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Palin Coward Clock Starts Ticking
Sarah Palin is an able liar, as her acceptance speech showed. She may be a coward, too, at least when it comes to facing down the reporters she blasted from the comfort of that solitary podium in St. Paul.
The McCain campaign has admitted to a ban on most press interviews for its largely unknown but popular running mate. McCain's aides are selling this highly unusual approach with rank contempt for the public. "Who cares?" laughed Nicolle Wallace, when pressed on why Palin won't take questions by Time's Jay Carney, on MSNBC. "But I mean, like, from who, from you?" she added, incredulous at the very idea of Palin taking questions from Time's Washington bureau chief. "Who cares? No offense," she added, "who cares if she can talk to Time magazine?" (Of course, it was Time's Jay Carney who had that "prickly" interview with McCain last week, which enraged his aides.) Booman Tribune reports the strategy in action this weekend:
The McCain campaign is literally going to try to sell Sarah Palin as a credible president without letting the press talk to her. For example, this Sunday, Barack Obama will appear on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," John McCain with be on "Face the Nation," and Joe Biden will be on "Meet the Press." Sarah Palin will be reading briefing papers in Alaska.
It's a big challenge for the press: scrutinize Palin without access and correct her falsehoods during an all-out partisan war on the media's coverage, including heated charges of bias and sexism. That's tough, even if you're not sympathetic to reporters. And then there's the troopergate investigation, where Palin is tapping her inner Cheney to duck investigators' questions. It doesn't look like Palin will tackle any tough questions, at least until the vice presidential debate, unless there is a political cost.
Journalists should report on this press blackout as news in itself -- it is a big deal that after 8 years of Bush-Cheney secrecy, the G.O.P. is running a VP candidate who won't even make a pretense of answering questions from the press or investigators -- and activists can make the blackout an issue. The Nation has learned that MoveOn.org, for example, is launching a new "clock" counting how long Palin refuses to "talk to the press."
Ultimately, with proper coverage and pressure, voters can make a judgment about what Palin's actions as a candidate tell us about her character. She talks tough about reporters, but can't face them; she talks up government ethics, but won't answer an investigation under oath; she raves about her own pit-bull image on stage, but betrays a cowardice under actual pressure. In some ways, she is living out the very caricature that she drew of Obama last week -- all talk, no action -- coupled with the smug attitude of her predecessor, the sarcastic swagger and faux-populism of George W. Bush.
Ari Melber, a correspondent for The Nation, is traveling with the Obama campaign for The Washington Independent.
MSNBC Clip:
Follow Ari Melber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AriMelber
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Hey. Wait it out,
The longer she stalls, the more time there is left to define her.
But keep up the investigations into her background and make damn sure the truth gets shaded liberally to counteact the Repug lies we've had to wade through about her up to now.
Didn't anyone tell her that this gig would be more than the one speech? I hear she's heading back to Alaska, pretty much done with the campaigning part. (WTF??)
She's not a running mate, she's a spokesmodel. They're happy to have her give canned speeches written by McCain's staff, but they don't want her speaking her own mind. And they expect American women to flock to her, even though they're treating her like some sort of glorified Vanna White.
Women deserve better. And republicans deserve better.
Do we want to hear if Palin knows jack about the things necessary to help run this country? YOU BET WE DO!!! If they are continue to say that Americans don't want to hear her they are sadly sadly confused - although we know they only say that to defend her and keep her out of a place where she can jam he painted toe nails in her mouth - which she would.
What if MSNBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC just quit talking about her? No pictures, no discussions, no nothing. Or better yet, just showed a loop of the lies she's already made and the truths about them. Nothing but that. Don't let any Republicans talk about her on their shows. Until of course, she shows up on a talk show.
When is Sarah Palin going to stop just giving speeches and start giving interviews? Let's hear more from her about her record, experience, and POSITIONS on issues other than drilling for oil. Want to learn more about Palin? Sign the petition at http://www.interviewsarahpalinnow.com/
It's true Sarah Palin has a lot of questions to answer. It appears the longer they wait, the more people are going to find out on their own and there will be more questions to answer. Having banned books from the library - what is her stance on freedom of speech? Having taken earmarks lobbyed by Steven Silver (a protege of the infamous Jack Abramoff), what is her side of the story? Since Obama was forced by the public and the media to answer questions about comments made by his pastor, will she be asked to do the same. Her pastor has said some very disturbing things about God being against this country and why Jews are being attacked by terrorist because they are not followers of Jesus.
Mr. McCain also has a lot to answer like why he voted so oftern against MIA/POW and against veterans. Go to Vietnam Veterans aainst John McCain website, some horrible stories there. There is one video of him getting very mad at families of POW/MIA. The interview where he attacked a 80 year old, wheelchair bound mother of a POW/MIA is told in a video made by these families earlier this year. Why would he do that? Why would he work in the Senate to have all of the records of POW/MIA including his classified forever? What are they hiding? On one video at a senate hearing, he get so red-faced, mad that he storms out of the room.
I thought a Coward Clock or something like that was needed since the Fox and the Republicans pulled that stunt on Obama with regard to his trip to Iraq and the time it took him to appear on Fox. So thanks to Moveon.org.
These folks were redecorating Cheney's bunker for Palin, but I hope the American people have had enough of this lack of accountability and secrecy. It's what got us where we are today. We've got to keep on pushing until this lady comes out and faces the American people. I think they are getting tired of voting blindly. As Obama said, we've been:
"Making a big election about small things."
Less than a week later, Sarah Palin made this insightful statement a reality with her petty, vindictive, lying little speech. (Along with the petty, vindictive, lying speeches of Guliani, Fred Thompson and of course Lieberman.)
They get worse and worse. How is that possible?
Curiouser and curiouser. Maybe the McCain camp has her in some kind of "instant immersion" course on how to actually seem like a credible candidate. Truly mind-blowing stuff-how long is the main stream media going to go easy on this person?
Sarah Palin says because she is a mom, she should be vice president. If you are going to tout being a "hockey mom" as one of the qualifiers, then your job as a mom is going to legitimately be in play. So what kind of job are you doing? Your underage daughter has unprotected sex and gets pregnant, which is more than just a parent's failing, it is against your religion. You put at risk your unborn down's syndrome baby by getting on an airplane and traveling hours after your water breaks at 8 months, and you also put at risk the airline and the other passengers.
What kind of Republicans are we dealing with in this election?
The most "compassionate" of them all endorses torture.
Even the one that was tortured now endorse it.
They lied to take us into an horrendously costly war.
They abuse power.
They take away freedoms and actively seek to undermine our future.
They betray confidences of those who put their lives on the line for this country everyday.
They have little or no regard for breakthroughs in science.
So, why are we surprised at how they're going about the SP issue???
The sad thing is that all the above is the norm in 3rd world countries that we consider backward, underdeveloped and undemocratic.
All I can say now is, people deserve the government they get. As Americans, we'll get just that come January,2009.
This is the most c 0 w @ r dl y ticket in history.
I have rank contempt for that ticket.
It is very obvious here. McCain does not want anyone talking to Palin, because McCain himself does not want to admit to the American public that his policies mirror Bush's policies. Also they are prepping this woman to be able to debate Joe Biden, who in my opnion will put her in her place on the issues. Does anyone really want to vote for a ticket when they have no idea who she is, where she stands on the issues, and does not seem to be sympathetic in anyway? For goodness sakes this woman is in an ethic scandal in Alaska. Congress already has enough corruption, and for the last 8 years the ring leaders were running the White House. Can America really risk another four years of corruption, failing economy, and damaged realtionships with our allies in the world?
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