Sarah Palin RESIGNS

WTF? What happened? Sarah Palin had a press conference yesterday, and after a rambling, semi-coherent message (in which she often sounded uncharacteristically nervous), she announced breathlessly that she'll be resigning as Governor of Alaska, effective at the end of this month. No kidding. And since no questions were entertained, everybody's still sorta going "Uhhh... what??"

She tried to sound as if this was done for purely noble reasons, but in reality she sounded more like an errant student grasping for excuses. She claimed that she doesn't "need a title to effect change", but didn't seem to realize that being Governor isn't just a title, it's a freaking JOB, a job she campaigned for and swore to do. And her weird comment about "lame duck governors" spending their last year-and-a-half just "flying around picking up paychecks" was not only inaccurate but also grossly offensive to ALL Governors; not exactly getting off on the best foot with those 49 others, huh?

Anyway this was very unexpected, since everybody assumed that she was focused on a White House run in 2012. Still, knowing a bit about her history clears it up a little; she did quit college, including 2 community colleges, no less than 5 times before finally getting her degree from the easiest college she could find; University of Idaho. Maybe the problem was that her degree was in journalism, obviously difficult for someone who despises the press and interviews so intensely. Palin graduated from high school with a 2.2 GPA and an SAT score of 841, which put her in the 36th percentile; a stellar future flipping burgers loomed ahead.

So was this resignation some kind of half-assed strategy? Beats me, but ditching an elected gig halfway through doesn't usually help one's resume. Who would vote for her now, and why?
I give up; why did anyone ever vote for this flake?

She did say "Trust me", although she didn't wink, but still her supporters are spinning this development as a brilliant strategic ploy, and no doubt she will rake in tons of shopping money once she's free of the burden of holding office (especially after someone writes a book for her), but still most pundits are baffled, expecting another big, smelly shoe to drop that'll explain it all. (Maybe a sex tape with Todd and Rush? Kidding!)

I listened and reviewed her speech carefully, but honestly I never figured out exactly what she was trying to say about why she bailed. I don't think anybody did. I mean, I understood all the words, but it was a like a Stevie Nicks song with no melody; the phrases and images were catchy, but I really have no idea wtf she was talking about. Maybe this is something Alaskans understand, but this here Texan just don't git it.

Palin supporters are scrambling to rationalize this as great news, a brilliant move, because after all she did say "Trust me." and no doubt Fox will reward her with her own show if she wants it; maybe Rupert will even spin off an entire network for her; imagine, PalinVision, 24/7.

Regardless, for those of us who have delighted in Sarah Palin's undeniable unfitness for high office, this was a head-scratcher. We'd been COUNTING on the combination of her blind ambition and the cluelessness of her supporters to KEEP the Republicans out of the White House while our nation heals. But really this is probably just as good, if not better.

Personally, I'm betting that she had to resign in a breathless rush because of the ongoing investigations against the affairs of Sarah and her uber-rugged husband Todd; there are some infractions that even attractive but ethically-challenged nitwits can't dismiss as "trivial".

Granny Gets Tasered

Austin is in the national news for an unfortunate incident involving a woman who got tasered by a police officer after resisting arrest. This woman is 72 years old, as she pointed out several times. Apparently this gave her a dangerous sense of entitlement...

Here's the story: The dash cam video was rolling just after 2:00 p.m. on May 11 when Deputy Chris Bieze stopping the feisty Kathryn Winkfein for speeding on Hwy. 71, a notoriously dangerous road in Austin. Several people were killed on this hilly, winding road just last week. This occurred in a construction area with a clearly posted 45 mph speed limit.

Apparently the officer hadn't read the memo that 72-year-old ladies are exempt from all traffic laws...

After completing the paperwork for the ticket, the dash cam showed the officer returning to Winkfein's truck, but Winkfein refused to sign the speeding ticket.

"Take me to jail? I'm a 72-year-old woman," said Winkfein on the tape.

The deputy then opened the driver side door to arrest the great-grandmother.

"Give me the (bleep) ticket now. Oh you're [going to] push me, a 72-year-old woman," said Winkfein on the tape.

Bieze replied, "Get over here...Now!"

On the tape, the officer shoved Winkfein. The Constable's Office said the shove served as a way to get both Bieze and Winkfein out of oncoming traffic.

