John Mccain on The Huffington Post

Norm Stamper: Lieberman's Right on Fort Hood

2009-11-26T16:04:19Z

I have a hard time looking at or listening to Joe Lieberman.

I know this is my problem. If I agreed with the man's politics, I'd likely view his smirking mien, his habit of droning and whining, even that occasional Alfred E. Newman grin with something resembling affection. But Lieberman's behavior from after the 2000 presidential campaign to the present is riddled with hypocrisy, and defiance of his own much-vaunted "conscience." In 2006, for example, he advocated a "MediChoice" system that would "allow anybody in our country to buy into a national health-insurance pool like...members of Congress have." What is that, if not a public option? So bitter is Lieberman at Democrats, and disrespectful of the American people, that when campaigning for John McCain he actually declared Sarah Palin fit to be president.

Yet, when it comes to the Fort Hood slayings, Joe Lieberman is spot on.

The murderous outburst of Major Nidal Hasan was an unambiguous act of terrorism. It's appropriate and necessary for Lieberman as chair of the Senate's Homeland Security Committee (please deal with that, Harry Reid) to find out why this particular terrorist was tolerated within the ranks of the U.S. Army. Hasan had for some time exchanged e-mails with the extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, prescribed violent medicine for "infidels," and been found guilty by his peers and superiors of poor judgment and incompetence. And, possibly, mental illness.

Consider this simple Dashboard definition of terrorism: "The use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims." Whether Major Hasan was in need of the very services he was trained by his employer (us) to provide, or simply had his eye on avoiding service in Iraq there can be little doubt about his motive to hurt and frighten for political purpose.

Violent criminals are often driven by multiple motives: to exact revenge, rub out one's competition, gain notoriety, send a message of dominance (all motives, incidentally, of narco-terrorists).

We'll learn more about Major Hasan in the coming weeks and months, but it's entirely possible he killed (1) to avenge the religiously offensive treatment he claims to have suffered at the hands of the military; (2) to promote a radical religious agenda; (3) to keep himself from being shipped off to the Middle East, whether as a political statement or an act of cowardice. What difference does it make? His implicit goal was to harm and intimidate in furtherance of a political agenda.

And so what if that agenda was more personal than political? Think of a suicide bomber whose motive is not so much in service to Allah but rather to prove himself to his family, or to gain sympathy from a love interest who's spurned his advances. Think of a homegrown murderer whose anger at his boss or coworkers leads to mass killings. The ultimate goal, twisted and nuanced as it may be, is to call attention to perceived workplace injustices, in part by scaring the hell out of people.

"Political aims" need not be confined to broad or grand domestic or international or religious themes. Indeed, we're taught to think global, act local as a form of pragmatic politics. Violence aimed at perceived workplace inequities is terrorism, a label I'd also stretch to fit the act of a murderous husband who opens fire at his estranged partner's downtown law firm. Likewise, more transparently, the killing of an abortion doctor.

Lieberman is right to question how Major Nidal Hasan's threats, reflecting a radical and violent interpretation of the Qur'an, were tolerated for years by the Army, and perhaps by the FBI. He's right to demand answers to why the copious collection of dots in this case were never connected.

Geoffrey Dunn: More Palin Lies: The Trooper in 'Troopergate' Breaks His Silence

2009-11-25T19:19:40Z

The Alaska State Trooper at the center of Sarah Palin's so-called "Troopergate Scandal"--which impeded her run for the vice-presidency and stained her record as Alaska governor--has broken his more than year-long silence since his embattled divorce with Palin's sister, Molly, became a cause celebre during last year's presidential campaign.

After reading passages from Palin's memoirs Going Rogue that deal with his marriage and subsequent divorce, a "fed up" Mike Wooten, 37, who still serves as an Alaska State Trooper in Anchorage, called the book "a pack of lies."

According to Wooten, Palin and her father, Chuck Heath Sr., have "interfered with my life--and my children's lives--for at least the last five years. And it is still going on. I'm done with it."

Characterizing his adversaries as "snakes," Wooten said he has kept quiet long enough. "From this point on I'm speaking my mind," he declared. "I'm speaking the truth. Let the chips fall where they may." He acknowledged that he is considering taking legal action against Palin on multiple fronts.

Although Palin would try to claim otherwise during the presidential campaign, an independent investigation ordered by the bipartisan Alaska Legislative Council (composed of ten Republicans and four Democrats) and conducted by former Republican prosecutor Steve Branchflower, resulted in the finding "that Governor Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act."

The report issued by Branchflower documented more than thirty occasions in which then Governor Palin, her husband Todd or members of her staff tried to influence Alaska's highly regarded Commissioner of Public Safety, Walt Monegan, to fire Wooten. When Monegan refused, Palin fired him instead.

In addition to the finding that Palin "abused" her office, the Alaska Senate cited Todd Palin and nine other state employees for "contempt" for ignoring legislative subpoenas to testify in the Troopergate investigation.

A native of California whose father immigrated to the United States from Honduras, Wooten served 10 years in the Air Force and three more in the Air National Guard Reserves. He participated in a trio of U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf War--Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Restore Hope--before returning stateside to Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base, about 45 minutes from Wasilla.

Partially disabled from his military service, Wooten pointed out that neither Todd nor Sarah Palin, or Chuck Heath for that metter, served in the armed forces. Wooten said he was particularly "disgusted and incensed" by Palin's "insincere" dedication in Going Rogue to "our men and women in uniform."

Wooten further noted with irony that many of those who have been victimized by Palin during her political career--including former Wasilla police chief Irl Stambaugh; Monegan and himself--were all veterans. "Sarah is only about Sarah," Wooten said. "She doesn't care about the 'men and women in uniform.' It's all about advancing Sarah's career."

Public records from Alaska--some of which have been revealed for the first time--chronicle a half-decade long obsession with Wooten by Palin, her father and, later, by Palin's husband Todd.

"They're like poisonous snakes in the grass who spew nothing but venom," Wooten said. "They just lay in wait and they attack you until you're dead."

In Going Rogue, Palin mentions none of Wooten's military record, but cites many charges that were brought against Wooten that were subsequently dismissed. She contends that there were "ten different" citizen complaints field against Wooten--without acknowledging that all of them were filed by members of her family or close friends. "They filed every stinking one of the charges," Wooten contends. "But it's been more like two dozen."

In an interview conducted in Alaska this past summer, John Cyr, the former Alaska Public Safety Employees Association Executive Director, confirmed Wooten's charges:

Not one complaint has ever been made about Mike Wooten's professional performance from any member of the public other than the Palin/Heath family and their closest friends. The troopers that I've talked to that have worked with Mike tell me Mike is the kind of guy they'd go through a door with. That he does his work. He's a professional. You know, just no complaints out there about Mike's work.

"It's the product of an ugly divorce and custody battle," Cyr [pictured below, at left, with Wooten] said of the complaints against the State Trooper. "It's nothing more than that."

Wooten has acknowledged several mistakes he made while "I was younger" and admitted there were several things he "would have done differently," but he chose to remain silent as the McCain-Palin campaign portrayed him as a "rogue" Trooper (note the irony here) who Tased his step-son and went off on violent, drunken binges, to the point of threatening to kill Palin's father.

Wooten calls the version of events rendered in Going Rogue an "outright lie." Either it "didn't happen [the way she alleges]," he says, "or she exaggerated it all beyond recognition. I look forward to telling my side of this story."

Wooten now joins an ever-growing array of figures from John McCain on down who have challenged the veracity of Palin's memoirs. The list also includes McCain senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace, Palin's former legislative director John Bitney, her former political ally Andree McLeod, and former Alaska gubernatorial candidate Andrew Halcro. All Republicans. Wooten identifies himself as a "conservative" as well.

Palin contends "the chapter for our family was closed" with the divorce but fails to acknowledge any of the sustained harassment of Wooten, which, he says, continues to this day.

The father of three (two of whom are with Palin's sister), Wooten, still living in Wasilla, is described by his friends as a "very involved father," active as a coach in all of his three children's extracurricular sports activities--hockey, football and soccer. "I've committed my life to these children and being a good dad," he says. "I'm simply not going to allow the Palins or Chuck Heath to interfere in our lives any longer."

Palin recounts a story in Going Rogue that Wooten "asked me to write him a recommendation for the Alaska State Trooper Academy." What she doesn't acknowledge is that she wrote more than one on his behalf. In a letter dated January 1, 2000, written on official City of Wasilla stationery, Palin praises Wooten profusely, though she fails to declare her then-pending familial relationship with him.

It is my pleasure to provide character reference examples for Mr. Mike Wooten. Since I have become acquainted with Mike I continue to be impressed with his integrity, worthwhile community spirit and trustworthiness...

On a personal note, I have witnessed Mike's gift of calm and kindness towards many young kids here in Wasilla. I have never seen him raise his voice, nor lose patience, nor become agitated, in the presence of any child. Instead, Mike consistently remains a fine role model for my own children and other young people in Wasilla.

I wish America had more people with the grace and sincerity that mirrors the character of Mike Wooten. We would have a much kinder calmer trustworthy nation as a result.

I believe the United States Air Force has been fortunate to have the services of Mike the past 10 years. His work ethic, his American patriotism, his obvious dedication to traditional values, and his strong faith in God and truth is witnessed in Mike's everyday living.

--Sarah Palin, Mayor

None of which, of course, is mentioned in Going Rogue.

For his part, Wooten recalls a telling conversation with an associate of Palin's campaign team when she was running for Governor in 2006. "You could probably bring the whole campaign down," the aide said. "You probably know things about her that she doesn't want other people to know."

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin's Press in spring 2010.

Politicians Who Look Like Turkeys (PHOTOS)

2009-11-25T17:53:57Z

Is it just us, or is the political scene overrun by guys who look like turkeys? It's probably just us, but we thought we'd compile our favorites.

