Where Was I?

Just when I was starting to think the McCain campaign had Palin’s ignorance under control, she comes out with this doozy. From ABC:

“If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations,” Palin told host Chris Plante, “then I don’t know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.”

Palin’s bizarre interpretation of the First Amendment is so convoluted that I am having trouble finding the right words to explain what I think she thinks it means. She should read it again:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

According to Palin, the First Amendment guarantees a politician’s right to say whatever he or she wants without being called on it by the press? Is that what she’s saying?

The more I mull this over, the more confused I get, but I’m pretty sure the fact that the First Amendment guarantees THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what Palin thinks it does takes her lack of intelligence to a whole new level (emphasis mine):

Without the First Amendment, religious minorities could be persecuted, the government might well establish a national religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government, and citizens could not mobilize for social change.

I had an opinion about John’s post so I weighed in here. Linking’s easier than trying to recreate the magic.

Speaking of magic, Happy Halloween (weird segue, I know). I have no costume plans as of yet though I am definitely looking forward to handing out candy. Last year was surprisingly amusing.

My friends at PSA made another video. Pass it around:

Nielsen: 33.6 million watched Obama ad:

Obama’s 30-minute primetime infomercial was seen by 33.6 million viewers across seven networks — including CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, MSNBC, BET and TV One.

That’s 70% more people than watched the conclusion of the World Series last night on Fox (19.8 million).

Once we’ve got Washington back on track, we should work on fixing the media. We need fewer dopes and more Damons:

From Robert Pear’s article on women having to pay more for health insurance (emphasis mine):

Thomas T. Noland Jr., a senior vice president of Humana, said: “Premiums for our individual health insurance plans reflect claims experience — the use of medical services — which varies by gender and age. Females use more medical services than males, and this difference is most pronounced in young adults.”

In addition, Mr. Noland said, “Bearing children increases other health risks later in life, such as urinary incontinence, which may require treatment with medication or surgery.”

This says it all. From the AP:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plunked down $4 million for a campaign-closing television ad Wednesday night and summoned voters to “choose hope over fear and unity over division” in Tuesday’s election. Republican John McCain derided the event as a “gauzy, feel-good commercial,” paid for with broken promises.

Obama lifts you up. McCain drags you down.

She is out of control:

Gov. Sarah Palin suggested that if the Republican ticket is defeated on Tuesday she expects to be a player in the next election four years from now, saying “I’m not doing this for naught.”

Way to avoid overshadowing the top of the ticket in the final days of the campaign, Sarah. Real team player you’re turning out to be.

UPDATE: Oh what a difference 4 days makes. Remember what Palin told Brian Williams in the interview that aired Friday:

As for furtherance in a political career, I’m not even gonna think about that. I’m thinkin’ between now and November 4th what it is we have to do in reaching out to the electorate and letting them know who John McCain is, what we represent, and how electing John McCain is the right decision for the future of America.

Someone’s been reading too much of her own press. From today’s NYT:

Her prospects, in or out of government, are the subject of intensive conversations among conservative leaders, including the group that will meet next Wednesday in rural Virginia to weigh social, foreign policy and economic issues, as well as the political landscape and the next presidential election.

If the Republican party considers Sarah Palin its future, they’re in worse shape than I thought. It’s not like she’s an intellectual giant who just needs time to learn the nuances of national politics. She’s a former beauty queen, a pathological liar, dumb as a post, completely self-absorbed, and utterly unaware.

That should win you back some votes 4 years from now. Have at it.

Everyone – and I mean every single news outlet – should stop covering “undecideds.”

With everything that’s at stake, if someone’s still ambivalent, he’s either a raging moron or not paying attention. Either way, what he thinks could not be less significant.

And certainly, he shouldn’t be offered a megaphone (i.e. cable news) to shout it.

And as if on cue, on CNN right now: “If you’re still undecided, tell us why.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same (emphasis mine):

Palin, for her part, adopted a much more casual look tonight when addressing an overflow crowd at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa. In the time between her main speech and her talk to the overflow room, she took off her magenta suit jacket and replaced it with an oversized Navy-blue T-shirt that said SHIP in large white letters and, below that, HAPPENS, in smaller letters. At the very bottom, in tiny letters, lay the name of the university.