Good Job Gary....[UPDATE]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/palin_troopergate

An Alaska Inquiry found that Palin abused her power in dismissing the Public Safety Commissioner of Alaska who allegedly refused to fire Palin's brother in-law, a state trooper. Palin's brother in-law was involved in a custody suit with Palin's sister and allegations have arisen that Palin wanted him fired, but that the Public Safety Commissioner refused to do so. Thus, the Public Safety Commissioner was removed. Palin alleges that it was a legitimate removal, as part of a budgetary issue.

The bipartisan inquiry panel thought otherwise. Now the State's Personnel Board has to decide whether or not she violated state law.

Naturally Palin/McCain supporters want the inquiry delayed until after the election.

I however, wish that John McCain would just find a new VP and admit that she sucks.

UPDATE: Alaska is an at-will employment State, as Jayson points out. However, all states, except for 8 (Alaska is not one of the eight), require that firings must not violate public or state policy. Therefore an employee must be fired for actual cause and the firing must not violate state policy/law. Further, Alaska also employs a good-faith requirement in firing (this is contract law and applies to employment agreements), which essentially means that an employee must be fired for actual cause. Therefore, if an employee feels they were wrongfully terminated, an inquiry is appropriate to determine whether or not there was a good-faith belief in the firing of the employee by the employer.

In conclusion, if there was a reasonable question of whether or not the firing occurred in good-faith, an inquiry is proper.

Precisely

They get an easy job not having to write much of a script.

I almost think that I should vote GOP just so I can laugh every Saturday night...but then again I'll cry Sunday through Friday....

The Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart

Maybe there's one for Biden, but I doubt it's nearly this awesome (or accurate).

Joey @ StraightBangin never ceases to have great posts (that I steal from).

(Halfway) Live Blogging the VP Debate

• Palin just asked if she could call Senator Biden, "Joe." Apparently she doesn't realize that's not proper. People earned their titles, in the same way she earned she earned her title of Mayor, then Governor. And don't give me the anti-elitist tone. That doesn't fly.
• Palin just gave some strange story about talking economics at a children's soccer game. Strange....
• Biden noted how McCain said that our economy is strong two weeks before the big crash. Good point.
• Biden is early on to acknowledge his respect for McCain. Good stuff.
• Does Palin know who Obama is? Maybe she's seen him before. That could make her an Obama Expert....
  
• Palin countered that he was refering to the workforce of America. Suuuuuure...
  
• Both candidates just got chewed by the moderator for not responding to a question.
• Biden slipped and went for Palin's throat. Tsk tsk "Joe." Everyone, including your team, acknowledged that you shouldn't do that. Looks like he lost his cool.
• Palin just went off and said she didn't care to respond to either Biden or the moderator.....Is it cause she doesn't know the answer?
• Palin stated Obama voted for tax increases 94 times.
• Biden countered that she was completely wrong.
• Palin likes to bring up her time as mayor and governor.....
  
• Biden just name dropped on some guy he met at a gas station....okay.....
• Biden does not like the word "characterized," which came out as "char, cha, cha, cha, charaaacterized."
• Palin just said "how long have I been at this? Like 5 weeks. I'm going to do what's best for America." ummm....isn't that kind of general. And isn't that kind of subjective.
• Both candidates keep talking about the top of the ticket (like they're supposed to). It's kind of annoying...but as they say, it is what it is.
• Substance (Biden) vs. buzzwords (Palin) vs. subjective statistics (Both)....
• "It's a toxic mess on main street that's effecting Wall Street...." come again?
• Both candidates have claimed that their top of the ticket knew there was a problem with the subprime mortgage lending. Suuuuuuuure.
  
• "Quote, I'm paraphrasing." - Biden
• "I'm not sure, but I believe that McCain feels that way...." ummm....why don't you just not say anything Biden.
• Palin dodged another question to go back to her stock answers
• Palin wanted to talk about energy independence....I'm pretty sure that both sides feel the same way.
• Palin half thinks man is involved in global warming...and half climate fluctuation.....Oh there's "energy independence again.....then she acknowledged that hydro carbons are a problem.....
• Biden has a problem with plurals and other grammar mechanics.
• Palin has a problem seeming like a weirdo.
• Biden's attacking Palin again...she's clearly getting to him.
• "People are so hungry for domestic sources of energy to be tapped into." - Palin. I didn't know I was hungry...but thank you.
• The word "rape" was just used by Palin....speaking of rape.....how about those rape kits.
• Biden claimed he's supported clean coal energy over 25 years. Wonder if that's true.
• Biden wants to export clean coal technology to China....interesting
• Biden just said we should give same-sex couples rights. I guaranty a lot of people just got really irked by that comment. But then he reined it in with "Constitutional rights."
• The moderator has a horrible teal jacket on.
• Palin likes to draw out her responses with narrative sentences that premise her response. It appears that she's trying to use up some clock.
• Biden got points back by saying "Barack Obama and I do not support same-sex marriages."
• So in the end both parties think that homosexuals should have Constitutional rights, but not much else....but took about 5 mintues to get that out.
  