Dawn Teo: Tea Partier In Dead Heat With McCain Starts Fundraising For Potential Senate Race

2009-11-24T11:50:29Z

PHOENIX, AZ -- Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth might just be Arizona's next senator. The local radio personality has publicly toyed with the idea of running against Senator John McCain in the Republican primary, but on Monday he took the first serious step toward a possible run by asking his supporters for money on the premise that he may mount a challenge to McCain's seat.

On Friday, after Rasmussen released results of a poll showing Hayworth and McCain in a statistical tie, Hayworth told listeners of his radio show that he was having serious conversations with his family about running, explaining that he is in the "due diligence" stage. Hayworth said the primary obstacle to mounting a challenge against McCain would be fundraising. He has debt leftover from legal bills incurred through a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into his ties to Jack Abramoff.

On Monday afternoon, Hayworth sent a fundraising plea to help pay off his legal bills on the premise that he may run against McCain. Until now, Hayworth's musing on a Senatorial campaign seemed like political banter, but on his show Friday, he said his ability to raise funds will likely determine the matter. In the fundraising letter, Hayworth says his efforts to pay off old political debt "would certainly be a factor in the decision" of whether to run.

Senator Jon Kyl (R), Arizona's other senator, expressed doubt that Hayworth would run against McCain, "He's got a radio program that I understand is very popular. A lot of folks listen to it. My guess is he will carry on his political activity in that venue."

Hayworth lost his seat to Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) in 2006 largely because of his ties to the Ambramoff scandal. Today, Hayworth would easily garner the conversative vote in Arizona. He has become a local hero among Arizonan immigration enforcement activists, and he is a popular figure among Arizona Tea Partiers. He has promoted the Tea Parties on his radio show and has spoken at Tea Party events.

Rodney Glassman, the only Democrat running against
McCain, was not included in the poll. Glassman is a young Tucson city
councilman who has the support of the local and state Democratic Party
structure and is considered an up-and-comer in Democratic circles in Arizona.

Read Hayworth's fundraising plea:

Fellow Citizen:

You have contacted me with words of encouragement following the release of a Rasmussen Reports Poll which finds me in a statistical dead heat with John McCain for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2010.

Miss Mary, our children, and I will do a lot of praying and a lot of talking in the days ahead, as we determine the best course of action to take for our nation and for our family.

You have also asked what you can do in the days ahead.

There is something you can do right now...you will find attached an invitation to an event scheduled for Dec. 5, featuring Joe Arpaio, "America’s Toughest Sheriff." "Sheriff Joe" has very graciously agreed to raise funds for the "Freedom In Truth Trust." The FIT Trust is the fund that was established to help us satisfy legal debts incurred during the 2006 campaign. You can read more about it at http://www.jdhayworth.com/fit-trust.html

You may not live in Arizona...but no matter where you call home, would you respond to the attached invitation and please send a contribution to the FIT Trust?

That would certainly be a factor in the decision we will make at the "Hayworth Hacienda!"

Please feel free to share this e-mail and the attached invitation with others.

In closing, let me stress again that I have made no formal decision regarding a campaign for the U.S. Senate, but if your kind words are followed by tangible support of the upcoming event on Dec. 5, that would serve as another encouraging sign--even eclipsing the recent poll results!

Thank you for your support, and may God bless you and yours.

Sincerely,

J.D. Hayworth

Member of Congress, 1995-2007

The link to the invitation is here. The reply card and contribution form is here.

Get HuffPost Eyes&Ears on Facebook and Twitter!

Republican Identity Crisis Forces GOP Politicians To The Right

2009-11-23T09:17:38Z

John McCain rails against a bipartisan global warming bill two years after sponsoring one himself? He says he's "dear friends" with Sarah Palin and enjoyed her book? The one that trashes his 2008 presidential campaign? Strange, I thought. Then I saw a poll that showed the sometime maverick-moderate vulnerable to a primary challenge next year from the right.

The Republican primary process has triggered an epidemic of identity crises among prominent and promising Republicans. Between Sarah Palin, tea parties, and the Club For Growth, there are Senate candidates scurrying rightward on everything from taxes and health care to energy, national security, labor issues, and President Obama's stimulus package.

Frank Rich: Sarah Palin, The Pit Bull In The China Shop

2009-11-22T01:12:15Z

AT last the American right and left have one issue they unequivocally agree on: You don't actually have to read Sarah Palin's book to have an opinion about it.

Sealed With A Kiss: Dems Unite To Beat GOP Filibuster

2009-11-21T22:25:42Z

Harry Reid sealed the biggest legislative victory of his career Saturday night with a kiss. And then a hug.

Emotionally reserved doesn't begin to describe the Senate majority leader, a Democrat facing reelection in Nevada. Yet the man was beaming as the members of his caucus left the Senate floor, each one of them having given him their support, leaving him with exactly the 60 votes he needed to overcome a filibuster and move to an official floor debate on landmark health care reform legislation.

Three of those votes had been uncertain up until the last two days. Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) waited until floor speeches on Saturday to announce that they'd back the motion to proceed, which allows the bill to move a major step forward. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) broke what little suspense there was about his vote on Friday.

Reid approached Landrieu after the vote, smiling ear to ear. He locked arms with her, gripping her right elbow as she locked his right arm in return. After the two spoke, he grasped her hand with both of his, leaned over and laid a kiss on it.

From there, he trod up the floor's risers to find Lincoln in the back row where she'd been sitting with Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). Reid smiled broadly and put his two hands on her shoulders, which is typically what counts as a hug from Harry Reid. Then he went all in, wrapping her in a full embrace.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) followed Reid's lead, smothering Lincoln with both arms. Lincoln blushed as she emerged from his embrace.

Reid left the floor to speak on the phone to Ted Kennedy's widow Vicki in the Democratic cloak room; she was crying and deeply moved, he later said. As Reid returned to the floor and headed for the exit to speak to reporters, he spied Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who had shepherded the reform bill through the health committee in Kennedy's absence. Reid laid a hug on him, too.

Nelson was not gifted with such affection, though he had only himself to blame: as soon as the vote ended, he headed for the GOP side to chat up arch-conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Reid's effusive display of gratitude followed a unusually somber, silent vote. Normally, senators approach the front desk to cast their vote and chat amongst themselves. This night, each voted from his or her seat as the chamber sat in dead, eerie silence.

"I mean, it was sort of like a European parliamentary summit or something -- but it was worth it," remarked Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who also suggested it felt like "somebody was getting impeached."

As the roll was called, senators stood and announced either "aye" or "nay." It was too much for John McCain.

"Ooooh, this is soooo tense," the Arizona Republican could be heard stage-whispering.

Nelson was seated as the roll was called and unceremoniously declared his yes vote. Landrieu and Lincoln, however, were absent at the start, as was Sen. Bob Byrd (D-W.Va.), the 92-year-old who this week became the longest-serving senator in the history of the upper chamber.

His presence is never assured at votes,so his absence added an element of real suspense, McCain's mocking notwithstanding. A few minutes into the vote, Byrd was wheeled in and pointed to the sky, signaling an "aye." He pulled in next to Reid. Reid grasped Byrd's hand with both of his.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), whose vote would have made the bill bipartisan just a few months ago, rose to his feet and strode over to Byrd to shake the former majority leader's hand.

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), whose route to the Senate took him through an Illinois impeachment hearing and a Senate ethics panel, stood to vote aye and, after retaking his seat, backhand slapped Joe Lieberman on his arm and flashed a wide grin. Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut, had voted yes as well, but is still threatening not to join a GOP filibuster on the final bill if it includes a public health insurance option.

Lieberman smiled and the two shook hands heartily. Just moments later, however, he rose from his chair and fled, finding more comfortable ground next to Lincoln. The two holdouts batted each others' arms and exchanged chuckles.

When the vote tally was called in the House exactly two weeks ago, the Democratic caucus erupted in celebration. The Senate is not that sort of place. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), as presiding officer, announced the final 60-39 vote and scattered, muted "yay"s rose from the Democratic side, as the victors seemed unsure what to do. Only Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) could be seen clapping; a few tourists in the gallery booed at the chamber.

(The one absentee senator was Republican George Voinovich of Ohio. Brown told reporters that his fellow state lawmaker had decided to attend a celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of his Cleveland mayoral election instead.)

Outside the chamber, the volume was turned up.

"It's an historic vote, a terrific vote, and one of the better moments since I've been in the Senate," Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told HuffPost.

"We're rounding third and we're heading home," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who now chairs the health committee.

"We can see the finish line now, but we're not there," Reid told reporters after the vote.

Just one Democrat could yet derail the effort.

Before the vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell begged for such a Democratic defection.

"All it takes is one vote. Just one," said the Kentucky Republican, turning to the left side of the chamber with an outstretched palm. "The simple math is this: If there were one Democrat, just one of our friends on the other side of the aisle, just one, who would say 'no' tonight, the voices of the American people would be heard... And then we could start over with a common-sense, step by step approach."

Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) also begged for a do-over: "I still hope we can start over and get to work on a bipartisan bill."

Lieberman is among several in the caucus who have threatened to doom the effort, and he sounded like Eeyore again Saturday night, calling the public option "an eleventh-hour addition to a debate that's gone on for decades. Nobody's ever talked about a public option before, not even in the presidential campaign last year."

From the liberal end, Burris repeated a threat made earlier: That if the public option is taken out, he's gone. "I won't vote for it," he said.

"You'll lose people on the left," confirmed Brown.

Reid, aware of the fine line he's walking, told reporters that Landrieu, Schumer and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) are working on a compromise public option, perhaps something that 60 folks could support and save face.

"Now," said Kerry, "we just have to go forward and really legislate."

Arthur Delaney contributed to this report

Wendy Sachs: Sarah Palin: I Missed You

2009-11-20T17:14:10Z

I missed Sarah Palin. I'm glad she's back. Seeing her frosted, teased coif, (albeit less brassy and pouffy than before) makes me nostalgic for the election when we were all exploding with hope and optimism and Tina Fey's hilarious Saturday Night Live sketches.

