Iron Dog

Sarah Palin tweets:

Family is getting ready for Todd's IronDog race tomorrow; I'm watching @GlennBeck on TV now giving #CPAC speech, while racers are in garage.

Yep, it's that time of year again.

Time to finish up those last-minute ceremonial things....

Coax the kids down off the snowmachine...

Put that flattering anti-frostbite tape on your face....

Do some last-minute tune-ups....

Sign a few autographs....

Give the wife one last ride around the starting line....

Gear up for a few days of moose soup with the guys....

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye....

And it's off to the races!

Have fun, drive safe. Try to avoid broken limbs and broken snowmachines....

We're rooting for a win, but no matter what, you're still one cool dude.

Just come back safe. And, uh, try not to do anything crazy....

Good luck!

For your viewing pleasure, this video compiles a lot of my favorite moments from the Iron Dog last year. The Iron Dog fun starts at around 5 minutes in:



And no Iron Dog would be complete without this video of Todd after his first Iron Dog win in 1995:

Cry Me A River

Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it.

That was, of course, Mercede Johnston.

"Doesn't that family make enough money?"

Hm. Perhaps jealousy has been a motivating factor for the Johnstons this past year? Selling little bits and pieces of the Palins' lives so they could make some money off of that rising star once Bristol cut things off.

"Nothing against Bristol and Sarah."

I laugh. And I laugh. And I laugh. I guess that was Mercede's evil twin out there spilling her guts to Star Magazine and other publications (not to mention the talk shows) about how wild the Palins are. I believe she said that Bristol was "crazy." Sure, Sadie. This is all the big mean Palins out to get you. This had nothing to do with you. You're all heart.

I'm not sure when Levi had the time to fight desperately to see his boy. Was it while he was flying all over the country doing photo-ops and selling info on the Palins for thirty pieces of silver? Well, actually, a hundred thousand pieces of silver. Inflation has done wonders for the betrayal industry.

And I'm not clear on how wanting to set up a visitation schedule is trying to keep Tripp away from Levi. But maybe I'm just clueless that way.

You're quite the bleeding heart, kid. See this? This is the world's smallest violin playing "My Heart Bleeds for You." Nice piece for Zaki you did there. Send Dennis my regards.

If Levi really wanted to see his kid rather than drag this out as long as possible to give him an excuse to cry to the media, he would have gotten a job and filed for joint custody himself a long time ago. So spare me the dramatics.

On a more serious note, is $1,700 a month a bit much? I'm thinking, yeah. So maybe Levi should, I don't know, look for a real job with a solid income that they can base the amount of child support on instead of his Playgirl earnings?

Just a thought.

I'm On Twitter

Per the suggestion of PatrickinOH, I created a Twitter account: twitter.com/barbaricblog

If you follow me, I promise not to bug you with a bunch of irrelevant tweets or with every single post I put up. I'll only be tweeting the blog posts that I think are important or that I believe offer a unique perspective on a topic or issue.

Sarah Palin's Message

I've been sitting on the sidelines of this Family Guy/Rush Limbaugh controversy, and it cracks me up how fast liberals are turning into conservatives. These are the people who for years have treated grown adults like they're children unable to fend for themselves. These are the champions of political correctness, the "handicapable" people. Sarah Palin states her opinion on the Family Guy episode, and all of a sudden, the special needs community doesn't need to be pampered. They don't need Sarah Palin's help. It was a harmless joke. Where's your sense of humor, Sarah Palin?

Wow.

The latest is this letter to the editor by the woman with Down Syndrome who played the "daughter of the former Governor of Alaska" on Family Guy:

My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the "Extra Large Medium" episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine's day.... I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line "I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska" was very funny. I think the word is "sarcasm".

In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.

Got any pictures of Sarah carrying Trig "under" her arm, Andrea? I don't believe I've seen those.

I resent your opinion of Sarah's treatment of Trig. I didn't know it was wrong to carry your child. I suppose I'll have to fly into a rage now because my mom carried me. I must have had a horrible mother.

At least Andrea cleared up what the joke was supposed to be. It was supposed to be sarcasm. So the character in the episode was kidding when she said she was Sarah Palin's daughter. Okay. That makes more sense now. Definitely didn't sound like sarcasm, but I'll take her word for it.

But I beg to differ that it was funny. It was stupid. It was lame. It was Family Guy. And I'm pretty sure one of the rules of comedy is that if you have to explain a joke in order for people to get it, it's not a good joke.

Some are saying that Andrea didn't actually write this letter, blah, blah, blah. Unless you've got proof, I suggest you stop speculating. This woman went on Family Guy, thought the joke was funny, and played her role. She's not a pawn in this. She's a grown woman and she has her own opinions and makes her own choices.

And slamming Sarah Palin for "carrying Trig around looking for sympathy and votes," was a downright low choice. You should be ashamed of yourself, Andrea.

