider"

"I don't believe in nation building"

Stick to the issues folks, the panic and free press you are giving Palin is meant to distract from McCain because he is not capable of standing up to criticism.

Wait for the debates. McCain won't have Palin to parrot her Convention speech - he will have to formulate his own position - the contrast will be magnificent.

Stop talking about Palin at all. Let her speak for herself. She has no new material and the American people are easily fatigued by reruns. Stop creating new news, force her to come up with something new - I promise she hit her high water mark in St. Paul.

Look.

The far rightwing of the Republican party relishes in their lies.

They lie on purpose, to distract from the issues - because they can't substantiate their policy positions.

The far rightwing believes that lying is necessary to win the campaign.

They believe they should win "by any means necessary".

If you think they are gaffes, you are naive.

They are purposeful in that they cause massive outrage that distracts from the policy debate - this is on purpose.

I'm pretty confident that they even find bible passages that back up their lies - any means necessary.

They chuckle and giggle at everyone who points their finger and calls them a liar - they don't care.

They would rather be called liars than losers.

I'm linking to my most recent post because I think it's important and I was prematurely bumped.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/welcome-home-rally-in-fairbank.php

Obama supporters not welcome at welcome home rally for Palin

Forfuckssake people.

If you get an error, it means it WORKED!

File this under: You have got to be fucking kidding me.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/sep/08/welcome-home-rally-planned-palin-fairbanks/

FAIRBANKS — Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to attend a “welcome home” rally in Fairbanks on Wednesday. Palin has been touring the country with Sen. John McCain since he selected her on Aug. 29 as his vice-presidential candidate.

Palin is also expected to attend a deployment ceremony on Thursday for the Army’s 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen said. Gov. Palin’s oldest son, Track, is one of about 4,000 soldiers scheduled to deploy as part of the Stryker brigade.

The Alaska Republican Party is hosting the Wednesday rally, which is open to the public, party spokesman McHugh Pierre said. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with a program starting at 5:30 at Alaska Aerofuel at Sadler Business Plaza, 5904 Old Airport Road.

While the event is open, organizers are asking that people attend in support of Palin and McCain.

“If you don’t, we’re encouraging you not to come,” Pierre said. “We’re Alaskans first here.”

Today is the first time in my whole life that I was ashamed to an Alaskan.

- witty1

Posting that is.

The crap about Palin's veto pen being responsible for the State of Alaska's budget surplus is really annoying me. The absolute truth is that Alaska's budget surplus is solely due to the rise in oil prices.

From what I can tell the State of Alaska budget deficit in 2004 was roughly $4 billion. At that time oil prices were roughly $30 a barrel.

http://www.ioga.com/Special/crudeoil_Hist.htm

From what I've been able to see from State budget reports is that the deficit was completely replaced with a surplus by 2006 - coinciding with the rise in oil prices.

It looks like oil prices rose $27.43 a barrel from January 2004 ($30.87) to January 2006 ($58.30), which I believe coincides with the State budget surplus.

As an Alaskan I hate to point out that for lack of a better way of saying it, we profit from the misery others, (and the U.S. economy as a whole) with the meteoric rise in oil prices.

That said - its not something we wish/hope for here in Alaska. There is a lot of discussion about the utter and complete dependence the State of Alaska budget has on oil prices - considering the volatility of the oil markets - people are looking for a more stable source of revenue for the State.

http://www.pubrecord.org/nationworld/299-documents-suggest-palin-obsessed-over-retaliating-against-ex-brother-in-law.html

13 document links at the end of the article - from what I can tell they are the actual emails and complaints.

Pretty damning stuff, even for a family vendetta.

From the HuffPost:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/palins-biggest-project-as_n_124596.html

This hockey rink is within walking distance of Palin's house on Lake Lucille. There aren't many places in Wasilla where anything is within walking distance, you have to drive to get anywhere - even a cup of coffee.

Then I saw this in the local paper yesterday, the Anchorage Daily News.

"Wasilla trail will link park, sports facility"

http://www.adn.com/matsu/story/514080.html

This proposed trail is to go around Lake Lucille, which is where Palin's home is located.

So she pushes for a hockey rink (by all accounts badly needed) that happens to be within walking distance of her own home, (I think she built the home after the sports facility was built, or very nearly the same time).

Now there's a proposal to build a trail around the lake she lives on.

Note this: Most of Wasilla (99%) doesn't even have sidewalks in a winter city.

For those of you that might not understand what that means:

Snowbanks 6 feet+ high are normal, people who want to walk that route are forced to walk in the STREET instead, competing with 5 lanes of traffic in most cases.

Now they are proposing to build a lakeside recreational trail around the lake that Palin lives on?

She's claimed to be an avid jogger - which makes this trail perfect for her.

Isn't this cronyism at it's worst?

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/palin-vetting-documents-from-2006-for-hard-core-palin-addicts-only/

In 2006, when Sarah Palin ran for Governor of Alaska, the Democrats (unlike the Republicans of 2008) vetted her. The documentation is extensive, and was published online.

http://mudflats.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/palin-2006-vetting.pdf