White House '08

Tribune's Silva Repeats Palin's Claim That Dems Attacked Her Family

Josh Kalven — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:26:28 -0700

Yesterday, Media Matters caught the Tribune's Mark Silva simply repeating GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's claim in a fundraising letter that "Obama/Biden Democrats" leveled "vicious" attacks at her family. From his September 4 post on the newspaper's Swamp blog:

Democrats have criticized Palin for her pointed remarks about Obama, deriding his experience as a community organizer for isntance [sic]. But in a fundraising letter issued today, Palin maintained that "the Obama-Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected."

Meanwhile, some other reporters actually questioned Palin's accusations and found their wasn't much to support them. From Media Matters:

[I]n a September 4 entry on his Political Punch blog, Tapper wrote, "I asked spokespeople of the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee just which 'Obama/Biden Democrats' they're referring to. The response I got was that Obama spokesman Mark Bubriski erroneously attacked Palin as a supporter of Pat Buchanan. That's it. That's the evidence. An attack on Palin herself. In other words, they can't name one person affiliated with the Obama-Biden campaign who attacked the Palin family."

Raising McCain

Josh Kalven — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:54:50 -0700

John McCain in late August when asked by Time's Jay Carney what it means to have his two sons in uniform:

"We don't talk about our sons."

Cindy McCain last night at the RNC:

Our son, Jack, will graduate from the United States Naval Academy next year, fourth generation, ready to do his service.

And our son, Jimmy, a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, served honorably in Iraq.

Jimmy served honorably in Iraq, as hundreds of thousands of other young men and women just like him are doing for America and freedom everywhere.

The stakes were never more clear to me than the morning I watched my son, Jimmy, strap on his weapons and board a bus headed for harm's way.

Dems Outflank GOP In Voter Registration

Adam Doster — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:50:52 -0700

Voter registration and turnout is a piece of the campaign puzzle that polls can't account for and reporters love to ignore. As such, I haven't yet seen a thorough examination by the mainstream media of the flood of new registrants signing up this cycle. To fill the void, Edge of the West crunches their own numbers. While I'm not vouching for these calculations necessarily, it's as good place as any to start. Listed below are the new registrant totals from some key states, all from January-August 2008 (except PA, which starts in April).

- Colorado: 13,352 Republicans, 66,516 Democrats, 23,437 Independents

- Florida: 77,196 Republican, 209,422 Democrats, 26,100 Independents

- Iowa: 7,515 Republicans, 69,301 Democrats, 62,922 Independents

- Nevada: 1,230 Republicans, 51,457 Democrats, 7,550 Independents

- North Carolina: 20,363 Republicans, 171,955 Democrats, 123,605 Unaffiliated

- Pennsylvania: 289 Republicans, 98,137 Democrats, 15,907 Independents (no aff.& other)

To give these numbers some historical perspective, in 2004, President Bush won Colorado by 99,523; Florida by 380,978; Iowa by 10,059; Nevada by 21,500; and NC by 435,317. Kerry won Pennsylvania by 144,248 votes.

Edge of the West couldn't dig up any info on Ohio and Michigan, which is too bad. Nonetheless, these figures clearly illustrate the effect of voter registration efforts by Obama (who is outflanking McCain badly), the labor unions, and other organizations. And they're just getting cranked up.

(H/T Tom Sugrue)

"Who Are They Fighting For?"

Josh Kalven — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:44:58 -0700

Driving out of Minneapolis yesterday, I browsed the AM dial for a while and found myself listening to Mark Heaney's local talk radio show. Until the signal faded, I heard a string of livid Minnesota residents calling in to express their disgust with Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani's denigrating comments about community organizers during the RNC proceedings Wednesday night. One listener pointed out that, in these months leading up to the election, it's the community organizers on all sides who are spearheading voter registration drives and focusing on large turnout this November. And now, thanks to Palin and Giuliani, those organizers on the left side of the spectrum are pissed off and ready to work even harder to hit back.

Locally, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights director Josh Hoyt had this to say to the AP:

"I don't like seeing the really hard work that goes on in really poor communities being demeaned by cheap politicians," said Joshua Hoyt ... "Community organizing is as American as democracy. It believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things."

Meanwhile, in New York City:

“I have ‘actual responsibilities,’” said Jacqueline del Valle, a community organizer in the Bronx. “If Mayor Giuliani and President Bush cared more about working people instead of just people who can hire high-powered lobbyists, maybe I wouldn’t have so much responsibility. Maybe working people would have an easier time in America today. But that’s not our reality, and they don’t have to mock us while we’re trying to clean up their mess.”

And the liberal punditry is also fired up. Here's Time's Joe Klein:

This is what Palin and Giuliani were mocking. They were making fun of a young man’s decision “to serve a cause greater than himself,” in the words of John McCain. They were, therefore, mocking one of their candidate’s favorite messages. Obama served the poor for three years, then went to law school. To describe this service–the first thing he did out of college, the sort of service every college-educated American should perform, in some form or other–as anything other than noble is cheap and tawdry and cynical in the extreme.