"Give it to me and I'll sign it … give it to me and I'll sign it," she says, apparently reaching for the ticket.

"Get over here now!" he screams, pushing her away.

"You're gonna shove me? You're gonna shove a 72-year-old woman?" she replies.

(Police claim the officer pushed Ms Winkfein to get her away from passing traffic; he didn't explain why he pushed her away fromthe roadway, but the dash cam showing the woman right at the edge of the lanes of traffic, supports his assertion.)

Deputy Beasey then warns he will use the Taser.

"(If ) you don't step back, you're going to be tased," he says.

"Go ahead, tase me! Hell, a 72-year-old woman," she replies.

"Get back, or you're going to be tasered," he repeats.

"I dare you," she says.

(Last Friday, Ms Winkfein told reporters she had not put up any resistance prior to being tasered.)

"I wasn't arguing … all of this is a lie, every bit of this is a lie," she said.

(She seems to be a personal expert on lies...)

In the dash cam footage, Ms Winkfein clearly defies the officer.

"I'm getting back in my car," she says.

(Watching this part of the footage, I figured she was going back to her car to get a gun...possibly the officer thought so, too)

Bieze is heard warning Winkfein, saying "Stand back, I'm [going to] tase you."

Winkfein: "You're going to tase a 72-year-old woman? Hell, I'm a 72-year-old woman!"

Officer Bieze is heard giving Winkfein no less than five warnings to stand back or else she would get tasered.

"Step back or you'll get tased," said Bieze.

Winkfein replied confidently, "I dare you!"

Before the video was released, Winkfein told her fictional side of the story, insisting that she "wasn't argumentative, I was not combative, OK? This is a lie, all of this is a lie. Pulled away from him, I did not," said Winkfein.

Winkfein hired an attorney and planned to get revenge, obviously based primarily on her age. THen the dash cam tape was released, and not surprisingly, she and her attorney have clammed up and declined all interview requests.

"There may be many viewers upset we deployed a taser but she made a very simple interaction with police a very difficult task," Sgt. Major. Gary Griffin, Texas Constable.
The sergeant pointed out that in this litigious society, if the deputy had not pushed the woman to the side of the road or tasered her to gain control of the situation, he could have faced a civil lawsuit for not preventing harm to the woman.

Well, gee whiz, everybody KNOWS that 72-year-old ladies drive soft fluffy cars that can't POSSIBLY hurt anyone, no matter how fast they're driven, especially though dangerous areas like Hwy.71.

Why, she should be able to drive 72 miles per hour wherever she wants to, even though school zones, or through your living room for that matter, because SHE'S 72-YEARS OLD! And everybody KNOWS that 72-year-old ladies automatically deserve a big old get-out-of-jail-free card, and that 72-year-old-ladies don't have to sign traffic tickets if they don't want to, or comply with police officer's directions, or do anything else they don't want to do, because THEY'RE 72-YEARS OLD! And they can't possibly hurt anyone by speeding through a construction area on a hilly, winding rural highway...

How DARE this officer even STOP a 72-year old woman! Why, he should be waterboarded at once, then drawn and quartered, his remains sued, and then fired! After all, this LOVELY woman warned the officer that she he was addressing a 72-year-old lady, but he insisted on treating her like anyone else, regardless of her age.

And just because he warned her clearly, no less then 5 times, and just because she said "I DARE YOU!", that doesn't mean that a 72-year-old lady should be held accountable for her behavior. Everybody knows that she should have been allowed to drive as fast as she wanted to, anywhere and anytime she chooses, because SHE'S FREAKING 72 YEARS OLD!

Seriously, thank goodness for the dash cam! As far is I'm concerned (and I'm getting pretty elderly myself), Kathyn Winkfein is a public menace who deserves everything she got. No WONDER her attorney wouldn't comment once the dash cam was released! And no wonder she hid and wouldn't open the door to the reporter she'd made an appointment with prior to the release of the dash cam tape. What a horrible example she set for the great-grandchildren she evoked during the confrontation. Personally, I hope she loses her license. She won't of course, but she really shouldn't be driving, since she is so certain that traffic and other laws don't apply to her because she's a 72 year old woman!