Newsweek gave us a much needed break this week from the tedium of the health care debate, Swine Flu hysteria and rocketing unemployment figures, with its cover showing a sparkling Sarah sporting shorts and running shoes. Sarah slammed the Newsweek cover as sexist. And I just wondered why she agreed to pose in short shorts, even if it was intended only for Runner's World. But for a woman who has had five kids, her legs did look great.

I think it's both curious and telling that at the same time Twilight mania sweeps the nation, Sarah Palin, voguing her rogue, kicks off her book tour turning out thousands. Is there something deeper going on in our national psyche when our fascination with sexy, blood thirsty, teenage vampires coincides with a thirst for more Sarah - herself an attractive, biting character with her own hunky squeeze and a complicated life story? To the McCain camp, Sarah has shown her fangs this week as she hits the battleground states touting her book and blasting McCain operatives for holding back the true Sarah.

The real Sarah told Oprah this week that when she was vetted, she was much more concerned about the fallout she would receive from having gotten a "D" on a college transcript than with having a pregnant teenage daughter.

But clearly now, Skin-a-Moose Sarah has found her calling and knows her audience. While the naysayers nitpick the facts of her book - a book apparently more revisionist history than historical record - the people sleeping out in Michigan for the chance to shake Sarah's hand probably don't give two hoots about all of the pesky campaign details. They see Sarah as one of them. And that's her charm.

"Michigan and Alaska have a lot in common. We love the outdoors and have lots of snow and hockey moms," Sarah told an enormous crowd waiting outside a book signing on Wednesday.

"She means what she says and says what she means," a woman told NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell as she waited hours to meet Sarah.

Many of us were never quite sure what Sarah said or exactly what she meant because an eloquent communicator she was not. But big chunks of America don't necessarily covet intellectual giants or smooth orators as much as they do God fearing, good ol' regular folk. And to them, Sarah is not just a victim but a survivor.

It is her Only-in-America, Made-for-TV storyline, where Sarah's teenage daughter gets pregnant and the baby daddy poses for Playgirl that makes her, dare we say it, relatable.

Sarah told Oprah and writes in her book, that she believes that she and Todd would have been a breath of fresh air to Washington D.C. because gosh darn it, they are the real Joe Six Packs. While many Republicans may want Sarah to just disappear and others hope that her stratospheric star continues to rise and she strengthens the base, I'm just hoping that Sarah does have coffee with Hillary as Sarah suggested. They can exchange biographies, swap campaign horror stories and chat about the surreal phenomenon that is Twilight.

Dawn Teo: John McCain Could Lose Senate Primary To Tea Party Supporter

2009-11-20T12:01:01Z

PHOENIX, AZ -- Rasmussen announced a new poll on Friday showing Senator John McCain may be in trouble at home where a polarized electorate has him facing constant criticism from both the left and the right.

The poll shows McCain tied with former Congressman and current talk radio host J.D. Hayworth in a hypothetical Republican primary. Hayworth, who has become an outspoken local hero among immigration-control activists, lost his House seat to Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) in 2006. Since then, Hayworth has promoted the Tea Parties on his radio show and has spoken at Tea Party events, including the April 15 rally in Phoenix. Hayworth has expressed interest in running but has been tight-lipped on whether or not he intends to actually file as a candidate against McCain.

Rasmussen has McCain at 45% and Hayworth at 43% (4% margin of error). Although McCain's loudest opponents from the right usually cite immigration as the key issue, Minutmen founder Chris Simcox only reached 4% in the poll. According to the poll, Hayworth is more popular overall among the GOP, especially among the younger GOP sect. McCain fares better with females and moderate Republicans.

Rodney Glassman, the only Democrat who has filed to run against McCain, was not included in the poll. Glassman is a young Tucson city councilman who has the support of the local and state Democratic Party structure and is considered an up-and-comer in Arizona politics.

McCain has not faced a serious challenge to his senate seat since 1986.

UPDATE: On his radio show Friday, Hayworth discussed the results of the Rasmussen poll at length. Hayworth said discussions with his immediate family are "more than a topic of casual conversation." He indicated a desire to run, saying that he is in the "due diligence" phase and that the primary roadblock would be fundraising, specifically to pay off some debt. It should be noted that Hayworth is currently raising money recently to pay off debt left over from his days in the House; his debt is a result of fighting an investigation into his ties to Jack Abramoff.

Get HuffPost Eyes&Ears on Facebook and Twitter!

Geoffrey Dunn: California Bookstore Launches Bag of "Sarah Palin's...Just Plain Nutz"

2009-11-19T14:18:21Z

Bookshop Santa Cruz, a leading independent bookstore in ever-so-liberal Santa Cruz, California, has launched a promotion to go along with the selling of Sarah Palin's memoir, Going Rogue.

Bookshop Santa Cruz is giving a bag of Sarah "Palin's Just Plain Nutz" for everyone who purchases a copy of Palin's memoirs.

For those who can't stomach Palin's duplicitous work of fiction, the one-ounce bag of walnuts is available for $3.98 and can also be ordered at www.bookshopsantacruz.com.

"Our bag of nuts is an honest one ounce; it's also good for you, and won't cause you to feel compelled to go out and shoot a moose. Sarah's new book of fictions is none of those things," says Bookshop owner Casey Coonerty Protti. "We felt we needed to strike a balance."

Bookshop Santa Cruz has a long history of commenting on political books. In 1993, Bookshop Santa Cruz weighed Rush Limbaugh's book, See I Told You So, and sold it for the price of baloney. In 1995, when Newt Gingrich was named Time magazine's Man of the Year, Bookshop Santa Cruz sold each copy of his book, Contract With America, along with a custom-made barf bag.

Before the 2008 election, Bookshop Santa Cruz manufactured and sold over 65,000 George W. Bush Countdown Clocks to help depressed Americans know that there would be an end to the national nightmare created by the Bush administration. Clocks were sold to fans as far away as China, Germany, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, England and New Zealand, as well as at over 80 outlets across the Unites States. Many famous people had the clock, including Former President Bill Clinton, The Dixie Chicks, and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

In the great American tradition of political commentary on current events, Sarah Palin's Just Plain Nutz is a little bit of nutritious needling. "We can't see Russia from our doorstep," Protti noted "but we can plainly see a bit of fun on our bookshelves."

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin's Press in spring 2010.

Susan J. Demas: Sarah Palin's Lady Gaga Tour of Michigan

2009-11-19T14:05:08Z

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Sarah Palin blew in here Wednesday with all the stagecraft (and subtlety) of Lady Gaga, pulling up in a luxury tour bus ensconced with the cover photo from her book, right down to her glossy lips and heavenward gaze.

Camera-waving paparazzi were there to capture Palin bounding out in her trademark red blazer with baby Trig in her arms, blessing the frenzied throngs of more than 1,000 with a 60-second speech.

"It's like a campaign event without the depth," a veteran political reporter muttered to me.

Which is saying something.

"I couldn't wait to get back to Michigan," the former GOP vice presidential candidate announced outside Barnes & Noble. "Michigan is so much like Alaska with the huntin' and fishin' and the hockey moms. This is the heart of industry in America."

That stereotypical mush would be condescending, except for the fact that Sarah Palin is quite the looker. So therefore, anything (former) Gov. Gorgeous utters automatically comes off as genuine and dare I say, genius.

This observation, of course, makes me Sexist -- as Sexist as the Neanderthals at Newsweek who made the unprecedented move to put the leggy lady on its cover to sell magazines. Feminist pioneers like Sean Hannity -- who has never, ever noticed the fact that Mrs. Palin is a babe (insert trademark Sarah wink) -- were outraged, because, well, that's the only emotion God grants right-wing talk show hosts.

For goodness sake, even Grand Rapids artist Mark Vainner -- who proudly had Palin sign his jacket next to signatures from Hannity and G. Gordon Liddy -- saw the marketing ploy for what it was.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know if you show a guy a picture of a girl with boobs and say, 'Does this bother you?' the answer is going to be no," he told the local paper.

Why conservatives comically insist that Sarah's sex appeal isn't, well, part of her appeal, is beyond me, but it seems to be a fascinating psychological blend of cynicism and repression. Sorry, but it's not her impressive reign as mayor of the Iditarod capital of the world (population 6,700) that lured screaming fans to a half-empty mall on a rainy weeknight.

This is America. We like pretty people. Let's move on.

Kicking off her book tour in Michigan was no accident, of course. For one thing, greater Grand Rapids evidently meets Palin's all-important "Real America" litmus test, evidenced by the preponderance of flannel and "Don't Tread on Me" shirts in the crowd. It was a diverse group, ranging from Twilight-toned onlookers like myself to a few folks savvy enough to know their way around a spray tan.

Alas, even in Real America, there's still a velvet-roped VIP area. Wonder what the poor souls who had waited for 16 hours thought of GOP luminaries like state House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin) and Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) being whisked right up to bask in Palin's glow while they glowered in the cold.

The Mitten State stop was intended to be the ultimate kiss-off to the John McCain campaign, as Palin made clear in her score-settling, factually challenged memoir. There's no doubt that the operation blew Michigan, culminating with its bumbling pullout five weeks before Election Day. That's when the veep-to-be "went rogue," striking back at the McCain meanies.

In the world according to Palin, she alone would have saved Michigan, making the irrefutable argument that she was tied to us through the unbreakable bond of hockey.

Yeah, you betcha.

Certainly her coming-out party underscores the fact that Republicans are itching to turn the Mitten State red next year. With a decade-long recession and an unpopular Democratic governor, it's fertile ground.

But forget the spin that Sarah Barracuda is running for president. Real candidates don't quit the first real political job they've earned after two years or trash a host of longtime, loyal GOP players within months of a campaign. They demonstrate some seriousness about policy and a modicum of class.

Palin, however, will have to keep the buzz alive long enough to keep filling bookstores (and the coffers of her political action committee), so she can provide her family with the kind of hoi-polloi lifestyle Real Americans can only dream of.

Last year, Tina Fey-as-Palin on "Saturday Night Live" confessed her goal was to be "the white Oprah." That's probably not far from the mark, given her Hollywood-style debut, replete with soft-focused interviews with Barbara Walters and, of course, the real Oprah.