For anyone confused about just why Palin loves her son so openly and talks about him so much, allow me to explain some of what Sarah Palin has been trying to do through Trig. Sarah Palin's message:

While we've come a long way from just sending people with Down Syndrome to mental institutions, many are still uncomfortable with, or are offended by, the "imperfect." Most women who find out that they're pregnant with a DS child have an abortion because they're scared. They are afraid of the unknown. Seeing a woman out there who has had a child with Down Syndrome despite early doubts and loving that child so visibly may go a long way toward spreading a message that you don't have to be afraid. It may be scary at first, but in the end, it is a blessing beyond measure. So give it a chance. Let the child live. You won't be sorry.

What is Sarah Palin doing for the special needs community? She's on a mission to change attitudes. She wants to change the way people think about special needs. It's often seen as a burden. Sarah Palin wants the world to know that it's a blessing. Hopefully, this will encourage more mothers to allow children with special needs to be born.

Sarah Palin is saying, "Don't be afraid of the unknown. Don't be afraid that you don't have what it takes. I wasn't sure that I had what it takes either. But today, I thank God for all of it, every hill and valley along the way. And I thank Him for my beautiful son. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world." Like this line from the letter Sarah sent to her family and friends when Trig was born:

Some think Trig should not be allowed to be born because they fear a Downs child won't be considered "perfect" in your world....Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy.

She's saying that all children are equally loved by their Heavenly Father. Trig is perfect. He is beautiful. Don't accept the world's definition of "perfection." Children with special needs are to be loved and cherished, not shied away from or mocked.

If you don't believe in Sarah Palin's motivation for talking about Trig, that's your problem. But thousands of Americans do believe it, and scores of families of those who have special needs love Trig and his mom and his mom's message.


By the way, if you want to read something that will really burn your butt, see Maher's latest statements on Trig. I hope that this man has a long, long life. Because short of a major turning point, when his life is over, it's not gonna be pretty. That's not a threat; that's a sad fact.

Pics of Palin in Arkansas

From the Arkansas GOP's Facebook page:

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Palin in Arkansas

Palin presented with a Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy 44 Magnum Rifle

Here's a write-up of Palin's Arkansas speech by Suzi Parker of the Daily Caller:
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The battle for 2012 began in Arkansas on Tuesday night when Sarah Palin brought her celebrity to an arena filled with state GOP elite and Tea Party commoners who had never attended a political event....

Here on Huckabee turf Tuesday night, Palin obliterated any thought of the former governor. She received a .44 magnum as a welcoming gift, cementing her street cred with the Second Amendment crowd. Not unusual, except in Arkansas, Huckabee has always been the hunter-in-chief.

“Huckabee is focused on his show,” says one GOP insider. “He hasn’t even said he is running so I wouldn’t read too much into his absence tonight.”

Still, it’s never too early to start courting votes and currying favor for a potential presidential run. And Palin on her first visit to Arkansas performed such a task in spades.

People left an earlier meet-and-greet in tears. Women hugged her and said they wished she was their daughter. More women than men wore Palin buttons.

She said as much when she told the story of duck hunting with her father as a girl. When buckshot rained over her, she said she was scared. “It’s just buckshot, just duck,” Palin’s father said. “I apply to today with all the crap out there. It won’t hurt you.”

Palin often praised Arkansas, known as the Natural State, as being similar in values and landscape to Alaska. She mentioned Wal-Mart several times. The company was a sponsor of the event.

She stood patiently as the crowd called the Arkansas Razorbacks with the traditional “Woo Pig Sooie.” She took pre-selected questions from Webb about hunting, threats to the United States (terrorism is number one), and the Tea Party (she loves those people).

Arkansas historically votes Republican in presidential elections. The McCain-Palin ticket won the state by 20 percentage points in 2008. It’s also trending red for the 2010 midterms. And there’s no guarantee that native son Huckabee has the beloved reverence — or strong base — that propelled Bill Clinton to the White House....

As one veteran politico said at the Palin event, “She’s a rock star.”

That’s what they use to say about Bill Clinton.

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On the rifle presentation:

The Republican Party of Arkansas presented keynote Speaker Sarah Palin with an engraved Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy 44 Magnum rifle last night at their fundraising event at the Verizon Arena in Little Rock. The rifle was personalized with serial number PALIN-001, the brass receiver was inscribed with ‘Presented to Sarah Palin - February 16, 2010 -Republican Party of Arkansas’ and the Republican Party of Arkansas’ logo was carved into the buttstock.

Palin began her keynote speech in front of a cheering crowd of 5,000 by thanking the Republican Party of Arkansas for the beautiful rifle, noting that she even called her son Track to tell him about it, and stated, “It’s great to be in a state where it’s okay to cling to your guns and religion.”

President Lincoln was presented with a Henry rifle during his presidency. It hangs in The Smithsonian and has become a priceless national treasure.

The Telepalmter

Sometimes I get so caught up in the media narrative that I miss the whole point. I completely swallowed the narrative this time.

Palin scribbles on her hand and the next thing you know, we're arguing about the TOTUS vs. the Alaskan Palm Pilot, blah, blah, blah. I got off track - deflected from the real issue. I never actually stopped long enough to really think about what she wrote on her hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, on Sarah Palin's left palm lies more wisdom and good sense than the entire graduating classes of Harvard, Princeton, and Yale combined (at least lately). Six words that sum up beautifully a good agenda for, oh, say a first year in the Oval Office?