• Palin does not know what Biden just said.....
• Palin is avoiding another quesiton with an overly long premise to an answer.
• Palin just gave Biden credit...nice.
• She just claimed Shia extremists are attacking us in Iraq....we will need to confirm that one...
• It's interesting that both parties think that Iraqis really want American Imperiaism within their borders...
• "ummmm.....your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq." - Palin
• "Talibani." - Palin. Am I missing something?
• Biden is getting visibly flustered by Palin's comments. It seems like he knows he's politically superior to her. He's really firing back at her. "John McCain has been dead wrong...I love him....but he's been dead wrong."
• Biden keeps calling McCain "John." So I guess neither side is keeping up with appearances tonight.
• Biden rolled into foreign policy issues that aren't just related to Iraq...uh oh Palin.
• Palin still thinks that the central war on terror was in Iraq....there IS a thing called bad intel Governor....
• "Awkmadenajad." She is not pronouncing that right....
  
• How does Palin know what is naive when it comes to dealing with foreign leaders, enemy or friendly? Did she have a policy on that prior to five weeks ago?
• Palin says she favors diplomacy, but thinks that it's a bad idea to talk to our enemies....so she means "selective diplomacy."
• "People that hate America because of our freedom...." - Palin. CAN WE PLEASE GET RID OF THAT THEORY?! IT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE. IT'S IGNORANT!
• Biden just said that McCain won't sit down with the government of Spain. If that's true, McCain is getting more and more senile.
• Biden just claimed he's Israel's best friend...and he did it in the third-person.
  
• Biden says "Bush's" very awkwardly
• Palin gave a general response to a nuclear weapons...then decided to switch to Afghanistan...it's clear that she has been coached for this debate on specific points.
• Biden just refered to himself in the third person again. He needs to stop
• "I think the American public has a stomach for success." - Biden. WHAT?!
• "I guess I'm just a Washington outsider and I don't understand how you operate." - Palin.
  
• "John McCain...who knows how to win a war." - Palin. I have no comment on this.
• I wonder what Biden would really do if he took over as President.
• I do not even want to think about what Palin would do if she took over as President.....
• Biden just claimed that this is the most important Presidential election since 1932.
• I love how Palin keeps calling it "a team of mavericks." Let's get things straight, McCain's the maverick...you're....the moose hunter.....
• She just refered to Wasilla, Main Street. NO ONE CARES ABOUT ALASKA! ALAKSA DOESN'T REPRESENT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC!
• Biden apparently spends a lot of time at the Home Depot...I feel like that has got to be extremely exagerated (or completely false). Bad attempt at connecting with the every-man
  
• Biden keeps refering to Scranton specifically....
• "Say it ain't so Joe..." - Palin. Again...I'm silent and drowning in second-hand embarassment.
• Palin is GOING WAY OFF and giving shout outs....SHUT UP. PLEASE SHUT UP and answer the question.
• Biden got called out for saying he'd never be VP. HA!
  
• Palin is giving the elementary school definition of the VP's role...and now going off on a strange and confusing tangent.
• Palin just said John McCain "tapped" her....I don't think she knows what the contemporary usage of that word means...
• Biden claims Cheney is the most dangerous VP in the nation's history. I'd say shooting someone in the face has made that true...
• Apparently being a business owner is now also executive experience. No offense Jayson, but I would NEVER vote for you as President.
• Palin was asked about her weaknesses and just talked about how she is awesome...she is. I'm interested in Biden's response
• "others talk about my excessive passion...." - Biden talking about his weaknesses.....
• Biden got so mad, he interjected and said "let's talk about the Maverick!"
• Biden is now defending his hammering of Bork
• Palin continues to talk about her time as a mayor. And I continue to shake my head in disgust....
• Palin claims that she has never had to compromise on things. She also seems to infer that Alaska is a utopia.
• Pretty cool how Biden talked about not questioning motive, but rather questioning judgment. I like the subtle difference
• It's interesting that Palin is talking about increased spending.....while the US Government apparently spends 10 million per month on the war in Iraq....it's gotta mean something.
• Palin apparently doesn't like having her words disected.....does she realize what happens the further she goes into this?
• "I've always...been....proud...to be an American." - Palin. Thank you for the song quote
• I'm actually thankful this is closing down....

It was interesting......both sides said some stupid stuff.....

Just Say "I Don't Know" and Move On!

PLEASE STOP DEFENDING HER.

The best response is, "I don't know." And leave it at that. Or say, "The Court has a position in the political realm. It's a system of checks and balances. And while some times the ebb and flow of things shifts power into the Courts hands, that is the way our government is designed. I may not always agree with it. I may feel that the Constitution should be read literally and is not a living a breathing document, the Court has it's place in the pantheon of politics."