Although given Palin's penchant for disemboweling fellow Republicans, she would probably be best-suited to host a glib talk show on Fox News. Her gleeful ignorance of basic economic policy, political history and international relations -- and disdain for eggheads who believe these are serious matters for leaders to contemplate -- can be worn as a badge of honor on the Know Nothing network.

So would her reckless quest to divide the country, whether she's accusing the president of "palin' around with terrorists" or trying to kill her Down syndrome baby (really) with health care "death panels."

In the end, that's what's truly disturbing about the Sarah-as-Savior phenomenon. And why it is stomach-churning to hear so many intelligent Republicans blather that she gets the base "fired up," so it's all good.

No, it's not. There have to be some basic qualifications and standards of decency for our leaders.

This is about the future of America. It ain't the Video Music Awards.

Geoffrey Dunn: Palin's Former Ally Calls More Lies to Rogue

2009-11-19T03:07:22Z

It's tough getting up to the front of the line of those wanting to call Sarah Palin for the truckload of lies spewed in Going Rogue. Even John McCain has gotten into the act by charging Palin with fabricating a $50,000 bill she claimed she got stuck with for her "vetting" and by praising the two aides targeted by Palin, Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace.

Up in Alaska, the line is just as contentious. Everyone from Palin's first years on the Wasilla City Council to her gubernatorial aides have challenged Palin's rendition of her political career in the Last Frontier.

But perhaps the nastiest and most duplicitous passages of all in Going Rogue are those directed at Andree McLeod, the longtime Republican watchdog out of Anchorage who filed many of the Alaska Ethics Act complaints that, by Palin's own admission, hounded her from office.

Palin's venom directed at McLeod is both racist and viciously inaccurate. Perhaps a court will one day determine if it's also libelous.

McLeod, now in her mid-50s and who is of Armenian descent by way of Lebanon, is referred to as the "falafel lady" repeatedly by Palin throughout her book. It's an intended slur of ethnic derision, loaded with all of Palin's adolescent fury. It's also reminiscent of those members of Palin's "Team Sarah" who referred to Barack and Michelle Obama's Inaugural Dance as the "Watermelon Roll." The phrase is as appalling as it is infantile.

Perhaps most importantly--and this is the one issue that astonishes those in the Lower 48 when I talk to them about Palin and Alaska politics--McLeod is a tried and true Republican. So are most of Palin's staunchest critics in Alaska, from Lyda Green to Rick Rydell to Andrew Halcro.

Never one to let facts get in the way of a good story--especially when it's her story--Palin identifies McLeod as part of a left-wing conspiracy loaded for bear against her. This is a howler. McLeod actually ran as recently as 2004 for the Alaska House of Representatives as a Republican. McLeod, like many other Palin critics who filed ethics complaints, is a fiscal conservative. Palin continues to lie about the nature of her opposition to those in the Lower 48 because there's an information disconnect between those who live in the Last Frontier and those who live "Outside."

McLeod had made friends with Palin after she lost her bid for Lt. Governor in 2002 and before Palin served as the chair and ethics officer of the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. They worked together during Palin's highly publicized battle with Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich. None of that is included in Going Rogue. It's a lie of omission--one of truly grand proportions.

And guess what else you won't read in Going Rogue? Sarah Palin actually supported McLeod politically during her runs for the Alaska state house. Prominently displayed on McLeod's campaign brochure was a supportive quote from the former Mayor of Wasilla:

Like many of us, Andree wants good government. She's not afraid to stand up for what's right. Though she ruffles a feather or two now and then, this intelligent Alaskan is exactly what we need during these times.-- Sarah Palin

Of course, Palin is possessed of neither the decency nor the integrity to acknowledge any of this history or the depth of her relationship with McLeod in Going Rogue.

There's a lengthy email correspondence between these two political allies dating back nearly seven years. Palin is often full of praise.

That was a great letter to the ed. this week Andree. I haven't had time to call but wanted to tell you it was, again, insightful & educational & good writing.
I'm still disenchanted with the whole issue of RR and state politics and am not even very optimistic about the call for an independent investigation. We'll see. I guess I'll believe it when I see it.
Hope you're doing well, staying warm & staying on top of all these state issues I'm hearing about on the news!
Love,
SP

Other Palin emails to McLeod refer to her as "intelligent," "bold," "powerful" and "encouraging." In another email Palin wrote: "Ugh! I know you must get so frustrated because you're all about accountability!"

Yet another, written in Palinese, declares:

wow! again! YOU ARE A WRITER... I'll bet your son is, too.
You will be thanked for summing up for others what many believe: that there's nothing wrong with healthy debate and challenges to the status quo when something is wrong & it can easily be fixed!

Note Palin's compliments about McLeod's writing, but in Rogue she says that McLeod's ethics complaints got "more and more sophisticated," indicating that they weren't being written by her. Palin also claims: "We always suspected that someone was funding and directing Andree's efforts."

McLeod calls this charge an "outrage." There's not a whisker of proof in Palin's book (no footnotes, no bibliography, no index, and obviously no fact-check) presented for this in the text. It's nothing less than despicable.

For the first time, McLeod has released another Palin email to her, written in August of 2003. The email not only reveals the closeness of Palin's relationship with McLeod but also the ease with which they formerly communicated.

Hi Andree:

Did you hear us talking about you on the Mike Pocaro show Monday evening?! It was a hoot! He was impressed with your efforts on the VanEten issue & I called in to say "Kudos to Andree... she's obviously got tireless energy and desire to keep government and government officials accountable to Alaskans... we need more "Andrees" in this state... etc..." And then that gal, "Michelle" (who calls in a lot) called right after I did to say, "Sarah Palin just needs to stay out of Anchorage politics... blah blah blah..." and the show went on with you as the highlight for callers! It was awesome. Ya' done good again!!!

Sarah

McLeod has dozens of emails between herself and Palin. But once Palin was elected governor, McLeod was suddenly persona non grata.

In Going Rogue, Palin would like everyone to believe that all of her problems began after she was named as McCain's running mate, what Palin has defensively dubbed the "new normal." (Her shameful rendition of "Troopergate," which commenced in the summer well before her nomination, is astonishingly duplicitous.) In fact, McLeod 's concerns about Palin began in the spring of last year, when, during the State Republican Convention in March of 2008, McLeod observed two top Palin officials--Frank Bailey and Ivy Frye--closely involved in partisan gamesmanship. That's when McLeod first became concerned that Palin's administration was crossing the line in terms of the state's ethics act.

There was never a "normal" in Sarah Palin's Alaska--ever.

Perhaps most importantly, Palin's checkered political legacy in the Last Frontier may not be over yet. McLeod says that she will be filing more complaints involving Palin and her administration.

I've discovered emails which prove that Palin officials worked on the campaign while on the state payroll clock. That is wrong and should not be tolerated. Also, there's the outstanding issue of Palin not turning over the reins to the Lieutenant Governor when she left to campaign as mandated by the Alaska Constitution. We deserve to know who was responsible for leaving Alaska without a master at the helm and why.

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin's Press in spring 2010.

Bob Cesca: Famous for Being Famous: The Sarah Palin Show Is On the Air

2009-11-18T17:58:50Z

I'm not sure what I have more contempt for. Sarah Palin's pathological lying or the people who can say with a straight face that Sarah Palin is qualified for anything other than a reality show contestant or the the Edie McClurg role in a remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

What's even more alarming is the constant reporting from the cable news people this week: Sarah Palin is famous! Wow! But no one is digging into exactly why she's famous.

And that's the heart of the matter here. She's nothing more than an overrated celebudoof. She's the equivalent of an ex-reality show star that's somehow tricked enough people into believing that a convention speech and a series of embarrassing winks qualifies her to be a national political leader -- even president -- when, in fact, she's only really qualified to be famous. She's famous for being famous.

I have yet to hear a pitch from her supporters that elevates her in any substantive way to a level beyond that of the other Republicans in the current field of potential candidates. She's famous. And. Hmm. She's famous. That's about it. Oh, and she can repeat hard-right ideology without swallowing her own tongue in the process.

It's very possible that Bill Kristol and whoever Palin's ghost-handlers happen to be are cynical enough to believe that Sarah Palin could ride a celebreality rocket ship into the White House.

They've taken a hard look at the present climate of celebrity gossip and reality television ratings and they've identified an opening in America's obvious infatuation with chewing-gum superficiality -- and they're ready to exploit it for political power. Where Ronald Reagan was a celebrity in the old-Hollywood framework, Palin is a celebrity in the talentless, Balloon Boy, reality show, Prejean, new-Hollywood framework.

Suffice to say, this strategy further devalues what it means to be considered "presidential." It chips away at all of the basic but necessary prerequisites for the gig, replacing them with nothing but the base notion of fame. Not even popularity as it applies to fame, but merely the quality of being known.

Consequently, this can only contribute to a future when we choose a president based solely upon his or her ability to achieve the most real life drama, irrespective of any sort of inherent talent for leadership, natural intelligence or any notable skills whatsoever.

A reality show president.

So it's not difficult to imagine a blurring of the line between the quality of being famous and the quality of being presidential -- an eventual time when these traits become totally interchangeable. It's already happened in Hollywood with the rise of unscripted reality and game show personalities slowly replacing actors and filmmakers, and the calculation coming from the Palin camp seems to be that this programming formula can be applied to presidential politics.

Here's how it works: Take a not unattractive rube with a screwy family and mix in some drama. Add cameras and POOF! We have a candidate/show.

Is there any other formula to explain the obsession with, say, Jon & Kate? Or the Balloon Boy family? The Sarah Palin Show is nothing more than a confessional interview with poorly articulated politics tossed into the mix.

