Your next president?

[wtdoor67]

Thursday, October 2
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) — Sarah Palin and her husband have pieced together a uniquely Alaskan income that reached comfortably into six figures even before she became governor, capitalizing on valuable fishing rights, a series of land deals and a patchwork of other ventures to build an above-average lifestyle.
Add up the couple's 2007 income and the estimated value of their property and investments and they appear to be worth at least $1.2 million. That would make the Palins, like Democratic vice presidential rival Joe Biden and his wife Jill, well-off but not nearly as wealthy as multimillionaire couples John and Cindy McCain and, to a lesser extent, Barack and Michelle Obama.

One measure of financial health: While there is a home loan, Palin reported no personal credit card debt on her most recent financial report as Alaska governor. That compares to average household credit card debt among Americans of $9,840 last year.

A more complete picture will come when Sarah Palin outlines her personal finances in federal paperwork in coming days. It will include details of any mortgage debt and at least rough dollar totals for bank accounts and investments.

Palin this week characterized herself as "an everyday, working-class American" who knows how it feels when the stock market takes a hit.

The Palins' total income last year was split almost evenly between Sarah Palin's white-collar job and her husband's


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blue-collar work. Sarah Palin's salary as governor was $125,000; Todd Palin took in $46,790 as a part-time oil production operator for BP Alaska in Prudhoe Bay, plus $46,265 in commercial fishing income and $10,500 in Iron Dog snowmachine race winnings. These figures do not include nearly $17,000 in per diem payments Palin received for 312 nights spent in her own home since she was elected governor; she also has received $43,490 to cover travel costs for her husband and children

Poor little old hockey mom hasn't done to bad, has she? Middle class values. Oh my yes.

[wtdoor67]

Paying Insurgents Not to Fight

By Paul Craig Roberts

19/02/08 "ICH" -- -- It is impossible to keep up with all the Bush regime’s lies. There are simply too many. Among the recent crop, one of the biggest is that the “surge” is working.

Launched last year, the "surge" was the extra 20,000-30,000 U.S. troops sent to Iraq. These few extra troops, Americans were told, would finally supply the necessary forces to pacify Iraq.

This claim never made any sense. The extra troops didn't raise the total number of U.S. soldiers to more than one-third the number every expert has said is necessary in order to successfully occupy Iraq.

The real purpose of the "surge" was to hide another deception. The Bush regime is paying Sunni insurgents $800,000 a day not to attack U.S. forces. That's right, 80,000 members of an "Awakening group," the "Sons of Iraq," a newly formed "U.S.-allied security force" consisting of Sunni insurgents, are being paid $10 a day each not to attack U.S. troops. Allegedly, the Sons of Iraq are now at work fighting al-Qaeda.

This is a much cheaper way to fight a war. We can only wonder why Bush didn't figure it out sooner.

The "surge" was also timed to take account of the near completion of neighborhood cleansing. Most of the violence in Iraq during the past five years has resulted from Sunnis and Shi'ites driving each other out of mixed neighborhoods. Had the two groups been capable of uniting against the U.S. troops, the U.S. would have been driven out of Iraq long ago. Instead, the Iraqis slaughtered each other and fought the Americans in their spare time.

In other words, the "surge" has had nothing to do with any decline in violence.

With the Sunni insurgents now on Uncle Sam's payroll, with neighborhoods segregated, and with Sadr's militia standing down, it is unclear who is still responsible for ongoing violence other than U.S. troops themselves. Somebody must still be fighting, however, because the U.S. is still conducting air strikes and is still unable to tell friend from foe



McCain brags about how the surge is working. Here's why.

Paul Craig Roberts is a former assistant sec. of the Treasury during the Reagan administration.

[wtdoor67]

In presidential debate, McCain used what might now be the second most famous congressional earmark (behind Alaska’s “Bridge to Nowhere” - the $3 million study of grizzly bear DNA in Montana - as an example of wasteful overspending by Congress. In the debate, McCain actually referred to it as “criminal.” Such bashing of the bear study has been part of his standard stump speech for a long time. I’ve heard it several times before the first great debate of 2008. Click here to see a McCain ad calling the bear study earmark “unbelievable.”

Here’s what McCain didn’t say, and what Palin won’t say.

When the grizzly bear DNA earmark came up for a vote in the U.S. Senate, McCain not only did nothing to try to remove it from the spending bill, but he actually voted for it. I guess he forgot to mention that little detail.

And his running mate, the governor of Alaska being billed as a reformer who fights against earmarks, officially requested a very similar earmark, $3.2 million to study “the genetics of harbor seals.” This was part of a long list of requested earmarks, totaling nearly $200 million

[IronLine]

The Strawberry/Banana is pretty good man I love the idea that cutting taxes is going to help the economy. Look at our economy now. Look at the unemlpoyment rates. Just this year we have lost close to 1million jobs. And what has been the economic policy so far...? Cut..Uhm..What were they again? Oh yeah. Cut Taxes. Its a proven system! Lets take a look back at the 90's, taxes were higher, but the economy was friggin' booming, what is unclear about this situation?

[Heavy]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/...e8a3dc.jpg?v=0

[yiwork]

Is this HAL from 2001 A space Odyssey?


You know those were my thoughts exactly.