1. Energy

2. Cut Taxes

3. Lift American Spirits

Step one - Energy. It's no secret that, as Palin has put it, energy is her baby. There's no question that the woman would try to smooth out the process for getting permits to drill, as well as expand nuclear energy and even alternatives, not to mention a certain pipeline. Palin is the name; energy independence is the game.

Step two - Cut taxes. Get rid of death taxes. Slash corporate taxes. Slash government spending while you're at it. Quit digging the hole deeper. A true way to stimulate the economy. And quit trying to over-regulate everything.

Step three - Lift American Spirits. This is the most important one. Once taxes are slashed, the next step is to make people believe in the economy again. Right now, bankers are sitting on money afraid to lend it. Why? Because they don't know what the rules are going to be tomorrow. The government keeps sticking its fingers into their business, and they're not going to take any risks until they know that the rules aren't going to be different next week. As long as the federal government continues to overreach, the private sector will continue to stagnate. I truly believe that the tools exist right now to bring the economy roaring back to life. All it needs is the knowledge that the government will mind its own beeswax and play its appropriate role. As Palin puts it, help the private sector; not get in the way of the private sector.

Three solid steps on a long road to an economic recovery. And what do you know? The whole time they were right there on the palm of her hand.

One Tough Mother

From the woman who brought us "The Wilding of Sarah Palin," Robin of Berkeley at the American Thinker:
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Sarah Palin is dismissed by both the Left and the Right as a lightweight. She's supposedly wet behind the ears because she's rarely traveled abroad or served as a privileged United States senator, which consists mostly of ordering lackeys around. Of course, Palin is way too pretty (and a non-Ivy-Leaguer besides) to have an I.Q. anywhere near Obama's.

It's astonishing what these critics continually ignore: that Palin is a mom -- not once, but five times over. How can this inconvenient truth be so easily dismissed? Five children -- count them -- including a special-needs boy with Down Syndrome.

I, for one, have never minimized the blood, sweat, and tears of the average mother. As a non-parent, I haven't the foggiest idea how moms do it. Truth be told, I declined parenthood partly out of pure fear of such things as the excruciating pain of labor. And let's not even go there about C-sections, episiotomies, and forceps.

That's not to mention that after childbirth, you have to actually raise the child, with no sleep and often an outside job. Feeding, burping, bathing, changing diapers, calming tantrums...to me, these feats of magic are more awesome than any trick from David Copperfield.

Looking at Palin's slender frame, it's hard to imagine her actually doing this not once, not twice, but five times. She was wiping spills and her kids' mouths at the same time as she was cleaning up Alaska. Of course, being a frontier woman, Palin can do it all.

Palin can do practically anything because this is how her parents raised her. Getting up at dawn with dad to hunt moose, little Sarah then dashed off to school and later basketball practice (even playing a championship game with a broken ankle). Somehow she eked out time for homework and a myriad of jobs.

I think that people underestimate Palin because she makes it all look so easy. She's a force of nature, and she does the seemingly impossible with her trademark sunniness. In America 2010, happy and functional people like Palin are perceived as dim.

Obama, in contrast, has spent his 48 years kvetching. A day rarely goes by during which Obama doesn't complain about George Bush or having to lower himself to talk to Republicans.

Every hardship is blamed on outside forces. Obama's parents abandoned him because of racism; he was benched from a high school sport due to injustice; his friends, like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., are treated unfairly.

And because of all this alleged persecution, liberals view Obama as the tough guy. In many people's messed up minds, the angry and aggrieved are viewed as the formidable ones.

Meanwhile, Palin just glides by like a majestic bird in flight. She's called a c--t, Trailer Trash Barbie, and a moron, but she just keeps going, like the fiercest prizefighter. Palin takes the punches, gets up, and keeps on rocking -- always with her effervescent smile.

There is nothing lightweight about her, our Alaskan Amazon, who once gave a speech in Dallas while in the throes of labor with Trig. Did you hear that? I'm talking labor, which I understand is like having one of those prizefighters throwing punches from deep inside. Are you listening, the insufferable Robert Gibbs?

Fool: Does it really matter if, at the time, she had some notes scribbled on her palm?

Can you imagine the carryings-on, the mass hysteria, if people like Obama or Gibbs or Maureen Dowd had to actually birth a human being? Would they even survive to tell the tale?

Yet what Palin does is hardly different from what mothers do every day in this country. Most moms are hardworking, resourceful, intuitive, and savvy -- and persistently underrated.

And one more thing: Mothers will move heaven and earth to protect and nurture their children. Palin embodies this warrior spirit towards not only her own kids, but all the children in this country -- and the grownups, too.

Can anyone in their [right] mind say the same thing about Obama?

Could this country be in more capable hands than the strong and loving ones of Sarah Palin?

Family Guy

I've been going back and forth internally over this whole Family Guy thing. First off, I really have no clue what on earth they were trying to say with the reference to Sarah Palin. I assume it was meant to be somewhat offensive, but it came off as just plain dumb.

I never watch the stupid show anyway. They probably just did it for ratings.