Speaking of the confessional interview, she hasn't proved herself to be especially articulate, bright or well-informed. Even after a year on the air. Which is alarming because being on television is supposed to be her strong suit. See, Palin's most glaring inadequacy isn't necessarily her lack of work experience. There's just nothing else concrete enough to compensate for her weak resume. It's not like her supporters can say, "Yeah, well, she's only been a small town mayor, and she resigned before her first term as governor was over. But damn! She's crazy smart when it comes to economy and foreign relations -- you know, because of her education and travels abroad." There's not even that. She comes up empty on everything.

And what makes this utter lack of substance far worse is that she can't even articulate her very simplistic thoughts without using staccato sentence fragments strung together as if she's reciting abbreviated notes illegibly scrawled on the backs of barroom napkins, and selected on-the-fly using a dart board.

Even on the question about the role of the vice president last year, she failed to properly articulate an answer, and, instead babbled incoherently about something to do with "position flexible."

Fact: When a job applicant at any level is given repeated chances to explain the job for which he or she is applying, and, even after several tries, still can't nail the answer, that person is unqualified for that job. But her inability to explain the vice presidency (even after several tries) underscored that it's not just about her lack of experience or leadership or general knowledge, it's that she was (and remains) simply incapable of grasping the basics. In this case: grade school level civics, and a description of the job for which she was nominated.

Again, what does that leave us with? A reality show novelty. A tabloid hero. Not a world leader.

Somewhere along the line, her advisers recognized her ineptitude and twisted the "going rogue" description into a positive way to explain it all. Rewinding again to the vice presidential debate last year, she made it very clear that she didn't intend to directly answer the questions. She just plowed forward and answered the questions that she prepared for, even if they were totally unrelated to the topic. Why? She explained that she was, in essence, going rogue.

Early in the debate she said, "And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also."

But it was clearly just an excuse for the fact that she's a policy nincompoop and could only recite from the script she memorized. This rogue mantra lives on with the theme of her book, along with her ongoing refusal to confront the growing syllabus of unexplained inconsistencies on even the most basic of details -- like whether or not she held a family vote before she accepted Senator McCain's kneejerk offer. Even on this very simple question, she refuses to correct the record.

In Sarah Palin's defense, there's no doubt that she's relatable to a certain demographic of Americans who are unconcerned with advanced education and the subtleties of policy. But if you dig down into the reasons why Palin people like her, it's obvious that they're simply "fans" who can, perhaps, relate to Palin's ordinary background and easy-to-repeat ideology.

Ultimately, there's a certain element of the Republican Party that's excited to have yet another stab at the Bush 43 idea, and, to that end, they've certainly found their empty vessel. But this time, they've tapped into an American obsession that goes beyond cowboy swagger and plainspoken southern twangery. They've identified and are cultivating one of our most addictive opiates: a genuine made-for-TV spectacle. And it's dangerous for America. Idiocracy dangerous.

Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! Go!

PS. On the healthcare front, check out these nightmarish videos from real people who have been devoured by the status quo.

Michael J.W. Stickings: When it Comes to Sarah Palin, Blame John McCain

2009-11-18T14:54:07Z

Sometimes Andrew Sullivan is simply on fire -- as he is here, getting to the root cause of the whole Palin phenomenon:

The WSJ and TWS have long ago lost any intellectual credibility. They use sophism to maintain power. Their cynicism and/or denial mechanisms are deeper than most mortals can imagine.

We knew that about a charlatan like Kristol and a nihilist like Rove. But what I didn't fully come to terms with, until the Palin farce, was the full extent of John McCain's recklessness and cynicism. This is worth keeping in mind through all this. The only reason we even know about Sarah Palin is John McCain.

He picked her so carelessly, and his thought process was so cynical, that he should stand in the dock of public opinion before Palin does. Her vanity led her to say yes to his crazy offer. But he gave her that chance. And in the end, she is his responsibility.

These points have been made before, of course, and by many -- both about right-wing media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The Weekly Standard and about McCain's responsibility for picking Palin in the first place, but Andrew puts it extremely well here. Make sure to read his post in full. (And for more on the Palin media blitz, including her Oprah appearance, see my post "Palinio ad absurdum.")

There is a good deal of blame to go around when it comes to Palin, and a lot of worthy targets -- Bill Kristol, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Palin herself, among many others -- but it was McCain who made the decision to put her on his ticket and to give her that national platform. He may not have known quite what he was getting into, and unleashing upon America, but the responsibility, ultimately, is his..

(Cross-posted from The Reaction.)

Joanne Bamberger: Sarah Palin: Going Rogue to the White House Or Someplace Else?

2009-11-18T14:36:19Z

Sarah Palin in 2012? Some are chuckling, but they might want to rethink their take on the first woman on a GOP presidential ticket.

Conservative pundit David Brooks laughed out loud at the suggestion, calling her a "joke". Others point to 2008 wannabes Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee as more qualified and doing better in polls than Palin when people talk about GOP Presidential hopefuls. Of course, most thought that quitting her day job as Alaska Governor was the death knell for her political career, but I think this is just the beginning of Palin's national political career. After all, she was just on Oprah!

Seriously, as I have to remind some who've accused me of being a closet Republican, I'm no political fan of Palin. But when people dismiss her out of hand, I keep thinking one thing -- remember the last politician we scoffed at as not even close to being competent enough for the White House?

Yup -- George W. Bush. And then we said, "Oh, well, at least he'll only be a one-termer like his father." We were 0 for 2 on that front.

It turns out that the "smart" Bush wasn't the one people related to -- as a nation, we preferred the baseball-loving, brush-clearing, recovering-beer-swilling-guy. More people liked Bush because even though he has two Ivy League degrees, they saw the "common" man in him, and that made them connect with him in a Dr. Phil sort of way.

People also related to Barack Obama in spite of his Harvard degree because he, too, had a good dose of the "everyman" in his life story -- son of a single mom from middle America who struggled with his identity and didn't have things just handed to him on a platter.

But voters wouldn't find a working class story appealing with Palin, right? Think again. There are plenty of voters who find her accessible and according to a recent Rasmussen poll, a majority of Republicans like her and think she shares their values. You can "betcha" Palin will use that angle for all it's worth. According to an excerpt in the New York Times from her book, Going Rogue:

We know what it's like to be on a tight budget and wonder how we're going to pay for our health care, let alone college tuition. ... We know what it's like to work union jobs, to be blue-collar, white-collar, to have our kids in public schools. We felt our very normalcy, our status as ordinary Americans, could be a much-needed fresh breeze blowing into Washington, D.C.

Plus there are still plenty of women who are smarting over Hillary Clinton's loss and who just might vote for Palin if she's the candidate in 2012 because they don't want to wait one more second to see a woman in charge of the Oval Office.

Don't laugh too hard! Democrats aren't doing such a bang up job at the moment -- they're dragging their feet on Paycheck Fairness, throwing reproductive health under the bus and we still aren't further on paid sick days even though we're all spreading the swine flu to each other like wildfire.

Palin is a wily one so I'm not counting her out for 2012, but I wonder if she's got something else on her agenda. I'm betting that being President is a little too much real work for her and that she's angling for something else.

My official prediction is that Palin wants Michael Steele's job as head of the Republican National Committee. Even though Steele has taken his share of jabbing and isn't the most effective one, the position of RNC Chair can be an extremely powerful position -- maybe even more powerful than President when it comes to selecting candidates for races around the country. Plus, you don't have to worry about all those pesky voters, campaign debates and whistle-stop tours! One of the most important roles of a party chair is to be fundraiser-in-chief and that's something that Palin has proven she excels at.

As much as many would like to dismiss her from the national stage (myself included), Palin isn't going quietly. Whether you like her or not, one has to acknowledge the power in that. Whether she runs for President in 2012 or sets her sights on some other political plum, she'll definitely have plenty of pocket change to look for a pied-a-terre in the lower 48 where she can set up base camp.

What do you think? Are Palin's 15 minutes up or is she the new secret weapon to lure women back to the Grand Old Party?

Joanne Bamberger is a political anaylst and writer in Washington, D.C. and the founder of PunditMom blog, a site about the intersection of motherhood and politics. Her work appears in the just released, Kirtsy Takes a Bow: A Celebration of Women's Online Favorites and she is at work on a book about political motherhood (Bright Sky Press, Fall 2010).

Susan J. Demas: The Confidence Gap Between Democrats And Republicans

2009-11-18T12:30:58Z

"We are the champions, my friends," crooned Michigan Senate President Pro-Tem Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) the day after the Nov. 3 election.

Former state Rep. Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) had won a landslide victory for an open Senate seat, giving Republicans a firm 22-16 majority. It wasn't unexpected, nor was it necessarily a bellwether, but Richardville practically skipped into the Senate chambers and his fellow Republicans couldn't stop beaming. When Nofs appeared for his victory lap, there were handshakes and backslaps all around.

It was a palpable return to normalcy, not just in Michigan, but in New Jersey and Virginia, as well. The GOP was victorious and all was right with the world.

Hard to believe that just a year ago, Barack Obama crushed John McCain and the Democrats piled up punishing majorities in Congress. In Michigan, the Democratic base hit 56 percent and the party picked up nine more state House seats.

It was like a morgue on the Republican side of the aisle on Nov. 4, 2008. Some were sullen, some were angry, but almost all looked unmistakably like something had been usurped from them.

Democrats were giddy, but it there was an aura of the surreal. The hand-wringing started immediately over strategy on the stimulus, health care and cap and trade. Instead of enjoying the ride, the question shifted to: how are we going to blow this? Will we micromanage like Carter? Capitulate like Clinton?

Golly gee, why do we Democrats suck so bad (even when we win)?

And therein lies the powerful psychological difference between the parties. It's the confidence gap.

Republicans may be livid, but they soon bounce back, even when they've been absolutely electorally pummeled. That's just an inexplicable aberration, like the popularity of plaid pants. All we have to do is return to our conservative roots and we shall reclaim what's rightfully ours.

It is almost mathematically and historically impossible for Republicans to take back Congress next year. They are 0 for 5 in the last five special elections, including the takedown of Know Nothing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in NY-23. But you'd never know that from the nonstop, right-wing bravado that the glorious second coming of Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution is at hand (even though Newt is flagellated these days as a card-carrying communist for backing moderates).

