Hotline After Dark -- Questioning The Questions
AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) continued to be the talk of the TV last night. Discussion focused on her daughter being pregnant and whether Palin was properly vetted.
Karl Rove, on critics saying Palin should bow out for the good of her daughter: "Did we see ... those same comments, for example when John Edwards entered the presidential contest with his wife suffering cancer? ... Did we see these same commentaries when Nancy Pelosi, then a mother of five, entered politics running for Congress when her youngest child was still in high school? I mean, please, we live in a modern society in which people are capable of making choices about their careers that they're going to follow" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 9/2).
CNN's Borger, on whether Palin will be able to balance being VP and having a family: "Every woman has to answer that question for herself. I would never say that a woman can't do it. I would never say that a woman should do it. ... So I don't think you can make any generalizations about working moms. I think the question is her qualifications ... and the way this choice was done tells you about John McCain because, after all, he's the candidate" ("Situation Room," 9/2).
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM): "That bothers me. No one ever asked John Kennedy whether he could be president and be a dad. Nobody asks Senator [Barack] Obama whether he could be president and be a dad. But because Governor Palin is a woman, they're asking whether she can be vice president and a mom. ... And the double standard, I think, is not being pushed by Republicans here at the convention. It's being asked by people in the media who should know better" ("NewsHour," PBS, 9/2).
More after the jump.
(KATHERINE LEHR)
Newt Gingrich: "I think two or three weeks from now we're going to be in one of two worlds. Either the elite media will have succeeded in crippling and defining Governor Palin, or she will be standing firm as a really attractive, articulate, intelligent candidate. ... And that's why you see the New York Times today with three front-page articles attacking Governor Palin. I mean, the media has figured out that she is the greatest threat since Clarence Thomas, because a conservative professional woman who's attractive is an absolute mortal threat to the left's ability to define and legitimize American politics. And they're going to come after her with everything they can get" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 9/2).
McCain mgr. Rick Davis, on whether the camp is concerned Palin is a distraction because of questions about the vetting process: "We're confident that we know everything we need to know about Governor Palin and the administration that she did in the course of her nine years in office in Alaska. We're very confident that she'll make a fine vice president. We're very excited about her speech coming up tomorrow in this convention, which will give her the first time to really present her case to the American public about who she is and how she will govern, and what a great candidate she is for our ticket" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 9/2).
Obama comm. dir. Robert Gibbs, on whether the Obama camp thinks Palin was well-vetted: "I'm going to let them decide their procedures and processes. I definitely think that how one picks a vice presidential nominee says a lot about the leader that that person is going to be. By all accounts, they met one time before he tapped her to be the vice presidential nominee" ("LKL," CNN, 9/2).
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK): "She's been vetted thoroughly. ... She had these huge questionnaires that she had to fill out. But I remind you, she's only been our nominee for four days. She is going through intensive public vetting right now, whereas all the other candidates who ran for president, who ran for vice president, or became vice presidential considerations, they've been running for years. And so we've heard for years about all their background. Now, all of a sudden, we have this new lady who's our nominee and she's being vetted now for the last four days" ("NewsHour," PBS, 9/2).
NPR's Williams: "What we saw even today was the former speaker of the house in Alaska, a Republican, the head of the Republican Party in Alaska, saying 'Nobody ever asked us, nobody from the McCain campaign said ever came to us and say what about Sarah Palin?' ... We are talking about vetting and whether or not the McCain campaign in terms of exercising judgment in picking a VP nominee was thorough. And what it seems to be the case is they were not" ("Special Report," FNC, 9/2).
Here is my question to you: Should the 18 yr old kid that got Gov. Palin underage daughter pregnant be charged, with a crime like other teens in this Country? There are teens in this Country currently serving jail time, for commenting the same offense of having sex with an underage minor that this kid is being accused of. Why isn’t the law being followed in this case? Is there a double standard for a VP candidate?
Wrong! Hey Dan before you go blasting your mouth maybe you should look at the books and see if a law has been broken. Alaska's age of consent law is easily reference on the internet. The age of consent is not a federal mandate, it governed by individual states. In other words each state has different laws concerning consent and statutory rape. Sec. 11.41.434. Sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree.
(a) An offender commits the crime of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree if
(1) being 16 years of age or older, the offender engages in sexual penetration with a person who is under 13 years of age or aids, induces, causes, or encourages a person who is under 13 years of age to engage in sexual penetration with another person;
(2) being 18 years of age or older, the offender engages in sexual penetration with a person who is under 18 years of age, and the offender is the victim's natural parent, stepparent, adopted parent, or legal guardian; or
(3) being 18 years of age or older, the offender engages in sexual penetration with a person who is under 16 years of age, and
(A) the victim at the time of the offense is residing in the same household as the offender and the offender has authority over the victim; or
(B) the offender occupies a position of authority in relation to the victim.
(b) Sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree is an unclassified felony and is punishable as provided in AS 12.55.
Nice Try. No Cigar.
Yeah, Dan, get with it. If the Republican primary and convention have taught us anything, it is:
1. Foolish to take marriage vows seriously.
2. Decidedly old school to be a bride before becoming a mother.
Where have you been?