Palin herself didn't seem clear on who exactly they were targeting (I said this in my post about Bristol's response.) In the end, for the Palins, it doesn't really matter. If it hits home, it hits home. Period.

I'm sitting this one out. I can see it from both sides. Family Guy is a dumb cartoon that makes fun of everyone and everything. They were just doin' what they do. But I'm not going to sit here and pass judgment on the Palins either. I'm not going to tell them what they should feel.

I don't have anyone close to me with special needs, so in that way I can't relate, but I do have things and people in my life that I dearly love. And I know that when anyone, even offhandedly, says something disparaging about the people that I love, it's a silencer. A "kick in the gut" if you will.

"He is only more precious because he is vulnerable." - Palin at the RNC

I can't imagine the bond that must exist between a mother and a child, but especially, a child with special needs. As I said in the beginning, for Sarah Palin and her family, this is based more in emotion than it is in reason.

Now, some say that Sarah Palin shouldn't respond, etc... Well, it's up to her. Is she "thin-skinned?" This was her responding as a mom, not as a politician. Good gravy, she gets hit with hundreds of attacks on the airwaves and print. I'd say she's got some of the thickest skin in the business politically. As a Mom? Back off. Mama Grizzly ain't playin' games.

You know what I want? I want Rush Limbaugh to quit "helping" Sarah Palin so much and shut his big, fat mouth. I know he didn't mean anything by what he said. Rush was targeting Rahm Emanuel, not Palin's family. I know he was trying to point out how disgusting the language actually was. He does this all the time. Uses the language of the Left to shine light on how horrible it actually sounds, but he should know by now that the media always spins his stuff. If it was just him, fine, whatever. But now's he's got Palin up a tree over this. She can't defend her family without looking like a hypocrite. I can't help it; I'm ticked.

Thanks Rush. With friends like you, who needs enemies?

Tammy Bruce - Palin Derangement Syndrome

Tammy Bruce vid:

Palin's Speech to the Daytona Chamber of Commerce

The Orlando Sentinel reports on Palin's Chamber of Commerce speech here:
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Sarah Palin mixed auto-racing lingo with her main themes of energy, national security and Washington bashing during a Monday night speech to the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce that brought raucous applause from her loyal fans....

"There are potholes in the road," Palin said, reminding people of the hole that twice delayed the running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. "But we patch them up and keep moving forward...."

Addressing the chamber, she praised the Florida weather and the signature racing event, telling people that a visit to Daytona Beach was on many a person's bucket list. Her speech, with a theme on how to keep Daytona on a road to prosperity, chided Washington spending. "I think some people in Washington are addicted to O-P-M — other people's money," she said, scoring one of many rounds of applause.

She also strongly backed oil drilling, including the effort to open up drilling closer to Florida's coast. "Someone said a tourist wouldn't like seeing an oil drill so close to the beach, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she said. "That drill produces for America. It produces jobs."

Outgoing chamber president Ted Doran, during an easy-chair Q&A session after her speech, tried to lure Palin into making a President's Day revelation about her her political plans, but Palin offered only that she wanted to return next year and bring her husband, Todd, and her children to the Daytona 500. She has recently said that she would leave open the possibility of seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

A sold-out crowd of 2,000 people attended Monday night's event at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, paying $150 for dinner and the speech or $50 just for the speech.

Bristol Responds

"Here is her conscientious reply, which is a much more restrained and gracious statement than I want to make..."

Translation: "Get down on your knees and thank Heaven that Bristol is going to speak for me on this, because Mama Grizzly would rip you a new one."
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Sarah Palin: Fox Hollywood - What A Disappointment

People are asking me to comment on yesterday’s Fox show that felt like another kick in the gut.

Bristol was one who asked what I thought of the show that mocked her baby brother, Trig (and/or others with special needs), in an episode yesterday. Instead of answering, I asked her what she thought. Here is her conscientious reply, which is a much more restrained and gracious statement than I want to make about an issue that begs the question, “when is enough, enough?”:

“When you’re the son or daughter of a public figure, you have to develop thick skin. My siblings and I all have that, but insults directed at our youngest brother hurt too much for us to remain silent. People with special needs face challenges that many of us will never confront, and yet they are some of the kindest and most loving people you’ll ever meet. Their lives are difficult enough as it is, so why would anyone want to make their lives more difficult by mocking them?

As a culture, shouldn’t we be more compassionate to innocent people – especially those who are less fortunate? Shouldn’t we be willing to say that some things just are not funny? Are there any limits to what some people will do or say in regards to my little brother or others in the special needs community?

If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks.

- Bristol Palin”

- Sarah Palin

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A couple of observations. First off, it doesn't matter if you're a public figure or not, an attack involving your child does indeed feel like a "kick in the gut." The show was obviously attacking Sarah Palin in all of this. I wasn't sure if Sarah would respond or not, but clearly she has.

She didn't say anything about Stephen Colbert, I believe, because of the Rush Limbaugh controversy. But this apparently went too far. Palin has said over and over again that she doesn't care if you attack her, but if you touch her kids, even if to merely use them as a tool against her, she will respond.