Go Vote Now- It Will Make You Feel Big and Strong

Early voting in Texas begins tomorrow, Monday, October 20th, 2008 and concludes on Halloween.

So get your voter registration card and get out there and vote! Click here for early voting locations in the Austin area.

Just remember - the problems we face will not be solved by the minds that created them...

Colin Powell IS Supporting and Voting for Barack Obama

It's official! The taping of today's Meet the Press just concluded and General Colin Powell WILL vote for Barack Obama!

Why? Powell cited Obama's "style and substance."

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said. "Obama displayed a steadiness. Showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive way of doing business that will do us well," Powell said, who was seen as a possible presidential candidate himself.

Powell said he questioned Sen. John McCain's judgment in picking Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate because he doesn't think she is ready to be president.

(No kidding!)

He also said he was disappointed with some of McCain's campaign tactics, such as bringing up Obama's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers. I suspect that "disappointed" is an understatement.

Powell, who confirms that he is still a Republican despite his support of Obama, simply has no use anymore, if he ever had any, for the neo-con cowboys he thinks misled the country (and him) into a mistaken and costly war in Iraq, because

In general, Republican General Powell has been careful not to criticize his colleagues in the Bush administration publicly, nor to bluntly call the war a mistake...but as of this morning, the gloves are off! And hooray for those Republicans who still have honor, integrity, and the courage to face facts.

John McCain's erratic behavior is being spanked by someone with more military experience, intelligence, and credibility than McCain could ever muster....Powell is the Gold Standard, and has given his stamp of approval to Barack Obama!

Mon Dieu! Palin's Debate Outlook Discussed in "Paris Match"

I don't really speak much French, but I understood this from "Paris Match" magazine's website: Sarah Palin, Le Débat de la Dernière Chance
Par Régis Le Sommier

USA 2008. John McCain est en difficulté. Lors du débat de jeudi contre Joe Biden, sa colistière n’aura le droit à aucune erreur

I was a mediocre French student 35 years ago, but the title and summary above are clear enough; The Debate is Palin's last chance (aucune merde!), and McCain "is in difficulty" because in this debate on Thursday with Joe Biden, Palin cannot afford any errors. Yeah, like that's really gonna happen.

My humble prediction for post-debate effect polls (ma prévision pour après le débat effet)- McPalin ticket will drop another 5-10 points. Please...

Mavericks Disclaim John McCain!

Nope, definitely NOT a maverick!

Jeez, they can't even SPELL it! This "Mavrick"[sic] sign was shown as John McCain ironically discussed the need for adult literacy.

On the REAL Mavericks...

Background: OK, first you've got your "Maverick Family", a very prominent political family of very progressive Texas liberals, active in government and civil rights.

John Henry Faulk with Maury Maverick, Jr.

The Maverick political family - Maverick, Sr. is sworn in by his father as San Antonio mayor, as Maverick, Jr. looks on.

Then you've got your "maverick" cow (or bull), which is simply an unbranded cow "at large", presumably feral; not something you'd choose as a Commander-in-Chief.

The wild bovine version is referred to as a maverick because Sam Maverick of the aforementioned Maverick Family refused to brand his cattle.

Sam Maverick-no brander-of-cattle, he!

There was some debate as to his true motivations; while he claimed that branding was simply cruel and inhumane, which of course it is, and flatly refused to do it, some felt this was done (or not done) so that Maverick could claim any unbranded cattle as his own, thus increasing his herd.

Anyway, as for the Maverick* Family, they've made it clear that they are not flattered or appreciative of John McCain's use of their family name in his slogans.

*As far as I know, the namesake wild cattle have yet to be herd from. Sorry.

Click here for some basic history on the human "Mavericks", from the Austin Chronicle.
Maury Maverick, Jr.
Maury Maverick, Jr. used to attend Austin Friends Meeting back in the '80's; he was a brilliant, fearless, colorful man. He said once that the reason he drove all the way to Austin for Meeting was because we (Quakers) "don't Jesus you to death." We were flattered.

A less famous member of the Maverick Family, but infamous at Alamo Heights Junior High School in the 50's and 60's, was The Terrible Miss Johnnie Maverick, a caricature of the strictest, most rigid, impossible-to-please Texas History teacher in Texas History. Seriously.