Or just ramble on aimlessly and dodge the question.

Does she even know what a Constitution is?

Does she know how the federal court system works?

Does she understand the principals of federalism? (She kind of hints at it, but on a very lay level).

Does she know what a "case" is?

I suppose I'll hear the words "it's not important to understand how the Supreme Court works...that's not what the purpose of a VP is."

I want a VP that at least knows whats going on. I bet you if you asked her a pop culture question she might be able to answer that.

Please GOP. Redact her and bring someone else in. It's never too late to admit there's someone better.....

Hold Me, I'm Scared

what the hell is she talking about?!?!!??

Summing Up What's Happened So Far

I did not write this. But I agree with a lot of it. Although the blind right-wingers will put some spin on this.

It's important to say that I am not a certified left winger. I consider myself a centrist. Which is the purpose of much of my writings is to show that there is bias. That there are a million ways that the media and the right or left spins things. For a long time though, I've been overwhelmed by the right wing. Let's take an example of what I've seen first-hand.

My friend Jayson likes to tell me to watch FoxNews since they're so fair and balanced. But in watching this morning with Jim, I see "Hurricane Ike will be a category 4 storm by the time it hits land." Umm, really? Cause EVERY other news station, nationally and locally is saying category 2 or category 3. So where did this information come from. Then there's the photo they showed of what Houston will look like-post storm....half of it gone. Again, they're the only one predicting eminent disaster...Strange isn't it. The FoxNews hype train doesn't just end with politics, but all facets of society. Go ahead and try and explain it my friend....but really, when you're sitting here, waiting for the storm to hit, and FoxNews is blasting falsities while EVERY OTHER MEDIA OUTLET IS NOT....it really discredits anything that they report.

Anyway, without further ado, (quasi) objective views vs. Right-Wing Spin.

If you are a Democratic male candidate who is popular with millions of people you are an “arrogant celebrity”. If you are a popular Republican female candidate you are “energizing the base”.

If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “token hire.” If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”

Black teen pregnancies? A “crisis” in black America . White teen pregnancies? A “blessed event.”

If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.” Grow up in Alaska eating moose-burgers, you’re the quintessential “American story.”

Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.” Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”

If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the individual you’re “reckless.” A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”
If you spend 3 years as a community organizer growing your organization from a staff of 1 to 13 and your budget from $70,000 to $400,000, then become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new African American voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, then spend nearly 8 more years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, becoming chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, then spend nearly 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of nearly 13 million people, sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you are woefully inexperienced.

If you spend 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, then spend 20 months as the governor of a state with 650,000 people, then you’ve got the most executive experience of anyone on either ticket, are the Commander in Chief of the Alaska military and are well qualified to lead the nation should you be called upon to do so because your state is the closest state to Russia.

If you are a younger male candidate who thinks for himself and makes his own decisions you are “presumptuous.” If you are an older male candidate who makes last minute decisions you refuse to explain, you are a “shoot from the hip” maverick.

If you are a candidate with a Harvard law degree you are “an elitist-out of touch” with the real America. If you are a legacy (dad and grand dad were admirals) graduate of Annapolis, with multiple disciplinary infractions, you are a hero.

If you manage a multi-million dollar nationwide campaign, you are an “empty suit”. If you are a part time mayor of a town of 7000 people, you are an “experienced executive”.

If you go to a south side Chicago church, your beliefs are “extremist”. If you believe in creationism and don’t believe global warming is man-made, you are “strongly principled”.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian. If you have been married to the same woman whom you’ve been wed to for 19 years and raising 2 beautiful daughters with, you’re “risky”.

If you’re a black single mother of 4 who waits for 22 hours after her water breaks to seek medical attention, you’re an irresponsible parent, endangering the life of your unborn child. But if you’re a white married mother who waits 22 hours, you’re spunky.

If you’re a 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton, the right-wing press calls you
“First Dog.” If you’re a 17-year-old pregnant unwed daughter of a Republican, the right-wing press calls you “beautiful” and “courageous.”

Jim Should Start His Own Blog....

....and Karl Rove should just pound his head against the wall a million times.



Watch to about 1:20...then tell me that's not ultimate hypocrisy.

Uhmmmm, What?!

I awoke this morning to a g-chat message from Zach, talking about McCain's VP choice. I was confused. Low and behold, McCain had in fact picked his running mate.....

The Pros for McCain - it's hard for Obama to attack Palin too much without hurting his chances with female voters on the fence. Appeals to Hillary supporters who are on the fence (and are bitter Hillary didn't get the nomination....)

The Cons for McCain - this women is hardly qualified to be VP, she is already being investigated for ethics, and she pretty much embodies everything McCain claims Obama is: a politician with minimal experience.....

I'd write more, but I don't feel like reading up to get all of the facts, and then re-typing them on here. It's an interesting election. I'm sure (MC) Karl Rove has something up his dirty sleeve. Let's hope it doesn't work. This is just bad news bears all day.