I keep remembering the look on her face in Media Malpractice the moment after John showed her the SNL clip about the "two unwilling teenagers." She looked like someone had punched her square in the stomach. It took her a few seconds to recoup, and when she first responded her voice was small, like she'd had the wind knocked out of her.

As for Bristol, I concur: "If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks."

After the 2008 election, a company started making dolls named after the Obama's two daughters. Michelle Obama demanded that they stop. There was nothing malicious about the dolls, at least to my mind. But they're her children, therefore she sets the rules. People backed off, and rightly so. Respect what the mom wants.

When it comes to Sarah Palin, those rules don't apply.

As for whether or not the cartoon really was mocking Trig, it appears that Sarah herself is unsure, quote: "Show that mocked her baby brother, Trig (and/or others with special needs)." But when it comes to these things, emotion is more prevalent than reason. It feels like a kick in the gut, whether it was meant to mock Trig or not.

Palin's Foreign Policy

No, Palin does not think Obama should declare war on Iran just to boost his poll numbers. But that's not my topic right now. Today, I'm going to let the Beaufort Observer do the talking for me. In this article, they discuss Iran and Palin at the TPC:
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Last week may turn out to be one of the most important week's of our generation. Iran announced that it has the capability of producing a nuclear bomb.

Now we say "may turn out..." because it is possible they are bluffing. But they may not be. Either way it was potentially the worst defeat Barack Obama has suffered in his problem-plagued presidency.

If it was a bluff then Iran has made a fool of Obama and Hillary Clinton's repeated statements that "Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons." Thus, with a hostile nation that Obama has repeatedly contended he can negotiate with we are now faced with the fact that they have demonstrated that they do not fear any threat from Barack Obama. They have tested him (remember Joe Biden promising this?) and have proven him to be a paper tiger.

But worse, if they are correct and indeed they can build a bomb then the world has changed. It is not so much a threat in the next few years that they would drop atomic bombs on America as it is that they might do so on Israel and then we've got a problem. Even if they do not actually push the button it will nonetheless give them immunity to spread mayhem and support terrorists with immunity.

The only thing Iran now has to fear is not the United States or the United Nations. They have neutered both. But all they have to fear is their own people, and unfortunately Barack Obama has betrayed the democracy movement in Iran.

The irony is that last week's announcement is not being debated in the American media. Wonder why.

Well, that is likely to change in the next few weeks, thanks to Barack Obama's greatest nemisis: Sarah Palin.

Palin, in her speech to the National Tea Party Convention, knocked Obama's best national security pitch out of the park.

You didn't hear about in the Elite Media, but she has nonetheless exposed what will be Barack Obama's downfall if indeed we are correct on the implications of Iran's announcement. Whether it is a bluff or not.

If you want to read the story you have to go to the foreign press to get the story. Here it is The Jerusalem Post on Sarah Palin.

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In other news, I had someone remind me on Saturday to put up my Todd emails post. I'm working on it. I'm going to try and have it up by the end of the week. Lots of emails to go through. :)

Palin Doesn't Need Parenting Advice from Kathleen Parker

Great article here about Sarah's "exploitation" of Trig:
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This year Ms. Parker's "Valentine" to Sarah Palin, an article titled "Sarah Palin should beware of exploiting her youngest child" should send a thrill up at least one of Matthew's legs.

Ms. Parker concluded her catty article this way:

Perhaps the erstwhile governor still thinks in first-person plural, viewing Trig as part of herself. But he is also a separate individual deserving of privacy, if unable to say the words she needs to hear: 'No more, Mama, please.'

Another political mother, Hillary Clinton, made good on her commitment to protect her child's privacy. Agree with her politics or not, most Americans would concede her wisdom in shielding Chelsea from media exposure until her daughter could fend for herself.

In the spirit of which, speaking in second-person imperative -- mother to mother -- be careful, Sarah.

Mrs. Palin needs to continue to be herself...and wary of the advice of strangers pretending to be helpful and concerned about Mrs. Palin's youngest child, Trig.

Ms. Parker as a well-meaning Palin adviser?

Not while Ms. Parker is the favorite "conservative" of "Meet the Press."

Wikipedia: "Parker made news during the 2008 U.S. presidential election when she called on the Republican vice presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin, to step down from the party ticket, saying that a series of media interviews showed that Palin was 'clearly out of her league.'"

When it comes to using Mrs. Palin's youngest child, Ms. Parker is expert.

In "Palin Problem: She's out of her league" (September 26, 2008), Ms. Parker wrote:

If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.

What to do?

McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.

Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.

Do it for your country.

Ms. Parker obviously overcame her alleged reluctance and shamelessly played the Trig card (as well as the country and party cards), while professing to have a parental attitude toward Mrs. Palin.

Ms. Parker:

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Ms. Parker protested too much in 2008 and was no more persuasive this month in volunteering parental advice to Mrs. Palin supposedly for Trig's sake.

Ms. Parker:

Palin's defense of people with special needs is commendable. Her obvious love for -- and pride in -- her Down syndrome child, Trig, is touching. But each time she sallies forth as Mama Bear to America's special-needs citizenry, invoking Trig's name amid demands for her children's privacy, a bit of uneasiness slithers between text and subtext.

