Blog Buzz: Sarah Palin's Pork, Remembering 9/11, Interior Department Scandal
Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:
Remember September 11
In honor of 9/11, John McCain and Barack Obama have called a political truce and will appear together at ground zero today. Politico has the statements from McCain and Obama. Other bloggers are taking today to say "God bless America," to "remember and pray," and to post previously published reflections. Other bloggers feel fresh outrage and wonder about the legacy of 9/11. The Corner has an excerpt from Debra Burlingame, the sister of the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, who warns that the event is being "misremembered" by Americans. ThinkProgress discusses John McCain's response to 9/11—to start making the case for the Iraq War.
Sarah "Porky (Not Piggy)" Palin
After McCain said earlier this year that he won't "spend $3 million of your tax dollars to study the DNA of bears in Montana," Politico reports that as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin requested millions of dollars to study the DNA of harbor seals, among other things (including research on the mating habits of crabs.) Liberal and other bloggers are both amused and appalled that Palin, who claims she is conservative when it comes to earmarks, would request federal money for a project nearly identical to one that McCain has mocked. TPM's Josh Marshall says that while the research is not necessarily wasteful, the earmark is yet another example of how McCain and Palin are "hypocrites and liars." Marc Ambinder has a memo from McCain that defends Palin on earmarks.
Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll At the...Department of the Interior?
The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal report on a scandal breaking out at the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, which collects oil and gas royalties. According to the New York Times article, the ethics scandal includes "allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use, and sexual misconduct." Christopher Orr at The New Republic describes the accusations against one official. Washington Monthly says the scandal demonstrates the corrupt nature of the Bush administration and finds a connection to the debate over coastal drilling. ThinkProgress and Matthew Yglesias discuss how the employees thought they were exempt from ethical guidelines. A Salon.com blogger wonders why the Democrats haven't used this in the campaign against Republicans.
—Gretchen Hannes
Reader Comments
palin
Aren't the supporters of Palin even a little scared of her incompetence as possible Commander -in-Chief?They have loved ones who would be subjected to her whims-just as the rest of America does-after all.
(What) Was McCain Thinking?
How can he choose a running mate who enquires to the public library how to ban certain unfavourable literature (apart from the fact that no-one knows what unfavourable would have meant). Thinking that this woman may become President of the USA in case John McCain (who after all is 72) passes away while on duty puts shivers down my spine. It means she may well be President for the next 11 and a bit years!
This comes from a non-US citizen by the way, in fact we, myself, my wife (who is a US citizen) and my kids, who live in South Africa, but would the US please note that the rest of the world has an interest in what's going on in the most powerful nation in the world, and what effects the voters' decision can have on the rest of the world?
Palin visits extreme fundamentalist churches
that spread the 'news' that Obama is Moslem. While that is not true, a fundamentalist Christian is as dangerous as a fundamentalist Moslem, or any other fundamentalist for that matter. And it is so clear what disrespect John McCain has for the intelligence of women by just getting any woman on his ticket - while i did not think Hilary Clinton would have been the better choice between her and Obama, she would have been a much better choice than McCain (while he seems to think that all women who were angry at Hilary's loss would vote for just any other woman - most of Hilary's supporters were smarter than that).
And what kind of message is Ms. Palin giving by wanting to force pregnancies through to the end, even if they were created by rape or incest? What understanding can she have of the feelings going on in women who were treated that way? Or if she does have understanding of that, does she know every woman would be just fine with it?
Wanting to ban books that she considered not worthy to be kept in a library should say an awful lot about her, and also her enmity against people who do not agree with her views.
And when i thought you could not get any more crazy than Bush when he opened his mouth right after becoming president, and started sputtering provocations to anyone who was able to be provoked -- i could not believe this so-called lady threatening war with Russia even before being in office.
Maybe some people have never heard of this, but what we do to others, that will come back to us, be it to a person or a country. And no, this law of action and reaction, of cause and effect, will not be changed for America. And it is not a punishment, but made of our own creations, the appropriate response to our actions). We really should think about this before going out and attacking in the mistaken thought of getting away with it forever.
Basically, we are still extremely primitive creatures. And if you don't believe it, just look at the comments at Mr. Obama's idea of keeping some civility in this election -- his strenght is seen as weakness from the opposition; of course, just as i see as weakness the bullying of people, making them fearful of their own shadows, and blocking their capacity to think clearly
(why would an everloving God, the alpha and omega, who gave free choice to everyone, send people to hell when they make mistakes - Christ never spoke of any of this)
And from a member of above-named churches, i understand the Assembly of God, Church of God, and Pentacostal Holiness are all one and the same - and they don't attack Mr. Obama's race, because they see that the race card is not as potent anymore as the religion card - very well thought out, and faithfully repeated already in a lot of the 'town meetings' by people who have just this 'gut-feeling' about him.
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