If that is what you have learned by watching the Republican national convention you obviously slept through the Clinton adminastration.
It is foolish to take anything to serious these days.
Old school to judge the morals of other based on your own.
The Real Royal King, is that the name you use on myspace to lure young girls.
The unspoken focus of this piece is media comments on why Palin should bow out, not just "critics."
You can't really do an analysis without bringing up John Roberts on CNN 8/29 asking Dana Bash why Palin shouldn't leave the race to take care of her infant, and others talking about her daughter. Lots of others have said it, including some posters here, but it's more important when an anchor and reporter says those things. Kind of puts the Hillaryites' complaints in perspective.
Will be interesting to see if Palin goes straight after this kind of talk tonight. I would think she'd get a lot of sympathy if she did, but that's just me.
How many divorces have the Clintons had, Dale? Three like Limbaugh, two like Guiliani and Gingrich, one each like McCain, Thompson, et al? How many kids has Clinton abandoned, Dale? Fewer than McCain and Gingrich, I should think. How many times did Chelsea get knocked up, Dale? Amy Carter? Your convention may be as white as the driven snow Dale, but it is anything but pure.
You obviously left out the Virgin Mary I believe legend has it she was married to joseph when she BECAME pregnant.
It is not against the law to get a divorce.
Only immoral to the few self appointed richious judges. as I said, I like your Christ, I don't like your Christians, they are nothing like your Christ. WWJD.
This whole scenario is nothing more than a Republican soap opera. It is a distraction from the issues. The Economy, The War in Iraq. The War in Afghanistan, Health Care, Energy, Taxes.
Why -- when we should be discussing the next President's plans for solving the problems of the USA -- are we introduced to a whole new person?!?!
With 2 months to go!
It is ludicrous.
The Right proves that you don't give a damn about the real, kitchen table issues. You have no new plans. You have no new ideas. You cannot bring change in a "Change Election". And so you are running with soap opera candidates with a soap opera platform. You CANNOT debate on the issues or you will lose.
Rick Davis even said, "This election is not about the issues". Does it get any more laughable than that?
America wants facts. We want SOLUTIONS. We want PLANS. We want COMPETENCE. We are sick of your partisan hackery and distraction from the issues. We KNOW you and your candidates support the Bush/Cheney/McSame rip-off economy. We KNOW you support the Bush/Cheney/McSame go-it-alone foreign policy. AMERICA knows this dog and pony show by the GOP is an embarrassment and a distraction. We KNOW that McSame is not a reformer, will not bring change on any issue.
Domestic kitchen table issues at home.
Foreign policy issues around the world.
Discuss those topics or lose.
And yes, the world watched as the Democrats discussed those issues. We are wondering about your take on the issues, but instead it's all about McSame's pick and his poor judgment. There is a lot to be inspired about by Barack Obama and Joe Biden and their ideas and proposals for the country.
Barack Obama actually has detailed plans about all of his policies. I suggest people go to barackobama.com and check out their take on the kitchen table issues that matter to you.
Btw, Joe Biden ROCKED in FL yesterday. Speaking to a largely Jewish community, he talked about being in the Prime Minister's office in Israel meeting with Golda Meir and a young(er) Yitzhak Rabin. Couldn't be more competent on foreign policy. They don't come better prepared than Joe Biden. He kinda makes Miss Alaska-runner-up look like the rookie she is. We need competence, knowledge, experience, insight. And that only comes from being on the world stage for decades like Joe Biden.
A couple of answers for Karl Rove.
Yes, people DID ask whether it was appropriate for Edwards to run given his wife's condition. And his wife, being an ADULT, chose to support and advocate for his candidacy.
By contrast, Palin's daughter is a CHILD. We have no idea whether Palin asked Bristol if she would support her taking the VP nod, and if she did, Bristol's response wouldn't be relevant because again, she is a CHILD.
Furthermore, comparing Palin's situation to Pelosi's is further evidence of how (self?) deluded Rove is. No rational person would suggest that a woman (or man) with children shouldn't run for office. But Palin's situation is not typical. Despite what the Republicans are saying now, it is NOT typical for a family to have to meet the needs of a 4 month old special needs infant AND a knocked up teenager at the same time. Many of us (if we had the opportunity) might take time off from work or at least try to manage our time so we could devote extra time to helping our families through such a challenging time.
By contrast, Palin signed up (1) to participate in a national campaign, one where her every waking hour will be consumed with trying to develop a perspective on the major issues of the day, and preparing to communicate that perspective effectively to at times seriously skeptical audiences and (2) subject her family to the press scrutiny that inevitably comes from being a candidate for national office.
Is it her right to do that? Absolutely. Is it at least questionable as a matter of judgment for a woman OR A MAN? Absolutely.
a better question would be-is the decision to carry the pregnancy made by Bristol or is she being coerced by her parents? is the shotgun wedding her idea or theirs? and all of it is less important than the selection of a person of no foreign policy or national policy experience to back up an old man with a history of cancer-totally political pandering to the religious right and NOT putting country first!