At what point do Palin's noble intentions become Trig's exploitation?

Ms. Parker proceeded to answer that herself: when Mrs. Palin did not criticize Rush Limbaugh as she had Rahm Emanuel.

Is Ms. Parker envious of Mrs. Palin?

Ms. Parker:

The genius of Palin's good-heartedness is she can't easily be criticized. Her public images as Mother and Politician are so entwined that to question one is to impugn the other. Equally unprofitable is any effort to impose perspective on her condemnations lest one appear to be defending the indefensible.

I'll take that as an acknowledgement that Ms. Parker is concerned with profit and appearance.

Professing concern that Trig might be upset by Mrs. Palin's public candor someday, Ms. Parker charged that "Palin herself has hardly been discreet regarding her youngest child," because "[s]he has spoken and written about her misgivings upon learning that she carried a Down syndrome baby. She told a pro-life crowd that she considered abortion and wasn't sure she could care for a child with special needs."

Ms. Parker:

Doubt always stalks conviction, but does it demand expression? Might Trig someday read his mother's abortion thoughts and find them hurtful?

Much more likely, Trig will think of Ms. Parker as a pathetic person so jealous of his mother as to try to use him to hurt his mother.

Ms. Parker's revealing word choice supports that conclusion:

Palin wasn't wrong about the inappropriateness of the remark, for which the president apologized to the Special Olympics before the segment aired. But were her objections primarily those of a wounded mother -- or those of a heat-seeking politician? Will we be hearing from Palin every time someone uses the R-word or makes a lame joke?

Ms. Parker could not bring herself to write that Mrs. Palin was right, but expressed the thought that Trig's mom is "a heat-seeking politician" exploiting the fact that he has Downs syndrome.

It's not easy being Mrs. Palin: the abortion crowd condemns you for not aborting Trig when you learned he had Downs syndrome and Ms. Parker depicts you as a political opportunist using Trig as "a political tool."

Ms. Parker:

Celebrities who embrace causes are valuable players in raising awareness and advancing policy. That said, the degree to which one uses another's circumstances to achieve those ends requires a studious self-awareness that seems lacking in the equation of Trig and his mother.

It is Ms. Parker who is lacking.

- Michael J. Gaynor

Valentine's Day, Hillbuzz Style

The Palin Phenomenon has done many odd things over the last two years. Not the least of which, it has me reading Hillbuzz.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would find myself proud to call the Hillbuzz boys blood brothers. Up until now, they've been pretty liberal guys who, obviously, love Hillary Clinton. I never darkened the door of their blog until C4P linked them.

I don't agree with them on many issues, but as I've said before, Sarah Palin is both a divider and a uniter. And she has brought together all kinds of people from all walks of life who are willing to put all else on the backburner in order to support her. When it comes to Sarah, we stand together.

So, I was reading Hillbuzz on Valentine's Day (I still can't believe I'm saying that), and I wanted to share some of what they had to say. It's long, but it's worth it:
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So, the meal was disappointing.

And so was the date because Charlton just wanted to talk about how much he hated Republicans and religious people all night.

Now, when Bast recounted the blind date for us back at Buzzquarters, as soon as Panda heard that, he grabbed a big pillow off the couch and plopped it on the floor, bellied up to it, and rested his chin in his palms because he thought he was going to get another of what he calls Bast’s “Julia Sugarbaker Moments”.

If any one of us is destined to get into a bar fight, it’s Bast. He’s the one who gets punched in the face for standing up for Sarah Palin, or for little Trig, when guys in Boystown are saying vulgar things about them. He’s the one who’s most fearless, and who. more than any of us, tells it like it is....

But, no Julia Sugarbaker moment came. Bast was polite, and let the stranger at the table with him have his say, but instead of hammering him back and telling him all he was doing was parroting the dreck from MSNBC or whatever, Bast took a different route. He asked Charlton why he thought Republicans were so evil and out to get gay people, since Charlton had said, “They want to kill us”.

Really?

When did they say they wanted that?

Charlton couldn’t answer, but he talked about Prop-8 in California instead.

Bast reminded him it was Dr. Utopia’s voters that passed Prop-8…on Election Day 2008, when Dr. Utopia carried the state by a healthy margin. So, HIS voters voted FOR Prop-8. Dr. Utopia did nothing to stop them from voting FOR bigotry…and he’s done nothing to help spousal rights efforts in any state since then.

Charlton didn’t have much to say on that, but kept reiterating that Republicans “would kill us if they had the chance” and “would send us to gas chambers”. He has nothing to support that. He just says it. Again and again. Becuase it’s what he’s been taught in the LGBTQ community.

The funny thing is, all of us here used to be like this, before 2008.

You would think it would be easy to remember what it was like to be Charlton, because 2008 was not so long ago, but we’re honestly different guys today. We don’t even recognize our old selves....

“I don’t know who you are anymore,” is what Jason said to Robby, before trying to launch into that tired, old, chestnut of “Republicans and religious nuts are trying to kill us”, just like Charlton did.