And below is an article from The Denton Record Chronicle, regarding the Maverick Family's reaction to the use of the term "Maverick" by the McCain campaign.

Defaming the Name of the Real Mavericks

By Mike Cochran, Sunday, September 21, 2008 02:24 AM CDT

As a Texan, I have to admit that it makes my blood boil to see the term “Original Maverick” so misused and abused in the current political season. Every time I see it in a McCain ad, I wonder whether or not the good senator properly vetted the term before he made it the centerpiece of his campaign.

McCain's Mavericks
Could John McCain have any idea who the Mavericks are — the real, “original Mavericks”? A brief history lesson is in order here.

The Mavericks are a fine old Texas family with an independent and liberal streak that goes back generations. Samuel Maverick came to Texas in 1835, moved to San Antonio and was in the thick of the Texas Revolution. He was one of the messengers sent by Travis from the Alamo to the Constitutional Convention to plead for reinforcements. He was even a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The popular term “maverick” is attributed to Sam Maverick’s practice of not branding his cattle, because of the brutality of the practice- cynics claimed it enabled him to claim every unbranded cow he found.

This term, over time, came to connote nonconformity as embodied in the lives of his descendants.

His grandson, Maury Maverick, carried on this Maverick spirit. He was a Democratic congressman from San Antonio during the Roosevelt administration and a member of a group of ardent advocates of Roosevelt’s New Deal called, appropriately enough, the “Mavericks.”

In Congress, Maury Maverick fought for extending the programs of the New Deal and for civil rights legislation. After leaving Congress, he was elected mayor of San Antonio with the backing of the Hispanic community, but was defeated in 1941 after he allowed communists to meet in the municipal auditorium.

His son, Maury Maverick Jr., continued the Maverick family franchise with a distinguished career in law, politics and journalism, defending the rights of the underdog. He was a Marine, saw service in the Pacific in World War II, and returned to Texas from the war ready to raise hell.During his tenure in the state Legislature, he was vigorous in his opposition to McCarthy-era legislation.

Once, when there was a proposal in Texas to mandate the death penalty for being a Communist, Maverick proposed a compromise. His tongue-in-cheek suggestion prescribed a life sentence for merely being suspected of being a Communist.

After retiring from the Legislature, Maury Maverick Jr. continued his fight for the underdog, taking on many unpopular but courageous causes.

He won a landmark case in 1954 overturning a law that prevented blacks from engaging in prize fighting against white opponents. He later won a case in the Supreme Court defending a San Antonio bookseller who had been arrested for possessing dangerous books, such as those by Karl Marx, Jean Paul Sartre and Pope John XXXIII. In another high-profile case, Maverick defended Madelyn Murray O’Hair while working with the American Civil Liberties Union.

With a long tradition of living up to the family name, the line of Mavericks have made significant contributions to the history of Texas and of civil rights. The family today continues this tradition and is opposed to having the family name co-opted by the McCain campaign.

The current Maury Maverick says that if he hears John McCain call himself a “maverick” one more time, he’s going to shoot his TV.

I guess it’s a compliment that Sen. McCain would like to be associated with the image of this fine old Texas family and their cows, but to call himself the “Original Maverick” is more than a stretch. It's just silly.

If he’d have just changed the slogan to, “Like a Maverick,” or “Similar to a Maverick,” or “Maverick Wannabe,” I’d have no quarrel with it, but you can’t just make stuff up and expect people to believe it, no matter how many times you repeat it...

John McCain's voting record is anything but that of an original maverick. Voting 90% of the time with President Bush shows him to be more of a loyal trooper and party faithful than a Maverick nonconformist.

You can put all the lipstick on it you want, but

a Maverick is something real, and he ain’t it.

MIKE COCHRAN is a recognized regional historian and a former member of the Denton City Council.

Widespread Disenfranchisement of Democrats

I'm afraid there's something new to worry about....or at least, it's new to me. If you have the time to at least skim this, you'll be in a position to inform people about unexpected, deliberate threats to their votes...