Chris Hayes:

I suppose it's not surprising that Republican politicians aren't enthused about community organizers since often they're the ones who are getting their ass kicked by them. (Just ask Rudy.) Also, I'm assuming they didn't read The Nation's forum on just this topic in the last issue.

But this kind of hits me where I live, since my dad is a community organizer, so lemme spell this out: the difference between a community organizer and a politician is that a community organizer can't tell anyone what to do. They have to listen. So they can't order books banned from a library to indulge their own religious sensibilities. They can't fire someone because they didn't follow orders to fire an estranged family member. They can't ram through a $15 million dollar sports complex that leaves their local town groaning underneath the debt. Unlike politicians, they don't have any power other than the power of people who want to see something changed.

And Ezra Klein:

When Giuliani sneered about community organizers on the “South side” of Chicago, it’s pretty clear what he’s saying: Barack Obama spent his time rabble-rousing among black people. It’s no different then when the RNC called him a “street organizer.” It’s fairly clear what they’re trying to evoke. No reason anyone should help them mask it. A community organizer can be a PTA member or a Christian Coalition lieutenant. But that’s really not what Palin and Giuliani are getting at. Obama organized poor black people. That’s change you can fear.

On last night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart dropped this great line (as the screen showed the RNC crowd waving signs labeled "SERVICE"):

By the way, if it seemed odd that the GOP was denigrating community service the night after making "service" their slogan, you're confused. Those Republicans were not praising service with those signs -- they were demanding it from the waitstaff.

Finally, Barack Obama himself responded effectively yesterday:

Look — I would argue that doing work in the community to try to create jobs, to bring people together, to rejuvenate communities that have fallen on hard times, to set up job training programs in areas that had been hard-hit when the steel plants close, that is relevant only in understanding where I’m coming from. Who I believe in. Who I am fighting for, and why I’m in this race.

The question I have for them is — why would that kind of work be ridiculous? Who are they fighting for? What are they advocating for? Do they think that the lives of those folks who are struggling each and every day, that working with them to try to improve their lives is somehow not relevant to the Presidency? I think that as part of problem, may be why they are out of touch and do not get it, because they haven’t spent a lot of time working on behalf of those folks.

Ironically, hours later, McCain concluded his acceptance speech by stating: "Fight with me. Fight for what's right for our country. ... Fight for justice and opportunity for all." As one NPR anchor stated after the address, that final message seemed a bit out of sync with the previous night's attacks.

Attacking The Organizers

Adam Doster — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:17:10 -0700

Maybe it's because my brother is a community organizer or maybe it's because I've met too many organizers in my short career who I admire immensely. But the GOP's new line of attack -- that CO's don't have "actual responsibilities" -- made me angrier than anything I've seen in politics this year. Before blowing a gasket, however, I thought I'd outsource some commentary on Rudy Guiliani and Sarah Palin's denigrating attacks.

Let's start with Archpundit's Deep Thought, which follows another thoughtful post on the topic:

The Civil Rights Movement was a large community organizing effort.

A great point. But what about the Christian Coalition, a group much closer to the GOP's heart? How can you describe what they did as anything other than organizing one's community?

David Plouffe issued a solid rejoinder to the madness after the speech, too, explaining that community organizing is "how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicans and their failed policies."

And be sure to watch the following take by video blogger Jay Smooth, who eviscerates this cheap and misinformed attack:

Finally, in light of last night's attacks on community organizers, it's rather remarkable that one of the themes of their convention was "service." Apparently, there are only two kinds of service that the Republicans value: political and military. The rest just don't count.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Newshour.

Independents Respond To Palin

Josh Kalven — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:28:50 -0700

The Detroit Free-Press assembled a "voter panel" to respond to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC last night accepting the GOP vice presidential nomination. The Republicans on the panel loved her. The Democrats found her divisive. But the most interesting responses came from the five independents, who were unanimous in their dislike for Palin's speech:

“I was completely underwhelmed. She was a Republican novelty act with a sophomoric script. It was not even a speech I would expect for a someone running for the local PTA, much less for vice president.” -- George Lentz, 66, Southfield independent

“Who is Sarah Palin? I'm sorry but I still don't know anymore about this young lady tonight than I did last night ... The way it looks to me, she's the Republican vice presidential nominee for one reason: because Hillary wasn't selected.” -- Mike Kosh, 38, West Bloomfield independent

"Sarah Palin is a self-described ‘pitbull with lipstick.’ She spent little time helping Americans learn who she is. She is a cool, poised speaker, but her speech contained few statements about policy or the party platform. … I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.” -- Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent

“Nothing worked for me. I found her barrage of snide remarks and distortions to be a major turn off. She is not a class act. The most important point she made is that she will be an effective attack dog.” -- Jan Wheelock, 58, Royal Oak independent

“Sarah got as much applause as Hillary did, and had a friendly, appealing appearance. Her delivery style reminded me of a high school valedictorian who also might have been a cheerleader. I thought she would appear more professional, more stateswomanly. She's no match for Joe Biden.” -- Joellen Gilchrist, 64, Beverly Hills independent

(H/T Ezra Klein)

Bloggers Aren't Palin's Problem

Adam Doster — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:52:55 -0700

I don't mean to keep writing about Sarah Palin. Really, I don't! But the well is just so deep.