Whenever any of us ask Liberals when Republicans have tried to kill anyone, there’s just a moment of silence, and then they launch into the “they won’t let us get married” stuff, and when we rebut that, it’s usually just a personal attack on us that comes next…as in, “I don’t know who you are!”, “What kind of gay man are you?”, “What’s wrong with you?”.

It’s a weird time in our lives, because we’re not Republicans and never will be. We’re close to not being Democrats any more…so for all intents and purposes we’re Independents.

Never saw that coming....

That’s why we insist “Republicans: Not As Evil As You Think” is such a great slogan to use for the GOP in our circles. Because it hits directly at what so many gays believe, without ever thinking.

We’re determined to do something with that “Not As Evil As You Think” this year…because if we can shake that belief in the gay community, somehow, all bets could be off.

The only thing that’s keeping guys voting Democrat over and over is the fact they are all brainwashed to believe Democrats are good, and Republicans are evil.

Take that simplism out of play, and who knows what will happen....

It’s hard to make friends in Boystown if you, like us, leave this little world and come back changed by the reality that America is much more important than party identity, and that people aren’t evil and trying to kill us because they go to church and love their God.

As we’ve said many times here, the absolute worst any Republican or “religious nut”, as Boystown calls them, ever did to us was say, “Boys, you ain’t right, I’l gonna pray for y’all and then you’ll get yourselves some nice wives and be normal”.

That was said to us in Texas, with a great big smile behind it, and a light in the man’s eyes because he meant this as a huge favor — and that he seriously WANTED to help us because he liked us.

It’s like we had cancer and he was saying he was going to pray and make the tumor go away so we could walk again…pray so that God would fix us. Because we are broken.

What we’re going to say right now took two years for us to get to, but we honestly see the LOVE, not the hate, in that comment. We’re taught in Boystown that a religious Texan saying something like that hates gays, hates us, wants to kill us....

Do Democrats ever say, “I’m going to hope you see things our way and come around to our thinking, and then you will be all right”? Nope. They shout. They harass. They libel. They physically threaten and try to intimidate. Then, they fly into rages.

Like crazy people.

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Interesting stuff.

Oh, and I see the boys embedded my Bob and Mark birthday video. I doubt they know it's mine, but that's okay. I love what they had to say about it:

In this radio piece, done for Sarah Palin’s birthday, the hosts in Alaska bring up the book “Rendezvous with Destiny”, which is about Ronald Reagan’s 1980 run for the presidency.

Has anyone read it?

The hosts talk about all the similarities between now and then, and between Palin and Reagan at this point.

They also talk about how stupid the MSM is…and how easily Palin gets under their skin. She jokes about writing things on her hand that she wants the press to talk about, and how they just fall for whatever she sets them up for. The woman plays those Leftists like a harp. It’s wonderful.

Palin also talks about going to Daytona for NASCAR, mentions Piper’s in the play “Annie”, and that Todd is getting ready for the Iron Dog race (February 19th).

We’re really curious to read “Rendezvous with Destiny” now…and realized that the whole time we were listening to this radio clip, we were smiling wide and hanging on every word the Governor said.

2012 can’t get here soon enough folks. 32 years after Reagan beat Carter, history looks set to repeat itself.

Thanks to Cruela, who I'm sure never reads my blog, for the heads up on the interview. :)

The Hillbuzz boys earlier had some good posts on their hate mail from the Left and their defense of Trig here and here.

Where Was Todd?

I can hear it now: "Todd wasn't at the Daytona 500! And on Valentine's Day! They really do hate each other!"

Oh, shut up.

To put it simply, nothing comes between a man and his snowmachine. Daytona will just have to wait.
Todd is back in Alaska gearing up for the Iron Dog. JohnDoeAt30Below over on C4P even talked to him on Saturday:

Had a long talk with Todd yesterday, he looks fit and ready. I told him how proud I was of him, Sarah and the family for handling all the mud slung at him and I told him I thought it would have ended by now. He just said, "That goes to show you how much the media tries to control things."

FWIW, Todd is essentially a pretty quiet guy and doesn't like to discuss politics. Talk snow or hunting or the outdoors and his eyes light up.

Todd has to get ready for the Iron Dog. Tech inspection/autograph session yesterday afternoon, starting draw and banquet last night.

Well, there ya go.

The race itself kicks off on the 21st and ends on the 27th. Go Piper's dad!

Daytona Vid and Articles

Okay, many, much articles to go through, and I'm sure there'll be more to come.

The following are article excerpts. Articles linked from the numbers:
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1. Palin said she was "having fun and not thinking about the politics of this," but didn't miss the chance to energize her base in one of the most critical regions of the largest swing state.

"This is awesome," she said. "It's all-Americana event. Good, patriotic, wonderful event that's bringing a whole lot of people together. I think this is good for our country."

Sporting a black coat, blue jeans and heels -- no hand notes -- the self-described "hockey mom" got the full experience in her first visit to the Daytona 500.

She sat through the pre-race driver meeting, muscled her way through pit road, took to the stage on the infield and wished drivers a safe race. She drew roars from throngs of racing fans, many shouting "We love you, Sarah!"