Republicans have a well-oiled propaganda machine to facilitate the fantasy of strength and popularity, from Fox News to The Weekly Standard. The message is always the same: Whether the GOP wins or loses, it always wins (and God bless St. Ronald Reagan).

So even though Tea Partiers represent a shockingly low percentage of the electorate (even a minority of the GOP), they're lauded as "real Americans" and net far more coverage and influence than they deserve.

And forget all the problematic reputable polls showing health care reform is popular. We have our own polling that miraculously says the opposite. Besides, House Minority Leader John Boehner, the epically tanned man of the people, says he's never met anyone for the public option, so that's good enough for me.

Meanwhile, check out MSNBC or The Nation. You might find some cheerleading for the president by Keith Olbermann, but most of it is a scowling gripefest. Obama's not a liberal, boo hoo, he's betrayed us.

We should all have single-payer health care by now, peace in the Middle East, zero carbon emissions and a pony. I voted for him and I want my pony, dammit. Woe is me, when will I ever have the progressive superhero president I deserve?

I can see why indecisive independents might gravitate toward Fox News and the Tea Party crowd. At least they seem to be having fun - and they appear to know what they're doing.

Even more than the ailing economy and slightly rising poll numbers, what Republicans have going for them is that good ole Democratic pessimism. It's all doom and gloom for the donkeys (and yes, Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry's poll numbers do give them reason) but they'd be kvetching if he were 20 points ahead.

So listen up, Democrats.

Laugh all you want at those misspelled signs at Tea Parties. Titter at Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele's endless buffoonery on the cable circuit. And snigger as the GOP tries to detonate itself over dogmatic primary challenges instead of rebuilding a national party.

That doesn't mean you're going to win next year.

Which is fine by the unions and liberal activists, to be honest. They'd rather be screeching in the minority, reveling in their powerlessness to change anything as long as they keep control of their little fiefdoms. Besides, think of all the awesome blog posts you can write shredding new Michigan Gov. Mike Cox.

This week, a brilliant progressive friend of mine railed with a straight face that state Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) is like Hitler. Sorry, but that's as nutty as comparing the Dems' health care bill to Dachau. A moratorium on Nazi analogies in intelligent political debate would suit me just fine, unless we're talking about actual followers of the Third Reich.

The truth is, Democrats are often terrible at governing, as even liberals complain about Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. That takes leadership and organization. And it just feels more natural being in the minority. Just ask the state Senate Democrats, who have dwelled there for a quarter-century and show little hope of digging out after Nofs' win last week.

I'm not convinced that Republicans are naturally better managers, but most of them project the self-confidence to do the job.

Kind of makes you wonder what a difference it would make if Democrats were that decisive.

William Bradley: The Inevitable Fluke That Is Sarah Palin

2009-11-17T12:06:07Z

Five minutes into yesterday's Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain's presidential campaign manager: "So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?"

His immediate reply: "I didn't, untrue."

Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, Going Rogue, and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain's shock vice presidential nominee.

Ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin provides insight into Russian politics.

Palin continued in a similar vein throughout her ballyhooed Oprah interview, constantly hitting the girrrl power/female victimization tropes of daytime TV, casting herself as an individual struggling against male control. Except, of course, for "God and Todd."

It's all a tissue of nonsense when you think about it, including her silly notion that an interview with the anchor of CBS News was supposed to be "light and fun." Whether Oprah really bought the act or not, she appeared to appreciate it. That is, after all, how it's done.

Which took me back to when I learned that the preposterous Palin had become the possible next vice president of the United States ...

Sarah Palin was a fluke. Had to be. A non-serious and irresponsible fluke. That was what I thought when I saw she was about to be named McCain's running mate on August 29, 2008.

I called Schmidt, McCain's campaign manager who I got to know well when he ran Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide re-election as governor of California, to vent. Schmidt, a hardball if rather gentlemanly operator, had helped McCain spring back into real contention with Barack Obama, jamming the favorite with a series of effective if irritating tactics. (Remember Obama's brilliant international tour, blunted by the mocking TV ad: "He's the biggest celebrity in the world." That was Schmidt.) Such is politics, especially for the campaign with the weaker hand, so no personal venting was called for.

But Palin? I'd scouted her, which amounted to watching a few hours of video footage of her and reading some articles, and she was clearly a totally unqualified, and very vain, intellectual lightweight. And that was being kind. Compared to Palin, George W. Bush belonged on Mount Rushmore.

Palin pretended yesterday on Oprah to have been surprised that CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked her serious questions.

Palin was also, in retrospect, inevitable. Even though she was not the real first choice of McCain, Schmidt, and the rest of the campaign high command. Perhaps because she was not the real first choice.

Here's why.

Two years ago, McCain was struggling along, his once frontrunning candidacy having imploded due to his moderation on immigration and a few other issues and his discomfort from playing the establishment frontrunner. After McCain's campaign collapsed, I'd had lunch with Schmidt, joking that McCain must do as Chairman Mao advised when he said: "The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea."

Schmidt had decided to carry on with what his business partners referred to as his unpaid "hobby," and McCain had decided to do something "Mao-like" or at least a Republican variant. He traveled like a normal person, was very accessible, held free-wheeling town halls in his home away from home New Hampshire and a few other states. Freed from the pressure of being the national frontrunner, he recovered his mojo in a race that was still very winnable for him.

After he won New Hampshire, the far right went crazy, moving heavily into Stop McCain mode. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity inveighed against him at all hours of the day and night. The far right blogosphere was in high dudgeon over this "dangerous liberal" McCain.

The reality is that McCain is a conservative. He's much like Ronald Reagan, who would also face tremendously vicious yip-yap today in the party which purports to venerate him unless he moved further to the right.

The far right settled on the awkward figure of Mitt Romney to stop McCain. For some, like radio host Hugh Hewitt, who wrote a truly amazing biography of Romney (in which the corporate takeover artist flew over tall buildings), it was a matter of heavily willed suspension of disbelief that this Eastern economic royalist/social liberal was really a movement conservative. For others, it was simply a matter of stopping McCain, who once pissed all over their pretensions. Romney had adopted their rhetoric, fraudulent though his positioning was, and for them, that was enough.

With the Republicans' winner-take-all primary ways, and Romney not able to shut down Mike Huckabee, McCain rocked Romney to a dead stop in California and knocked him out the following week in Florida. He did this with the help of moderate Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlie Crist, both of whom are reviled by the far right.

But the far right, which amounts to a neo-Confederate political tendency, retained a simmeringly mutinous attitude, playing up sizable non-McCain votes as the primaries went on. Though they couldn't ever get behind Huckabee.

An interesting question is why they didn't get behind Huckabee instead of Romney. Huckabee is a real social conservative and a far better natural politician than the generally stiff Romney. But he's more of a populist than a royalist, and expressed concern about climate change. The dominant far right political tendency deeply identifies with entrenched wealth and authority, and disdains squishy notions like peace and the environment. Which is why Dick Cheney, of all people, is a patron saint of the far right.

So McCain and his advisors had a big problem going forward. The far right, with big megaphones in the form of Limbaugh, Hannity, et al was busily proclaiming that they were the real Republicans. And without the so-called "base," McCain had a built-in potshot press every day.

Palin was baffled by questions about the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Schmidt, who'd tooled around with McCain in rental cars and commercial flights during the rebuilding days of the campaign, had taken over its operations. Working with Schwarzenegger, he'd been at the controls of a smoothly running megabucks machine. But this, even after clinching the nomination, was definitely more ramshackle.

Especially compared with the humming Obama machine, raising money at a record clip, with volunteers all over America. Once the tussle with the Clintons was ended -- despite all the silly "Puma" hype, which never really amounted to much, though Schmidt and others had some hopes -- Obama had a happy and united party base on the left and and in the center.

When it came time to pick a potential vice president, the McCain high command had a series of not especially good choices.

My impression was that they liked Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, both personally and substantively. But he was not an inspiring figure and Obama was likely to win his state, as he did, easily.

Huckabee was a good campaigner and had good rapport with McCain. But you certainly couldn't have a creationist on the ticket. Right? And the Talk Radio Wing of the party hated him.

Palin now bashes the Wall Street bailout as an Obama scheme. Last year, when it was pushed through by George W. Bush, she backed it, but thought that it was about health care.

Romney was, let's say, not personally popular in McCain Land. The two seemed to viscerally dislike each other on stage, making the Obama-Hillary dynamic look like occasionally bickering lab partners. But he could bring some very big money to the table, if no real advantage in terms of states.

McCain wanted to tear it up and be the maverick by picking Joe Lieberman. Al Gore's running mate of 2000 would be his running mate of 2008.

But that wouldn't fly, as Team McCain learned when they took some soundings in the party. As much as much of the left hates Lieberman -- without whom, as Obama shrewdly realized, there would be no 60-vote Democratic majority in the Senate -- he is a dangerous liberal to the far right. Sure, he's a neo-Likudnik hawk. But beyond that he is essentially a moderate corporate liberal Democrat. And that is totally unacceptable to the Taliban of America's far right.

Other folks mentioned, the Rob Portman types, were largely unknown and were in no way game-changers.

For that was how the pick came to be framed.

Palin complains now that her brilliance was bottled up by Team McCain.

Most of what the McCain campaign did in the general election can be understood by understanding this: The presidency of the United States in 2008 was Barack Obama's to lose. That's the way the dynamics of history played out in 2008. If Obama became seen as a plausible president -- and McCain and his top people never bought the "birther" nonsense or the rest of the "Manchurian Candidate" fantasy so prevalent on the far right even today, though they played around with that fire -- and didn't make a big mistake, he would be the next president.

Unless they could alter the equation, distract from Obama's luster, trip him up. And they would need a big turnout of core conservative voters to be in the ballpark.

In that context, essentially a context of desperation -- and let's remember all the handwringing about Obama's chances amongst liberal Democrats going on throughout all this -- Sarah Palin made sense.