He must write that stuff down, parse it and then finally put it in print. I welcomed him at first but damn, getting anal on us. He may start quoting Billy Shakespear on us before long. Damn shore ain't no Joe Bob is he?

TO BE JOE BOB OR NOT TO BE ANAL IN THE VACUM OF SPACE, THAT SEEMS THE QUESTION…..

Once again, I find fascination in the thoughts provoked as the result of my postings. It appears I evoke “alienation” through either “anatomical parts” or 1 and/or 2 psychoanalysis in “Freudian” theory because I lack the “Hillbilly” chromosome.

Truth be told, I am no different from all of you. I happen to enjoy the English language and the opportunity to display (show off) my limited control. This is my form of mental exercise and the consequences are a larger vocabulary resulting in improved communication skills. I do not accept contempt and will continue to voice my annoyance when I judge necessary. Whether you accept my writing style is irrelevant, the subject is the Presidential election.

Whew!!!!! Now, How about the Vice-Presidential debate??? You cannot deny the Governor from Alaska demonstrated intelligence and bravery. After all, her adversary, the slick Senator from Delaware, is a living lesson in Washington politics. I felt the good Governor connected with the people detailing her accomplishments and Republican platform. On the other hand, the long time Senator seemed determined to debate George W Bush with minimal success. He was unable to make the total correlation, which seemed his ultimate goal. He would have been better served discussing his accomplishments of the previous 36 years, which re-enforce the Democratic platform. Both were firm, professional and courteous demonstrating mutual respect. I look forward to the effects this has on Tuesday’s Presidential debate.

[Stick-it]

Governor Palin dodged questions, misstated facts, regurgitated rehearsed answers, and showed her true inability to come up with her OWN thoughts and rationalizations. She reinforced the fact that she is truly unfit to be vice-president, let alone President of the United States of America. She gave a debate performance that any average college graduate could have spewed with weeks of cramming and coaching. Unimpressive and terrifying to say the least. Notice that she is not scheduled for any media appearances (Fox News, recorded, or in any other form) at all in the near future. Damn liberal media. Damn facts.

Anyone who denies the fact that Sarah Palin is a political, irrational, insulting, and selfish choice to be a vice-presidential running mate, in my opinion, should not be allowed to vote. Aw, why not? Give her the football. Country first????

[Heavy]

After watching this debate, I am convinced that if the country somehow has a collective mental meltdown and elects Sarah Palin, she will be even more dangerous than Cheney. Not only does she want more power for herself than the Constitution grants -- or than Cheney took for himself -- but she is so obviously not equipped to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, it takes your breath away that McCain picked her. He claims to be putting his country first, but the debate proved beyond any doubt that he has actually chosen to put his country on the betting line and roll the dice. And they've come up snake eyes

[wtdoor67]

This debate was anticipated by a lot of people. I thought each once stuck to their preplanned script. Most folks were just curious about Palin I think. Most pundits give the edge to Biden. I expect he was cautioned not to show any contempt towards her and not to be to verbose. I am sure in private he must have been amused by her lack of depth.

Her "record" is very shallow when you check a lot of resources. The population of Wasilla was stretched as much as possible so as to give her some respect. All the records I have checked seem to indicate it could not have been more that 5 or 6 thousand pop. Now gents, really that ain't very big. Wasilla is not really a bonafide town with many shops and businesses downtown etc. but only an incorporation of a lot of housing additions. Her tenure on the oil and gas commission was only about a year. The "Bridge to Nowhere", has proven to be a farce. She was for it until the Govt. shit canned it and then she suddenly became against it. The gas line across Canada is far in the future and may never be built.

The "you betchas", winking etc. I just thought was silly. The thing that did it for me was that with Katy Couric that Palin could not even name a few news publications etc. that she read on a regular basis. Instead she just went off on a stupid tangent that made no sense and actually implied that she probably didn't read anything on a regular basis. Why in hell couldn't she just have named her local paper and maybe the Wallstreet Journal or some such publication? Pretty pitiful.

If Obama had 1/2 the personal baggage of McCain he would never have been considered for pres. If McCain had not been the son of an Academy grad and later Admiral he would have been kicked out of Annapolis. He probably would not have been in A4's and A1 E's if he hadn't have had connections. After the first phase of flight instruction the first choice is given to the top tier of the class. They usually choose fighters, that's why he wound up in A1 E's and A4's. Incidentally most want to refer to him as a fighter pilot. As far as I can determine, he never was. All he ever flew was attack planes which are light bombers. Fighter pilot sounds more daring though. By his own account McCain was quite a womanizer even while he was married. It seems that he was an adulterer in his early relationship with his current wife. The fact she was a rich heiress was a plus. No he has always done as he pleased and used ever connection he could.

Obama has come up the hard way with a good amount of intelligence and likewise his wife. No comparison in my book with McCain. If he wins in Nov. he will inherit the worst mess since FDR succeeded Hoover during the depression. He will need all the help he can get.

[wtdoor67]

The "hard" way huh?.......

THAT has got to be the most asinine statement you've posted yet. And you've posted alot of em.

That elitest mealy mouth bastard hasen't known The "Hard" way, a single day of his shitty liberal assed life.

I would not be able to count the number of asinine statements you have made Mr. Technical.

I should have stated it. On his own merits I guess. All ("I was a prisoner in N. Vietnam) McCain ever used was his family connections.

However unlike you, I expect Obama probably had some help along the way.