Palin wasn't with her husband, Todd, on Valentine's Day. She told the crowd he was back in Alaska preparing for the Iron Dog snowmobile race.

"Whether it's racing cars, dogs, snow machines, it's an event like this that brings all Americans together," she said.

"We've got our snow-machine races up there. This is, of course, on a much greater scale," she said. "Same type of sport, though, same type of risk-taking, speed-loving all-American event that we participate up north. We love it. You bet."

Even some of the biggest names in NASCAR and entertainment couldn't resist her.

Seven-time Daytona 500 winner Richard Petty posed for a photo, singers Tim McGraw and Harry Connick Jr. greeted her, and everybody from Army members and Marines to autograph-seeking fans and kids in wheelchairs got hugs and handshakes.

Crew members on pit road even took a break from changing tires, some stunned to see Palin walking through their familiar domain before the race.

"If you run (for president) in 2012, you've got my vote," one told Palin, shaking her hand.

That was perhaps the biggest bonus of Palin's visit.


2. Many at Daytona shouted “We love you, Sarah!” Florida has 27 electoral votes and it’s conceivable Palin will run for president in 2012.

3. A Tim McGraw concert in the infield, thousands of workers with flags and giant photos of past NASCAR champs, introductions of VIPs, including Sarah Palin, who received, as you might suspect, a warm welcome in NASCARWorld.

4. Palin-mania easily surpassed Danica-mania at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.

While Patrick got all the headlines for the better part of two weeks, she had no stake in the Daytona 500. Palin did, and as a VIP guest for the race, she ate up all the attention.

When she arrived for the drivers meeting, Palin was immediately mobbed. She briefly chatted with Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, shook hands with supporters and smiled big.

She took a seat up front next to Harry Connick Jr., who sang the national anthem for the race. When NASCAR president Mike Helton acknowledged her as a special guest, she got the largest ovation from the room, packed from the front to the back with drivers, team members, support personnel and onlookers.

After sitting through the meeting, Palin could not get out the door. Fans mobbed her, asking for pictures and autographs. Her 12-person entourage, comprised of track security, a policeman, friends and spokespeople, tried to get her to the door and to her next appearance. But Palin could not help herself, and kept signing and posing for pictures.

Even when she was able to get out the door, she stopped every few feet to take pictures. One fan asked where her husband, Todd, was on Valentine's Day. Palin said he couldn't make it because he's in Alaska preparing for the Iron Dog, the world's longest snow-mobile race.

As she got moving again, Palin stopped when she saw a boy in a wheelchair to say hello and sign an autograph. As she walked ahead, she answered two questions about attending her first Daytona 500.

"This is awesome," said a slim Palin, wearing designer jeans, a smart charcoal coat and sky-high black stiletto heels. "It's an All-Americana event. A good, patriotic, wonderful event that's bringing a whole lot of people together. I think it's good for our country."

When asked what a trip to a swing state like Florida does for her political ambitions, the former Alaska governor said, "Haven't thought a darn thing about the politics of this. I'm thinking about this good, active, speed-loving event that a lot of Alaskans, too, are really into. We've got our snow-machine races up there, and this is, of course, on a much greater scale, same type of sport though, same type of breath-taking, speed-loving, All-American event that we like to see up north."

Palin, in town to speak at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday and sign copies of her book, "Going Rogue," continued on toward the track, stopping to take pictures with soldiers, firemen, men, women and children. She entered pit road and stopped to meet Richard Petty. Then she made her way to the tri-oval stage in front of the grandstands, where she delivered a 30-second message that roused the crowd.

As she tried to make her way out, Palin kept stopping for her fans, who shouted, "We love you, Sarah!" Her spokespeople kept screaming, "We gotta go! We gotta go!" But Palin kept obliging, relishing all the love.

Happy Valentine's Sunday!

Good morning, and Happy Valentine's Day, all you crazy love birds out there!

If you just started following me, you should know that every Sunday I try to post a vid or two from Palin's past. Mostly off-the-beaten path stuff that not everyone may have heard. If you're a die hard, you've probably heard it, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again. If you know someone that hasn't heard it, spread it around.

I've also recently taken out some of the video bars on the right side of the page. They were useful when they updated with the latest vids, but lately they've just been sitting on the first vids of a particular You Tube account, and that's useless. I left up Machosauce because those videos are good, no matter how old they are.

I've got two new video windows up now under my You Tube channel link. The first is my channel. If you click play, it'll automatically play the latest upload. If you scroll over, on the bottom right you'll see an arrow. You can go back to earlier vids using that. The other video player is for the Bob and Mark Show. Just some random stuff from those guys. That channel won't be updated as often.

So, here's today's feature, Governor Palin on the Michael Dukes Show in Alaska on July 10, 2009. I'm posting this one in honor of Sarah's recent stump for Rick Perry, because Ted Nugent calls in. There's five vids in all, and they should automatically follow each other:


Now we go waaaay back to October 3rd, 2006. This just happens to be one of my favorites. The Bob and Mark Show call up a certain woman who's running for Governor:


And finally, well, it is Valentine's Day:



Believe it or not, that's one of the only music vids of Todd and Sarah I could find.