Except that she really didn't. Because she had no idea what she was talking about. Which is why I knew she was dead amongst independent voters, who don't necessarily like fancy credentials but demand basic knowledge.

And yet she really did make sense, very much so, politically, within the context of the Republican Party. Both through process of elimination -- see above -- and in terms of activating conservative activists and turning on grassroots conservative contributors.

I thought from the beginning she would backfire, and wrote it again after she gave her big speech at the Republican national convention, which had most pundits swooning. And that proved to be the case.

Palin brought a lot of energy -- mostly of the angry, backlash variety -- to the McCain ticket. But in the end, because of her fundamental ignorance and negativity, she made it impossible for McCain to win.

Now, let me say that I have always liked McCain. I don't agree with him on everything, to say the least, but I think he is a good man in a very flawed system.

I had hoped for a different sort of campaign between my favorite Democrat and my favorite Republican. That was too idealistic of me. For that sort of campaign would have guaranteed an Obama victory. Naturally, McCain decided not to play along, as, like most politicians, he would rather take a shot at winning than settle for an honorable defeat.

That also brought us Sarah Palin.

But what really made Palin the inevitable fluke that she is is the nature of the current Republican Party.

A once great party has turned into a neo-Confederate political party, looking for a very shallow, mean, dishonest, know-nothing version of Ronald Reagan. And in Sarah Palin, it has found it.

America doesn't buy her as a potential president. Especially after she bizarrely quit as governor of small state Alaska halfway through her only term.

But in a multi-candidate winner take all GOP primary scenario, she could definitely walk away with the party's presidential nomination. And in the meantime, her poisonous brand of charisma will continue to infect Republicans, meaning that all of national politics will continue to be infected with a vicious virus of dishonest, know-nothing hyper-partisanship.

You can check things during the day on my site, New West Notes ... www.newwestnotes.com.

Andy Ostroy: The Big Surprise Moment During the Oprah/Palin Interview

2009-11-17T10:16:27Z

For weeks now we've been teased with promotions for the much-anticipated interview between talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey and America's most infamous political train-wreck, Sarah Palin, which finally aired Monday. Everyone wondered how the chat would go. Would Palin spill some dirt on McCain? Bash almost-son-in-law Levi Johnston? Announce that she's running for president in 2012? But the real telling moment came in the first seconds of the sit-down, as Oprah, perhaps feeling threatened and insecure by a woman who for some strange reason seems to captivate audiences more than she, attempted to make the hype all about her. They don't call it The Oprah Winfrey Show for nothing. It was a moment worthy of a WWF Smackdown: The Narcissist vs The Maverick.

Did you feel snubbed that I hadn't invited you to be on the show during the campaign?, Winfrey immediately asked The Wasilla Wonder. To which a rather snarky Palin quipped, "No offense to you, but it wasn't the center of my universe." Oh no she di-'int! Palin then added, "I've heard more about that during the last few weeks than during the campaign." Clearly taken aback, an incredulous Winfrey asked, "You didn't even know about it?!" Wow. It was kind of painful to watch. It was as if Oprah was pleading, Wait, don't you know who I am? I am Oprah...Winfrey....I elect presidents...I turn no-name authors into superstars....I make middle-aged, middle-American white women swoon more than Josh Groban! Are you telling me you didn't obsess about me when you were on the campaign trail? Shocking! Truly shocking!

And there you have it. The one big, and only truly relevant moment in the interview. The Mammoth Ego from Chicago meets the Mighty MILF From Alaska. Last time I saw theatre this good a bunch of human cats were jumping around on Broadway.

But just when I thought it was all over, another AHA! moment occurred when the Id-bruised Winfrey wondered if she should take heed of all the chatter about Palin getting her own television program:

"Oprah, you're the queen of talk shows. There's nothing to ever worry about." Nicely done, Sarah. Perhaps you're a little smarter than we think...

Tina Dupuy: Doom Sells, But Who's Buying?

2009-11-16T15:42:31Z

In the wake of the epic doomsday disaster film 2012 reaping in a cataclysmic $225 million globally opening weekend, it's pretty clear doom is a boom.

Doomsday prophesy is an art, that's why the purveyors make the big bucks.

But don't worry, doomsday prophets are notorious for dying of old age. It's a little known fact people who focus only on the end of days have an incredibly long life expectancy. It's a solid career choice for the right individual. For one, you can be wrong about the world coming to an end. So far no one's ever gotten it right.

You know, since we're still here...and stuff.

I was born in a doomsday cult, The Children of God, and I have studied the issue at length. So now I can help you, help yourself:

There is a long and distinguished history of dooming. There has been preaching about the end of time since the beginning of time. The Apocalypse. The Rapture. End Times. Armageddon. Y2K. 2012. The possibilities are endless!

In order to be a doomsday prophet, you can't afford to be discouraged by anything. Especially not evidence.

Just treat every day like a close-out going out of business sale. Yes, this is your business as usual. It's a deadline! It's now or never! Everything marked down! Everything must go! Combat short attention spans with shorter timelines.

Oh sure, there have been some like Jim Jones and Heaven's Gate who have killed themselves and their flock, but you're not about discouragement. True doomsday prophets are tax-free and facts-free zones of stay-tuned-or-you'll-miss-something-ness. Doomsday prophecy is a riveting and exciting career where you learn to dodge and duck accountability with your charisma. You're like a charming, tax-exempt whack-a-mole.

When it comes to belief, hope floats but doom sells. Pastor John Hagee, a supporter of Senator John McCain for President, once told his megachurch, "You could get raptured out of this building before I get finished preaching." On the tape, you can hear the crowd cheer. "Yay!" This is the kind of message that separates the megachurches from the meager churches.

The other character trait necessary is not caring that you're wrong. If being accurate is important to you, program calculators for a living. If being proved to be a fraud fills you with anxiety and make you want cower into a fetal position and hide from public life forever, then doomsday prophesy is not your bag. Either yarn rhetorically or go home.

The cult leader my parents followed, Moses David, predicted the world/America would end in the early 1970's. After it didn't happen, he used the general prophesy of "it can't be long now!" to cover any doubt about what was around the corner.

The Christian Coalition's Pat Robertson annually makes predictions about the coming year. In 2007 he said, "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that." Wow, was that wrong. Did he retire? Hell, no. Why would he need to? Now he has the disclaimer, "If there's a mistake it's not His fault, it's mine." As for 2009? He predicted America would embrace socialism under Obama. Subtle. Learn from the master, folks.

But people will want to believe you if you seem to believe it enough yourself and they like you. What's a couple of outright failed prophesies among friends, huh? People of faith tend to have faith in people. So if you don't have any hesitation exploiting that. You're so there.

Interesting side note: My mother, who has spent the past 35 years convinced the world could end at any minute, has maintained a perfect credit score. Lesson here for doomers: Don't ever sell short the short sell.

And lastly, you should not just assume as a doomsday prophet that you are going to be stuck at church or on CBN for eternity. You guys are not just screaming incoherencies on the street corner anymore. There are many career opportunities for you on basic cable. If there's any place where inaccurate hyperbole is not only celebrated but encouraged -- it's at Fox News. Glenn Beck knows how to doom. But note Jim Cramer is not on Fox so don't feel limited. Remember Geraldo Rivera started out at ABC sniffing out the Satanic cult conspiracies before he graduated to Fox where he could give away troop positions.

To sum up: fear and impending doom can equal bread and butter. But you have to hurry. It could all end soon.

This piece originated at True/Slant.

Don McNay: President Obama's Entrepreneurial Mindset

2009-11-16T14:07:48Z

I can give you
anything but time

-Elvis
Costello

I'm sometimes critical of President Obama because it often seems to me that he doesn't understand people like me – an owner of a small
business in a small town.

I have not seen much evidence of Obama being in touch with
small-town
Kentucky, but
after reading David Plouffe's new book, The
Audacity to Win, I have become
convinced that he knows what it takes to run a business.

I'm a devoted student of Dan Sullivan, the “Strategic Coach" for
entrepreneurs. I went through Sullivan’s program in Toronto. Dan has devoted
his life to helping entrepreneurs become better at their craft. I am convinced that President
Obama operated his 2008 Presidential
campaign with a classic entrepreneurial mindset.

Common
traits of successful entrepreneurs include setting
seemingly impossible goals and challenging conventional wisdom.

Planning to be President of the United
States is a pretty high goal.
Especially for a guy who had been an Illinois state legislator just five years
ago.

When history goes back to studying the Obama
campaign, it will compare it to the William Jennings Bryan campaign of 1896 or
Ross Perot's in 1992. Those unconventional
styles of
campaigning set the standard for every
campaign after them.

No one focused on Larry King before Ross Perot did.
Now,
all candidates find their way to Larry, Leno, Dave, Ellen, Tyra and Oprah.

Now, every campaign is going to organize and raise
money using the
Obama model.

Like a Steven Jobs or Bill Gates, Obama changed the dynamic.

But unlike
Bryan and Perot,
Obama won.

And he
did in classic entrepreneurial fashion. He developed a campaign plan that
exploited
opportunities that seemed crazy to "Washington insiders.”

It was the same way Steven Jobs and Bill Gates seemed crazy to IBM and Xerox. Or the way that Google seemed crazy to Microsoft.

A good entrepreneur takes what "the
professionals" see as disadvantages and turns them into advantages.

Jimmy Carter had one of the most innovative
campaigns of
the modern era. People laughed when an unemployed, former governor of a Southern
state decided to be president. Carter understood that being unemployed
allowed him to campaign full time, and that being Southern allowed him to connect to a large segment of
the population who didn't want George Wallace as the primary symbol of southern
politics.

Obama took the unconventional candidate theory to a new
extreme. We have not had many senators become president, and especially not many one-term senators. I can't think of another president who was raised by an unmarried,
single mother. I’m sure
Obama is the first president born in Hawaii. He’s younger than all but a
handful of presidents and has an unusual name.

Also, did I mention that
he is African-American?