Speaking to the Illinois RNC delegation at their breakfast this morning, convention deputy chairman Frank Donatelli urged McCain supporters to "defend" Palin from scurrilous rumors flying around the Internet. From the Tribune:

"There's going to be a lot of stuff thrown out there by anonymous bloggers and so forth and so on. But this is a fine woman. This is a woman with a loving family. This is a woman with a great record. And she's going to make a terrific partner for John McCain," he said.

Ah yes, the anonymous bloggers at the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal. How dare they spread those well-reported "rumors" about her undue use of executive power, her penchant for earmarks (despite claims to the contrary), and her participation in a fringe Alaskan secessionist organization!

Critics of any political stripe should avoid using the pregnancy of Palin's daughter as a political tool. Family matters aside, Palin the candidate has enough problems as it is.

While speaking to the Illinois delegation, Donatelli also argued that the concept of "change" is vacuous and that "reform is a much meatier topic." The Tribune's Rick Pearson noted the irony in this:

Donatelli was apparently unaware of the sign on the lectern from which he addressed the Illinois Republican delegation. The sign read: "Change for Illinois."

Here's a photo of the stage, with IL GOP chairman Andy McKenna at the stage:

Kirk Gives Palin Undue Credit For Killing "Bridge To Nowhere"

Adam Doster — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:38:52 -0700

Rep. Mark Kirk also joined WLS's Don Wade & Roma this morning, and was quick to praise Sarah Palin for her work fighting against the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark, which Kirk defeated via a 2006 amendment. Listen here:

Internal mp3

KIRK: I didn’t know much about her until I was about eight months into my fight to kill funding for the Bridge to Nowhere.

DON WADE: Oh yeah!

KIRK: We got the House of Representatives to back the Kirk Amendment to zero-out that bridge and then we were getting ready for the big battle in the Senate against Ted Stevens of Alaska, who had really championed this project. And suddenly, the new governor of Alaska stepped in and de-funded her own project, and so finished the battle for us.

Maybe Kirk just reads the news a few days after everyone else. Several major media outlets (including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Boston Herald among many others) have already reported that Palin was not on the right side of this fight from the beginning and only switched her position when political support for the bridge had all but evaporated.

Here's Reuters' account:

When she was running for governor in 2006, Palin said she was insulted by the term "bridge to nowhere," according to Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, a Democrat, and Mike Elerding, a Republican who was Palin's campaign coordinator in the southeast Alaska city.

"People are learning that she pandered to us by saying, I'm for this' ... and then when she found it was politically advantageous for her nationally, abruptly she starts using the very term that she said was insulting," Weinstein said.

Hastert: Palin Only "Real American Family Person" In Presidential Race

Adam Doster — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:35:57 -0700

Like other Illinois conservatives, former Speaker Dennis Hastert is thrilled with John McCain's vice presidential pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Why so pleased? Live from the Republican convention, he explained his reasoning on WLS' Don Wade & Roma Morning Show today, saying that she is "the only person that’s a real American family person that’s come out in this election." Listen here:

Internal mp3

What a patently absurd statement. After an auto accident claimed his daughter and wife, Joe Biden raised two young sons by himself, commuting between his home in Delaware and Washington D.C. by train every night to be with his family. Barack Obama's grandfather marched in Patton's Army and his grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, later studying under the G.I. Bill. His mother raised the presidential nominee and his sister by herself, relying in part of food stamps so she could finish her bachelor's degree and put her kids through college on loans and scholarships. But Biden has been in the Senate too long to be a "real American family person." Meanwhile, Obama doesn't share -- in Roma's words -- Palin's "recognizable American lifestyle."

Hastert's touting of Palin's American values also excuses her fringe belief, exhibited from the mid-1990s onward, that Alaska should secede from the union. Lincoln would be so proud.

Right-Wing Loves Palin, Palin Loves Earmarks

Adam Doster — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:17:10 -0700

Archpundit has all the requisite links for the ongoing Sarah Palin meltdown, so definitely go check them out on his site. But one he doesn't include is this devastating story on the front page of the Washington Post this morning:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.

There was $500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project -- all intended to benefit Palin's town, Wasilla, located about 45 miles north of Anchorage.

In introducing Palin as his running mate on Friday, Sen. John McCain cast her as a compatriot in his battle against wasteful federal spending. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, hailed Palin as a politician "with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies -- someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past, someone who's stopped government from wasting taxpayers' money.