Disenfranchisement of Democratic Voters

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: There are about 30 scams the Republicans are deliberately using, particularly in the swing states to get Democratic voters off the rolls. These scams originate in the so-called Help America Vote Act, which was passed after the Florida debacle in the year 2000. It was originally suggested by Democrats and Republicans, but it was passed by a Republican Congress with a Republican senate and a Republican president. And instead of reforming what happened in Florida it basically institutionalized all the problems that happened in Florida. And institutionalized a series of impediments that make it very difficult for Democrats to register, for Democrats to vote and then for Democrats to have their votes counted.

One of these requirements under HAVA is called 'the perfect match,' and what that does is little known but it is devastating. A quarter of the voters in Colorado have just been removed from the rolls because of this--[and] just this one scam. And what it does is, they use a computer system to compare your registration application to all [your] other government records in the state. So they'll look at your Social Security records, your Motor Vehicle records, and any time you've had any interaction with the government, and if there is any information on your voter registration that is different than the information on another government record that they find, they remove you from the voting rolls.

For example, if I registered as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and yet my motor vehicle license said Robert Frances Kennedy Jr., I'd be removed from the rolls. If your initial is different, if you leave an initial out, if you leave a "Jr." out, if you leave a hyphen out in your name. And what they've done is a study in New York that said 80% of the errors are errors by state clerks taking down this information. And particularly [in] immigrant communities, [where] people tend to vote Democratic, people have names ...spell Muhammad with an "o" instead of a "u". (Crosstalk)

Papantonio: Are the Democrats suing to stop this?

RFK, Jr.: No, the Democrats are doing nothing to stop it. In New Jersey, which is a swing state, 300,000 voters in New Jersey were just sent letters saying that they are now ineligible to vote. New Jersey is nice enough to actually notify them--most states will not even notify them. And New Jersey intends to send out 870,000 letters so that is three quarters of a million people off the voting rolls in a state that could decide this vote by 50,000 votes. And these are Democrats that are being pushed off the rolls.
Let me tell you about one of other scams people should know about. If you're a newly registered voter--and of course the Democrats have done these gigantic registration drives--12 million people on registration--if you're a new voter, you MUST include your license or some other state I.D. when you come to vote. What that means is that if you're a college kid--and college kids now, they're sending in absentee ballots, they're not going to the voting place, they do everything online or they do everything remotely. They don't dream of going to the precinct house voting on election day and waiting in a long line.

So if they send in the absentee ballot, and they don't include a color copy of their [driver's] license, their vote is going to be thrown into a trash can. And none of these people know this, because you had to have to read the law in order to know it. There is no notification [of this requirement] when you fill out your registration form, so all of those 12 million people that the Democrats have registered--those ballots are going to be just thrown out.

Papantonio: And if Democrats won't talk about this, how the hell's anybody gonna know about it? I'm involved with this kind of thing every day--I didn't know that until you just told me. The media is not talking about it. How in the hell is somebody gonna find this out? It's just incredible.

RFK, Jr.: Hopefully--Obama is getting $66 million a month--hopefully somebody in the Democratic organization is going to pay some attention to this before Election Day.

THIS IS FROM H.A.V.A. (HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT)

Requirements.--

(A) In general.--An individual meets the requirements of this paragraph if the individual-- (i) in the case of an individual who votes in person-- (I) presents to the appropriate State or local election official a current and valid photo identification; or (II) presents to the appropriate State or local election official a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or (ii) in the case of an individual who votes by mail, submits with the ballot-- (I) a copy of a current and valid photo identification; or (II) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.

(B) Fail-safe voting.--(i) In person.--An individual who desires to vote in person, but who does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A)(i), may cast a provisional ballot under section 302(a). (ii) By mail.--An individual who desires to vote by mail but who does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A)(ii) may cast such a ballot by mail and the ballot shall be counted as a provisional ballot in accordance with section 302(a).

http://www.fec.gov/hava/law_ext.txt (that means your vote will be thrown out!)

REMEMBER:

1. VOTE!

2. VOTE IN PERSON (IF POSSIBLE)

3. DON'T VOTE EARLY (IF POSSIBLE)

4. VOTE ON A PAPER BALLOT (NO MACHINE IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE)

5. BRING AN "VALID" I.D. (IF POSSIBLE)

6. IF YOU HAVE TO VOTE ABSENTEE ENCLOSE A COLOR COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE OR OTHER OTHER "VALID" (STATE?) I.D. OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION LISTED ABOVE.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14750.cfm

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/orleans/243