As Plouffe's book points out, Obama's
"negatives," like Jimmy Carter's negatives, turned out to be
positives.

Plouffe noted that among people who voted in the 2004 George W. Bush- John
Kerry election, Obama beat McCain by only a 50% to 49% margin. Depending on how
the electoral votes would have played out, Obama could have narrowly won, narrowly lost or faced the
same fate as Al Gore.

Instead, a huge turnout by African-Americans and younger voters propelled Obama to a landslide victory.

Obama did not run the
campaign by conventional rules. He
developed his own rules and made them work for him.

It’s tough to challenge conventional wisdom. Everyone wants to tell
you what you are doing wrong.

Programs like the Strategic Coach teach
entrepreneurs to develop written goals and to have ways to measure how people are progressing
towards those goals.

Plouffe noted the discipline exhibited
by the Obama campaign in sticking to their game plan.
The early campaign was roundly criticized by "experts" who didn't see the same
vision that the Obama people saw.

I was impressed by how they were able to use matrices to measure
every aspect of the campaign, like fundraising, organizing and coordinating, to track how successfully the campaign was meeting its plan.

It has been said that anything that
can be measured, can be obtained. In Obama's case, that
included the Presidency of the United States.

Dan Sullivan built most of his
coaching philosophy around something called the "entrepreneurial time
system." An entrepreneur's time is the
most precious resource of any business, and it needs to be treated as such.

I've seen way too many political candidates and business people
try to be everywhere, doing everything, and who wind up being nowhere and
getting nothing much done.

Until I read The Audacity to Win, I had no idea how
much campaign focus was directed
to proper use of Omaba's time. Time was also scheduled for the
candidate to relax and spend time with his family. There was a lot of pressure
to have Obama go to outside debates and rallies, but the plan called for him to stay focused on the Iowa primary and never to waver from
his central message.

His highly favored primary opponent, Hillary
Clinton, did not manage her time as
well and had a litany of campaign messages. Obama against Clinton was like
watching an energetic start-up go against a bureaucratic
mega-corporation.

We all rooted for David over Goliath. Entrepreneurs are those who
can look at Goliath and recognize
that a giant can be taken down.

Just like Barack Obama took the Presidency.

Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is
one of the world's leading authorities in helping people deal with “Big
Money” issues.

McNay
is an award winning, syndicated financial columnist and
Huffington Post Contributor.

You can read more about Don at www.donmcnay.com

McNay
founded McNay Settlement Group, a structured settlement and financial
consulting firm, in 1983 and Kentucky Guardianship Administrators LLC
in 2000. You can read more about both at www.mcnay.com

McNay
has Master's Degrees from Vanderbilt and the American College and is in the
Eastern Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

McNay
has written two books. Most recent is Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers
and What to Do When You Win The Lottery

McNay
is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has four
professional designations in the financial services field.

McCain Urges Town Hall Attendees To Cut Up AARP Membership Cards

2009-11-15T12:40:13Z

Last week, the AARP, a nonpartisan organization that advocates on behalf of those aged 50 and over, endorsed the House health care bill. "We can say with confidence that it meets our priorities for protecting Medicare, providing more affordable health insurance for 50- to 64-year-olds and reforming our health care system," AARP vice president Nancy Leamond said. At a town hall meeting in Arizona on Friday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) vowed to "fight with every fiber of my body" to oppose a similar health care reform bill in the Senate. He then claimed that Medicare will actually be "cut" and reportedly urged the town hall attendees to tear up their AARP membership cards:

Geoffrey Dunn: Schmidt Calls Palin's Memoirs "Total Fiction"

2009-11-14T18:12:52Z

To read Sarah Palin's shockingly shallow Going Rogue, one is immediately struck by how nasty and vindictive Palin is and by the fact that her book is little more than a veiled mechanism for settling scores with old foes who have triumphed over Palin throughout her lifetime.

Is Palin really going rogue? Hardly. Getting even is more like it.

Palin's biggest score to settle is with those senior advisers--Republicans all--in the John McCain campaign, on whose shoulders Palin lays the blame for her failed and tortured debut on the American political stage last fall. Most notable among them, of course, is "The Bullet," Steve Schmidt, who took over McCain's teetering campaign in July of 2008 and was a staunch advocate of Palin's selection as McCain's running mate.

He has told the Huffington Post that Palin's allegations against the McCain campaign are "total fiction."

Schmidt now joins a host of former McCain staffers, including Mark Salter and Nicolle Wallace, who have challenged the veracity of Palin's book even before it hits the streets on Tuesday. One McCain aide who worked closely with Palin and who "liked her personally" described Palin's account of the campaign as "blatantly and absolutely inaccurate."

McCain aides are shocked-- though not entirely surprised--by Palin's allegations. They caught enough of her act during the 60-plus days of her campaign sojourn to know that she plays "fast and loose with the truth."

As for Palin labeling Schmidt "cool," "grim-faced" and "rotund," Schmidt, a former high school tight end with a beefy six-foot frame, joked, "Why are they always picking on the bald guy?"

A former Bush operative widely respected in Republican circles for his managerial skills and focused demeanor, Schmidt is precisely the type of disciplined task master that Palin has bristled against all her life. The scattered Palin's biggest complaint about Schmidt: he's "business to the bone."

Heaven forbid.

Palin contends that Schmidt came to her midway through the campaign and confronted her about her consumption of so-called Atkins bars and told her that she needed to "get off that Atkins Diet." In fact, Schmidt and campaign manager Rick Davis had heard concerns from both staffers and the press that Palin was dieting to the point of impacting her performance on the campaign. Palin, according to senior staffers, was concerned about not looking heavy on camera and was thoroughly obsessive about her appearance and every little comment that was made about her looks.

Palin also contends that in the aftermath of her humiliating prank phone call by a comedian posing as French president Nicolas Sarkozy that Schmidt called Palin angrily screaming, "How can anyone be so stupid?!"

According to two McCain sources, one of whom was on the bus with Palin at the time, the phone call never happened. "There was an email," he said, "but never a phone call. This is a pure fabrication."

Palin also contends that Schmidt used profanity in front of her young daughter Piper. Those who have worked closely with Schmidt are most outraged by this particular Palin assertion. "Steve is a great father to his young kids and totally respectful of children," said a long time associate who has worked with Schmidt in "different capacities," including on the McCain campaign. "I never saw it happen. Not once. That charge is 'other worldly'."

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be released by St. Martin's Press in spring 2010.

Georges Ugeux: Why Sen. Dodd's Opposition to the Federal Reserve is Ill-Conceived

2009-11-13T13:13:43Z

The Senate Banking Committee unveiled its proposal for financial reform. It differs from the Administration's proposal on one major point. It deprives the Federal Reserve of its regulatory responsibilities rather than entrusting it to oversee the "too big to fail" financial institutions. The explanation is that many Democrats resent the way the Federal Reserve has not anticipated the systemic risks contained in the financial bubbles that exploded.

Had Senate Banking Committee's Chairman, Chris Dodd's proposal been effective before the crisis, where would we be today? The Federal Reserve would be completely restricted to monetary policy and dissociated from any responsibility for the financial institutions. It might never have lowered interest rates as low as it did. It would therefore not have done what all Central Banks around the world have done: provide the liquidity at a time when banks were no longer prepared to trust each other. By the way, the first massive injection of cash did not come from Washington but from Frankfurt where the European Central Bank injected close to $ 150 billion into the system in one day.

The responsibility to act decisively and efficiently would have been devolved to Government Agencies, and the Administration would have had to go to Congress to obtain the amounts necessary to avoid the dislocation of the world financial markets. By the time Congress would have acted, based on the glorious records of Hank Paulson, John Mc Cain and the Republicans who only approved the TARP after being bribed, most US banking institutions would have been forced to file for bankruptcy and the system would have collapsed, making 1929 look like a kindergarten experience.

The FDIC Chairman, Sheila Bair, who was the first to draw the Administration's attention on the gravity of the situation and remarkably handled an impossible situation, would not have been able to fund the kind of interventions without massive injections of the Treasury, who would need Congress approval.

It is perfectly true that the Federal Reserve's performance was less than stellar before the crisis. Fed Chairman Greenspan did not see it coming, and his successor Bernanke often gave the impression that he was a great economist rather than a market leader. In order to avoid such a bloodbath during the crisis, it tripled its balance sheet, extended the access of its liquidity window to more institutions and more classes of assets. It required courage, determination and competence.

The Senate's anger at those who are responsible for this crisis is perfectly justified, and it can be directed as well at the bankers, their Boards, the Comptroller of the Currency, the SEC, the International Monetary Fund, the Forum for Financial Stability and the Bank for International Settlements.

The Federal Reserve, like every central bank in the world, has always combined monetary policy and regulatory oversight. This role is played by most of its counterparts around the world, although it is mostly confined to bank oversight. There is a rationale for it: accountability. It is important that the institution that will be asked to intervene at times of crisis and has the financial means to do so be held accountable for the oversight of those institutions who present a systemic risk for the US and the global financial markets.

Does that mean that the Fed is the ideal solution? There is no perfect solution to the problem of financial oversight. One thing is clear, however: there is a need for a single institution to act as a catalyst and a coordinator of all regulators and which will dispose of the global information needed to preempt systemic crises. The importance of the SEC as a market regulator and of the FDIC as the guarantor of deposits cannot be underestimated. The FDIC needs increased financial means to continue its current role of "distressed assets manager". But they are Government agencies, and as such report to Congress.

What is also very clear is that if the Federal Reserve System has to be trusted for this oversight, it needs to change its methods and its structure. There is indeed an imbedded conflict between monetary policy and financial oversight. But it is a structural one: the level of interest rates and the open market policy are inevitably intertwined with financial health. Those rates affect the general economy and the fight against inflation needs to recognize its effects on the financial system.

It is not because the Senate might not happy with the management of certain institutions, that the institution is disqualified to fulfill its duties. Again, the Senate is very justified to be angry at this situation but the Dodd bill's exclusion of the Federal Reserve's regulatory oversight is no way forward.